Franziska hadn't been sure what to expect from Platform Nine and Three Quarters, but somehow crowded had never been a descriptor that entered her mind.

However, crowded is exactly what it is as she and her mother enter the steam-filled platform ten minutes before eleven o'clock. The two women have barely passed through the barrier when they're jolted by another family pushing in behind them and Franziska ends up falling straight into a group in front of them.

"Whoops, sorry!" Franziska is catapulted into a red haired boy who looks about her own age.

He steadies her, and then quickly withdraws his hands. "You alright?"

She brushes her hair out of her face, feeling her cheeks heating slightly. "Yeah. Sorry about that." She apologizes again, looking anywhere but the boy's face. This wasn't exactly the ideal start she had been hoping for.

"We should probably move out of the entryway Lida." Her mother's voice is a welcome distraction from her embarrassment, and she quickly complies with the suggestion. The family they'd run into vanishes in the smoke behind them and Franziska lets out a small breath of relief.

Her mother pulls her into a tight hug just before Franziska boards the train.

"Good luck and owl me as soon as you settle in. I'll see you in June."

Franziska clings to her mother for a long moment before stepping back and grabbing her trunk. Together they heave it onto the train and then the whistle is blowing and doors are closing and Pannida is lost in a blast of smoke as the train begins to move.

Franziska nearly falls over, but manages to catch herself on her trunk. She continues leaning against it until the movement of the carriage under her feet evens out somewhat. When she's sure she won't fall flat on her face, she eases her death grip on the trunk and begins dragging it towards the rows of compartments, hoping that someone will let her sit with them.

The first compartment she glances into has a very sullen boy staring out the window, and she doesn't even bother knocking on the door before continuing past, not wanting to interrupt him.

The next compartment is filled to capacity with a group of extremely rowdy teenagers so once again she continues past.

The third compartment, however, looks friendly enough and there are only three people inside of it, leaving plenty of space for Franziska to sit down. So she knocks and peeks her head in.

"Um, would you mind if I sat with you?" She asks politely.

The only other girl in the compartment gives her a smile so wide that Franziska is a bit concerned that her face may split in half. "Of course! The more the merrier." She scoots over and one of the boys stands to help with Franziska's trunk.

Once the two of them manage to shove it into the overhead space he holds out a hand. "I'm Shaun."

She smiles and returns the handshake. "Franziska. First year as well?"

He nods as they sit, but it's the other girl who vocally responds.

"We all are! I'm so excited, can you believe magic is real? We were just talking about what we think it's going to be like!" She's still grinning hard enough that Franziska's jaw is a bit sore just from looking. "I'm Evie by the way, and that's Finn."

The second boy lifts a hand in an idle wave and Franziska gives a return nod.

"So you guys are all Muggleborn?" She asks curiously.

She gets three blank stares in response and realizes that they probably don't know what the term means. Blushing slightly, she clarifies.

"I mean, your parents aren't witches or wizards, right?"

Shaun nods and Evie gives an enthusiastic confirmation, but Finn looks thoughtful.

"I'm not actually sure. I'd never heard of magic prior to Professor Kettleburn arriving with my letter, but I'm adopted. Maybe one of my biological parents knew magic." He explains when he notices the other three are waiting for him to say something. "I assume your parents are magical?" He adds after a moment.

Franziska smiles. "Yep! My mom went to Hogwarts when she was a kid and my dad went to Durmstrang. But I know more about the Muggle world than the Wizarding one." She admits when she sees Evie gearing up to ask a questions. "My mom is a Muggle liaison for the German Ministry of Magic so we've always lived in non-magical communities and my best friend is a Muggle." She shrugs apologetically. "So I probably only know a little bit more than you guys."

Evie looks distinctly put out, but Shaun tilts his head curiously.

"Ministry of Magic?" He questions. "What's that?"

Franziska shrugs. "Government for magic people. Both my parents work for it but it's really rather boring for the most part. Paperwork and meetings - not that different from normal Muggle government from what I understand."

Evie frowns. "Really? What's the point of having magic if you restrict it with rules and government?" She complains.

Finn raises an eyebrow. "I assume the same reason we have laws about gun control." He points out wryly, never turning away from the window.

Franziska nods. "Exactly. It's to protect us and Muggles and make sure no one gets hurt or uses Dark magic."

Finn looks over at her, the first time he's shown active interest in the conversation despite participating in it himself. "Dark magic? How is that different than normal magic?"

Franziska pauses to try and think of the best way to explain the difference. It's always been one of the things she takes for granted - some magic simply shouldn't be taught or used. She chooses her words carefully.

"Dark magic is like... well it's hard to explain. It's sort of like the difference between a handgun and an automatic machine gun. One is obviously way more dangerous and destructive than the other." She waves her hands vaguely. "That's not a perfect metaphor but Dark magic is one of those things that you don't really think about much. It's just... bad stuff." She shrugs as her hands find their way back down to her lap.

Finn nods and returns his gaze to the window. Franziska worries that the conversation is going to drop off and they'll be stuck in awkward silence for the rest of the seven hour trip.

Thankfully, Evie is more than happy to pick up the slack.

"So if magic is real, what else is there? Professor Whits didn't say all that much while we were shopping, she was being all mysterious. Like, how come the owls know where to go when you give them letters? And why owls? They're nocturnal so can you only send letters at night? What if there's an emergency during the day time?"

Franziska is a bit overwhelmed by the time the tidal wave of questions peters out. However, she can see Shaun looking over at her, just as openly curious as Evie, and even Finn is eyeing her slightly from his spot across from her.

She takes a deep breath to stall for time as she tries to come up with acceptable answers. So much of this stuff she just takes for granted - she's honestly never questioned the owl service before, but Evie does make some good point.

