AN: Hey guys, sorry for the slightly late update, that would be my procrastination's fault. Much thanks to my beta, who is awesome, theslytherinrose. Hope you guys enjoy! Remember to review.

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Chapter 2

The sound of the train's horn screeching to signal it would leave in five minutes sounded. Lily gave her mom and dad one last hug and then waved to the rest of her family before heading off to find a compartment on the train. Most of her cousins grouped off and sat with their mutual friends. Having the whole family in one compartment was just not an option, especially with how tall James and Fred were getting lately.

Lily followed Albus, who was helping her to get her trunk on the train, to a compartment with Hugo and Lucy. Lucy was nearly skipping through the hall because she thought it made her strawberry-blond ponytail swing in a 'cute' way, or at least that's what she'd told Lily earlier this summer when she'd asked why Lucy was walking so strangely. Hugo found an empty compartment, and Albus helped them settle in.

Albus ran a hand through his jet-black hair—a habit he'd gotten from his dad. "Okay, the guys and I will be in Compartment 21, if you need anything," he told the group. They all nodded and he left, shutting our door behind him.

The whole way to Hogwarts, Lucy wanted to talk about things Molly had told her, and Hugo kept spouting off things about Quidditch. Lily sat and listened, responding when appropriate, and sucking on a sugar quill, her favorite candy. Lily was never one to talk a lot; she preferred to listen and respond when she actually had some insight. To Lily words held power, and she never said anything she didn't mean. However, she did omit details, from time to time.

Eventually Lucy and Hugo tapered their excitement and started a game of Wizard Chess. They both played extremely well. Hugo and Uncle Ron played quite often, and Uncle Percy had given Lucy a strategy book, which she had practically worshiped, for her birthday. This game could last till the winter holidays. They may as well stay on the train, Lily thought.

When they were getting close to the castle, the compartment door swung open, and Albus and his best friend Scorpius stood on the other side. Lily, who had been staring out the window, jolted in surprise and instantly frowned. Albus had been trying to sneak up on her all summer and had yet to be successful. Earlier this summer, they had struck a deal: if he could sneak up on her before school started, she owed him a favor, if he couldn't, he owed her. This had been an ongoing thing for as long as Lily could remember. She dealt in deals—deals that she often used to get herself out of chores.

Albus's eyes widened. "I got you," he said in awe. "I haven't won one of these bets in forever."

Scorpius rolled his grey eyes. "Another one of your silly bets, huh? You know, Al, you never win those, and when she gets older and uses them for better things, you are going to regret betting." He finished with a smirk that was almost always gracing his lips. Scorpius was at the Potters' family home in Godric's Hollow a lot over the summer holidays, and he had witnessed Albus losing many bets to Lily over the last few years.

"Yeah, but I won," Albus pointed out, grinning cockily. "And if everything works as it should, I already know what I want."

"I don't think that should count. School has technically already started. That's not fair." Lily pouted. She wasn't trying to be a sore loser; she'd just thought the bet was over.

"No way. You haven't been sorted yet, therefore school hasn't started for you. I win," Albus replied with a hint of laughter in his voice.

"Could you get to the point? All this talking is throwing me off my game," Hugo said with an aggravated tone as one of Lucy's knights took out his queen, throwing pieces across the board.

"Yeah, blame it on the talking. It wasn't the bad move you made a few minutes ago that allowed me to do that," Lucy said coolly. She hated when Hugo blamed his mistakes on other people, which he did quite often. She stuck her tongue out at him playfully, and he scowled back.

"Oh, right. I hate to cut this chess game short, but we are approaching the castle. We came to make sure you guys got changed and packed up your stuff," Albus said.

"Well, it was more like Rose ordered us to do it," Scorpius mumbled. "Either way, it's time to get going."

Lily looked out the window and realized they were right. Off in the distance, she could make out the edges of the castle. "Okay guys, get out," she told them.

The boys made their way to the door. "Maybe I will see one of you guys at the feast," Albus said with a small smile, looking straight at Lily. He straightened his Slytherin tie for emphasis.

"You should be so lucky," Lucy said, standing up with a flick of her hair and a jut of her hip, shutting the door behind them and pulling down the curtain.

They each got dressed in their school robes, though none of them had a house emblem or colors, yet. Lily had been interested to see how the colors changed instantly when the hat called one's house. She could only imagine how cool that was.

Soon, the train was coming to a stop, and Lily, Lucy, and Hugo were making their way off the train. All their bags and trunks would be taken up to the castle while they were at the feast. A large, bumbling man with a graying beard was calling for first-years, and Lily knew that must be Hagrid.

"Two students to a boat, please. In you go," Hagrid announced, and Lucy and Hugo went to get in a boat arguing about their game from earlier and leaving Lily behind.

Lily scanned the crowd for someone to sit with, and her eyes fell on a girl with curly black hair and dark hazel eyes who was also looking a little lost. Lily made her way over to her and extended her hand.

"Lily Potter," she introduced herself.

The girl's eyes widened a touch as she shook Lily's hand. "Zana Patel-Zabini," she answered.

