Kate huddled in one of the lines forming behind Hagrid, stamping her feet against the evening chill. The first years followed the lumbering caretaker down a twisting forest path to the edge of the lake. A flotilla of boats bobbed gently beside a wooden pier.

Kate clambered eagerly aboard, helping Neville as his foot caught on the lip of the boat and he nearly tumbled in. Trevor plopped from his grasp with onto the shore with a furious croak; Neville quickly scooped him up, hesitated, and then gently put the toad back down. 'Goodbye Trevor' murmured Neville tearfully; the toad let out on last long croak and hopped away into the dark.

Neville sniffed and rubbed his eyes with a sleeve as the boat lurched forward under them, pulling forward, away from the dock. Kate reached an arm around his shoulder and gave him a tight squeeze. 'That was very brave' she whispered gently. Neville nodded and gave a watery smile.

As the boats turned a bend and the rest of the lake unravelled before them, Kate gasped. The castle looming above them on the furthest shore was breathtaking; butter-yellow light shone brightly from various windows, like a thousand friendly eyes watching over the students slowly approaching the shore.

Kate had never seen such a beautiful sight. She sat in awestruck silence next to Neville, who kept muttering 'Wow!'. They were so distracted that, as the boats entered a cave embedded in the shoreline, a low-hanging clump of ivy smacked them in the face. 'Oh, eew!' Kate bunched her sleeves up and began rubbing her face. Neville coughed and spluttered, and nearly fell backwards off his seat.

The boats creaked to a halt, everyone disembarking slowly and following Hagrid back up to the surface along a tunnel carved through the rock. A smooth stone staircase led up to a large wooden door, which swung open to reveal a tall, black-haired woman in beautiful emerald robes.

'The firs' years, Professor McGonagall,' said Hagrid.

'Thankyou, Hagrid. I will take them from here,' Professor McGonagall pulled the door wide and herded the students across a stone courtyard lit by flaming torches. Kate jiggled happily; she had visited many castles on holidays with her parents, but never at night. It felt like she had stepped back in time.

There was a loud stream of conversation filtering through a doorway to their right as the students entered a hall, but Professor McGonagall strode past it and into a little room just off to the side.

Everybody piled in, forming a nervous semi-circle around her as she stood upright, hands clasped in front of her. Kate swallowed; she was sure Professor McGonagall was a lovely person, but the stern expression on her face was a little off-putting. Neville quivered slightly beside her; she slipped her hand into his and gave him a reassuring smile.

'Welcome to Hogwarts,' said Professor McGonagall, in a pleasant Scottish lilt, '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.'

Huh, sounds a little like prison. Are we allowed to visit other dorms? What about exploring the school grounds?

'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.'

Yep, one of them's standing right here.

'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 honour.'

Kate imagined for a moment being handed a shiny gold cup like the ones they had handed out for excellence at her old school. She had never been a particularly note-worthy student academically or athletically, but she was sure she could earn a handful of points at least. Maybe she'd get lucky and her house would win.

'The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school.' Neville visibly flinched; Kate turned to him and patted his elbow soothingly. 'You'll be fine' she whispered. Neville, pale and sweating, shook his head slightly.

'I suggest you smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting.' Professor McGonagall's eyes brushed over the crowd, lingering on certain people. Kate stood up firmly, acutely aware of her polished black boots and her long straight hair pulled back into a neat plait.

Professor McGonagall left the chamber. The crowd parted before Kate as Harry stepped through, looking nervous.

'I thought-I thought we were going to be sorted in private!' squeaked Neville.

'What is the Sorting Ceremony?' asked Harry. 'They make us wear the Sorting Hat' Neville wiped his sweaty palms on the front of his robes, 'And the hat decides which house we're in.'

'Does it light up or something?' Kate tilted her head quizzically. Neville shook his head.

'No, it's…um..it can talk'

Kate let out a short, sharp burst of laughter, her mouth turning up into a wide smile. 'A talking hat, of course! That makes perfect sense.'

This sounded a little Faraway Tree; Kate was beginning to wonder just how much Enid Blyton had known about the magical world. Or any of her favourite authors, for that matter. 'The Sorting Ceremony should be a piece of cake then! Why are you so worried?'

'It-it matters which house you're in. Gryffindor and Ravenclaw are where all the clever people go. Nobody likes Slytherin. And Hufflepuff is where the rest go, the ones that..that aren't good enough for the other houses.' Neville hung his head, cheeks flushed with shame. 'I-I'm probably going to be in Hufflepuff.'

