Chapter 2: The Express, the Hall and the Hat
Lily's remainder of the summer was the same as ever. Petunia continued to shoot death glares and sharp words at Lily like a machine gun shooting and saying, "BLOODY HELL! There's no tomorrow! I've got to shoot like Hell!" she never missed an opportunity to hiss at Lily with a forked tongued saying "Freak" or "An abomination" or "Stupid prat." Then Lily would whisper back a subdued mention of the word, "git". Their lives were too loud as Petunia continued to shriek at Lily at times. Like over breakfast or dinner. Lily would cringe and cover her ears like a wild mad house was running across the street, shrieking at full volume. Every time she'll shriek their parents would grimace and say something to calm her down, rather blankly. She'd then storm out of the room and storm up the stairs whilst shrieking shrilly. Lily was surprised that the glass windows didn't shatter at how bad Petunia's voice sounded. She continued this behavior until the end of summer. The sisters were going separate ways; the thirteen-year-old elder sister was starting her eighth year at a school named Willsbury Antoinette's Secondary School while the eleven-year-old youngest sister started her first year at Hogwarts.
It was the day before the first of September and Lily was checking her trunk for her things for the tenth time, in fact. She double checked her cauldron, all her course books, quills, ink bottles, and of course, her wand. Once she was done with them, she put them back to their proper places to check it again and again. Her room was a mess as she packed her pajamas and other essential things she thinks she needs at Hogwarts. She skipped breakfast just to check it all. Lily gave out a sigh of relief, yet again. She was done checking for the tenth time and was about to go down for a snack. As if to agree with her, her stomach grows loudly. Lily smiles and pats her stomach saying,
"It's okay," she said, patting her stomach fondly. "You'll get food in there to digest." She was about to turn the knob of her door when yet again, she had a doubting feeling she needed more socks. Lily hurried over to the closet where she kept her collection of socks and grabbed a lot more than necessary. Lily ran to her trunk, eager to eat then suddenly, her foot snagged on the trunk. She screamed and toppled forward. Her owl was only at arm's length and it screeched as Lily's hand crashed onto her head. The owl hooted indignantly at Lily and pecked her head once and perched herself farther from Lily. She stared at the owl as if wanting to say something but she just can't. Lily continued to stare until she got up.
"Oh, just sod this!" Lily groaned. "Why am I packing too many socks?" She grabbed all the socks and shoved them back in the dresser and she sat down on her bed. She brought up her feet and curled her arms on her knees. She continued to stare at the bird across from her – she transferred when Lily drew nearer to her.
"We have to get you a name, don't we?" Lily sighed. She opened her trunk again and grabbed her copy of A History of Magic. She slammed the lid shut as she opened the book to find good witch names. She found Eleanor, Hedwig, Circe, Hecate, and Samantha. It all didn't seem to fit. She flipped through more pages and found Diamantia, Juno, Belirita, and Gomora. As she flipped through a bit more she found what she was looking for, Vela. She read her paragraph that said,
Vela Black, a pure-blood witch and was the oldest of the Blacks. Many of her descendants still live today. She has done great works for the matters of searching for new spells due to the lack of spells at her time. She created the Bat-Bogey Hex, the Hurling Hex, the Cheering Charm, and a great lot more. One of her most famous work is the Bat-Bogey Hex. This was created as a defence spell for women or teenage girls from abusing men or discrimination. This is also used as a distraction spell for ones who need a quick escape. Though at Vela's time, most who use this are women, it is now spread to the other gender. Little is quite known of the Bat-Bogey Hex's origins as only women know of this. Most of Vela's spells are still put to great use, to this day.
Lily read this and seemed to hold her laughter. Her owl is now named after a celebrated spell inventor who invented a spell for women. She looked up at her owl and said,
"Well, then." She breathed, "Your name is now Vela. And I expect you to answer to that name, okay?" Vela gave a hoot of pleasure at her new name and nipped Lily affectionately at the ear.
"Get onoutside the window, Vela. You'll be in a cage most of the time tomorrow so you better spread your wings before we depart." Vela hooted and flew out the open window as Lily stood up to get something to eat.
It was finally September first and Lily was excited. She'd finally be on the Hogwarts Express. She had received an owl the day before, after dinner, both from Rachel and James, both wishing her luck and expecting to see her on the train. Lily was happy to have heard from them and wrote a letter to each of them before she went to bed. Vela came back from her delivery just as Lily was bringing her trunk downstairs. Vela nipped her ear affectionately and Lily looked at her in relief.
"Vela, you're finally back." Lily sighed. "Did you get to stretch your wings?" Lily asked, the owl hooted an affirmative as she perched on Lily's shoulder. "I think you should go to your cage, I left it open for you until you came back." The owl left and flew inside her room to get inside her cage. Lily hurriedly set the trunk down near the door and strained to catch her breath. She heard a crashing noise and a grunt. The all-too familiar scream pierced the air as Petunia shrieked. Wings flapped and an audible thump was heard from upstairs. Lily screamed as she threw herself up the staircase. She found Vela lying on the floor while Petunia was drawing her claws.
"VELA!" Lily screamed. "Tuney, What did you do to her?" She glared at her elder sister in a rage. She picked up her pet owl and carried her like a baby. "She was doing nothing to you!"
"That thing you call a pet charged at me from downstairs as I was supposed to go down!" Petunia shrieked.
"Oh, Petunia!" Lily exclaimed. "How could you be so incredibly thick? I told her to go to my room to get inside her cage." She groaned as she ignored Petunia's shriek and perched Vela up in her cage. Lily hurried to the door as Petunia was about to storm in. She slammed the door shut in Petunia's face with a furious glare at her. Lily poked her owl and refilled her water bottle. Vela blinked and hooted gratefully at Lily as she sipped at the water. She looked relieved to be in her cage than to be outside. Lily was about to sit down when Mrs. Evans called her for breakfast. Lily grabbed Vela's cage and hopped down the steps and set down the cage beside the trunk. She made her way to the dining room to find her parents sitting down on the table, fully dressed. Lily sat down beside Daisy and began eating toast.
