Chapter 2

Lily Potter stretched and yawned, leaning over to fall asleep again, and then remembered what day it was and leaped up. "I'm going to Hogwarts today! I'm going to Hogwarts!" Lily sang as she grabbed her favorite shirt.

"Ugh, who let the banshee in?" Her brother James slid into the room, his black hair disheveled, grinning.

"James!" Lily was outraged. "I'm only halfway dressed! Get out! Or I'll curse you when we get on the train, honest!"

"Like you know any curses yet," James scoffed, "And like you could them on me, anyway."

"You're so full of yourself," said a new voice. Lily immediately knew it was her other brother, Albus.

"ALBUS!" Lily shrieked. "Both of you GET OUT OF MY ROOM! Right NOW!"

"What's all the commotion up here?" Now Lily's dad, Harry, entered the scene.

"MUM!" Lily howled. "ALL THE BOYS ARE IN MY ROOM! AND THEY DIDN'T KNOCK! I NEED SOME PRIVACY IN HERE!"

Harry chuckled. "You are loud, aren't you dear?"

Lily ignored him. "MUM!" She cried again.

Ginny thundered up the stairs. "What in the name of Merlin's beard are you doing? James? Albus? Lily? Harry?"

Lily said out all in a rush, "I was getting ready, but I wasn't finished, and James…"

"I came in and told her how awful her singing was," James butted in, grinning.

"James!" Ginny scolded. "Now, let me listen to Lily. Don't interrupt."

"But he didn't knock, and then he teased me, and then Albus just walked in, and then Dad came in, even though I told them all to GET OUT!"

"Calm down," Harry said, looking alarmed. "Ginny, dear, we…"

Ginny shot a look at her sons and husband. "I'm sorry, dear," she said to Lily. "Leave her be. Go on, get out! And James, don't tease her!" She brandished her wand at them and they scampered out the door. As she walked by the boys, she whispered, "She's very sensitive right now. Be nice, James."

Then, pretending she hadn't said anything, yelled, "Hurry up! It's almost time to go already!"

Lily kissed each of her parents on the cheek and walked slowly after James and Albus. She glanced back every few steps. Finally Lily looked over her shoulder once more and ran back to her mum's waiting arms, leaving her brothers going toward the train.

"Lily!" Her father said, shocked.

"It's okay, sweetheart. We'll keep in touch," Ginny said brightly, trying to keep her daughter in good spirits.

"Lily, you've been waiting for this day your whole life!" Harry reminded her. "Well, ever since James started at Hogwarts, anyway." He paused. "It's a day you'll remember forever."

Lily lifted her tear-stained face and gulped. Ginny glared at her husband.

He put up his hands in protest. "Sorry…I…."

But Ginny, in an uncanny likeness of her own mother, started to shout. "DON'T DO THAT, HARRY JAMES POTTER! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING STRESSING HER OUT LIKE THAT! SHE'S ELEVEN YEARS OLD! TODAY'S GOING TO BE HARD ENOUGH ALREADY…"

People all around them stopped and stared. Lily buried my face in her mum's shoulder again, but this time it was not with tears. Lily finally stopped trying to stifle it, and emerged, giggling heartily, but with pink cheeks of embarrassment.

Then she recognized somebody bustling toward them. "Cut it out, Ron!" A familiar voice said.

"Aunt Hermione!" Lily said, still giggling. "Look-maybe you can help-Mum's really mad…"

Meanwhile, Ginny was still screaming at Harry. "SHE'S ALREADY GOING TO HAVE TO LIVE UP TO YOUR REPUTATION, THINK IT'LL BE EASIER THAT YOU'VE GOTTEN HER ALL STRESSED?"

Lily's Aunt Hermione took one look at Harry cowering and her mum yelling and intervened. "Look, Ginny, Harry was only trying to help…"

"Hermione!" Ginny called in normal tones. Harry sighed in relief.

"Maybe you can talk some sense into my husband," Lily's mother said, shaking her head. "Honestly, some days…"

Aunt Hermione grinned. Lily's uncle Ron, and her cousins, Rose and Hugo, were back a few paces behind her. Now that they saw that their aunt wasn't yelling anymore, they approached them from behind. "Well, if it isn't my favorite 11 year old girl going to Hogwarts today!" Uncle Ron said cheerfully.

