The door swung open, and a witch in emerald-green robes stared at them, with a stern look. 

"The fir's years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid. 

"Thank you, Hagrid," She said. "I'll take it from here."  She led them into the castle, the entrance was huge; behind the door on the right were muffled voices. Everyone glanced as they were led into an empty chamber. "Welcome to Hogwarts. 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 your free time in your house common room. 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. While you are here 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 a cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours."

"That means no sticky fingers," Hermione whispered to Myla.

"Mione, you underestimate the art of not getting caught," Myla whispered back.

"Don't call me, Mione!" Hermione snapped at her. 

"The sorting ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school," McGonagall continued. "I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you're waiting." Her eyes flickered to Neville's cloak, and Ron's nose. Myla noticed Harry trying to flatten his hair. "I shall return when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly." She then left.

"How exactly do they sort us into the houses?" Harry asked. 

"Some sort of test," Myla answered. "Fred said it's not going to be easy, possible pain."

"I do hope he's joking," Ron wished. Moments later several people screamed; everyone looked to see twenty ghosts floating into the room. 

"Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance--"

"My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really a ghost--I say, what are you all doing here?"

"New students!" Friar chimed with a smile. "About to be Sorted, I supposed?"

"Yes, sir," a girl answered.

"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" Friar chimed more. "My old house, you know."

"Move along now," a voice instructed, they looked to see McGonagall had returned. "The Sorting Ceremony is about to start." The ghost all took their leave. "Now, form a line and follow me." Everyone did what they were told. The Great Hall was spectacular. Four long tables, candles floating in mid-air, a ceiling resembling the sky.

"It's bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts, A History," Hermione whispered. In front of the staff table, was an old rugged hat, it started to twitch and 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 our 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 , Where dwell the brave at heart,

Their daring, nerve, and chivalry

Set Gryffindors apart;

You might belong in,

Where they are just and loyal,

Those patient Hufflepuffs are true

And unafraid of toil;

Or yet in wise old,

if you've a ready mind,

Where those of wit and learning,

Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in

You'll make your real friends,

Those cunning folks use any means

To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!

And don't get in a flap!

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

For I'm a Thinking Cap!"

The hall burst into applause while some seemed stunned. Everyone quieted down as the first years waited for what hat would do next. 

"So, we've just got to try on that hat!" Ron whispered. "I'll kill Fred, he was going on about wrestling a troll. You were in on it too, weren't you demon!"

"Of course," Myla shrugged her shoulder as she smiled cheekily. Harry looked like he was going to puke any second. 

Professor McGonagall stepped up with a long scroll. "When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted. Abbott, Hannah!"

A girl with blonde pigtails stepped up, the hat went over her eyes.

"Hufflepuff!

The table on the right cheered as Hannah joined them. 

"Bones, Susan!"

"Hufflepuff!" Susan quickly took a seat next to Hannah. 

"Boot, Terry!"

"Ravenclaw!" The second table from the left cheered; some shook the boy's hand.

"Brocklehurst, Mandy!"

"Ravenclaw!"

"Brown, Lavender!"

"Gryffindor!" the table on the far right exploded in cheers. 

"Bulstrode, Millicent"

"Slytherin!" the last table finally cheered.

"Finnigan, Seamus!" A small sandy-blonde boy made his way to the front. 

"Finch-Fletchley, Justin!"

"Hufflepuff!"

"Flint, Marco!" A boy with dark hair walked up, he was a bit bulk; looked like he could crush a cauldron with his bare hands.

"Slytherin!"

"Hufflepuff!"

"Granger, Hermione!"

"Oh no! Okay, relax," Hermione said as she walked up.

"Mental that one, I'm telling you," Ron said. Harry nodded. 

"Gryffindor!" Ron let out a groan as Hermione went to the designated table. 

"Longbottom, Neville!" The toad boy nervously went up, he fell over during the process. The hat took a while to decide.

"Gryffindor!" Neville ran off wearing the hat and had to jog back. 

"MacDougal, Morag!"

Soon Malfoy was swagging up once his name was called. "Slytherin!" Crabbe and Goyle were also sorted in Slytherin, along with Nott.

"Merlot, Halle!" a dark skin girl went up, she had butterfly clips at the end of her braids. 

