The pupils were soon being sorted in to thier houses. Kari stood gazing awkwardly at the ceiling for most of the ceremony, watching the clouds roll on by in the velvet night sky. He was aware of the looks he got; curiosity proved too much why wasn’t the boy standing with the other new students? Soon it was Kari’s turn to be curious as Laurel Earnshaw, the girl who talked at him nervously throughout the ceremony was sorted into Hufflepuff. Laurel had sat next to the girl. The fair headed girl who had laughed at him. Who was laughing at him? Kari was sure of it. He was not amused. He looked coldly in to the middle distance. He was only vaguely aware when the headmaster Dippet had stood up and was telling them about a boy who was new to Hogwarts as part of the foreign exchange programme and was in the third year. “Oh rats! That boy is me!” he mumbled as the all the eyes in the room swivelled to fix them on this new oddity.

The auburn bearded man motioned for Kari to walk over to a stool. Kari took a deep breath and marched over. All the while thinking of not tripping up, by the time he reached the stool it felt like an hour had passed.

“If I’m going to do this then I will do it properly.” The man smiled at him, he had overheard.

“Don’t be nervous you will be just fine”

He laid a reassuring hand on Kari’s shoulder and steered him to the stool. Kari summoned up all the pride he could and enthroned himself on the stool. And tried hard not to see all the people seated in front of him. He sat there. Nothing happened. Some mumbling began to break out.

“Silence please! “ Dippet said above the wave of noise. Then the Hat began to move and a voice was heard in Kari’s head. “Who are you?”

            “I am called Kari Karisson.” He replied.

            “Who are you?” The voice asked again.

            “I am Kari Karisson son of Kari Ragnarsson.” He answered out loud.

            “You are Kari?” The voice asked disbelievingly. Before He could answer the voice continued. “ You are cold, Quick minded and you are not a wizard.”          The tinny voice echoed round his ears.

“Just put me in a house. Please. Just put me in a house.”

 His hands gripped the edge of the stool, although he could not see his hands he was aware his veins could be seen through the thin skin of his tensed hands.

 “You are not a wizard. But are you worthy of Hogwarts?”

 Kari’s breath came to him in short sharp intakes, He forced his shoulders to relax and regained his composure as he answered the tinny voice.

 “I am Kari. I am the snow-walkernot a wizard! A snow-walkers son and I will be the first snow-walker of this School!”

The voice laughed.

 “Very well proud one. RAVENCLAW!”

Kari Stood up and the hat was removed swiftly from his head. He walked towards the smattering of applause from a table nearest to the fireplace. As he approached he was aware of the glances stolen at him and he looked for a seat. Maybe he was paranoid but did the Ravenclaw’s seem spread out on the bench? He frowned. There wasn’t room for him. He heard his fathers voice in his mind “ They don’t trust us Kari, they don’t trust what they don’t understand” He looked down at the table and he stared at the goblet. He didn’t know where else to place his eyes. As he stared the distorted reflection of the hall melted into his fathers face. His father’s mouth moved. “ Kari. Assert yourself. They are human and below you. They will never accept you.” As he hovered by the table a girl with premature grey/silver hair smiled and patted the bench next to her. Her amber bird like eyes caught his own colourless ones.

“Welcome to Ravenclaw” she said as she moved up along the bench and he sat down.