"Sorry, sweetheart," Ginny said. "I got a bit carried away…"

Harry grinned. "A bit?"

"Love you," Ginny said simply.

"Love you more," Harry replied.

"No, I love you more."

"Pretty sure that's impossible."

"No, it's not, because it's the truth."

"No, it's not the truth!"

"Yes, it is!"

"No it's not!"

"Yes it is!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"Why do you guys always fight?" Lily complained.

"What are you talking about?" Harry and Ginny said together. "We never fight!"

Ginny and Harry accompanied Lily to the Hogwarts Express followed closely by Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron with Hugo and Rose. Lily squeezed their hands and gave them each one last hug. Waving farewell, Lily boarded the train.

Lily's brothers had saved her a seat. Actually, technically Albus saved her a seat. James had argued, "I don't want to sit by my little sis-"

But Albus cut him off. "It's Lily's first day. It's a time for family," He had said firmly. There was no arguing with that.

So Albus and a reluctant James had saved Lily a seat, and when their cousins Rose and Hugo arrived, asking if they could share the compartment as well, Albus hospitably invited them in, and James didn't object. He sat sullenly in the corner, watching the pairs of good friends, Rose and Albus and Hugo and Lily, talk, joke, and laugh together. He was soon back to his carefree, joking attitude however, as no one could resist the happy atmosphere in that compartment.

Lily noticed two girls outside the compartment and stood up, but Albus reached the door first.

"Looking for a seat?" Albus asked Alice kindly when they walked by. "You can sit with me and my family. I know what it's like. I barely found a seat my first year, as my brother refused to sit with me once Mum was out of view." He laughed at the memory. "There's room for her," He gestured to Chrissie, "as well."

"Thanks!" Alice said brightly, beaming at Albus. "I'm Alice Lyme; this is my sister Chrissie, what's your name?"

Chrissie suddenly flushed scarlet. "That's your family?" She asked faintly, gesturing to Lily and the others.

"Yes. I'm Albus, Albus Potter; this is my cousin, Rose, and her brother, Hugo, my older brother James, and my little sister Lily."

Alice's mouth dropped open. Then she stuttered, "You're the…the…P-P-Potters?"

"Yes, hello there," James said, pretending he hadn't heard any of it, although he'd obviously been listening. "You're Christina. Ravenclaw, aren't you? And this must be your sis…" He faltered. "This must be your sister?"

"Yes, James," Chrissie squeaked.

"Hi!" Rose said, grinning. Hugo said nothing, just eyed Alice as if he'd never seen a girl before.

Alice and Lily held back giggles at Chrissie's squeak and James' pause with difficulty. They caught each other's eyes, and burst out laughing.

"Oh, are you a first year too?" Lily said delightedly. When Alice nodded, Lily motioned her over.

"I'm a first year," said Hugo nervously.

"Duh, Hugo." Lily said, grinning. "Thanks for sharing." Then, the situation dawning on me, she added, "Oh! That was for Alice." Rose held back a snort.

"Come, sit by me, you two, James can move over there!" Lily glanced furtively at James. "Rose and Chrissie, you don't mind sitting by James, do you?" She asked mischievously.

Rose shrugged, looking unconcerned. "Whatever."

On the other hand, Chrissie blushed again. "I….well…okay," she finished.

James was embarrassed too. "Well, hi, then," He said, trying to sound nonchalant, but his cheeks were as red as the girl's beside him.

Albus, grinning, took the seat between Rose and Alice (who looked very pleased with this set-up). After that, they fell into their own conversations; the first-years talked together, Hugo and Lily telling Alice all about Hogwarts from what their siblings had told them.

"Chrissie never tells me anything about Hogwarts, except to scare me. You're so lucky, Lily, Hugo!" Alice said enviously.

That was when Albus abandoned his attempt to talk to Rose, who was trying to read her new spell book. Finally he leaned over to the first years, and said, "I'll tell you some more about what's at Hogwarts."

Alice beamed at him, hanging on his every word as he continued. Hugo and Lily were interested too, but not nearly as much as Alice.

