Giddy and somewhat paralyzed from excitement and anxiety, we went across the lake. Hagrid talked mostly and I just nodded or mumbled. When we got there he looked at me.
"Now, I'm Hagrid. If yeh ever have a problem or want to know some magic thing yeh don't, you can come to me. I live in tha hut beside tha castle." I nodded once more and smiled. "Will do."
We walked inside and I gasped in awe. Sure I'd imagined it. But I was wrong. So wrong. It was so much bigger. Professor - no, headmistress - McGonagall was waiting for us.
"Welcome to Hogwarts! Tonight, you will be sorted into your houses. There is Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. These are the houses that you will be in all year, they will be like your family. You can win -and loose points for your houses (I'll tell you more about this later). Please, follow me and when I call your name, you will be sorted.
I held my breath as we went in. Looking up I saw the clear night sky and smiled. It was absolutely beautiful. We stopped in front of everyone. I thought professor McGonagall was going to start calling names the sorting hat burst into song.

I am an old and wondrous thing
Older than you, human being.
Into a house I will sort
In the witness of this court.
Gryffindor, the courageous and brave.
Slytherin, with cunning knaves.
Ravenclaw, intelligent, knowledge keepers.
And Hufflepuff, loyal, item seekers.
Come together to form one.
As we are only powerful as we are united.

The room thundered with applause and I could barely hear anything other than a ringing in my ears. That is, until, professor McGonagall started calling the names of students. "Bones, Amy." A scared looking girl trembled her way up to the stool where the hat was placed.
It took less than a minute for it to decide. "HUFFLEPUFF!" She smiled sheepishly and the Hufflepuff table clapped loudly. "Cavein, Samuel." A heavy boy with black, curly hair walked up. The sorting hat was placed on his head and within a couple seconds it said, "HUFFLEPUFF!"
"Dare, Casey." I drew in a breath and put on a confident face as I walked up there.
As the hat was placed on my head and covered my eyes I heard what sounded like a voice inside my head. "Ahh, very smart. Nice and cunning too. And I see bravery, recent bravery by the looks of it. I don't know... You do have a knack for finding things don't you?" I snorted. "No." I thought, "I can't find my phone if it's in my pocket. And I don't really want to be a Ravenclaw." It was the hat's turn to laugh. "But you would do soooo well... Alright you don't want Ravenclaw... Must be a GRYFFINDOR!"
I stood up with a bemused expression but walked to my new house table without fault. Why am I a Gryffindor. I kind of wanted to be a Slytherin too.
"Isami, Zach." A tall boy walked up there cockily. "GRYFFINDOR!" That was the fastest one yet. He smiled and came down. He made a point to sit beside me, while I made a point to ignore him. "Locklear, Hope." She had really pretty, long, brown hair. "GRYFFINDOR!" She sat across from me and had her eyes on the other Gryffindor boy.
I stopped really listening to the names and looked around.
James caught my eye and started talking to me. "I thought you said Ravenclaw..." I shrugged. "I thought I did too." He nodded slowly and turned back to one of his friends, just as boy went to the Ravenclaw table.
"Scott, Isabelle." A girl with long dark hair walked up with a smirk. "SLYTHERIN!" She flipped her hair and sashayed to the Slytherin table. I waited for the next name with a disgusted face.
"Summers, Cheyenne." She frowned at her whole name then realized she had to go up. If I didn't know her I'd mistake her intelligence for stupidity, then again, its the same for me. She sat and I stared at the hat for what felt like forever. "SLYTHERIN!" It finally announced. She looked toward me and we had I silent pathologic conversation like only girl best friends can. She went to sit down, both of us confused.
I turned to the girl sitting next to me. "Can you get James, please?" She looked at me sideways. "Who's that?" I sighed.
"Aye, James!" He turned towards me sharply. "What?" He sounded annoyed, like I could annoy anyone. "You know the Slytherin's password, or you will know. Correct?" He grinned and nodded.
I turned back just in time to hear professor McGonagall call the last name. "Weasly, Hugo." He walked up somewhat confidently and sat down. Just after the hat was put on his head, barely enough time for me to think about it, the hat announced, "GRYFFINDOR!"
I clapped and turned the boy beside me... Zach, maybe, I didn't have to get his attention because he was staring at me. "Could you move some? I was saving this seat before you rudely interrupted my saving." I had caught him way off guard. It was nice. "Uh, yeah I guess." He moved and I motioned to Hugo to sit over here.
He smiled to see a friendly face, and James. I could tell that James used Hugo for "story time about Hogwarts" rather often. Rose beamed at him only the way an older sister or mom could.
Professor McGonagall put the hat down and looked over everyone. "Welcome to Hogwarts, some of you for the first time, and some for the last. Before we begin this wonderful year, I do have a few announcements. First, this year first years will be able to play quidditch.
We have a new potions professor. professor Margaret will be taking over that job.
The seventh floor corridor... It is against the rules to walk past it more than twice in one run.
The house points system is still in effect. The better you are, the more points you'll get. The house with the most points will get the house cup at the end of the year.
Have a safe and knowledgeable year. The feast will begin." She clapped twice and piles upon piles of food, the most I'd ever seen in my whole life, was on the tables.
I ate so much I thought I might bust open. I ate so much, people started to look at me weird. That doesn't usually happen at my house... Is it just an England thing? Or just an American thing... I have no idea.
We eventually grouped up with the prefects and they led the way to our portrait. "Homorae." The portrait opened, occasionally saying something about a student.
As I got up to my room, where I would be staying with three other girls and fell asleep. That's when the dreams got crazy.