Harry was walking up the wide staircase contemplating whether there was more than one stage of confusion. She had been confused for the majority of her life – or at least after the age of six when her aunt had invented the 'game' of pretending that Harry is a boy. She had been confused as to why she was different than Dudley and confused as to why she would disappear and reappear on the roof, why things occasionally started to float in the air or why that snake had been able to understand her. Of course the magical aspect had been answered now. She had assumed that this explanation would be the first of many and that she would never have to be confused again. She was wrong.

After a visiting the strangest street she had ever seen and purchased even stranger items and been given her very first birthday gift she found that she had even more questions. Then she had taken a train to the castle and on board the train she had met a boy with red hair who was now walking beside her. She had been terrified when then boy entered the compartment but she couldn't refuse his presence there as she didn't even feel she had any right to be there herself.

The boy – Ron, spoke a great deal and Harry found that very reassuring. It meant she didn't need to bother with keeping the conversation going and she quickly found that Ron was only to keen on answering her questions. So far she had learned that she was famous and that everyone knew her as 'The boy who lived'. Furthermore she had learned that her scar was what was giving her away which caused her to comb her bangs further down over the scar with her fingers.

During the train ride she had waited in terrible suspense for Ron to realize she was not a real boy and that she was a freak and leave her in disgust. But it didn't happen. This confused Harry. How could he not see? What was even stranger was that Ron was smiling at her.

Now they were walking up the stairs with all the other new students toward a tall woman in a dark green robe who stood at the top watching them. Her hair was almost entirely grey and she wore glasses. Her expression was stern and her posture was elegant. All the student stopped in front of her and waited for her to speak. Harry looked up only to meet her gaze as her eyes were fixed on her.

Oh, no!

Harry waited for the woman to call her out and tell her she couldn't go to Hogwarts and was to be sent home but it didn't happen. Instead the woman addressed the crowd.

“Greetings! My name is Professor McGonagall. I am the deputy headmistress of Hogwarts and you will also come to know me as your transfiguration professor and the head of Gryffindor house. I would like to bid you all welcome. In a few moments, I will escort you to the great hall where you will be sorted into one of the four houses. The houses are Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff! For those of you who do not know what this entails: You will walk to the front with me and I will call your names one by one. When your name is called you will take a seat of the chair provided and I will place the sorting hat upon your heads and it will sort you into your house. Please remain calm. I will return momentarily.”

With that the witch turned and disappeared through a door. Harry followed her with her eyes as she did so. Then she felt Ron playfully nudging her in the side.

“Brilliant!” he smiled. “My brothers said we'd have to fight pixies!”

Just then they heard a snort behind them and turned to see a blond boy advancing towards them with two large boys following closely behind.

“Are you really that stupid, Weasley?” grinned the boy and then turned to Harry.

“So it's true! Harry Potter is really here!”

Gasps could be heard among the other children and Harry felt extremely uncomfortable as all eyes were on her.

“We've all heard a lot about you! Is it true you were raised by muggles? Well, there are many things you will soon learn, Potter! You'll find some wizard families are better than... others,” said the blond boy and glared at Ron. He then extended his hand towards Harry. “My name is Malfoy - Draco Malfoy.”

Harry only barely caught Malfoy's name for then Ron spat:

“You shut up about my family, Malfoy!”

“You shut up! I don't need to know your name to know what you are! Weasley freak!” sneered Malfoy and turned back to Harry. “Honestly, Potter, you had better not associate with those people!”

Just then something stirred within Harry. It was a strange mix of fury and joy. Malfoy called Ron a freak. Ron would understand. Ron was like her. But Malfoy, he was just like her relatives! Harry simply glared at the blond boy and ignored the extended hand.

“I'm sure I can figure out who to talk to on my own,” she sneered.

Just then she felt Ron grab her arm. She turned her head to see him smile at her as Malfoy simply huffed.

“Form two lines and follow me!” called professor McGonagall's voice above them.

Harry marched through the doors with the others, bubbling with joy. Had she made a friend?

---

It had been simultaneously the longest and shortest summer in existence. On one hand the days of pacing in his chambers had seemed to drag on to no end and on the other the start of term came faster than preferred.