"Lily, you are going to Hogwarts today, aren't you?" Petunia's voice drifted inside the dining room as she made her way to the dining room.
"Yes, Tuney." Lily said, not looking up from her toast. A chair dragging made it clear that Petunia was sitting down in front of her. Petunia stared at her sister blankly.'
"Lily," Petunia heaved out a sigh, "I need to talk to you." She stood up and Lily stood with her. Petunia strode out with Lily lumbering behind her. She gestured to the living room and they both strode in.
"What is it, Tuney?"
"Well, Lily." Petunia said. "Are you sure about this? What are you going to do after you go to Hogwarts?"
"Tuney," Lily sighed, "I am sure of my decision and I will stand by it." She said with a determined expression.
"But Lily, what would you do after Hogwarts? Go back to your normal life here!" Petunia retorted.
"No. I'll be a witch, Tuney. I'm going to go to Hogwarts and learn how to be a witch." Lily hesitated. "I saw your uhh letter from – er – Professor Dumbledore." Lily said sheepishly. She remembered her letter. Dumbledore was very kind toward Petunia, explaining that she couldn't because she does not possess any magical prowess.
Petunia's face contorted with rage. "How dare you read my mail you freak?" Petunia shrieked. "Lily, if you even go outside the door and go to – to this freak school of yours, you'll never be my sister again!"
"But, Tuney!" Lily cried, "I want to go! You don't mean that!" She started to cry.
"No, Lily" Petunia said, "I mean it! You will never be my sister again." Lily sobbed even more.
"Tuney, you c-can't do that! I'm your sister!" Lily cried. Petunia stared at her sobbing youngest sister with a surge of pity. She extinguished this immediately when she remembered what Lily said about her mail.
"That's it, Lily." Petunia said, "I am not your sister, and I will never be unless you don't go to Hogwarts." She turned to leave Lily there to sob and go up to her room.
"Please, Tuney," Lily sobbed. "I'm still your sister." Petunia strode out and climbed up the stair and before slamming her bed room door shut, she shouted, "FREAK! GO TO YOUR HELL HOLE OF A SCHOOL!"
Lily sobbed even more but fought her tears and wiped her eyes. She looked at herself in the mirror and her tear marks weren't visible so she continued to the dining room. Daisy Evans eyed her youngest daughter questioningly. Mr. Evans was the first to speak.
"What was that all about, Lily?" Cormac asked.
"Nothing, Dad." Lily said. "Just Tuney's usual ranting's and complaints." She sighed and began munching her toast again. They ate in silence and finally it was time to go. They had loaded the trunk into the back of the car and Vela's cage beside Lily as she climbed into the backseat. She looked up at Petunia's window to see her staring outside with a mad rage in her face. She caught Lily's eye and slammed her curtains shut. Lily sighed and slumped back on her seat.
I hope she'll get over it by the next summer, Lily thought, but I guess that's impossible. She sighed as they lurched forward and away from Lily's home.
They had arrived 20 minutes before 11 o' clock. They searched everywhere for the platform they need to go into. They had circled the whole King's Cross Station and was exhausted.
"Lily, show us the ticket again." Daisy said. "Maybe we had a mistake." Lily handed her the ticket that said Platform 9 ¾. Daisy gave an exasperated look and said,
"How in the world are we going to find Platform 9 ¾?" She looked at Lily who shrugged.
"I guess we need to go to Platform 9 and see if it's there." Lily said as she got up. They pushed Lily's trolley into the direction of Platform 9. They turned their heads to see if anyone knew where it is. They had caught sight of a brown haired girl eyeing a similar ticket that Lily had, with a brown haired couple right behind her. They looked bewildered too just as the Evans' were. They had caught sight of Lily's family and moved towards them. They were wearing normal clothes and were as normal looking as the Evans'.
"Hello, there." The brown haired girl said. "Um, where is Platform 9 ¾?"
Lily smiled at her apologetically. "I don't know either. See?" She held up her ticket.
"Well, this means our daughters are starting their first year at Hogwarts then?" Daisy said. "I am Daisy Evans, my husband Cormac and our daughter Lily." They shook hands with the brown haired couple.
"Hello" the woman said, "I am Louisa Phoenix, my husband William and my daughter Harriet."
"Hello, Harriet." Lily smiled.
"Hello, Lily." Harriet smiled.
"Lily!" A familiar voice said. "Rachel, there she is!"
"Come on, Remus." another familiar voice said. Lily turned around to see Rachel and James running towards her with a mousy brown haired boy in tow.
"James!" Lily cried in happiness. "And Rachel, too!" She hugged both of them at once. "James, Rachel, this is Harriet. I am guessing she's Muggle-born like me since she's as lost as I am."
"Harriet!" The mousy brown haired boy cried. "Remus!" Harriet jumped and ran to her friend.
"So, we all seem to know each other." Lily smiled at the boy named Remus. "Mum, Dad, this is Rachel Hernandez, a Filipino witch who I met at the robe shop, and James Potter, I met him at the wand shop."
"James, Rachel, this is Daisy and Cormac Evans, my parents, and Louisa and William Phoenix, Harriet's parents." Lily said.
"A pleasure to meet you all!" James said. His hazel color eyes twinkling. Rachel was grinning at Lily. "Lily, this is Remus Lupin, my childhood friend." Remus was sickly and was quite pale. His dark brown eyes had a twinge of pleasure at the sight of Harriet. Lily looked at Harriet to be caught in surprise. Her left eye was light green (not as piercing as Lily's) and her right eye was amber. Lily didn't even know if this was possible so she just turned away so to not offend her.
"Lily, Harriet," Remus said, "We need to go we have 5 minutes left before we board the train."
"Remus has a point," James said thoughtfully, "When they say 11 o' clock they mean 11 o' clock. Come on!" He grabbed Lily's trolley and Lily carried Vela's cage. Remus grabbed Harriet's trolley and pushed alongside James. The group followed James to a pillar. "It's through here!"
"What?" Lily and Harriet said in unison.
"You have to run through the pillar and at the other side is Platform 9 ¾." Rachel explained.
