Head to the Ravenclaw Common Room

You and the rest of the first year Ravenclaws shuffle out of the Dining Hall following Robert, the prefect, who seems preoccupied by something. The hallway is cold and damp; the long shadows cast by the starlight stretch up through the tapestries and portraits creating a haunting atmosphere. The Prefect is muttering something under his breathe you catch a little bit of it "Three legs at dawn... no that's not it." You were about to ask what he was talking about when you see a shadow loom out of the wall. Stifling a gasp you see that it is none other than Lady Grey melding out of the wall towards the first years.

She speaks softly to the assembled crowd. "Good evening fledglings" she begins, Robert keeps moving as if she was not there, and the ghost drifts along behind him, keeping pace, but facing the first years "You will find that the Ravenclaw common room is a little different from the others, we pride ourselves in resourcefulness and innovation. Whereas other common rooms use passphrases to bar entry from undesired visitors, our common room is secured through the use of puzzles and riddles."

Some other first years begin to mutter, as it dawns on you. "Yes," says Lady Grey, speaking over the murmurs. "If you cannot answer the riddle you cannot get in, I wouldn't worry too much, the Prefects are usually on hand to help students get in before curfew." You feel your stomach turn slightly at the emphasis on usually. "We find that it promotes camaraderie to encourage you to help each other through, as no one can solve all the puzzles that the guardian comes up with" She chuckles.

The First Years look around and share awkward smiles and timid pleasantries, and you make the acquaintance of a second year girl with raven black hair, and striking almond eyes. "I saw your sorting, I was surprised," she says looking at you as if sizing you up "We didn't think there were any Gaunts left, when we heard, we all thought you were Slytherin for sure." Mustering up some courage that you didn't necessarily feel, "Slytherin is too boring, where's the fun in predictability." She blinks, and laughs. It was a surprisingly gentle thing, like the tinkling of a bell. "Well, I suppose you'll fit right in here, as much as anyone does. My name is Cho, Cho Chang" she said extending her hand. It's soft, but strong, neither delicate nor calloused, and she meets your gaze with fiery eyes. Corr, she's enchanting.

" Marvolo Gaunt, but I suppose you know that because the hat, and the ... yeah" you cough. "Smooth, real smooth," you think to yourself. You nearly trip as you realize that you have come to the base of some stairs. Cho fixes you with one more smile before taking off up the stairs. "Well that was something else," says a small voice next to you. You nearly leap out of your shoes.

Standing next to you is a girl your age she has a mousy hair held out of her face by a hairband, blue eyes, and a fair amount of freckles. She is maybe five feet tall.

"You're not very good at talking to girls are you?" she says staring intensely at you. "New school jitters." you mutter. She doesn't look convinced, "My name is Jennifer, I'm a little new to this whole witchcraft thing, but I am not new to crushes." You hold up a hand and try to stop her there, but she plows on ahead. "Good luck Romeo," she calls back over her shoulder. "What have I gotten myself into," you think to yourself "Maybe Slytherin would've been fine, considering the company."

As you trudge up the stairs you see Robert arguing with the door, "I know it is a lot of students, they're first years, they need to be let in!" You wonder if perhaps the entire house is mad when the lion-head door knocker speaks back. "If into the tower they wish to walk, then they must solve my puzzle talk." the knocker stated firmly. "I already answered your riddle, and as prefect I am allowed to escort as many students as the school requires!" replies Robert with exasperation. "If your status of Prefect you wish to project, then proof of your job must be shown to me:the knob" Grumbling Robert thrusts forward his lapel, displaying a patch woven into his robe, presumably a proof of his status as prefect.

Indeed the know seems satisfied as it swings open and allows the first years into the Ravenclaw Common Room. The common room is large, with a high domed ceiling, and a crackling fireplace against the back wall. The round room is lined with stairways leading to the dorms. Along the ceiling of the common room the stars themselves twinkle and shine, although you cannot find any of the constellations that you know among the ceiling, and you realize that the stars are actually painted on, it must be some kind of magical paint, or perhaps...

Before you can ponder further you hear Robert speak "All right, I know there's a lot to do and see, but classes start tomorrow, I suggest everyone gets to their rooms and meets the roommates, you've got a busy day tomorrow and I'm sure you'd rather settle in." Shaken out of your reverie you grab your bags and climb up to the boys' loft, and find your name on a plaque along with three others. Once inside you meet your roommates, a quiet Indian boy named Raj, a confused muggle-born Scotsman named Gareth, and an olive skinned boy named Ezra, who seems to be from Anatolia. Ezra introduces himself, and says "I saw that you met Jennifer, I met her myself on the train. She's a bit of a weird one, eh? I wouldn't take her too seriously, she seems to like to have a little fun at the boys' expense." You smile and strike up a conversation with your roommates long into the night.

You learn a lot about them, their likes and hobbies, for instance Raj loves Quidditch and is eager to try out, said he's dreamed of being a beater since he was little. Ezra's parents sent him away to Hogwarts as some kind of cultural exchange, the middle east seems to have a tradition of master-apprenticeship, and his parents sent him here for a more formal education. Gareth is completely overwhelmed, he apparently thought the whole situation was some kind of elaborate prank his older brother was playing on him, and he only realized it was real when he was brought to platform 9 3/4 by a ministry appointed steward. All in all he's adjusting well, but he needs to wait for the majority of his class supplies to arrive by owl.

In a way its nice, neither Raj nor Ezra seem to know much about your heritage, and you can just relax among your new found friends. As the night drags on you find yourself slipping into a deep sleep.