Gerard was awoken by a soft shaking to his shoulder. "The train is stopping!" Patrick whispered with excitement as Gerard opened his eyes, finding himself leaning against the window pane.

He sat himself up with a stretch and a yawn before looking around the compartment. The overhead lights were now on, due to the night having swallowed the natural light outside. Dallon was tiredly rubbing sleep from his eyes while Ray was watching the slowing landscape with excitement.

"We're almost there!" He said, excitedly, turning to look at Gerard. "The train is slowing, we have to be so close!"

Gerard grinned. He felt more excitement than before, probably being affected by Ray's enthusiasm. It was almost their time to step into the great wizarding school and make their mark.

When the train was nearing a complete hault, all four boys pushed themselves against the window to peer out at the platform they were stopping at. It seemed similar to the first station, except for the absence of any people at all. There was absolutely no one there, leaving Gerard with an eerie feeling.

"Please leave your belongings and exit the train."

"We have to leave our stuff?" Dallon asked with a frown as he looked up in an attempt to see where the disembodied voice had spoken from, "But my Doctor Who blanket is in there... I don't want someone to nick it..."

"Just use the accio charm to get it back if it does get taken from your stuff." Ray shrugged, "My mom uses it all the time to find my dad's car keys."

Dallon nodded as the four began to exit their compartment. As they did, a few compartments down a fairly similar situation was taking place.

"Your stuff will appear next to your bed after you've been sorted." Alex explained as Frank eyed his trunk, "Don't worry, it'll go wherever you do."

"Alright." Frank nodded, "Where do we go from here?"

A boy with a blond patch in his otherwise dark hair, Jack, jumped up to ride piggyback on an unsuspecting Zach. "To the carriages!" He declared, throwing an arm in the air.

Alex rolled his eyes, "He's a first year, Jack."

"Oh... To the boats then!" Jack redeclared, throwing his other arm in the air with the one already there.

"Boats?" Frank asked, "I thought you said there was a giant squid."

"He won't bother you." Alex winked. Somehow, that didn't fully assure Frank as they made their way with the crowd and off the train. Frank looked around the dark atmosphere, trying to take in everything he could.

"Firs' years! Firs' years, over here!" A voice boomed.

Frank turned to see an enormous, bearded man holding up a lantern and calling for all the first years. A small group was already gathered around him, but Frank felt a bit intimidated by the man's size. He could crush Frank like a bug.

A hand landed on Frank's head to ruffle his hair. "Just Hagrid, Frank. He wouldn't hurt a fly." Alex reassured Frank with a laugh before getting swept up in the rush of second years and above moving towards what Frank could only guess as being the carriages Jack had mentioned earlier.

"C'mon, firs' years! Swear, ya get smaller every year."

Frank made his way over to the group gathered around the man, who was looking down at them all with a smile.

"Is that every one? Alright, hello! I'm Rubious Hagrid, but you can call me Hagrid. I'll be taking you up t' the school." Hagrid informed them, gesturing towards a distant lake. It was barely visible due to the fog that was creeping along the water's surface.

"Are we taking boats?" A girl with dark curls asked with the raise of her hand.

"Yes, we are, Miss." Hagrid smiled at her, "We'll be goin' this way t' get down there. Follow me, kids!" He gestured for the students to follow his movements.

The group followed with hushed conversations. Frank found himself walking along side a girl with dark hair and an unreadable expression on her face. She wasn't talking to anyone, so Frank decided to strike up a conversation.

"So, you're a first year too?" Frank asked, instantly regretting his choice in words. If she was down here, she was obviously a first year. "I mean, I'm Frank, hi."

She turned to him with an intrigued expression. "I'm Jamia." She finally replied, looking him up and down. "And, yea, I'm a first year, in case you couldn't tell."

Frank laughed, nervously, scratching the back of his head. "Sorry. I've just been waiting for this since, well, forever..."

A smile crossed over Jamia's face, "Are you a pure blood too?" She asked, seeming to be more interested in him now.

"Yea! My dad and mom both met during a school quidditch game." Frank grinned, "He accidentally hit a bludger into the seat right next to her, nearly nailing her, and she was upset enough to smack him after the match."

Jamia laughed, covering her mouth before revealing her smile once again. "How romantic." She giggled, "My dad and mom were in the same house. I'm hoping to carry on the family legacy." She smirked.

"Rad." Frank continued to grin, "I'm hoping for the same house my dad had."

"He still play quidditch?" Jamia inquired, jumping over an exposed tree root on the path that they were walking.

