Cole quickly took a seat at the Gryffindor table near the end, closest to the dais trying to not think about gloomy, sad things like the fact that it was his last year ever at Hogwarts. Then he was practically considered an adult, Oh so creepy and nerve-wrecking. Since no other lions had arrived yet Cole let his eyes scan the faces up at the staff table. He immediately saw that two were missing from last year. He hadn’t really thought much about Prof Rainwater, but Professor Noble he had really liked, so he was genuinely sad and disappointed to not see him up there amongst Williamson and the others. There was an unfamiliar woman up there though, maybe she was the new potions master?

Not sure what to do since he was alone and had nobody to talk to, Cole pulled out the last of his bertie botts beans from his robes and poured them out over his plate. Starting to make a bean tower as he hummed to himself Cole wondered when he’d get some company.

Bernie was here, trailing into the Great Hall with her nose stuck in a magazine she'd encountered over the summer. It was funny and full of typos and you had to sometimes wear like 4D 4K UHD SPECIAL DEF X-RAY GLASSES to read parts of it, but she liked it. And she was like, a big, mature fourteen-year-old now, so. She was keeping herself out of trouble...by keeping to herself.

"Oh hey Cole," she greeted her housemate, sitting down at the table across from him. This was an impressive feat, considering she hadn't lowered her magazine yet and had no idea what he was doing on the other side of the table. "Did you have a nice summer?"

SHE HAD. She had had LOADS of fun.

Fourth year. Fourth! Cecelia wasn’t entirely sure how she’d managed to survive the terms leading up to this one, but it probably had a lot to do with her friends. One of which wasn’t coming back...She knew this term was going to be so so so so weird without her, Tavie being the one that could talk sense to her, help her study, offer her guidance. Tavie who understood her and made sure her secrets were safe. Brainy and beautiful and awesome Tavie. She missed her already and they’d only just arrived. Honestly, the only reason she was putting on a brave face was for Flynn. She knew this was going to be worse for him. There was also the matter of her brother. The adorable little brother sized distraction that was Sammy was enough to take Cecelia’s mind off of all things worrisome and she was thankful for that.

The fourteen year old hurried to her seat, flopping down and propping her chin on her hand and bouncing her knees in anticipation, eyes on the sorting ceremony and on a familiar head of hair that was shiny and almost as good as dad’s. She was nervous for him. Sam was gentle and kind and needed to be taken care of and whatever house he wanted, that was the house Cecelia wanted for him. She just hoped he’d remember to be himself and not be scared of the smelly old hat and to say what he’d prefer because it was okay to say, even if it didn’t mean the hat would be swayed. The point was it could help. That was the point.

”My brother is being sorted tonight,” She announced to those around her, because it was important they knew. ”Whatever house he gets, let’s all cheer for him. It’ll make his night.” And embarrass him, but lots of things did that, she’d decided.

With the dramatic effect of one Professor Quirrel running into the great hall about the troll in the dungeon—Charlie strutted into the great hall. If anyone had told the 13-year-old that she should be in uniform tonight she would have scoffed at them. Going home for the summer had gone and blown up her confidence.

With her curls bouncing and her eyes glancing at the other tables she let her robes billow showing her choice of outfit. Her skirt was a red and gold plaid to show her gryffindor pride—rawr and all. Her top was a better white top than those drab ones they were forced to wear as uniforms. To round out the top she had on her bedazzled Gryffindor tie. So sure it wasn’t totally out of uniform. But she refused to wear that drab grey outfit.

Giving a nod to Cole sitting down at the very end of the table and glancing at Bernie, she decided maybe Cecelia would be the best one to sit by. She stepped into the bench and slid closer to Cecelia. “Mind if I sit here?” she smiled widely hoping no one would mind.

So...that had been a train ride. Despite the fresh scratches on his face and the ringlet of puncture wounds around his nose, Joshua couldn't say that it was the most eventful of train rides to school...but it was up there.

Top 3.

He didn't really want to see Healer Recard so early in the term, but he also didn't know what sort of disease or poison (thanks for making him paranoid about THAT, Babs) those fangs and claw may have on them so...better safe than sorry. Or else he may have to lose his nose and end up looking like Voldemort. But the American hadn't spotted the blonde woman so he would have to wait until after the speech to head up to the dais and ask for some ointment or something.

His left eye, the claw mark there, felt a little deeper than the others and stung the most. Especially when he touched it which...apparently he had to check every five to ten minutes to see if it really did still hurt or if it had miraculously healed or if something was sprouting from it.

