✯

The door swung open. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. she had a very stern face and Caroline's first thought was that this was not someone to cross. "Yes first years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."

She pulled the door wide. The entrance hallways were so big you could have fit the whole of Moore's house in it. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones at Gringotts, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase hem led to the upper floors.

They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Caroline could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right -the rest of the school must already be here-but Professor McGonagall showed the first years into a small, empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, standing rather closer together than they would usually have done. peering about nervously.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. Caroline felt a chill of excitement go all through her body "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 free time in your house common room. The four houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin.

"This is already so cool," said Caroline to Parvati, the girl who she had met on the train. Each of them smiled from ear to ear.

"Each House has its own noble history and has produced outstanding witches and wizards," Professor McGonagall continued. "While you are 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 cup, a great honor.I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours."

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarted yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting," Her eyes lingered for a moment on one very nervous looking student's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear, and on another boy's nose, this boy had bright red hair and was impossible to misplace. Students around Caroline, including herself, began to straighten out their hair and robes. "I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly."

She left the chamber. Caroline swallowed.

"How exactly do they sort us into houses?" Parvati Patil asked, seeming nervous.

"Some sort of test, I think. Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking."

The red-headed boy in front of Caroline spoke nervously.

"Hope it's not some sort of test," said her twin sister, Padma, that Caroline had also met on the train.

"I don't think so," Caroline shook her head. "My older brother said it was like an announcement."

All summer Caroline spent most of her time bothering her older brother Kristian about Hogwarts. But when she'd ask him a question the only answers he'd give her was vague ones. So, she still really didn't know what to expect.

No one in the room was talking much except for a girl near the front with big, frizzy hair. She was whispering very fast about all the spells she'd learned and wondering which one she'd need if there was in fact a test. Caroline tried hard not to listen to her because even though she knew it wasn't likely there would be an exam, she hadn't learned as many spells as the girl talking near the front and it scared her. So, Caroline kept her eyes fixed on the door. Any second now Professor McGonagall would come back and lead them all to be sorted.

Then something happened that made her jump about a foot in the air and several people behind her screamed. "What the—?" She gasped and so did the people around her.

About twenty ghosts had just streamed through the black wall. Pearly white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room talking to one another and hardly glancing at the first years. They seemed to be arguing. What looked like a fat little monk was saying: "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 even a ghost- I say what are you all doing here? A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed the first years. Nobody answered.

"New student!" Said the fat friar, smiling around at them. "About to be sorted, I suppose?" a few people nodded mutely. "Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" Said the friar. "My old house you know."

"Move along now," said a sharp voice. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to begin." Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one the ghosts started walking through the opposite wall. "Now form a line."

Feeling excited Caroline felt as though her legs turned to lead, she got into line behind a boy named Dean Thomas, with Parvati behind her, and they walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.

Caroline had never imagined such a strange and splendid place. It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where teachers were sitting. Professor McGonagall led the first years here so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone most misty silver. Mainly to avoid all the staring eyes, Caroline looked upward and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars

She heard the same frizzy-haired girl whisper from the front: "It's bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts, A History."

It was hard to believe there was a ceiling there at all, and that the Great Hall didn't simply open onto the Heavens. Caroline quickly looked down again as Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool, she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat patched and frayed and dirty. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth-and the hat began to sing:

"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty but don't judge me 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 heart, their daring, nerve, and chivalry set Gryffindor apart; you might be In Hufflepuff, where they are just in the loyal, this patient has a pass is true and unfair to toil or yet in wise old Ravenclaw if you've a ready mind, 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! And don't get in a flap! You're in safe hands (though I don't have none) for I'm a thinking cap!"

The entire hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. Caroline watched confused. Kristian hadn't mentioned a singing hat before.

"So, we just got to try on the hat?" Padma questioned, standing behind Parvati.

Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment. "When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Abbott Hannah!"

A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down. A moment pause-

"HUFFLEPUFF!" Shouted the hat.