'Nonsense! You're good enough for any of them!' Kate gave Neville a slight shake. 'Besides, a school house is nothing. It only counts on sports day, and even then-'

Several small screams erupted on the other side of the room as a group of translucent figures came gliding through the wall. Kate's jaw dropped. '…Ghosts' she said, in a small voice. Harry nodded slowly. 'That's..that's a ghost.' Kate pointed a finger shakily. Harry nodded slowly again.

'-gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not even really a ghost- I say, what are you al doing here?'

A Shakespeare-esque ghost in an old-fashioned ruff had finally noticed the children milling around. A jolly-looking friar with a massive pot belly hovering beside him smiled at the crowd. 'New students! About to be sorted, I suppose? Hope to see you in Hufflepuff! My old house, you know.'

'Move along now' Kate nearly jumped out her skin as Professor McGonagall's voice rang out. 'The Sorting Ceremony's about to start.' Children dove out of the way as the ghosts drifted away through the far wall, Professor McGonagall stepping forward into the room.

'Now, form a line, and follow me.' Kate hurried after Harry as the crowd stepped through the carved wooden doors into the Great Hall. She spared the room a quick glance, staring enraptured up at the enchanted roof and the clear night sky it was projecting.

'Look, floating candles!' whispered Harry.

'Harry, I love you dearly but bugger the floating candles, those were ghosts!'

The line came to a stop, everybody bunching in a small semi-circle around a raised bit of floor. A wooden stool sat in the middle of the platform; sitting on that was a large lump of tattered, creased leather which was slumped upright in a loose triangular shape.

'..that's a hat?' said Kate incredulously. She shook herself and turned back to Harry. 'Those were ghosts! Honest to God, actual, real ghosts! I mean-'

Neville tapped her on the arm; she looked at him then followed his gaze, looking back to the battered Sorting Hat. A wide hole split open in the front of it and it began to sing.

'Oh, you may not think I'm pretty, but don't judge on what you see,'

'It's very good, isn't it?' Kate muttered. Harry nodded.

Neville leant in. 'Apparently it sits in Dumbledore's office all year, thinking up a new school song.'

'It must get awfully bored' said Harry.

Kate snorted, imagining a horde of ghosts crowded around the hat, one holding a dictionary while the others argued about syntax. The Sorting Hat, a pair of pince-nez spectacles perched on a folded crease, dictated from its perch on a shelf in a non-descript office.

The Sorting Hat finished its song and Kate applauded, looking properly around the room. It was beautiful, polished oak beams supporting a high vaulted ceiling, white marbled floor tiles gleaming in the flickering candlelight. The teachers were sitting behind a long trestle-like table directly ahead of them; a Merlin-looking man in the most stereotypical wizard's robes Kate had ever seen was smiling with grandfatherly affection down at the rest of the school.

Professor McGonagall produced a scroll from within her robes and held up the Sorting Hat in her other hand. 'When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted,' she said, clearing her throat and holding the scroll up slightly higher. 'Abbot, Hannah..'

Kate jiggled impatiently as name after name rang out. 'Jones, Harry!' Kate squeezed Harry's shoulder and nudged him gently forward. 'Good luck' she whispered. Harry nodded, face pale. He walked shakily up to the platform and sat on the stool, the hat coming down and covering his eyes.

Neville gripped Kate's arm and they watched breathlessly for a few minutes until the Sorting Hat stirred. The tear that served as its mouth opened up and it bellowed loudly for all to hear.

'HUFFLEPUFF!'

Kate squealed and jumped up and down, clapping as Harry walked off to a cheering table on the far righthand side. After the noise died down, Professor McGonagall continued working her way through the list. Soon it was Neville's turn, Kate giving him a gentle pat on the shoulder. She winced as he stumbled over his own feet halfway to the stool, but he made it and jammed the hat down onto his head.

'GRYFFINDOR!'

Neville took off sprinting, the hat still on his head, peels of laughter ringing throughout the hall. Kate shoved past the other children and quickly intercepted him, plucking the hat from his head and handing it to another boy who had wandered forward for his turn. 'Congratulations!' she said. Neville blushed crimson, grinning from ear to ear.

It seemed an age until Professor McGonagall finally called out 'Richardson, Kate'. She squared her shoulders, took a shaky, excited breath, and walked over to the stool. Her stomach clenched excitedly as the hat slipped over her eyes.

'Hmm, reasonably clever' Kate jumped, startled, a voice suddenly muttering right next to her ear. 'Easily distracted…loyal…hard-working..'

