**Note I changed the seating arrangement because I like Gryffindor and Slytherin sitting close together. **

Left side: Slytherin Gryffindor
Right side:Ravenclaw Hufflepuff

Karina's POV

The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face and my first thought was that this was not someone to cross.

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

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

She pulled the door wide. The entrance hall was so big you could have fit Gram's whole 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 facing us led to the upper floors.

Together, we all followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. I 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 took us into a small, empty chamber off the hall. We crowded in, standing rather closer together than usual, peering about nervously.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall.

"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 called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. 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 smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."

Her eyes lingered for a moment on Harry then looked over at me.

"I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly."

She left the chamber.

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

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

Draco and I giggle at their stupidity.

"Wow his brother is kind of a genius." I tell Draco.

Rolling his eyes he says, "Yes but he is still a Weasley.

I say true then watch Harry look around anxiously. Looking at many people who heard Ron, I see they look terrified too.

Idiots.

No one was talking much except Hermione Granger, who was whispering very fast about all the spells she'd learned and wondering which one she'd need. Granger is a muggle. I don't particularly care for them or about them. All I know is I'm nice until you give me something to be not nice about. And for some reason I feel like I'm not going to be a fan of her.

Suddenly something happened that made many of us jump about a foot in the air— several people also screamed.

"What the--?" I gasp.

About twenty ghosts had stream through the back wall. Pearly-white and slightly transparent, they glide across the room talking to one another and hardly glancing at all of us. 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 us. Nobody answered.

"New students!" 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 start."

Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall.

"Now, form a line," Professor McGonagall told us, the first years, "and follow me."

Feeling oddly as though my legs had turned to lead, I got into line behind Harry, with Ron and Hermione in front of him. As we walk out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall, I notice that Draco is no longer near me.

Oh well. I hope we are in the same house. Or if not I hope we can still be friends.

All my years growing up hearing Gram tell me story after story, I had never even imagined such a strange and splendid place. It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in 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 the teachers were sitting. Professor McGonagall led the way up, so that we came to a halt in a line. There was a stool in the middle of the room. My guess is that we would be facing the other students, with the teachers behind us.

Hundreds of faces stare, dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty silver. Harry looks upward which makes me follow to see a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars.

Hermione whispers, "Its 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 on to the heavens. As we all look around Professor McGonagall silently stands by the stool. On top of the stool was a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty.

For a few seconds, there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth. I grin widely at the hat as it begins 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 patient 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!

And don't get in a flap!

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

For I'm a Thinking Cap!"

The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again.

"So we've just got to try on the hat!" Ron whispered to Harry. "I'll kill Fred, he was going on about wrestling a troll."

I laugh quietly at the two then turn my attention back to the front.

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.

"Bones, Susan!"

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

"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 moments pause--

"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat.

The table on the far right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table. Looking over I see the ghost of the Fat Friar waving merrily at her.

Ugh please don't let me get hufflepuff.

"Boot, Terry!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

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

"Brocklehurst, Mandy" went to Ravenclaw too, but "Brown, Lavender" became the first new Gryffindor, and the second table on the left exploded with cheers.

Hearing the Weasley's catcall makes me laugh. Professor McGonagall has a small smile on her face as she calls the next person.

"Bulstrode, Millicent" then became a Slytherin.

When Neville Longbottom, the boy who kept losing his toad, was called, he fell over on his way to the stool. Only a few students, myself included, laugh as he gets up with a red face.

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 another round of laughter to give it to "MacDougal, Morag."

Sometimes, I noticed, the hat shouted out the house at once, but at others it took a little while to decide. I become more and more nervous just thinking about getting into a house where I know I won't belong.

"Finnigan, Seamus," the sandy-haired boy next to Harry in the line, sat on the stool for almost a whole minute before the hat declared him a Gryffindor.

"Granger, Hermione!"

Hermione almost ran to the stool and jammed the hat eagerly on her head.

"GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the hat. Ron groaned.

"Moon"

"Nott"

"Weasley, Ron!"

"Ahh another Weasley... I know just where to put you... GRYFFINDOR."

Ron runs over to his brothers that give him hugs and pats on the back.

"Finch-Fletchley, Justin!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

Draco swaggered forward when his name was called. He scans the crowd of first years then his eyes set on me. He smirks as he has gotten his wish at once: the hat had barely touched his head when it screamed, "SLYTHERIN!"

Draco went to join our friends Crabbe and Goyle, looking pleased with himself. Feeling more and more nervous and upset I almost think I'm going to throw up. Draco must notice that I don't feel too good right now because he stops his conversation with Vincent and catches my eye.

'Calm down. You will be okay.' He mouths to me with a secret smile.

I nod and turn back to the front while taking more deep breaths in and out.

There weren't many people left now.

"Parkinson" then a pair of twin girls, "Patil" and "Patil" then "Perks, Sally-Anne" and then-- "Potter, Harry!"

As Harry stepped forward, whispers suddenly broke out like little hissing fires all over the hall.

"Potter, did she say?"

"The Harry Potter?"

As the hat is places on his head he sits and waits.

"Hmm," said a small voice in his ear. "Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind either. There's talent, A my goodness, yes-- and a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that's interesting... So where shall I put you?"

Harry gripped the edges of the stool and I hear him whisper, "Not Slytherin, not Slytherin."

"Not Slytherin, eh?" said the small voice. "Are you sure? You could be great, you know, it's all here in your head, and Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that-- no? Well, if you're sure-- better be GRYFFINDOR!"

Harry heard the hat shout the last word to the whole hall. He took off the hat and walked shakily toward the Gryffindor table.

Oh shoot! I'm the last one!! Ugh this is so scary.

"Grey, Karina."

3rd person's POV

Harry heard the hat shout the last word to the whole hall. He took off the hat and walked shakily toward the Gryffindor table. He was so relieved to have been chosen and not put in Slytherin, he hardly noticed that he was getting the loudest cheer yet.

Percy the Prefect got up and shook his hand vigorously, while the Weasley twins yelled, "We got Potter! We got Potter!"

Harry sat down opposite the ghost in the ruff he'd seen earlier. The ghost patted his arm, giving Harry the sudden, horrible feeling he'd just plunged it into a bucket of ice-cold water. He could see the High Table properly now.

At the end nearest him sat Hagrid, who caught his eye and gave him the thumbs up. Harry grinned back. And there, in the center of the High Table, in a large gold chair, sat Albus Dumbledore. Harry recognized him at once from the card he'd gotten out of the Chocolate Frog on the train. Dumbledore's silver hair was the only thing in the whole hall that shone as brightly as the ghosts.

Harry spotted Professor Quirtell, too, the nervous young man from the Leaky Cauldron. He was looking very peculiar in a large purple turban.

"Grey, Karina."

"Hey Harry there's the girl from earlier." Ron says then turns his complete attention to the front.

Harry turns around to see the girl that had stopped him and Draco from fighting.

Karina, he thinks, that's a beautiful name.

"Hmm another very difficult one. You can accomplish so many great things... ohh yes I see them now. Determined, confident, while also being cunning and independent. But very loyal and honest."

Harry watches as Karina closes her eyes and whispers to the hat. He wonders to himself what she said.

"Okay I see now... Slytherin!"

Suddenly, Harry's world goes crashing down as he watches the huge smile light up Karina's face. She hands the hat to Professor McGonagall then runs over to the Slytherin table. Because the tables are so close, he can see her give Draco a huge hug and then Crabbe and Goyle. She sits down beside Draco and he puts his arm around her shoulder.

Glancing up as if she felt eyes on her, Karina looks at Harry. Harry smiles slightly and waves. Karina smiles slightly and nods her head then turns back to Draco.

