*Edited*

"Firs' years, over here!" Hagrid yells over the crowd.

Hermione, Bonnie, Neville and I walk over. As do some other first years.

"Hey Hagrid," I say

"Hullo Sarah. Is this it? Let's go!" He yells to us all.

We walk down a slippery path as we follow the light of Hagrid's lantern.

"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid calls from over his shoulder. "Jus' around this bend here."

There is a loud "ooh" as the narrow path opens on to the edge of a great black lake.

Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, is a vast castle with many sparkling windows and many turrets and towers.

Close by, there is a fleet of boats sitting in the water at the edge.

"No more'n four to a boat," Hagrid calls pointing at the fleet of boats.

I get into a boat with Hermione and two girls I don't know.

"Everyone in?" Shouts Hagrid, who has his own boat. "Right then- FORWARD!"

The fleet of boats take off at once gliding across the lake which is as smooth as glass.

Everyone is silent, staring up at the great castle, taking it all in.

We finally reach a large cliff with a dock.

We all climb out of the boats and onto the rocks.

"Oy, you there! Is this yer toad?" Hagrid says to Neville as he checks the boats.

"Trevor!" Neville cries as he runs foreword to get the toad from Hagrid.

"Alrigh' let's go!" Hagrid calls.

We walk and walk and walk as we follow Hagrid until we reach a stop at a flight of stone steps.

Hagrid goes up, raises a big fist and knocks three times on massive, oak front door.

The door swings open almost at once.

A tall, black-haired witch in emerald green robes and hat stands before us.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," Hagrid says.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I can take them from here," She says.

We follow Professor McGonagall into the large Entrance Hall. It's huge

The stone walls are lit with torches like in Gringotts, the ceiling is so high that I can barely make out the top and a huge, magnificent marble staircase stands before us that leads to the upper floors.

Professor McGonagall leads us to a small chamber off the Hall.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," she says as we gather around her. "The start-of-term feast will begin shortly, but before you take your seats, you must be sorted into your houses. The sorting ceremony is very important because, whilst you are here, your house will be like your family.

The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. While you are here at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn you house points, any rule-breaking and you will lose house points. The house with the most points at the end of the year will be awarded the house cup, a great honour.

The sorting ceremony will begin momentarily," She says and she leaves the room.

"How exactly do they sort us?" I hear Harry ask.

"Some sort of test I think," Ron answers.

I scoff. I already know.

There is an old, talking hat that sorts us.

I am hoping that I get into Gryffindor like Dad, he also told me that my real parents were in Gryffindor too.

A few minutes later Professor McGonagall comes back in.

"We are ready for you," She says. "Now form one line."

We form into one line and we follow Professor McGonagall out of the chamber and into the Great Hall.

This place is amazing! It is lit by thousands of candles which are floating mid-air above four long tables, where the other students are waiting for the sorting. On these tables there are lots of golden plates and goblets, laid across them.

I look up and see a velvety black ceiling with dotted stars. From behind me Hermione whispers,

"It's bewitched to look like the night sky. I read about it in Hogwarts A History."

I don't listen to her. I already know as I read it in Hogwarts A History.

We come to a halt out the front of the Hall, in front of a table where the other professors are sitting.

Professor McGonagall places a four-legged stool in front of us. On the stool is a patched, frayed hat.

The sorting hat.

Everyone in the Hall is staring at the hat in complete silence.

Then a rip near the brim of the hat opens and starts 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 Hufflepuffs 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! Don't get in flap!

You're in safe hands(though I have none)

For I'm a thinking cap!"

The whole Hall erupts into applause as the hat goes quiet after singing its song.

Professor McGonagall now steps forward holding a long piece of parchment.

"When I call your name, you will put the hat on and sit on the stool to be sorted," She says, "Abbot, Hannah!"

A pink faced girl with blond pig-tails steps foreword, put on the hat. A moments pause-

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

The table on the far right cheers loudly as Hannah sits down.

"Anderson, Lewis!"

A boy with messy black hair stumbles foreword, puts on the hat-

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Applause follows him as he sits down at the Gryffindor table.

"Bones, Susan!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Boot, Terry!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Brocklehurst, Mandy," becomes a Ravenclaw too, then "Brown, Lavender becomes a Gryffindor.

"Bulstrode, Millicent," becomes the first Slytherin.

Slytherins have a bad reputation for being evil. Lord Voldemort, the man who killed my parents was a Slytherin.

"Fields, Amy!"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Fields, Thomas," also becomes a Gryffindor.

"Finch-Fletchley, Justin!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Finnigan, Seamus!"

A boy with sandy hair gets up moves to the stool.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Granger, Hermione!"

Hermione practically runs to the stool on shoves the hat on eagerly.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

I clap along with everyone else.

"Longbottom, Neville!"

Neville gets up nervously.

After a few minutes that hat finally yells-

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Lupin, Bonnie!"

Bonnie gets up looking neither scared or excited.

A few moments later-

"GRYFFINDOR!"

I clap for Bonnie with everyone else again.

"Malfoy, Draco!"

A blond haired boy swaggers forward.

No longer had the hat scraped his head does it yell-

"SLITHERIN!"

There isn't many left now.

"Moon...Nott...Parkinson..." Then the pair of girls I shared a boat with, "Patil and Patil," then "Perks, Sally-Anne..."

Then at last-

"Potter, Harry!"

Harry steps foreword.

