She was started out of her reverie by Hagrid's booming voice. "Kat! Can yer get us some towels? These poor things are soaked though!"

She took one look at saw what he meant. Luckily though one of the house elves appeared with a huge pile of towels before she even had to ask. She saw the first years as they were coming through. Some of them were crying, some shivering, and there was the odd one that was bouncing around. She picked up some of the towels and started handing them out.

"Here, it's ok, you are here now. Take one of these and dry yourselves off." Hagrid was also passing round towels.

Kat took a minute to ask one of the girls, "What is wrong? What happened? It can't have been as bad as that..."

"The boats...sank!" Ruth said, teeth chattering. "I...'m cold..." She looked it, too. Her hair was plastered to her head, and her lips were blue.

"The boats sank? That is awful!" Kat was a little shocked. Those boats had not sank before in the history of Hogwarts! At least, not that she knew.

She glanced around wondering how she could help to heat the students up. Deciding that there was nothing that she could really heat except for the air she decided that would have to do. She pulled out her wand and whispered a spell. A number of red sparks flew out of her wand and the air began to warm.

"That should help," she said. "Tell me, how did the boats sink? I thought nothing could effect those boats."

"I don't kn...know!" Ruth said, still shivering, but less so, now. "They j...just did! And it was w...wet!"

"Well I am sure things will be ok now. Get yourself dry with the towel. We should move on to the sorting and the feast soon and then you will feel much better I am sure." Kat smiled at Ruth. She guessed that she would find out soon enough what had happened.

"Anyone not got a towel?" She asked the gathered students.

Two outrageous cries shook the Great Hall as Nathan and Morticia heard the report from their little, dripping, sobbing sister Nimue.

"They SANK? What do you mean, they SANK???"

Nathan began drying Ninny's hair with the sleeves of his robes while Morticia hurried away to get her a towel.

Then she walked over to Kat. "What happened?" she asked. "The boats don't just SINK!"

"I wish I knew Tish. No-one that I have spoken to saw anything. I am as surprised and shocked as you are that the boats sank. At least they are all here ok though, even if they are a little scared and wet." She smiled sympathetically at Morticia.

From somewhere in the Great Hall there came a barely concealed snicker.

Piotr watched the soaking wet first years come dripping into the Hall, and heard that their boats had sunk. For some reason he could not quite - excuse him - fathom, Piotr found this ridiculously funny. The snicker turned to a chuckle and the chuckle dissolved into peals of laughter. He couldn't help it. They all looked so...wet. There was part of him, the tiniest, almost totally unnoticeable part that he tried his hardest to ignore, that hoped everyone was alright.

Finally, the laughter gave way to silent shoulder-shaking mirth.

********

"I am sure Professor McGonagall will have a forwarding address for Elia." said Nimue with a smile. "And yes Amy here will be our new dorm-mate. Along with Mahou Amberstone. We will be six."

She was just about to say something about the Yvette's colour scheme (hot pink) when the distress of the First Year's came to their attention. "I'd better go and see if I can help calm them down." she said.

Nimue passed by the table where Piotr and the other Fourth Year new students were seated and shot him a look of disdain as she headed towards the First Years and her fellow Prefects, Kat and Morticia. "Is your little sister all right, Tish?"

Morticia nodded. "Nathan's taking care of her." She glared at Piotr with a look that could have easily intimidated anyone who knew her usual hot temper. "THAT guy's going to have some problems soon," she muttered, "Drake showed my some nice little curses during the holidays..."

Then she quieted as Dumbledore rose and came over to where they were. They returned to their tables as the Sorting Ceremony began.

**********

At the Head Table, Professor Dumbledore looked concerned at what had occurred to the First Years and in a break from tradition he came down from the Head Table to see if they were alright.

Hagrid assured him that all were accounted for and now they had been dried off that some hot food and drink would be most welcome.

"I think then Hagrid that we shall look into the matter of the sinking of the boats after the Feast but for now these youngsters need to be sorted into their respective Houses." He smiled warmly at them and led the way so that they would come to stand in front of the Teachers' table facing the gathered student body.

The four-legged stool with the Sorting Hat was then placed in front of the students. To the amazement of a number gathered there - a mouth appeared in the brim of the Hat and it sang a song about the Sorting that was about to happen.

When it had done and the student body erupted into applause and the enchanted hat took a bow.

The formidable Professor McGonagall stepped forward obviously also concerned about the boat incident, "Now First Years as your names are called, please come and sit on the stool and place the Hat upon your head."

