McGonagall led the first years out the little room they were in and into the great hall. It was amazing! Four oak tables lay across the room vertically and Rosalyn presumed they were for the houses, she saw Fred and George at the table to her right and they both gave her a thumbs up. She smiled at them in return. There was another table place horizontally at the top of the room and all the teachers except McGonagall were sat at it. Candles were floating unsupported above everyone's heads and flaming torches were lit around the room.

She hadn't seen the ceiling yet but noticed it was an exact image of the sky outside, starry and beautiful, when Hermione said beside her. "It's not real, the ceiling, I read about it in Hogwarts: A History. It's bewitched to look like the night sky."

Rosalyn was still admiring it when McGonagall stopped the first years at the top of the room. There, she took a stool handed to her and put it infront of them. There, she lay a hat on the stool.

It was a wizarding hat, a pointed one, but it looked pretty bashed and battered. Rosalyn wondered what was going to happen as Hermione stared at her weirdly and Rosie shook her head, smiling slightly.

What she expected least was the hat starting 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 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!

After it had finished, McGonagall took over again.

"When I call your name, you will come forth, I will place the sorting hat on your head and you will be sorted into your house."

The first years looked impressed and McGonagall started calling the names.

"Hannah Abbott!"

A nervous girl with blonde plaits stumbled up to Professor McGonagall and sat on the stool. The old hat was placed on her head and with in a few seconds...

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

The girl happily bounced off the stool and to the table people were beckoning her to. McGonagall continued. "Susan Bones!"

A girl that had stood next to Hannah went up to the stool and within five seconds of the hat being on her head-

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

A boy called Terry Boot went next.

"RAVENCLAW!"

Terry got up gratefully and went to the Ravenclaw table.

A girl called Lavender Brown went and became the first new Gryffindor. She got many cheers for that, including Fred and George's, they were the loudest.

Millicent Bulstrode became a Slytherin, but that was no surprise by the look of her, Rosalyn thought. Justin Finch-Fletchly was next, he went to the stool and put the hat on his head, it drooped down and obscured his face, and it eventually made a decision.

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Seamus Finnigan!"

It took about a minute but the hat eventually decided.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Rosalyn looked at Harry who was looking at her, she smiled encouragingly.

"Hermione Granger!"

Rosalyn looked at Hermione on her other side and she was pretty worried, she walked slowly up to the stool, muttering things to herself.

Ron said quietly to Rosie and Harry. "Mental, that one, I'm telling you."

Rosalyn elbowed him in the side, hard, and Ron said in a quiet snap. "What was that for?"

"Insulting my friend."

Rosalyn then turned round and watched Hermione take a little while to get sorted. Eventually, a noise filled the room again.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Hermione smiled and went to the table as Ron sighed and Harry looked even more nervous.

Neville's Longbottom was called and he fell over on his way to the stool, the hat took quite a long time to decide on him and eventually yelled. "GRYFFINDOR!" Across the hall. He would have ran away with the hat on if McGonagall hadn't quickly snatched it from his head.

"Draco Malfoy!"

Rosalyn rolled her eyes when Draco swaggered up to the stool, the hat had barley even touched him when it shouted out a house.

"SLYTHERIN!"

"There isn't a witch or wizard that went bad that wasn't in Slytherin!" Rosalyn heard Ron whisper to Harry.

Theodore Nott got sorted into Slytherin, Padma Patil into Ravenclaw and Parvati into Gryffindor, and then-

"Harry Potter!"

Whispers went throughout the hall and Rosalyn sighed as her distressed brother went up to the stool.

The hat took quite a long time to decide on him and Rosie knew he would never tell her why, but eventually she heard.

"Better be GRYFFINDOR!"

She knew she would be next but smiled at her twin as he went and sat down. She saw Fred and George give him a pat on the back and Percy shake his hand. She chuckled and shook her head as her name was inevitably called.

"Rosalyn Potter!"

More whispers. Rosie did her best to ignore them as she walked to the stool. Seconds felt like hours as the hat was put on her head and a voice started to speak in her ear.

"Mmm, you're difficult as well, courageous, quite smart, some talent, wanting to stand out, to prove something, but where is it to be?"

Rosalyn wished silently for Gryffindor, and not for Slytherin, forgetting completely that the hat on her head could read her mind.

"Gryffindor, eh? I suppose you were brought up by the Weasley's, and you don't want Slytherin, but you could be amazing there, exceptional, but, if you want it, it's GRYFFINDOR!"

Rosalyn, filled with relief and happiness, went to the table that Fred and George were shouting. "We got the Potters, we got the Potters!"

Rosalyn sighed. "You're making me feel like an object," she said to the twins. (The other twins.) She then sat down next to Hermione, who grinned at her.

Next it was a girl that Rosalyn didn't catch the name of because she was being congratulated, but she became a Ravenclaw. Then it was Ron. He was a nasty colour as he went up and Rosalyn crossed her fingers before, "GRYFFINDOR!" was shouted.

Ron ran to the seat beside Harry as 'Blaise Zabini' was made a Slytherin. Rosalyn sighed. She was happy. Harry was here, Hermione was and so was Ron, even if they all didn't get along the best.

Rosalyn watched as Ron was congratulated by his brothers. She realised how hungry she was as she heard Ron's stomach grumble. She was used to that, but she wanted food so bad and knew they would have to hear a whole speech before they got it.

The didn't however, because even though Dumbledore got up, he seemed to catch on to the craving of food.

"Welcome! Welcome new and old to another year at Hogwarts, now, before we eat, I would like to say a few words: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!"

That was all he said before sitting back down, and Rosalyn marvelled at how he could be so barmy, yet so clever!

