I step into the small train bathroom and set my clothes on the counter. I hold on to the wall for balance as the train shakes against the tracks. I pull off the skirt and sweater I was previously wearing and pull on the white button-up shirt and the black skirt. I exit the bathroom and walk along the worn red carpet to the cabin. I sit on the bench close to the window and try to make out anything in the darkness. I feel the train start to slow down, and I pull on the large black robe. The train stops suddenly with a loud, screeching sound.

"Please leave your trunks on the train first years," announces the big-headed Weasley.

I follow Hermione out of the cabin. The train hallway is packed with students pushing and shoving to get off as quickly as possible. I slowly walk down the train's steps and onto the train station's cement.

"First years! First years this way!" calls a loud voice.

I walk towards the voice, but I don't know where I'm going as I can't see over the tall heads of the older students. I stop when I see a large group of my sized students. 

"All right, that should be everyone now," the voice says again, but I still have no idea where it comes from.

I slowly lift my head and see a man the size of a tree standing in front of the group with a large light. I am so physically taken aback by his size that I don't realize the group is moving till they are a few meters in front of me. I quickly walk to catch up to the group and follow them down the grass path that is surrounded by trees. It was steep and I try to desperately take careful steps, but it is difficult in the darkness. I'm at the back of the group, so all the light is with the large man at the front. My foot gets stuck, and I gasp as I trip and land on the sharp rocks in the fresh mud. A couple of the students in front of me turn at the noise of me hitting the ground and start to laugh before continuing to walk off. I pull myself off the ground and do my best to wipe the mud off my legs and hands. I walk a distance behind the group, my knees now cut up and stinging. I turn a corner, and I'm met with the silhouette of a large castle and sparkling stained glass windows. 

"No more than four on a boat," Hagrid tells a group of kids with many piling on.

I try to look for a boat, but every boat is full. I come to a stop at a boat with three people, but when I go to climb in a girl with straight black hair stretches out her legs over the empty spot. I walk back towards where the tall man stands, hoping to find a boat on the way. When the man sees me wondering around he comes to stand in front of me.

"Oh dear, looks like they are full," the man explains. "You can ride in my boat with me; my name is Hagrid if you missed it back there," he says with a significant smile.

I follow Hagrid to his boat, and he holds his large hand for me to hold on to while I step into the larger boat. 

"Is everybody in? Right then, forward!" he yells.

The boats start to creek as they shift and move through the water towards the glittering castle. I shift to look behind me and see all the smaller boats following behind our bigger one. The lights that the students hold and hang from the front of the boat reflect across the lake. The boats come to a slow stop under a something that reminded me of a cave. Hagrid holds out his hand again to help me out onto the rocks. The students group together and talk with the new friends they made. I stand a distance away from the group and watch Hagrid as he checks the boats.

"Did anyone loose a toad?" Hagrid calls out to the group.

"Trevor!" Neville yells as he races over to Hagrid. 

Hagrid gives the boy his small toad before he goes to the front of the group and leads us up a set of stairs, while I linger a few steps behind the group. I reach the top of the stone stairs just as Hagrid bangs on the large wooden doors. The door opens and I can just see the top of Minny's hat as she stands in the doorway. 

"The first years Professor McGonagall!" Hagrid announces.

We enter the building and all the kids crowd together, trying to be the closest to the front as they can. I stand back from the group trying to see the top of the extremely high ceilings and looking at the large sconces that hang from the wall that exudes warm air.

"Miss Noir," Minny says, breaking my trance as she comes to stand in front of me. 

"Yes," I respond as I look up at her.

"Did you hear a word I said?" she questions knowingly.

"No," I answer smiling.

"We are about to go into the start of term banquet, but before you will be sorted into your house. Your house will be your family during your time at Hogwarts, they are Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Gryffendor, and Slytherin. You can earn points for your house and and loose points for your house, the house with the most points at the end of the year will end the House Cup," she explains with a sigh.

