Georgina Loman pushed her way down the corridor of the Hogwarts express, trying to shrivel up inside her robes but it wasn't working. She didn't want to be there. She was meant to be getting ready for her first day of secondary school with her friends, not tying to find a seat on a train which didn't even exist. She found a compartment in the middle of the train with one other girl in it and pulled the door open. "Mind if I join you?" Georgina asked hesitantly. The red headed girl inside smiled.
"Please do. I'm Lily Evans."
"Georgina Loman." The pair shook hands before pushing Georgina's trunk onto the shelf above their heads. "Do you have any siblings on the train?" It seemed like a good way to break the ice.
Lily shook her head. "Not on the train, no. I have an older sister called Petunia. She's not a witch though; I'm muggle born."
"'Muggle born'?" Georgina frowned. "Is that the word for non-magic people?" Lily nodded. "I'm muggle born too, then. I don't really want to be here." She added as an afterthought, glancing towards the box which held the small cat she'd brought from that weird street Diagon Alley.
"Don't you? Why not?"
"My friends and my family aren't part of this. I don't want to be a witch. It's unnatural."
"I'm happy to be here. I finally feel as though I belong here. I've been doing magic since I was a young girl. Haven't you done any weird things?"
Georgina paused. "I used to be able to make flowers and plants grow. Does that count?"
Lily nodded happily. "Just like me! Did you find out when you got your letter?"
This time it was Georgina's turn to nod. "Four months ago. You?"
"I was about nine at the time. Severus taught me all about the wizarding world."
"Who's Severus?"
"He's my friend. There he is now!" Lily waved towards the door and Georgina turning to find a pale boy dressed from his hair to his does in black. Lily and Severus embraced before sitting next to each other opposite Georgina. "Severus, this is Georgina Loman. Georgina, this is Severus Snape. Severus, Georgina is muggle-born too."
"Is it a problem? Being muggle-born?" Georgina asked, noting that the boy had an air of magic about him.
"It doesn't matter at all."
"She doesn't want to be here. Tell her what being a wizard means, Severus." The trio spent the train ride up to Hogwarts discussing their views on wizarding and muggle life. Darkness had just fallen when they finished discussing the ins and outs of Hogwarts. "We should get changed. We'll be arriving soon." Severus stated.
No sooner had to two girls changed and Severus rejoined them, a voice rang through the train. "We will be arriving at Hogwarts in five minutes. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."
Severus looked positively over the moon, whereas the two girls felt a little ill. "I'm going to be in Hufflepuff." Georgina moaned. "I can feel it." Severus had been explaining the houses to the girls; Gryffindor for the brave, courageous and chivalrous; Ravenclaw for the smart and creative; Slytherin for the ambitious, cunning and leaders; and finally Hufflepuff for the patient, just and loyal. Georgina didn't like the sound of the house with a badger for it's logo. It sounded like the one for the outcasts. The train rumbled to a halt and the door swung open.
"You never know." Lily smiled. "You could be in another house."
"But I don't fit any of them!" Georgina huffed as she followed the crowd out onto the platform.
"Firs' years this way!" The trio turned to find a massive wizard waving over the heads of the other pupils. "Come on! Don't be shy! I'm Hagrid and I'm the gameskeeper for Hogwarts. Come along now!" When the gameskeeper was sure all the first years had been assembled he lead them down a narrow path, clad in darkness. Georgina found her arm linked with Lily's who had her other arm through Severus' in attempt to keep close together. In a group of fifty or so they stumbled through the dark. They rounded a corner and Georgina sucked in a breath.
In front of her was a huge, black lake. On the other side was a mountain. Perched on the top, aglow with lighting from the windows and with too many turrets to count, stood Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It was the most spectacular, most beautiful thing Georgina had ever seen. "No more than four to a boat! Hurry up now, we're on a tight schedule!" Severus pulled the two girls towards the shore where there was a small fleet of boats, each with a lantern lighting the way. As soon as the last person was seated the boats moved from the shore by themselves. No body breathed as the boats glided across the lake and the castle drew nearer and nearer. Georgina couldn't even blink. The only sound was Hagrid shouting an instruction for everyone to duck their heads. They passed through a curtain of ivy which led to a kind of harbour in the middle of the cliff. They carefully scrambled out onto pebbles and followed Hagrid up a passage to the grass. A few yards ahead stood the entrance doors to the school. Georgina was beyond herself with nerves. Suddenly, the possibility of being sorted into Hufflepuff seemed better than the thought of entering the school. Hagrid knocked thrice on the doors and they swung open, bathing them in golden light.
