✪A/N✪         

Oh boy, it's been about a year since I published the prologue and the key, but I am happy to announce I'll finally be working on this book! Happy Holidays and I'm looking forward to 2020! 

❁Y/N's POV❁

         I stood on the stairs before the entrance of the great hall, fiddling with my robes. "Nervous?" My grandmother smiled at me. 

         "Of course." I smiled up at her. 

          "Don't worry, Y/N I promise I'll love you the same no matter what house you get." McGonagall smiled at me. I nodded, returning her warm smile back up at her. Then, as if on queue, students file into the stair case. Some gave me odd looks no doubt questioning in their minds as to why I was in the stair case before all of them. 

           "Welcome to Hogwarts." My grandmother stated as she gazed among the students, her eyes quickly giving a pointed stare at a boy with white slicked bath hair before she continued, "Now while your here your house will be like your family. Your triumphs will earn you points, any rule breaking will lose points. At the end of the year the house with the most points is awarded the house cup." She finished as a boy pushes past me.

        "Trevor!"He exclaimed at a croaking toad before picking him up. The elderly witch gave him a look as he apologized and moved back. 

          "The sorting ceremony will begin momentarily." McGonagall concluded before excusing herself to the great hall.  

          "So it's true then." A blonde boy spoke as the door shut behind my grandmother. "What they're saying on the train." He continued as everyone turned to him as he continued, "Harry Potter has come to Hogwarts." People started whispering right and left, as I glanced at the boy in glasses. "This is  Crabbe, and Goyle." The pompous brat spoke as he nodded to his two buffoonish lackeys. "And, I'm Malfoy. Draco Malfoy." He announces as me and the red head boy beside me laugh a little bit. "Think my names funny, do you?  No need to ask yours. Red hair, hand me down robes, you must be a Weasely."  He states before turning to me, "and you. Your family is probably insignificant enough to be mudblood status." He scoffs. 

          I feel my blood turn to ice as I quickly narrow my eyes into a harsh glare. "I'm a McGonagall." I spat, as he turns to face Harry Potter. 

          "You'll soon find that some wizarding families are better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort," Malfoy stops before looking at Ron and I and continues, "I can help you there."  He places his hand out in front  of Potter.  

         "I think I can tell the wrong sort for myself, thanks." Harry responds sassily as my grandmother comes up behind Malfoy. She taps him on the shoulder with a rolled up parchment before he moves to go back to his place on the staircase. 

         "We're ready for you now." McGonagall announces. We all line up in pairs of two, I stood next to a girl with brown bushy hair, who looked rather excited. 

          "I'm Hermione Granger." She whispered, introducing herself with a kind smile. 

         "Y/N McGonagall." I grin back at her enthusiastically. We make our way through the doors and through the great hall. The rest of the kids look around in awe, as I looked around in desperation to see some of my friends. I, rather easily, quickly spotted Fred and George Weasely. 

         Both met my eyes as I walked past and gave brief smiles. I only knew the twins because of their trouble-making. Usually when my grandmother wasn't letting me sit in her class, she would let me go to the library. Little did I know the library was the twins favorite spot to plan and play pranks. But I couldn't focus on that now, I was far too excited for the sorting ceremony.

        My mom was a Ravenclaw, and my father was a Gryffindor. I think it rather obvious my grandmother was also a Gryffindor. Though she told me of when she was young, the hat had a stall, having to decide if my mother was a Ravenclaw or a Gryffindor.

        "It's not real, the ceiling. It's only bewitched to look like the night sky. I read about it in Hogwarts,  A History." Hermione's voice snapped me out of my worries of which house I would be joining. As we reached the stool at the front we gathered into a cluster, where my grandmother stood infront of us all, motioning us not to go up the stairs with the scroll of our names on it. 

        "Before we begin, Professor Dumbledore would like to say a few words." She spoke loudly, addressing the entire hall. The man sitting in the middle of the table, with the highest chair stood up. He seemed mystical, old, and sweet- kind of like a dog, in the best way of course. His eyes had a twinkle of mischief in them, and his smile held nothing but kindness.

         "I have a few start of term notices I wish to announce. The first years please note that the dark forest is strictly forbidden to all students. Also, our caretaker, Mr. Filch has asked me to remind you that the 3rd floor corridor on the right hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a most painful death. Thank you. " He smiled at us before nodding to my grandmother, and sitting down. His words seemed positive, even though they included great warnings about how we could die. Rather lovely, I must say. 

