I know, I'm terrible; it's been ages since I last updated. I hope this chapter is good enough to make up for the (extremely) long wait.
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"Firs' years!" came a call, "Firs' years, this way, please!"
Adras' jumped of the train and fought her way through the suffocating crowd towards the voice. She knew that the boys were a couple of paces behind her; she could sense them, but she didn't bother turning round; what did she want with a bunch of annoying boys*.
"Hey Adras'!" smiled Lily as she pushed through the crowd towards her, "trying to lose the boys?"
"Urgh, yeah! After you'd gone, all they could to about was your friend, Severus, or as they're calling him, Snivillus."
"Typical. I suppose Severus was slightly untactful, maybe they wouldn't have-"
"They would, I was sharing a carriage with them; I know what they're like. Speaking of Severus, where is he? Did you ditch him?"
"Yeah; he wouldn't stop going on about how much of a spoilt brat you were."
The conversation carried on and the two girls were in peals of laughter by the time they reached the man that had called.
"Oh my Wizard God*!" breathed Adras' almost silently, "A half giant, bloomin' 'eck!"
"Woah!" gasped Lily, just as quietly, and Hagrid didn't manage to pick up what either had said.
"Right!" he called, "Follow me!"
The whole group gasped in admiration as they caught sight of the castle. Its glittering windows reflected of the lake, its massive turrets rose into the sky and framed the moon. It hung in the edge of the cliff and overlooked the lake and a river, its stone walls blending in beautifully. It was massive and intimidating, but, at the same time, beautiful and awe-inspiring.
"No more than four to a boat!" shouted Hagrid and it was only then that the 11 year olds noticed the line of wooden rowing boats.
"Wanna go with me?" whispered Adras' to Lily, who just nodded, to awestruck to speak.
The two girls clambered in, closely followed by Severus (much to Adras annoyance) and another boy with a sprinkling of freckles, short coppery hair and a sickly complexion.
"Everyone in?" called Hagrid, who was so vast that he had to have a boat to himself. "Right!" he grinned, "FORWARD!"
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The first years huddled together in a small room as a sharp eyed woman glared down at them all, "Welcome to Hogwarts," she said, "I am professor McGonagall. The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.
"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honour. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours. The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."
She glanced round at the group, her eyes lingering on James' hair and Peter's cloak, which had an odd bulge where one of the pockets was located.
"I will return when we are ready," she gave one last glance at the group before leaving the room.
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A few minutes late, much of which had been spent speculating how they were going to be sorted (some ideas had been a bit, well, there was one idea that they would be trying to ward of a vampire and a werewolf – it was, after all, full moon), the door swing open and Professor McGonagall returned.
"We are ready to receive you," she said shortly before leading the frightened group to a set of double doors. She gave a quick glance behind her before opening the doors in one, swooping motion.
The first years breathed in, in unison, and stared. The room was massive, and four long tables dominated it for the most part, each filled with students with different coloured ties for each table, with one more table at the top for the teachers. Candles floated in midair, giving light to the room, and fire crackled merrily in a series of fires along the wall. The ceiling, if you could look up that far, just wasn't there, the sky shined down at them, and you could clearly see a milky streak across, showing part of the Milky Way. Constellations and Nebulas, namely Orion and it's Flame Nebula, could be seen shining almost merrily, if that were possible, at the new students who found themselves, once again, awestruck.
Professor McGonagall placed an old four-legged-stool in front of the group and placed on it a small, battered, frayed and dirty hat.
The whole room waited in silence until...
The hat twitched. The first years widened their eyes. A rip near the brim opened. The first years shrank back. And then the hat began to sing.
"I may not look that special,
But there's more beneath these frays,
Than just a worn out lining,
Though I've been here many days.
I've stayed through hard and happy,
I've sorted good and bad.
And though the latter may threaten us,
It need not make us sad.
It's a time for joining
For we all must come as one
It's time to leave the past behind us
And let good deeds be done.
It's time that we respect
The qualities of each group,
As a war had just begun
And you are the next troop.
The Gryffindors sit to my left,
The bold and brave at heart,
And next to them, the Hufflepuffs,
The loyal from the start.
The Ravenclaws are to my right,
Always willing to learn,
The Slytherins, beside them yet,
The title 'Cunning' they did earn.
So it's time we stick together
To fight through thick and thin.
Darkness may be crawling to us
But we will not give in.
I'll sort you to your houses,
But you must do the rest.
We'll triumph if we stick together
For life's final test."
The hat bowed to each of the tables, and then finally at the first years before becoming quite still as the room, apart from the first years who were all in a bit of a daze, clapped half-heartedly. They all new why the hat had chosen that song, and it sent a chill through their spines; to think that they, school children, might have to face up to You-Know-Who was a terrifying though, and all banished from their mind as swiftly as possible.
Professor McGonagall waited for the noise to quite down before producing a scroll, and she began to call names.
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"Black, Sirius."
Sirius shot a lopsided grin at his male travelling companions before walking swiftly up to the stool, catching Trixie and Cissie watching him avidly. He slipped onto the stool and felt McGonagall put the hat on his head.
Hmm, interesting mind,came a voice, very cunning, loyal, smart and brave. But I do think we can remove Slytherin.
Sirius let out a breath he hadn't know he'd been holding. Thank Wizard God!he thought.