Albus said something about how everyone at Hogwarts knew him in an offhand way, and Lily and Alice both heaved a little sigh, thinking how everyone would know them too. They caught each other's eyes again and grinned.

Alice and Lily had quickly become friends. They were very alike, though not in looks- Alice had sparkling cloudless sky-blue eyes, wavy chestnut hair, and dimples, and Lily with her fiery red hair, and her brown eyes like melted chocolate with swirls of caramel, and freckles sprinkled across her face, they were both pretty in their own, different ways.

"Oh, I hope I'm in Gryffindor with you three!" Alice said passionately. "I know you're in Gryffindor, Albus. Lily, Hugo, I'm sure you will too. But is it wrong to feel so, as my dad's Head of Ravenclaw?" She asked, concerned.

Hugo shrugged, still gawking at her. Albus gasped. "Professor Lyme is your father?"

Alice nodded. "Yes, but not the only 'Professor Lyme' at Hogwarts now. Mum's teaching this year, too!"

"Your mum?" Albus asked in amazement. "What subject?

"She's teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"You're lucky; both your parents at Hogwarts!" Lily piped up.

"I guess," she said uncomfortably. Alice and Lily kept chatting with Albus, Hugo chiming in occasionally, but he seemed to be sort of uncomfortable around them, or perhaps just around Alice.

Rose was still reading, not noticing anything around her, munching on snacks she bought from the trolley. She offered Albus a Chocolate Frog. He took it, and handed it to Alice, who beamed.

Meanwhile, Chrissie and James were talking too, much more awkwardly.

"I…well…h-how's your family?" Chrissie tried.

"They're good. Dad had a great birthday last month; he liked the card your mum sent. Mum's okay too, and my siblings are fine," James replied. "Er…How's your family?"

Chrissie stammered, "Er…they're f-fine…we'll just have to ad-adjust, I suppose."

"Whatdya mean, adjust?" James asked, interested.

"Mum's teaching this year, too." Chrissie managed not to stutter this time.

He looked astonished. "Really? What's she going to teach?"

"Oh…Defense Against the Dark Arts…your favorite…" Chrissie said trying to sound offhand and failing miserably.

"How'd you know it was my favorite?" James asked.

She looked surprised that he'd asked. "I mean, your dad…"

James suddenly looked dark. "Oh, so you think I'm just like my dad, huh? Well, you're wrong actually. I don't have a scar on my forehead, and I don't look just like him, either, that's Albus." They both automatically turned to look at Albus, who was still talking animatedly with the first years. James continued, "If you just like me for my name, and my family, I'll have nothing to do with you." He turned away abruptly.

"Please, James, I didn't mean it!" Chrissie cried. "I'm not, I'm not like that! The real reason I know it's your favorite class, I just didn't want to say it, is that I kind of tried to learn a lot about you because…I really….I really…" she paused, searching for the right way to put it.

"Oh." James understood without her finishing. "I'm sorry, Christina."

"Don't apologize, James, it was me, I was stupid…and James, you…you can call me Chrissie." Chrissie turned red.

"Alright, then, I'm sorry, Chrissie." And that was the end of that, as the prefects came down the rows suddenly.

"It's time to change into your robes!" A boisterous Hufflepuff shouted.

Chrissie rolled her eyes. "I'm glad I'm not a prefect," she said to James, who laughed. Chrissie looked pleased with herself.

"Ooh, our new robes," Alice and Lily said together and began giggling.

"Here, we'll change over here, then…" Albus, James, and Hugo disappeared behind the luggage racks.

The girls quickly changed, except Rose, who was already in her robes, and were seated when the boys returned. Lily saw Alice stroking her new Chocolate Frog card, (the one Albus had given her) and she pocketed it.

The train lurched to a stop. Everyone grabbed their luggage off the racks. "Here, let me get that for you, Chrissie," James said, taking her trunk.

"Thank you, James," Chrissie said quietly, staring at the floor.

Alice and Lily began giggling again. "Oh, stop it!" Albus snapped.

They stopped abruptly. Alice looked shocked.

"Albus, what is it?" Lily asked in a small voice.

Albus knelt down, so he was about Alice's, Hugo's, and Lily's height. He looked at them solemnly. "It is almost time for your Sorting. This is a most serious time, one you will remember forever, and will affect your life forever." He paused, noticing the scared look on their faces, and added, "Don't be too worried, though."

