They filed down a winding path away from the train, but not heading in the direction of the other students either. Rita had no idea what was going on but she had her eyes wide open and she was trying to drink it all in. But the fading light was making it hard.

Hiccup was visibly trembling. He didn't do so well in the dark and on further inspection, his mother wasn't going to be at the end of the line with warm milk and a plate of ice mice cookies. This wasn't at all what he signed on for. And his robes were a tad long having belonged to his father during his Hogwarts years and he was trying not to trip over them and sprawl in the dirt.

They circled around a bend and when they came to the clearing everyone stopped and some even gasped. It was a small dock with several little dingy boats bobbing up and down in the smooth black water. “4 to a boat.” The woman with the lantern called out. Rita was the first to break away from the pack and head over to a boat. She selected one and scrambled aboard. Hiccup was hot on her tail. She sat at the helm of the boat near the lantern. Hiccup rocked the boat stumbling into the boat and Arthur was right behind him. Rita sighed, it seemed she had picked up another clumsy sidekick.

Just her luck.

They all settled in and Rita was happy to have their boat with just the two of them. However another kid had other ideas. See was a rather skinny kid with a curtain of slicked black hair. See eyed the boat and then eyed them all. “Move along down there.” The Lantern Lady barked. The black haired kid stepped aboard and sat down in the very edge of the seat.

“Glad your highness could join us,” Rita told her rolling her eyes. She'd never had much practice rolling her eyes, but she had seen the gesture. She felt she should add it to her repertoire. Hiccup thought it made her look like she had eating bad clams, but he would never tell her that.

The girl ignored her with a menacing glare as the boats pulled away from the dock under their own charm. Hiccup and Rita were wearing matching smirks as they settled into their seats for the ride.

Rita thought this was the best way to arrive at school. It had a certain pomp and circumstance to it. Regal even. Something she rightly wanted to get used to. She enjoyed her neat little home with her boring parents and her mother's subpar food. But Rita had big dreams, her dream had dreams you know. And they went well beyond Jupiter Hollow.

Hiccup just thought her comment to the black haired girl was funny.

His eyes were drawn to Rita's face, her jaw had dropped open and he turned around in his seat to see what had caused that reaction from her. His jaw dropped a little bit, and Arthur chocked on the bottle of pumpkin juice he had been chugging the either ride.

Hogwarts Castle had just come into view. Every little eleven year old pair of eyes was gawking at it. All the windows were light up and the turrets were soaring. Rita's head tried to lean back to see how far up they went. It was impossible with the twilight they were floating in. The sheer rock face seemed to have given birth to the castle it was so seemingly integrated.

“Wow,” everyone whispered.

The boats floated up under the castle into a simple little dock built into a well lit cave. Everyone carefully got out of their boats and stood on the dock waiting for the Lantern Lady. She got out of her boat last and strode to the front of the group and lead them up a wide stone staircase to the huge door that soared 10 feet into the ceiling.

The Lantern Lady had to use her wand to lift the heavy knocked attached to the door. It fell back against the wood 3 solid times.

The door swung open to reveal a sever looking witch with a no nonsense face. “The first years for you Professor McGonagall.” she gave the sever witch a curt nod.

Hiccup gulped, this lady didn't look like she was up to rubbing his tummy when he got sick.

“Thank you Madame Merriweather.” Professor McGongall said. Rita thought she was way to young to look that sever. And she wondered what sort of tragic life she had lead before taking up a teaching post at Hogwarts. “This way,” she turned around sharply and the flare of her cloak caused a few students to falter back out of the way.

The group of first years followed up behind the fast moving professor. The walked and walked, and Rita felt like they were going to end up in the clouds and frankly she was tired at this point. Her dinner was late and a late dinner was not good to a girl that took pleasure in throwing tantrums.

“Are we there yet,” she whined stopping to rub her foot dramatically. Hiccup sighed, Rita was already in a foul mood and when that happened she made everyone suffer for it.

Everyone in the party halted and Professor McGongall slowly turned around. “What pressing appointment do you have Ms. Skeeter?” she asked simply with a raise of her arched eyebrow. Rita didn't answer and the professor turned back and around and they continued on with their journey. Rita frowned, she was not used to her demands not being heeded. But she had to give the witch style, that eyebrow arch was a thing of beauty.

Before she could work herself up the professor opened a door and ushered them inside. “Welcome To Hogwarts.” a few students smiled and she continued. “The start of term feast 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. 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 Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Slytherin and Hufflepuff. Each house as a nobel history and all have produced outstanding witches and wizards.” She looked around at each of them as she spoke. “While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while rule-breaking will lose house points. At the end of the term the house with the most points will win the House cup. Which is a great honor. I know each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes your home.” Hers eyes lingered on all of them at the end of her speech. “I will be back to collect you in a moment. Take this time to smarten up.” She eyed Arthur who had a orange ring around his mouth and a goofy expression on his face. With a nod she left them alone in the room and Rita stamped her foot for good measure.