"You shouldn't be afraid or you'll crash." Remus said calmly. Harriet grabbed Remus' arm and Rachel watched this with a smirk on her face. "Come on!" She urged. Lily ran to her parents and hugged them both. "Goodbye, Mum, Dad." She said. "Tell Tuney to take care."
"We will, honey." Daisy smiled at her daughter.
"Go on then, Lily." Cormac said proudly. A similar situation was happening at the Phoenix's side. They were hugging and saying goodbyes. Lily strode to James' side grabbed his arm. He looked at her face with a blush and a smirk on his face.
"You're as pale as a ghost, Lily!" He laughed. Lily slapped his arm. "Ow! What did you that for?" He pouted. Lily smirked at him. Daisy was eyeing this exchange with interest.
"Good luck, Lily!" Daisy said with a tone of a double meaning in it. Lily and James held on the trolley tightly. They started out at a walk and shifted to a run into the pillar. Lily's hand tightened on James' arm and she closed her eyes. 3,2,1….
They didn't crash.
Lily huffed and James shook her. "Lily! We didn't crash." He said as Lily opened her eyes. Harriet was coming in with Remus and Rachel in tow. Her two colored eyes were wide in shock at the majestic red train in front of them. "Wow." Lily said. "Lily!" She heard Rachel's mother coming toward her.
"Thank goodness you made it." Two more women were behind her. One was dark haired and had hazel eyes, Lily guessed this was James' mother, and the other was mousy brown haired and had brown eyes.
"James! Too bad that Maggie can't come and say goodbye." Mrs. Potter said as she patted James' back.
"Yeah, tell her to get well, from me. Will you, Mum?" James said. Mrs. Potter nodded.
"Now give your mother a hug!" She smirked. There was that occasional mad glint of James' in her eye.
"Oh, Mum! Don't ask me to hug you in front of girls!" James said jokingly but hugged his mother anyway. Rachel flew into her mother's arms and Remus hugged his mom sweetly and tightly.
"Remus, write to me every week, okay?" Mrs. Lupin said worriedly. "Yes, Mum." Remus said calmly. All around Lily, goodbyes were being said and finally the whistle blew. The first year group ran to the train and helped Lily and Harriet with their trunks. They waved outside until they turned a corner. James, Rachel and Remus looked for their trunks and found it beside an empty trolley.
"I guess we should find a compartment, then?" James suggested.
"I guess so." Lily shrugged. They dragged their trunks forward to find most compartments already full. At the end of the train, they were lucky enough to find a compartment that was empty. They went inside and placed their trunks in the luggage rack. Vela's cage was at Lily's feet as they sat down. They caught up on everything that happened to everyone in the summer. Harriet spent her summer with her family and a French wizard in France and bought most of her things in a magical settlement called Socier de Village, she revealed she had met Remus there and that's how they knew each other. Rachel spent her summer in the Philippines doing research about Filipino magic. James spent his summer at home like Lily. They were in the middle of playing Exploding Snap, when the compartment door slid open. A handsome dark haired boy with gray eyes was standing in the doorway.
"Um. The rest of the train is full, could I stay here?" He asked with a playful voice.
"Of course!" Rachel squeaked behind her book. She scooted over and the boy sat down beside her. She calmly set the book down to look at the boy.
"I'm Rachel Hernandez." Rachel said.
"That's a weird name ("I'm Asian, you prat")" the boy smiled smugly at her. "My name is Sirius Black."
"Look who's talking!" Rachel said opening her book and hiding her face in it. Sirius chuckled. "I didn't pick the name, by the way. Imagine going around the place and everyone says, 'Ooo! It's Sirius Black! Everything's seriously black for him!'" Everyone laughed at this and Sirius was having an odd silence. When everyone settled, Harriet was the first to speak.
"My name is Harriet Phoenix and this Remus Lupin," she pointed at Remus, "James Potter," she pointed at James, "and Lily Evans."
"Hello." He said to the whole group. He lapsed into silence and continued to stare at Rachel. They continued their game of Exploding Snap until one of Lily's eyebrows was singed, Harriet had her cheek burned, and Remus and James both had a bald spot. James and Sirius started talking in hushed voices and stifling laughter with their hands. A few minutes later, Remus joined in and the compartment was divided into boys and girls. At one point, they grabbed a piece of parchment and a quill and started writing things in the paper. They stifled more laughter as Remus opened spell books and listing things in the paper.
The girls group continued their gossip and Rachel taught the Muggle-borns things and stuff about food there in Hogwarts and the Wizarding world. Rachel tells those stories about Hogwarts and ghost stories which made the three of them scream and laugh. The boys would glance at them and go back to their business and talk in hushed voices. A few more hours later, a kind old woman went to their compartment with a trolley full of food. They bought Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, Pumpkin Juice, Chocolate Frogs, Honeydukes Chocolate, and a lot more. They laughed at the Chocolate Frogs as they jumped around the room and went to Sirius' nose. He gave out a loud shrill shriek like a girl and the all Hell broke out as they laughed so hard. Remus jumped forward and growled deeply in his throat that none of us could imagine he could do, and lunged at the Chocolate Frogs, eating them in the process with a smug smirk on his face. Everyone laughed as Remus acted like a dog pouncing over the room and winking occasionally at Harriet.
And then, it was time for their real test: Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans. Rachel opened a pack and motioned everyone to get one. James, Sirius and Remus grimaced at the beans.
"Do you even know what those are, Rachel?" Sirius said with a disgusted tone. Rachel glared at him with her piercing violet flames of eyes. Sirius cringed at the sight.
"Do you think I'm an idiot, Sirius?" Rachel fired back. Lily listened to this exchange thoughtfully.
"Why?" Lily asked, "What's the matter with beans?" Remus turned to her and had an understanding smile on his face.
"The thing is, Lily, when they say 'every flavour' they mean 'every flavour'." He explained.
"I got cement, once." Sirius said.
"Boogers." James said.
"Dung." Remus said. Lily grimaced at this but was still curious enough to try one. "I guess I'll get one."
"Me, too." Harriet squealed as she hurried to the pack of beans. They both made a grab for a bean and ate it at once. Lily and Harriet laughed.
"What's the flavour?" Sirius asked.
"Grape." Lily said.