Otherwise, Josh was pretty much a-okay and eager to find a seat at the Gryffindor table to settle in for the night. Keeping an eye out for his dormmates (especially Jacob and Spencer), his eyes were also wandering up and down the benches for a certain lightly freckled brunette...and his leg was popping up and down, up on his tip toes and back flat, rapidly while his head bopped to a very specific beat in his head. He nearly started to whistle when his eyes fell on Bernie with her nose stuck in a magazine of some sort. "Really? Only 3 ways? There are more than that," he teased as he picked some random highlighted article on the cover of the publication and flashed her a quick grin in case she did peek over at him.

He didn't really know the seventh year, so he sort of just offered a simple raised hand like a quick wave to greet him and a casually little, "Yo." Cecelia he knew OF rather than than personally thanks to the quidditch circuit and he had several old trading cards with her dad on them. Probably an old jersey too. She likely only knew him thanks to the quidditch circuit too seeing as he was on the U-17 team for England and the captain now. Buuuuuuuuut he didn't want THAT all to be the premise of any conversation and since he was stuck in an 'don't think about pink elephants with neon green polka dots' mindset about it all...he offered the fourth year a quick cool guy wink. But then she gave him a better in so he pounced on that. "You got it," he chuckled with a thumbs up. He could whistle pretty loudly so...he had her covered.

And then there was this younger girl who...well. Points for confidence and making a statement. Was none of his business really to tell her otherwise and the whole house point system, while is should turn on his competitive nature, was not something he personally concerned himself with. "You should pitch your uniform alterations to the headmaster sometime," Josh encouraged wryly, though externally he appeared nothing but warm and encouraging. "Bet he will be particularly fond of the tie."

So, she never got the big show she wanted. In fact, it was quite the contrary, the hat hadn't indulged her at all and left her with a perfectly boring sorting. No one would remember. She'd fall into the faceless crowd unlike when she performed on stage. It was the greatest travesty and the little girl may have sulked the rest of the feast but there were too many other things to focus on.

LIKE KIZZY GETTING SORTED NEXT!!

Emmerson wiggled her way into a seat, ensuring she left enough room for her bestfriend when she obviously and inevitably came down to the table next. No need to ask if seats were taken like the girl out of uniform. It was of no concern to her. "Can I have one?" She asked the boy (Cole) even as she took one and popped it into her mouth. Her face sourded immediately. "Ick, lime. Can I have another?" Again, she took from his pile without waiting for his reply, thinking the question was more a formality. Why wouldn't he want her to have some? "I'm Emmerson, by the way." Now they were friends and he'd want to share more.

Mmm. This one was taffy.

"Heeeeeyyyyyy!!!" Emm reached across the table to pull down the magazine the girl (Bernie) had been so engrossed in. "You're the one who pushed me in WWW. You're a Gryffindor, too? You wanna see my baby dragon later? What're you reading?" At only 11, Emmerson was still VERY into teen magazines and fashion, courtesy of her Auntie Arisa and much to her mother's dismay.

Oh, Cece!!! She hadn't forgotten Sammy was getting sorted but he was after Kiz. "I'll cheer anyway because that's what girlfriend's do but I told him he better be a Gryffindor or else." No further explanations on the "or else" just the "or else". "Then we can all be together!! Can the others change houses and join us?" The other Stark kids were only fourth years. That wasn't too late, yeah?

"NO WAY!!! You're here too, idiot boy (Josh)??" Emm asked, flopping back into her seat after taking another of the older boy's beans. They were for sharing or he wouldn't have laid them out. Duh. "I guess I could've known. You gotta do better. You'll hurt yourself you keep walking into compartments like that. I could've had something worse then you'd be in for it and I'd be expelled." See? It just wasn't a good idea.

Hazel eyes moved from him to the girl out of uniform (Charlie). "Cute clothes. Boy are you gonna get it. You should have gone more fab. If you're gonna be a rebel, least you could do is look like a star." As a suggestion. Go big or go home, that was how life worked.

From up at the dais, a voice laced with a mixture of annoyance, fatigue and disappointment booms down to the Gryffindor table. Following the source of the voice, all could easily see the unamused look the Headmaster throws at the il-dressed Third Year.

"Charlotte Rivers, you have 10 minutes to get changed into uniform or you will remain in your dorm and spend the night cleaning Professor Williamson's stables. Why you decided you needed to be the first rule breaker of the term is beyond me. Be quick before I make a proper example of you."

Well this was it. It was her last opening feast and Naya was conflicted. The though that this was the last one made her sad. It seemed that she had just gotten to Hogwarts and now it would soon be over. With a sigh, she walked into the Great Hall and headed for the Gryffindor Table. She was usually early to the feast, but this time..........nope.

