A/N: Yeah, I'm slow. Sorry. Going on semi-permanent holiday (this means my job is closing down so I've recently been let off). Now, while that's not a good thing per se, hopefully it will leave me with more energy to write. Anyway, enjoy chapter 2, as always reviews are welcome.
Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter, etc.
"Mind yer 'eads now!" Hagrid called from the front. Lily felt the air pressure and sound change as they entered some kind of cavern. The boat knocked softly against something hard and they made to get out. The first years stepped off the boat and onto a sleek surface. She inhaled, the room smelled like old wood and wet stone. They ascended a spiraling staircase and entered onto the grounds. The grass was wet and Lily shivered as the dew seeped through her shoes. She heard ruffling in the underbrush around them and a screechy tittering.
"Don' min' the red caps." Hagrid said to the group "Cowardly cre'ters they are, if they bother ye jus' give 'em a good kick."
The grass beneath their feet changed into a gravel path and they soon came upon a set of wide stairs. She heard Hagrid open a pair of heavy doors in front of her. She swallowed hard. This is it.
"Got the firs' years for ye', Professor Longbottom sir!" Hagrid exclaimed jovially. Lily had to suppress a giggle. Hagrid acting formally was something in and off itself, but seeing as Lily had heard Hagrid and her uncle Neville (she had to remind herself to call him professor now) have more than one heated argument while sharing more than one bottle of mead during the Potters yearly Christmas party made the interaction seem very out of place. Neville seemed to be of a similar opinion as he coughed uncomfortably before he answered.
"Yes, well, thank you Hagrid." he said, turning to face the first years. "Welcome!" he said warmly "I'm professor Longbottom, I teach Herbology and also serve as head of Gryffindor House. We will be start the feast in just a moment, but before you can join the other students at the tables you will be sorted into your new houses. There are four, in total; my own house, Gryffindor as well as Rawenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin House. All four houses have their own rich and unique history and tradition. While you attend this school, your house will be like your family. You will eat at your house table, share a dormitory with the rest of your house and compete with your housemates for the honor of the house cup. The house cup is awarded at the end of the school year to the house that has earned the most points during the year. The Hogwarts point system will be explained to you in more detail by your house prefects once you have been sorted, but in short, accomplishments and triumphs will earn points for your house while any rule breaking will result in deductions. Any questions?"
The first years, some staring at their new professor with wide eyes after his long monologue while others still paling at the prospect of the sorting all shuffled their feet nervously. None of them spoke up.
"Good," Neville said with a knowing smile "I shall go see if we are ready to start, please wait here until I return to collect you."
He opened the heavy wooden doors and walked inside, Lily could hear the load ramble going on inside from hundreds of older students already assembled. Minutes passed and the shuffling of feet around her grew in intensity with each one. Lily stood still, craning her neck and listening intently through the door, shushing her cousin who was doing some kind of dance beside her, bouncing from one foot to the other as if in desperate need of the loo. She hard a stern voice that she vaguely recognized from the other side, and the rumbling died off almost instantly. A moment later, the doors opened.
"Everyone, follow me please." Neville said kindly. The group stood still for a moment, none of them wanting or daring to be the first to move, but soon they seemed to come to a silent agreement and started to follow their new professor into the great hall. Lily felt the atmosphere change. There was something happy and exciting about this room. She couldn't quite explain it, sure the air was a bit warmer in here from a combination of fire, candles and heating charms, not to mention hundreds of bodies, but the mood seemed to almost seep from the walls and up through the floor. She smiled, it was a comforting feeling, it reminded her of the sitting room at her grandparents house. It felt like home.
"Why isn't there a roof!?" Hugo whispered "What if it rains?"
"It's just charmed to look like the sky." Lizzy informed him. "It's in Hogwarts: A history."
"I read the rain goes through as well," Lily said in a low voice, she dearly wished she could see it as well but she still felt chipper "I asked mum and she said that it usually snows in here at Christmas!"
Their excited whispering was interrupted as the group of first years arrived at the front of the great hall. They huddled close together in front of the stairs leading up to the teachers table. Upon a small stool in front of the long table, sat a very mangy looking pointed hat. It had been patched and resewn many times, and Hugo thought he saw what looks like burn marks all over it. He leaned over to tell Lily about it when a seam in the hat ripped open and it began to sing. Lily and Hugo both flinched at the loud voice that suddenly filled the hall.
"...through battles hard and trials many,
Hogwarts school still stands strong.
Step up now, and put me on.
Step up now, the sorting is at hand.
Put me on, and we shall see where you belong."
As soon as the hat had finished its sonnet, the hall burst into wild applause. Lily could hear cheering and hooting behind her that she was sure came from her oldest brother, she smirked at his antics. James could be a pain many times, but he was rarely boring, and she secretly loved most of his shenanigans. Neville Longbottom stepped forward,. smiled down warmly at the group and unfurled a long piece of parchment.