Frank nodded, "Yea! He's a team captain in the professional league."

"That's so awesome!" Jamia exclaimed, looking at Frank with wide eyes. "My parents both work for the ministry."

"My mom too!" Frank exclaimed, "She had to drive me to King Cross before getting to work."

A look of distaste crossed over Jamia's face with his words. "Drive?" She questioned.

Frank felt unnerved by her response. "Y-yea... My mom doesn't like to travel by magic when she's pregnant, and since I had all my things, it was a much simpler way..."

"Oh... Okay." Jamia nodded, not nearly as engaged in the conversation as before. "Congratulations on the sibling."

"Thanks..." Frank smiled before his lips fell to a frown and he looked away from Jamia. He just got the feeling that she didn't particularly agree with the more muggle style of transportation. He didn't see a problem with it at all; they lived amongst muggles, so why not use their methods of transportation?

"Alright, 'ere we are." Frank looked back towards the front of the group as Hagrid held his lantern high into the air. "Three t' a boat, if ya please."

The group began to divide. Jamia was quick to move away from Frank and stood instead with two other girls; one girl had a short, pixie style hair cut of her pale hair while the other girl had shoulder length red hair. Frank looked around, fearing that he'd be trapped in a boat with someone completely unfamiliar, when he saw the boy from the train station.

"Patrick!" Frank grinned, hurrying over to him. Patrick had been talking to a boy with white hair, but turned when he heard Frank's exclamation of his name.

"Frank!" Patrick grinned, raising his hand in a wave. "How was your train ride? Oh, wait, how rude of me, this is my friend, Gerard." He stepped aside, gesturing to his white haired friend.

The boy, Gerard, smiled at Frank. He held out his hand to shake. "Hi."

"Hey." Frank smiled as he took Gerard's hand. Their hands connected together with a soft clapping noise before they shook. Frank noted how Gerard's palms were a bit sweaty, but his grip was strong.

"Sorry." Gerard laughed nervously as he slipped his hand back through Frank's, "I'm not a big fan of crossing over deep water or passing through fog. Dad showed me The Fog one too many times..."

Frank's head cocked to the side with a hint of confusion crossing over his face. "What's so scary about being shown fog?"

Patrick and Gerard exchanged looks. "It's a horror movie." Patrick said as a boat floated to the shore next to their position, "Even my parents made me sit down and watch it when the remake came out."

"Remake?" Frank questioned again, looking more confused.

"You're not familiar with muggle entertainment, are you?" Gerard asked as Patrick climbed carefully into the boat. Frank shook his head, making Gerard smile before he climbed onto the boat himself. "You're missing out. It's a really interesting cultural difference."

"Half blood?" Frank asked as Gerard gestured for the shorter boy to climb into the boat with them.

"Mom's the witch." Gerard nodded. He squinted his eye as he pointed at Frank, "Pure blood?"

"Yea." Frank nodded, sitting on one of the three seats on the small boat. He held tightly to the sides as it rocked, biting his lip to keep from crying out. He wasn't afraid of the water or anything, he just did not want to get wet.

Before more conversation could ensue, the boat began to push itself forward. Patrick let out an awed gasp, while Gerard turned back to Frank with wide eyes.

"We're really about to be at Hogwarts." He whispered as the boats moved forward at a slow and even pace.

"I know." Frank let a grin spread across his face as he said it, "This is gunna be wicked."

Gerard turned back to look at the clouded scenery ahead. Frank used that time to take in the surrounding boats, as well as, the fog surrounding them. There were a lot of kids spread out across about eight boats. It was a mixture of girls and boys, all of which looked either nervous or excited. The water swished lightly against the side of the boat, making Frank look over the side. The water was pitch black underneath him. He sat back up, quickly, not really wanting to see if Alex's rumor about the giant squid was true.

He was turning his attention back to the front of the boat just as exclamations of awe erupted from all the boats, including his own. Through the fog, an enormous castle was beginning to emerge. Frank felt his own eyes widen as Gerard turned back to him again with a look of utter excitement.

"This is it!" He exclaimed before turning back to Patrick to repeat the same words.

Frank awed up at the building that was drawing closer and closer, "This is it..."

Soon, the boats came upon a small boathouse. They slid along the water and inside in a orderly fashion. Once they finally stopped, everyone began to load off of their boats and onto the wodden dock inside the boathouse.

"Alright, c'mon, this way." Hagrid was already making his way down the dock to a door on the other side, "Let's get ya up t' the school."