"Orange!" Harriet closed her eyes in delight. "My favourite."
"Beginners luck!" James said. "Wait, till you get a burnt plastic one!"
They all laughed and had another game of Exploding Snap. By the time intercom had announced that they will be arriving in Hogsmeade station in an hour, all of them lost both eyebrows with the exception of Remus who had a face that seemed to be rubbed with charcoal. The boys left to change in another compartment while the girls stayed and changed. Once all of them had banded together again, their uniforms looked almost the same. The boys wore black robes over a plain white buttoned shirt, a black tie with the Hogwarts emblem on it, a thick grey knitted V-neck jumper, grey trousers, plain black shoes and a pocketed blazer. The only difference with the girls was that they wore grey pleated skirts and knee-high socks. By the time the train had stopped at Hogsmeade station, they had finished eating their food from the food trolley and gave Vela a few owl treats that Lily kept in her bag. Once they were outside, Lily opened Vela's cage and let her fly to the Owlry. Lily placed her cage next to her trunk which was being delivered to Hogwarts. Once they were off the train, Lily heard a rumbling voice,
"FIRS' YEARS! FIRS' YEARS! OVER HERE!" The group followed the sound of the voice to be greeted by a huge man with a great beard. He smiled at the group of six people in front of him. "Hello, there. Meh names Hagrid. Yer firs' years aren't yeh?" They all nodded with nervous expressions on their faces. He smiled a huge smile at them all and started yelling again. Once all first years were grouped together and the second to seventh years were riding on horseless carriages to the castle, Hagrid started talking again.
"Meh names Rubeus Hagrid, the Keeper of Keys and Grounds. I'll be leading yeh ter the castle across the lake." He said, "Don' worry, ter those who've read Hogwarts, A History, the giant squid won' hurt a thin'. Come on, then! Off we go ter the shoreline! The boats are waitin'."
The first years followed Hagrid to a great lake and a across, in a silhouette was an outline of a castle shining in the moonlight with windows alight. Lily tapped James' shoulder and said,
"Is that Hogwarts? I didn't know it was a castle!" Lily grinned.
"Of course it's a castle. The highest tower there is Gryffindor Tower" he said pointing at a high tower, "the slightly smaller tower is Ravenclaw Tower." James pointed out a tower across the Gryffindor Tower. "The lowest tower is the Astronomy Tower. That's where we'll have Astronomy class. Those other towers contain the Hospital Wing, Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom, Headmasters office, the grand staircase and other places in Hogwarts." They arrived at the shoreline where a multiple number of boats were docked. As Hagrid, called them to jump into the boats, their entire group jumped into one boat that impressively held their weight. When all boats were full, Hagrid heaved himself up on an empty boat and yelled,
"Everyone set ter go?" Hagrid said. The first years nodded and the boats lurched forward. It seemed that they need no paddles and could carry Hagrid's weight pretty well. They watched as dark ripples cast from the sides of the water float away from the boats, colliding with the other ripples formed by the other boats. Owls fluttered passed them on their way to the Owlry and a blond wide-eyed girl three boats away told a blond boy that she just saw a Crumple-Horned Snorcack. Sirius rolled his eyes and said, "That's Alexandra McMillan. She's pureblood but a waste though, her brains are scattered like the air. And that boy there is Xenophilius Lovegood, just as barmy as Alexandra."
Lily listened to the howl of a dig in the distance and Rachel had caught sight of a unicorn in the Forbidden Forest. Sirius started an animated conversation with her about Quidditch, it was quite odd to see Sirius blush all the time, considering the topic was Quidditch. Then finally, the joy ride ended and they got off at the other side of the lake in front of a marble white stone staircase that led to large oak double doors. Lily looked at the whole place in awe as she got off the boat.
"Come on!" Hagrid said, "Yeh got ter get inside the door and into the Entrance Hall ter meet Professor McGonagall." He opened the front doors to reveal stone walls with torches serving as the light lined up on the walls. The granite floors were mesmerizing because when you look down, you'll see your own reflection. As the first years strode in, an elderly woman in emerald green robes with a tight bun on her head walked toward them. Her lips were thin and she looked at the first years with authority.
"Good evening, first years. Welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." She smiled. "I am Professor Minerva McGonagall, the Deputy Headmistress and I will be teaching you how to transfigure objects in your Transfiguration class. Please wait here a moment." She turned around and opened a set of oak doors and a chatter of conversation floated out and stopped when she closed it again.
"From what I hear, she's the Head of House of Gryffindor!" Sirius said, "She could use a student like me!" Sirius said as an afterthought. Rachel punched his arm and said, "prat".
"Yes, she is." Hagrid said to Sirius. "Yeh'd rather be there in Gryffindor than in Slytherin. Bloody load of gits, tha' house is. They usually end up ter be Dark Wizards once they get out o' Hogwarts."
"Yeah, that's where I want to be in." A sallow-faced greasy haired boy with a hooked nose said, "I want to be in Slytherin, like my mum. By the way, I am Severus Snape." James snorted.
"Evil lies in there, Snivellus." Sirius said, "I want to be in Gryffindor!" He brandished an imaginary sword and Remus and James followed suit. They yelled out in unison,
"Gryffindor! 'Where dwell the brave at heart!' En guard!" They started lunging and stabbing each other with imaginary swords. The sallow-faced boy glared at them and stomped as far away from James as possible. They started a play about three knights on a journey to find "Gryffindor Castle". The audience laughed and giggled at their antics at comedy. All of them were still laughing and the three of them still stabbing each other as Professor McGonagall strode back out the oak doors and had a stern look on her face as she watched James, Sirius, and Remus killing each other. Sirius laughed and said,
"Oh sod this! Throw the petty knives and let's have a fist fight!" James and Remus grinned and lunged at Sirius. Professor McGonagall stopped them with a wave of her wand. The boys looked as though they were carried by the arse the way they were hanging in mid-air.
"Mister's?" She eyed them with an amused spark in her eyes.
"Potter."
"Black."
"Lupin."