         "When I call your name, you will come forth, I shall place the sorting hat on your head, and you will be sorted into your houses," she briefly paused before unrolling the scroll with our names on it, "Hermione Granger." she called out, as the girl next to me looked shocked, probably scared after all-she was first. I smiled at her, and she looked minimally relieved as she sat on the stool. 

      "Mental that one, I'm telling you." Ron speaks, oh-so quietly to Harry. I shook my head at him, briefly meeting Harry's eyes before turning back around to my friend on the stool.

     "Ah. Right then, hm..." the hat trailed off before continuing, "Right. Okay, Gryffindor!" The hat called out, as the red and gold decorated table cheered for their newest addition. 

      "Draco Malfoy." My grandmother called out next, effectively putting the Great Hall's attention back to her. 

       The smug, blond boy from before swaggered up to the stool. A cocky smile graced his face as he took his seat onto the wooden stool. The hat barely touched his head, some swear it didn't even touch him, before calling out, "Slytherin!"

     "There isn't a witch or wizard who went bad that wasn't in Slytherin." Ron whispered to me and Harry.   

      "Susan Bones." My grandmother, once more, commanded the attention of the student body, mainly Slytherin which had been so adamant on cheering for their latest member. I looked over to the stool, to see a red headed girl, sitting with the hat on her head.

      "Ah!" Harry somehow managed to whisper, his handing going straight to his head, directly over his scar. Me and Ron give him quizzical looks, as Ron speaks up.

     "Harry? What is it?" Ron spoke, concern lacing his tone.

     "Are you okay?" I question the boy, placing my hand onto his shoulder. 

     "Nothing, it's nothing... I'm fine!" Harry responded to us both, as we put our attention back to the sorting ceremony.

     The hat pondered for a bit before finally speaking, "Let's see, I know! Hufflepuff!" The yellow and black table erupted into cheers before McGonagall spoke again.  

     "Y/N McGonagall." My grandmother spoke, a few of the older kids smiling, remembering when I was a small child running around my grandma's classroom. I walked up to the stool, hopefully looking confident. To be quite frank, I was nervous from head to toe, but I wouldn't show that. I couldn't show that I mean-

     "Ah, a wise mind. Tending to overthink things." The hat joked to me, snapping me out of my thoughts.

     "Rude." I snapped back, causing the closer students to laugh or giggle.

     "A good heart, yes." The hat pondered before continuing, "But a brave soul. Better be it, Gryffindor!" The hat cheered out, prompting cheers from the red and yellow table. Other tables, mostly the older students previously mentioned, clapped lightly.

      I looked over, and my grandmother flashed a smile at me, and I looked over to the headmaster. He gave a soft, small smile and a nod. I smiled back at him, as we both turned back to the transfiguration teacher.

      "Harry Potter." she called out, all the sound in the room turning to silence, and whispers. Needless to say, Harry had attracted everyone's attention, and I daresay not a pair of eyes in the room weren't on the boy. Everyone look toward him and payed a deathly amount of attention as he sat on the stool.

     He bickered with the hat, insisting on any house but the green one. Slytherin was not the place Harry wanted to end up. "If you're sure then," the hat spoke before continuing, "Better be,... Gryffindor!" the hat announced loudly. The loudest cheer was heard from the table I was at, and I swear even Dumbledore clapped!

      Harry walked over, plopping down in the seat between me and Percy. I tuned out rest of the sorting ceremony, chatting with Hermione, Harry, and Ron, who introduced us to his rather large amount of brothers, to which I already knew. 

     Suddenly, all of the plates filled with food, and I was ready to dig in, and so were the other students. The hall still had a level of sound of talking, but most were eating rather than indulging in conversation.  

❂Time~Skip❂

      Me and Hermione got ready for bed, and I was more than eager when I had found out that we'd be rooming together. Our bags had already been brought to our rooms, and me and Hermione had found that ours were together! 

        "Goodnight, Y/N." Hermione had spoke, before pulling her curtain closed, and going to sleep.

        "Night." I whispered back, before going to sleep myself.  

❈Harry's POV❈

        "Don't you think its a bit funny though?" Ron questioned, as we both put away our clothes, getting ready for bed.

         "What do  you mean?" I questioned out of confusion.

         "Y/N. She didn't arrive here on the train."