Is that the hat?

'Yes, I'm the hat.'

YOU CAN HEAR MY THOUGHTS?!

'Please don't shout but yes, I can'

Seems invasive

Kate sensed the hat shrug. 'Godric Gryffindor believed that it would make an excellent impartial sorting system.'

Kate's eyes narrowed. Before she could dispute the wisdom of the ancients, she felt the hat shift slightly on her head and a muffled voice boomed out across the Great Hall.

'SLYTHERIN!'

Aaaaww

Kate's shoulders slumped slightly, a part of her welling up with mild disappointment. She had been hoping to end up in the same house as either Harry or Neville, but it had not occurred to her that the trio might be split up separately between three.

There was a low hissing noise to her right; two identical older boys, red-haired twins, were standing up at the table along the far wall, hands cupped in front of their mouths, hissing and booing loudly. She poked her tongue defiantly back at them and strode over to join her new housemates.

'Shuffle up' an older boy with reddish blonde hair nudged his friend, both moving to make room. Kate smiled and slipped into the space.

'Thank you'

'Andy' the boy held out a hand; Kate shook it.

'Kate'

The last of the students dispersed to their new houses and the chatter died down as the white-haired man- clearly Headmaster Albus Dumbledore- stood up. He spread his arms wide in welcome, beaming out at the hall.

'Welcome! Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts!' A flicker of colour caught the corner of Kate's eye. She turned and gasped; the polished golden plates were heaving with food, piled high with all sorts of meat, vegetables, and sauces.

'Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!' Kate clapped as Dumbledore sat down, and turned back around to face the food.

'Father says Dumbledore's gone mad' a voice piped up. Kate glanced down the table; a blonde boy was sneering up at the headmaster like he could smell something unpleasant. 'I like him, I think he's funny' said Kate. The boy rolled his eyes with a snort. 'He's an old loon.'

'Professor Dumbledore is … eccentric'

A blank-eyed, gaunt ghost bound in chains suddenly materialised from beneath the table. He was solid to a point; staring at him was like looking at an illuminated statue made from frosted glass.

Kate tried not to stare at the silvery blood staining the front of his robes. Puncture wounds were visible if she squinted at the right angle; a cluster of deep holes in his chest just above his heart, partially hidden by the fold of his clothes. The blonde boy suddenly looked extremely uncomfortable.

' 'Sup Baron, how'you doin'?' asked the burly second-year sitting on Andy's left, around a mouthful of mashed potatoes.

The Baron inclined his head towards them. 'I have been well, Master Bunder' Kate bit down hard on a drumstick, stifling a laugh. Andy noticed, smiled, and gave her a friendly nudge in the ribs.

'Do you normally come to the school feast?' asked a brown-haired girl. The baron nodded.

'We enjoy them very much' he said, gesturing. Kate looked over her shoulder; the crowd of ghosts from before had split up and were wafting above the other houses.

'It must be pretty quiet here when there's no students' Kate said. The Baron shrugged. 'It is somewhat less crowded. The portraits are good company, as a re my fellow ghosts, however I much prefer the castle ringing with the sound of academia.'

'And Quidditch' grinned Andy. A small smile flickered across the Baron's face. 'Indeed. No doubt we shall continue, our triumphant winning streak for another year.'

'What's Quidditch?' asked the brown-haired girl, just before Kate. Bunder nudged his friend. 'Andy, you're up.' Andy, a Beater on the house team, launched into a detailed explanation of the rules and history of the game as dinner made way for dessert.

As the evening began to wind down, everyone started introducing themselves. 'Malfoy, Draco Malfoy' the blonde boy smiled smugly as he spoke, as if his name should automatically mean something. He was flanked by two small trolls disguised as first years; Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle sneered and loomed with an air of malicious stupidity.

Pansy Parkinson was deep in conversation with Blaize Zambini and Millicent Bulstrode. Tracey Davis, sitting opposite Kate, got into a heated discussion with John Bunder about whether or not maths should be on the school curriculum.

'There's no calculators here. The batteries don't work for some stupid reason.' Andy stabbed at his ice-cream with a spoon. 'Hufflepuff has a black market for stationery; they can get you pens, pencils, white-out, whatever you like.'

'Is it difficult to write with a quill?' asked Kate.

Andy shrugged. 'Not so much, but it's a bitch to write essays with. You've got to be careful or you'll smudge the ink. Gets all over your hands.'

