The wooden doors slowly opened and standing before them was a witch with a stern set to her eyes and was dressed in emerald green robes. Harry instantly knew that you'd have to be on a new level of idiot to cross her. "Thank you Hagrid." She said, nodding to the tall Harry man. "I can take them from here."

The man nodded and he waved goodbye to the students. The witch turned to them, and let the stern look fade slightly. She smiled to them, and ushered them into the great hall. The entrance hall was so big you could have fit the whole of the Dursleys' house in it. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones at Gringotts, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors.

They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Harry could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right -the rest of the school must already be here - but Professor McGonagall showed the first years into a small, empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, standing rather closer together than they would usually have done, peering about nervously.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.

"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours." She peered at them with a raised eyebrow. "The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting." Her eyes lingered for a moment on Neville's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear, and on the red haired boy's smudged nose. Harry nervously tried to flatten his hair, but like all other times he tried that, it really was no use.

McGonagall left them with a promise to return when they were ready for the new students.

Draco turned him around and looked him over and nodded. "Alright Potter, you don't look bad." He said. He brushed off a stray hair from his shoulder. He stood in front of Harry expectantly.

"Well, you look good too." Harry said with a smile. Draco looked exactly like the rich boy Harry knew he was. "How do you think they're going to sort us?" Harry asked him. Draco smiled at him knowingly. "Well?"

"I'm not telling." He said in a sing-song voice. Harry suspected that he didn't actually know. Harry let Draco believe he'd been fooled. Nott and Zabini joined them, pushing through the crowd. Behind them trailed two boys very large boys who looked very mean. Meaner than Zabini, meaner than how Draco looked when Hermione had burst into their compartment. He was introduced to them quickly. Their names were Crabbe and Goyle, they grunted in place on actual greetings.

"So it's true, what they were saying on the train." The red haired boy and two others walked over to the group of boys flanked by two others. "Harry Potter has come to Hogwarts." He stopped in front of them, and looked at Draco, Nott, and Zabini. "You've chosen to keep some interesting company. The Boy-Who-Lived shouldn't be hanging out with the children of Death Eaters."

Draco rolled his neck and chuckled. "No need to tell me who you are. Red hair, hand me down robes, and a stupid complexion. You must be a Weasley." He cross his arms over his chest, a smirk stretching across his pale face. He turned to Harry who was looking between them. "These were the kind of wrong sort I warned you about in my letter."

Harry looked at the red haired boy and took a step forward. "Malfoy is the first friend I've ever had. He and his family have been good to me." He narrowed his eyes. "Don't you dare insult him." The red head huffed and pushed Harry back. He snarled and stomped away with his two companions.

"You'll regret this one day, Potter." He called over his shoulder.

Harry watched them go, feeling something tight in his shoulders. "Maybe, I shouldn't have said that." He looked over to Draco who was snickering with Nott.

"No, it was hilarious, you sassy little devil." Nott smirked. He slung his arms around Draco and Harry's shoulders. Draco tried to pull away, but Nott wouldn't release them. "What's life without a little friendly rivalry."

"That wasn't very friendly." Harry muttered. He grabbed Nott's hand and removed his arm. The other boy pouted slightly, but brightened back up. Harry looked over to Zabini who was smirking at him. He looked at Harry and put a hand on his hip. "What?" Harry asked, narrowing his eyes.

"It's just funny." Zabini said. "You're not at all what I was expecting."

"And what were you expecting?"

Zabini said nothing, maybe he would have if the strict professor hadn't returned. "We are ready for you, line up." She ordered. The group of eleven year olds formed a somewhat orderly line, three across, mostly trying to squeeze through the door, with their shoulders pressed together. Harry wasn't alone with his year mates, marveling at the beauty of the great hall. Thousands of candles were floating in the air, giving the hall a nice, homely feeling to it. The ceiling was showing the starry night sky that they had seen before they'd entered into the castle.

"It's enchanted to show what the sky outside looks like." Said the bushy haired girl from the train, several feet ahead of him to a girl with mousy brown hair. "I read it in Hogwarts: A History."

"I read it in Hogwarts: A History." Draco mocked her under his breath, rolling his eyes so far and so hard that Harry was worried they might pop out of his head. "Merlin, what a know-it-all. I bet she's never had a friend."

