"So might've been meant for the surrounding towns and stuff, too..."

"Yeah. I think Hogsmeade's the only one left."

"Yeah. And I think there was lots more war back then, too... And everyone all involved in each other's stuff, muggles and wizards and witches and magical beings and everyone."

"And now everything's a secret."

She nods. "Yeah..."

"Though with portable cameras and such, maybe that'll change."

She shrugs.

Ellie goes back to watching the castle.

The train inches to a stop - as a few other students enter the hallway - and pauses for a few moments, before the doors open.

Anathema jumps out, clattering down the steps and looking around with fascination. (Also moving out of the way of the door a bit.)

There's a couple of paths from here - one to a bridge over the tracks, a bit down, away from Hogwarts. One to up the slope what's probably the main gate, rows of carriages pulled by what're probably horses (it's hard to see details in the dim light, though their outlines are a bit... Odd...) waiting for students. One down the slope, to another, smaller gate. There's a soft sound of waves lapping at stone - whatever body of water's causing that isn't visible from here, though. Hogwarts' wall pulls fairly close to the train station, though there's still a good few dozen meters between them and it.

There's a large, burly man holding a lantern over by the path to the lower gate, calling, "Firs' years! Firs' years over here!"

Sounds like that's where they should be.

Anathema definitely seems willing to skip over, standing by the tall man (the way she walks is a bit strange, a sort of rolling bounce) and practically vibrating in place.

The other students filter out of the train, the older ones heading over toward the carriages - lots of chatter, some people telling the confused second years where to go - and the first years make their ways over to them. There's maybe three, four dozen students their year all told, gathered around, some staring at the castle in wonder, some staring at the giant man, some scowling...

"You'll all be taking the boats in," the giant man says. "Tradition, that is, so's you can enter separately from everyone else and be Sorted." (There's a small murmuring.) "Well, this way, then." He leads them all down the slope, unlocking the gate - it takes a bit of time, and involves tapping an umbrella on the lock, then waiting for a strange shimmering barrier to race across the bars, before the gate swings open on its own - and heading down to the water, where over a dozen boats are anchored to a boardwalk. "No more'n four to a boat," he says. "They'll steer themselves, though, and they're a steady sort - just sit down an' they'll handle the rest."

Anathema brushes her hand against Ellie's and glances over at her. "That one looks nice," she says, pointing to one at the end that does in fact look a bit less weathered than the others.

"Yeah. Let's go for it."

And in! Much like Professor Reynolds' boat, it doesn't rock or sink when they climb in.

Two other first years end up joining them - a boy and a girl, the boy looking well groomed and subtly wealthy and not looking at all perturbed by this whole thing, the girl with a pile of frizzy hair, staring in awe still at the castle.

The students get sorted pretty quickly - the giant man gets his own boat - and then they're off, gliding smoothly across the lake.

Fun.

Hogwarts approaches, looming ever larger, its lights reflected in the water as the last of the daylight fades from the night sky.

Anathema stares, fidgeting - they go under a low overhang, into the rock (the giant man has to duck) and to a large landing, stairs leading up to a grand door - the giant man (Hagrid, apparently) hands them off to an elderly woman (Professor McGonagall) who gives them a short speech about Hogwarts, then leads them into a receiving room. "It won't be long now," she says. "You'll all be sorted - one by one, alphabetically - in front of the Great Hall. Your Houses will be your family while you're here."

Anathema leans into Ellie until the doors open, revealing a massive hall full of students - the ceiling reflecting the sky outside - and a hat on a stool at the end of a long walkway between two of the dining tables. The professors are all sitting at a fifth table, perpendicular to the students and on a raised platform.

...And then a fold in the Hat turns into a mouth, and it begins to sing.

Anathema makes a bit of a face at the song.

It's not exactly high-quality music.

Ellie essays a small wave at Professor Reynolds.

Professor Reynolds smiles over in her direction, waving back (just as slightly).

And the Hat finishes its song, and Professor McGonagall begins calling students up to be Sorted.

Most of them go rather quickly.

Then 'Anathema Canta' is called up, sits under the Hat...

And fidgets, but otherwise nothing happens.

After the first minute, there's mutters of 'a hat stall, just our luck' from the older students, and a bit of groaning, and apparently someone over in Gryffindor taking bets on how long this hat stall will take to be sorted.

(Quite a complicated mind, aren't you?)

(Well, you're in it now, I guess.)

(You're a tricky sort... Ambitious. Cunning. Intelligent. Curious. Loyal. Hardworking. Courageous. Gallant. Willing to lie, willing to think outside your frame of reference, willing to stand by your friends, willing to fight...)

(Huh.)

(I've rarely met a student who would grow into themselves in any House, Miss Canta. You could be great - you could shake the world to its foundations. You could know all things - you could strive ever onward. You could forge friendships that would last the ages - you could never falter. You could be mighty - you could stand for what you believe in.)

(Why can't I do all of those?)

(I believe you could, Miss Canta, but I'm still required to put you in only one House.)

(I dunno too strongly, I guess, except I don't want Slytherin.)

(So you can be different? So you can say 'I defined myself'? You could do that in Slytherin as well, you know. Change the entire meaning of that noble House. You'd have allies in that.)

(I guess? That seems... I dunno. I'd like to start on my own feet, first.)

(You're already doing that, Miss Canta.)

She shrugs. (The House system is dumb, anyways.)

The Hat chuckles in her mind. (You aren't the first with that opinion. You won't be the last. But tell me, what do you think, of which House you might cleave to first?)

...

(I guess,) Anathema muses, after a good few minutes of back and forth. (Houses are supposed to be your family, right? An actual decent family.)

(That is the tradition, yes.)

(I want to be in Ellie's House.)

(You do realize I haven't Sorted her yet, Miss Canta.)

(Well, can you see what she's like in my mind?)

(Yes, but that isn't the same as seeing into hers. I have mild divination, as well, but - I can't make an actual decision until I talk to the student.)

(Guess you'll just have to declare you Sorted me wrong and move me if you guess wrong about where she'll go, then.) Anathema's thoughts about that are cheerful. It'd be a funny sort of nonsense.

The Hat laughs again. (I suppose I will. Then, for now...)

"Better be RAVENCLAW."

There's an enthusiastic cheer from the crowd. Even from the other three Houses, since they can finally move on.

Cool. Maybe she'll try for Ravenclaw as well.

The line moves along much quicker after that, until Professor McGonagall calls, "Ellie Potter!"

(There's a good bit of murmuring from the crowd. Mostly a few people repeating her name.)

Yep that's her name, don't wear it out.

She walks to the hat and puts it on, doing her best to ignore the crowd.

"Another interesting mind," the Hat says, whispering just for her. "Though not quite as tricky as your friend."

(You mean Anathema?)

"Yes. A spirited girl. She wanted to be in the same House as you - but, well, we could only guess at where you might end up."

(I could go to Ravenclaw.)