"When I call you name, you will step forward and be sorted." The first years visibly paled at this, and Lily grabbed Hugos hand and squeezed. Hugo, normally a boy who might be embarrassed by such a thing, even from his favorite cousin, didn't mind under the circumstances.
"Anderson, Camille!" Neville called out. A girl with brown curly hair bounded excitedly up the stairs and sat on the stool. Neville placed the hat on her head where it sat for only a moment before calling out "Hufflepuff!"
Lilys nervousness grew with every name, and soon it was Lizzys turn.
"Creevey, Elizabeth!" Neville called. Lizzy turned and gave Lily and Hugo a nervous smile and walked slowly up the stairs. The two cousins waited expectantly for the results.
"Aah, and who have we here?" Lizzy heard a voice inside her head. It sounded old, yet full of vigor.
"Are you talking to me?" She asked befuddled.
"Indeed I am. Ah, yes, I see! Much like you father and you uncle, aren't you?"
"W-what do you mean?" She wasn't sure she liked this hat.
"No need to worry, Miss Creevey." the hat chuckled "Not sure of your own bravery and your own ability I see. But it's there. And loyalty! Oh yes, you'd do well in Hufflepuff. Or even Raveclaw, quite a sharp mind as well. But, I think we both know where you really belong, don't we Miss Creevey? Better be..."
The hat took a longer time with Lizzy than it had with the previous students, and looking at the hat it would appear that it was having a lengthy conversation with her as it appeared to be mumbling. After a few minutes, however, the hat appeared to take a deep breath before calling out "Gryffindor!"
The Gryffindor table behind them erupted in applause and cheers, as they often did when a well known legacy student was sorted into the noble house of a predecessor. The Creevey brothers were not the most well known of Gryffindors, but it was a house that respected its heroes, and Lizzys uncle seemed to qualify. Lizzy beamed at her friends before skipping over to join her new house. Lily was equally ecstatic, and now hoped more than ever to join the house that had been and still was home to most of her family. She didn't have to stew for long, after a mousy boy with scraggly, jet black hair named Everet Peterson was sorted into Ravenclaw, the time had finally come.
"Potter, Lily!" Neville called. Hugo gave her hand a squeeze before letting go, pushing her lightly forward on her back. Lily swallowed hard and waled forward slowly. She traced the stone floor, taking care not to trip. She heard confused whispering behind her as she made her way up the stairs very slowly. "What is she doing?", "You think she's a bit dim?", "Can't be, she's a Potter!".
"Over here." she heard Neville whisper to her right. Her cheeks grew pink when she realized she must have been heading in the wrong direction. She turned in the direction of his voice and made her way up the last stairs. Neville placed a hand on her shoulder and guided her gently to the chair. She sat down and felt the rough fabric of the hat slide over her head. It was large and covered her eyes almost completely.
"Ha! Another Potter!" The hat exclaimed in her ear. She flinched at the suddenness of it. "Interesting, very interesting." She felt like she might jump out of her skin at any moment.
"Oh my, there's talent. Ingenuity, that's obvious, and not a bad mind either. No shortage of bravery, it seems. But where to put you?"
The hat paused for a moment before continuing. "Very difficult, much like your father. Like him you have ambition, a great thirst for greatness; to prove yourself. Yes, I see it now, you wish to be recognized, eh? To claim your legacy? In that case, Perhaps slytherin..." Lily flinched again.
"No!" she exclaimed in her mind "Anything but Slytherin!"
The hat chuckled "Your father told me much the same thing. But why ever not? You overcome grave obstacles every day, that cunning and ingenuity, a habit of thinking on your feet, they would serve you well in Slytherin."
Lily bit her lip "They don't tolerate weakness..."
"A weakness can just as easily be a source of strength, Miss Potter." the hat replied demurely "But no need to fret, perhaps it's not cunning that sets you apart but bravery, rising to the challenge?"
Lily frowned, the hat had taken on a tone of mild amusement and sounded much like her Gran while relaying gossip over tea. She'd never felt particularly brave, in fact, she found herself feeling anxious most of the time, and nearly always afraid when facing the unknown.
"I'm not brave," she lamented "I'm always afraid... I almost didn't want to come here, and maybe I shouldn't have..." She felt her chest constrict and felt like she might actually cry, the horror of doing so in front of the assembled students sent shivers down her spine.
"Ah," the hat replied jovially "And yet you still came. Bravery is not the absence of fear, it's doing what you feel is right in spite of it. I have sat on many a head in my days, and none of the bravest souls ever lacked for fear."
Lily relaxed some, a small smile played on her lips.
"I see we are in agreement then?" the hat asked and she nodded slightly "Well then, Miss Potter, I wish you luck in GRYFFINDOR!"
The hat was lifted off her head and this time she didn't need assistance in finding her new home as she followed the roar of approval from the Gryffindor table. Lizzy hugged her excitedly as she pulled her down next to her and Hugo complimented her on a "Good show!". Further down the table she heard both her brothers whooping a chorus of "Potters, 3 for 3!". The small smile had turned into a wide grin, she was home.