Harry looked at the bushy haired girl. He chuckled along with the rest of their group as they lined up in front of the staff table. Harry wondered if what Draco said was true. Harry had never had friends before he'd met Draco, so he understood why she would be so desperate to make them. Maybe she thought that flaunting her talents was going to win people over. She was-unfortunately-wrong. He looked over to Draco, who was still mocking the girl with Zabini. Harry frowned deeply and looked back over to her. She must have heard Draco, because she was glaring at them. She looked over at Harry, who smiled to her. She huffed, and turned away, crossing her arms over her chest. Then something happened that made him jump about a foot in the air - several people behind him screamed.

"What the -?!" Someone shouted.

He gasped. So did the people around him. About twenty ghosts had just streamed through the back wall. Pearly-white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room talking to one another and hardly glancing at the first years. They seemed to be arguing. What looked like a fat little monk was saying: "Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance -"

"My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost - I say, what are you all doing here?"
A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed the first years.

Nobody answered.

"New students!" said the Fat Friar, smiling around at them. "About to be Sorted, I suppose?" A few people nodded mutely.

"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" said the Friar. "My old house, you know."

"Move along now," said a sharp voice. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start." Professor McGonagall said.

Harry quickly looked down again as Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. Aunt Petunia wouldn't have let it in the house. She would have beaten whoever had brought it in, might have had a real heart attack if it touched anything in the house.

Maybe they had to try and get a rabbit out of it, Harry thought wildly, that seemed the sort of thing - noticing that everyone in the hall was now staring at the hat, he stared at it, too. For a few seconds, there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth - and the hat began to sing:

"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,

But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry Set Gryffindors apart;

You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffis are true And unafraid of toil;

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
if you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folk use any means
To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!"

The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again.

"So we've just got to try on the hat!" Draco hissed to himself angrily. "I'm going to kill Atlas. He said we had to fight a troll."

Harry. smiled weakly. Yes, trying on the hat was a lot better than having to do a spell, but he did wish they could have tried it on without everyone watching. The hat seemed to be asking rather a lot; Harry didn't feel brave or quick-witted or any of it at the moment. If only the hat had mentioned a house for people who felt a bit queasy, that would have been the one for him.

Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Abbott, Hannah!"

A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down. A moments pause -
"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat.

The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table. Harry saw the ghost of the Fat Friar waving merrily at her.

"Bones, Susan!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat again, and Susan scuttled off to sit next to Hannah.

"Boot, Terry!"

"RAVENCLAW!"
The table second from the left clapped this time; several Ravenclaws stood up to shake hands with Terry as he joined them.

" Brocklehurst, Mandy" went to Ravenclaw too, but "Brown, Lavender" became the first new Gryffindor, and the table on the far left exploded with cheers; Harry could see the red headed twin brothers catcalling.

"Bulstrode, Millicent" then became a Slytherin. Perhaps it was Harry's imagination, but they seemed to be the most reserved of the lot. They clapped politely for they new comer, but there were no shrieks and wild nonsense from the other tables.

He was starting to feel definitely sick now. He remembered being picked for teams during gym at his old school. He had always been last to be chosen, not because he was no good, but because no one wanted Dudley to think they liked him.

"Finch-Fletchley, Justin!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

Sometimes, Harry noticed, the hat shouted out the house at once, but at others it took a little while to decide. "Finnigan, Seamus," the sandy-haired boy next to Harry in the line, sat on the stool for almost a whole minute before the hat declared him a Gryffindor.

"Granger, Hermione!" Hermione almost ran to the stool and jammed the hat eagerly on her head.

"GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the hat. Draco sighed in relif. ("Not that she would have been in Slytherin anyways, could you imagine?")

A horrible thought struck Harry, as horrible thoughts always do when you're very nervous. What if he wasn't chosen at all? What if he just sat there with the hat over his eyes for ages, until Professor McGonagall jerked it off his head and said there had obviously been a mistake and he'd better get back on the train? He'd loose his friend in Draco, and he'd probably spend the rest of his life the cupboard under the stairs.