Determined to look on the bright side, she put on a happy face as she neared the table. “Hello Gryffindors”, she said waving to her housemates new and old as she walked along the table. Naya took a moment to scan the scene before she sat down next to one Cole Vance. Giving him the requisite shoulder bump, she stifled a laugh when she saw the firstie stealing his jellybeans. “I see you have a new friend”, she said to her boyfriend. Addressing said firstie (Emmerson), Naya smiled and said, “Hi, I’m Naya”. “Welcome to Gryffindor.”

Looking across the table, Naya saw her younger housemate engrossed in a magazine. “Hey Bernie. How was your summer?” She was glad to see Bernie looking much happier than she had at the closing feast in the spring.

Naya was about to greet the others when it happened. It just wouldn’t be an opening feast without Gryffindor drama. The Headmaster/Head of House was calling Charlie out for her choice of attire which was really quite cute, but the way. Let the school year begin.

Yolanda Luna had raced from the Hufflepuff table to Gryffindor in a speed un-clockable."Emms!" She exclaimed, wrapping her arms tight around her baby sister's much smaller frame from behind. "You're a lion! I knew you would be!" And she most certainly had. Everything about Emmerson Cambridge screamed lion- noble, brave, ready to fight for what she believed was right- Yoyo couldn't have been prouder if she'd actually been placed in Hufflepuff. "The sorting hat was giving you a hard time, huh?" She teased, trying to decide if she wanted to squish into the seat besides her fairer sister or if she ought to let the first year get settled in without her influence.

"Cece, can you believe Kizzy, and Sam and Emms are all here? I see them but I can't believe it." Yoyo could hardly believe she was here given all her parent's talk, but with auntie Alexa's decision had come crying fits, silent treatments and careful urgings from other family members- all of which leading to Yoyo packing her trunk and not missing a single second of Emmerson's sorting ceremony.

"Hello, Josh." Yoyo greeted, her eyes glancing to the older boy's lips. The lips Phoebe had kissed! The lips which had kissed Phoebe! Yoyo could see it all, the romance of the train compartment, an American upperclassmen who could no longer hold back his feelings.. She was a little jealous, not because she fancied the older boy, but for the sheer romance of it all. the drama! If only Flynn were older or foreign, certainly he was perfect, but if he was Albanian, or American, or Russian.. Yoyo stifled a giggle. "Uniform alterations? What's wrong with our uniforms?" Yoyo looked to Charlie Rivers who's creativity improved (though not in the Hufflepuff's opinion) on the traditional look.

Like a dark omen, the headmaster's voice boomed, striking the conversation. Oh, poor Charlie! She must have been mortified. Yoyo offered the younger girl a sympathetic smile. "The stables are probably a right mess.. " It was a suggestion- as in, she had better run off and change quick.

Was it wrong of Carsyn to be all sulky? Perhaps because she was a big bad seventh year now, but seeing that girl .... Claire Beaumont with a head girl badge had fouled her mood. Honestly, what did Claire have that she didn't have? Had she not proven herself in two years worth of duties? Nonetheless she had shown the first years off to the boats before hopping into the last carriage for her final ride to the castle. It seemed surreal almost that this would be the last time taking in the castle in this light.

Her reverie was broken at the sound of a booming voice of the headmaster and their head of house, when she glanced toward the younger lion and noticed her bedazzled uniform. Okay, not going to lie but that actually made Carsyn smile for the first time that evening. What didn't make her smile? Was the fact that there was a missing moppy black haired boy at the hufflepuff table.

She glanced around at all the familiar faces, "Hey Cole, Naya, Bernie," she nodded at, although the latter she wasn't sure if she would noticed as she seemed quite engrossed in her reading. Did this mean she didn't need to mentor Bernie anymore? "Josh," she greeted, a face mostly known from quidditch circuits as she'd opposed him as seeker in the under 17 the last few summers. She might not have been a fan of his dorm, but he was a pretty decent seeker. "Cece. Charlotte. Yolanda. You all have a good summer?" Also, wait, wasn't Yolanda in her sister's house?? Eh, Carsyn shrugged it off.

And the first new gryffindor sorting, Emmerson who apparently wasn't a shy first year AT ALL as it seemed she already knew everyone???? Wow. Impressive. That girl was going to go places! "Hi there, I'm Carsyn, one of the Gryffindor Prefects." She greeted, in case it wasn't obvious by the fact that she was wearing a shiny badge that said 'prefect' on it.

???????????

uhhhhhhh?????????