Now, Severus Snape was seated at the teachers' table in the great hall, glaring at the Slytherins whenever he remembered to do so and thus attempting to disguise the discomfort he was feeling. In any moment McGonagall would enter with the first years and he would finally see his newest headache made flesh.

The noise in the room was deafening as the headmaster's previous attempt at silencing the hordes of students had only worked for so long. It had been months since they had seen each other and of course they were greeting every familiar face they saw and recounting their holiday to each other with great enthusiasm.

Above the four house tables hang banners in the house colors and the rest of the hall was decorated in golden and orange nuances. Wreaths of straw decorated with grain, fruits and tiny pumpkins hung on the walls. Snape's throat felt dry and he silently wished for the feast to begin soon so that he might get some water.

He already felt he had a pretty good idea what the Potter boy was going to be like. Arrogant and self centered. After all the boy had been famous from birth and no doubt lived a life of luxury with his relatives. Severus knew for a fact that Petunia's husband was fairly well off. Of course he'd given the boy the benefit of doubt but when Minerva told him about the letters he was sure he was right. The boy either thinks himself too good for Hogwarts or can't be bothered to answer his mail! Absolutely no consideration for the senders!. He remembered McGonagall's exhausted face all too well.

He wondered what Potter looked like. No doubt he was the spitting image of his father! He certainly had his attitude. But then again. A part of Severus hoped to see a little redheaded boy with green eyes walking through the doors. Maybe. Maybe he'd have some of his mother in him? Maybe Severus was mistaken? He didn't think he was but by Merlin he hoped he was.

---

The great hall was just that – great. In fact, Harry was pretty sure this was the largest room she ever been inside. It was incredibly colorful and her eyes immediately went to the ceiling – or was there a ceiling? Above her she could see the night sky. Stars shone through holes in dark grey clouds. She heard Hermione, a girl she had briefly met on the train, telling the other students that the ceiling was enchanted.

Harry was quite convinced. This was going to be wonderful. Every encounter the she had had with the magical world so far had been wonderful, funny or spectacular! However, these feelings were pushed aside when she remembered where she was and why. Hadn't Professor McGonagall said they were to be sorted? What if she didn't get the same house as Ron?

“There's no need to worry, mate! They say your house is like your family, so I'm sure we'll get a good one!”

For a moment Harry was afraid that her emotions and worries had shown on her face, but then she realized that Ron's comment wasn't actually meant to assure her but himself. The boy was visibly nervous.

“Yes, it'll be fine!” smiled Harry even though she wasn't sure she believed it.

Ron gave a weak smile but stopped trembling quite as much. Suddenly they heard a voice as an old man with a long white beard stood and bid everyone welcome. What he said didn't make much sense to Harry until he got to the part about the third floor being forbidden from everyone who didn't wish to die a painful death. The man, or Professor Dumbledore as the headmaster had introduced himself, said this with such a strange twinkle in his eyes that Harry wasn't quite sure whether he meant that or not. Surely he couldn't. Wasn't this a school?

“He's kidding, right?” Harry whispered to Ron.

The boy shrugged and replied: “I don't think so. I'm not sure. We'll ask my brothers.”

It was then singing interrupted their conversation. Harry turned her head and looked up towards what she assumed was the teachers' table since it was where the adults were seated. In front of it stood Professor McGonagall with a very stern expression. Next to her was a chair and on the chair was an old pointy hat – and the hat was singing! Harry's eyes were wide as saucers and she tried her best to listen to what the hat was singing.

It appeared to be singing about the houses and Harry realized that the four other tables had to belong to them. The hat went on about loyalty and power and honor and... interference? She was having a hard time paying attention and found her eyes wandering again. Her eyes settled on the teachers' table. There was an empty seat next to the headmaster which Harry assumed belonged to Professor McGonagall. For a moment she could have sworn that the old man was looking in her direction but she must have been mistaken for the next moment he was listening to something the person next to him was whispering. That person was a very small man indeed for Dumbledore had to bend down a bit to hear him. Harry turned her attention back to her nervous friend and the hat's song without realizing that someone at the head table was indeed watching her.

Then the song ended on it's... 17th verse? Harry had been trying to pay attention but she had begun daydreaming after about four verses and was not pulled back to reality until near the end where the hat had gone all doom and gloom on them. Professor McGonagall picked up the hat and held up a list in her other hand.

