Kari stood in the entrance hall, next to his crate. He had watched as the other students had gone in the hall. They had arrived in carriages drawn by nothing! Was this normal for them? What kind of place was this? Kari had arrived in a different manner he had sailed to England and from the port in Southampton he had been driven in a metal contraption. A muggle metal contraption.

A tall young man with the longest auburn beard he had ever seen was holding the Dinning Hall door open as the hugest man Kari had ever seen herded several students into the entrance hall. This place was huge. Powerful magic must have been used to build this place either that or giants, Kari thought as his eyes flicked back to th huge man. Thrasirshall was said to have been built by trolls centuries ago, no one had ever seen one. Giants were extinct in his country too. The tall man with the long beard announced they were to stay here and left. Taking with him all the first impressions of normality and friendliness that Kari had gleaned from this place.  The other students were all younger than him.

“How humiliating being left behind with the first years!”

 A small girl with a sheet of chestnut hair looked up at him. Damnation! The amulet he was wearing must be working. His mother had given it to him as he had left them at the docks; it was his father’s work of course allowing him to speak this countries native tongue.

“ Hello” she said.  He looked down at her and didn’t have a clue what to say. He had never been with other children before; He had been with his cousins but they were all older than him by at least ten years. They were all boys who had thought themselves too old to play and consequently treated him with indifference. They had frightened him with their drunk shouts of merriment, he had stayed pinned to his mothers side throughout their stay. He had no idea how to respond to so many people, not to mention girls!

“Hello” he replied awkwardly.  She smiled and trilled on happily

“ My name is laurel-rose. This is the first time I’ve been to a proper witch place. I come from a muggle family. I didn’t see you on the train. Where were you? Are you a first year too?”

 Kari looked at her in disbelief her rapid talk had unnerved him and made his reply sound slow and forced.

“I wasn’t on the train. I don’t think I’m in your year. I am older than you.”

Kari looked round at the nervous, excited students. “ Do you know why we are waiting here?” Laurel shrugged, a boy next to her chipped in.

 “ We’re gonna get sorted into our houses”

They all watched as the elder students were getting seated through the gap in the door.

Kari’s eyes lingered on a girl with curly chestnut hair. How pretty she was. For a moment he thought she was going to look straight at him as she and her friends turned to look at the group of first years through the crack of the door, they gazed at them with scrutiny. The girl with chestnut hair muttered something inaudible, glancing at Kari and their peels of laughter made Kari feel small.