The train came to a stop on a dim, hazy platform.  The students poured out of the train stepping into the misty night.  The sound of nerves and excitement rose as friends talked excitedly about the coming year.  Above all the excitement a loud booming voice could be heard, "First years this way."

A large man carrying a lamp bobbed up and down above the sea of students.  Amelia, James, and Lucy, who were caught in the waves of people walking this way and that, struggled to turn and look at the man.  James finally managed to see his face and said, "It's Hagrid."

They pushed and weaved their way through the throng.  Finally making their way into the group of other first years crowded at the feet of Hagrid, the groundskeeper and teacher of Magical Creatures. 

"Hello Hagrid," James said catching Hagrid's eye.  Hagrid smiled.

"James, you're all grown up now aren't you, I remember when you're dad was starting his first year at Hogwarts," Hagrid said looking over the crowd of fresh faces he saw Amelia and stopped.  "Amelia, is it your year already?  I remember when you was just a little tyke running about the wand shop giving your grandfather a real handful."

"Hello Hagrid," Amelia replied with a smile.  Lucy, on the other hand was staring in awe at Hagrid.

"Are you a giant?" Lucy asked.

"Half giant on me mum's side," Hagrid said proudly.  "Are we all here?  Well we've got to get going anyway."

The group of first years followed Hagrid from the platform leaving behind the last minute stragglers and baggage handlers.  Lucy leaned into James.

"He's really part giant?  There are really giants?" she asked in a hushed tone.

"Of course there are giants," he laughed but with a bit of nerves behind it.

"Have you ever seen Hogwarts?" Lucy asked James.

"No, not that I can remember.  Mum and dad said they brought me when I was a baby, but not since then," he said rubbing his hands down his robes.  Lucy turned to Amelia.

"Have you seen Hogwarts?" she asked.

"Yeah, grandfather has a shop in Hogsmeade, so we've visited sometimes," Amelia said as gasps could be heard in the front of the group.  "There it is."

They passed into a clearing in the trees, and there Hogwarts stood, in all it's medieval grandeur.  The lake surrounding was foggy in the unusually cool September air.  Mist and fog mixed to create the illusion that the castle was floating on a cloud.  The lights flickered and shone catching in the mist and making it look like the entire castle was glowing through the darkness.  A breeze blew through the trees rustling the scent of pine into the air. 

"Awesome," Lucy said.

"Keep up all of you, there's plenty more to see," Hagrid said leading on through the darkness.  The first years made their way to the lake where a small fleet of boats were awaiting them.  Hagrid climbed into the front boat while the students scrambled to find seats in the other boats.  Once everyone had been seated there was a pause.

"Do we need to start rowing?" Lucy asked James who also looked uncertain. 

"Is everyone ready?" Hagrid asked.  "Let's be off."

The boats all jerked forward and if anyone had been standing they would have been swimming to the castle. 

"Mind yourselves, I don't want to have to pick anyone out of the lake again," Hagrid said. 

The castle grew bigger and bigger looming over the first years and Hagrid who was minuscule in comparison.  As the boats made their way under the cliffs of the castle Hagrid yelled out, "Mind your heads."

Everyone ducked without really needing to, it was Hagrid who was the only one that really needed to mind his head.  The boats sailed into a small alcove where the first years disembarked.  New friends helped each other out of the boats.  James helped Lucy who in turn helped Amelia out onto the solid landing.  Once everyone had safely made it onto land Hagrid continued on.  They climbed and twisted through staircases and corridors getting almost completely turned around in the process.

Hagrid opened another rather unassuming door which lead them into the entryway.

"How did we get here?" a voice in the crowd said.

"Magic," another replied to the amusement of those not completely petrified with nerves and anxiety.

"Welcome," a voice said from behind the group and they turned to find a very average looking middle aged witch.  She had a cold face but eyes that held an amusing, friendly look in them. 

"My name is Professor Balo, to some of you I will be your house head, to others I will be your dreaded transfiguration teacher, don't think of that now though.  Today is a day of feast but before we eat, the sorting ceremony will take place.  You will each be called one by one to the stage where the sorting hat will sort you into one of four houses.  Hufflepuff," she said with pride, "Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, or Slytherin.  When the doors open please proceed in and stand before the stage.  Good luck."

