Introductions

Disclaimer : I don't own Harry Potter. I am flattered if you thought otherwise.

Author's note : I thank everyone who read this story , added it to their favorites, followed it, and/or reviewed it,especially to Callidora-Malfoy who even sent me a PM. English is not my native language but I am trying my best. I have borrowed some lines from Philosopher's Stone as you guys may recognise.

Everyone was quiet for a moment. After all, Harry Potter was a born Gryffindor. He defeated you-know-who at the meager age of one, for Merlin's sake!

Harry got up, and after placing the hat carefully on the stool, joined the Ravenclaw glanced at Ron and saw him looking disappointed. 'Oh well, I can't please everyone.', he thought. Suddenly he noticed the House ghost looking at him curiously. He dismissed the thought thinking it was his imagination.

Then, a Hufflepuff first year started clapping slowly, which snapped everyone out of their shock. The Ravenclaw table erupted in cheers, even professor Flitwick was nearly bouncing in his seat.

Harry introduced himself to the girl sitting next to him, who he remembered was Padma Patil. She laughed and said," Of course I know who you are. You are famous,you know. I am Padma, Padma Patil."

" Please don't start with the boy-who-lived stuff. I am famous for something I don't even remember doing! "

" Sorry, but don't worry. I am not a rabid fangirl or something. Hey, do you like quidditch? " Padma replied, a little embarrassed.

A boy with blonde hair and watery blue eyes, who was sitting across Harry interjected, " I am Stephen Cornfoot, a muggleborn. What is this quidditch thing that you magical folks are going on about?"

This question led Padma to launch in a long explanation about quidditch. When she finished Harry knew more about the different teams rather than the game itself. After some time the sorting finished with a boy named Blaise Zabini being sorted into Slytherin. Professor McGonagall rolled up her scroll and took the Sorting Hat away. Harry looked down at his empty gold plate. He had only just realized how hungry he was. The pumpkin pasties seemed ages ago.

Albus Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. He was beaming at the students, his arms opened wide, as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there.

"Welcome," he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!

"Thank you!"

He sat back down. Everybody clapped and cheered. Harry didn't know whether to laugh or not. He was brought back to earth by Stephen's exclamation of "Wow!" He looked at the table and nearly fell out of his chair in surprise. The plates in front of him were filled with all kinds of food. The Dursleys fed him very little, so being allowed to eat whatever he wanted was a shock. He took a bit of everything, except the mint humbugs. Conversations were subdued as everyone started eating.

After eating, Harry felt content and sleepy. He looked up at the High Table again. Hagrid was drinking deeply from his goblet. Professor McGonagall was talking to Professor Dumbledore. Professor Quirrell, in his absurd turban, was talking to a teacher with greasy black hair, a hooked nose, and sallow happened very suddenly. The hook-nosed teacher looked past Quirrell's turban straight into Harry's eyes - and a sharp, hot pain shot across the scar on Harry's forehead.

"Ouch!", Harry cried out in pain.

Padma and Stephen looked at him, worried. "What happened?" Padma asked,concerned.

"Nothing", he lied. " Say, who's that next to Professor Quirrell?"

"Oh that's Professor Snape, the potions master. He is also the head of Slytherin. It is rumored that he is after Professor Quirell's position and that he knows a lot about the dark arts. My father told us, me and my sister, about him. He is supposedly very mean and biased towards Slytherin." answered Padma.

Harry stared at Snape for a while, but Snape didn't look at him again. He wondered what his Potions class will be like.

At last, the desserts too disappeared, and Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again. The hall fell silent.

"Ahern - just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you.

"First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well. Dumbledore's twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of the Weasley twins.

"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors.

"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch.

"And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."

Harry laughed, but he was one of the few who did.

" There is no faster way to make children so something than to tell them not to do it." Stephen remarked. "What do you reckon is in there?"

"Dunno" replied Harry. But his mind was on the grubby package that Hagrid had retrieved from Gringotts. He pushed it to the back of his mind when Dumbledore announced that it was time to sing the school song.

AN: Ravenclaw tower, breakfast and Harry's first class in the next chapter.