Lucas came to a sudden stop by the Gryffindor table. Sure, seven years in this castle had taught him all he needed to know about Gryffindor house but even he couldn't prepare himself for the sheer amount of people that were surrounding the table. This wasn't his imagination, right? There were a lot more people here, all of a sudden. And, even worse, the Sorting was still taking place.

Sigh.

With a badge pinned to his chest, the Prefect forced a smile on his face as he moved along the table. He was looking out for that one familiar face but as much as he tried, he couldn't spot Jó's face anywhere along the table. He hadn't disappeared already, had he? Whatever the reason, it didn't stop him from sitting somewhere relatively close to both Cece and Cole and Naya. Though, closer to Cece because third-wheeling a couple wasn't his idea of fun. "Hey, Cole, Naya," Smile. "Looking forward to seventh year?" He certainly wasn't. "Hey, Bernie. Did you have a good summer?" That was casual enough, right?

Though, if he was being honest, it was weird to see the girl reading and not, well, bouncing around trying to make as much noise as possible.

No offence, Bernie.

Whatever the reason, it didn't take long for Lucas' attention to be turned to a small group (Charlie, Josh, and Yoyo) talking about....... uniforms?? Confused? He was. But there was also a part of him that wondered if the young Gryffindor was trying to make some kind of statement with her new ~attire~. It might seem so because Trent didn't look very happy up on his seat, if the look on his face and the sound of his voice was anything to go by.

He also wondered if there was such a thing as a normal feast at the Gryffindor table but something told him he knew the answer to that already.

Right. Sorting.

There was a young girl (Emm) who had recently been sorted into Gryffindor who was wasting NO time in talking to as many people as possible, it seemed. The seventh year could almost feel his inner self coiling up and wanting to wilt away but something told him he couldn't do that. Not when he had a responsibility and was sure that people were bound to know him, even if he didn't want them to. "Uh, hey! Welcome to Gryffindor. I'm Lucas, by the way. Lucas Dakest." Smile. He wasn't going to add in the Prefect part. There was no point, right?

Speaking of Prefects, his eyes landed on Carsyn and he..... furrowed his eyebrows. "Hey, Carsyn. Are you okay?" It was a bit early to be sad about the end of the year, wasn't it?

Cheer? His green eyes flew between Cece and the line of students being sorted up by the dias and then back again. Now, how was he meant to tell her that he was not the right person to ask about making a lot of noise? Could he skip past that? "Sure. What house do you think he'll get?" And which one was he, again?

"Don't mind even a little bit," Cecelia responded distractedly, glancing at Charlie briefly before doing a double take. "Hey, your tie. That's really cool! Did you make that yourself?" It was way nicer than the plain old accessories the school wanted them to rock, but Cecelia figured it was 'cause they wanted everyone to be so bored to tears by their clothes that they wouldn't even mind paying attention to their boring school work. Adults were always trying stuff like that.

"And yo to you." Was Yo new quidditch lingo Cecelia should be using because she hadn't yet gotten the memo, but she didn't hate it. She offered Joshua Miller a smile and returned his thumbs up with one of her own, appreciative. "Thanks!" Sammy deserved all the support she could round up, truly.

Oh, Emm was getting sorted! Cecelia perked up a bit in her seat, watching the younger girl curiously. It didn't even surprise her at ALL when the hat proclaimed she was a lion, and she was glad to hear it, too! Meant she could keep an eye on her and keep her FAR away from her brother, who she was PRETTY sure was equal parts frightened and impressed by the little blonde. Sammy was simply NOT ready for a girlfriend. Standing up, the fourth year clapped enthusiastically, following with her eyes as the first year came to join their table.

"Congrats Emm. You got the best house!" She only felt a LITTLE guilty about proclaiming things like that these days, and she really truly did believe it to be true. PAUSE. "You told Sammy he'd better be a Gryffindor or else you'd be heartbroken because you'd miss him so much?" That was the only 'or else' she was accepting where her sweet baby brother was concerned, sorry. "Sadly no, but it's okay. We get to hear ALL about the other common rooms and dorms and get all the top gossip from each house the way it is." It was actually pretty beneficial.

Ummmm...

Cecelia's eyes widened considerably and she glanced at Charlie as the headmaster's voice called her out for her clothing choices. It was super sad the way he was absolutely stifling her creative outlet, but she WASN'T going to be the one to say so. "It's still an awesome tie." She whispered, hoping Charlie heard it and took comfort in that.

YOYO!