When Neville Longbottom, the boy who kept losing his toad, was called, he fell over on his way to the stool. The hat took a long time to decide with Neville. When it finally shouted, "GRYFFINDOR," Neville ran off still wearing it, and had to jog back amid gales of laughter to give it to "MacDougal, Morag."

Malfoy swaggered forward when his name was called and got his wish at once: the hat had barely touched his head when it screamed, "SLYTHERIN!" Harry clapped for Malfoy, and smiled when the blond caught his eye and nodded subtly. Malfoy went to join his friends Crabbe and Goyle, looking pleased with himself.

There weren't many people left now. "Moon" "Nott" "Parkinson" (all Slytherins) then a pair of twin girls, "Patil" (Gryffindor) and "Patil" (Ravenclaw) then "Perks, Sally-Anne" and then, at last - "Potter, Harry!"

As Harry stepped forward, whispers suddenly broke out like little hissing fires all over the hall as he sat down.

"Potter, did she say?"

"The Harry Potter?"

The last thing Harry saw before the hat dropped over his eyes was the hall full of people craning to get a good look at him. Next second he was looking at the black inside of the hat. He waited.

"Hmm," said a small voice in his ear. "Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind either. There's talent, A my goodness, yes - and a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that's interesting... So where shall I put you?"

Harry gripped the edges of the stool and thought, 'Please, put me with my friend, I don't want to loose my friend.'.

"In Slytherin, eh?" said the small voice. "Yes, yes I can see it now. You could be great, you know, it's all here in your head, and Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that, I'm sure you'll fit in nicely. SLYTHERIN!" The hat shouted.

Harry heard the hat shout the last word to the whole hall. He took off the hat and walked shakily toward the Slytherin table. He felt his ears grow hot, when he noticed that not a single person was clapping for him. That was until as one the Slytherin house stood and began to clap enthusiastically. "We got Potter! We got Potter." He heard over and over again. When he reached the table, Draco grabbed him by the arm and helped him settle into a seat. Several older students were reaching over to shake his hand. ("The name's Bowl, Potter, nice to meet you" "Good Merlin, that was a shock, good to have you Potter, good to have you.") Harry grinned at them all and shook hands, knowing he'd never remember that many names at once.

The sorting continued and Zabini was sorted into Slytherin as well. Harry clapped along with the rest of his house. He couldn't help but notice that Zabini was a little sour he didn't get such a warm welcome.

McGonagall rolled up her scroll and took the Sorting Hat away. Harry looked down at his empty gold plate. He had only just realized how hungry he was. The pumpkin pasties seemed ages ago.

Albus Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. He was beaming at the students, his arms opened wide, as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there.
"Welcome," he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! "Thank you!"

He sat back down. Everybody clapped and cheered. Harry didn't know whether to laugh or not.

"Is he - a bit mad?" he asked Draco uncertainly.

Draco snorted and rolled his eyes again. "Mad? You've got that right. How did they ever allow a man like that to teach is beyond me. Father says this place has gone to the dogs."

Harry hummed and looked up at the staff table. He saw that Dumbledore was chatting with a plump witch. He seemed perfectly nice. Harry looked at the rest of the staff and saw that Snape was sitting with a man in a turban. Harry smiled and waved uncertainly. Snape raised an eyebrow, slightly glaring. He nodded once, and Harry figured that was good enough. Snape returned to speaking to the other teacher.

"Oi, Potter, pass the mashed potatoes." Someone further to his left said.

Harry looked down at the table and his mouth fell open. The dishes in front of him were now piled with food. He had never seen so many things he liked to eat on one table: roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup, and, for some strange reason, peppermint humbugs. His name was called again, so he grabbed the bowl of mashed potatoes and handed them to a boy who looked to be about thirteen. He was sitting with Atlas who grinned at Harry brightly. Harry smiled back. He looked back at the food and he could feel his mouth watering.

The Dursleys had never been good at feeding Harry, so he'd never been allowed to eat as much as he liked. Mostly scraps and leftovers, not that there were many, considering Dudley had always taken anything that Harry really wanted, even if It made him sick. Harry piled his plate with a bit of everything except the peppermints and began to eat. It was all delicious.

