A/N: Sorry this took so long. I had a lot of school work and I was reading to AMAZING books that i just had to finish. I know that's not an excuse but...
Disclaimer: I wish I was J.K. Rowling...
I always liked to look at faces, but especially the mouth. The way the lips gently curve upwards as they form a smile. The way they swiftly change to an 'O'when they are surprised. But my one all time favorite thing is the way the mouth opens, wide and huge, to let out one of the most beautiful sounds of all time; a laugh.
I can honestly say that laughter is my favorite sound in the world. I just find it amazing the way that one person can have the laugh of an angel, the tinkling of bells or the pitter-patter of the rain, while another person could have the laugh of a dog, strong and harsh but hilarious all the same. My parents tell me that I laughed my way through my whole life even when I was little. One of my favorite things to do is crack or joke or pull a prank and watch the laughter spill out of someone's mouth.
So when I walk into the great hall on September 1st, the first day of Hogwarts, I am a little disappointed to see the laughter die away to give attention to the big, black, worn out hat sitting on the stool in the front.
Sirius nudges me in the arm. "James, Belletrix says the hat is going to sing before it sorts us." He gazes intently at the hat and then, out of nowhere it bursts into song.
My eyes drift over to Lily. She is standing next to a greasy looking boy who looks like he hasn't taken a bath in weeks. I am instantly jealous of this boy. What does this boy have that I don't?
"Hey Sirius" I say, leaning over to whisper in his ear. "Do you know that boy? The one-" I point, under my robes at the boy standing next to Lily "-over there"
Sirius follows the point of my finger until he sees what I'm pointing at. He laughs "That Severus Snape. Or as I like to call him, Snivillus"
I laugh at Sirius' comment but I feel bad. The boy can't be that bad if Lily likes him. But then again, he doesn't look like he deserves to even talk to her. It's probably pity, I tell my self. That's why she's talking to him. The weight on my conscious is lifted.
"Has he ever heard of the term 'bath'?" I ask Sirius.
"It doesn't look like it," he laughs quietly under his breath. "It doesn't smell like he's ever hears of deodorant either." Sirius holds his nose between two of his fingers and makes the most hilarious face I've ever seen. It takes all my concentration to keep myself standing up strait.
"Arrot, Nora" said a stiff, strict looking lady who had earlier introduced herself as Professor McGonagall.
A short little girl with blonde ringlets timidly comes up and looks at the hat curiously. She obviously has no idea what she's doing. I feel a pang of sympathy for her as she falls flat on her face as she climbs up the steps to the stool but it vanishes as I hear the sound of laughter ringing through the halls and this gives me an idea.
If my idea works, there will be laughter ringing through halls again.
"HUFFLEPUFF" the hat screams and the little girl carefully takes the hat off her head and bounds toward the claps and screams coming from the Hufflepuff table.
After another Hufflepuff, a Ravenclaw, and two Slytherins, McGonagall belts out another name. "Black, Sirius." She says stiffly. I give Sirius the thumbs up sign but he pretends he doesn't need it. I say pretends because even though saunters over to the stool where the hat sits I can still see the fear in his eyes. I cross my fingers. I want Sirius to me in Gryffindor with me.
The hat takes a long time to think. The fear in Sirius' eyes has slowly infected the rest of his body. He is trembling slightly as the hat yells out the first Gryffindor of the night. Sirius quickly regains his composure and strolls off the stage, a smile playing at his lips.
I let my mind wander until McGonagall gets to 'E' and Lily Evans, as opposed to Sirius, walks terrified on to the stage. It looks as though she is trying to take up the least amount of space possible, only touching the tips of her toes down on the floor. She perches on the end of the stool and puts the hat over her head, letting it slip over her eyes.
It doesn't take nearly as long as it did with Sirius. "Gryffindor" the hat belts out. I thought, as I watched the girl I loved slip the hat over head and put it back on the stool, see jubilance spread across her face. Instead is a look of pure sadness is written across her features. She looks out into the crowd of unsorted kids and asks, silently, for forgiveness from Snivillus. The boy, clearly tortured by the fact that Lily got sorted in Gryffindor, put on a sympathetic face telling Lily that it was not her fault she was sorted there. Lily walked glumly off the stage.
I mostly didn't listen to the names after that. I noticed a few people sorted into Gryffindor like "Lupin, Remus" and "Gold, Mary" but mostly I worked out my plan. I planned my wording and my steps.
Finally, "Pettigrew, Peter" was sorted into Gryffindor and it was m turn to go up. I marched up the steps and stood right in front of McGonagall. "Professor McGonagall" I say and get down on one knee "will you marry me?"
The horrified look on Professor McGonagall's face would have been enough of a reward for the prank I just pulled. I was rewarded even more though as I heard laughter ripple through the great hall, bouncing off the walls.
"James Potter, if you do not sit on that stool right this minute you will be expelled from Hogwarts before you even begin." I turn around and face the crowd, grinning from ear to ear, and sit down on the stool. I pull the hat over my head and let it fall over my eyes
A voice, quite and soft, seems to be whispering in my ear. "I don't think I could've gone up there and done that. In fact, it seems that you like to be in the spotlight a lot. There's a lot of potential here. Bravery. Strength. Loyalty. Oh, and you would like Gryffindor, I see that too. Not only is your potential best friend there but the girl you love too. Don't be so surprised boy, I know exactly what you feel and think. Potter. Hmmm... got to keep the family tradition going. And I can't keep away your love for that girl and your loyalty to what could be a life long friend. The only logical choice would be- "GRYFFINDOR"
I practically flew off the stage. I was in Gryffindor. With Sirius. With Lily. Lily waved as I walked over to her and Sirius. Sirius was still laughing hysterically at my prank. He gave me a pat on the back and said my stunt was brilliant. After a few moments, we quieted down though. Professor McGonagall began to read off names again.
"Snape, Severus" ambled onto the stage. I glanced over at Lily. She had her eyes closed and her fingers crossed. It only took moments for the hat to call out "SLYTHERIN" and Severus walked off the stage looking slightly glum and slightly jubilant as he walked over to Slytherin table. Lily looked miserable. "But I wanted to be in Slytherin. With him."
"It's a good thing Snivillus isn't in Gryffindor" Sirius said. All I can do is nod. I'm so angry.
Dumbledore stands up as the sorting comes to a close. "I'm sure this will be a great year for all of us, first years, old comers, and teachers a like. It was a little unfortunate though, that the year had to start off so sadly with a refused engagement, James" his blue eyes were twinkling "but your time will come. Now, I hate to leave you all waiting like this so..." He snapped his fingers and delicious, mouth-watering food piled high on the table but I was to angry to eat. Snivillus was telling Lily, sweet and wonderful Lily, that she should be in Slytherin. That she belonged there. With him
And so begins my deep and utter hatred for Severus Snape.
A/N: So... what do you think? Do you like it? Reveiws make my day. Even if you just reveiw to say it's awful it woul mke me very happy if you pressed that button down there!