"Gryffindor!"

"Parkinson, Pansy!"

"Slytherin!" 

"Patil, Padma!"

"Ravenclaw!"

"Patil, Pavarti!"

"Gryffindor!"

"Plum, Seika!" A girl with short dark hair and tan skin walked up. 

"Gryffindor!"

"Potter, Harry!" The hall went silent, Myla gave him a push, eyes stalking him as he made his way to the hat.

"Potter, did she say?"

"The Harry Potter?"

The hat seemed to have great difficulty when deciding where to put Harry. "GRYFFINDOR!"

The Gryffindor table erupted into cheers, Percy shook his hands, as classmates patted him.

"We got Potter! We got Potter!" Fred and George cheered. There were only a handful of people left.

"Thomas, Dean!"

"Gryffindor!" 

"Turpin, Lisa!"

"Ravenclaw!"

"Weasley, Myla!"

Myla took a big breath, she carefully walked up to the stool the hat fell over her eyes the moment she sat down. 

'Not your typical, Weasley, eh? A knack for thieving. Very clever and determined, your ambition will get you far. But underneath all of it...GRYFFINDOR!" Myla happily joined her brothers, they all cheered for her.

"Really thought you'd be the first green Weasely," Fred commented.

"The hat sure was thinking of it," Myla laughed.

"The snakiest Gryffindor," George laughed as he looked at Fred.

"Shut it," Percy rolled his eyes. "Well, done, Myla, wonderful."

"Weasley, Ronald!" Ron took his turn. 

"Ha! Another Weasley, I know just what to do with you...Gryffindor!" A flash of relief flooded Ron's face. They all clapped loudly, especially Harry.

"Well done, Ron, excellent," complimented Percy.

"Zabini, Blaise!"

"Slytherin!"

Professor McGonagall took the hat away and the headmaster got to his feet.

"Welcome!" Dumbledore greeted. " Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!" He sat back down.

"Is he --a bit mad?" Harry asked as people called and cheered,

"Mad?" asked Percy. "He's a genius! Best wizard in the world! But is he a bit mad, yes? Potatoes, Harry?"  In front of them appeared large amounts of food. Myla filled her plate with steak, roast potatoes, carrots, and peas. Harry started to talk to a ghost. 

"I haven't eaten for nearly four hundred years, I don't need to, of course, but one does miss it. I don't think I've introduced myself. Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpinton at your service. Resident ghost of Gryffindor Tower!"

"I know who you are!" Ron blurted out. "My brothers told me about you---you're Nearly Nicholas"

"I would prefer you to call me Sir Nicholas de mimsy--" the ghost began. 

"Nearly Headless? How can you be nearly headless?" Seamus interrupted. 

Sir Nick was looking irritated. "Like this?" He pulled his head to the side, all the first years were stunned and sort of grossed out. He put his head back on. "So--new Gryffindors! I hope you're going to help us win the house championship this year. Gryffindors have never gone so long without winning. Slytherins have got the cup six years in a row! The Bloody Baron's becoming almost unbearable---he's the Slytherin ghost."  Over at Slytherin's table was a ghost, gaunt face, covered in silver blood.

"What happened to him?" Myla asked.

"I've never asked," Nick admitted. 

"I heard all about you on the train," Seika said. "Is it really true that you are t-h-i-e-f?"  Up close Myla could see that Seika had dark brown eyes.

"I'd lock your trunks if I were you," Percy advised. "Even that might not be able to stop her."

"But that's bad! It's evil!" Seika squeaked.

"Depends who you ask," Myla laughed, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a toad.

"Trevor!" Neville gasped then stared at his hands. 

"You should keep a closer eye on your toad," Myla advised as she reached over the table, handing the toad to Neville.  

"Your pick-pocketing is a nasty habit, you'll lose Gryffindor so many points," Halle huffed as she crossed her arms. Up close Myla could see that Halle had dark brown eyes as well.

 "Only if I get caught," Myla winked.

"You are unbelievable," Hermione groaned. Soon dinner was over, and dessert popped up. Myla had picked up rice pudding as the talk turned into families. 

"I'm half-and-half," said Seamus. "Me Dad's a muggle. Mam's a witch. Bit of a nasty shock for him when he found out." The others laughed.