As Professor Balo walked away the group began murmuring amongst themselves. 

"I don't know why, but I'm starting to get nervous," Lucy said shifting back from one foot to the other.  "James?"

She looked to her cousin whose facade of confidence was nothing but a memory.  He held his robes tight in two balled fists.  His brow was knit together and a glisten of sweat was forming on his forehead.  Lucy stifled a nervous laugh at her cousin.  She turned to Amelia, "Well, I'm not THAT nervous."

The doors began to open and everyone in the entryway froze into silence.  The quiet was shortly overcome with the sound of the chatter in the Great Hall.  Once the doors had finished opening the first years made their way tentatively into the room.  The hall slowly quieted to piqued whispers as the returning students began to size up the new ones.  Teddy Lupin sat trying to catch James' eye from the Hufflepuff table but his attempts were to no avail as the mass of first years made their way to the front platform. 

The first years settled restlessly as a pause fell over the room.  Headmistress McGonagall stood and the closest thing to complete silence fell throughout the Great Hall. The headmistress walked to a three legged stool in the middle of the platform, her footsteps echoing through the hall.  In her hands she held a ragged pointed hat and a scroll. 

The hat came to life in her hands.

"Welcome," the hat began, "today is the beginning.  Yesterday is no longer here, like the phoenix it burned away and was born anew from the ashes.  We sit here today, ready to begin a new journey, a new quest, a new adventure.  Everyone of you is apart of this new day and is here for a reason.  Prepare yourselves."

McGonagall unrolled the scroll of names , once the hat was finished, and read the first name from the list.

"Amory, Donovan," she said and a short, little boy walked forward with hesitant footsteps.  He sat on the stool blinking a bit more than he really should be.  McGonagall placed the hat on him.  It almost completely swallowed his head and there was a moment of quiet. 

"Ravenclaw," the hat called resulting in a smattering of applause from the Ravenclaw table.  Donovan took off the hat with relief and quickly scurried to his new table.  Amelia watched with intent.  Lucy noticed and asked, "Do you know him?"

"His wand, Ash and unicorn, fifteen inches, stiff," Amelia said in reply.

"Ander, Delaney." McGonagall called.  A tall blonde girl walked with an attempted air of confidence.

"What about her?" Lucy whispered.

"Pine and dragon heartstring, twelve and a half inches, springy," Amelia said after a moment of recollection. 

"Slytherin," the hat called.  Delaney walked off stage proudly to a cheering Slytherin table.

"Animon, Nero." was called next.  An average sized Asian boy with black hair walked forward with no emotion in his face or appearance. 

"What about him?" Lucy asked.  Amelia stared at his face carefully as the hat was placed onto his head.

"I don't know.  He didn't get his wand at Ollivander's," Amelia said.

"Slytherin."  The hat called out.  The Slytherin table cheered as Nero walked off as stoic as he had walked on.  Even the cheers at Slytherin table seemed to waver at his expressionlessness.

After this strange anomaly, Amelia and Lucy continued on in a similar manner until.

"Dursley, Lucinda."

Lucy started and made her way to the stage.  She sat and gave Amelia a glance before the hat was placed on her head and slipped over her eyes.  After a breathe the hat called out, "Gryffindor."

The Gryffindor table erupted into noisy cheers and hollers.  Lucy hurried over and sat happily with her new house.  Amelia looked over at James who was standing so still he looked petrified in place.  As the next person was called Amelia thought of trying to comfort James and reached a hand out to him.  Thinking better she paused then drew back her hand unsure whether she could actually be a comfort.  As more first years were called up the numbers remaining dwindled.  Benji Newston was on his way to Gryffindor when the next name rang through the crowded room.

"Ollivander, Amelia."

The students in the hall all turned to look at such a uniquely familiar name.  Many recognizing her as a memory of a shadow.  Amelia turned to James before going up.

"Good luck," she murmured.

Amelia walked to the stage with a trace of nerves slightly dampening her palms.  Once she arrived at the stool she turned towards the crowd.  A few who caught her gaze gasped and turned away upon seeing the startling off balance in her blue and black stare.