"Well, I'm not totally sure but I think owls, and toads and cats as well actually, are particularly attuned to magic so it's easier to use them for mail purposes. And owls aren't the only way to contact people but they are the easiest. That way even we can write to our parents instead of having to wait until we're seventeen and can do the other stuff." She thinks all that is correct anyway. "But I mean, I honestly haven't ever really thought about it. It's just sort of the way things are."

Shaun looks thoughtful. "I guess magic is just normal for you. The way we don't question phones or the telly."

Franziska nods thankfully. "Exactly. But, um, I can still try to answer questions and stuff. Just, maybe fact check me afterwards." She laughs slightly and beside her Evie giggles as well.

Finn seems to have stopped paying attention to the conversation.

For nearly an hour Franziska talks to Evie and Shaun about the Wizarding World. She explains how dragons and centaurs and all sorts of supposedly mythical creatures are real, and even manages to remember a bit about the erklings her father spends a lot of time rounding up.

"You see they're small, but really rather vicious, and they don't comply with magical law very well so they'll sometimes go after Muggles."

"What happens if one is seen? Have any Muggles been killed by one?"

Evie seems oddly enthused by the idea, and Franziska resists inching away from her. "Er, well, I don't believe there have been any attacks in recent decades. There's a specific department in the Ministry that deals with magical beasts, and another one that erases Muggles' memories if they've seen something undeniably magical, or if their experience was traumatic."

"Is that the branch your mom works for?" Shaun has mostly been quiet, choosing to simply absorb Franziska's answers to whatever random topic Evie comes up with, but now he speaks up.

Franziska is surprised he'd remembered her mother's occupation. "Oh, no, she's employed by a different one. The Obliviators - that's what the people who erase Muggle's memories are called - work in Magical Law Enforcement, like my dad. My mom is with the Department of International Magical Cooperation."

Shaun nods quietly, and Evie latches onto the new information liked a starving dog to a bone.

"There's a Magical Law Enforcement? Are they like normal bobbies or is there some magical alternative?"

Before Evie can start explaining the intricacies and multiple branches of the department - which honestly she isn't terribly familiar with either - there's a knock on the compartment door.

"Anything from the trolley dears?"

Franziska immediately digs into her pockets for the money her mother gave her for snacks.

"Three chocolate frogs and a box of Bertie Bott's please!" She orders excitedly. Shaun and Evie look utterly confused, and Franziska suddenly realizes they've never had wizarding desserts before. Finn either, but he seems to have fallen asleep against the window and she doesn't want to wake him.

"Actually, can I also get some pumpkin pasties and two cauldron cakes?"

The trolley witch smiles and Franziska counts out five Sickles and sixteen Knuts to pay for the order. Once the sweets are handed over, she passes the cauldron cakes and two of the chocolate frogs to Evie and Shaun.

"Here. Start with these, and we can share the pasties and Bertie Bott's."

Shaun frowns. "How much do I owe you for this?"

Franziska shakes her head. "Don't worry about it, this stuff isn't that expensive, and you've never had it before. Consider this my way of welcoming you into our world."

As she speaks, Evie has opened her chocolate frog box. She releases a shriek as it jumps out and lands on the seat beside her.

"Oh careful! It'll run off if you let it!"

To her surprise Evie recovers quickly and snags the frog out of the air when it tries to make a break for the partially opened window. "Oh no you don't Mr Froggie! You're going in my tummy!" And with that she bites off the head.

"What on Earth did I miss?" Evie's momentary panic had awoken Finn from his doze, and he quirks an eyebrow up as he regards the other three.

Shaun looks a bit ill as he replies. "Um, Frannie got us some Wizarding sweets and Evie was surprised when hers moved..."

Evie grins and holds up the still twitching body of her now headless chocolate frog. "It tastes great though!" She declares as Shaun pales and glances down at his own chocolate frog box.

Finn catches the look. "I'll have it if you don't want it." He offers, and the box is handed to him in an instant while Shaun gingerly unwraps his cauldron cake and is clearly relieved when it remains stationary in his palm.

Franziska has consumed her own chocolate frog during the exchange, and now pulls out the trading card in the hopes it will be one she doesn't have yet.

"Yes!" She almost jumps out of her seat in excitement when she sees the witch that's gazing up at her from within the card. "Artemisia Lufkin! I don't have her yet!"

The other three are giving her funny looks, and she flushes slightly.

"Chocolate frog cards. They'll be in your boxes as well. They have famous witches and wizards on them and I've been trying to get a collection going, though I only have twenty three so far, counting the magical creature collection."

"So who's Artemisia Lufkin?" Shaun inquires politely around mouthfuls of cauldron cake while Finn and Evie check out their own cards.

"She was the first ever witch to be elected Minister of Magic in Britain and she was the first Minister of any magical government to establish the Department of International Magical Cooperation." She grins. "She was also a Hufflepuff like my mom, so she's kind of my hero."

"Sweet, my person is the actual evil queen!" Evie exclaims happily, waving around a card containing Malodor Grymm, the hag who had, in fact, inspired the story of Snow White.

Finn raises an eyebrow as he reads his. "Merlin." He laughs, and Franziska belatedly realizes that he's stating which card he's gotten rather than swearing. "It figures I'd get a card of someone I already know. I'm curious though," He looks over at Franziska. "How many of the Muggle legends, myths, and fairy tales are true, or based in more truth than we realize?"

Franziska shrugs. "Probably more than we know but less than you'd expect." She'd asked the same thing to her mother once and she rather likes that response. "Muggles are really quite imaginative. You don't seem need magic to still find fantastical things in the world."

Finn blinks once, and then smiles. "I think I rather like that outlook." He replies, pocketing his card and reaching for one of the pumpkin pasties.

The four continue chatting animatedly over snacks for another several hours, before a prefect raps on the door and reminds them to change into their robes before arrival. Shaun and Finn go to one of the bathrooms to change, and Franziska pulls the curtains shut over the window out into the corridor so she and Evie can switch clothes in private.

"How do I look?" Evie has perched her hat at a ridiculous angle on her head. "Ready for the witch trials?"