'What about computers?' asked Tracey. There was a snapping sound and the girls swivelled towards the noise; a fourth-year boy was white-knuckling a chocolate wand in one fist and staring blankly ahead. A classmate eased his face gently into the crook of her shoulder; the boy let out a traumatised whimper, clinging to her collar.

Tracey stared at Kate, who shrugged. Andy swallowed the last of his ice-cream. 'No computers, or Internet. You'll be writing assignments out by hand.'

'By hand?!' exclaimed Tracey.

'But what about research?' Kate asked.

'There're plenty of books in the library, if you like that sort of thing' sniffed Bunder. He stretched and yawned. 'I usually just copy what Andy's done.'

'Yeah' scowled Andy, 'You're going to have to do your own work at some point you know'

'Never!'

Eventually the plates were cleared and everyone settled down again as Dumbledore rose to his feet. 'Ahem – just a few more words now we are all fed and watered. I have a few start of term notices to give you.'

'First years should note that the forest in the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well. 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.'

'Aww what?!' Kate gaped, open-mouthed. 'That's unfair! That stinks.'

'Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madame Hooch.' Kate jiggled excitedly and made a mental note.

'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.'

'Bloody hell' breathed Andy, raising an eyebrow. There was a smattering of laughter ripple through the hall but it broke very quickly. 'Why have they booby-trapped the third floor?' asked Kate.

'Dunno' replied Bunder.

'And now,' continued Dumbledore, 'before we go to bed-'

Andy and Bunder buried their heads in their hands with loud groans. Some of the older students scrambled slowly to their feet; Malfoy and his little clique stayed seated, haughtily staring pointedly into their laps and goblets.

'-let us sing the school song!' Dumbledore raised his wand; a golden ribbon flew out, twisting to shape words.

'No, no, no' Andy whispered repeatedly, banging his head gently against the edge of the table. Kate and Tracy leaned forward, patting him gently on either shoulder.

'Everyone pick their favourite tune, and off we go!'

Kate sat and listened to one of the most discordant music recitals she had ever heard in her life. There was no uniform beat to it, no common rhythm; everyone stopped and started, voices not so much singing as screaming or bellowing the words. Eventually, the 'song' eventually finished and Kate blinked, clapping.

She shuffled out of the hall with the rest of Slytherin house, waving good night first at Harry and then Neville as they passed each other. A tall girl, Slytherin Head Girl badge pinned to her chest, cleared her throat and gestured emphatically. 'First years, to the front with me please!' Kate jogged wearily forward; Millicent Bulstrode shoved her back a step behind her with her elbow, and Kate frowned, rubbing her arm ruefully.

If it had been cold outside, it was freezing down in the dungeons. They descended a set of thick stone steps on one side of the great hall, followed a twisting path along several corridors, and came to a halt beside a blank stone wall. Kate tried to breath some life back into her hands and not let her teeth chatter too loudly.

'Ah-hem. Maledictus'

Kate gasped around a yawn as the wall slid sideways. A welcoming wave of warm air rolled out as she stepped forward. Everything had been roughly carved from the castle's bedrock; the décor was all dark lacquered wood and overstuffed leather armchairs, and several stained-glass hanging lamps and enormous, carved fireplaces illuminated the long, low room.

Enormous windows looked out into darkness. Kate frowned; it didn't look like sky outside and they were too low to the ground not to see stars. The first years were ushered into the middle of the room, the head girl stepping out in front.

'Good evening everyone, welcome to Slytherin. Now, I know this house has a bit of a … difficult reputation, but I can assure you that we are just as nice as the rest of the school. Please check the noticeboard-' she gestured towards a large corkboard covered in fliers which was hanging next to the entrance, '-to find out what the day's password is. It changes weekly, so stay on top of it!'

'Breakfast will be served at eight o'clock sharp, with classes starting at nine. You will be receiving your term schedules from Professor Snape tomorrow, so don't worry about it too much. Also, please ask for directions if you get lost; it's a big castle, and you're new, so please don't feel embarrassed about not knowing how to get to class.'

'Boys, your dormitories are down there-' she pointed to an archway set towards the back of the room, to left side, beside one of the windows. '- and girls, yours are over there. The windows look out into the lake, so don't be alarmed if a mermaid or two swim up and say hello. They can't speak through the glass but they'll wave and if you want to hold a conversation with them, they do know sign language.'

That will be all for now, so good luck with everything, and welcome to Slytherin!'

Author's Note: Technically Kate is a Halfblood, not a Muggleborn. Her grandmother was a Squib, so although her father's a Muggle, her mother still had the potential to be a witch.