Raymond couldn't help but give a small smirk as she mimicked Acacia. "Yeah... I didn't hear her talk much, but from what the second years said before they left, they seem to know something... I don't know. It isn't safe to go around pointing fingers. It can get someone in trouble." He listened to Samantha talking about her summer, smiling at the mention of potions, but a sincere nod when talking about her mother he was about to respond to her answer until she gave him a quick kiss. It had been too long since they were together, the sweet memories made him lose his train of thought. He laughed a bit and smiled, giving a quick kiss back. 

"My summer was a typical one for us. My mom kept staring through a window at our neighbors, taking notes on their actions, going to parties and all that... forcing me to tag along so she can hear the 'teenager experience'... And when my dad wasn't away, he was helping me with my wand..." He didn't need to bring up his first year, where a simple "alohomora" spell turned to him burning a door to the ground. "We also traveled to my mother's family beach house up north for a few days... but it was mostly chores for the rest of the summer."

As he was talking the carriages started to move as everyone was in and ready to go. When he stopped talking, the carriages stopped at a bride suspended over a large canyon. Everyone started to pile out, Raymond still holding Samantha's hand as he started to walk across the bridge. He couldn't get the grin off his face as they got closer and closer to the huge wooden doors in the courtyard. Everyone was chattering loudly, eager to seeing who joined which house, and of course the delicious food.

The giant doors opened, the torches on the walls coming to life in to the main hall. Across the large room was the staircases, the always moving stair cases that lead everone to their house dorms. To the left was a doorway that lead to classrooms in the castle, and the right passageway lead to the dining hall. Once again the doors were opened to reveal four very long and large wooden tables with various amounts of food that looked absolutely delicious.

The ceiling of the room matched the sky outside. candles floated around, with light clouds, and mutliple stars in the black ceiling. Raymond smiled, and looked to see the head table which held the headmaster, the teachers and staff, and guests were not all filled yet. But the veterans knew the drill. They were to go to their designated tables, represented by their House banners over the tables. The students took their seats, waiting for the first years to arrive and the ceremony and announcements to begin.