The train was getting closer to Hogwarts. Luro looked up at the grand castle. It was enormous, and beautiful.

"Tobias!" she nudged him, "Look, it's Hogwarts! We're here!"

Tobias groaned and awoke from a sleep. He looked out the window with her. "Woah," he exclaimed, half-asleep, "It's amazing!"

Luro smirked and rolled her eyes, continuing to peer outside whilst Tobias rubbed his eyes and tried to wake up. The kitten meowed up at him, helping out.

The train eventually came to a stop, and the children all got off. Luro held her animal tight to her and walked right behind Tobias. He got a little farther ahead of her when she bumped into a taller boy. He looked a lot like the Harry Potter chap her father had collected old newspapers with pictures of...

She shook it off and caught up with her friend.

"Where were you?" he asked when she arrived.

"Uh, got caught up. Bumped into this kid who looked almost exactly like..."

But she got interrupted by a large, two-person-tall man.

**************

It was time for the sorting. Luro breathed heavily. A professor approached the large group of children. She explained everything that was going to happen, the different houses, the way they would be sorted. Then she came up to Luro.

"Why has this cat got wings?"

"Um ... a transfiguration mistake?"

"Oh, I can fix that right up for you!"

She waved her wand, but nothing happened. She tried multiple times, but still the kitten was winged.

"Hmm, that's strange. It-"

"Can we just leave her with wings?"

"I suppose it's just, meant to have them." She still looked perplexed.

The class walked into the large hall. The hall full of Gryffindors, Slytherins, Ravenclaws, and Hufflepuffs. Luro gasped, concealing squeals of excitement. One by one, students were chosen.

"Allen, Steve!"

A boy came up and the sorting hat was placed on his head.

"Gryffindor!" the hat called. Applause rose.

Tobias turned to Luro, "Which house do you want to get in?"

Luro thought about it, "Well, there's Gryffindor, Hufflepuffle, Ravenclaw -"

"Hufflepuffle? Don't you mean Hufflepuff?"

"Oh yeah," she laughed, "I call it that 'cause it sounds like my last name."

"Erumpentson, Thomas!" the professor called.

"Well, I think I would do good in Ravenclaw. I'm not too brave, and I'm no Slytherin." Tobias told her.

"What about Hufflepuff?" she asked.

"Maybe that too. What about you?"

"Krupp, Edith!"

"My dad said I'd probably get in Gryffindor."

"Why's that?"

"Well, actually, it's a long story."

"Ok, you can tell me later, then."

Luro smiled.

"Monarch, Elizabeth!"

"Our turns are getting closer." Luro observed.

"Gulp."

"Don't worry, we'll be fine."

"You sure about that?"

"Yeah."

And eventually, their turns did come.

"Starwell, Tobias."

Tobias nervously went up towards the stood. The hat was placed on his head, and took but a moment.

"Hufflepuff!" it yelled.

The crowd cheered, and Luro joined in. Her friend's house was chosen! Then...

"Truffle, Ailurophilia!"

Luro tried to suppress the feeling of anxiety, and walked up to the stool. She sat down, and the hat went on her head.

"Ah, yes," it said to her, "I see you're a good egg, very fond of beasts, are you? My choice is obvious, then."

It called out to the crowd, "Hufflepuff!"

An applause sounded for her as well, Tobias looking up enthusiastically from the table. When she sat down, though, something happened.

The kitten changed.

The light was just like that from when she first appeared. Bright. Magical. Instant. No one seemed to notice much, but her pet had clearly changed afterward. It had quite a different pigment.

It was now almost entirely black, with just its muzzle, cheeks, chest, belly, paws, tail feathers, and the inside of its ears and wings remaining white. A tuft of fur on its head was yellow, along with stripes separating the black and white on its paws. The ends of its tail feathers and wings were also yellow, and it had gained two yellow stripes on the inside of its wings.

Luro and Tobias gaped in awe. The animal was now-

"She's been Hufflepuff-ized!" whispered Tobias.

"Naming her just got a whole lot harder."