[Hogwarts Between] First Year's Entrance

[Patrick McCartney]

> The students did not wait long.  The door opened and a
> tall, black
> haired witch walked out.  She wore a flowing emerald
> green robe.  Her
> face was stern with no sign of levity.  She stood
> there lookout out
> over the flock of students.
>
> "Here's the First Years, Professor
> McGonagall," said Hagrid.
>
> "Very good, Hagrid," said the tall witch.  She
> swept her gaze
> over the group of eleven-year-olds and then said,
> "Follow me,
> please."
>
> Paloma turned to Seluna and Mori and wispered in confusion, "Who is
> this
> lady?"
>
> "I don't know." Seluna whispered back, watching as everyone else
> followed
> the lady.

She led them all through the large doorway into an enormous entrance
hall.  Torches all around them flickered making dancing shadows
everywhere.  The ceiling was out of reach of the light, and a grand
marble staircase reaching up to suits of armor was before them.  To
their right the sounds of hundreds of students in excited discussions
came through an arched entrance.  About half of the students started to
go in that direction, but the witch redirected them into a doorway on
the left side.

The room they entered was very small, almost too small for everyone to
fit.  The dark haired witch waited on the side for everyone to cram in.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," she finally said after everyone was silent, "You
will be attending the start-of-term banquet in the Great Hall shortly. 
Before you are seated you will be sorted into your houses.  A house
will act as your family while you are attending Hogwarts.  You will
have classes will all of the houses, but you will study with your
house, sleep in your house's dormitory, and spend your free time in
your house's common room."