Amelia sat and the headmistress placed the hat on her head. It slipped down over her eyes and she heard the hat say into her ears, "What do we have here?  An intelligent mind but there's not the usual thirst for knowledge.  You underestimate your nerves and abilities but I know where you'll do best."

The voice changed to announce to the hall, "Gryffindor."

Headmistress McGonagall took the hat off of Amelia's head as Gryffindor table erupted into cheers.  Amelia looked at the headmistress before leaving the platform.  McGonagall smiled and nodded at Amelia before she turned to join the Gryffindor table.  Amelia sat next to Lucy and smiled at her.

"Were you worried," Lucy asked.

"I knew I would go where I belonged," Amelia replied.

"Pinsky, Marta." an average sized blonde girl with a crown braid walked confidently up on stage and sat on the stool as if it were her throne.  Amelia and the other Gryffindors looked at one another.  Amelia could here one nearby whisper, "Definitely Slytherin."

McGonagall placed the hat on Marta and there was a long pause, a pause that seemed much longer than the others had all been.  The crowd at the tables began to rustle and the teachers looked to each other when the hat finally said, some how less confidently, "Gryffindor."

McGonagall removed the hat from Marta's head and Marta bounced off the stage to Gryffindor house.  There weren't the usual cheers but a smattering of applause from Gryffindor house instead.  Marta sat down across from Amelia and Lucy.  She smiled at them before McGonagall called out the next name.

"Potter, James Jr."

The hall began to talk even more than they had for Amelia.  James Potter, THE James Potter, Harry Potter's son, every house wanted to know if he was a talented as his father.  Headmistress McGonagall had a slightly different reaction.  She sighed to herself and seemed to age ten years in that one moment. 

James tripped forward and managed to sit securely on the stool.  He took a deep breathe as the hat was lowered onto his head.  For a second, Amelia thought how ironic it would be if James ended up in Ravenclaw.  She wanted to mention it but wasn't sure if the joke would be taken well.  As she contemplated her comedic timing the hat said.

"Gryffindor."

Lucy and Amelia stood with the rest of Gryffindor in cheering James to their table.  James smiled, his usual cool self returning, as the anxiety flew off of his shoulders.  James sat next to Marta across from Amelia and Lucy. 

"That was a close one," Lucy said to her cousin. He laughed his remaining nerves away and the rest of the sorting resulted in four more Gryffindors; Athena, Ashton, Ivy, and Weston.  In total thirteen were added to Gryffindor.  The sorting stool and hat were put away as everyone settled into their new tables.  A podium appeared on stage and Headmistress McGonagall approached it.  She rose her hands and the crowd hushed.

"Welcome first years and welcome back everyone.  I'm sure we're all famished, so before we faint from hunger, let's eat."

She waved her hands and the plates in the middle of the tables filled with food.  Lucy squealed in delight at the sudden appearance.  Everyone began filling their plates while also trying to fill their mouths.  The first years, with the nerves of the sorting now passed, ate happily filling their stomachs they had not previously known were empty.

"Mmm, you should try the meat pie," Lucy said with her mouth half full.  Amelia and James both took some.

"So what are you?" Marta said to Lucy.

"What do you mean?" Lucy said barely looking her way all of her attention focused on the food in front of her.

"Are your parents muggles or wizards?" Marta said taking a small bite.  Lucy stopped eating and the people around looked nervously at such a line of questioning.

"She's my cousin," James said giving Marta a look daring her to continue.

"So she's a Weasley?" Marta said taking another small bite.

"On my dad's side," James said turning back to his food.

"Oh," Marta said glancing passed Amelia to Athena. "And your parents?"

Athena rolled her eyes up at her and glared before saying, "Are healthy and happy, thanks for asking."

"But are they wizards?" Marta said. 

"Yep, are yours?" Athena asked.

"Of course, my dad works for the ministry and my mum has a small column in the Daily Prophet.  I'm sure you've heard of it, Mathilda's Magic Fixes.  It's one of the most popular pieces in the paper," Marta said before turning to Amelia.  "What do your parents do?"

Amelia was shocked to see she was talking to her.  She paused before replying, "They're dead."

There was an awkward silence at the table only filled by Marta asking, "What did they do before they died?"

Amelia looked at James and Lucy, "I don't know, something magical I guess."