Franziska bursts out laughing and the boys return to find the two giggling intensely as Franziska chokes her way through a story about Wendelin the Weird and how she used to mess with Muggles by getting caught on purpose during the European witch burnings and then running off afterwards and doing it all over again.

The boys join the discussion, and although there's less than an hour until they reach the school, Franziska is significantly less worried than she had been when she'd first boarded the train that morning. As Evie snorts loudly at a story Finn is sharing, it's not hard to imagine that this year is going to work out just fine.

Seven hours proves exactly and hour longer than she needs to finish her book.

Ana had only put down the novel once throughout the trip, in order to exchange names with the other boy in the compartment - Alasdair Macmillan if she recalled correctly. Once those formalities were complete, he had been content to pull out his own reading material and fall silent.

With less than an hour left in the train ride, Ana doesn't mind that she's run out of distractions. She puts her book away and pulls out her robes.

"I'm going to change." She tells Alasdair quickly as she stands up and heads into the corridor.

She apparently hasn't been the only one with this idea, as there's a line for the loo. She frowns and steps up behind a girl nearly four inches shorter than her. The blonde immediately spins around with a blinding grin.

"Hi! I'm Evera!"

Ana has no interest in talking with this overly friendly stranger, so she simply smiles stiffly in response and then turns so her gazes passes right over Evera's head.

However Evera either doesn't notice the clear dismissal or misreads it as she continues chattering away. "Can you believe we're almost there? I can't wait to get Sorted! I mean, I already know I'll be in Gryffindor with my brother but it'll be great when it's made official! Gryffindor is the best House I think. What House do you want to be in?"

Ana has never been a very petty or vindictive person. So although she does briefly contemplate the idea of telling Evera that she intends to be in Slytherin, just to see the look on her face, she sighs and opts for honesty.

"Ravenclaw." She keeps her tone curt and her eyes facing forward.

Evera still isn't picking up on Ana's disinterest however and plows forward with the discussion. "I guess Ravenclaw is pretty good. I guess you're pretty smart then! Only super smart people go into Ravenclaw."

Ana is officially done with this conversation. "My family has all been in Slytherin though, so I'd be content there as well."

As predicted, that shuts Evera up in a heartbeat, and she awkwardly excuses herself and turns to talk with the person in front of her instead. Ana smiles to herself. You can always count on the age-old rivalry between Gryffindor and Slytherin to get out of conversations with over zealous members of either House.

She wonders what Evera will do if she's not in Gryffindor, but then she realizes that she doesn't actually care and returns to thinking about the theme of her book as she waits for her turn to change in the loo.

When she gets back to her compartment Alasdair has also changed into his robes, though his hat is set on the seat beside him.

"Long line?"

It's the first time he's spoken since the start of the ride, and his voice catches Ana off guard momentarily. "Oh, yes. There was a rather annoying girl standing in front of me. Insisted on trying to make conversation but stopped when she found out my family has a lot of Slytherins in it."

Alasdair nods as Ana sits back down. "I suppose she wouldn't like me much then either. Though mother says Ravenclaw would work just as well."

Ana tilts her head. "Same for me. Which would you prefer?" She's not sure what's prompting her to converse with her compartment mate all of a sudden, but perhaps Evera had shown her how valuable someone not completely annoying is.

Alasdair shrugs. "Either is fine I suppose. I'm not too keen on Hogwarts as a whole truth be told."

Ana nods. "Same here. I was supposed to go to Durmstrang but my mother insisted we move to London so I could go to Hogwarts."

Alasdair shrugs. "Mothers."

Ana could almost laugh. "Mothers." She agrees.

They sit in companionable silence for the remaining twenty minutes of the ride, and then the train is slowing down and students are starting to file into the corridors, and an announcement is telling them to leave their luggage on the train. Ana glances worriedly at Dracula, but he's fast asleep and she figures he'll be just fine.

By some unspoken agreement, Alasdair and Ana stick close to each other as they're jostled relentless in the scramble to get off the train. Finally Ana feels fresh air on her face and she hadn't realized how much she missed it until just this moment.

Then the moment passes and she hears a gruff voice loudly calling for the first years. She and Alasdair make their way towards where a giant of a man is standing, waving both hands as if his ridiculous height wasn't enough to get him noticed.

"Firs' years! Firs' years follow me! Any more firs' years? Oh, yep, alrigh' gather in now don' want ter leave anyone behind!" The man seems jovial enough but Ana can tell a few of the other students are a bit intimidated by his sheer size.

Once it seems all the first years have gathered - and it's really not a very large class, Ana notices - the beast of a man leads them along a different path than the one the older students had vanished down. It's a bit steep, a bit slippery, and a lot dark, and Ana feels someone grab her sleeve when they slip. She assumes it's Alasdair and opts to say nothing as the grip is released shortly afterwards.

"Now yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec." The man waves his lamp as he speaks, and Ana really wishes he wouldn't as it's their only light source at the moment.

However, not seconds later they turn a corner and there it is, rising up over a dark lake that stretches out in front of them, lit up against the night sky.

Ana has to admit, it's a rather breathtaking view. Hogwarts certainly knows how to introduce itself.

"No more 'n four to a boat!" The giant man ushers them all down to the edge of the lake, where a small fleet of little boats are floating by a small dock.

Ana and Alasdair are joined in their boat by one other boy, who cheerily introduces himself as Aidan Ward but is thankfully too awed by the sight of the school to try and make any small talk as the boats take off at a command from the giant and glide across the water, seemingly of their own accord.

Ana loses interest in the growing impression of the castle against the sky and turns her eyes to the reflection of the stars in the water. She strains to see if she can make out the Giant Squid she knows dwells in the depths of the lake, or perhaps a few merpeople, but only her own reflection gazes back, eyes dark and braids brushing dangerously close to the water.

"Heads down!"