"Harry? Hello? Are you even listening?" Harry hears Ron calling him but he continues to stare and be a stalker.

"Hey what's up with Harry?" Fred says as he waves a hand infront of Harry's face.

"Some girl we met earlier on the train." Ron says grimly.

"Oh was it that Karina girl who was just sorted?" Greg asks.

Ron nods and looks at Karina laughing with Crabbe, Goyle, and Draco. He wonders why she was put in Slytherin. She looked so sweet. He thought she would have been maybe a Hufflepuff.

"Wait Professor McGonagall said Karina Grey. Where have I heard that before? Grey... grey?" Fred says while tapping his chin.

"Grey you said? As in Salli and Avalon Grey? Dad just called them Grey when he talked about them." Percy pipes in.

"Who is Salli and Avalon Grey?" Ron asks leaning closer while looking more and more intrigued.

"Avalon Grey was Karina's father. He was in Ravenclaw. Salli was her mother and she was in Slytherin. Both are purebloods which makes Karina a pureblood. Dad never really said anything about Karina just about her parents. He probably doesn't even know that they had a child." Percy says.

"Ohhh Mom used to talk about how mean Salli was and about how much Salli disliked muggles. The perfect Slytherin mom used to say." George tells Ron.

Harry and Ron look surprised as they both glance over at Karina who is smiling slightly at the two.

Karina's POV

Albus Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. He was beaming at us, his arms opened wide, as if nothing could have pleased him more.

"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.

"Is he-- a bit mad?" Crabbe asks uncertainly.

"Mad?" said Draco airily. "He's literally insane."

Dishes start to pile up infront of every one. I have never seen so many things that I like 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.

I watch Crabbe and Goyle as they pile their plate with a bit of everything except the peppermints and began to eat. Draco and I laugh as the two moan and groan while pigging out.

"That does look good," said the ghost in the ruff sadly, watching Draco cut up his steak.

The ghost leaves and flies over to the Gryffindor table.

Ugh Gryffindor.

I am so happy I'm in Slytherin. I don't know why I just feel like this is where I need to be. I have already made so many new friends Vincent, Gregory, Blaise, and Pansy. I think I'm going to like it here.

Looking up I glance past the Ravenclaw table and see Cedric at the Hufflepuff table. He looks up at me and smiles while waving. I wave back with a huge smile.

"Who is that Ari?" Pansy asks while turning around glancing at Cedric.

"Oh that's just Cedric Diggory." I say waving my fork in the air as if he doesn't matter.

"Just Cedric Diggory she says? Oh please Karina wouldn't stop talking about him last summer. Cedric this and Cedric that? And Cedric Cedric Cedric." Draco teases while pushing his food around his plate.

Everyone laughs, but I know Draco is jealous. He thinks I really like Cedric more than him. I grab Draco's arm and make him spin around in his seat to face the wall.

"Draco Malfoy. You are my best friend. I could never replace you. Don't even think for one second that I would." I whisper to him as I hold his hand.

He looks up at me with those silver eyes that I love so much.

Wait what?

I just mean they are gorgeous. They're spectacular. Just amazing...

"Sorry, I know Karina. I just don't want you to be upset with me later on if something happens and push me away."

"Never."

I kiss his cheek and watch his face turn red. He grumbles under his breath about me being too cute and nice and that he is a man who needs to be taken seriously.

Laughing at the mumbling Draco, I turn back around to the table. I feel eyes on me so I glance up to see almost the whole Gryffindor table looking at me. Ron, Harry, and Neville have their mouths so wide open a whole family of flies could fly in at any moment. A girl with wild bushy brown hair glares at me while stabbing her food. Ron's brothers look somewhat intrigued. Feeling a little weirded out I look away from the group of creeps and finish eating.

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 eclairs and jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, Jell-O, rice pudding.

As I start to feel warm and sleepy, I lay my head on Draco's shoulder. Quickly I forget that he has to play a role infront of everyone and lift my head back up.