"Well, then," McGonagall said, "you might as well finish your play because we are ready for you." She set them down gently and they bowed down to her. Their ending was brief. James ended up on the floor because of a mighty punch by Remus. His tongue was lolling out and he twitched while Sirius and Remus played imaginary trumpets. They continued until the audience laughed and clapped hard. McGonagall smiled.
"Okay, you lot!" She said. "Show's over, we're ready for you." Hagrid opened it and strode to the front to sit at a long table at the front. The room was long enough to house 5 tables (4 in the middle and 1 at the front). The room was amazing. It was lit up by hundreds of candles floating over-head and the ceiling was just like the sky outside.
"Oooh!" Alexandra McMillan said, "I read in Hogwarts, A History that that ceiling is enchanted to mimic the weather outside!" Lily stared at the starry ceiling in awe.
"Welcome to the Great Hall!" McGonagall said as she led the first years to front where an old patched hat sat on a stool. "We will be sorting you in to your respective Houses – your family in your stay here at Hogwarts. She grabbed a piece of parchment from her robes and said, "When I say your name, come here and sit on the stool and the Sorting Hat will decide where you will be staying. We have four houses, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, and Slytherin." The first years gasped as the seams of the hat opened and formed a mouth and it sang in a throaty voice,
"Oh you may not think me pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.
You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
if you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folks use any means
To achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!"
Everyone applauded as the song ended. McGonagall cleared her throat and called out names,
"ANDREWS, JULIA!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!" A table at right in the middle applauded
"AVERY, ROGER!" A pale boy with an arrogant face strutted to the front and almost after the hat touched it's head it shouted.
"SLYTHERIN!" A table in the far right applauded hard.
"AYNSWORTH, HENRY!"
"RAVENCLAW!" The table right next to the Hufflepuff's applauded.
"BELL, PORTIA!" A girl with short gold hair strode forward. She smiled as she sat down with a determined grin.
"GRYFFINDOR!" The table at the far left applauded with matching grins on their faces.
"BLACK, BELLATRIX!" Lily heard Sirius growl at the beautiful dark haired girl as she strode to the stool. At once, the Hat said.
"SLYTHERIN!" She smirked at Sirius and strode to the Slytherin table. Sirius mumbled, "Bloody gitface."
"BLACK, SIRIUS!" The Great Hall became silent except for whispers at the Slytherin table. Sirius strode forward and sank on the stool and the Hat hesitated (or at least, Lily thought it did) and finally it announced,
"GRYFFINDOR!" The Slytherin table hissed in unison while the Gryffindor's roared in applause, like a lion. Sirius sank down beside Bell, Portia and they started an animated conversation.
"BROWNFLET, DAHLIA!"
"RAVENCLAW!"
"DAWLISH, MATTHEW!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
"EDWARDS, ELLISE"
"SLYTHERIN!"
"EVANS, LILY!" Lily's eyes widened. She drew a sharp in-take of breath and turned as scarlet as her hair. She clambered up the steps and sat on the stool. She felt the Hat sit on her head and a voice in her ear made her jump.
"She seems to be smart. Hm, could do well in Ravenclaw but she has something stronger, loyalty, is it? Yes, but something stronger, yes, I know…"
"GRYFFINDOR!" Lily grinned from ear to ear as she sprinted to the Gryffindor table. Lily yelped and the Gryffindor's grinned. They smacked her back or exchanged some grins with her as she passed by and sat down on the bench next to Sirius and Portia.
"Good to be in Gryffindor, eh, Lily?" Portia said. "By the way, my name's Portia." Lily smiled at her and said.
"Lily." Lily turned back to the Sorting. It was finally Rachel's turn to be sorted.
"HERNANDEZ, RACHEL!" Rachel hurried to the hat and closed her eyes, sweat coming down bead-like on her head. It took only a few second for the Hat to decide.
"GRYFFINDOR!" Rachel grinned. Lily grinned and clapped hard. Her claps were drowned by Sirius' loud claps as Rachel squeezed in between Portia and Lily. Lily turned to her friend.
"Welcome to Gryffindor, Rache!" She said. Rachel rolled her eyes.
"LESTRANGE, RABASTAN!"
"SLYTHERIN!"
"LESTRANGE, RODULPHOS!"
"SLYTHERIN!" The Slytherins gasped at their sheer luck of getting two at once. Sirius growled and eyed a beautiful dark haired girl that Lily recognized as Bellatrix Black. Bellatrix grinned back menacingly. Sirius grunted and said, "Bloody bastards. Those Slytherins deserve to go to Hell."
"LUPIN, REMUS!" Remus went even more pale than usual and tiptoed to the stool. He slumped down and turned a bit pink when he caught Harriet's eye. After a few seconds after the hat sat on Remus' head, it yelled.
"GRYFFINDOR!" Remus' face broke in a grin and jumped up and dashed to the Gryffindor table beside Sirius and Lily. She grinned at Remus who smiled back.
"I hope the rest get inside Gryffindor, too." Sirius mused. "We already had a bond on the train!" Lily saw he was staring at Rachel and she rolled her eyes and pushed her attention back to the Sorting.
"LOVEGOOD, XENOPHILIUS!" Lily recognised him as the boy who agreed with Alexandra McMillan.
"RAVENCLAW!" Sirius' mouth hung open just as James' did. Lily knew what they were thinking, 'How could a mental person like him be in Ravenclaw?'. Lily smirked and caught up to the next people who were Sorted.
"MCMILLAN, ALEXANDRA!" Sirius face became fierce and the others could hear him mutter, "Hufflepuff, Hufflepuff, Hufflepuff.." Then again, he was to be caught in surprise.
"RAVENCLAW!" The Ravenclaw's roared at their new addition. Sirius face was filled with disappointment. James just made a grunting noise and put his attention back to the Sorting.
"MEAD, JOHN!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
"NASH, DONA!"
"SLYTHERIN!"
"NOTT, MORTIMER!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
"OKEN, AMOS!"
"RAVENCLAW!"
"OSBORN, MOCHA!" A girl with caramel coloured hair that did look like mocha coffee strode up the steps and sat. The Hat bellowed instantly that made her yelp,
"GRYFFINDOR!" She ran to the table and sat at the other side Portia. She smiled at her and Lily, they returned the smile and turned back to the Sorting.