Ana's head nearly goes up when their guide speaks again, but she catches herself and stays low as the boats glide through a curtain of ivy. Once again the lantern is their only source of light, and when the boats bump against another shore there are several exclamations of surprise.

"Alrigh' then, careful there, watch your step. This way!"

They follow the man up a passage that lets them out onto a wide expanse of grass, right in the shadow of the castle.

Up close it's almost menacing, and everyone hurries to follow the light of the lantern up the stone steps leading to the grand front door of the school.

"Everyone here?" The giant waves the lantern over their heads to double check and then, satisfied that no one had been lost along the way, raps heavily on the great wooden door three times.

It swings open almost instantly and Ana is nearly blinded by the sudden light they're bathed in. Standing in front of them is a black haired witch clothed in emerald robes. She looks rather like someone Ana would not like to cross, and that instantly makes her like the woman.

"The firs' years Professor McGonagall."

She nods the the man. "Thank you Hagrid, I'll take it from here."

The man - Hagrid - nods back and ambles off into the darkness, leaving the first years with Professor McGonagall.

She doesn't say a word but the group follows her obediently nonetheless to a small chamber on the side of the grand entrance hall. It's a bit too small to house the full class, but they manage to cram in somehow.

Ana finds herself pressed against a wall in an attempt to find some sort of personal space. She's lost Alasdair in the commotion and she's a bit disappointed at the idea that they might not see each other again until classes if they're Sorted to different Houses.

Professor McGonagall has managed to make her way to the front of the room and clears . It's not loud, but everyone immediately quiets down.

Yes, Ana quite likes this woman.

"Welcome to Hogwarts." Ana can tell McGonagall has given this speech several times from the ease in which it's delivered. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly. But before you take your seats in the great hall, you will be Sorted in to 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 will be 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 sweep over the group of nearly-mute eleven year olds before she strides out of the room.

Immediately the room erupts into chatter.

"What's the Sorting Ceremony going to be like do you reckon?"

"I hear it hurts!"

"If I'm not in Gryffindor I'm pretty sure my parents will disown me..."

Ana presses herself further against the wall and closes her eyes. Despite reading about Hogwarts, she doesn't know what the Sorting Ceremony entails either. It's a right of passage, one author had said, to enter the Sorting Ceremony completely blind.

She'd feel a lot better without the right of passage quite frankly.

After what feels like a lot longer than Ana is sure it actually was, McGonagall returns and herds them back across the entrance hall, instructing them to form a line before she opens the doors and they begin filing into what Ana assumes must be the Great Hall.

She looks up to the enchanted ceiling, and stars twinkle down at her. A few clouds drift idly but they're thin and sparse, leaving a mostly clear sky. Floating lanterns light up the hall and paint everyone's faces in shadow. Four long tables serve as the room's central focus, and the first years are directed between the center two.

Ana glances to her left and spies the silver and blue ties of Ravenclaw. Hopefully she'll be sitting there before the night is over.

Glancing back to the front of the room, she's surprised to see a plain wooden stool sitting at the front of the room, atop which is a ratty old wizard's hat.

The whole hall is rigidly silent for a long moment, and then all at once the hat bursts into song.

For centuries students come to me,
Upon my stool they sit,
I look into their minds to find
The house where best they fit.

If nerves of steel and chivalry
Are what your heart embrace,
Then I will know that Gryffindor
Is where you'll find your place.

But if your mind is curious
And wisdom is aswarm,
Then Ravenclaw's the place for you
Where you can best perform.

If hard work and loyalty
Are traits that you hold dear,
I'll send you off to Hufflepuff
Where friends are always near.

Or perhaps your values
Are cunning and ambition,
Then Slytherin's the greatest place
To help complete your mission.

So come to me and put me on,
I'll see what's in your head.
But before we can begin
One last thing must be said.

Although there is some difference
Between these houses fair,
They all are part of Hogwarts,
Of this please be aware.

No one house is greater
Than any of the rest.
So with that said come put me on,
We'll see which fits you best.

The hat falls silent, looking once again like a filthy thing you might find in the trash, and the room bursts into applause.

Ana applauds as well, politely, as McGonagall steps 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 unrolls the scroll and begins. "Abbott, Tyler."

A scrawny blond boy awkwardly hurries to the front of the line and plops down onto the stool. The hat has barely brushed his hair when it loudly declares, "HUFFLEPUFF."

Tyler glances at one of the other first years as he walks over to the cheering Hufflepuff table and takes a seat.

Ana sighs as she realizes this will be in last name order as "Ashburner, Cadfael" is called up next. And as a Vulchanova, that means her name is going to be right at the end.

It takes the hat a few seconds longer to decide to send Cadfael to Slytherin, and Ana nearly sighs again when she realizes the time for each sorting won't be as quick as Tyler's had been.

"Boot, Jerome" is sent off to Ravenclaw, though there's even more hesitation on the hat's part this time.

"Cadwallader, Myrddin!"

If only she'd been a Burke. A Burke would have been the fourth person called. She mentally braces herself as Myrddin continues to sit on the stool far longer than any of the three before him. This is going to take a while.

'Hmph, you are a tricky one aren't you?'

Having a voice in his head that's not his own is possibly one of the most disconcerting things Myr has ever experienced in his short time being alive.

'Well trust me, this is the least of it.' The Hat sounds distinctly amused. 'Now then, back to your Sorting. You're quite a difficult one kid. Very clever, that's for certain, and with a real love for order. That would serve you well in Ravenclaw. But there's also a strong loyalty and devotion to your friends and family that could be fostered well in Hufflepuff.'

Either is fine. Could you please hurry, everyone is probably impatient-

'This determines the rest of your life kid. Trust me you don't want me to rush. There's a lot of potential in you and any of it could serve you well in each of the houses.'

Myr chews lightly on the inside of his cheek. True, he wouldn't want the hat to rush such an important decision. But the first three boys had been sorted very quickly and he's feeling a bit self-conscious about how long he's obviously taking.