The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table.

"Bones, Susan!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat again, and Susan Susan scurried off to sit next to Hannah.

"Boot terry!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

The table second from the left clapped this time; several raven clause stood up to shake hands with Terry as he joined them.

"Brocklehurst, Mandy!"

She went to Ravenclaw too, but

"Brown, Lavender" became the first new Gryffindor, and the table on the far left exploded with cheers.

"Bulstrode, Milluficent" then became a Slytherin.

Maybe it was the stories that her brother told her, but after hearing about the Slytherin house, she believed them to be quite unpleasant. Their looks scared her. If she was able to pick a house it would be Hufflepuff.

"Finch-Fletchey, Justin!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

Caroline noticed that with some people the hat shouted their house at once, but with others, it took a little while to decide.

"Finnegan, Seamus,"

The Sandy-haired boy next to Harry and Ron, sat on the stool for almost a whole minute before the hat declared him a Gryffindor.

"Granger, Hermione!"

The frizzy-haired girl that never stopped talking almost ran to the stool and jammed the hat eagerly on her head.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Neville Longbottom, the boy who kept losing his toad was called, he fell over on his way to the stool. The hat took a long time to decide with Neville. When it finally shouted,

"GRYFFINDOR,"

Neville ran off still wearing it and had to jog back amid gales of laughter to give it to McGonagall.

A boy named Draco Malfoy swaggered forward when his name was called. He hadn't sat for a second it seemed before the hat shouted:

"SLYTHERIN!"

Draco Malfoy went to join the Slytherin table looking pleased with himself

Caroline had a feeling about him that she knew she wouldn't like there weren't many people left now.

Caroline gulped. It wouldn't be long before it was her turn to sit on the stool.

"Moon"

"Moore, Caroline."

Caroline shut her eyes tightly. Why was she so nervous? She'd been looking forward to this moment for as long as she could remember. Stepping forward, Caroline went to sit on the stool and Professor McGonagall placed the hat onto her head.

"Oh. no. no. no." The hat laughed. "Nothing like her brother, is she? Certainly not a Ravenclaw. Perhaps a Hufflepuff? Maybe. Or maybe..."

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Caroline let out a long sigh as the hat was removed from her head. The cheers erupted once again at the Gryffindor table, and as she walked towards the cheering crowd she could feel her pent-up nerves begin to go away.

"Nott"

"Parkinson"

Then Parvati and Padma Patil were called. Caroline watched excitedly. Her new friends seemed just as nervous as she felt while being sorted.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

The hat called for Parvati, and the table once again cheered loudly. This time Caroline got to cheer too.

"RAVENCLAW!"

The hat called for Padma, and this time the table draped in blue cheered loudly.

"Potter, Harry!"

As the dark-haired boy with glasses stepped forward whispered suddenly broke out, like little hissing fires all over the hall.

"Potter, did she say?"

"The Harry Potter?"

Caroline hadn't known much about the Potter boy. Only what her brother would tell her. Apparently, he was a legend at Hogwarts. A hero. He was the boy who lived.

The hat took its time on Harry. Caroline watched as his leg bounced up and down nervously. And the entire hall waited in silence. Her brother wasn't lying when he told her that Potter was a big deal.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Harry seemed relieved at the hat's decision. And he had certainly received the loudest cheer yet.

"We've got Potter! We got Potter!"

Caroline watched with a smile as two red-headed boys, looking practically identical in their faces cheered loudly.

"Thomas Dean,"

A black boy, who stood tall, much taller than Caroline and the other students his age, joined Caroline and the others at the Gryffindor table.

"Turpin, Lisa," became a Ravenclaw.

And finally, they were down to the last few students to be sorted. The red-headed boy who had been stuck to Harry's side this entire evening was called next.

"Weasley, Ronald!"

There was a murmur at the table. It was the twin boys and a more sour-looking boy, all having the same red hair as the boy on the stool. They had to be related, Caroline swore they had to be. They were anxious about the sorting.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Caroline clapped loudly with the rest as Ron collapsed into the chair next to Harry.