"No it's okay Karina. I don't care. I can be nice to you and you only." Draco smirks at me and pats his shoulder.

Laughing to myself, I lay my head back down. Glancing over at the Gryffindor table, yet again, I see Harry staring at the High Table. Hagrid was drinking deeply from his goblet. Professor McGonagall was talking to Professor Dumbledore. Professor Quirrell, in his absurd turban, was talking to a teacher with black hair, a hooked nose, and sallow skin.

It happened very suddenly. The hook-nosed teacher looked past Quirrell's turban straight into Harry's eyes.

"Ouch!" Harry clapped a hand to his head.

Weird.

"Hey Draco who is that again?" I ask sleepily.

Draco follows my eyes to the man who I have yet to figure out.

"Oh that's Professor Snape. He teaches Potions, but he doesn't want to-- father told me that he's after Quirrell's job. Father said he hopes so. Snape knows an awful lot about the Dark Arts."

Just as if he heard his name Professor Snape looks over at the two of us. He gives us a slight awkward smile and then turns back to his conversation with Professor Quirrell.

At last, the desserts too disappeared, and Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again. The hall fell silent.

"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. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well."

Dumbledore's twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of the Weasley twins.

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

Draco and I laugh at the scared faces on the Gryffindorks.

Haha Gryffindorks. I just made that up. I crack myself up.

"He's not serious?" Pansy mutters to Gemma our house prefect.

"Must be," Gemma says frowning at Dumbledore.

"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 for bed. Off you trot! First years your prefects will show you the way."

Dumbledore gave his wand a little flick, as if he was 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 that said, 'Good luck first years.'

The Slytherin first years follow Gemma through the chattering crowds, out of the Great Hall, and down the marble staircase while Gryffindor goes up.

I see Ron and Harry glance over at me but quickly look away. Gemma leads us through doorways hidden behind sliding panels and hanging tapestries. We descend more staircases, yawning I drag my feet, wondering how much farther we had to go.

"There is a door on the right side of the Entrance Hall, if coming down the marble staircase facing the front doors of the castle, that is most frequently used by Slytherin students to get to the common room. Behind the door is a set of stone steps which descend deep into the dungeons. Which is where we are headed. Note that this door is different from the entrance to the narrow staircase that leads down to Snape's office."

We get to the entrance to the common room which is located behind a bare stretch of stone wall in the dungeons.

"A password is required to enter it; whereupon a passage is revealed leading to the common room. The password to the common room changes every fortnight, and it is posted on the noticeboard. Slytherin students are warned never to bring students from other houses into the common room, or to reveal the password."

"Why would we?" Blaise laughs with Draco as we listen to Gemma say the password.

"Salazar Slytherin." As Gemma whispers the password, the stone wall moves to the side. "Come on."

Following our prefect we are led to the Slytherin common room. The common room is a dungeon-like room with greenish lamps and chairs. This dungeon extends partway under the black lake that I was so intrigued by, giving the light in the room a green tinge. The common room has lots of low backed black and dark green button-tufted, leather sofas; skulls; and dark wood cupboards. It is decorated with featuring the adventures of famous Medieval Slytherins. A fire was crackling under an elaborately carved mantelpiece ahead. The common room has quite a grand atmosphere, a slight cold one if you're not a Slytherin, but to me this feels like home.

"You're luggage and other things are already in your rooms. Okay so get some rest. Wake up so you can get to breakfast on time and start the year out great. Girls rooms are to the left up the stairs and boys rooms are to the right down the stairs. Now I know I'm supposed to say no boys in girls rooms but who am I kidding? We are Slytherins! Just be careful and if you ever need anything don't be afraid to ask." Gemma smiles and then runs up the stairs.

The room clears out leaving me with Draco, Pansy, Blaise, Vincent, and Gregory. Blaise sits down by the fireplace.

"Well I don't know about you guys but I can already tell that this is going to be one hell of a year."