'Happens a lot with Muggleborns. No expectations, no bias except what's been cultivated on the train.' The hat offers.

Myr wants to sigh. He's not technically Muggleborn, he just has a deadbeat for a dad.

The hat goes quiet for a while, but Myr swears he can feel it poking around in his head and he really doesn't like the sensation.

'Cyril Greengrass hm? I remember him. Strong Slytherin but was determined to go to Gryffindor with some kid he met on the train. We argued about it for a good four minutes.'

Myr can see that being something his Uncle would do. He smiles slightly at the thought of his eleven year old uncle stubbornly arguing to change his entire future just so he could sit with someone.

'It was the right choice. I woudn't have bothered with the argument if it wasn't. But tell me, what's the right choice for you? Who do you want to become?'

Myr doesn't know. His mind swirls - and suddenly the hat isn't in his head anymore.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

He blinks. Apparently somewhere in the mess his brain had conjured, the hat had found it's answer. He puts it back on the stool and walks over to the far right table. One of the older students claps him on the back in greeting as "Cassidy, Kiera" takes to the stool - and is immediately sent to Hufflepuff.

"How rare is it for the hat to take that long?" He asks the boy sitting next to him.

The red head grins. "Not unheard of, but for a second there I thought you might be a hatstall! Hasn't been one of those in over a decade." He offers a handshake as behind them "Davies, Henry" also joins the ever increasing number of new Hufflepuffs. "I'm Bill Weasley by the way, third year. My little brother Charlie's in your year, and with luck your roommate too."

Myr returns the handshake. "What's a hatstall?"

Bill's eyes return to the Sorting as he responds. "It's when the hat takes more than five minutes to decide on a placement. More people than you'd think get pretty close but normally it doesn't take more than a minute to sort."

Myr doens't get a chance to respond as "Jarvis, Drake" becomes the second new Gryffindor, prompting the table to break out into cheers. Myr claps politely as well as Drake takes the seat across from him.

"Congratulations. Welcome to the best house." Bill grins. Behind them "Jones, Evie" is sent to Ravenclaw before the hat has even covered her eyes.

Drake returns it with a cocky one of his own, but before he can reply "Kiddell, Holly" is sorted into Gryffindor almost as quickly as the girl before her and they have to stop and applaud as she joins them.

Holly high fives one of the older girls already sitting at the table before dropping herself down next to Myrddin.

"Hey, I'm Holly." She has to raise her voice at the end of the introduction to be heard over Ravenclaw's cheers as "Kingsley, Amelia" joins them.

"Myrddin." He replies. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise!" Holly doesn't seem interested in pausing the conversation, even as they applaud "McKay, Fiona" joining the table. "The hat considered putting me in Hufflepuff, but it saw reason in the end."

"Is Gryffindor better than Hufflepuff?" Myr frowns.

Holly shakes her head. "Not technically, but I was hoping I'd be here. My sister is after all!" She nods to the teen she'd high fived earlier.

The girls turns and grins. "Laurel Kiddell, new Captain of the Quidditch team." She introduces herself after another boy joins the Gryffindor table.

"Hopefully a better one than Everly." Bill adds. "We've been on a losing streak the past couple years."

Laurel puffs up. "Wait and see kid. I'll bring in the Cup for the next three years for sure!" She leans closer to be heard over the cheering of the other houses as the Sorting continues behind them. "I need a lot of new people though, Everly was bad at knowing who was good. You're going to tryout again this year, right Bill?"

Bill shrugs. "I'm not sure. I do like the game but I don't know if I could commit to playing for the rest of my time at Hogwarts."

Laurel shrugs. "Eh, I don't need you forever, but you're a good Chaser and we definitely need those this year."

Myr tunes out of the discussion, honestly lost. Drake and Holly are both engrossed in it however, so he turns to one of the other Gryffindor first years.

"So um, Remi, right? I'm Myr."

The brunet grins. "Yup! Remi Longbottom at your service, best first year in Gryffindor."

Myr blinks. "But... we haven't all been Sorted yet..." He's already somewhat regretting his decision to talk to Remi, but there's no backing out now.

Thankfully someone else - he didn't hear who - is Sorted into Gryffindor and they have to stop and applaud. This breaks up the discussion to his right, and Remi is distracted trying to talk to the new girl.

Myr turns back to Holly. "So, um-" Before he can really start a sentence though the hat sends yet another person to Gryffindor. "Lots of new Gryffindors at the end of the alphabet I guess."

Holly laughs. "I suppose so."

The new girl immediately starts talking to Drake so Myr decides to keep chatting with Holly. "So I guess you must know a lot about Hogwarts if you have an older sister here."

She grins. "Two actually! Willow is in Ravenclaw though."

Myr tilts his head. "So what's the difference?"

Holly blinks. "Between here and Ravenclaw? I dunno, we're more fun I guess." She grins. "Ravenclaws would say they're smarter but I don't buy it personally." She lights up suddenly. "Hey! You should show me your wand!"

Laurel snorts loudly right as "Ward, Aidan" is sent to Hufflepuff, and she receives a few glares from the applauding table.

Myr glances at Laurel in confusion, and then pulls out the wand his uncle had given him a few days before.

Holly studies it, and then proudly declares, "Chestnut with a unicorn hair core, right?"

Myr blinks. "Um, maybe? Can you usually tell that stuff?"

Holly gives him an incredulous look. "Wait, how do you not know? Didn't Ollivander tell you?"

Myr raises an eyebrow. "Who? My uncle gave me this as a birthday gift."

Holly stares at him for a long moment before giving the most over dramatic sigh Myr has ever heard come out of a person. Before she can speak the hat announces another new Gryffindor, and next to Myr, Bill whistles.

They're joined by a red head who wriggles in to sit between Bill and Myr.

"Way to go Charlie." Bill grins, and Charlie returns the gesture. Two seconds later "Young, Brandon", the last person to be sorted, joins them, sitting next to Drake and his friend.

