“Okay, so we’re supposed to change into robes, right.” I said after about four hours on the train. 

“Right…” Remus said, obviously wondering where this was going.

“How on earth are we supposed to know when to change into them?” 

James shrugged, “Better sooner than later I guess.”

I nodded, “Ok then, I’ll be back.” I grabbed the uniform from my bag and stepped out the door. 

I realized right after I left that I had no idea where the bathroom was on the train. I wandered around, looking for someone who could tell me. I went up to an older girl, “Hey, could you tell me where to find the bathroom?”
She grinned at me as I flushed, “It’s fine. Other people have asked me the same question.” 

I nodded gratefully and changed into the uniform. The uniform included a gray pleated skirt, a white collared shirt with a gray sweater vest, a tie in your house colors, black shoes and long gray socks, and black robes with the inside being your house color. For now, it was all black and gray. 

I frowned at my reflection, what color would my robe end up being? What emblem would I have for the next seven years? None of them would be particularly bad, even Slytherin. Preferably, I would be wearing blue or yellow at the end of tonight. I thought that Hufflepuff seemed nice, and I thought loyalty was one of my main qualities, it had gotten me into trouble on more than one occasion. Ravenclaw also seemed like a good place to go, probably because of my ‘extreme lust for knowledge’ as my father had said. 

I shook my head, any house would be fine. I didn’t have to be nervous. 

I would do just fine in whatever test they would have us take.

“I was wondering if you had gotten lost.” Remus joked as I opened the compartment door again. 

“Nope.” I smiled, “What do you think the test will be?”
James frowned, “What test?”
“The one that tells us what house we’ll be in.”

James opened his mouth, closed it, and then said, “I have no clue.”

I looked over to Remus, “You know?”

He shrugged, “No clue.” 

I raised my eyebrow at him, “Ok then.”

Suddenly the train lurched to a stop and I jumped up, “Finally!”

Sirius laughed, “Eager to get away from us?”

“Uh, yes.” I said laughing at the mock heartbroken expression he was giving me. 

“Oh but you can’t get rid of us that easily.” James said as we exited the train. I rolled my eyes. 

“Please leave your luggage on the train, your trunks will be brought to your dormitory separately.” I gratefully pulled my hand off the trunk. It was extremely heavy for its size, being loaded with books and who knows what else. 

“First years. First years follow me to the boats.” There was a tall man standing next to the train.

We walked and soon we were at a lake that had loads of boats sitting on the edge, waiting.

“The black lake.” I heard someone say from behind me. “Wicked.”

“Four per boat. No more no less. Four people per boat.” The man who guided us said and I looked at our group. Four.

“H-hi.” A short boy with blonde hair said from behind us. “D-do you think that- that I could-” he motioned for the boats. “Ride with you guys?” 

He looked so scared, “Uh, sure. Also, what’s your name?” I said, giving him a reassuring smile. 

“P- Peter Petegrew.”

“Um, what about the four people per boat rule?” Remus asked. 

“I can find another boat-” I said, already glancing around for people to ask. 

“Oh no no no. You can not get rid of us that easily.” Sirius restated James’s comment from earlier. “He’s not going to notice one group with five people instead of four.”
“No really, I can find another group. It’s fine.” They were going to sink the boat. No way was I going to be part of that. 

James shook his head, “I will allow you to do no such thing.” 

He and Sirius laughed and jumped into the boat, pulling me with them. Remus and Peter got in. Surprisingly, the boat didn’t look like it was going to sink. It was crowded though. I had been squished in between Remus and the edge of the boat.

“Might want to watch, you’ll be getting your first view of Hogwarts in a second.” 

I fixed my gaze up ahead, waiting to see the school I would spend seven years at. 

And then it came into view. I gasped. It had beautiful tan stone and gray roofing. There were several towers that were tall and elegant. I loved it. Who had come up with this? It was obviously ancient, like an old monument, but it still stood. Tall, defiant of all the forces and time that tried to knock it down. I was fixated on the old building. “Wow.”

Everyone else in the boat nodded in agreement, still staring at the glorious castle. 

By the time we had docked, I could still hardly believe that this was where I would be living. Jack’s description didn’t do it justice. 

“Come on, keep up.” The man leading us said, glancing back at us. 

I couldn’t wait to see the inside, see if it was as great as the outside was. 

As we entered the building, the elegant architecture blew me away once more. I marveled in the brilliance of it all. It was set up practically, but beautifly. 

Suddenly, the teacher stopped at two big wooden doors. “Wait here, Professor McGonagall will be here shortly.”
And then he was gone. Instantly, hushed whispering started, quickly turning into loud conversations.
I however, was so nervous about the test, I couldn't utter a single word. Remus, Sirius, James, and Peter were making a bet on what we would be facing to earn our way into a house. Sirius said that it would be a test of magic, James said it would be a troll, Remus said that it would be similar to a personality test, and Peter just listened intently. 

“Welcome to Hogwarts.” A stern-looking woman arrived, wearing an emerald green robe. “Tonight, you will be sorted into your houses. During your time at Hogwarts, your house will be like your family. All classes will be with your house, you will sleep with your house and spend free time in your respective common room. The four houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own triumphs, and each has produced its share of legendary witches and wizards. During your time at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn you points, while any rule-breaking will lose points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points will be awarded the house cup, which is a great honor. I hope that each of you will bring honor to your houses.” She glanced at us, “Get in a line, and follow me. The sorting ceremony will commence now.”