Raised by Wolfstar

Chapter Seven

The train slows and finally stops, the five friends pushing their way towards the door and out onto the dark platform. Harry shivers slightly in the cold night air making him pull his cloak closer to him, the others doing the same "Firs' years! Firs' years over here! C'mon, follow me. Any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!" Hagrid calls before leading the group of first years up a steep and narrow path. "Ye' all get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec, jus' round this bend here." Hagrid tells them. The group walks round the corner, a loud "Oooooh!" coming from most as they come to the edge of a black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side was Hogwarts, it's many turrets and towers looming over them "No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid call to them, pointing to a group of small boats sitting in the water by the shore. "We'll meet you on the other side." Matty and Eliza tell the others, climbing into a boat with two other first years. Harry, Hermione and Ron nod, climbing into their own boat with Neville "Everyone in? Right then, FORWARD!" Hagrid exclaims, the boats beginning to move and glide over the lake towards the castle.

The boats head towards the castle and reach a cliff "Heads down!" Hagrid yells making everyone duck their heads, the boats taking them through a curtain of ivy and into a wide opening in the cliff face. They get taken along a dark tunnel, til they reach an underground harbour where they all climb out "Oy, you there! Is this your toad?" Hagrid asks Neville, motioning to a toad on the rocks. "Trevor!" Neville exclaims, grabbing the toad and keeping hold of him as they start walking. Mary and Eliza join Harry, Ron and Hermione as they clamber up the steps "How many steps are there?!" Matt groans. "No idea, we should be there soon though. It can't be that much further." Hermione responds. After a minute they reach the grass in the shadow of the castle, Hagrid leading them over a huge oak door "Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?" he asks before knocking loudly on the door. The door swings open and McGonagall walks out "The firs' years, Professor McGonagall." Hagrid tells her."Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here." she responds, leading the first years into the entrance hall. "Going to be weird having Minnie as a teacher." Harry tells his friends. "Minnie?" Matty and Eliza asks simultaneously. "Professor McGonagall, we've grown up with her coming round for Harry's birthday and around Christmas." Hermione explains. "She also gives us presents for our birthday and at Christmas. She's a bit like an aunt." Ron adds making the twins nod.

McGongall leads them to a small, empty chamber off the hall "Welcome to Hogwarts. 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 rulebreaking 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. I shall return when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly." she tells them all. Harry nervously tries to flatten his hair "Harry, we all know your hair doesn't stay flat it's a lost cause." Hermione tells him, helping Neville straighten his cloak.

Suddenly several people scream making the friends jump and turn to see about twenty ghosts streaming through the back wall, pearly-white and slightly transparent "Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance-" a Friar argues. "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 asks, spotting the first years. "New students! About to be Sorted, I suppose?" the Friar asks, smiling at them all. A few of them nod "Hope to see you in Hufflepuff! My old house, you know." the Friar tells them. "Move along now. The Sorting Ceremony's about to start." McGonagall says, walking back in. The ghosts all glide off leaving the first years and McGonagall in the hall "Now, form a line and follow me." she tells the students. Harry quickly lines up behind Ron with Hermione behind him, followed by the twins before they all follow McGonagall into the Great Hall.