*Discontinued* No Longer

Evan Wins. . . Nott!

Harry Potter**

Blaise was the first off their boat, and he extended his hand for the other three boys as they too disembarked. Harry had a bit of trouble, his shorter legs requiring more effort to get him out, and in the end Blaise just grasped him under the arms and set him on the dock. Needless to say, Harry was blushing at his own lack of ability. Being so damn short sucked.

Hagrid, who'd ushered all the first years from the train to the boats, was still with them, and lead them as a pack in his wake as he knocked upon the castle door three times.

The door swung open at once to reveal a tall, stern-faced witch with a pinched mouth, as if she'd bitten into a lemon. Harry knew from this first glance that it must be Minerva McGonagall, though she was now older than she had been in the memories he'd gotten from his parents.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," Hagrid said happily, beaming at the prim black-haired woman.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."

Draco leaned over to whisper into Blaise's ear, "Better to watch for her. My father says she's good at her job, but is completely in Dumbledore's pocket. Expects the worst of us Slytherins, and is no light hand with punishments."

Blaise nodded, and straightened back up. McGonagall pulled the heavy doors open wide, and led them into Hogwarts. Harry gasped silently, eyes going wide the second his foot hit the flag stone. Hogwarts was alive. Literally, every inch was permeated with magic, and he could feel that it was sentient.

|Hello, Hogwarts| Harry said with his magic.

|Hello, Child of The Five|

|Why do you call me that?| Harry asked, looking around at the stone walls lit with torches like the ones at Gringotts. He could remember the goblin seer, Quicksnap, calling him the Child of The Five, and he was desperate to know what it meant.

|Because that is what you are youngling|

|Yes, but what does it mean?|

|It's not my place to tell, child. You'll learn in time, and right now, I suggest you focus on the world around you more. Else you'll worry your friends.|

Harry looked to the right to see Draco looking at him with a hint of concern. The other first years had already begun to follow the professor to a small, empty room off of the main hall. Harry immediately began to follow them, crowding amongst his peers rather closer than he'd have liked, as those around him were practically vibrating with nervous energy and huddled to feel more secure in this strange new environment.

"Welcome to Hogwarts. The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.

"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Each house has a noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."

Harry noticed her eyes lingered on a red-haired freckled boy with a black smudge on his face, on a girl with pumpkin pasty crumbs all down the front of her robes, and finally on Neville's cloak, which was positioned so the clasp was over his shoulder. Quickly, he remedied the cloak situation. Neville had stopped slouching so much, and began making better eye contact after Harry had removed the blocks and potion, but that didn't mean Neville wasn't the same person anymore.