Everyone started to mill around, talking among their little group, but Rita was a child spurned and she didn't like it. So she was holding her conversation with the others hostage. Hiccup pouted, he hated it when Rita ignored him. The black hair boy stood in the corner and brooded. It seemed the best way to go about things.

It was only a few minutes that the professor was gone but to Rita it felt like an eternity. At first she thought all this rigamarole was nice, but it was just draining and she was so hungry. Her stomach was not happy either. Her mother's porridge had not made it a happy camper and he was going to file a formal complaint in the morning.

Professor McGongall walked back into the room and all the side conversations ceased. She placed them all in alphabetical order “Follow me please. Stay in line.” she turned around and walked back through the door.

They marched out behind her into a sweeping hall and through a set of double doors. Rita was taken aback. She did not expect this, and her stomach did a few cartwheels. That was its favorite scared and nervous reaction.

They were walking into the lion's den. The entire school was there and staring at them as they marched through up the isle toward the raised dais in the front. Rita took in the entire Great Hall as they marched up toward the front. She was trying to take in every detail, every nook and cranny to put quill to parchment when she finally got to her bed. Rita hoped there was a bed at the end of this. A thousand floating candles lit the place up and added a soft glow to everyone's face, but no one was in shadow or relief.

All the students were seated at four long tables bursting with golden plates and flatware. Rita couldn't wait to eat like the princess she swore she was. The raised dais contained another long table that Rita guessed contained all the staff and professors. It was the only table with all the old people.

Professor McGongall marched them right up to the front so that they faces the students with their backs to the staff. Rita watched keenly as the professor placed a ragged milkmaids stool in front of them with an even dirtier looking hat on top of it. A frown creased Rita's face. What was going on?

No one was making a sound and for a second Rita contemplating saying something and then the hat gave a little twitch. She nearly jumped out of her robes. A wide tear appeared on the hat and Rita stared in rabid fascination.

And then the hat started to sing.

Oh you may not think me pretty,*
But don't judge on what you see,*
I'll eat myself if you can find*
A smarter hat than me.*
You can keep your bowlers black,*
Your top hats sleek and tall,*
For I'm the*Hogwarts*Sorting Hat*
And I can cap them all.*
There's nothing hidden in your head*
The Sorting Hat can't see,*
So try me on and I will tell you*
Where you ought to be.*

You might belong in*Gryffindor,*
Where dwell the brave at heart,*
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry*
Set*Gryffindors apart;*
You might belong in*Hufflepuff,*
Where they are just and loyal,*
Those patient*Hufflepuffs are true*
And unafraid of toil;*
Or yet in wise old*Ravenclaw,*
if you've a ready mind,*
Where those of wit and learning,*
Will always find their kind;*
Or perhaps in*Slytherin*
You'll make your real friends,*
Those cunning folks use any means*
To achieve their ends.*

So put me on! Don't be afraid!*
And don't get in a flap!*
You're in safe hands (though I have none)*
For I'm a Thinking Cap!

Hiccup clapped at the end of the song and there was some giggle through the Hall. He blushed and let his hands drop to his side. But then everyone else applauded and he grinned and joined in the clapping.

Professor McGongall stepped forward and unrolled a short piece of parchment. “When I call your name step forward and sit on the stool, I will place the hat on your head and you will be sorted.” A nervous ripple went through them all. “Apple, Becca.” a chubby pink faced girl waddled up to the stool and sat down.

As soon as the hat touched her head “RAVENCLAW!” it screamed. The table second from the left erupted in cheers and the girl rushed down to sit with her table.

“Black, Bellatrix.” The black haired girl strode up to the stool and sat down. The hat hovered above her head before shouting, “SLYTHERIN.” The table second from the right cheered loudly and Bellatrix swaggered over to them and sat down quite pleased with everything.

“Cribbs, Mackenzie.” The tall girl walked up to the stool and sat down.

The hat was lowered on to her head and it sat there. A second later, “HUFFLEPUFF.” The table on the right cheered and Mackenzie walked over to sit with her house.

Poppy Darby become a Gryffindor and the table on the far left cheered. Dixon went to Ravneclaw, Diggle went to Hufflepuff.

“Patton Holliday.” Rita looked on as Hiccup tipped over himself sitting on the stool. The hat was lowered on his hat and it sat there for a few seconds. “GRYFFINDOR.” The table erupted and Rita clapped as Hiccup scrambled down to sit with his table.

She didn't hear any other the other sortings and almost missed her name came up. “Skeeter, Margarita.” She squared her shoulders and walked up to the stool and sat down.

The hat was lowered onto her head. “Plenty of courage I see but there is a ambitious streak that runs as hot as the blush on your face. Well it better be SLYTHERIN!” Rita took the hat off her head and walked over to her new house.

She looked over at Hiccup and he was pouting, she shrugged. Rita was more ambitious than him. And she was in the right house to claw her way to the top.

Well that's what the hat had told her anyways.