Hmm, you're a tricky one. But I think, maybe... "GRYFFINDOR!"
A hush fell over the room as Sirius slid off the stool and headed to his fellow Gryffindors. Pretty soon, though, the house broke out into deafening clapping and shouts of "WE GOT BLACK!" made more to annoy the Slytherins than anything else.
Gradually, though, the room fell into silence again, until...
"Shut your mouth, Trixie," grinned Sirius, "you look like a goldfish!"
It took McGonagall a few minutes to quite down the raucous laughter from three of the tables before, straightening her hat, she returned to the names.
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Name after name was called until,
"Evans, Lily."
The redhead climbed towards the stool nervously and felt the hat being put on her head.
Ah, very nice and easy mind, so rare to find one so decisive!
Lily mentally yelped, You're talking in my head!
Yes, dear, I most certainly am, anyway, "GRYFFINDOR!"
Lily smiled, 'brave at heart', it sounded like a good house to be in.
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"Lupin, Remus."
Remus hurried onto the stool and felt the hat go onto his head.
Well, well, well, a werewolf. Remus gulped. I wasn't expecting this, it would be nice if Dumbledore were to tell me some- the hat cut itself off, realising quite suddenly what it was doing, I'm sorry, it thought, I don't mean to be rude. Anyway, hmm, thinking about it, your best suited house, hmm, very eager to learn but, then again, very brave, well, I think, it's a hard one, but... hrm, "GRYFFINDOR!"
Remus sighed with relief.
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"Pettigrew, Peter."
Peter gripped the chair nervously,
Hmm, tricky, very complicated, not fiercely loyal, not cunning either. I don't detect any real want to learn, but, hmm, yes, there is some braveness in there. I think, with the right company, that could come to arms. Well, that settles it, "GRYFFINDOR!"
Peter jumped in surprise; not Hufflepuff? He got up hesitantly, half expecting to be called back and told the hat had made a terrible mistake. He wasn't though and soon joined a group of cheering Gryffindors.
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"Penna, Adrasteia."
The room was silently as the girl walked forwards, chin held high.
"That's the Greek student...?"
"Poor girl, after what happened..."
"I don't know how people could be that cruel..."
Adras' did her best to ignore the comments as the hat was dropped over her eyes.
Aha! The Greek student! came a joyful voice, I've been looking forward to this! I knew you'd be surprising, no want for revenge in there at all, you're cunning though, I'll give you that, but I don't think your heart is exactly set on Slytherin. And you're fiercely loyal, I get the impression that you'd give your life for whoever you care about, not your mane quality though so, no, I don't think so. There's a thirst too, oh definitely, you want to show people that there's more to you than meets the eye, well, dear, you've already shown that to me. No, I think your leading quality would be your braveness. Well, I think I've decided: "GRYFFINDOR!"
Cheers filled the room, though the other tables were evidently disappointed by the fact that they didn't have the survivor of the Witch Purges sat beside them. But the Gryffindors were ecstatic and Adras' got a lot of people shaking her hand, pretty soon, though, she waved them off and plonked herself down beside Lily who was really happy to have her new found friend with her.
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"Potter, James."
James sauntered up onto the stool and felt the hat on his head.
Ah, a cocky one, oh the fun that's going to be had over the next five or seven years, always trouble makers, you lot. Anyway, try not to get caught, it ruins the moral. "GRYFFINDOR!"
James jumped off the stool, still slightly shocked, had he just been told to rulebreak by a hat?
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"Snape, Severus."
Please put me with Lily! he thought had as the hat slipped over his eyes.
Ah, I'm afraid that that's not where you destined, my boy. At could you have at least washed your hair before you put me on? Ah, I'm sorry, I'm being rude; please take no notice of an old hat's ramblings. Anyway, where was I? Ah yes, you are brave, I will give you that, but your true house, though I hate to split up sweet little couples, is "SLYTHERIN!"
Snape hurried to his table, a sad hole in the pit of his stomach.
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Me: Well, that was longer than I expected to write. It's 11pm and I really should be in bed.
Lupin: Well, get to bed then.
Me: Aw, shut up, spoilsport.
James: Why are you writing this late?
Me: Because I watched Dr Who and it gave me a flash of inspiration that I didn't want to let pass.
James: Oh, shame, I wanted daring, action and pranking!
Adras': Well you're obviously not gonna get it, so leave her alone, for Wizard God's* sake. Or I'm gonna shove a whole pack of Redvines down your throught!*
James: I'm talking to the girl who was nearly in Hufflepuff...
Me: (helpfully – not) What the HELL'S a Hufflepuff?*
Remus: And what's wrong with them, they're excellent FINDERS after all.*
Sirius: I'm surrounded by weirdoes.
Me: (Innocently) Maybe next year you'll be able to go to Pigfarts.*
Sirius: I can't go to Pigfarts, It's on Mars!*
Me: Now who's wierd?
* (in order, though all but the first one are of the same thing)
1) I have nothing against boys, but Adras' is eleven.
2-end) I'm sorry, I'm suffering from an obsession with A Very Potter Musical and A Very Potter Sequel at the moment, these all have something to do with it, or are quotes. You ought to watch them, they're totally awesome*! :)
I hope you liked the Hat's song, it's more of a poem, but I find them easier. Well, R&R please, until next time, where I will be introducing the Scalf of Sexual Preference* (oj)