Most of the first years gasped as they entered the great hall, except Draco Malfoy who pretended he wasn't impressed and drooped behind the group as they made their way to a stool which was placed in front of the staff table.

The first thing Harry saw was happy faces welcoming them in from the two closest tables, he noticed they were wearing ties of gold and red on one table and the other table wore black and yellow ties. He couldn't see what colours the people on the other two tables were wearing.

As they reached the stool Mcgonagall told them to spread out a bit and wait for their name to be called. Harry could feel his anxiety creep up behind him and he shivered. Ron and Hermione felt the same aswell as the 4 tables behind them filled with older students was very intimidating not to mention the fully sized wizards sitting at the staff table.

Mcgonagall began the call out names, sorting each student into one of four houses one by one. "Neville Longbottom." A boy who Harry thought was going to run out any minute walked forward and after about 10 seconds the hat on his head shouted out.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

The students wearing gold and red let out a roar of shouting and clapping. Mcgonagall continued, there were a couple more gryffindor boys named Seamus Finnagin and Dean Thomas, Harry thought they seemed nice.

There was a few Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs, then Draco and his dumbish friends were sorted into Slytherin. Ron whispered in Harry's ear. "Man i hope im in Gryffindor couldn't stand sleeping in a room with them slimy idiots." Harry couldn't agree more, as much as he didn't like to judge someone he didn't want to spend the rest of his school days around someone who was the blond and skinny equivalent of Dudley.

   "Ron Weasley." Mcgonagall called out. Ron shakily walked to the stool and no sooner than Mcgonagalls fingers let go of the hat she was lifting it up again after it called out a definite

   "GRYFFINDOR!" Harry watched him strut to the table where he seen his twin brothers smack him on the back and another red-head located futher down the table shout a congratulations at him.

   "Hermione Granger." Hermione had been quiet until now, she'd been trying to keep herself calm and was hoping for Gryffindor as she knew she already had a friend in that house through Ron.

She climbed onto the stool and remained there for about a minute. The hat was deciding between Ravenclaw or Gryffindor Harry thought as he seen her eyes darting from one table to the other.

   "Gryffindor!" The hat called out eventually. She jumped down and walked to the table with a small skip in her step as she was warmly greeted by the Weasley twins aswell and Ron smiled at her.

Harry looked around the group now, there was only about 6 left, including him and he knew he was to be called sooner or later. Just as he was thinking it his name was called.

   "Harry Potter." Mcgonagall said with a slight changed tone, her voice hinted curiosity. The hall fell silent as he expected and he walked up the the stool and seen who he presumed was the headmaster smile at him. He sat down and was startled when he heard the raspy voice of the hat in his ear.

"Well... very ambitious... you would make a good slytherin..."

"Not... Slytherin. Anything but Slytherin." Harry whispered back.

"Not Slytherin eh? Well you do hold alot of courage, and a great deal of bravery...."

The discussion between them carried on for a few minutes which seemed like hours to everyone. The hat then made its mind up and shouted.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

The whole table erupted and Harry breathed out a sigh of relief. He jumped down and made his way to the table where he was greeted by a hug from Hermione and a slap on the back from both twins, also Ron was over the moon.

   As the hall fell quiet again waiting for Mcgonagall to continue so they could finally eat they seen her staring at the parchment in her hand as though she'd seen a ghost. She then walked to the headmaster where she showed him the parchment, when he looked at what she was fussing over he simply looked back at her and gave a small nod.

   "Oliver Potter..." Even quicker than when Harry's name had been called out the hall fell silent as the students were confused on what was happening. Harry sat up straight and seen a boy slightly taller than him with the same head of hair, except it was more 'all over the place' as Petunia would put it. The boy sat on the stool and Mcgonagall placed the sorting hat on his head. Well she went to. It was even quicker than Draco's sorting into Slytherin when the hat bellowed.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

It was only then when everyone saw the boys face as he had kept his head slightly down and his hair was in his face. He lifted up his head and there stood a almost exact copy of Harry. Right down to every detail. Except his eyes. As he sat down at the table Harry saw he had hazel eyes that held the same gleam of mischief that the Weasley twins held. The boy called Oliver was greeted almost in the same way as Harry with the table erupting into a louder roar of delight.

   Harry tried to say something as the boy held out a hand for him the shake. All he could manage was the place his hand in his and shake it slightly. He was awestuck.

Harry remained silent throughout the remaining of the sorting, it only lasted a couple minutes more with two twin girls whose last name was Patil, one being sorted into Gryffindor, the other Ravenclaw and 3 more boys, two into Hufflepuff and one into Ravenclaw. The headmaster, who Harry was told by the twins was Dumbledore then stood up.

   "After a somewhat shocking and long sorting i assume you are all starving to dig in, but first i must warn all first years and remind a couple of others that the dark forest is strictly forbidden to all pupils and Mr Filch has asked me to remind you that the third floor corridor is out-of-bounds to those who do not wish to die a most painful death... now, dig in!" The headmaster waved his hands and there dinner appeared on all tables, a cooked chicken sat in front of Harry, he stared in amazement but then quickly snapped out of it as he seen Ron had already claimed both the legs.

__________

Up at the staff table Severus Snape sat there in disbelief. Two, he thought. Lily had had twins but had kept this a secret to the grave. Had Dumbledore known for the last 11 years? He was brought from his thought by Quirrell who was mumbling something about this being so unexpected and who would have thought. Snape just stared at the front of Gryffindor table where he seen Harry laughing at the younger Weasley boy stuffing his face and the other... Oliver was his name, he was talking to the Weasley twins. Accident waiting to happen the potions master couldn't stop thinking about the boys and his anger towards James was on the rise. As much as he hated Harry for having James' looks, he'd seen he had Lily's eyes and remembered he held the only person he'd ever loved in him. But then he had seen this boy, Oliver and his eyes had been James', an exact replica of the rotten bully and he was noticeably taller than Harry, probably spoilt over the moon by who ever looks after him, even more than his shorter brother. Pair of marauder bully spawn. Snape then tried to forget about the boys and began a conversation with professor Flitwick who he knew had been to America over the holidays to visit some summer school which taught young wizards and witches the art of dueling.

   That boy is JUST like his father. Was the
potion masters last thought before he left the great hall to prepare for morning classes.