Chapter 1: Merlin's Lost Book

As Rafaella is leaning down to tie her shoe, almost as if the tall girl hadn't even waited for the others to get out of earshot, she hears the tall girl drawl, "Goodness, I hope I get sorted into any house but theirs."

"I dunno, Millie. I thought they were alright. Nice of them to come after the book," Rafaella hears Rory's pensive response. After a moment he continues, "I used to think some pretty stupid things about Muggles before I met some. What House do you think you two are going to get sorted into, huh?"

The eavesdropper catches, almost simultaneously, without a moment's thought, the twins respond: "Gryffindor" and "Slytherin." Rory and Millie giggle. At that moment a larger boy in a Slytherin scarf almost trips over Rafaella and she runs to catch up.

*

Back in the compartment, when Ava holds out the book, Merlin leaps up in excitement, terrifying a dozing Monty, while Vesper squeaks as if wanting to join in. Merlin jumps up and down, hugging Bex and Caroline, until he realizes what he's doing and looks mortified, red-faced, accepting the book and sitting down with it in his lap, listening to Rafaella's speech with an appreciative grin.

As Rafaella is teasing Ava, Merlin turns to the other two and mutters, "Mum says I let myself get overwhelmed and I need to stick up for myself more... only problem is whenever I try to I start..." As if the very idea of trying to stand up for himself is upsetting, tears start to well up in his eyes.

At that moment, a wizened face appears in the compartment door, "I was just about to close up, but saw you lot running around like mad. Anything from the trolley, dears?" The trolley witch waves her arm at the selection, every wizarding treat imaginable is on display on her cart with an ornate placard that reads "Honeydukes Express." Merlin pulls out a sickle and insists on buying everyone the first round of Cauldron Cakes. Even if his book wasn't technically stolen, he still seems to believe the group went through a monumental effort to get it back.

A light, cool rain dews the robes and hair of the young witches and wizards as they climb off the train onto Hogsmeade Station. The platform is organized chaos, and the first-years find themselves swept up in the flow of bodies as older students climb onto nearby carriages that seem to move without anything pulling.

Caroline, Ava, Bex, Rafaella and Merlin stick together, feeling lucky to have a couple of people they know in the madness. Fortunately, at the far end of the platform, the first-years see a tall, gangly, toothy, freckled, ruddy faced boy dressed in rough leathers--making him look like a character out of a medieval story. He's pulled himself up onto a lamp post, joyfully calling above the heads of the crowd: "First years! This way! C'mon, ya wee runts! First years! This way! Stick around here too long and the trolley witch'll turn you into a pumpkin pasty! First years! This way!"

As the crowd clears, leaving behind only a few dozen shivering first years, the boy leaps off the lamp post and stands before them, grinning. He doesn't look much older than the first-years, although he's got a head on them. "Alright you lot, follow me!"

He leads the first-years down to the edge of a lake, most slipping and sliding along the way thanks to the rain. The lake stretches out, obsidian black under the cloudy night, and a dock with a dozen boats floating in the dark water sits at the edge just down the hill from the station platform. He loads the first-years up, four to a boat. Merlin's eyes fill with tears as the ruddy-faced boy shoos him into another boat; as if he'll never see his new companions again.

With the last first year aboard, the ruddy-faced boy hoists himself in, and the dozen boats begin to glide across the water. "If a squid tentacle reaches up for a tickle... Well... you've been warned." the boy says with devilish delight.

After a few moments of the boats following the shore line, they break around a corner, and the vista garners gasps from a number of the first-years. Set against the stormy night sky, seated above rocky bluffs the waves of the lake crash against, an enormous castle shimmers from within. A dozen spires climb into the night sky, huge arched windows inset against dark, wet stone throwing light across the wild, verdant grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Caroline, Ava, Bex and Rafaella have heard stories of Hogwarts from family and friends, but no description could do the school justice. This is the school of history and legend, of dark secrets, incredible battles and valiant heroism.

The boats glide into a cave opening, to a small underground dock. The ruddy-faced boy helps the students climb out--Merlin is instantly back at the sides of his newfound friends, sniffling, although its not clear if its from the damp or from emotions--and begins to lead them through a winding maze of staircases, through doorways and hallways and finally into the cavernous Entrance Hall. A wide marble staircase sits opposite two gargantuan oak doors leading out into the grounds, braziers burning, throwing shadows over the ornate stonework. On either side of the doors are four statues, a lion, a badger, an eagle and a serpent, with huge, empty hourglasses perched above them. To the right of those are the large wooden doors leading into the Great Hall, and other staircases and doorways skein off the Entrance Hall deeper into the castle. While its surprising to see that it doesn't look like a great battle took place here, it does make sense they wouldn't leave the Entrance Hall in shambles... although it would've been exciting to see scorch marks and wanton destruction...

Without a word the boy flashes a grin at the first-years and then disappears into a side door, leaving them standing in the middle of the Entrance Hall on their own.

On to Chapter 2: The Headmistress & the Head of House