Lucy giggled and patted Amelia on the shoulder.  She turned to Marta and said, "Her grandfather owns the wand shop, obviously."

"Right, that's why your name sounded familiar," she said turning, for the first time, real attention to her food clearly unimpressed at the turn of the conversation. 

"I thought you looked familiar, you were in the wand shop when I got my wand," Athena said. 

"Ya she's got a crazy good memory when it comes to wands, right Amelia," Lucy said.

"I guess, grandfather says it's important to remember every wand sold from the store," Amelia said more to her plate than to a person.

"Do you remember mine?" Athena asked taking a bite from her plate.  Amelia looked at Athena square in the face with such cool calculation and intensity that it caused Athena to lean back slightly.

"Applewood and unicorn hair, thirteen and a half inches, slightly springy," Amelia said turning back to her plate and finishing the slice of meat pie.

"That's right!  You can do that for everyone in our year?" Athena said sipping her water.

"Everyone who got their wand at Ollivanders in this school, I know," Amelia said taking a sip of juice from her goblet.

As the feast continued and the desserts began to appear a scream suddenly burst through the hall.  The older students didn't seem fazed but the first years turned to see what had caused the commotion.  Lucy turned around to come face to face with a ghost dressed in 15th century attire. 

"Hello young Gryffindors," the ghost said, bowing to the table.  However, as he bowed his neck scarf fell loose and his head toppled to the side being held on by only one small sliver of skin.  The first years gasped in horror while Lucy only looked to be more excited.  The ghost corrected himself before continuing.  "I am Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington the resident ghost of Gryffindor tower."

"You're really a ghost?" Lucy asked.

"Yes indeed.  I am so looking forward to ~ excuse me," Sir Nicholas looked down where Lucy had stuck her hand through his side.

"Sorry, you could feel that?" Lucy asked quickly pulling her hand back.

"Curiosity killed the cat my dear," he said floating slightly out of Lucy's reach.

"How did you die Sir Nicholas?" Amelia asked taking a bit out of a pasty.

"I'm glad you asked my dear," Sir Nicholas began.  "It began when I tried to come to the aid of a young woman, but alas, the spell went awry causing her to grow a set of tusks.  That was all it took to find my head being severed from my body."

"Then you became a ghost?" Amelia asked.

"The fear of what comes next was too much for me to bare.  So I stayed."

"Can muggles be ghosts?" Lucy asked.

"I'm not sure, I've never met a muggle ghost before but that doesn't mean there aren't some."

And with that, Sir Nicholas floated down the table greeting the returning students as other ghosts flitted about the room at their house tables.

When everyone in the hall was full to bursting the headmistress stood and walked to the podium.  The dazed crowd silenced as she raised her hand and the food cleared.

"As I said, welcome all.  I have been at the school for more years than I will ever admit.  I have seen generations of families come through these doors.  I never get tired of seeing what potential arrives every new year. Do be sure to make us all proud.

"Oh, and please remember, the forbidden forest remains so to all those who wish to remain at this school." She seemed to lock eyes with James as she said this before ending with, "goodnight."

The hall filled with the ruckus and clatter of seats moving and students standing.  The prefects from each house gathered their first years and began making their way out of the hall. 

A tall girl, either a sixth or seventh year, with hair braided down to the bottom of her back lead the first year Gryffindor's to the stairs.  An equally tall boy with an athletic build and curly dark brown hair walked with her.  The girl turned around to face the first years after reaching the main stairwell. 

"My name is Rory and as you all already know I'm head girl.  If you have any problems or need help getting around I'm here if you need me," Rory said.

"My name is Lucas, I'm head boy, I'm here to help, but try not to need me too much," Lucas said leaving it at that. 

"These are the main stairs that lead to the dorms and classes, follow close and watch your step, the stairs like to change," Rory said before turning and continuing up the stairs.  A few stragglers in the back of the group hurried to catch up when the stairs did, in fact, actually begin to move underneath them. 

"Why do the stairs move?" Lucy asked Amelia and James.

"What do you mean," James replied.

"Why do the stairs move sideways? It doesn't seem practical. Escalators, those would make much more sense, but sideways?" Lucy said.

"What's an escalator?" Amelia asked.

"You know, stairs