The golden plates and goblets gleamed under the thousands of floating candles in the enchanted ceiling of the Great Hall, which mirrored the star-studded night sky outside. The sorting had ended, and a curious silence settled over the hall as everyone turned their attention to the head table.
Professor Dumbledore stood, his long silver beard shimmering slightly in the candlelight, and his eyes twinkling behind half-moon spectacles.
"Welcome! 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!"
Several first-years looked around in bewilderment. A few older students chuckled knowingly.
"Now that we have all been sorted," Dumbledore continued with a warm smile, "let us begin our feast!"
As if on cue, the golden plates before them filled with an astonishing variety of food. Roasted chicken, sausages, mashed potatoes, gravies, puddings, and jugs of pumpkin juice appeared in an instant.
Harry blinked at the abundance. Despite all his magical knowledge, seeing this much food magically appear still amazed him. Beside him, Hermione gasped. "This is incredible!"
Fred and George, sitting across from Harry, leaned forward. "So, Harry," Fred began with a mischievous grin, "what was that bit with the Sorting Hat? Very dramatic farewell."
"Something about ashes and wings?" George added, nudging his brother.
Harry chuckled, shaking his head. "Guess the Hat has a flair for theatrics."
Further down the table, Seamus Finnegan pulled out his wand and declared confidently, "Watch this! My cousin showed me this one!" He tapped his goblet. "Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, turn this stupid fat rat yellow!"
A puff of smoke erupted, but the goblet stayed very much the same. A few students burst into laughter, and Seamus just shrugged, grinning sheepishly.
Neville turned to Harry, still holding his toad gently. "Thanks… for earlier," he muttered, cheeks pink. "On the boat. That meant a lot."
Before Harry could reply, Neville's eyes wandered to the Hufflepuff table. Hannah Abbott gave him a small wave and a kind smile. Neville flushed even redder and waved back awkwardly, nearly dropping Trevor.
Hermione, always curious, leaned closer to Harry. "So… what did the Hat mean?"
Harry gave her a lopsided smile. "Not sure. Maybe it just wanted to sound mysterious."
She frowned a little but accepted the answer — for now.
Suddenly, a cold breeze swept through the hall. Dozens of translucent figures floated in through the walls — the ghosts of Hogwarts. Students murmured in excitement and amazement.
"New Gryffindors!" a voice called cheerfully. A ghost with a ruffled collar and a nearly severed head floated towards them. "Welcome, welcome! I'm Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington — but you can call me Nearly Headless Nick."
"Nearly headless?" Seamus asked, wide-eyed.
Nick sighed and yanked on his ear. His head flopped sideways, barely hanging on. Several students gasped, while Seamus clapped delightedly.
As the feast wound down, the prefects gathered the first-years and led them through the moving staircases, guiding them toward Gryffindor Tower. Fatigue began to settle in as the excitement of the day faded, and the castle's grandeur gave way to warmth and comfort.
The Fat Lady swung open after the password was given, and they entered the cozy common room. The fire crackled invitingly, throwing golden light onto the scarlet armchairs.
Harry stood silently for a moment, taking it all in.
A soft smile touched his lips.
For the first time in his new life, he felt something that had eluded him for years — a sense of home.
Maybe it was because of abundant magic or maybe people, but Harry doesn't bother to find.