We stood outside together as people crowded out of the train. Then we heard a voice boom out, "Firs' years! Firs' years over here!" We turned towards the voice and hurried through the crowd. To stand in front of the largest man I had ever seen! "Leave your stuff here, the house elves will get it, and follow me!" We made our way along with about 15 others after him. He led us down an incline to a very large pond, or maybe once we saw it all it would be more of a lake but right now there was a curve and we couldn't see it all yet. "Pick a boat and get it."

We wandered along the line to the end boat and climbed in together. "I can't wait to see it myself." Sev breathed excitedly, I managed to grin at him through my panic, which was finally surfacing after being here so close. Then we sat in silence as everyone took their places, the two girls and one other joined us in our boat and they started their magical way across.

They made their way out of the little inlet that hid the rest of the lake, as it must be I soon found out. It curved out and we faced the huge parapets and towers of a humongous castle. I gasped and stared wide eyed with everyone else.

"It's, it's so," I struggled to think of the word, he grinned widely at me. His eyes were wide with excitement barely contained. "Magnificent." I finally stated turning back to stare at it before we got to the landing dock and couldn't see it anymore.

Every window must have been lit; it all sparkled like some miniature statue. It looked like some Christmas decoration that had a candle placed in side to be seen out every window. But it got larger and larger, as if I was shrinking so I could fit in it.

But no, this was real. It was a castle, one that I would be living in and learning in. I was now both, extremely excited I was almost bursting, and feeling sad, small, and insignificant. I swallowed those feelings, it would be great. I had to believe that or I would not be able to get up and walk into the Great Hall to have dinner in front of all the other students. We glided underneath an overhang of the building then and the boats docked themselves quietly bumping the stone and settling.

We got up and stepped out; looking around there seemed to be one way out of this little piece of stone landing, we headed towards the stairs and the large doors with everyone else. We were in the front of the group but we were all bunched together so it wasn't as obvious. We stopped at the door and paused, now what? Should we knock? At least that was what I was wondering staring blankly at the door. They were huge; would we even be able to open them? Then they opened before anyone asked these questions out loud.

Before us stood a tall, middle aged, forbidding, and stern looking woman. She looked us all over then said simply, in a voice that spoke of no one disobeying her, "Follow me." She walked us up some more steps and down a corridor or two, then let us in-and left us in-an empty room in front of a pair of huge wooden doors.

'Did giants used to live here?' I thought getting tired of the oversized doors, 'Or did they just like to waste wood on doors more than double a tall persons height? It's even like twice the size of the man that brought us across the lake and he was HUGE! He seemed nice though…' My thoughts were rudely interrupted by her opening the class room door; I blinked and glanced at everyone. They were all huddled together, 'Probably for comfort.' I almost giggled, 'I think too much. Other wise I would have been huddled together just like them.' Then I saw that besides me, and Sev next to me, everyone was huddled except in the back, leaning against the wall and chatting together, weref the two prats from before. The one with longer hair caught my eye and before I could turn away in annoyance, he winked at me. I turned back with my head high in annoyed defiance.

The women then began talking, "I am Professor McGonagall and you will follow me in single file into the Great Hall to be sorted into each respective house." She looked us over once more as if making sure we were listening and then nodding to herself, she proceeded to give up a lecture about houses and classes and rule following...boring...can't really say I paid much, if any, attention. I don't think she noticed though since I'm looking her straight in the face. Pretty much I'm stuck with my house, must follow the rules,-like DUH!-and my house will be my house for the rest of my school time. Whopee. Ya!!! She's done! "Follow me in a single file line." Aren't most lines single file? Whatever here we go! Through the giant doors, hehehe, that works two ways!!!

We followed in a raggedy line out of the room and then into a huge room filled with four tables lined up straight facing a fifth table that was filled with older people, teachers I am sure. There were also ghosts, one for each of the four tables, sitting among the students. I glanced up to see how high the ceiling was with doors that big.