"Well done, Ron, excellent," said the sour-looking redhead that wore a Prefect badge.

He certainly was Ron's brother.

"Zabini, Blaise," the last name to be called was made a Slytherin.

Professor McGonagall rolled up her scroll and took the Sorting Hat away.

Caroline looked down at her empty gold plate. She had only just realized how hungry she was. The treats from the train seemed ages ago.

Albus Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. Beaming at the students, his arms opened wide as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there.

"Welcome!" he said. "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. Everybody clapped and cheered. Caroline didn't know whether to laugh or not.

"Is he-a bit mad?" She asked Parvati uncertainty.

"Dunno." Said Parvati with a shrug. "And right not I don't care as long as we get to eat."

Caroline's mouth fell open. The dishes in front of her were now piled with food. She had never seen so many things he liked to eat on one table: roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops, and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup, and, for some strange reason peppermint humbugs.

Caroline saw the two red-headed twins putting so much on their plate while they were shoving food into their mouths. Caroline thought that was disgusting talking and laughing with food in your mouthful. Disrespectful and they obviously didn't have any manners.

Caroline looked at Parvati and said "If my mother ever saw me do something like that she would smack me in the mouth"

Caroline piled her plate full with a bit of everything even the peppermints and began to eat. It was all delicious.

"That does look good," said the ghost ruff sadly, watching the students cut up their steak.

"Can't you-?" Harry Potter began to question.

"I haven't eaten for almost four hundred years," said the ghost. "I don't need to, of course, but one does miss it. I don't think I've introduced myself? Sir Nicholas de mimsy-porpington at your service. Resident ghost of Gryffindor Tower."

"I know who you are!" said Ron Weasley suddenly. "My brothers told me about you - you're Nearly Headless Nick!"

"I would prefer you to call me Sir Nicholas de Mimsy" the ghost began stiffly, but sandy-haired Seamus Finnigan interrupted.

"Nearly Headless? How can you be nearly headless?" Sir Nicholas looked extremely miffed as if their little chat wasn't going at all the way he wanted.

"Like this," he said irritably. He seized his left ear and pulled. His whole head swung off his neck and fell onto his shoulder as if it was on a hinge. Someone had obviously tried to behead him, but not done it properly. Looking pleased at the stunned looks on their faces, Nearly Headless Nick flipped his head back onto his shoulder and coughed, and said, "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."

Caroline looked over at the Slytherin table and saw a horrible ghost sitting there, with blank staring eyes, a gaunt, and robes stained with silver blood. He was right next to Draco Malfoy.

"How did he get covered in blood?" Asked Seamus with great interest.

"I've never asked," said nearly Headless Nick delicately.

When everyone had eaten as much as they could, the remains of the food faded from the plates, leaving them sparkling clean as before. A moment later the desserts appeared. Blocks of ice cream in every flavor you could think of, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate éclairs, and jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, jell-O, rice pudding...

"Where do I even start?" Caroline pleaded to Parvati as they both looked at each other, smiled then looked back and started to pile food on their trays.

As Caroline helped herself to a treacle tart, the conversation turned to their families.

"I'm half-and-half," said Seamus. "Me dad's a muggle. Mom didn't tell him she was a witch 'til after they were married. Bit of a nasty shock for him"

The others laughed

"I'm a Muggle," said Caroline when the attention was turned to her. "So, is my brother. Surprised us all when I received my letter. Usually, it's only one child to be a wizard in Muggle families."

Everyone, especially the pureblood wizards had a lot of questions for Caroline. All of them interested in what it was like growing up surrounded by Muggles and no magic. She was happy to answer all of their questions.

"What about you Neville?" Said, Ron

"Well, my gran brought me up and she's a witch," said Neville, "but the family thought I was all-Muggle for ages. My great uncle algae 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 round for dinner, and he was hanging me out of an upstairs window by my ankles when my great auntie Enid offered him a meringue and 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 in here they thought I might not be magic enough to come, you see. Great uncle Algie was so pleased he bought me my toad."

