The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face, which said don't mess with her.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said the giant.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here"

She pulled the door wide. The entrance hall was huge. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones at Gringotts, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors.

They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Ellie could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right, but Professor McGonagall showed the first years into an empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, since it was small, peering about nervously.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall, "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room"

"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rulebreaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours"

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting"

Her eyes lingered for a moment on Neville's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear, and on Ron's smudged nose.

"I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall, "Please wait quietly"

She left the chamber.

"How exactly do they sort us into houses?" Harry asked Ron.

"Some sort of test, I think. Fred said there will be a troll, but I think he's joking"

"Awesome!" Ellie said, making everyone stare at her. Harry wasn't worried about her, but fighting troll wasn't on his 'What-to-do-during-first-year' list.

No one was talking much except Hermione Granger, who was whispering very fast about all the spells she'd learned and wondering which one she'd need. Harry tried hard not to listen to her.

Then something happened that made Harry jump about a foot in the air, several people behind him screamed.

"What the..."

About twenty ghosts had just streamed through the back wall. Pearly-white and slightly transparent, unlike the ghosts Harry and Ellie got used to see, they glided across the room talking to one another and hardly glancing at the first years. They seemed to be arguing. What looked like a fat little monk was saying: "Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance..."

"My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost," that sounded funny for Phantom siblings, "...what are you all doing here?"

A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed the first years.

"We are new students," Ellie said, grinning. Ghosts gaped at her. Fat Friar pointed shaking finger at her.

"M-Merlin, she looks j-just like him..."

"Move along now," said a sharp voice, before anyone could ask anything,  "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start"

Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall, hurriedly.

"Now, form a line," Professor McGonagall told the first years, "and follow me"

Harry got into line behind an Ellie, with Ron behind him, and they walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.

It was lit by thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. Professor McGonagall led the first years up here, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. Mainly to avoid all the staring eyes, Harry looked upward and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars, thinking that Danny would like it.

Harry quickly looked down again as Professor McGonagall silently placed a stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. Then...it started to sing.

"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,

But don't judge on what you see,

I'll eat myself if you can find

A smarter hat than me.

You can keep your bowlers black,

Your top hats sleek and tall,

For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat

And I can cap them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head

The Sorting Hat can't see,

So try me on and I will tell you

Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor,

Where dwell the brave at heart,

Their daring, nerve, and chivalry

Set Gryffindors apart;

You might belong in Hufflepuff,

Where they are just and loyal,

Those patient Hufflepuffs are true

And unafraid of toil;

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw, if you've a ready mind,

Where those of wit and learning,

Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in Slytherin

You'll make your real friends,

Those cunning folk use any means

To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!

And don't get in a flap!

You're in safe hands (though I have none)

For I'm a Thinking Cap!"

The Hall started to cheer as hat 'bowed' to the each table. Ellie pouted.

"Awe, I wanted to wrestle a troll. Wizards are boring"

Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Abbott, Hannah!"

A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down. A small pause...

"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat.

The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table. Harry saw the ghost of the Fat Friar waving merrily at her, still not moving eyes from his sister. He didn't like it. Some more people were sorted into their houses, until a familiar name was said.

"Granger, Hermione!"

Hermione almost ran to the stool and jammed the hat eagerly on her head.

"GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the hat. Ron groaned.

Malfoy swaggered forward when his name was called and got his wish at once: the hat had barely touched his head when it screamed, "SLYTHERIN!"

Malfoy went to join his friends Crabbe and Goyle, looking pleased with himself.

"Phantom, Danielle"

Ghosts, who haven't seen Ellie before, gasped, which caused everybody look at them, including teachers. They wondered about such reaction. Funnily enough, Ellie was only one who hasn't noticed that. She eagerly sat on the stool, the hat slipping over her eyes, it being too big. She saw only blackness around, when a small voice in her ear started to talk.

"Hm, I guess there is the first time for everything, I have never seen a royalty before..."

"How do you know that?" Ellie asked.

"Oh, Ms. Phantom, I just look into your memories, worry not, your secrets are safe with me. Now, where to put you? You are courageous, that's unquestionable. You have a very loyal and forgiving nature, combined with bright, but sometimes lazy mind..."

"Hey!" She said aloud.

"I'm merely telling what I see, sorry if I offended you. Ah, there are also big ambitions. Interesting, how about..."

"SLYTHERIN!" The hat shouted.

Harry and Ron looked genuinely surprised and dumbfounded. Harry was a bit sad, since he still didn't want to be there. Ellie went to Slytherin table, glancing at her brother and smiling encouragely.

"Potter, Harry!"

As Harry stepped forward, whispers suddenly broke out like little hissing fires all over the hall.

The last thing Harry saw before the hat dropped over his eyes was the hall full of people craning to get a good look at him. Next second he was looking at the black inside of the hat. He waited.

"Hmm," said a small voice in his ear, "Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind either. There's talent, A my goodness, yes...and a nice thirst to prove yourself, you want to make your father proud... So where shall I put you?"

Harry thought, Not Slytherin, not Slytherin.

"Not Slytherin, eh?" said the small voice. "Are you sure? Young Danielle is there, shouldn't you be eager to be with her?"

Harry felt guilty for leaving his sister alone, but he still didn't want to be there.

"Well, if you're sure...better be GRYFFINDOR!"