"OSTELER, DENIS!" Another girl with gold hair like the sun that flowed down her back sat on the stool and waited, swinging her feet back and forth. Her eyes were as black as the night and the Hufflepuff's leaned forward as they noticed their House colours on her features. The Hat bellowed,
"HUFFLEPUFF!" The Hufflepuff gave surprised cheers as Denis ran to the table, her hair billowing behind her. Many boys, including Sirius, stared after her with dreamy expressions. Sirius smiled,
"She has to be part-Veela or something!" He didn't notice he had shouted and everyone roared with laughter. Denis laughed along and Lily smiled at her apologetically. Denis returned this warmly. Lily caught Rachel's expression. She was turning scarlet and was a bit downcast. McGonagall cleared her throat to catch everyone's attention.
"OXENBRIGG, REGINA!"
"SLYTHERIN!"
"PAGE, MARRIETA!"
"RAVENCLAW!"
"PETTIGREW, PETER!" A stout blond boy staggered up the steps. His eyes were watery as he sat down on the stool. The Hat was quiet for a minute and by each second, Peter's expression became more alarmed. Finally, after a minutes thought, the Hat bellowed,
"GRYFFINDOR!" Peter grinned and sprinted to the bench beside Portia. Remus' attention was still on the Sorting, his eyes alight with excitement and hope. Lily realized why when McGonagall said the next name.
"PHOENIX, HARRIET!" Remus jumped as Harriet walked to the stool wearing an expression of fear and happiness. The Hat gave a seconds thought.
"GRYFFINDOR!" It bellowed. Harriet jumped up and handed the Hat to McGonagall and sat beside the other side of Remus. They exchanged grins and turned back to the Sorting.
"POTTER, JAMES!" James strutted to the stool and let out a lopsided grin. Almost at once, the Hat made its decision.
"GRYFFINDOR!" It bellowed. The Gryffindor's roared like real lions. Lily, Remus, Harriet, and Sirius clapped hardest and Remus did a very good wolf-whistle. James wore an expression of pride as he sat down next to Lily. Peter grinned at James and James returned the smile. Peter gasped and said,
"Hello!" He squeaked. "I'm Peter Pettigrew. I hear you are the Heir of the Potter's!" He seemed thrilled to meet James. James grinned sheepishly and nodded. They turned back to the Sorting when Rowlett, Marie was sorted to Hufflepuff.
"SADLER, GARRETT!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!" The Hufflepuffs cheered louder as Garrett approached the table looking out of breathe and pale. Remus eyed him in amusement but his composure was calm.
"SAINTJOHN, GABRIEL!" A tall bronze haired boy with amber eyes strode to the stool and sat down. His eyes weren't really like amber; it was a bit like gold, melted gold. Lily thought with a smirk that he looks like he'll be in Gryffindor. She noticed at the corner of her eye that James smirked too. Lily's suspicion was confirmed when the Hat bellowed,
"GRYFFINDOR!" The Gryffindor's roared as Gabriel sat down next to Mocha. They started introducing each other and didn't turn back to the Sorting at all. Lily suspected who was next.
"SNAPE, SEVERUS!" It was the sallow-faced boy with greasy black hair that went forward. His face was expressionless as he waited for the Hat's decision.
"SLYTHERIN!" Severus' face lit up a bit as he made his way to his new House table. The Slytherin's applauded their new member while Sirius and James cussed.
"That git deserves to be there anyway!" Sirius murmured, "His mother was Eileen Prince, the worst woman I've known and she was in Slytherin, too." James nodded.
"I guess Snivellus got his mum's attitude then." James said.
Rachel rolled her eyes and said something that all of them didn't understand. Sirius met Rachel's eyes but she looked away immediately then looked back at him again. Rachel smirked at him and crossed her arms.
"What?" Sirius demanded. Rachel just shook her head and turned back to the Sorting still smirking, when Tweedy, Mary was being sorted to Slytherin.
"VEBB, JOLINA!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
"WILLCOTTS, SUSANNA!"
"RAVENCLAW!"
"WRENN, GEORGE!"
"RAVENCLAW!"
"WOOD, TERRY!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
"WYATT, JOEY!"
"RAVENCLAW!"
"YOUNG, TORY!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
McGonagall rolled up her parchment and stowed it inside her robes. She waved her wand and said, "Locomotor stool" and the stool rose up a few inches from the ground and floated beside McGonagall as she strode to the long table at the front of the Great Hall. The Sorting Hat sat on top of the stool and McGonagall sat beside a long-bearded wizard with purple and star robes and a pointy hat. He stood up and said,
"Good evening! I am Professor Albus Dumbledore. Feeling that there is no reason to mention it, but I have quite a long name so we shall just leave it at Albus Dumbledore. I am the Headmaster of Hogwarts. To the new comers, welcome!" He smiled and looked up from his half-moon spectacles, "To the resident students of this school, welcome back! I have a thing or two to say but it can wait. Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!" He sunk back down on his chair and food began appearing. Sirius and Peter squealed in delight as they dug in the roasted chicken. Lily ate a bit of boiled potatoes and some roast chicken and pork chops. The food served were roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops, lamb chops, sausages, bacon, steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, chips, yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup, and peppermint humbugs. After the main course, they started dessert. Lily ate a bowl of pudding and some treacle tart.
"So, we're all Gryffindor's, eh?" Harriet said. Her green and amber eyes twinkled happily.
"Yeah, I guess we are." Lily said while eating her second helping of pudding. Sirius sighed and patted his stomach. Lily grimaced at the sight of Sirius. His mouth was covered with pudding and his grey eyes were alight with amusement.
"This is the life!" Sirius mused. Rachel slapped his arm.
"You shouldn't be eating too much!" Rachel teased. "I'm sure a part-Veela like Denis Osteler won't even give you a second glance when you grow a belly." Sirius' eyes bulged and he dropped his spoon and pushed away his pudding.