"We aren't there yet?" A girl with brown hair asked.

"Almost. Just a bit of a walk, now." Hagrid said, gesturing for the students to follow him once again.

The students all lined up and walked after Hagrid. It was a quiet trec through a tunnel system until it seemed like they were outside of the castle. All eyes were wide as they made their way inside a huge set of doors and into a large entrance hall.

"Now, this is the great hall." Hagrid said as he gestured to a huge set of doors that seemed to reach the impossibly tall ceiling above them, "That's where you'll be gettin' sorted. It'll be jus' a minute, though."

"In front of everyone?" A small framed boy asked before biting his thumb with anxiousness.

"It isn't nothin' too bad, don't worry." Hagrid said, smiling in reassurance. "It's jus' real quick, and then you'll be sittin' with yer house." He cleared his throat to attract the attention of everyone in the group. "Yer house will be something like yer family within Hogwarts. You'll have classes with the rest of yer house, sleep in yer house dormitory and spend free time in yer house common room. Is that all I'm supposed to add in?.. Yer house is pretty much the start of everything that goes on from here. There's four of them: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Yer gunna end up in one of four." He was quiet for a moment, as if double checking everything in his head before nodding.

A girl with strange hair held her hand up in the air. Hargid looked at her, as if waiting for a question to be asked, but she instead gestured him over. He walked over and leaned down, allowing her to cup her hands and whisper something into his ear.

"Blimey! I nearly forgot!" He exclaimed as he stood upright, "Thank you! What's yer name, Darlin'?"

The girl blushed. "I'm Melanie." She responded, softly.

"Well, thank ya, Melanie." Hagrid nodded with a smile, "I should also mention t' ya all that yer good stuff and achievements will earn yer house points, while any rule-breaking and mischief will lose points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honour and means of bragging rights going int' yer next year."

"So, the whole year is like a competition?" A boy with dark, spiked hair asked with a quick raise and lowering of his hand. "A kind of game?"

Hagrid nodded, "S'pose so. Now, listen, I'm gonna see when they're ready for ya. Back in a minute." Hagrid moved towards the doors, opening them to slip inside while also giving a peak of what rested inside.

Frank awed at, what looked like, thousands of candles floating in the air that looked like the open night sky. It had to be an illusion, however, because the ceiling was still visible if you looked close enough. As the door was closing again, Frank caught the sight of long tables, lined with other students.

"Did you guys see that?" Frank whispered to Gerard and Patrick as the buzz of conversation picked up around them.

"Am I in some kind of elaborate fever dream?" Patrick asked with disbelief in his tone.

"If you are, we're all sharing the experience..." Gerard laughed, scratching the top of his head. "The candles kind of reminded me of what my grandma would do at Christmas."

Frank bit his lip, looking around the rest of the group. Everyone had a different emotion on their face. No one really knew what exactly to think or feel in that moment; this was nerve-wracking beyond belief.

A man stepped out of the room now, but it wasn't Hagrid. This man was smaller, and had much less facial hair. He smiled at everyone before speaking, "Alright, students. Line up for sorting! I'm professor Longbottom and I'll be taking you inside the great hall." He gestured to the room he had just stepped out of.

The students did as they were told, lining up single file. Frank stood behind Gerard, noting the pale haired boy's fingers twitching by his side. As professor Longbottom moved to open the large wooden doors, Frank leaned forward on his tip toes. "Don't stress it. We're just getting sorted." He whispered before rocking back onto his feet.

Gerard turned back to him, giving him a thankful smile.

The doors to the great hall opened. The students were lead down the middle of the hall, between two sets of tables on each side. At the very front of the room, a long table sat, holding several adults who Frank could only assume were the teachers. At the front with the table of teachers, was a stool with a raggedy hat sitting on it.

The room was silent except for the echo's of their feet along the stone floor. A cat sat in the center of the teacher's table stood up as the first years gathered into a small cluster at the end of the house tables. Once their shuffling footsteps calmed, the cat seemed to nod before stepping back. Before their eyes, the cat transformed into a woman, invoking sounds of amazement from every first year in the room.

"Welcome, students." The woman smiled, obviously happy with the shocked reactions. "I am headmistress McGonagall. I do have some words to say but, first, I will allow you to be sorted into your respected houses." She turned to professor Longbottom and gestured for him to continue.

He nodded, pulling a parchment seemingly out of nowhere as he stepped up next to the old hat on the stool. "When I call your name, please step forward to be sorted." He said as he unraveled the paper in his hands. He cleared his throat before calling out the name, "Josh Dun!"

