Another chapter up! This one is quite long too. The good news is that Jos fianlly got her side of the story up, so check it out too. Hopefully I will actually get around to updating this story soon.

Enjoy!

Chapter Three: Ghosts, Exploding Hats, and Bad Singing! Oh My!

We stand outside the grand doors of Hogwarts with an array of emotions that have a hold over the first years. You know, for a place of magical education I don't see much magic going on! That boy, Neville or whatever his name is, has found his stupid toad but I am still sopping wet! And to top it all off it's freezing cold!

The door bursts open and a witch in the most atrocious emerald green robes emerges. I can tell just by looking at her that it's probably not a good idea to get on her bad side. I must make a mental note of this so that I don't make a complete fool out of myself in whatever class she teaches in the future.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," Hagrid announces, though it's obvious who we are by the lost looks all the students have on their faces.

The woman, McGonagall, leads us into the entrance hall. A professor, I wonder what she teaches and how to get out of her class alive. Perhaps a pair of designer spectacles for Christmas is in order?

She leads us into a smaller chamber hall and my stomach begins to growl softly. I hope that we will be having dinner soon. The first years stand close together trying to catch bits and pieces of what our stern future mentor is preaching to us. House sorting… Our houses are family… Blah, blah, blah… As long as I don't have to call Bookworm my family I think this will turn out to be a pleasurable experience.

"I shall return when we are ready for you," says McGonagall. "Please wait quietly." She walks pass me and stops, looking towards me.

"Fell into the lake?" When I don't answer she raises her wand and I feel the sensation of being in a giant hair dryer around me. I'm dry now as if the incident never happened.

"Thank you," I smile.

She returns the gesture with a quiet grin. I've changed my mind about my dear professor. Perhaps I will like her after all.

For a while all is quiet, no one seems to be in the mood for a conversation, except that bossy girl who was looking for the toad on the train. I am lost in thought until I hear Galinda shriek. A large group of nearly transparent ghosts have decided to join the party. At my home we had our own haunt; a once young man who met his unfortunate end after the love of his life rejected him, causing him to take his own life.

"Galinda, it's just a few ghosts!"

She glares at me. "You were afraid of Hagrid!"

I pause. "Touché."

The ghosts seem to be in some sort of argument until they finally take notice of the first years. The majority of them tries to persuade us into their own houses, but I doubt persuasion skills have anything to do with this "test" I've been hearing so much about.

McGonagall has finally returned and is rounding us up into the Great Hall where all the older students are waiting. I spot a few people I have seen on the train but I don't know them well enough to make any attempt to give them recognition.

A ragged old hat is placed on a stool in the middle of the hall. Eek! Whatever I have to do, I hope it doesn't have anything to do with me putting it on my head.

To add to showiness of it all, the hat forms a mouth and begins to sing… Terribly and out of key I must add. My ears must be bleeding. What I get out of its song is: not to judge a book by its cover, if you're a Gryffindor you'll probably want to play hero at some point, if you're a Hufflepuff it's because we can't figure out a place to stick you, you're a smart-ass if you're in Ravenclaw, Slytherin's are on their own side.

Then the names are called. Boq is the first of my friends to be called. "HUFFLEPUFF!" Boq stumbles over to his new house where they greet him with open arms.

"Granger, Hermione." That bushy haired, bossy girl from the train jumps up and practically skips to the stool.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

I hear Fiyero groan.

"Jones, Alexandretta." The bookworm sits on the stool and the hat barely sits on her head when it shouts out: "SLYTHERIN!"

Of course, she seems like the type.

A few more students are called and then: "Lionheart, Annaleigh." I take a deep breath, ready to meet my fate. My heart is beating like a bass drum that I'm sure the whole hall can hear.

The hat is placed on my head and suddenly I hear a voice in my mind. Great! Now I'm hearing voices!

Oh wait, it's just the hat.

It seems to be having issues placing me. I keep hearing it chant "Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Slytherin," over and over until finally the hat explodes into tiny pieces of felt.