She called them out alphabetically and soon reached, "Friedman, Ruth."

Ruthie walked forward slowly and sat on the stool, pulling the hat over her head.

Hmm, said the voice. Yes? Bravery, for certain...a quest for knowledge, but... Yes, this is easy. So what is it? "Gryffindor!" it called loudly.

David clapped harder than anyone else as Ruth nearly skipped to the Gryffindor table.

Nimue, had naturally returned to her seat before the Sortings. As Ruthie took her seat at the Gryffindor table, she leaned over and said. "Welcome, Ruth. I am sure you will enjoy it in Gryffindor House.

Yvette cheered with all the rest of the Gryffindors as another new student joined their House. The girl was quite close to her, so she got up like a pink whirlwind and shook her hand. "So glad you'll be in Gryffindor...Ruth, was it? You're going to have so much fun!"

Amy began feeling uncertainty, and possible frightened by Yvette. She didn't only link these feelings with the bright pink jacket and gloves, but now with the grin. It wasn't exactly a friendly grin, it was more of a I-have-tricks-planned grin.

Amy felt a little nervous, but tried to put it out of her mind. "I can't wait to see your new posters!" Amy replied to Yvette. "I happened to bring one myself, of the England Quidditch Team," Amy then said to Yvette.

However at that time, Albus Dumbledore's voice boomed throughout the room, and signalled the beginning of sorting. Amy noticed that the First Years came through the Great Hall doors drenched. She couldn't figure out why, it wasn't raining? Then she heard some student laughing, and whispers of "the boats sunk in the lake" could be heard. One thing was clear to Amy, Hogwarts was definitely different then Durmstrang.

********

Late, as ever, Anders had slunk into the hall midway through the first Sorting, guilt written all over his face. Feeling a bit put out by having met his replacement, he'd sneaked off for a soothing cigarette, which had turned into four. He was now chewing desperately on mints, hoping that Nimue wouldn't comment. He'd promised her he'd try to quit.

He sat and watched the rest of the first year Sorting, then watched carefully as Nimue's new year mates stepped forward. He smiled to himself, remembering his re-sorting, just before the summer holidays. All those years spent in Slytherin when he should have been in Gryffindor...

Not for the first time, Anders felt a pang of regret at the way his life had worked out. But then he remembered Nimue and all that the future had to offer him, and a small, shy smile crossed his face. His eyes automatically sought her out, but she was engrossed in the Sorting and was currently speaking to the first of the new pupil Sort-ees who'd been sent to the Gryffindor table.

He sighed audibly, earning a look from Professor Flitwick to his left. Immediately, not wishing to seem at all brooding, he grinned at the little Professor and started up a conversation in a low voice, trying to hold on to some degree of normality.

His eyes, however, kept straying to the Gryffindor table.

With all the commotion, Nimue hadn't realised that Anders had entered the Hall.

She felt a little sense of deja vu when she saw him sat next to Professor Flitwick though he wasn't wearing Professor's robes anymore. Sometimes honoured guests did sit at the high table and as Professor Snape wasn't shooting 'looks' at Anders then his presence there must be all right.

Professor Snape appeared to have his attention elsewhere but she couldn't fathom on whom. It made her feel somewhat better about things that Anders obviously did feel welcome and they had spent many hours talking of his future plans.

Finally she did manage to catch his eye and give him a smile and a quizzical look. Something was 'up' she was sure of it but what?

As the sorting was happening Marvo enters the hall with Hagrid. Marvo's robes seem soaking wet from the knees down. As Hagrid goes over to Dumbledore and whispers something in his ear before sitting down at the head table.

Marvo makes his way to the Gryffindor table and sits. "What did I miss?"

"The Sortings have started." Nimue said with a whisper. "So what did we miss?" said Nimue. "You've obviously been out at the boathouse with Hagrid. What happened to them? Why did they all sink?"

"No the boats didn't sink..." Marvo paused (probably just for the dramatics of it) "... They were sunk! Someone, or something hulled them. Fortunately Hagrid and a few of the 5th and 6th years were on hand and were able to re float them enough to get the first years back to dry land.

Hagrid and I have just been examining the boats...." Another dramatic pause "... It was not an accident."

Nimue was shocked. "Who would want to do something like that? I know that pranks do get pulled but the First Years weren't even sorted yet and there would likely be relatives of people from every House as well as future Housemates. It would just be too cruel a thing to do *and* dangerous as well. I can't imagine even Peeves if he could get out of the castle would be so cruel and the mer-people - well they wouldn't would they? Would they?"