Harry heard the hat shout the last word to the whole hall. He took off the hat and walked shakily toward the Gryffindor table. The Weasley twins yelled, "We got Potter! We got Potter!" Harry sat down opposite the ghost in the ruff he'd seen earlier. The ghost patted his arm, giving Harry the sudden, horrible feeling he'd just plunged it into a bucket of ice-cold water.

Meanwhile, at the Slytherin table Ellie clapped maybe harder than anyone, smiling. She then noticed how one ghost, Bloody Baron? Was staring at her wide eyed, which in turn caused the others look at young princess.

"Excuse me?" She asked Baron. Only now he realized that he was staring.

"Oh, I apologize," he said nervously, regaining his composure, "I...I was just wondering...you wouldn't be related to DANIEL Phantom?"

"Yep! He is my Daddy!" Ellie answered, making Baron look at her with dropped jaw. Everyone was wondering who this 'Daniel Phantom' was, if his name caused such a reaction.

"I-It's such an honor, miss," The Baron said, outstretching his hand for shake, putting the other on his chest. People were expecting the hand to go through hers, but Ellie shook his hand, much to their shock. "Oh, Sir Nicholas must be jealous"

Albus Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. He was beaming at the students, his arms opened wide, as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there.

"Welcome," he said. "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!"

"Thank you!"

He sat back down. Everybody clapped and cheered. Harry laughed. He suddenly remembered how Danny dressed like a pirate on his sixth birthday and started to shout different nonexistent words.

Harry's mouth fell open. The dishes in front of him were now piled with food. He had never seen so many things he liked to eat on one table: roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, ketchup, and, for some strange reason, peppermint humbugs. Harry piled his plate with a bit of everything except the peppermints and began to eat. It was all delicious.

"That does look good," said the ghost in the ruff sadly, watching Harry cut up his steak.

"Can't you..."

"I haven't eaten for nearly five hundred years," said the ghost. "I don't need to, of course, but one does miss it. I don't think I've introduced myself? Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington at your service. Resident ghost of Gryffindor Tower," Harry wondered more about this ghosts. The kind he got used to needs food, then again, they aren't intangible 24/7.

"I know who you are!" said Ron suddenly, "My brothers told me about you...you're Nearly Headless Nick!"

"I would prefer you to call me Sir Nicholas de Mimsy... " the ghost began stiffly, but sandy-haired Seamus Finnigan interrupted.

"Nearly Headless? How can you be nearly headless?"

Sir Nicholas looked extremely miffed, as if their little chat wasn't going at all the way he wanted.

"Like this," he said irritably. He seized his left ear and pulled. His whole head swung off his neck and fell onto his shoulder as if it was on a hinge.  Looking pleased at the stunned looks on their faces, Nearly Headless Nick flipped his head back onto his neck, coughed, and said, "So...new Gryffindors! I hope you're going to help us win the house championship this year? Gryffindors have never gone so long without winning. Slytherins have got the cup six years in a row! The Bloody Baron's becoming almost unbearable...and now he's going to be even worse"

"Why?" Ron asked.

"Why? Because he has Phantom in his house," he gestured to Danielle.

"What's so special about that family?"

"Well, it's Dad who is famous," Harry shrugged, then noticed confused looks, "I was taken in by their family"

At last, the food disappeared, and Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again. The hall fell silent.

"Ahem...just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you"

"First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well"

Dumbledore's twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of the Weasley twins.

"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors"

"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch"

"And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death"

Harry laughed, but then noticed that he was one of the few who did.

"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Dumbledore. Harry noticed that the other teachers' smiles had become rather fixed.

-Laterr-

"Why did you call us here, Professor?" Asked Sir Nicholas, floating in Headmaster's office, along with his fellow house ghosts.

"I wanted to ask about this 'Phantom' you talked about," Answered Dumbledore.

"Well, where should we start..."

"Phantom isn't actually his real last name," said Friar, "His birth name is Fenton. This is an ancient family, but it's members lived mostly in America. That is why we were so surprised to see young Danielle here"

"It isn't a pureblood house, however. Completely opposite, they were...witch hunters," Dumbledore stared wide eyed.

"But Daniel was different. He never was too keen in 'family business'. And then...then he found out he is a wizard. His family, however, didn't. Believe or not, he learned everything by himself, hiding every single detail from his parents. His sister found out, but she was on his side and kept the secret"

"Incredible power he has, even You-Know-Who would think twice before crossing him. Daniel can destroy the city with simple scream, his glare can vaporize you instantly. When you have such power, there are two ways, as he says, 'You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villian'," Baron choked his laugh. Well, Phantom fits the first category, that's for sure.

"He did a lot of good things. Daniel took the pseudonym 'Phantom' and started to 'practice', catching rogue creatures and dark wizards. He did very well, being unregistered and underage Auror. It was during his 'hobbie', as he sarcastically calls it, when he met Ms. McLain. She was a dark witch, who was very dangerous and cruel. It's incredible, how drastically she changed"

"Why?" Albus raised an eyebrow. Ghosts looked at each other with smiles.

"It was Daniel who helped her to see the light," said Nicholas, "After some hardships they came to an understanding, which turned into full fledged love. She became a caring wife and mother for Danielle and, as I just found out, Mr. Potter"

"What?!" Dumbledore said, shocked.

"Yes, Harry told me that he was taken in by Phantoms' family, when he ran away. He seems very happy to live with them"

Dumbledore looked deep in thought.

"Very well, I'd like to listen more later"