Minny turns around and disappears. Suddenly the air gets cooler and I hear a swishing sound over my head. I look up and see gray and blue figures flying over us. They ramble and argue about the best house with the students.

"Move along now! The sorting ceremony is about to start!" Minny shouts to the ghosts that fly overhead. 

"Form a line and follow me," Minny instructs after the ghost float into a wall.

The students start to turn the large puddle of kids into a uniform a line as they enter through the grand doors. I follow behind and enter the long room with high ceilings that turn into the night sky, the stars bright sparkling against the dark sky. Candles dance in the air, giving off the perfect amount of light and a good amount of warmth after the chilly air that hovered over the Black Lake. When I pull my eyes from the stars I see the distance between me in the rest of the group has grown. I try to run to catch up, but my breath leaves my body as I trip for the second time today. When I look up, a boy with brown curly hair is grinning from where he had purposefully stuck his foot out. The people around start to laugh and I feel tears prick at my eyes from embarrassment. I quickly get up and hurry over to the rest of the group. 

As I walking to the back of the group I passed a wooden stool with a extremely worn hat. It was the same style as the ones Minny wore, but the point on this one had sunk from age. The leather was worn beyond repair and I was starting to wonder how the hat had not turned into complete dust by the smallest movement of air. The hat started to create a tear in the middle.

A voice started singing from the rip and that is when I realized that it wasn't a tear, but a mouth, 

"Oh you may not think I'm pretty,

But don't judge on what you see,

I'll eat myself if you can find

A smarter hat than me.

You can keep your black,

Your sleek and tall,

For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat

And I can cap them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head

The Sorting Hat can't see,

So try me on and I will tell you

Where you ought to be."

The hat nods it's point to the table with a scarlet banner with a lion, 

"You might belong in ,

Where dwell the brave at heart,

Their daring, nerve, and chivalry

Set Gryffindors apart."

The hat nods to a table where a yellow banner hangs with a badger,

"You might belong in ,

Where they are just and loyal,

Those patient Hufflepuffs are true

And unafraid of toil."

The hat nods to a table with a banner that says Ravenclaw with navy blue and a eagle,

"Or yet in wise old ,

if you've a ready mind,

Where those of wit and learning,

Will always find their kind."

The hat nods to a table with a green banner with a snake that says Slytherin,

"Or perhaps in

 
You'll make your real friends,

Those cunning folks use any means

To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!

And don't get in a flap!

You're in safe hands (though I have none)

For I'm a Thinking Cap!"

The room burst into an applause making me jump from the sudden noise. The hat's droopy point made a bowing motion to the all of the tables. I started thinking of the houses and its attributes. I felt like all of them and none of them. I'm daring like the Gryffindor, but I'm not brave. I can be just like the Hufflepuffs, but I'm afraid of toil. I like learning like the Ravenclaws, but I'm not wise. I can be cunning like a Slytherin, but will I do anything to meet an end? 

Multiple people have now put on the hat and been sorted, but I'm not paying attention to them. I look at the four different banners, trying to see which one I can picture myself in. I'm so in my own mind that I don't here my name being called.

"Miss Noir," Minny repeats, causing me to break out of my trance. 

I walk up to the stool and lift the hat carefully, afraid that it might fall apart at my touch. I have to wiggle some to get onto the stool as I'm too short to easily reach it. I place the worn hat on my head, the hat doesn't speak immediately and causes me to squirm some under all of the eyes of the professors and students.

"Hmmmh," is the only sound the hat makes after a few minutes. 

I try to look up at the face of the hat, but the rim is blocking my view. Whispering spreads like the plague through the hall as the silence goes on. Even the professors are not as secretive about is as they may thought they were. 

"Next person please," the hat announces.

I look around frantically to try and find Minny. She walks over to me and lifts the hat off my head. She helps me down from the stool then places the hat down. She guides me back into the crowd of awaiting students.

Chapter 10 is finally out! What are we feeling for the next chapter?