“When I call your name step forward and take a seat,” McGonagall reminded them.

“Hermione Granger!”

The girl with the frizzy hair that Harry had only met briefly walked to the chair whilst mumbling assurances to herself. The professor put the hat down onto her head.

“GRYFFINDOR!” the hat cried after a little while and the room erupted in cheers.

Hermione smiled widely and jumped of the chair and made her way to the table that had red and gold banners hanging over it. Harry applauded along with the other students although she had little idea of the implications of the sorting ritual but Hermione's reaction told her that Gryffindor could not be a bad thing. McGonagall called a few more names of children Harry didn't know and that hat shouted out Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff.

“Draco Malfoy!” called McGonagall.

The blond boy from earlier made his way to the chair with a smirk. Harry watched closely. The hat barely even touched him before it called out:

“SLYTHERIN!”

The blond boy grinned widely and made his way to the table with the green and silver decoration. Harry observed that no other table was applauding.

“Figures! All the bad wizards go there,” mumbled Ron at his side but then McGonagall called:

“Ronald Weasley!”

Ron went completely white and Harry had to push him gently in the back to make him move forward. The hat seemed to be taunting him a bit but eventually placed Ron in Gryffindor. The relieved expression on Ron's face made Harry smile as clearly this was exactly what Ron was hoping for.

“Harry Potter!”

The room went completely silent. Harry suddenly got scared. She began slowly moving towards the chair. What if the hat could tell? What if it refused to sort her? What if she had to go back home? As she crawled up onto the chair a familiar resilience kicked in. It was what enabled her to carry on in silence at the Dursleys' despite their harsh words and the endless chores. It was her survival mode. Then she felt the hat fall onto her head. It was much too big and fell down over her eyes.

“Hello, Harry! I've been waiting for you!”

She froze. She had heard the hat's voice but it sounded different. As if it was coming from inside the hat and inside her head at the same time. She wondered if anyone else could hear it. She hadn't heard a word when the others were sorted except for with Ron.

“Y.. You have?” she whispered.

“Indeed I have! It seems like it was only yesterday your parents were sorted! Now let me see.. Hmm.. Loyal you certainly are. Clever too.. Brave, there's certainly no doubt about that! But where should I put you?”

“Not Slytherin!” Harry quickly said. She couldn't bear the thought of being in the same house as Malfoy! No, he had called Ron a freak!

“Not Slytherin? But Harry, don't you see? You are ambitious, greatness is your destiny, you are resourceful and cunning even if you do not realize it and you protect your own fiercely. You would do very well indeed in Slytherin.”

“Not Slytherin! Not Slytherin!” Harry began chanting as she grabbed the edge of the chair so hard her knuckles turned white.

“Do you think you know better than me?” The hat inquired.

“Eh.. No, Mr Hat, sir! I just.. Please! Not Slytherin! Anything but Slytherin!” she replied, silently thinking that if she became a Slytherin she'd burn the stupid hat!

“Harry, I can see what you're thinking,” the hat informed her and she began trembling.

“But you won't change your mind will you? If I cannot persuade you then... GRYFFINDOR!”

The hat cried the last word loud enough for the whole hall to hear and cheers followed. It was then when McGonagall removed the hat and looked at her strangely that she realized she'd been under the hat longer than anyone else and everyone had waited in suspense for at least five minutes for her. She was too ecstatic to care and she skipped down to the Gryffindor table as fast as she could, where Ron made room for her next to him.

“Congrats, mate! We thought the hat was going to swallow you for a moment there!” Ron grinned.

“Oh, Ronnie! Why don't you let...”

“... the boy have a moment to calm down! After all...”

“... He just fought a hungry hat!”

Two identical faces with red hair was smiling at her and Harry grinned back at them. She had a pretty good idea who this was.

“Fred and George, my brothers,” smiled Ron and shrugged.

Harry giggled and looked around as more students joined them. Then the sorting was over and the headmaster rose from his seat and declared the feast begun. Harry almost fell of the bench when suddenly mountains of food and sweets appeared in front of her. She had never seen so much food in her life! And that was saying something for she lived with Vernon and Dudley, whom she was pretty sure could eat their own bodyweight in a day.