McGonagall carries out the hat and stool, and behind her an old wizard stands, his beard so long the tip is still hidden beneath the table.

The room falls silent, even the Gryffindor table which had been murmuring for most of the Sorting.

"Now I know we're all rather hungry, but a few words must be said before we begin. First years, please avoid the Forbidden Forest. It's called Forbidden for a reason. And with that said, let the Feast begin!"

Myr nearly leaps out of his seat as the once empty goblets and platters adorning the table suddenly fill themselves with food.

"I like Dumbledore. Always keeps the speech short." Bill says approvingly as he helps himself to a rather large heaping of food.

Myr uncertainly puts a bit on his plate, and as the magically appearing food doesn't seem to be having any negative side effects on anyone else he begins eating. He is admittedly rather hungry.

A few minutes into dinner Holly rounds on him, clearly having remember that she was upset about his wand. "You! You have a hand me down wand! Don't your parents know that's neglectful? Everyone should have their own wand that's especially attached to them! An inherited wand won't work nearly as well." She waves blindly across the table, pointing at no one in particular. "You! Show me your wand!"

Drake's blonde friend has hers pulled out in a second. "Me?"

Holly shrugs. "Sure! Alright lemme see..." She takes a bit longer to place the blonde's wand than she had Myr's, but after a moment she proudly declares, "Maple with a unicorn hair core!"

The girl looks impressed. "Hey yeah! How'd you do that?"

Holly isn't finished. "You like new experiences right? And meeting new people?"

The girl blinks. "Wow. That is super cool." She grins. "I'm Evera by the way. I can't remember your names."

Myr and Holly both introduce themselves, as does Drake, who asks if Holly can guess his wand as well.

His doesn't take as long as Evera's. "Fir with a dragon heartstring core. You aren't afraid to get loud if something is important to you."

Drake gives a low whistle and moment later the rest of the first years are demanding Holly read their wands as well. Down the table Laurel looks incredibly proud.

Myr shrinks a bit in his seat, wishing he'd sat further from Holly so he wouldn't be so caught up in the center of the chaos. He idly runs a finger along his own wand, wondering if Holly is right and that it won't do magic for him. What will he do if he has a wand that doesn't work? Will he be sent home?

Charlie seems to pick up on his distress. "Hey, don't sweat it. Lots of people use hand-me-down wands for a while. Most wands will work for other owners, and you can get your own later on no problem."

Myr smiles at him. "Thanks. This whole thing with magic is pretty new to me." He admits.

Charlie grins. "Well you'll learn fast! And if you have any questions you can totally ask me or Bill." He adds.

His brother glances over, opens his mouth, and then shrugs and returns to conversing with his own friends.

Charlie nods. "Yup, just ask Bill. Actually wait, make a point to ask Bill. Hunt him down if you must!"

"You're an Ash wand aren't you?" Holly seems to have disentangled herself from the other first years and is now leaning on the table so she can look at Charlie around Myr's head.

Charlie looks surprised. "Dang, you are good. Holly wasn't it? You related to Ollivander?"

That sets her off on a five minute rant about there being more wandmakers in London than just Ollivander and honestly that man is overrated. Myr awkwardly glances across the table in hopes he can find someone to talk to who isn't a bit barmy.

He makes eye contact with a brunet boy who's looking quite amused by the conversation. Brandon, if he remembers correctly.

He double checks, and Brandon grins.

"Yep, that's me. You're Myrddin right? No offense mate but that's kind of a weird name."

Myrddin shrugs. "It's Welsh. Most people just call me Myr. So um, are you American?" He can't resist asking - Brandon's accent is very clearly from across the pond and it's going to bother Myr if he doesn't find out more.

Brandon nods, frowning. "Yeah, I was supposed to go to Ilvermorny but my stupid dad moved us out here. No offense to you guy or anything but Hogwarts isn't nearly as cool as Ilvermorny. I really wish dad hadn't moved us." There's an underlying bitterness to the words that Myr doesn't really get a chance to notice before Charlie barges into the conversation.

"No offense? How is that not offensive Brandon, Hogwarts is the greatest and you sully it's name as it welcomes you into it's halls!"

Brandon can only laugh and shrug, and Myr realizes that the two already know each other from the complete ease with which they're speaking.

"Probably shared a compartment." Holly notes from beside him. It seems the world is determined to make him speak with her as his other conversation routes keep getting derailed, so he turns to face her once again.

"Everyone in my compartment ended up in different houses. Like literally, there were four of us and we each went to one of the four houses! Kind of crazy." She grins over at him.

Myr shrugs. "I suppose. I didn't really talk with anyone in my compartment. I'm not sure they were even first years." He admits. It had been a long and nerve-wracking trip to be honest, and he isn't really looking forward to having to do it again at Christmas.

Holly pats his shoulder consolingly. "I'll sit with you on the ride back, okay? Then you won't be bored!"

Maybe not bored, but the idea of being trapped in a box for seven hours with Holly Kiddell is a terrifying one.

But perhaps it wouldn't be terrible. And if there's one thing for certain, his time at Hogwarts isn't going to be boring in the least.

Rajani isn't quite sure how to feel about everything that's happened.

The train ride over had been spent alone in a compartment after her sister had rushed off to sit with the other prefects. She'd naturally taken to reading some of her school texts to pass the time, and she'd let her owl Lakshmi out of her cage for a bit so she could stretch her wings.

The trip to the castle itself had been interesting. She'd shared a boat with three others who clearly already knew each other and had effectively cut her out of any conversation they were having. She didn't mind too much - they were rather loud, and if she remembers correctly two of them had gone off to Gryffindor in the end so she doubted they'd have gotten along. But the view of the castle had truly been spectacular from across the water, so that was nice.

The Sorting ceremony was a bit surprising - Sahana had never told her what it would require and honestly wearing a hat was not what she was expecting in the least - but she was proud that she'd been Sorted to Slytherin in under twenty seconds. The hat had mumbled something about Hufflepuff but it clearly saw reason in the end.