Only to find that there wasn't a ceiling, there was just sky. I almost stopped in surprised puzzlement. Then I heard one of the girls behind me whisper to the girl behind her, "It's enchanted, my mother told me all about it." I blinked, duh, then glanced back at Sev and grinned. He grinned back but looked around at everything else.

"Line up here." Professor McGonagall told us as we reached the front. "When I call your name step forward and sit on the stool here. Then put on the hat and be sorted." I stared at it, mostly because there was silence and everyone had turned from staring at us-which was disconcerting-to staring at the hat.

It sang, 'What the heck?' But it sang an informative song about the four houses and what they are and how they should stand united or something. People started muttering after clapping for it. Then McGonagall stood in the front again and picked up a scroll. Unrolling it she reminded us, "When I read your name come up." I thought about the descriptions of the houses, especially Slytherin. But none of them seemed to fit me. I started feeling nervous again. Finally she spoke my name, "Evans, Lily." Sev patted my hand so no one saw, I stood straighter and walked towards the hat hoping I would get there before I collapsed because my legs were shaking so much.

Then I sat and she set the hat upon my head. Immediately I heard I voice in my head, the hat's voice. It chuckled saying, 'I know where to put you.' My eyes went wide and I stopped shaking chanting 'oh my god' in my head. Then it yelled out, "GRYFFINDOR!"

I took a deep breath and smiled, so I did belong somewhere. My weak smile was in relief, and after taking off the hat walked towards the table that was cheering the loudest. When I was almost there I glanced back at Sev and gave him a sad smile. His face was blank, in shock or something.

'I hope he forgives me.' I thought as I turned back to walk the rest of the way to the table, I had figured out on my own that they were enemy houses. 'Would that change anything? No.' I decided as I sat down, 'No, he was my friend and of that I am certain. It won't change just because of this.' I looked over to the boy sitting next to me only to find the longer haired prat, he grinned at me. I was already sick of that grin. I almost groaned aloud.

'I am so sick of prats.' I glared at him and turned away towards the sorting.

The other prat,-'oh great!'-two other boys, and then three girls were all sorted into Gryffindor after me. Then the Professor finally called out the name I wanted to hear,

"Snape, Severus." I watched him, unsure what to want. Sure I wanted him with me but he wanted to be in Slytherin…I didn't know what to think so I just watched as he walked up and sat on the stool. It took him even less time than it had for me. Almost immediately the hat shouted out,

"SLYTHERIN!" He grinned triumphantly, but glanced at me as he walked the other way to the table on the far side of the room. We exchanged a glance, both of us had really no expression in particular, my feelings were mixed and I think his were too.

Then the tall, white bearded man, with ½ moon spectacles who sat in the middle chair on the teachers table, stood up. In my head I added kind and regal to the description of him, his eyes had a quality that made me know that they were always twinkling.

He smiled out at us and I couldn't help but smile back. "Welcome first years and welcome back everyone else!" 'He has a nice voice too.' I added to my lists of pros-all I had, at the moment at least. "I have a few things to say before we all become befuddled by this excellent feast."

'He talks too much.' I grumbled in my head, 'But has a nice vocabulary. Like me!' I grinned to myself and started to try and pay attention.

It did not however help that the two prats from before were still whispering. I kicked one of them-the one with longer hair-under the table. He stopped and blinked looking around him, then he caught my eye and grinned at me. I quickly classified him as a moron, as well as mean and annoying from my observations from in the train.

I pointed to him then pointed to the teacher and turned my back to him. After a surprisingly-thank god stomach rumbles-short speech I learned the following:

1. His-the teachers-name was Professor Dumbledore

2. He was the headmaster

3. I liked him so far

4. I loathed those two prats

5. The prats vocabulary's sucked

……and something else……..oh! and,

6. No magic in the halls

7. No magic toys in the halls

8. No going into the Forbidden Forest well seriously, duh!