The room is full of gasps. Now I'm not fit for this school either apparently!

"That's never happened before…" says McGonagall as she raises her wand to fix the hat. In a matter of moments the hat is back on my head.

"Balance the houses," I hear it think, oddly calmly and a little slowly, scaring me a bit. "That's right… Balance is the key…"

"RAVENCLAW!"

Hooray to the smart-ass club on their newest member. I always did think blue was my best color… I receive pats on my back as I join my fellow Ravenclaws at our table.

"Potter, Harry!"

The room goes silent and there are a few whispers of the name. Harry Potter? Why do I know that name? Maybe I read about him in some history book or other. I never really paid any attention to that sort of stuff. But whoever he is, he must be important.

I have got to meet him.

The hat takes its time to sort him. I am afraid that it will explode again but sure enough, it calls out "GRYFFINDOR!"

The Gryffindors are in celebration. "We got Potter!" they chant. I really don't know what the big deal is.

Fiyero is called up. "GRYFFINDOR!" I am disappointed once again.

"Thropp, Elphaba."

A girl emerges from the remaining crowd. I don't know how I could have missed her. She's green for Merlin's sake!

Green girl sits on the stool rather calmly and sits next to me after the hat calls out: "RAVENCLAW!"

Hello new roommate.

The remaining kids are called up including Galinda.

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

I groan. It's just me and green girl now. At least Galinda has Boq.

Then Albus Dumbledore stands up. I can't believe I'm actually seeing him with my own eyes! He's everything I could ever imagine! Old and wise, with a long beard and silver hair.

He welcomes us, giving a small speech that ends with "Nitwit! Blubber! Oddiment! Tweak!"

… Perhaps he's getting a bit senile…

Our food magically appears on our plates. I wonder if magical food is safe to eat? It must be since everyone is digging in. I fill my plate with a large helping of roasted chicken, all types of potatoes, and a large helping of vegetables.

As everyone is chatting to one another, catching up on the summer holidays and making acquaintances with the first years, I turn to green-bean Elphaba who is quietly eating her pork chops.

"The food's nice," I say, trying to make small talk but she gives me no answer.

By dessert we are all talking about our homes and families as well as the life we have left behind.

"What about you, Annaleigh?" asks a fellow first year. Padma, I believe.

I answer briefly. "I live with my mom and dad, a witch and a muggle. We move around between New York, Paris, and sometimes Los Angeles. Mom insisted that I went to Hogwarts though, probably because of Dumbledore."

"Quite a life," says Padma. "Why do you move around so much?"

"My mom's a fashion designer," that's all I'm willing to tell her so I cut her off and look to Miss Green Girl. "What about you, Elphaba?"

"I live with my father and sister, Nessarose. She'll probably end up in Hogwarts in about two years or so."

"What about your mother?" I inquire.

Elphaba falls silent and tucks back into her pie. It seems twenty-questions has ended.

When the desserts disappear, the hall falls silent again. All eyes are on Dumbledore. He tells us more rules like that the Forbidden Forest is named such for a good reason, not to go into some corridor or suffer a painful death. Somehow I don't find hearing this from Dumbledore odd at all.

"And now let's sing our school song!" He flicks his wand and the lyrics magically appear in front of us. "Everyone pick your favorite tune."

I do, picking the tune of "Musetta's Waltz" from my favorite opera, La Boheme. With gusto I sing passionately, my voice soaring over all the other Ravenclaws. Out of the corner of my eye, I see an old woman at the teacher's table eye me peculiarly. She has an odd taste in fashion, wearing clothes that seem weird for even the magical world.

When I finish I find a note on my seat. It must have appeared by magic. I open it secretively, reading in sparkling black ink:

Choir Practice—

Every Wednesday at eight o'clock sharp. No audition needed, I've already heard you sing.

I hope you will join us.

--Madame Morrible

I flick my eyes over to the old woman and she smiles. She seems nice enough. It looks like I have something to do now on Wednesday.