Okay, she knew she was real and everything, but Cecelia couldn't help but reach out and give the girl's arm a friendly SQUEEZE because she was HERE. Yoyo was here and Cecelia wasn't sure she would be and her heart was filled with warmth seeing her face and she was HAPPY! GAH! "I can't believe it either! We need to look after them, you know. It's our job now." They were CLEARLY in need of looking after, after all. Also, HI YOYO! Cecelia still hadn't stopped smiling at her friend, even when Kizzy landed herself in Gryffindor too. Even then. She WAS clapping for Kizz, though.

Her brother was going to be sorted soon, huh? More knee bouncing, more fidgeting, she couldn't sit still. The anticipation was KILLING her!

"Good Summer, yeah. You?" Carsyn was looking sort of grumpy, huh? Cecelia side eyed her for a moment and then offered her a tentative smile. She was probably just hungry or something. These feasts DID tend to take ages.


LUCAS!

There was her favorite badged boy in the whole castle. She even let her gaze rest on him for a minute, offering him a big Cecelia grin in greeting. "You know, I bet he'll get Hufflepuff like mum and dad did. He's got a super big heart, like bigger than most people I know even, and he's just a gentle type of guy, you know?" At least that's how Cece saw him. "But he also thinks a lot about a lot. Like, he can be quiet but you just know his mind is always going. That means he could also be a Ravenclaw or something, doesn't it?" It totally did. "I'd love it if he was in our house, but let's face it, that's not in the cards." And she didn't even need to SPEAK on him being in Slytherin because that simply wouldn't be happening. She was SURE of it.

This was supposed to be the most exciting moment of her ENTIRE life for now. But in truth, all Kizzy wanted to do was to take a fat nap! The ordeal that became of her sorting had exhausted her to the very CORE.

But of course she wore a smile anyway because she knew she was supposed to and she really was very, very thrilled to be in Gryffindor with Emmerson and Phoebe. It would’ve been terrible if she were to be sorted anywhere else. It was something she knew the moment the hat decided for Emm.

In somewhat of an autopilot haze, she managed to make it to the Gryffindor table (with very little understanding of how she ended up there). She zeroed in on best friend Emmerson Cambridge, quietly wiggling her way into the little space that Emm had (hopefully) created just for her. But she didn’t miss the presence of one Yolanda Uma Luma. ”Hi, Yoyo,” she grinned. Kiz didn’t know what the older girl was doing at the Gryffindor table seeing as she was Hufflepuff, but she sure hoped Yoyo stayed here for the rest of the feast. It was a little crowded, but they could always make room for familiar faces. Especially the friend kind. ”We did it, Emm!” She was quiet and tired, but still thrilled. Their plan had worked, after all.

It was only then that Kiz looked around at the rest of the table, quietly waving at Cece and taking in the overwhelming nature of it all. She hoped that Sammy got Gryffindor too. And Emma. And Matty. Ravenclaw would be okay too, just less convenient. She’d make a point of visiting them there though, especially because Teddy and Cooper were Ravenclaws. Honestly, everything would be fine so long as none of them got sorted into Slytherin because at least with Hufflepuff they’d still have Flynn and Yoyo.

Speaking of overwhelming, the dumb boy (Josh) from the train was here too. And someone (Charlie) who was getting shouted at for wearing the wrong uniform. Kiz shrank a little bit, feeling uneasy about the loud warning and the girl who had very little regard for the rules. Not that Kinsay always followed rules, but when she didn’t, in her defense, it was usually someone else’s idea. Speaking of which, two older students with badges (Carsyn & Lucas) caught her eye next. Kinsay knew about prefects and she knew they liked rules. She wasn't sure what to make of them yet, but she just stared openly (and with some worry) for a few seconds.

Then she moved her gaze back to Emm. ”Beans? She smiled brightly. ”Can I have some?” She was STARVING. Not really because her mummy let her buy treats for the train, but that wasn’t really the point. The point was that she wanted to have whatever Emmerson was having.

Adam Luck was a Gryffindor. HE. WAS. A. GRYFFINDOR!

None of his siblings were Gryffindors, which basically meant that he was now the COOLEST of the Luck siblings. Even cooler than Leighton! Part of him was still upset that Ingrid wasn't heading to this table with him - but he would go visit her later, and see his other siblings at the Ravenclaw table, once he got situated. And he'd swing by the Slytherin table to see Violet too. She had seemed upset and hadn't come to see him at all on the train!

The new Gryffindor BARRELED into a seat, nearly knocking over a goblet of pumpkin juice and jostling a few bread rolls out of a basket as he plopped down on the bench. He was just TOO EXCITED!!

"Hi everyone!! I'm Adam!" he exclaimed as he sat down, grinning at everyone seated around him. He wanted to introduce himself right away so they could all become best friends immediately. Oh! There was that girl from the Quidditch camp! And that other moody one who had been burying her fish in the park. Wow! So he already sort of knew some of his classmates! AHHHHHH!

