THREE; HOME FOR THE NEXT 7 YEARS

"GRYFFINDOR!"

The hat got taken off her head and Celeste jumped up, her hair turning completely red and her eyes burning bright golden as she smiled happily.

People around the hall awed at her hair and eyes as she skipped her way to the Gryffindor table and hugged Sirius tightly. "You're coming back to mine for Christmas, and I'll convince the devils to get Reg over as well." She whispered as she hugged him.

"Thank you." He whispered back before letting go of her. They turned their attention back to the sorting and listened well when someone they knew came up.

"Lupin, Remus!" Was called, and Celeste recognised the sandy haired boy that introduced himself to them on the boats. He was sorted into Gryffindor and came to sit near Sirius and Celeste, who both smiled at him.

The other boy on the boat with them, Peter, was also sorted into Gryffindor, and he sat beside Remus, and was also welcomed with smiles. Then, soon after him, James was called to the hat.

"Potter, James!" James confidently walked to the hat, and as soon as it was placed atop his messy mop of hair, it screamed "GRYFFINDOR!"

The boy ran to the red and gold table and sat on Celeste's other side. She nudged him with a grin on her face and he nudged her back. "Looks like I'll be seeing a lot more of you in the next 7 years, eh?"

"Looks like it." He replied. Dumbledore stood and welcomed the new students into the school, before gesturing to the tables and telling everyone to enjoy their meals as golden platters of food and goblets of drinks appeared everywhere.

After desserts were done as well, prefects stood to guide the first years to where they would be spending their nights and days during their time here. The fifth year boy and girl lead the Gryffindors up the moving staircases, past the talking portraits until they got to a portrait of a woman dressed in a pink dress.

"This is the Fat Lady. She guards the entrance to our common room. There is a password to get into it, and its changed every week. If you don't know the password, you cant get in, so please remember it." The boy said.

The girl faced the Fat Lady and said in a loud and clear voice, "LEO!"

The portrait swung to the side and revealed the Gryffindor commo room. Everyone walked in and looked around at the cosy atmosphere. The fires were lit, and the curtains covered in red velvet. There were some desks in the corner and some armchairs and couches surrounding the fire and scattered in other places.

"This looks better than what my dad described it as." Celeste looked around in awe at the cosy room.

The prefect walked in front of them and then faced them. "Boys and girls dormitories." She pointed to the two staircases. "Boys can't go to the girls dorm, or the stairs will turn into a slide. Classes start tomorrow. Breakfast at 7:00, and you'll get all your timetables then. Goodnight."

The two prefects headed off to their friends while the first years started heading to their dorms. Celeste turned to James and Sirius and hugged Sirius. "I'm glad we're both in Gryffindor. I'll be there when Walburga sends you a howler. I've got your back, don't worry."

He hugged her back. "Thanks Cel. You really are my knight in shining armour." He smiled before letting go. She turned to James who opened his arms.

She hugged him. "I'm glad I met you, Jamie. I'll see you tomorrow."

"I'm glad I met you too, Cel. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, boys." She waved before heading up to the first year girl's dormitory. Once she was outside the door, she noticed there were two dorms, and 6 girls including her. The other girls were gathered there.

"Hello everyone." She greeted. They all turned to face her, and she recognised one person. The same red-headed girl that she met on the train. "Why are we all stood outside?"

"We wanted to meet everyone before we separated. There's two dorms, so we won't all be together." Another girl said.

"Well, I'll be the first to introduce myself, I suppose. My name is Celeste Fawley. But you can call me Cel."

"You were in the compartment with those two boys, weren't you?" The redhead asked.

"Yes, Sirius and James. Apologies if we offended you, I was just making sure your friend didn't bash any other houses. If you noticed, I said the same to James. Nothing personal."

"Of course. He was a bit out of line. I'm Lily Evans."

"Seems you two are acquainted." A pretty blonde with a mischievous glint in her blue eyes spoke. "I'm Marlene McKinnon. Call me Marlene, Mar, Marls, whatever you want."

A dark skinned girl spoke up. "I'm Dorcas Meadowes."

Then a brunette. "Alice. Alice Fortescue."

The girl who first spoke then introduced herself. "I'm Mary McDonald."

"Lovely to meet you all. How are the dorm assignments?" Celeste asked.

"Seems I'm with Alice and Mary. And Celeste, Marlene and Dorcas are together." Lily said, after reading the little poster hung in between the two dorms. "Goodnight you three." She waved and walked into her dorm with the other two girls.

"Well, looks like we're rooming for the next 7 years. Be quite a shame if we didn't get along, wouldn't it?" Celeste joked, causing the other two to laugh. Then, they followed Marlene into the dorm room, and saw there were three beds.

One by the window, one by the door and one in the middle. "I CALL THE ONE BY THE WINDOW!" Celeste called out, throwing herself onto that one.

"MIDDLE!" Marlene yelled, jumping onto it.

"Yes, lovely, leave me with the one closest to the noise." Dorcas teased. The walls were a deep red and the floors wooden with soft rugs scattered. Their beds were four-poster beds with red velvet curtains. Celeste quickly sat up and hurried to her little bag and her trunk.

She opened the bag and brought out Nox. "I hope you all don't mind a cat in the dorms." She stroked his ears.

"I love cats." Dorcas awed at the kitten, before sitting on the floor beside Celeste. Marlene joined them, both of them watching as the little kitten rolled on the floor with the toy Celeste handed him.

"My mum taught me this spell to unpack. I can try it with your clothes too." She stood and took her wand out, muttering a word and then moving her wand left and then right before pointing it at the closet nearest to her bed.

Her clothes soared out of her trunk and hung themselves in the closet. Her makeup, books and stationary were left in the trunk. She just dropped her makeup bag on her vanity, and her books on her desk, along with her stationary.

"That's brilliant!" Marlene gaped. "Do mine next!"

Celeste laughed and did the same for Marlene's clothes, and then for Dorcas. "There we go!" She headed to her closet and pulled out some pyjamas then headed the bathroom to put them on and brush her teeth.

After she was done, she came out and sat on her bed. The other two took turns going to the bathroom, but soon they were all laying in their beds, and Dorcas had switched the lights off. "Goodnight everyone!" Celeste called out.

"Goodnight!" Came replies from the two others.