James raised a hand automatically to shield his eyes from the lights in the Great Hall. Until now they had been outdoors and in much darker corridors, but the inside of the Great Hall was ablaze with light.
Nothing about the Sorting and the beginning of term seemed set to be gloomy in any way. Even as James took in the mass of students already seated inside he couldn't stop the grin from spreading across his face. He knew several of the kids nearby weren't as enthused as he was, but nothing about the Sorting had him anything less than giddy about what was to come. He was confident he'd get into Gryffindor. The thought had never crossed his mind that he might end up somewhere else.
Especially after the train ride. He'd never really realized how many people knew his surname until then.
A boy with sandy brown hair who had ridden over in the same boat as James swallowed audibly, then, seeming to come to terms with something, lifted his chin up and put on a brave face as their fellow first years made ready to march out under the direction of one of the professors.
James' attention wandered for a moment, focusing for a brief moment on Madeleine (who he made a face at), before landing on a pale boy with blond hair. He was almost green.
"You know," James said slyly. "I hear that at least five students are sent home every year. Since they don't have the proper stuff to make it into any of the houses."