"Thanks for the advice, Rachel." Sirius put in. "But blimey, I love to eat pudding!" Everyone laughed and Rachel giggled a bit. Sirius was about to make a grab for another bowl of pudding but just as his hand was about to grabbed the bowl, it vanished along with contents and the other food. Sirius yelped then whimpered. Professor Dumbledore watched Sirius with amusement. Sirius caught his eye and he blushed. Professor Dumbledore chuckled and pulled out his wand. He made a short flick and a small bowl of pudding appeared in front of Sirius. He jumped in surprised and yelled at his good luck. He started spooning the pudding into his mouth and he sighed. All of the heads of the people in the Great Hall were turned to Sirius. They laughed as Sirius started eating hurriedly.
"You are such a prat, Sirius!" said Rachel as she rolled her eyes at him.
"All of this is for the people's entertainment." Sirius winked at her and she blushed. Rachel was about to open her mouth when Professor Dumbledore cleared his throat.
"Well, that was a splendid meal! So splendid that one of our Gryffindor's want more." His bright blue eyes twinkled and everyone chuckled. "I know most of you have already heard these announcements as I always repeat it every Welcoming Feast, but I ask you to bear with me so as to explain to our new first years." Most of the student body turned to their seat mates and chatted quietly, all the first years attentions were to Professor Dumbledore with the exception of Bellatrix Black who was flirting madly at Rodulphus Lestrange who looked at her interestedly.
"First, I would like to welcome you all to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry! Second, I would like to inform you that all students are forbidden to go inside the Forbidden Forest, given by its name, it is forbidden. There are dangerous creatures there that are the subjects of some of your nightmares." Professor Dumbledore warned with piercing blue eyes.
"Third, those wishing to play for their House Quidditch teams should give their names to their Heads of House as usual. Lastly, curfew is on 10 o' clock in the evening. All students must be inside their common rooms since then. Prefects, please take care of your fellow House mates. To the new Head Boy and Girl, please govern the whole student body with responsibility and effect. It is already 9 o' clock in the evening so you lot should go to your respective dormitories and rest. Your Heads of House will hand out your class schedules after breakfast in the morning. Till then, sleep tight! Prefects, please lead the first years to the common rooms. Pip pip!" Benches scraped the marble floor as the students stood up. Lily started humming 'Dreams' by the Cranberries when a velvety voice commanded,
"Gryffindor first years, here please!" A fifth-year girl with a Prefect badge on her chest said. A tall boy with a Prefect badge on his chest nodded.
"We are the Gryffindor prefects. This beautiful girl beside me is Amelia Bones, my sister," Amelia smacked his arm and the boy grinned, "and I am Edgar Bones." Amelia straightened her robes and said,
"Please follow us to Gryffindor Tower, where the Gryffindor commons is located. Don't mind my dear brother." Amelia glared at Edgar and he grinned. She started forward only to be blocked by a crowd of Gryffindors in the Entrance Hall. Amelia reached in her robes and said,
"Reducto." The Gryffindor's in her way swerved to the side. Edgar looked impressed and started behind her with the first-years in tow. He said to the crowd in whispers,
"The password is "This password is absurd", I'm sorry about Amelia's behavior." Amelia and Edgar led the first years to a tower called the Grand Staircase. The stairs moved and it was quite confusing to locate where to go next. The walls were filled with portraits of moving people. One picture was having a poker game and one portrait was snoring. They stopped in front of a portrait of a fat woman. Amelia smiled at the woman and said to the first years,
"This is the Fat Lady," She said, "She is the entrance to our common room. Our password this year is "This password is absurd". Remember this or else you wouldn't be able to get in." Edgar told the Fat Lady the password and the Fat Lady's portrait swung open. Inside was filled with red and gold curtains, arm chairs, couches and a fireplace that already had burning flames in it. At the right, there is a doorway leading to stairs and at the left there is a door that probably leads to more stairs. Tall windows were draped with red and gold curtains. Amelia ushered the first years in and Edgar turned to us.
"Welcome to the Gryffindor common room!" He said, "There is one common room each House and is guarded by entrances which only the members of the House know about. This is where all the Gyrffindors socialize and do their homework on the couch or on the desk." He pointed to a wooden desk in between two tall windows. He glanced at Amelia who was helping Portia over the threshold. "Well, let me tell you a secret," He whispered. "There are things that happen here at night that would really interest y-"
"PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!" Amelia pointed her wand at Edgar who suddenly went rigid and his limbs stuck to his sides. Amelia smirked as he toppled down like a wooden plank. Lily's eyes bulged and Harriet gasped. The rest were just staring at Edgar.
"I really don't know why he became a Prefect." Amelia said to the first years. She pointed her wand at Edgar again and said the counter curse. He jumped up and cursed under his breathe.
"Amelia!" Edgar exclaimed, "BLOODY HELL, WOMA-" And yet again, Amelia beat Edgar. She raised her wand and jabbed him with it saying,
"Silencio." Edgar started mouthing words. Amelia turned to the others and said, "You should all go to your dorms. Girls dormitories are there on the right doorway and the boys dormitories are on the left. Boys, I suggest you do not visit the girls' dormitories or you'll find a pleasant surprise once you get up a flight of stairs! Go on, go to your dormitories." She separated the boys and girls and led Edgar to the couch. She pointed her wand at his mouth and said,
"Proforus. I'm sorry Edgar but I was afraid you'd say something perverted to them!" They started arguing heatedly about how Amelia was the perverted one and lowered their voices when the other Gryffindor's were arriving.
"Well, I guess this is good night then." Rachel said uncertainly. Sirius moved toward her and draped his arm on her shoulder.
"You're afraid of nightmares, then?" He guessed. Rachel glared at him and slapped his arm away. She started speaking in Filipino and no one could understand. Lily only caught Sirius' name in the sentence.
"Sorry." She said, "I felt like talking in my native language." Sirius stared at Rachel like she was a cute golden retriever.
"What did you say?" Harriet asked. "I only caught the word Sirius in it." Rachel sighed and said,
"I said, 'Yeah, I'm scared of Sirius.'" Rachel smiled at Sirius and he chuckled.
"I should start being less scary, then!" Sirius grinned at Rachel and went up the boys dormitories with an air of mischief behind him. Remus was talking with Harriet on the couch and as Lily was about to turn to the girls dormitories. Rachel, Mocha, and Portia followed Lily while James, Peter and Gabriel went up their own dormitories.