"How about you Neville?" Ron asked.

"Well, my gran brought up, and she's a witch," said Neville. "But the family thought I was all-Muggle for ages. My Great Uncle Algie kept trying to catch me off guard and force some magic out of me--he pushed me off the end of Blackpool pier once, I nearly drowned---but nothing happened until I was eight. Great Uncle Algie came around for dinner, and he was hanging me out of an upstairs window by the ankles when my Great Aunt Enid offered him a meringue and he accidentally let go. But I bounced---all the way down the garden and into the road. They were all really pleased, Gran was crying, she was so happy. And you should have seen their faces when I got here--they thought I might not be magic enough to come, you see. Great Uncle Algie was so pleased he bought me a toad."

"What about your Seika?" Halle asked.

"Oh, I come from a muggle family," Sabrina answered. "They were all so surprised that I even had magic. What about you Halle?"

"My mum's a muggle-born witch while my father is from a magic family, making me half," Halle answered. "You are a pureblood, right Myla?"

"Mhmm," Myla nodded her head. "Though with my record, my mom was surprised I was to come here at all." The other girls laughed. Soon the deserts disappeared, Dumbledore got to his feet and the hall went silent.

"Ahem---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 grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few older students would do well to remember that as well." His eyes flashed to Fred and George, they simply nodded to Myla. "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 third-corridor on the right-side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."

"Is he serious?" Seika whimpered.

"Must be," Percy frowned. "It's odd because he usually gives us a reason why we're not allowed to go somewhere-the forest's full of dangerous beasts everyone knows that, I do think he might have told us, prefects, at least."

"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" Dumbledore cried. All teacher's smiles became fake. Dumbledore gave a  flick, a long golden ribbon flew out. "Everyone pick their favorite tune and off."

"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,

Teach us something please,
Whether we be old and bald,
Or young with scabby knees,
Our heads could do with filling,
With some interesting stuff,
For now they're bare and full of air,
Dead flies and bits of fluff,
So teach us things worth knowing,
Bring back what we've forgot,
Just do your best, we'll do the rest,
And learn until our brains all rot."

Everyone finished at different times. Fred and George finished last with a slow funeral march. 

"Ah, music," Dumbledore wiped his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!" The first-year Gryffindors followed Percy through chattering crowds, up the marble staircase, and through much more. Soon they came to halt, a bunch of walking sticks floated above them. They started to be thrown.

"Peeves," Percy whispered. "A poltergeist. Peeves--show yourself!" There was a rude balloon sound. "Do you want me to get the Bloody Baron?"

There was a pop, and a little wicked man appeared, sitting crossed-legged in the air. "Oooooh! Ickle Firsties! What fun!" They all ducked as Peeves swooped at them.

"Go away, Peeves or the Baron'll hear about this, I mean it!" barked Percy.  Peeves stuck out his tongue, dropped walking sticks on Neville, and left. "You want to watch out for Peeves." They started to walk again. "The Bloody baron's the only one who can control him, he won't even listen to us prefects." They came to the end of a corridor, in a portrait was a woman in a pink silk dress. 

"Password?" She asked. 

"Caput Draconis," said Percy, as the portrait swung open. They all scrambled through, and into the common room. It was full of squashy armchairs, tables, and a bulletin board where school notices, ads, lost posters, etc. could be posted. The common room was decorated in several shades of red. There were many windows that looked out onto the grounds of the castle, and a large fireplace dominated one wall. The mantle of the fireplace was adorned with a portrait of a lion. The walls were decorated with scarlet tapestries that depicted witches and wizards, but also various animals. There were also bookcases located in the room, filled with various novels.

Percy led the girls to the dormitories through one door and the boys through another. The girls walked into seeing the room. All their trunks are already inside. They had five four-posters, hung with deep red, velvet curtains.

 Angelina Johnson appeared at the doorway. "Enjoy your first night!" She disappeared up the stairs. 

"Wow," Halle breathed as she spun looking at the room.

"Wow," Seika agreed. Without another word, due to tiredness all the girls changed and went straight to bed. Myla undid the curtains and went under the covers to read for a bit and sort out everything she's stolen before going to bed herself.