Arrival
Students can travel to Hogwarts and the neighbouring all-magical village of Hogsmeade in many ways. One such method is the Hogwarts Express that students take at the start of each school year in the books. Harry and Ron arrived by flying the Weasley's family car in their second year after missing the train. Other methods of travel include broomsticks, Thestrals, and a one-time connection to the Floo Network. Students travelling by Hogwarts Express must first travel to King's Cross station in London to board the Hogwarts Express from Platform 9¾. The platform is reached by walking through the barrier between Platforms 9 and 10, however students advise others to attack at pace. After a journey beginning at 11:00 am and ending after nightfall, the train arrives at Hogsmeade Station, near Hogwarts.
From there, first year students are accompanied by the Keeper of the Keys and Grounds – or another suitable teacher if they are absent – to small boats, which magically sail themselves across the lake to arrive at a small landing stage near the castle of Hogwarts; from there, they await their turn to get sorted into their houses. The older students ride up to the castle in seemingly horseless carriages, which pull themselves up to the main entrance to Hogwarts Castle. In the fifth year class of Care of Magical Creatures, students learn of the creatures that are actually tethered to the carriages. These creatures are called Thestrals, winged horse-like creatures that are invisible to all Muggles and to witches and wizards who have not personally witnessed someone's death. Hogwarts is host to one of the only herd of tamed Thestrals in Britain. In an apparent discrepancy, Harry, who had already witnessed the death of his mother, could not see them until book five, due to Diggory's death in book four. J.K. Rowling's explanation for this is that he needed to fully feel the meaning of death before he could see the Thestrals.
When the first year students initially arrive at the castle, they do not go directly to the Great Hall for the start-of-term feast. Instead, they must first undergo the Sorting Ceremony, which determines the student's house, and then bring up the rear. Students at Hogwarts are divided into four Houses, each bearing the name of one of the school's original founders. As Minerva McGonagall said in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone,
“ The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your House will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your House, sleep in your House dormitory, and spend free time in your House common room. ”
Following a short speech from the Deputy Headmaster or Headmistress, first year students line up and wait for names to be called in alphabetical order, by surname. One by one, each student is seated upon the stool in front of the rest of the student body, and a magical hat, The Sorting Hat, is placed on the student's head. The Hat examines the student's mind and assigns the student to one of the four Houses based on abilities, personality and aspirations. After deciding, the Hat shouts out the name of the House that the student has been sorted into and the student joins his or her housemates at their house table. While for many students the decision is almost instant and seems to require no input from the individual, difficult decisions appear to be made in consultation with the student. This was the case with Harry's sorting in book one, for which Dumbledore later confirms "...It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." If Harry were placed solely by his abilities, he would have been suitable for Slytherin; however, Harry's plea "not Slytherin" was recognised by the sorting hat and resulted in a Gryffindor placement underscoring his difference from Lord Voldemort.
After the Sorting ceremony, the students and teachers enjoy a feast, prepared by the Hogwarts house-elves. If Dumbledore is feeling particularly cheerful, he will lead the students in singing the school song, "Hoggy Warty Hogwarts." (the students pick the tune, thus, they all finish at different times. Fred and George Weasley are the last, owing to the fact that they were singing it as one would a funeral march.) It is implied that the rest of the teachers find this particular tradition a little unnecessary.