Charlie smiled over at Josh “Yeah, I wish someone at that table would listen to me about uniforms and getting to be more expressive.” But seriously what was wrong with a little ounce of color here and there? Just as she was about to ask him what sort of suggestions to altering the uniform he had he heard a first year voice. Turning to Emmerson she grinned pulling on her bedazzled tie, “Well young grass hopper, you always start small see how far you can go.” That was something she had learned over the summer at the house. Push the limits but don’t cross them that hard.

Hearing her actual name she felt everything halt. Now would she lose house points, would she get a letter home, or would she get some sort of other punishment? Why though? It was just a bold skirt and a bedazzled tie, not like she was in jeans and a ratty t-shirt. Her eyes grew wide at the threat from the headmaster.

Stables. Cleaning. Her? OH Merlin no.

Whipping her head around she noticed Yo-yo saying the stables were a mess, “When aren’t they?” she mumbled under her breath sure it was a suggestion, but honestly Charlie would have much preferred to lose house points than to clean stables. Sighing she pushed her hands onto the table, she decided it was time to change back into her uniform. There would be no cleaning stables for her tonight. Just as she was about to turn she heard Cecelia mention her awesome tie “Oh thanks Cecelia. I think you’re right. Maybe there will be one on your bed later.” She shot the girl a wink before turning.

“Yes Headmaster.” She spoke louder but under her breath, “its just a skirt sheesh.” Hading out to the entrance hall she changed her skirt and added her vest before returning to the table and taking her seat next to Cecelia again “Man that was over the top.” She absolutely thought a point deduction would have served better than cleaning ew.

Kale Trent had been super duper looking forward to the new term starting. He had the best friends anybody could ask for, and they were all UH SO ATTRACTIVE, GO FRIENDS, but, a l a S, the end of the summer also meant the end of Summer!Dad. Summer!Dad liked him. Summer!Dad wasn’t all up in his grill about rules. Mostly. There was that one count of grounding for, like, totally unfair reasons that he was still working through emotionally, but beyond that Summer!Dad was leaps and bounds better than Headmaster!Dad.

Headmaster!Dad reared his ugly head like an unwanted pimple each September. And acne was really hard to ignore. LUCKILY MAVIS WAS COMING!!!

Mavis, the world’s greatest lil sister. Mavis, the actual spot of sunshine in his life AND the coolest person possibly in the universe. MAVIS WAS HERE. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand Mavis was getting sorted.

Kale sent a lil prayer to whoever was listening that she be sorted somewhere that made her happy, Gods of Tap Dance probably, and flounced over to the Gryffindor Table.

Loads of his buds had already made their way to the table. He wiggled fingers at them, overflowing with excitement, and saNG as LOUDLY as he could manage, ”Ouuuuuuuut there! There's a world outside of Yonkersssssss! Way out there beyond this hick town Barnaby. There's a sliCK TOWN BARNABY!”

Or in Kale speak, Hello! (dolly hehehehe)

Valentina wasn’t a quiet girl, so to speak, but all the conversations ( and singing!!! ) around her was overwhelming. She’d been excited about Hogwarts for a long time now- new friends, interesting classes, maybe prank people she didn’t like ( MAYBE OKAY ) - but honestly, she hadn’t anticipated on how new everything was going to be. She recognised a few of her friends from St. Woboldos but —- they all seemed to be busy talking to their other friends?? Did she want to barge into conversations?

The eleven year old took a sip of her pumpkin juice before attempting to touch her nose with the tip of her tongue, just to keep herself entertained.

As luck had it Cole didn’t have to sit alone long before Bernie joined by sitting down at the table across from him. He managed to keep himself from swearing as his bean tower fell and he looked up and over at (Bernie) with a bright smile. "Hi Bernie! My summer was nice. I got to see a welsh green dragon and even pett one. How was your summer?"

Suddenly (Cece) had just appeared out of nowhere at the table and was declaring that her brother was getting sorted and that they should all cheer for him. Slightly bewildered Cole looked over and smiled a little. "Hi Cece! Sure I can cheer for him, what's your brother's name?"

Before the feast Cole had wondered which lion was going to cause a scene or pull off a prank. Apparently it was going to be (Charlie) since she came over to the table wearing clothes that stood out. Out of the attire he had to say that the skirt and bedazzled tie was a bit over the top. Returning Charlie’s nod with one of his own Cole asked curiously "Hi Charlie! Nice uniform, are you trying to make a statement?"