Draco was looking at him out of the corner of his blue eyes. His posture was utter perfection, like it had been at dinner. Harry shot him and apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, I just haven't...well the muggles you see they-"

Draco held up at hand and Harry's mouth clicked shut. "No need to explain. Just don't eat too fast." He warned. "You might get sick."

Harry nodded and went back to his food, taking care to eat as slowly as he could bear too. He didn't have much time to talk to Draco while they were eating, but he did make a big show of nodding along to whatever he was saying. Eventually dinner disappeared, and dessert took its place. Harry helped himself to a small tart. He turned when their year mates began talking about their families.

"My mother is a head designer in one of the top agencies in France. We have to spend every summer there so she can work. Daddy works is a world-famous Astronomer, but I'm sure you all already knew that." A girl named Daphne Greengrass said, sweeping her blonde hair behind her ear. Pansy Parkinson's father was the head of the department of mysteries. She winked at them when she said they weren't supposed to know that. Tracey Davis was half-blood, which made Zabini cringe. She hadn't heard from her mother in years, but her dad was an Auror. Millicent Bulstrode said her mom didn't work but her dad worked with the banks. Zabini snottily declared that his mother was 'too rich to work' and said he was offended that his year mates 'thought he was a peasant.' Draco's father had no real job title, but liked to evolve himself in politics, his mother was a retired healer. Nott's father was retired and his mother was dead. Crabbe nor Goyal answered. Allura Moon's mother was a dragon handler. She didn't know who her father was.

Everyone in their year turned to Harry, who was eating a cookie. "My parents are both dead." He told them icily. They looked between themselves, Harry thought they they must have known.

"We mean..." Davis said, smoothing back her hair. "The people you live with now, what do they do?"

"Oh." Harry took another bite and swallowed. "My aunt does nothing, my uncle works building drills or something." He paused. "I...think."

Draco put a hand on his arm. "He's living with his mother's muggle family." He whispered.

There were instantly gasps of disbelief from the table and Harry wanted to sink into the floor. They were giving him sympathetic looks and words, the girls even reached over to pat him on the arm. He smiled and waved at them, assuring them that it wasn't a big deal. Thankfully the conversation turned away from family. Harry actually wasn't following what was being said. He was still focused on the food.

He dropped his cookie with a sudden burning pain came from his scar. Draco asked him what was wrong, but Harry waved him down, saying he was fine. The pain subsided and Harry he reached for the cookie to pick it back up. But, the desserts too disappeared, taking the cookie with it , and Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again. The hall fell silent.

"Ahern - just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you. First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well."
Dumbledore's twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of the Weasley twins. "I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors. Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch.
And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."

Harry looked to Draco in alarm. "He's not serious is he?"

"He better not be." The blond boy said in irritation. "My father will be hearing about this." He snapped. The other first years sighed quietly.

"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Dumbledore. Harry noticed that the other teachers' smiles had become rather fixed. Dumbledore gave his wand a little flick, as if he was trying to get a fly off the end, and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables and twisted itself, snakelike, into words.
"Everyone pick their favorite tune," said Dumbledore, "and off we go!" And the school-though the Slytherin table wasn't quite as exuberant-bellowed:

"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,
Teach us something please,
Whether we be old and bald
Or young with scabby knees,
Our heads could do with filling
With some interesting stuff,
For now they're bare and full of air,
Dead flies and bits of fluff,
So teach us things worth knowing,
Bring back what we've forgot,
just do your best, we'll do the rest,
And learn until our brains all rot.

Everybody finished the song at different times. At last, only the Weasley twins were left singing along to a very slow funeral march. Dumbledore conducted their last few lines with his wand and when they had finished, he was one of those who clapped loudest. "Ah, music," he said, wiping his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"

The Slytherin first years were told to sit and wait for the other tables to empty out. The rest of their house was allowed to leave, and did so quickly. There were two prefects that stayed with them. A boy and a girl. The boy was tall with large shoulders and a strong chin. He had cold eyes, that only seemed to soften slightly when he looked at the first years. The girl was a bit thicker. She smiled at them all very kindly and helped Crabbe straighten out his tie. When the hall was mostly empty, they were told sharply by the boy to line up. They did so at once, and followed him down into the dungeons. The stood in front of a blank wall and the girl tapped her wand to it. "Lilacs." She said. The wall slide away and opened into the Slytherin common room.