Whispers suddenly break out.

"Potter did she say?"

"The Harry Potter?"

"Then Sarah Potter must be here!"

After at least five minutes the hat finally yells-

"GRYFFINDOR!"

The Gryffindor table erupts into the loudest cheers yet.

Then finally-

"Potter, Sarah!"

I walk forward, shaking slightly.

Whispers break out again.

"Sarah Potter?"

"The Sarah Potter?"

I put the hat on my head.

"Hmm," a small voice says in my ear. "Not really difficult. But you have plenty of courage I see, ooh a ready mind too, yes, and a thirst to prove yourself. Hmm...where shall I put you?"

"Please be Gryffindor or Ravenclaw," I think. "Anything but Slytherin."

"Not Slytherin, eh? Are you sure? Better be-"

GRYFFINDOR!"

The Gryffindor table explodes into loud cheers and applause again as I sit down next to Hermiome and Bonnie.

When I settle down I hear:

"Weasley, Ronald!"

Ron turns slightly green as he steps foreword.

Not long after he put the hat on the hat yells-

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Ron comes over with a wide grin on his face and sits down next to Harry.

After "Zabini, Blaise," was made a Slytherin, Professor McGonagall rolls up the parchment and takes the sorting hat away.

Albus Dumbledore gets to his feet.

"Welcome!" He says. "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! Before we begin the feast I'd like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!

Thank you."

He sits back down.

As soon as he sits down, the golden plates start filling up with lots of good food. There is so much that I like: roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops, sausages, boiled potatoes, Yorkshire pudding and peppermint humbugs.

I eat as much as I can.

Suddenly a voice from behind me says, "That does look good."

I turn around to see a ghost.

"Sorry, I am Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington. Resident ghost of Gryffindor tower."

"I know who you are!" Ron says suddenly, with a mouth full of potato. He swallows, "My brothers told me about you- you're Nearly Headless Nick!"

"I would prefer you to call me Sir Nicholas de Mim-" the ghost begins, but I interrupt him.

"Nearly Headless? How could you be Nearly Headless?"

"Like this," he says. He seizes his left ear and pulls. His whole head swung off his neck and onto his shoulder like it was in a hinge.

"Ugh, yuck!" I say horrified.

"Well, goodbye young Gryffindors," Nick says as he floats away.

As soon as everyone had finished eating the food on the plates disappear.

Moments later they fill up with the desserts.

I groan. More food?

There are dozens of puddings, icecream in every flavour I can think of, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate éclairs, trifle, jelly, jam doughnuts...

I help myself to a bit of treacle tart, chocolate icecream and chocolate éclairs.

The talking between us first years: Harry, Ron, Hermione, Bonnie, Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas, Neville and myself, turned to families.

"I half and half," Seamus says. "Me Dads a muggle, Mams a witch. Mam didn't tell Dad until after they were married. Bit of a shock for him."

We all laughed. I say staring at Seamus. I love his accent...

"What about you Neville?" Ron asks. I snap out of my daydream.

"Well, my gran brought me up and she's a witch. But she said that my parents were a witch and a wizard. So I'm a pureblood," Neville says.

A few moments later I gasp in pain.

My scar.

I notice that Harry had the pain too.

We share a glance telling us that we'll talk about it later.

At last the desserts disappear and Professor Dumbledore gets up again.

"Now that we are all fed and watered, I have some notices to give out.

First years should note that the forrest in the grounds is forbidden to all pupils.

Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to remind you, that no magic is to be used in the corridors between classes.

Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of 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 anyone who does not wish to die a most painful death."

Jeez he must be joking.

"Now of to bed pip pip!"

All is Gryffindor first years follow Percy Weasley, the Gryffindor prefect, through the chattering crowd , out of the Great Hall and up the marble staircase. As we walk the pictures on the walls are moving and whispering.

Finally we come to a halt in front of a picture of a very fat lady in a pink dress.

"Password?" She asks

"Caput Draconis," Percy says and the portrait swings forward to reveal a round hole in the wall.

We all scramble through the hole and find ourselves in the Gryffindor common room-a round cosy room full of squashy pink armchairs.

Percy directs the boys to their dormitory and us girls to ours.

I go into the dormitory to find six, four-poster beds hung with deep-red velvet curtains. Our trunks have already been brought up.

In my dormitory thee are five other girls: Hermione, Bonnie and three that I don't know.

"Hi guys," I say. "I'm Sarah."

"I'm Lavender. Lavender Brown," Says a girl with long, wavy brown hair.

"I'm Parvati Patil," Says a girl with a long dark plait down her back.

"I'm Amy Fields."

I remember Amy from the sorting.

She has bright blue eyes and long blond hair that falls just past her shoulders.

"I'm Hermione. Hermione Granger," Hermione says.

"And I'm Bonnie Lupin," Bonnie says.

All six of us all start talking and we learn things about each other.

I don't really like Lavender. She's too girly in my opinion. Parvati's okay enough. But Amy sounds really nice. I want to get to know her more.

Soon the six of us all climb into bed and go to sleep after a long day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N:

Okay so basically you guys have met all of MY characters. You've met Amy, Lewis and Thomas in this chapter.

Amy will be a big-ish part in this, Thomas will be in a short bit in the next chapter, but Lewis isn't going to be in it much until about the 3rd or 4th book. Maybe 4th. I'll figure that out on the way.

Thanks guys :)