She heard Harry asking Percy if he was a bit mad before gasping as food of all kinds appeared on the empty plates on the table. Everyone started to tuck in, and so did Rosalyn, manners forgotten.

Ron was munching on two huge chicken drumsticks and she rolled her eyes, he didn't have any manners to forget.

Rosalyn was just helping herself to potatoes when a conversation about families started.

"I'm half and half," Seamus Finnigan said. "Me dad's a muggle, mam's a witch, nasty shock of him when he found out!"

Rosalyn was looking at the teacher's table. Dumbledore sat in the big chair, McGonagall to one side of him, a small man that Rosalyn had been told was Professor Flitwick was on the other side. There were a few teachers that she didn't know, one a man in a turban who was talking to a man with black, greasy hair. The man stopped looking at the man in the turban for one second, turned and made direct eye contact with Rosalyn, he seemed shocked. It happened so fast some would say it didn't, but Rosie was sure it did.

Harry had also received a stare, but a one full of contempt, for he looked like his father, not his mother. Harry wanted to know who it was, so asked Percy.

"Say Percy? Who's that teacher talking to Professor Quirrel?"

That must be that man in the turban, Rosalyn thought, and tuned back in to the conversation.

"Oh, that's the head of house for the Slytherins, Professor Snape."

"What's he teach?" Harry asked, Rosalyn wondered why he was so curious, but she hadn't seen the look he had received.

"Potions, though he's been after the Defence Against the Dark Arts job for years, even hates Quirrel because of it."

Ron was after another bit of chicken, Rosie rolled her eyes but someone beat her to stopping him. A ghost popped up through the table and said. "Hello! How are you? Welcome to Gryffindor!"

Just then, loads of other ghosts swooped through the hall. Rosalyn gasped at them all. The Weasley's had a ghoul in their attic but it was nothing like this.

Percy spoke to the ghost in the chicken regally. "Hello Sir Nicholas, had a nice summer?"

"Dismal, my request to join the headless hunt was once again denied, I keep telling them that I am headless, but, somehow, they don't accept it." The ghost said irritably.

Something clicked in both Rosalyn and Ron's heads as they both had heard of this ghost and they both said. "I know you! You're Nearly Headless Nick!"

The ghost turned around and said. "I prefer Sir Nicholas if you don't mind."

"Nearly headless? How can you be nearly headless?"

Hermione had spoken, Harry had rolled his eyes at her and Rosalyn had internally sighed. Sir Nicholas did too, but not internally; it was pretty obvious already. "Like this."

He pulled his head aside and showed his near cut off neck, Ron jumped and shouted, Hermione gritted her teeth and looked away, Harry winced and Rosalyn said. "How blunt was the axe they used to behead you?"

Nick sighed and said. "It took many strikes, but I don't want to talk about it."

Soon everyone was fed and the food had disappeared. Rosalyn felt much better for some food and knew now she could listen to Dumbledore.

Sure enough, everyone fell silent when the headmaster got up and said, "I had a few start of term notices I would like to announce, first of all, everyone please note that the Forbidden Forest is out of bounds.

"I have been asked by Mr Filch, our caretaker, to tell you that no magic should be used in corridors or between classes.

"Quidditch trials will be held when captains see fit, anyone wishing to join their house team should contact them.

"And finally, students should know that this year, the third floor corridor is strictly forbidden to those who do not wish to die a painful death."

Rosalyn thought he might be joking, but he wasn't. Harry looked a bit confused and Dumbledore wrapped up his speech.

"Anyway, I bet you don't want to listen to me yakking on all night, so let us go to bed, and sleep, for you all have lessons in the morning."

As he finished, everyone started to stand up. Rosalyn heard Percy's voice.

"First years, follow me! First years, I'm a prefect and I'll lead you to your common room!"

Rosalyn decided to just follow Percy, and so did Harry and Ron. She found Hermione walking at the front and walked with her, the two friends linked arms.

Percy led them to the entrance hall where they climbed the beautiful marble staircase and then walked through corridors filled with portraits and paintings that talked, pointed and whispered alike.

Through more corridors, up more stairs, when Percy said. "Keep an eye on the stairs, they like to change." At that moment, one was moving above them, and Rosalyn looked at it for a little while until they were ushered up the stairs they were currently on.

Finally, they reached a portrait of a middle-aged fat woman, Ron whispered to Harry. "That's the fat lady, she decides whether we get in or not!"

Sure enough, she said. "Password?"

Percy confidently said. "Caput Draconis," and she swung open, revealing a common room.

It was great. Armchairs and sofas were scattered round the room, a fire was burning and crackling in the fireplace and there were also beautiful chandeliers above them to light the room. Hermione and Rosie gasped.

"Welcome to Gryffindor Common room," Percy said, smiling. "Boy's dormitories upstairs on your left, girls, same on your right, all your belongings have already been brought up, as you'll find."

Rosalyn and Hermione went up the stairs on the right to their dorm. They found out they were sharing with the two girls named Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown, the four talked for a little while and Rosalyn got to know them better.

She took her locket off and opened it, looking at her parents, before placing it carefully on her bedside table. Speaking of that, she had placed a few other things on it along with her locket.

A photo of hers, one of her favourites for one thing, it was of her and all the Weasley Children. Molly had taken the picture and Arthur had been at work. In it, Fred and George were laughing, Rosalyn was in between Bill and Charlie, and the three were looking at each other and smiling, Percy was the only presentable one in the photo, looking wig a turned up nose at his siblings and Ron and Ginny were beside Bill, Charlie and Rosie, talking. They both grinned in amusement when Bill said something, and Rosalyn saw herself bending double with laughter as well.

The last thing was a muggle book she liked, called Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. She had been introduced to it by Arthur and had loved it ever since.

She eventually got changed in to her pyjamas and fell into her bed. Within a minute she was very much asleep.