The door swung open, and a tall witch in emerald-green robes stood there, examining all the students. Albus recognized her as professor McGonagall, which his father had warned him not to cross. "The firs'-years, professor." said Hagrid, and then he walked off, which made the floor creak.

McGonagall then spoke to the group. "Welcome to Hogwarts. I am professor McGonagall, your transfiguration teacher. In a few moments you can join your classmates, but you have to be sorted into a house. This is very important, as you will spend much time with your house, and in free time, you will sit in your House common room. Each house has its own ancestors, and noble history.  Once sorted, you can collect house points with triumphs, and any rule-breaking will lose you points. The houses are named: Slytherin, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Gryffindor. You wait here, while I will go and see when you can be sorted."

She trailed off inside, and Albus turned to Quinn. "Which house do you prefer?"

"I don't know. I'm Muggle-born, you see. I've tried to learn as much as I can to keep up with all the wizard families, but I don't know." Quinn answered.

Rose stared at her for a moment. "Well, we'll help you. Slytherin is for the cunning, evil people, Hufflepuff for the really nice people, and Ravenclaw for the smart, Gryffindor is for the brave and adventurous. Al and I want Gryffindor"

Quinn smiled. "Then I want Gryffindor too."

Suddenly they heard a loud cackling: "Firstieeeeeees! Hello, you firsties! How're you! HEEHAA" suddenly a boy was covered in slime. "I'm Peeves. The poltergeist, and you will be annoyed by me!" It was followed by very loud laughter. An ugly thing appeared in the air, and he threw water balloons at the crowd.

Then a loud hoarse voice bellowed: "PEEVES! GET AWAY THIS INSTANT!" a ghost appeared. "Hello. I'm the bloody baron." the voice said, and Peeves fell out of the air.

"Sorry, your bloodiness, I wanted to-"

The baron held up his left hand."Nobody cares what you wanted Peeves, get out. Now." Peeves rose up in the air and sped away. "Sorry, I'll have someone come to fix you again." The baron said, and went to the wall.

"Eughh this slime's horrible" the boy squeaked.

"Hahahaha, It matches your eyes, Bagwell!" Ervin yelled, and Albus saw that the boy felt awful.

"That's mean, Ervin!" Albus yelled, before he could stop himself.

"Excuse me, Albus? I thought we were friends?" Ervin asked, and Albus stepped forward, when he realised Ervin was more than ten inches taller than he was.

"We're not friends. I thought you were smart enough to know that." He said, and Ervin laughed.

"Do you know what I hate? People who think they're brave and cool, by standing up to me." He said, and Albus looked him in the eye.

"Well, I suppose you are trying to look cool in front of your friends, as you were the one who came to sit in our boat on your way here, as they didn't want you in it. We never wanted you in there!" he said, and he could see some pink appearing on Ervin's nose.

"Well, you were the one who's scared of the Giant Squid!" he said.

"I suggest you stop being mean to others to make yourself look better, Ervin Jones." said Albus.

Ervin nodded at him, muttering, "stupid git."

Everyone except Ervin's friend club clapped. "That was amazing Albus!" Quinn said.

"Lucky you didn't get punched Al, good job." said Rose.

Albus felt stronger than ever when they walked into the Great Hall. He walked next to Rose and Quinn, not noticing his cousins waving at him. At the far end of the hall stood a stool, with a very old looking hat, and the crowd stopped walking, and they all focused on the hat, waiting for it to do something. A rip near the brim opened, and the hat began to sing:

After all these years I get to sort you,
In the coloured houses Red, Yellow, Green and Blue,

I know in which of these you belong,
I never had it wrong,

Maybe you are a Gryffindor, so red,
Where bravery and adventure to amazing lives led,

Or perhaps you are a yellow Hufflepuff,
Where the loyal and the friendliest of all are tough,

Or a green Slytherin, maybe?
Those cunning people have friends, even for me,

And last but not least at all could you be a blue Ravenclaw,
Where the wisest, and smartest are, they come in awe,

I might be an ugly hat, but I see more than you,
So I pick your house, Red, Yellow, Green or Blue!

So put me on, don't be afraid,
I'll sort you, for that I'm made!

 "When I call your name, you will come forward, and put on the hat, and be sorted into your house." McGonagall said, and rolled open a scroll.

"Bagwell, Jules!" the boy (who had been wiping the slime off him with a tissue) walked forward, and sat down on the stool where McGonagall was standing next to.

