Neville & I

I am Home.

    As I clambered off the rowboat, I saw the beautiful castle I would be residing at...the turrets smiled down upon me and the sky glittered with the beauty of a new frontier...I am home.

  Professor McGonagall was waiting for us at the front steps, her thin mouth set into a rarely-seen smile, "Welcome first years.  As you know, you are all here to become part of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry..", we all listened with bated breath, "The sorting ceremony will take place shortly.".

   Looking around the crowd of fellow first years, there seemed to be scope for friendship,  Neville was at the back of the crowd, clutching a big book.  This was all very overwhelming, so any somewhat familiar face was a welcome sight.  It was strange to think that I would be living here for the next seven years.  Hogwarts was as real to me as anything, but it all had a hint of surrealness about it.  This was the moment everything had been leading up to!  Lavender, Lilibeth, Neville...none of it mattered right now.  This was cause to indulge.

   We all trooped into the great hall, we had somehow all managed to change into out robes on the Hogwarts Express, so things were running smoothly so far.  We all lined up against one of the stone walls, and surveyed the many, many faces looking at us in expectation.  The Ravenclaws had a look of knowingness and superiority,  the Gryffindors looked full-of-fun and reckless, the Hufflepuffs all seemed quite serene and calm, but the Slytherins had faces full of malice.  They all seemed like fun houses to join, maybe even the Slytherins had some sort of sprite to them?

  I scanned everything in the Great Hall hungerly, the torches, the house-flags, the people, even the beautifully enchanted sky that reflected the night outside.  Who knew which house I would end up in, whichever one it was...I know this place is home...nonetheless.

  Now, just to wait for McGonagall to start calling names..