Chapter two: The sorting

She gripped my hand so tightly, I thought i'd lose circulation.

"Lily, just step into the boat!" I laughed lightly. She looked at me with her bright red eyes and stepped in. the boat wobbled and she gripped my hand tighter.

"Lily! Listen the boat is secure!" her long deep purple hair hung over her face, wildly. She wouldn't calm down, and the more she shook, the more the boat wobbled. The boat slid over a little too much and icy black water slipped in near our feet.

Petrified, lily froze. She looked at me, fear etched in her face.

"Calm, and we'll be fine," I said again. She grabbed both of my hands, but her grip loosened. Lily finally started taking deep breaths.

For moments, lily remained calm. Then all the sudden, i felt heat lick the back of my neck. The torch on the boat had lit… uh oh.

Then without moment's hesitation, the small brown wooden boat launched forward into motion.

Lily looked at the verge of throwing up. But the boat continued to move, without making a sound. Gliding effortlessly through the water. She smiled a bit. So, I took her hand and let the cold water run over it. She smiled more! Yes!

"Mason, we're going to hogwarts! We'll do everything possible! And, and" she said, ending in a small squeal. The boat ride ended at a stone dock and everyone unloaded. Everyone swarmed into the great hall. It was marvelous! Four long table each house color was before me. Behind me all the professors sat, smiling at all of us. Older students sat at each table, separated into color. Red, purple, yellow, and green. The ceiling looked like the night sky, most likely enchanted. And about one million floating candles floated above our heads.

"Turn to me! Ah, now, as i call your names, you will come sit upon this stool, and let the sorting hat sort you. Now, read? Very well," announced professor Mcgonagall, motioning to a stool with a hat.

Name after name… my heart was pounding, i was squeezing lily's hand now! Then,

"Dean, mason," Mcgonagall yelled.

"You can do it," said lily, she had a sad look in her eye though.

I walked towards the large stage and climbed the stairs. In the middle sat a three legged stool that look like it would collapse under a pound. I walked toward it, about a million eye's on me. I looked directly at lily. She wasn't hard to spot, due to her dark purple hair and red eyes.

I sat on the stool, three Slytherins so far! that's enough! right? has the sorting hat got all the Slytherins out of it's hat mind? Nonsense! Gryffindor is where i BELONG! I thought to myself. I felt the hat land on my head.

'Hmmmmmm! A Gryffindor at heart, but likes to win, heart of a' "SLYTHERIN," yelled the sorting hat. My heart dropped. No…. this wasn't happening…. It WASN'T. I looked around. Looks of pity circled me. I looked at lily. I could see tears. I let her down… i let EVERYONE down. i walked off stage quickly. Sitting at the slytherin table.

"Welcome to prison," a boy said to me. I gave him an unwanted look.

Name after name was called again. Then a name i cared about was called!

"Ashworth, Liliana," said mcgonagall. Lily was the last one.

Lily hurried up the stairs and sat down. Her eyes shut tight. I crossed my fingers for her. Minutes passed. 5-10 then 15-20 and then the hat yelled

"My mind is baffled, for this mystery of a girl is every house you see, she has the heart of a Hufflepuff, yet the mind of a Ravenclaw. And has courage of a Gryffindor? Alas her soul yells for… a house so unworthy… WHY? A mystery of a girl my mind cannot be made! But beneath it all i know now… but do i? Even now her mind is full, i cannot sort it OUT! Students, professors, if you can figure out this mystery then you are better than me! For me! Wise sorting hat cannot figure her out! Now i'm going with my leathery gut and saying… SLYTHERIN!" the sorting hat bellowed.

"Now her over stuffed mind is giving me a hat ache! Set me back upon my stool girl! Now! HURRY BEFORE MY MAGIC IS MUSH!" everyone was silent. Lily looked petrified. Had the sorting hat done this before? Surely not! But, how much of a mystery was this girl?