The moment the Hogwarts drifted into view, all of the first years gasped. From the boat behind her, Serria could hear Lavender Brown squeal.

'It's so amazing,' Seamus exclaimed. The castle seemed to be decorated with small balls of fire.

'The castle looks so perfect,' Serria said, and then wrinkled her nose with confusion. 'But, won't it catch on fire?'

'Haven't you read Hogwarts-A History?' Hermione asked from beside her. 'They're charmed so they feel cool when touched.'

'That's wicked!' Seamus said. 'Don't you reckon, Neville?' Neville, the small, round-faced boy didn't reply. He was looking at the water, forlorn.

'What's wrong, Neville?' Serria asked gently.

'I still haven't found Trevor.' He looked at Serria sadly. 'Gran isn't going to be happy at all.'

'Why?'

'I got him for my birthday,' he explained. 'It was just over a month ago. And he was a family animal. She's going to be so angry.'

'Wait till we get to school,' Hermione replied. 'We can ask one of the professors. There are spells to retrieve lost things, you know.' Serria suddenly felt her spirits lift up.

'Does that include,' she hesitated. It wasn't anything normal she wanted to find. She was thinking about her lost family. 'P-people.'

'Depends what you mean,' Hermione answered. 'If you mean someone going missing. Sure, you can find them.'

'What about if they're,' she took a deep breath. 'D-dead?'

'No spell can resurrect the dead,' Hermione said raising an eyebrow. 'Doesn't everyone know that?' Seamus gave Serria a strange look. It was obvious as to why. He was the only one in the boat who knew she was an orphan.

The rest of the boat ride was eerily quiet and Serria hardly paid attention, except at one point.

'You'll never believe who I met though!' Hermione exclaimed. 'Harry Potter! It's so strange-he doesn't even know how famous he is!'

When they reached the castle, a stern looking witch with a tight bun instructed us.

'I am Professor McGonagall and I am the head of-' a squeal of delight interrupted her.

'Trevor,' Neville cried picking up his toad.

'And now that Mr Long bottom has successfully found his toad, we will commence to the Great Hall for your sorting.' Serria heard the boy from the train, Draco, snicker.

As they neared the Great Hall, Hermione spotted Harry and decided to go talk to him. Serria walked ahead with Seamus, determined not to talk to her brother. As the doors of the Great Hall opened, all the students momentarily froze at the sight of starry lights on the ceiling.

'There enchanted to look like the night sky,' Serria heard Hermione explain. 'I read it in Hogwarts-a History.'

Professor McGonagall walked to the front of the hall and pulled out a roll of parchment.

'When I read your name, you are to come out to the front and put on the sorting hat. It will decide what house you will be in for your next seven years at Hogwarts-school of Witchcraft and Wizardry,' she unravelled the roll. 'Abbott, Hannah.'

A nervous looking girl walked up the stairs and shakily sat on the stool. Moments after the hat touched her head the brim opened wide and screamed.

'HUFFLEPUFF!' There were loud cheers from one of the middle tables, with a mass of students dressed in black and yellow.

Serria suddenly felt sick. The hat seemed to have chosen the girl's house randomly. What if Serria was put in Slytherin? She would definitely dread that. Her pounding heart was so loud, it seemed to block out Professor McGonagall's voice. If it weren't for Seamus, she wouldn't have realised she was calling her name.

'She's calling your name,' he mouthed, nudged her in the ribs.

'Evans, Serria,' Professor McGonagall repeated.

When she put the hat on her head, Serria was startled at the hat's voice.

'Ah,' it whispered. 'I had no idea there was a Potter girl.'

'You know?' Serria's jaw dropped.

'Of course,' it replied. 'I know everything you're thinking.'

'I don't want to be in Slytherin,' she said dumbly.

'I know. You want to be in Gryffindor,' it said. 'And it makes sense. Everyone related to you is a Gryffindor. Your parents, godfather. Even Remus Lupin. You have the Gryffindor flame in you, too. But you'd do well in Ravenclaw too. You definitely are a bright witch. Definitely not a Hufflepuff, either. But then, it only seems right to put you there. Yes. That'll be best.' It changed its voice.

'GRYFFINDOR!'

Serria couldn't believe it.

'Thanks,' she muttered to the hat and made her way to the cheering table of red and gold Gryffindor students. Almost everyone she met on the train was sorted into Gryffindor. Seamus, Dean, Lavender, Parvati, Neville and-to both Seamus and Serria's amazement-Hermione.

To Serria's delight she soon found that her brother was also a Gryffindor, although just like herself the hat seemed to take a while to decide for him. She also met another first-year Gryffindor: Ronald Weasley, a red-haired boy who seemed rather close to Harry.

'Welcome to Hogwarts-School of Witchcraft and Wizardry,' Professor Dumbledore said. He startled Serria slightly. She was too worried to notice his presence before. 'I don't wish to disrupt this wonderful evening. I will talk to you after dinner. Let the feast commence.'

The feast was amazing, all the food magically appeared. Pastries, salads, stews and puddings covered the tables.

And as Serria ate with her new-found friends. She could hardly believe how in a matter of days, her life had transformed into something new; something beautiful.

How this was a new lifetime.