Chapter One

Trembling, Lilly Potter sat down on the cushy red leather seats of the Hogwarts Express next to Rose Weasley.

"I can't believe you're actually here!" Rose squealed, bouncing up and down. "I've been waiting for a year of boredom and now… EEEEEK!"

Lilly's heart flip-flopped as she looked out the window at her parents waving at her, and the train lurched, pulling out of Platform 9 ¾. "Nor can I. This feels like some weird dream…"

"A dream come TRUE! Finally, you're coming to Hogwarts! I missed you, you know."

Lilly couldn't help but roll her eyes at her enthusiastic friend. In truth, two years before when James left and the year before when she parted with Albus and Rose, she would kill for the chance to go with them to Hogwarts. Yet now, she wasn't sure.

"Lills, Its not like we'll be living there till we're 17!" Protested Hugo, Rose's younger brother who was also a first year. "You're coming home for Christmas with me, right?" Rose said, taking notice of her obviously miserable friend.

"Yeah. You're going to love this place!" Albus reassured from the seat opposite.

"Just watch out for the Forbidden Forest!" James teased.

" Hey!" Lilly slapped her brother on the knee.

James smirked. "This is the Hogwarts Express! You can actually use…"

With a wave of his wand, James muttered something indistinct under his breath. "Magic!"

Lilly screamed as a lock of her once-red hair fell down over her eyes, which was now a vivid purple.

James and Hugo fell to the compartment floor, laughing, Rose joined Lilly in screaming – the left side of her head had turned a soft lavender – and Albus quickly waved his wand over both of them, saying Agumenti! As he did so. Lilly felt a jet of water stream down her scalp, and to her relief the purple had disappeared.

"Great." Sniffed Rose, looking down at her soaking muggle wears.

Fuming, Lilly snarled, "Come on, Rose. Lets go find a sane compartment to change in."

As the girls left, Lilly took extra care to kick James in the ribs.

Chapter Two

The train slowed and Lilly followed Rose, Albus and Hugo out into the corridor, where they were quickly swept up in the bustle of students getting off. A little ways ahead, Lilly spotted James with his third year friends, who ran his fingers through his hair and mouthed the word "Purple". They cracked up, and Lilly tightened her grip on her wand.

Outside the train, a creature with a man's top half and a horse's bottom was calling out "FIRST YEARS, GET OVER HERE!"

"That would be Firenze. He isn't that mean, he's just old." Albus explained. "His clan kicked him out for working with the humans back in Dad's day. He was, for a while, his Divination teacher!"

Lilly laughed. "Then Firenze must be really old!"

Rose tugged on Lilly's sleeve. "Come on!"

With a sigh, Lilly said goodbye to Albus and Rose, who would take the carriage to the castle.

"I'll see you two at the Griffendor table, right?" She laughed, as the second years walked off.

"Hurry, they're leaving!" Hugo yelped, dragging Lilly along like luggage. Lilly looked longingly after her brother, wishing she could go with him instead.

Lilly, seasick, stumbled off the boat, Hugo following close behind.

"I wish I'd been on those carriages!" She mumbled as they jogged after Firenze.

"On the bright side, we're here!!!" Hugo grinned.

Sure enough, ahead of the first years stood an enormous castle with all sorts of spires and towers that reached up to the night sky. A few owls and birds flew around one of the tallest ones, which Firenze called the Owlrey.

The students entered the castle and stood outside great big oak doors, where an elderly witch greeted them.

"I am Professor McGonagal, Headmistress of Hogwarts. Welcome! When you enter the Great Hall, you will be sorted into one of four houses… Griffendor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw or Slytherin." Is everyone here this old? Lilly wondered as Professor McGonagal spoke.

"They are ready for you now." She grinned, and led them into the Great Hall, past the four house tables and up to the Sorting Hat.

Professor McGonagal smiled, took out a roll of parchment and called out the first name: "Avery, Caitlin!"

A girl with mouse-brown hair who looked too young for eleven walked up to the stool, and sat on it. Professor McGonagal placed the hat on her head, which hummed and hawed, then called out: "Ravenclaw!"

The entire table cheered and Caitlin ran to join them.

The next five minutes were a blur, and then the name "Granger, Hugo" was called.

"See you!" Hugo grinned, and strode up to the hat.

"Another Granger, your mother was brilliant. But you're technically a Weasley…" Muttered the Hat, who briefly called: "Griffendor!" The Griffendors erupted and Hugo went over to them, a look of relief plastered to his face.

Then came "Little, Tomas" to Hufflepuff and "McIntyre, Danny" to Ravenclaw, then a girl with raven-black hair and eyes to match named "Parker, Sarah" were sorted in Slytherin.

Then the name "Potter, Lilly" was called. Lilly walked up to the hat, knees shaking, and sat down. "Good luck" whispered Professor McGonagal, placing the hat on her head.

Lilly held her breath, and her stomach jumped around. Biting her lip, she waited for what seemed like an eternity.

Then, the Sorting Hat opened the rip by its brim, and called out:

"Slytherin!"