From Acacia's explanation of the other Houses, Dani was fairly certain that she would end up in one of them, which gave her some measure of comfort. She had entertained the notion that she wouldn't have fit in in any of the Houses, especially considering the fact that she had no previous experience with magic. Which House she would actually end up in was another question entirely, as she didn't consider herself to be exceptionally smart nor hardworking.

The excitement in Acacia's voice resurged when the topic shifted towards textbooks. Dani wouldn't have exactly pegged her as a bookworm, though it was rather evident that she was passionate about learning. Just more evidence that one couldn't judge a book by its cover, she supposed.

[i]"I've never seen one, no,"[/i] Dani wrote, interested in where the conversation would lead. Unfortunately, before the conversation could be continued further, the professor that had been standing in the doorway announced that they were approaching their destination and should begin grabbing their luggage and preparing to disembark, with a reminder that first years were to follow Professor Sinistra.

Silently, Professor Sinistra led them down to a group of waiting boats that began moving down the river once everyone was boarded, some, like Dani, a little more apprehensively than others. Before too long, the self-propelled boats rounded a bend, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry visible above and before them. From there, the boats passed into a hidden cove where the students dismounted and were lead up the stairs into the building itself.

After traveling up what seemed an eternity of stairs, they arrived on the stage in the Great Hall with four large tables stretched out below them for the students of the various Houses and the table where the staff sat above and behind the stage. In the center of the stage sat a stool with a felt hat on it, clearly the fabled Sorting Hat. Anxiously, Dani awaited her turn at donning the hat to hear which House it would put her in.