You gather with the other students as you leave the train. They still whisper words that you have rarely ever heard up until this point. You are summoned by the ever-beckoning ghost of Ellen Res to follow her. You do so, and she leads you into a hedge maze, not unlike those of Victorian Britain. You emerge, slightly dazed, and catch your first true sight of the school. In the fading dusk, the school is a multitude of colors, ever changing as the sun sinks deeper. Ellen ushers you and your fellow first-years up the huge flight of stairs. Suddenly the door creaks open and you are staring at the wondrous architecture of the reception hall. The ceiling is high-vaulted and painted in a similar manner to the Sistine Chapel. Instead of a highly religious theme, however, it is a basic account of the early days of the university. Everything significant that ever happened to the school is painted on the ceiling. Furthermore, you note that the pictures are moving! Ellen beckons again and leads you into the Great Hall. There, the room is full of students, sitting at five tables. Above the five tables are banners, one of a fox, one of a bat, one of an eagle, one of a frog, and one of a sheep. The students at each table are cheerfully chattering, and Ellen leads your group to the center of the room. There, the staff has built up a huge pile of logs. Two ghosts are hovering nearby, flexing their wands. Suddenly, one of them shouts "flamma ad trabae!" and the pile of wood bursts into flame. A few fire spirits leap into the blaze and begin to sing:

Gather round and you shall hear
The story told but once a year.
This tale, as you shall clearly see,
Affects us all, both you and me.

‘Tis the legend of Rarn's inspiration
That kept great wizards within our nation.
‘Tis the tale of Fogg's great wit
That persevered where others did quit.

One day it was that the Hogwarts Four
(Slytherin, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Griffindor)
Laid the foundation stone for a school
Which became a wizardling mind-shaping tool.

Fogg and Rarn caught wind of this
And soon they did lose all their bliss.
Rarn and Fogg would sit and plot
‘Til they soon found that they were in a spot.
‘Twas much like a place 'twixt a rock and hard place.
Thus, they joined the school-building race.

Rarn designed a fortress, great.
'Twas larger than some city-states!
Fogg sought and found administration,
The first of the school famed in our nation.

The fortress is of Italian marble
And the staff will always make one marvel.
The school's survived more than most,
Just ask any of the ghosts!

So come along, step through the fire.
Which House will bring about what you aspire?

Will it be Rana, quick to change?
The House where all is explained?

Will it be Aquila, bold and free?
The House that strives for liberty?

Will it be Vulpes, crafty and sly?
The House where not all is as meets the eye?

Will it be Vespertilio, shady dark?
The House that hides what is in its heart?

Will it be Ovis, shy and meek?
That House is guided by many black sheep.

Only the great fire knows
Where each student belongs and goes.
So come along, step through the fire.
Find out which House will bring you higher!

You'll find the House that will bring you bliss,
Soon as Master Fogg shouts, 'flamma impervius!'