The only shadow cast was from a tall, thin witch with black hair and emerald robes. "Thank you, Hagrid." Hagrid disappeared, leaving the students to gape at the witch. "My name is Professor McGonagall. Welcome to Hogwarts." She allowed them to enter the entrance hall which had to be bigger than any house Georgina had been in. The golden glow came from lit torches hung on the wall. "The banquet to mark the start of term shall begin shortly, but before you can take your seats in the Great Hall, you must be sorted into your houses. Your houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. While you're here at Hogwarts, your house will be like your family. Your triumphs will earn you House Points and rule-breaking will loose you them. At the tend of the year, the house with the most points will be awarded the House Cup." There was a brief second of whispering between the first years before there was silence again. Georgina and Lily exchanged both worried and exciting looks. "The Sorting Ceremony will begin momentarily." Georgina's heart was in her mouth as McGonagall smiled. "Come along." She let them towards the tall, bronze doors at the top of a staircase which led into the biggest room Georgina had ever seen. It dwarfed the entrance hall. They walked in groups between the house tables, students in black staring at them as they went. Georgina glanced up and nudged Lilly, motioning to the ceiling which mirrored the sky outside.
"It's bewitched." Severus whispered. "Don't you love magic?" Just above their heads were floating candles, lighting the hall along with more torches. The front ends of the tables were empty, spare for the first years. At the top of a set of wooden steps sat a stall and the sorting hat. The first years nervously gathered infront of it. McGonagall motioned for them to stand still, picking up a roll of parchment from the stall. A wizard with a whitening beard stood up from the middle of the table of teachers behind the hat. "That's professor Dumbledore!"
"Before we start the sorting, I have a few announcements to make. The first is a reminder that the Dark Forest is strictly forbidden to all students. There is also a new tree which has been planted called the Whomping Willow. Unless you wish to end up in the infirmary, I suggest that you steer well clear of it. Thank you." He seated himself again and McGonagall took the attention.
"When your name is called you will come forth. I shall place the Sorting Hat on your head and you will be sorted into your house. Sirius Black?" A boy with long, curly brown hair pushed his way to the front, looking rather relaxed. The Hat was placed on his head and began to mutter to itself.
"Another Black... well, well, well... I suppose the best choice is... Gryffindor!" The table to the right of the students cheered and the boy, Sirius, looked surprised but relieved as he ran to join his table.
"Cora Ivy!" A pale girl took the seat and the Hat took no time sorting her into Ravenclaw. "Regina O'Brian!" She was the first Hufflepuff. "Georgina Loman!"
Georgina took a deep breath before taking a seat and fixing her eyes on a point at the back of the hall. She heard the hat mutter something about Hufflepuff before it made a decision. "Gryffindor!"
Whilst completely taken aback she was overjoyed at the choice and hurried to join the table. She seated herself next to Sirius black and introduced herself.
"Georgina."
"Sirius."
Slowly the others were sorted into their houses. Severus went off to sit at the Slytherin table and Lily seated herself next to Georgina. Gryffindor also gained a short haired boy called James Potter, a stout boy by the name of Peter Pettigrew and a good-looking boy by the name of Remus Lupin. Professor Dumbledore waved his hand and a feast appeared on the table infront of them. Georgina hadn't realised how hungry she was until she saw the food. There was all kinds of meat, an orange drink which she discovered to be pumpkin juice, pies and so much more that she felt full just looking at it.
Halfway through the meal and a silvery head appeared through the plate of carrots infront of her. "Hello!" It smiled. "Welcome to Gryffindor!" Georgina glanced up and saw the hall filling with silvery people. Ghosts she realised.
"Sir Nick!" A boy from down the table called. "Good to see you again!"
"And you, my dear boy. And look! We have a Black at our table. Jolly good to see you, young man." The feast was finished within the hour and the first years were led from the Great Hall by the head boy. He took them up several staircases, encouraging them to keep up. Ravenclaw came with them, splitting up at a tall tower with too many staircases.
"This is the direct part to all of the dormitories." The head boy called. "Keep an eyes on the stair cases! They like to change!" No sooner were the words out of his mouth then the stairs infront of them moved to the left. They climbed the stairs and Georgina was taken by the painting on their right.
"They're moving!" She laughed. Lily was grinning beside her.
In no time at all they reached a painting of a mature woman in pink. "Password?" She demanded. The Head Boy gave it to her and the painting swung aside to reveal a small door way.
"No pushing!" They slowly filed through into a rectangular room with several oversized armchairs and a large fireplace. "Boys, your dorms are upstairs and to your left. Girls, yours are on the right. All your belongings are in your rooms." The first years let out a squeal and ran up their respective stairs to their dorms, bursting in and surprising the older students who laughed at their eagerness.
"You're Georgina, aren't you?" Georgina turned to find a much older student smiling down at her. She nodded. "I'm Claire Farewell, sixth year. Your bed is next to mine. Lily Evans? Yours is next to Georgina's."
"Lights out in ten, girls!" One of the seventh years called and they quickly changed. Across the hall they could hear the boys yelling and Georgina rolled her eyes. She could put up with the noise. At least she was in a house with someone she knew.
Hello! This is the first Harry Potter story I've ever written so please let me know if it's okay. This story will follow the Marauder's through their first year of school up until the Potter's death. I may go on from their until the final book if this becomes popular enough. Please review and let me know! :)