Caroline began to feel warm and sleepy as her stomach became full. She had eaten more than she ever had before.

At last, the deserts too disappeared, and Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again. The hall fell 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 on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well."

As he glared at the Weasley twins Caroline couldn't help but to let out a faint laugh.

"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."

Students chuckled at every table.

"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-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."

Everyone was silent but a few students who didn't know any better chuckled. Luckily it wasn't Caroline. She was too confused to make any noise.

"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" Cried Dumbledore

Caroline loved music, especially singing. He gave his wand a little flick as if he were trying to get a fly off the end, and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables and twisted itself, snakelike, into words.

"Everyone pick their favorite tune," said Dumbledore, "and off we go!" As the song continued Caroline's attention was elsewhere instead of singing along she caught herself looking around the room, thinking about how lucky she was that this was her home.

Everyone finished the song at different times. At last, only the Weasley twins were left singing along to a very slow funeral march. Dumbledore conducted their last few lines with his wand and when they had finished, Harry was one of those who clapped loudest.

"Ah music," he said, wiping his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"

The Gryffindor first years followed Percy Weasley through the chattering crowds, out of the Great Hall, and up the marble staircase. Caroline's legs never hurt so much in her life she was so full and so sleepy. Percy led them through doorways hidden behind sliding panels and hanging tapestries. They climbed staircases, yawning, and dragging their feet. They came to a sudden halt.

A bundle of walking sticks floating in midair ahead of them and as Percy took a step toward them they started throwing themselves at him.

"Peeves," Percy whispered to the first years. "A poltergeist." He raised his voice, "Peeves show yourself"

A loud, rude sound, like the air being let out of a balloon, answered.

"Do you want me to go to the Bloody Baron?"

There was a pop, and a little man with wicked, dark eyes and a wide mouth appeared, floating cross-legged in the air, clutching the walking sticks.

"Oooooooh!" He said, with an evil cackle. "Ickle Firsties! What fun!"

He swooped suddenly at them. They all ducked.

"Go away, Peeves or the Baron'll hear about this, I mean it!"

Peeves stuck out his tongue and vanished, dropping the walking sticks on Nevill's head. They heard him zooming away, rattling coats of armor as he passed.

"You want to watch out for Peeves," said Percy, as they set off again. "The Bloody Baron's the only one who can control him, he won't even listen to us Prefects. Here we are."

At the very end of the corridor hung a portrait of a very fat woman in a pink silk dress.

"Password?" she said.

"Caput Draconis," said Percy, and the portrait swung forward to reveal a round hole in the wall. They all scrambled through it. Neville needed a leg up. And found themselves standing in the Gryffindor common room, a cozy, round room full of squashy armchairs.

Percy directed the girls through one door to their dormitory and the boys through another. At the top of a spiral staircase — they were obviously in one of the towers — they found their beds at last. Caroline had only been this happy once in her life, that's when she got her cat.

They had already been made up for them. The maroon comforter tucked neatly into the soft mattress. Caroline knew she would have to add some of her own things to make it feel homier to her. Something yellow maybe. Perhaps her tape player as well. Lucky for her she packed a lot.

Caroline's stomach started to ache. She didn't know if it was because she had overeaten at the feast or she missed home, this was the first time since she had arrived at Hogwarts she missed her family. She fell asleep knowing tomorrow would be a new day and a new adventure!...

Caroline's stomach began to ache as she lay in her bed, the large covers pulled up to her shoulders. She felt incredibly nervous. Was she going to make friends? Sure, she had Parvati, and lucky for her the two of them had been put in a room together along with Lavender Brown and Fay Dunbar. They all seemed nice, and she couldn't wait to get to know them.

Finally, she rolled over and fell asleep at once, hoping that the next day brings her as much excitement as today did.

✯

Finally, a new chapter.