Now the Feast is in full swing and Rajani has found herself in a rather awkward position, squished between two other first years who's names she honestly can't remember and who aren't speaking to her anyway. She picks at her food rather primly as the rest of the room buzzes with conversation and she wonders if she ought to be the one doing the talking, if no one plans on talking to her.

Her dilemma resolves itself when the girl sitting next to her finishes a conversation with a blond boy and turns to face Rajani.

"Hello, I'm Queenie Shacklebolt." She holds out her hand and Rajani politely returns the gesture. "Rajani Misra right? My older brother is in the year below your sister. He says she's a very good student. I look forward to working together."

Rajani nearly smiles. Queenie is exactly like all the children she's had to entertain in the past during her parents' dinners, so this is something she knows how to handle.

"I've heard excellent things about the Shacklebolt family myself, though I'm afraid Sahana has never mentioned your brother." There, just the right amount of regret and sophistication. Her mother would be proud.

Across the table someone groans. "Ugh, cut that out you two, we're still kids! We can be stuffy and lame later, let's enjoy the food first!" The speaker is female, and she's speaking around a mouthful of chicken.

Rajani can see her disgust mirrored by Queenie out of the corner of her eye.

"Swallow before you choke." Queenie sniffs slightly.

The girl does so, grinning unabashedly. "I'm Clary Travers by the way. Guess we'll be dorm mates for the next seven years!"

"Lovely." Queenie sighs. "I suppose it's unavoidable. Travers you said?"

Clary nods cheerfully, heaping more food onto her plate as she does, and Rajani feels a bit ill just watching. So she turns away and reverts to her original plan - initiate a conversation with someone else.

Anyone else.

The boy to her right isn't speaking to anybody so she decides to chance it. "Um, hello. I'm Rajani."

He looks up, ascertaining that he is in fact the one being spoken to, and then gives a stiff smile. "Alasdair. Rajani is a bit of a mouthful."

She blinks. "Well, most people call me Raj." She offers, unsure of what exactly to make of Alasdair's bluntness. "So... did you want to be in Slytherin?"

"My mom wanted me to." He replies evenly, and Rajani bites down lightly on her tongue. It's like talking to a brick wall. But she perseveres - she's been trapped in conversation with people like Alasdair before - it's better than having to watch Clary stuff herself silly.

"It's a family house then?" She prompts. Find common ground, that's always the best way to start.

He shrugs. "On my mom's side sure. My dad was one but most of his family are Hufflepuffs."

Well drat. "Oh, um, I'm sorry?" She never knows how to speak of Hufflepuff. She sees nothing wrong with the house herself, but she knows some people who consider it the worst of the four. She can't quite remember Alasdair's last name so she isn't sure in which direction his bias skews.

He rolls his eyes. "I don't care." For a hopeful moment Rajani thinks he'll say more, but instead he once again falls silent and she groans internally.

"Do you care about anything?" The voice joining the conversation is bitingly accusatory, and for all the frustration Alasdair has dredged up within her over the course of a minute, this one question assures Rajani that whoever the speaker is, she's not going to like him very much.

"Sure. I care about football. But that's not something I can do here so." Alasdair on the other hand seems rather unphased by the open hostility.

Rajani and the rude boy both frown.

"What in Merlin's name is football?" The boy's tone remains sarcastic, but he does seem genuinely confused. Rajani wonders if being caustic is simply his default.

Alasdair sighs and shakes his head. "A Muggle sport. You wouldn't be aware of it. Ashburner, right? My parents talk about yours sometimes." His tone isn't overtly rude but there's a definite hint that nothing particularly nice is said about the Ashburners.

Rajani can tell that this nettles the other boy and he pointedly turns back to his plate. Alasdair does the same.

Rajani resigns herself to eating the rest of her meal in silence, choosing to instead observe her housemates rather than try and engage anyone in any more awkward conversations.

Queenie has moved on from Clary and is chatting once again with the blond boy, who Rajani now recognizes as Eugene Slughorn. Her parents have never much liked the Slughorns, but they're one of the few Pureblood families that still deign to have contact with the Misra family after the war, so Eugene's is a face she'd seen a few times before.

Across from him are two girls talking to each other in low tones and throwing suspicious glances down the table every so often, who look about as willing to open up and make friends as Alasdair or Ashburner.

But beside them is a boy. He isn't anything spectacular really and Rajani isn't surprised that she hasn't noticed him up until this point. He's listening politely as Clary rattles on about something or other, full of course, but Rajani can tell he's not really listening. He glances her way briefly and she gives him a small nod.

When Clary finishes her story the boy turns fully to her. "I don't think we've been introduced yet. I'm Lennox McLeod."

"Rajani Misra." She replies. "I'd offer a handshake but-" She gestures at the large amount of food separating them and he nods.

"Understandable. Did I hear you mention a family history in Slytherin?"

Lennox, as it turns out, is an excellent conversationalist. The two spend nearly thirty minutes discussing house politics, and they're joined by an over eager Queenie about half way through, before moving on to more general topics concerning classes and spell theory. They lose Queenie for a while when discussing details of the first few chapters of 'A History of Magic' but she's back when they switch to Defense Against the Dark Arts.

"I hear the teaching position is cursed." Queenie informs them proudly. "Kingsley says that they get a new Defense teacher every single year."

Rajani nods. "They have since Sahana started here anyway. She thinks the curse is silly though. Just bad luck and a tough position."

Queenie shrugs. "If it helps her sleep at night. I think it's well in the Dark Lord's power to have cursed the position. He was incredibly powerful you know." She makes a face. "Not that I like him. He ruined Slytherin's reputation and that really bothers me."

Rajani raises an eyebrow. "I suppose he made it worse with Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, but Gryffindor has always been annoyingly superior." She offers with a small grin.