A boy with blue, curled hair on top of his head hurried forward. The professor lifted the hat and motioned for the boy to sit down. Once he did, the hat was placed on his head. It went down past his eyes, and almost his nose, making several soft giggles echo through the air.

The hat didn't do anything for a moment. It appeared to be simply a hat. However, after a moment, a rip appeared above the brim. It seemed almost like a mouth as some creases appeared above it, as if to imitate eyes.

"GRYFFINDOR!" The hat exclaimed, causing one of the tables behind the group of first years to explode in cheers.

"The hat can talk!?" Patrick whispered with wide eyes as another student was called forward.

Josh hurried away from the seat and over to the waiting table of gold and red. Frank saw Rian welcoming him, softly, with a smile and a high five.

Several more students went through the process, ending up in varying houses all over the hall. Frank was barely listening when he heard his name get called. His feet moved without instruction as he hurried up to the seat that the previous student, a Gryffindor named Andy, moved towards his house table.

Frank hopped nervously onto the stool. He shut his eyes tightly as the hat was plopped onto his head. It didn't even feel like five seconds before the hat was screaming out the house that made his heart skip a beat.

"SLYTHERIN!"

Frank let out a laugh of relief as the hat was pulled off his head. He had gotten into the house he had hoped for; it was the house his father had been in during his time at Hogwarts. He couldn't believe how quickly the hat had made its decision.

Gerard watched as Frank hurried happily to the table at the very end of the hall. Frank had seemed nice for a Slytherin. Guess that goes to show that you can't always judge a student from their house.

Gerard continued to wait, feeling anxiety build with every name called before his. Where would he be placed? What if the hat couldn't place him at all? It took a long time for some students, imagine if he just continued to sit and sit...

"Patrick Stump!"

Gerard grinned at his nervous friend as he slowly made his way up to the stool. When the hat was placed on Patrick's head, it was quiet. Patrick's lips moved slightly, but there was a hush as deliberation seemed to happen between Patrick and the sorting hat.

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

Patrick smiled widely as the hat was lifted from his head. He slid off the stool and hurried over to the table of yellow and black. The group warmly welcomed him, instantly seeming to put him at ease.

Gerard smiled happily over at him, glad that Patrick had been sorted to a group that was notorious for its kind heartedness. He turned back to the sorting area just as the dark haired boy with large lips was sorted into his own house.

"SLYTHERIN!"

"Gerard Way!"

Gerard felt his breath cease. Was it already his turn? He stepped slowly up towards the hat, feeling his heart accelerate faster than the moment he had first gotten his acceptance letter in the mail. He sat on the stool and shut his eyes as the hat was plopped onto his head.

"Oh! Look at this one here!"

The voice seemed to echo in Gerard's head, even though it was not his own.

"He's got potential!"

"But for what? I see so many qualities that expand our values..."

"I think I can see just a bit more of him here, however."

The voices in Gerard's head seemed to have finalized their deliberations when the hat screamed out his house name.

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

Patrick clapped especially loud as Gerard hurried over to the table to sit next to him. He hugged Gerard tightly before apologizing and letting him sit down.

"Welcome, mate." An older boy smiled, "Hope you'll enjoy it here."

"Thanks." Gerard smiled, feeling his heartbeat begin to slow down. At least he wasn't completely alone in this house, even with Ray and Dallon having both been sorted into Ravenclaw. He had Patrick, as well as, a few other first years settling into the new house.

The sorting ended when the last girl, who was named Elisa, was sorted into Hufflepuff as well. Once she had sat down next to Gerard and Patrick, the headmistress stood up once again.

"Now that all of you have found a home, welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." She smiled as the students all began to clap. She held up her hand, sending them into a hush before continuing on with her speech.

Frank wasn't paying very much attention, however, because one of the other first years sorted into his house was tapping his arm. He turned to see Jamia smiling at him.

"Get the one you want?" She asked.

Frank grinned. "Exactly the one I want." He quietly replied with a nod.

Jamia smiled at him as the headmistress put her arms up into the air. "Bon appetit." She said before sitting down. Immediately after she spoke the words, food appeared on the tables, much to the first year's surprise.

"I've died and gone to heaven." Frank awed at the feast in front of him. He had never seen so much food, even with the large family gatherings he was accustomed to.

An older Slytherin boy laughed, grabbing a dinner roll and tossing it to him. "Welcome to Hogwarts."