"Wanna ride over together?" Lily asked with a smile.

"That would be great," Zana answered, and they climbed into the nearest boat. "Which House do you think you'll be sorted into?" she asked a bit nervously after they started moving toward the castle.

"I'm not sure, but the Sorting Hat should tell us soon enough. What do you think?" Lily gave a non-answer, as she did when she didn't want to say the truth, or maybe in this instance she just wasn't ready to admit what she knew to be true.

"I'm not quite sure either," Zana answered, playing with a bracelet on her wrist. "My dad was in Slytherin, but my mom was in Ravenclaw, but my dad maintains that even though a Zabini hasn't been sorted anywhere other than Slytherin in decades he doesn't care." Her eyes looked nervous as she stared up at the castle. "The castle's huge. I mean, I knew it would be big, but how are we supposed to not get lost in there?" she asked in awe.

"I know, right? Someone should really hand out maps to all the first-years. My brother James said a few years ago that a girl accidentally took a wrong turn and got stuck at a dead end with no stairs to get back. They moved on her, and she was late for class," Lily said, laughing. "It will definitely take some time to get used to, but in the end, we should have some interesting stories."

"Yeah, and at least we won't have to learn any more math. Muggle equations make no sense," Zana said, and Lily noticed she had stopped messing with her bracelet. "I'm glad my mom won't make me go to Muggle school anymore."

"Wait, she had you enrolled in a Muggle school?" Lily was really interested in what that must have been like. "That's so cool. My mom home-schooled us in the basic stuff."

"Yeah, it was awful. This one time, I had a magical accident because this other girl called me ugly and stupid. She went home with markers exploded all over her uniform. Mom was not pleased, but Dad laughed about it. He still brings it up sometimes." Zana smiled, and Lily laughed, imagining that.

"That's awesome. One time my cousin Dominique stole my coloring book, and I was so angry that I made the kitchen sink's pipe burst, and it sprayed her with water. She was soaked. I remember she was so mad, 'cause her older sister Victoire had let her play with her makeup and had done her hair for her. She looked like a clown," Lily said, remembering how angry Dom had been and laughing harder. Dom had never taken Lily's stuff again.

"That's great," Zana said, laughing.

Soon, they were at the dock and making their way into the castle. Professor Longbottom met them outside the doors to the Great Hall.

"All right, students, please form two lines behind me as we make our way up to the front. There is to be no chatter during the Sorting. I think you can all agree that we all want to eat, but we need to get through this, first. Follow me. Chins up" Professor Longbottom said with a smile, and then he opened the Great Hall's doors.

As the first-years walked in, all eyes were on them. Lily caught Fred and James's eyes and smiled. James gave her a thumbs-up. This was the one night that all the students had to sit at their House's table. Any other time, they were allowed to mingle. She knew James would likely have been sitting with Rose and Molly to hit on their friends if he hadn't been confined to the Gryffindor table.

"Alderton, Axel," Professor Longbottom called, and the Sorting began as a boy with dirty-blond hair and a load of confidence walked up to the sorting hat.

The hat barely touched his head before it called "Ravenclaw!"

Most of the sorting became a blur for Lily. She focused on only a few names. Jackson Fletchly went to Gryffindor, Kira Jones went to Hufflepuff, and Oberon Nott was sent to Slytherin.

"Patel-Zabini, Zana."

As Zana left her place next to Lily, Lily gave her hand a squeeze, and Zana looked back and smiled. The hat was placed on her head, and for what must have felt like an eternity for Zana, there was silence. Then the hat shouted "Slytherin!" Zana smiled a little as the table cheered, and she ran off to find a place to sit.

"Potter, Lily."

Lily walked up to the stool and sat down as the hat hit her head.

"Oh, you are different. I thought I felt you here, but I wasn't sure until now. You have a long road ahead of you, and I hope you make better decisions than the last time around, my Lady," the hat said, speaking to her inside her head.

"Wait, what do you mean the last—?"

She was cut off mid thought by the hat's shout.

"Slytherin!"

Lily got up from her seat, a little stunned. The Slytherin table was cheering for her as she went and sat beside Zana, who happened to be seated across from Albus.

"Welcome to Slytherin, Sis," he told her, practically beaming.

The rest of the Sorting continued and, just as Lily had predicted, Lucy went to Hufflepuff and Hugo went to Gryffindor. As Headmistress McGonagall announced the teachers and gave a speech about safety and new beginnings, Lily let her mind ponder the words of the Sorting Hat.

"Hey, eat up Lily. I have a deal to cash in, and you are going to need your strength," Albus said, kicking her leg lightly, mirth in his green eyes that was only accentuated by the green lining of his robes. Lily looked down at her own robes, which now held the Slytherin crest. Her hair resting against them looked like fire—deceiving, since she knew for sure that she was anything but.

She smiled and looked up at Albus, piling food onto her plate. "Aren't you going to tell me what it is?"

"Oh no, that would make things far too simple," Albus said, his eyes darkening a touch. "The true games have only just begun."