They found their dormitories at the first door at the right where their names were written on a piece of parchment. On the door, there was a gold plate that said 'First Year's'. They went inside and shut the door. It was a circular room with five four poster beds. Like the other things in Gryffindor tower, everything in the room was decorated with red and gold colours. At the front of the room where the fifth four poster bed stood was what Lily noticed as Vela's cage and her trunk. Beside the bed were a window and a small table and a chair where her new Gryffindor uniform, Gryffindor scarf and a pair of grey woolen gloves lay. Rachel's bed was beside Lily's and at the other side of Lily's bed was Mocha's bed and beside hers was Portia's. Lily opened her trunk and fished out her pyjamas. When Lily finished dressing she moved towards Rachel who was reading a book with a candle beside her. All the others followed Lily and sat down on Rachel's bed.
"What are you all here for?" Rachel asked. Mocha looked at her shyly and said.
"I've noticed you glaring at Sirius a while ago when the Denis Osteler incident happened. If I knew better, I'd think you like Sirius." Mocha explained while she flipped her caramel hair back with her hand. Rachel looked at Mocha in horror.
"Why would I like Sirius?" She started to blush a deep red. "I have no interest in Sirius whatsoever, and I never will. He is merely a friend."
"Oh, I'm sorry." Mocha said sheepishly. Her amber eyes flashed and she said, "I never got a chance to introduce myself." She said to the girls, "My name is Mocha Osborn." The others introduced themselves and Lily was wondering whether she could ask Mocha a question.
"Um, Mocha," Lily started. "Why did your parents name you after a Muggle drink?" Mocha turned her head to Lily and she smiled at her calmly.
"I only got the story roughly," She said thoughtfully, "My mum said they met in a coffee shop and my dad had spilled mocha coffee on my mum's front." Mocha chuckled. Lily giggled.
"Interesting." Rachel and Portia stared at them blankly. Lily noticed this and said,
"Oh, right. Mocha coffee is quite a good drink in the Muggle world. Once I get the chance, I'll let you try. Won't we, Mocha?"
"Right." Mocha said. "This would mean both of us are Muggle-born, then, Lily?" Lily nodded and said, "What's your wand made of? Mine's 10 ¾ inches, unicorn hair, and willow. Mr. Ollivander said that it's good for Charms work. What about yours, Mocha?"
"Mine is 11 inches, dragon heartstring, and rosewood. It's quite springy." Mocha pulled out a sleek and elegant brown wand and examined the ribbony patterns closely. Lily turned to Portia.
"How about you, Portia?"
"Mine is 10 inches, unicorn hair, vine." Portia shrugged and played with her hair. "How about Rachel's?"
"Hm. Mine is a bit different from yours." Rachel said and Mocha sniggered.
"Of course, it is, silly!" she said, "Not two existing wands are the same!" Rachel rolled her eyes playfully.
"I know that! What I meant was I didn't buy mine from Ollivander's, I bought in Twander's Quality Filipino Wands. It's a local wand maker in the Philippines. You see, I bought mine over summer while staying there."
"Oh," Lily said, "So what's it made of?"
"Twander said that it was 14 ½ inches, dragon heartstring, and narra." When Rachel said 'narra' everyone looked at her blankly. "Narra is the Philippine National Tree, you should pay respect! It's well-known there for having a very strong trunk. Twander said wands made of narra are a bit stiff, but it's still flexible if paired with dragon heartstring."
"So let's see it in action, then!" Portia said excitedly. "We won't get caught if we are in Hogwarts. We get to do all the magic we want, my mum told me so."
"Really?" Lily inquired. "Excellent! I'll get my Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1 for a basic spell." She jumped off Rachel's bed and dashes to her trunk and rummaged in it for the text book. At last, Lily retrieved the book and dashes back to the bed. She slumped down and opened the book.
"Hm, let's see." Lily flipped the pages of the book to find basic spells. "Ah! This one is a good one. Lumos is a spell that makes your wand tip makes a small light that is enough for you to see in a dark place. The incantation is Lumos." She passed the book around. "The pronunciation is LOO-mohs." After the rest were done reading, Lily took her wand from her inside pocket and raised it.
"Ready?" She said. The others nodded and raised their own wands. "All together now. 3, 2, 1," Lily raised her wand higher.
"Lumos" Everyone said together. At once, blue lights appeared on their wand tip. The part of the room where they were staying was filled with light from their wands.
"Wow." Lily said while examining the now irradiated wand tip. Mocha was just as mesmerized as Lily was. They were grinning ear to ear at the first ever spell they every performed. As the others were staring at the wand tips, Lily heard the door open and close. She glanced at the direction of the door but there was no one there. She probably needed sleep. Lily yawned.
"Hey," Lily said, "I think we need to sleep now. We still have classes tomorrow." The others nodded and said their good nights. As Lily lay down on her four poster bed, she realized she was sleepy. She rolled to her side and felt a presence behind her and looked around but again, no one was there. She snorted quietly and closed her eyes. When she was on the brink of sleep, Lily heard the door open and close and footsteps were heard inside. Lily guessed this was Harriet. A few hours later, the opened yet again and closed but this time there were no footsteps. Lily wanted to wonder at why it was doing that but was too sleepy to get up and investigate.
A/N:
Tadaa!
It's Chapter 2 of LEP! Well, the title of this chapter is kind of a rip off of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. Teehee!
The surnames of the people being sorted was from a website that I forgot.
Hehehe, Mocha Osborne... Well, I really like mocha coffee and its my favorite drink! :D Sooo I expressed my favoritism for mocha coffee here.
Special thanks to harrypotter . wikia . com! (actually there is no spaces) for the Sorting Hat song!
Well, I'm sorry this chapter ended up so darn long, I was carried away and I promise the next chapter won't be this long! Honestly, I'm sorry.
Well, thanks for reading! I'll be having the chapter 3 in a few weeks or months probably. Don't blame me, blame homework for he is a hypocrite and a scoundrel.
Spells:
Proforus = profor - latin of speak out