Ruthie, who was sitting across from Marvo and Nimue, frowned. "I don't see why someone would WANT to sink the boats... Mer-people aren't that vindictive, usually..."

She shivered and glanced around before surreptitiously casting a warming charm on her hands.

"Well Hagrid is having a word with Dumbledore to see if he can contact the Mer-People to see if they have any idea what is going on. Other than that we haven't a clue as to the cause or reason behind it. As said, I doubt it would be any one house doing it, as the First Years hadn't been sorted. Not that I wouldn't put it past some 'Slytherings' to do such a thing! It may have seemed surprising to some that Marvo was talking to openly and 'maturely' to Ruth.

"Good ol' House rivalries." Yvette remarked cheerfully. "I almost missed them!"

Of course, she wouldn't put such a thing past the Slytherins, but it had been a marvellous joke.

"Peeves wouldn't have done it...he's not that smart. So it probably was the Slytherins." She smiled. "I'm going to eat a First Year if I don't get my food soon." She warned with a tone of mock-desperation.

Shinrei had reddened considerably at Yvette's earlier statement about her having good taste in guys. "Yvette-san," she said gracefully as she wished to clear up the matter, "I believe that boy--that is, Jian Hupi--is a monk. A brother of China's Mian-Ju-Tao Order, or soon to be one. I am most fascinated by their Shaolin fighting techniques."

She smiled at Yvette, still feeling heat all over her face.

Nimue could tell that Shinrei was embarrassed by Yvette's remark. "Well, I think it pretty likely that Jian will be sorted to Gryffindor. Will his being a monk or an acolyte prevent him from being friends with girls? Friendships don't always led to people becoming romantically involved. Look at me and Marvo here." She took the opportunity to wink at him.

Shinrei gave Marvo Ward a nod and then turned towards the newly Sorted Gryffindor, Ruth Friedman. "Good evening, Ruth-san. My name is Shinrei Hikari. I am in the Fourth Year. Welcome to Gryffindor House."

She had noted that the girl was casting a Warming Charm, well hidden from most but not from someone raised by the Clan Kossawa. She reached into her robes and produced her tiny container of pomegranate-and-chicory supplements. "Would you like some of these, Ruth-san?"

She offered the younger girl the "vitamin" chewables. "These give you remarkable energy and, of course, body heat. A little bit like what coffee does."

"Oh, just Ruthie is all right," Ruth protested. "No, I'm fine, just a little chilly...the water is cold, you know!" She rubbed her hands together under the table.

From David's stories of the enormous Hogwarts feasts (and David would know) she was quite confident of getting a good, warm meal, and knew that would warm her up considerably.

Marvo gave a brief bow to Shinrei and looked at the 'pills' she took out, making a mental note to check on the later.

Yvette just winked again at Shinrei, who was looking remarkably red by that time. She rubbed her hands together, and wondered if she should get herself a hat. "Is it just me, or did it get colder?" She asked absently, hugging her coat to herself.

"You sure you're okay?" Madison asked Yvette. "Maybe you need some of Shinrei's pills or something...or a nice hot meal. Either one." She smiled. "Just hang on until the new students get sorted..."

"It's probably just a cold. Literally." Yvette grinned at her friend. "I'm hanging on, honest...we'd better get some more Gryffindors!"

*********

Professor McGonagall had smiled discreetly when Ruth Friedman had taken her place at Gryffindor. Naturally she was aware that Ruth was the daughter of Joseph and Calliope Friedman. It was in her opinion a good placement.

She continued to work her way through the list of First Years, finally reaching: "Lagrand, Nimue"

Under the eyes of her two older siblings, the small girl with the wet blond pigtails stepped forward, looking incredibly pale and nervous.

She sat down on the chair with a frightened expression and put the Hat on. 'Hmm,' she heard a voice in her head, 'oh dear, my, we ARE nervous about this, aren't we? Let's see... we have a strong urge to follow rules and orders here, very surprising... nothing daring there... hm... oh, this is difficult indeed... I think we'll best make it HUFFLEPUFF!"

Ninny put the hat down and hurried to the table and sat down with incredible relief that the torture was over.

Morticia grinned at Nathan, who muttered something angry under his breath, took out a Galleon and tossed it to Morticia. "Told you", she sniggered while pocketing the coin.