Lennox and Queenie both grin back, and Clary barks out a laugh, startling the other three who hadn't realized she'd been listening in.

"Preach sister. Those lions are in need of being taken down a peg or two." She holds up a glass of fizzing cider in a toast, which Queenie cheerfully joins in.

Lennox shrugs and hold up his glass as well, and Rajani figures it can't hurt anything so she lifts her goblet in solidarity.

The Feast is wrapped up by Dumbledore shortly after, and in an instant Sahana has stood up - she'd been at the opposite end of the table from Rajani - and begins calling for the first years. A few other prefects join the call further down the table, and Rajani finds herself following one of them instead, along with most of the first years she'd been speaking with.

"Alright, this way firsties. We're down in the dungeons so we have the shortest walk with the fewest stairs to deal with." The prefect they're following sounds quite proud of this fact, though Rajani isn't sure how she feels about living in the dungeons for seven years. She'd much rather be able to see the sky herself.

"Kingsley says the common room is amazing." Queenie informs her as they walk. Queenie has informed her about many things concerning her older brother Kingsley, and Rajani is admittedly getting a little tired hearing about him.

"I'm sure." She replies respectfully nonetheless.

They follow the stocky boy down two flights of stairs until they reach a stretch of bare stone wall. It's a bit chilly and damp, and Rajani's uncertainty about her new home increases despite Queenie's assurance.

"Alright, everyone shush. I'm only saying the password once, and if you don't have it then you're gonna be stuck in the hallways until you find someone who does know it. So I'd listen up now if I were you." The prefect's voice echoes in the passageway and the crowd quiets down immediately.

The prefect taps his wand briefly on the stone wall. "Orior"

"Odd password." Queenie notes as the wall folds away to reveal a corridor behind it.

"Latin I believe." A boy offers from her other side. "I'm not sure what it means though."

Queenie glances over at him in surprise. "Oh, well, I suppose that would make sense then. Most spells have roots in Latin after all."

"Do they?" The boy is clearly intrigued by this information, and Rajani realizes he's not familiar with the wizarding world. Latin in spells is common knowledge, even among half-bloods and Gryffindors.

"Are you Muggleborn?" It's a rude question really, but she'd heard that Slytherin house almost never has Muggleborns so she's honestly startled by the realization.

The boy is unaffected by her outburst. "I'm not sure. I was adopted by Muggles but my birth parents were perhaps magical."

Well that is a rather interesting - and depressing - situation. "I'm sorry to hear that."

He shrugs. "I'm not. My parents are excellent."

Rajani doesn't have a chance to formulate a response as they reach the end of the corridor and enter the Slytherin common room.

And Queenie was right - it's absolutely beautiful. There are high-backed ebony chairs with green silk cushions and emerald tapestries depicting great battles in silver thread strung across the arched ceiling. Portraits of great witches and wizards, all Slytherins, wave from the walls and the entire room is bathed in light from several green-tinted lanterns floating along the walls. Rajani can see large windows directly across from them, and though they're currently pitch black she swears she can make out someone peering in from the other side.

"Alright firsties, gather in, let's lay down some ground rules." The stocky prefect waves to get everyone's attention. Rajani can see the older years filing away down two side corridors, likely to their dorm rooms, and soon only the first years and the six Slytherin prefects are left in the common room.

The stocky boy waits to make sure he has everyone's attention, and then begins to speak.

"Alright firsties, first things first. Password changes every fortnight so check the notice board regularly." He gestures to a board behind them, which they all turn to look at dutifully.

"Never tell anyone the password, and don't let anyone from the other houses into our common room. This should be common sense but I'm warning you regardless.

"Now, the second things to do is memorize the faces in front of you. These are your prefects." Rajani spots Sahana straighten her posture ever so slightly as the first years turn back around to look at the six older students in the common room with them.

"If you're ever lost or need help, these should be the first people you come to. If you can't find a prefect for whatever reason, then look for anyone wearing silver and green. One thing you'll learn quickly is that in Slytherin house, we look out for our own. This house is your family while you're here, and we will always have each other's backs no matter what. Remember that if you ever find yourself in trouble." His voice is solemn, and Rajani believes him. Sahana has always talked about how close the house is, and it's something Rajani has been looking forward to.

The prefect seems to have reached the end of his speech, as he nods to the other prefects.

"Alright then, girls to the left and boys to the right. The prefects will show you which rooms are yours, and your trunks will be there already. Breakfast is at eight o'clock so don't be late."

Rajani and the four other girls follow the female prefects down the left hand hallway. Sahana is the one to point out their rooms, but she's gone before Rajani can try to tak to her.

"Aw man, they already chose our beds for us!" Clary sounds highly disappointed. "I wanted to be by the window."

"Do you want to switch? Being close to the lake like this squicks me out honestly." One of the two girls who Rajani hasn't formally met yet offers with a smile, and Clary grins.

"Really? Thanks! I'm Clary by the way."

"Calligenia, but please just call me Callie or Nia. Calligenia is so... ugh." She makes a face. "My parents hated me, clearly."

Queenie snickers from where she's rummaging around in her trunk. "Girl, tell me about it. My name is Queen. What was my mom tripping on?"

"Whatever it was it must have been going around. Her parents had the brilliant idea to call her Elspeth." Nia playfully nudges the girl she'd been speaking with during the Feast, but she's unceremoniously pushed away as said girl finally speaks up.

"I don't mind it that much." She mutters.

Rajani smiles at her. "It's a nice name. Very Slytherin."

"What about you?" Nia prompts, and Raj glances over to her.

"Rajani, though I usually go by Raj."

Nia grins. "So everyone's parents except Clary's clearly had it out for their kids." She jokes.

Raj is still smiling when they finally settle down for the night. For all her worrying on the train and during the Feast, her dorm mates are all really nice, and she can easily see herself having a great time in school with them.

She drifts to sleep, lulled by the water lapping gently at the window by her bed, and happily dreams of the coming days.

School is looking quite promising.