Ron immediately digged in and filled his plate with a pile of food. Harry just looked at it. She wasn't quite sure if she was actually allowed to take it. No one had told her she could and Petunia and Vernon's voices whispered in the back of her mind. She decides it was better to be safe and not touch it, besides she wasn't even sure I she could eat after all the excitement and so she looked up at the teachers' table once again. This time, however, she suddenly locked eyes with someone.

Near the end of table, seated next to a man in a purple turban, sat a tall man completely dressed in black. He had shoulder lenght straight black hair and a pale complexion. His eyes were like two deep black holes and Harry gulped as she realized that not only had the man been starring at her before she looked his way but he didn't look pleased at all!

---

Severus was walking towards his office at an impressive pace even for him. He had to go and welcome the new Slytherin first years and introduce them to the school, the rules and their house but this wasn't what was on his mind. He was furious because he had been right.

As soon as the new students entered the hall he had searched the crowd for Potter. At first he had looked for redheads – still hoping he would find a little Lily but all he had found was two girls and what could only be a Weasley. Then his eyes had fixed on a a little green eyed boy next to the Weasley and he almost kicked the table. It was James. No, it wasn't James but if it hadn't been for the eyes the boy sure could have fooled him! Severus narrowed his eyes and tried to see whether he could spot the famous scar under the child's bangs but he didn't need to. That child could only be the spawn of James Potter.

He wasn't sure what was worse – seeing a miniature James Potter or seeing Lily's eyes full of life for the first time in years. Of course they were Potter's eyes but Severus almost felt as if the boy had stolen them from Lily. He had no right to them. It all made sense to Snape now. The boy not responding to his letters. He was every bit as arrogant as James and spoiled too! He hadn't even touched the food! No doubt, he felt it wasn't up to his standard!

Of course in the back of his mind Severus knew that wasn't completely sound reasoning – but the boy was a Gryffindor! Just like his father! And Severus was sure he'd be running around the castle like he owned it in no time just like James had.

But Lily was a Gryffindor... NO! She was not a real Gryffindor! She was better than that!

---

Harry and Ron followed Percy into the common room. Harry had noticed that Ron didn't introduce Percy as his brother with the same enthusiasm as he had the twins and Harry wasn't sure why. Sure, he seemed very serious but not really unfriendly. She didn't dwell much on this subject because she had had a very strange experience in the great hall. Not long after she locked eyes with the dark man she had gotten the strangest headache which seemed to be centered around her scar. The twins had told her the man was Professor Snape and that he lived in the dungeons, taught potions, was a nasty git and ate first years for breakfast. Percy had told them to shut up and respect their teachers but still given Harry a strange look and told her that she had better 'stay clear of Snape'. Naturally she was confused.

“Boys dormitories to your left, girls to your right! Girls you had better remember which is yours. You shouldn't go up to the boys.” said Percy and pointed to two spiral staircases.

Harry paused. Where was she going to go?

“Why only the girls?” said Hermione somewhere behind her.

“The boys can't go up the girls' stairs,” said an older girl sitting in one of the armchairs by the fire.

“Come on, Harry! Otherwise the others get first pick!” smiled Ron and grabbed Harry's arm.

Together they ran up the stairs and into the first year dorm. Harry sighed with relief. The beds were large and had red drapings that offered privacy. The room was warm even though there was no fireplace and there were large windows on one side. Ron jumped onto one of the beds and smiled at Harry who chose the one opposite Ron's. She found all their luggage stacked against one wall and pulled her trunk over to the selected bed as the other boys joined them.

It wasn't long before they were all going to bed. Harry simply sat on her bed and watched the other boys reading and talking and laughing. She felt oddly at peace. Like she had just come home. A boy named Seamus suggested they had better go to sleep since they would have their first class tomorrow and the others agreed.

A few hours later Harry was still unable to sleep. She felt like she was drowning in the covers and pillows. The soft bed felt strange to a girl who had always slept in a cupboard on a thin mattress. In the end she got out of bed and pulled the two top covers off the bed before she crept underneath it and curled up on the floor. Under the bed she felt safer and much more at home. It was with these thoughts of 'home' that she finally drifted off to sleep.