She put down the hat on his head, and the hat bellowed: "HUFFLEPUFF!" Albus began to feel nervous again. That wouldn't be long enough to convince the hat to put him in Gryffindor, not nearly enough. Jules ran to the cheering and clapping table, while Ervin was snorting.

"A Hufflepuff, I could've known."

McGonagall ordered the school to be silent, and read on: "Billiard, Mary!"

A girl with pitch black hair walked towards McGonagall and sat down on the stool. When the hat was placed on her head it immediately bellowed: "RAVENCLAW!"

As the girl ran to the cheering table, McGonagall ordered the next first-year to come forward, "Boot, Kevin", who became a Ravenclaw too, together with "Cattle, Owen".

The next was "Clark, Evelyn" who became a Hufflepuff. It all went very quickly, so Albus didn't feel as though he would be able to tell the hat he would like to be in Gryffindor, with his family.

"Conover, Jade" was the first Slytherin, and she looked very mean, so that made Albus want to be in Gryffindor even more.

Next were "Crumble, Phil" and "Crumble Sarah" who were both Hufflepuff, and the boy, Phil, came from Ervin's friend club, and immediately was called out for 'Betrayal' by his other friends when the hat bellowed: "HUFFLEPUFF!" which made Albus feel very sorry for the boy.  

"Davies, Lisa" was next. The hat hardly even touched her head, before it bellowed: "RAVENCLAW!".

There were no Gryffindors yet. Next was a boy with sandy hair, called "Finnigan, Luke" and he was the first Gryffindor, to the other Gryffindors relief, as they were clapping madly.

Then there was "Flint, Derek" who also was Ervin's friend was put in Slytherin too.
Albus got, if possible, even more nervous. "Goldstein, Cordelia" was in Ravenclaw, and "Green, Olivia" joined her friend Jade.

Next up was Ervin. This time the hat took a little longer on sorting him. Albus felt relieved, as he would still have a chance. "SLYTHERIN" it bellowed, and Ervin and his friends looked very happy.

He pushed Albus away on his way to the clapping table, and Albus said to Quinn, who stood next to him, while rubbing his arm: "He's so mean."

The next name was "Malfoy, Scorpius" and Albus saw the blond boy stepping forward from behind Ervin's friend club. He was sorted in Slytherin.

"McLaggen, Chris" was the next. He was a Gryffindor too, and ran to the table quickly, before joining in with Luke's conversation.

"Miles, Nicole" was a Gryffindor too, and "Morris, Courtney" was another Ravenclaw.

"Nelson, Ralph" was Ravenclaw too, and then "Parker, Gwen" was put in Hufflepuff.

Then it was Albus' turn. He stepped forward and smiled at McGonagall. She smiled back, before putting the sorting hat on his head. Suddenly a voice in his head said: "Another Potter, my my.. Interesting mind, boy. You do have brains, and you are cunning, oh dear. But wait, this, this is even more. I know where to put you now."

Albus waited a second, before thinking. "I want to be in Gryffindor, dear Mr. Hat!"

The voice didn't say anything, and bellowed: "GRYFFINDOR!" Albus never had felt better, he handed the hat to McGonagall and ran to the Gryffindor table, where all his cousins were ready to hug him.

Victoire congratulated him, and Molly nearly squeezed him. Albus sat down next to Chris, and then looked back at the other end of the hall, where McGonagall went on with the sorting.

"Rivers, Quinn" was up. Quinn walked forward, and sat down. It didn't take the hat very long, before bellowing: "GRYFFINDOR!" she ran down the hall, and Albus shook her hand, and she sat down.

"Smith, Gilbert" became a Hufflepuff, and "Stone, Daisy" was a Slytherin.

It was now Rose's turn. It took the hat quite long, and for a moment Albus got worried.

For no reason, as the hat bellowed: "GRYFFINDOR". Albus and the others hugged Rose, and she sat down next to Quinn.

"Wolpert, Anna" was another Gryffindor, to Nicole's relief.

There were now two boys left, "Wood, Tyler" became a Gryffindor, and "Zabini, Roy" was the last Slytherin.

Albus was happy, yet hungry. The tables were laid with all kinds of meat, chicken and fish. Albus felt like he'd explode when he finished eating. After the feast, Victoire led the first-years away, and they walked through the corridors and halls, and Albus was very tired. When they stopped, Victoire showed them a painting, to which she said a password. The painting flew open and Albus walked inside, followed by the others. "Now, boys up the stairs and the last door on your left, girls, the same on your right. All your trunks are there already. Goodnight."

Albus went upstairs to the left, followed by Tyler, Chris and Luke.  Albus changed into his pyjamas and was fast asleep.