The Slytherin common room was a long, low underground room with rough stone walls and ceiling, from which round, greenish lamps were hanging on chains. A fire was crackling under an elaborately carved mantelpiece ahead of them, and several Slytherins were silhouetted around it in carved chairs.

"Okay, first years, gather around the fire." The boy said. The first years all tried to rush to sit on the couch, but it wound up being occupied by Draco, Zabini, Nott, and Davis. Harry didn't rush. He sat on the floor near Malfoy and grabbed a pillow from the blond boy, grinning at the scowl on his face. "Excellent." He nodded, and four other students joined them.

A tall thin boy with dark skin and dark eyes smiled at them. He introduced himself as the Slytherin seventh year prefect, Niles Hanley. Then a young woman with bright green eyes and tanned skin stepped up. She was also a seventh year prefect, her name was Jodey Akimbo.

"Let me start by welcoming you all to Slytherin House, the best house." Hanley said, clapping his hands together. "Now, I know you all must be exhausted, but I'd like to go over a few rules with you. If you forget, they're posted on the bulletin board. First thing, lights out by 8:30 sharp until you're in third year. That means bed time, yes, I know booo." He smiled at Draco and Zabini when they groaned quietly. "But you need your sleep. You also need to be awake every morning by six-thirty and be down in the great hall for breakfast no later than eight, understand?" He raised an eyebrow and everyone nodded. "Good!" He clapped his hands.

"Here in Slytherin house, we are family. We put up a united front, no matter what happens. I don't care if you hate every single person here you stand up for them. We don't allow each other to be hurt. When you're all older, you'll be looking after younger students as well, so take that to heart. It'll be hard sometimes, because the rest of the school already thinks they know us." He didn't seem disturbed by that. "So if anyone bothers you, don't be afraid to ask for help.

"Now, you'll notice how nice and tidy our common room is. Keep it that way." He said sharply. He looked over across the common room towards a few older students who suddenly realized that they were very exhausted and had to leave right then. He turned back to the first years. "This area belongs to everyone, not just you, so please be respectful. The house elves here are also not your personal servants. It is your responsibility to keep your dorms and bathrooms clean. You aren't allowed to bring food into your dorms. You will be subjected to six random inspections throughout the year. Do not think you can pull one over on us, or bribe us, because you cannot." He observed them. "Now, I know it can get a bit stuffy in here, but please don't open the windows..." He grinned at them and the other prefects sighed and shook their heads. None of the first years laughed.

"Anyways...if you have issues with students outside our house, and you cannot solve it yourself go to a prefect. If the issue continues, go to professor Snape, and it will be handled. Do not start fights. But if someone else starts them, you better damn well finish them. If you see a fellow Slytherin needs help, help them as best you can."

He hummed. "Oh! House meets are every Friday at nine after dinner. You aren't allowed to ever skip those. Every night between six and eight PM is study hall in the common room, so please take all games and conversations upstairs to your dorm rooms. No outsiders are allowed in the common room, no exceptions. First years are assigned a 'watcher' who is a student in fourth year. This person will be your study partner, friend, and confidant. They are all volunteers so please respect them or they can make your life...difficult. They will be your watcher until they have graduated. You'll find out who you're assigned too tomorrow after classes."

He clapped again. "Now, let's get you sleepy kids into bed. Boys, first floor to my left, girls first floor to my right. Goodnight!"

They hurried off into their dorms. Harry's trunk was already by a bed in a far corner of the room. Next to Zabini, across from Nott. Harry opened his trunk and pulled out a large shirt that went down to his knees which he intended to sleep in. There was a bathroom that was connected to their dorm. He didn't want anyone to see him changing. The bathroom was large, with three showers heads which were closed off. Six sinks and three toilets, which were also closed off. Harry quickly changed and returned to the dorm. The lights were off so he had to move carefully to get into his bed.

He reached back into his trunk and pulled out the bear Draco had gotten him, before he slipped under the covers and closed the curtains around him. He looked up at the dark silk canopy above him and smiling happily. He cuddled the bear and closed his eyes. He was home.