He rose, and with his hand firmly on his sister's shoulder, guided Alice, Hugo, and Lily to the boats, where the first years rode to Hogwarts across the lake. "See you in a bit," he said, as he walked to the carriages that drove the older students to the school.

They nervously boarded a boat together, with another anxious first year girl. Nobody said much as they made the dreary journey to the castle. The whole way, Hugo gazed at Alice, the other girl stared at Lily, and Alice and Lily gawked at the enormous castle.

Meanwhile, Chrissie and James were walking side by side, very awkwardly, to a carriage. By the time they arrived, because they had been on the back of the train, and they'd been in no hurry, the only carriage left was the one with Albus and Rose. As the two cousins were talking quite loudly- Rose having finally abandoned her book- without any notice of the other two, it left James and Chrissie quite free to converse among themselves.

They didn't say much, however, but as the carriage neared the school, James almost grabbed Chrissie's hand, but hesitated. Chrissie thought she had seen him move his hand towards hers, but maybe she was just imagining things….hoping things so strongly she could've sworn she saw it.

Chrissie almost put her head on James' shoulder after that but couldn't quite muster up the courage. They kept sneaking looks at each other and once they glanced up at the same moment, and then looked away, embarrassed. As soon as Hogwarts Castle loomed into view, they quickly left the carriage.

She wondered if James could ever like her, a handsome, popular, famous boy like him. Chrissie was sure many girls liked him, some much prettier than she. She sat down at the Ravenclaw table, still dreamy.

All of the first years tumbled into the Great Hall, shivering, and the Sorting began.

Alice and Lily looked at each other nervously. They watched as the first of their number was Sorted; Abet, Greg became a Hufflepuff.

They sighed with relief. It wasn't so bad after all, Alice thought. You just had to put that old hat on. Alice and Lily watched the Sorting with widening eyes, as "Berlet, Holly" became the first new Ravenclaw. Everyone at the second table clapped and cheered.

"Ooh, look there's Dad, and Mum!" Alice whispered, gesturing to the staff table where her parents were seated, her father still applauding Holly. "There, do you see them?"

The girls stopped while "Clarke, Toby!" was Sorted into Gryffindor. Alice and Lily looked eagerly at him, Lily because he was going and sitting across from her brothers, Alice for no apparent reason.

"Look, they're next to each other…" Alice continued, her cheeks now slightly pink. "Mum's by that man, wearing the green, there…."

Lily nodded. "Yes, I see them, by Nev- er, Professor Longbottom. Your mum's pretty, like you."

Alice started, "I'm not pretty, it's you who…"

Suddenly there came the shout of, "Lyme, Alice!"

Alice nervously scampered to the Sorting Hat. She gingerly set the patched hat on her head.

"Hmmm…" The hat muttered. She nearly jumped. The hat ignored her and continued, "Like your mum, oh yes, and your father too. Well …I suppose the best place…yes…RAVENCLAW!" The hat shouted. All the Ravenclaws clapped loudly. Lily smiled encouragingly at Alice. She grinned back at her and at her father, trying to avoid her mother's slightly crestfallen face.

"Malfoy, Cassiopeia!"

There was a pause. Then the hat announced, "RAVENCLAW!" Whispers spread like wildfire throughout the Great Hall. A Malfoy, a for sure Slytherin, had been placed in RAVENCLAW?

The girl's brother glared at her. "Dad's going to be furious," he hissed as she passed him on her way to the table. She turned white.

The Sorting continued; there were several new Gryffindors and quite a lot of Hufflepuffs, another Ravenclaw and two Slytherins.

Parish, Posie, was proclaimed, "HUFFLEPUFF!" Then, "Potter, Lily!"

Trembling, Lily walked over to the chair, and placed the hat on her head.

"GRYFFINDOR!" The hat proclaimed.

"Good job, Lily!" Albus exclaimed as she sank, relieved, into the seat next to him.

"Shh!" James said. "Look, its Hugo's turn!"

Sure enough, "Weasley, Hugo!" was announced. Lily waited with bated breath for the house of her cousin.

"RAVENCLAW!" The hat shouted.