The next boy to arrive at the table Cole didn’t really know much about. He just knew he was a sixth year and was called (Josh) or something similar. Raising his hand to return the wave Cole ignored the odd Yo and greeted instead for confirmation. "Hi! You're Josh right?"

Since the sorting was taking place he shifted his attention between the sorting hat to the occupants at the lion table. It was still not his cousin Jake’s turn. Hearing a girl’s voice (Emmerson) and a hand going for his beans Cole blinked and shook his head at her reaction when she got a lime one. Rather lime than snot. "Sure, take as many beans as you want. They are leftover from the train ride to school." Grabbing one off the plate for himself he said, lightening up with a big smile. "Welcome to Gryffindor Emmerson. I’m Cole, I’m in seventh year." He plucked the bean into his mouth making a disgusted face as he swallowed. "Eww, earwax."

It was then that he heard Headmaster Trent’s magically enhanced voice bellowing at Charlie for her choice of uniform. Yikes. He was glad it wasn’t him. Hopefully Charlie would do as she was told and not lose them points on the first night. Cole’s attention was then taken up by his girlfriend’s entrance. He returned (Naya’s) shoulder bump with a hand squeeze under the table and a warm "Hi Naya!" before he glanced over at Emmerson with a smile. "Yes, I think we are friends, since we both like bertie beans……" Not waiting for a confirmation from Emmerson he turned his eyes back on Naya "Where did you sit on the train? I looked everywhere for you, but i didn’t find you."

Some minutes later (Carsyn) and (Lucas) arrived with their badges pinned to their chests. Not a moment too soon either if Charlie refused to do what the headmaster ordered or something else were to happen. At the lion table you never knew. "Hi Carsyn, Did you have a good summer? Hi Lucas!" Cole greeted in turn with smiles and waves. In answer to Lucas' question Cole shook his head and answered with a hint of a sulky tone to his friend. "No I’m not looking forward to it one bit. I don’t want to do the NEWTS." He didn’t want to put a damper on the festive evening, but Cole still asked "So are you excited for seventh year Lucas?"

It was then that all Cole’s focus was turned to the boy that literally barrelled himself into the vacant seat by his side where Naya wasn’t sitting. He managed to right up the pumpkin juice goblet and save a few glasses from toppling over as the firstie (Adam) sat down in his chair. The loud exclamation ringed in Cole’s ears as he tried to greet the energetic boy with a welcoming smile, as his pulse slowed down. "Welcome to Gryffindor Adam! I’m Cole, I’m in 7th year." Who might give him a headache before the night was over was the voice of Kale Trent. That boy seemed to always shout. It was exhausting. Cole didn’t even try to understand what he was saying. He just ignored him and focused on the quiet girl (Valentina) across the table that was obviously new. Smiling wide at her Cole greeted "Hi! Did you just get sorted? Gryffindor is the best house. I promise. I’m Cole, by the way."

This one (Naya) was friends with bean boy, bean boy who hadn't shooed her away from his beans. That made her alright in Emmerson's book by virtue of the fact she had no reason to think otherwise. As a result, the girl was also on the receiving end of one of her signature, enthusiastic grins. "Thanks! My mama was a Gryffindor, too. She'll be right pleased when I mirror her later. More relieved I'm not a Hufflepuff probably, though I don't reckon she ever thought I'd be. Did you always wanna be in Gryffindor?"

Wait...was that...

Emmerson whirled around in her seat instantly. She recognized the voice without fail. "Yoyo!" She wrapped her sister up in a tight hug, pleased she hadn't been the only one forced to Hogwarts. For a while, the little girl had been worried when their dad said Yoyo didn't have to go but her mama stood firm on sending her. It was nice having her for this, even if she wasn't so apprehensive about being here anymore.

The little girl pulled a face at the mention of the hat. "Yeah. Cruddy thing wasn't trying to give me my moment at all. I asked nicely." Or at least, she thought she had. But it seemed Yoyo had also caught sight of the differently dressed girl. Emm leaned in closer to her sister, whispering loudly. "I think she could've done better if she was gonna get in trouble anyway." JUST saying.

The badge on this next one (Carsyn) was already a good enough giveaway but within seconds the girl was confirming and introducing herself. A prefect; good to have on your side. "I'm Emmerson!" The little girl said proudly before turning to look down the length of the table. "You're gonna be busy tonight, I bet." It was just a feeling. "I'm gonna be your favourite though."

And there was the other prefect (Lucas). Dakest? Emm's eyes lit up immediately, filling with admiration and excitement as they did. "You're Art's brother aren't you!?" She asked, a bounce in her as she grinned up at him. "I'm his friend. My name's Emmerson. That's a shiny badge. Bet you're gonna be busy, too but we should hang out, I'm great for it." So he knew. They'd be fast friends for SURE.

