A bright grin crossed my face. I had been sorted into Ravenclaw! Turns out my dad, although he didn't know much about the houses, had predicted which house I'd end up in.

High on happiness, I skipped over to the Ravenclaw table and sat in an empty seat. I trusted that the hat had sorted me into the house that would help me grow into who I was meant to be.

But was that place where Remus belonged as well?

Although I wanted to be with my friend, more than anything I wanted him to be happy in a place he truly belonged.

Within minutes after my sorting, Remus Lupin finished out the last names starting with "L".

He nervously made his way up to the stool and soon his face was covered by the hat.

I wondered how long his sorting would take, as some were over quickly while others, like my own took way longer.

Soon, I had my answer.

"Gryffindor!" Erupted the sorting hat.

Once it was removed, Remus sent me a sad smile before he made his way to sit near Sirius and James. At least they'd be together. Nevertheless I clapped for him.

Once all the first years had been sorted, I directed my attention towards my meal.

Before me was the widest array of food I had ever seen. Anything you had ever dreamed of eating was on silver plates and magical goblets full of any drink you wished. Filling my plate and goblet full, I sat back and relaxed, allowing my mind to wander. I had made it.

When dinner was coming to an end, and the last of the chocolate frogs had been eaten, the food was cleared away and Professor Dumbledore stood up to speak.

"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. The centaurs are quite territorial, as well as the other creatures that lurk within the forests shadows. 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.

"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 Whomping Willow is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."

On that cheery note, the Prefects began rounding up students to take them towards their common room.

I watched as the majority of the students rushed towards the exit, chatting loudly and groaning about how full they were from the magnificent feast.

"Not much of a fan of big crowds I see?" Joked a voice from behind me, causing me to jump.

I turned to see Remus, with a smirk on his face as he looked down at me.

"Why must you sneak up on me?" I chided, jumping off my seat to ruffle the taller boys hair.

"Hey!" He protested, swatting my hand.

Giggling, I leapt away, running towards the exit with Remus hot on my heals.

With a start, I realized we were some of the last people in the great hall. I turned to Remus, gave him a quick hug and ran off to follow my housemates.

Little did I know, the scarred boy watched me run away with a flustered blush on his face.

***********************************
Panting, I ran through the hallways after the sound of students, internally scolding myself for not being in good shape.

Rushing around a coroner, I nearly collided with a fellow housemate.

I coughed awkwardly, scooting over and directing my attention to my Prefects.

"As you can see, the spiral staircase that leads to our tower is in the west of the castle. If you are ever lost, one of the many paintings will guide you on your way. At the top of the staircase is a door and to enter the common room you must answer a riddle correctly "

With that, we made our way up the stairs. Now I could definitely tell how out of shape I was.

The stairway was lit by torches hung on the walls, and many windows have small glimpses of the school grounds below.

When the staircase ended, we came upon a plain blue door with no doorknob or keyhole, only a bronze knocker in the shape of an eagle's head.

The face of the bird stared blankly until it seemed to realize our presence and sprang to life.

An impatient glint flashed across its eyes, as it looked down at the eagerly chatting students.

One of our Prefects cleared her voice, finally quieting the crowd.

"That's much better" spoke the eagle in a voice that hid wisdom of a thousand years.

"Now listen, for I will only say this once, what disappears as soon as you say it's name?"

Puzzled, I peered at my fellow housemates, who all seemed in deep concentration.

"Silence!" Exclaimed a girl.

The bronze eagle nodded his head, and suddenly the blue door opened inward, revealing the common room.

I stumbled into the circular room before me, in awe of the architecture.

Large, arched windows were scattered across the walls with plush window seats, offering what must have been the best views in the daylight.

I couldn't wait until morning, when I could see it in all its glory.

In between each window, was a bookshelf full of every book you would ever want to read. The shelf stretched to the ceiling, which was domed upwards, creating an airy atmosphere.

Much like the great hall, the ceiling was enchanted to depict a life like night sky, with constellations that matched those outside.

To the left of the entrance was a roaring stone fireplace with three large blue sofas arranged around it. They looked like the perfect place to curl up with a good book on a cold night.

On the right there were a large array of desks and tables, each equipped with fresh parchment, a quill or two and some ink.

The common room seemed to have all the basics I would need to succeed throughout the year. It also brought a sense of home and security I hadn't felt before. My constant moving between houses throughout the last few years had never gave me the time to completely settle in to my environment.

But this place would be my home for the majority of my next seven years, if everything went to plan.

To the far side of the room, directly across from the entrance was a pair of spiral staircase.

"Hello, My name is Erin McDonnel and I am one of your two prefects. Alec is the guy prefect and he is currently showing the new boys around."

She then lead myself and the rest of the girls up the right staircase while the boys climbed up the left.

"Now some of you might be wondering how you girls will have privacy in your dorms from any unwanted intrusions. The first door you reach on the stairs leads to the first year dorms and so on. On the door to each is a replica of the Bronze eagle from the entrance to our common room." Erin explained .

"Each eagle has a specific riddle for each year of female students, and will only open to students that belong in that specific dorm. If another student, possibly one of the boys or someone of a different year wishes to enter the dorms, they must pass on a message to the Bronze eagle. Girls from within the dorm can choose to accept or decline any requests to come inside."

With that, me and the 5 other girls of my year were left to answer our second riddle of the day.

Much like the original Eagle, this one sprung to life once we approached and began to speak.

"What doesn't exist but has a name?"

I thought for a second before the answer came to me. "Nothing! Nothing doesn't possibly exist yet it still has a name!"

A proud twinkle glinted in the eyes of the eagle before the door opened.

Six comfortable looking yet simple beds filled the circular room. Dark blue curtains allowed the sleeper some privacy and a bit of darkness.
Each bed had its own nightstand and a desk under a small window for natural light.

It wasn't difficult to locate mine, as Aslan had somehow managed to make his way into the dorms. He was now peacefully curled besides my luggage on top of my bed.

Exhausted from my day, I quickly got ready for bed, rested my glasses on my nightstand and disappeared beneath my blue and bronze covers.

With my kitten curled into my side, I quickly fell asleep. Tomorrow would be the start of classes and I couldn't wait.

***********************************
Finally! This chapter has taken me so long to complete but it is a fairly large one. I deeply apologize for my lack of updates, I am aware it has been months but school is hectic and my summer was busy. This year I'm making it my goal to write more!

Anyways I hope all of you are doing well. I'm thankful for everyone who had stuck with my story, love you all!

And don't forget...

:)

:}

:]

:p

:D

XD

Smile!!!!!!