Eeeerrrr..... Emmerson hesitated for the slightest moment when Cece attempted to finish her threat for her. Uhhhh...."Yeah...that's what I told him. Yep. I'll be sad." She tilted her head, looking over at the older girl. "If we're the best house, why do we care what happens in the other common rooms?" She imagined they would be boring by comparison. Strange Cece was strange.

AND THERE WAS KIZZY!!!

It was probably safe to say that Emmerson Cambridge screamed the loudest and clapped the hardest when her friend was sorted into Gryffindor. She looked kinda out of it now but Emm scooted more to make SURE there was enough room for her. The newly sorted Gryffindor wrapped an arm around her friend's shoulder comfortingly, flashing her a wide, triumphant grin. "I knew we could!" She grabbed some of the beans and nudged them closer for her and Kizzy to share. "He doesn't mind--HEY! Hey everyone, this is Kizzy!" Everyone needed to know.

Everyone.

...Hey...wasn't that...? "Adam!" She remembered him from quidditch camp. Horrible time that'd been but some of the kids were alright. "Gryffindor, too! Eeee! It's turning into a whole party!"

Emmerson nodded along while the differently dressed girl (Charlie) explained her timid approach to rule breaking. It wasn't the most cavalier way to be about this sort of thing, but who was she to tell this older girl how to live--especially when she was now being called out by someone. The man who'd gotten her sorted.

"Tooooold you you'd get it." She said, watching the girl run off to change. After a long train ride, stable cleaning would be the LAST thing on her list of wants. The girl was smart to get moving.

Over on the far end of the table, Emm saw another newly sorted girl doing...a thing with her tongue (Valentina) but before she could say anything, a boy came in belting a song loudly (Kale). "You're loud." Emmerson said, leaning against the table to get a better look at the boy. "And I'm Emmerson. Are you always like this?" A serious question born of curiosity.

And see??? She KNEW this boy--Cole, he said his name was Cole--she knew he wouldn't mind sharing his beans. She made a face, sympathizing with him for getting the bad flavour. "Gross." She picked up another, her face brightening to find it was strawberry. "How come you didn't finish them on the train? Don't you have friends to share them with?"

Once again, from the centre of the staff dais came the booming voice of the house's Head of House:

"Kale Trent, that will be 5 points from Gryffindor and you will remain within acceptable volume for the remainder of the evening if you don't want worse. You're back at school, act as you know you should lest I have to remind you."

A peaceful welcome feast, that's all he asked for.

Charlie had to refrain from saying something really mean to Cole, “I mean I feel like a little bit of color in this place might do it some good considering that everything bad that has happened in the last few years.” She couldn’t possibly be the only one who was annoyed with the doom and gloom and grey. Like why would anyone want to feel drab and bleh and all the things when you could be allowed to wear a bold skirt or shirt and feel less…. Meh. Sighing she turned her attention to the other girl (Emmerson) who looked to be annoyed with her choice in clothing.

Hearing Headmaster Trent’s voice booming again he was prepared to yell and ask what she’d done now. Only, he wasn’t yelling at her. He was yelling at his son. Oh boy that’s never good. Turning her head to see the reaction of one Kale Trent. Maybe they should buddy up and see just how annoyed they can make the Headmaster. Okay sure it sounded like a grand plan until she heard the speech and felt even more called out than being called out by name at the opening feast.

Everyone at this table was really loud. It was a lot to take in and Kinsay wasn’t sure she liked it all too much. She recognized Adam from the playground and though he didn’t receive a wave or a smile, Kinsay did look at him for a little longer than usual. It was acknowledgement. But her attention was quickly diverted to the singing. Why was there singing? Kizzy was not a fan. She shrunk in her seat a little more, giving the singing boy (Kale) all the judgmental looks without realizing.

Turning her attention back to Emm, she gave her friend a big smile. ”Me too,” though she didn’t really know. It didn’t matter now because they were here together and thinking about the ‘what if’ would be sad and unnecessary. Very sad. Very unnecessary. So instead, Kinsay took a few of the beans that Emmerson offered on behalf of an older boy (Cole). That was nice of him.

Emm’s introduction was appreciated, even if Kizzy wasn’t in the proper mood to meet TONS of new people was she ever?. She still liked that Emm always included her. It made her feel special. She gave everyone a little smile, before looking back at her friends. It was nice that she had so many here. Phoebe, Emm, Emma, and Cece.

”Emm, do you think Teddy’s sad that he’s all alone?”