Chapter Three

The Sorting, The Feast and Not a Very Nice Treat.

"Well…that journey could have gone smoother." I whispered to Rose as the three of us crept into the Great Hall. Several people turned round in thier seats and glared at me or simply stared with fascination. It was always like this at school though; everyone stared at James and I. We were the, undeserved, celebrities of the school. Whether I liked it or not. It was just one of the "perks" of having a 'saviour of the Wizarding world' as your father and a Quidditch goddess for a mother. Oh the joy...

"I could curse Scorpius's face off for what he did. He's jerk a jerk." Rose hissed back as we sat down at the far end of the Gryffindor table. I waved at Victoire and Jasmine; Victoire looked at me as if to ask where had I been, I mouthed "I'll tell you later". I noticed Amelia and Aphrodite glare at me trying so hard to look threatening but in reality they looked about as menacing as a pumpkin pasty. James glanced at me then back to Sirius frowning slightly but he seemed to get over what ever notion was running through his head and carried on watching the sorting which I was very thankful for because I was not in the mood to deal with whatever James had to say. I gladly sat next to Rose and watched as Professor Bennet read through each First Year's name.

Genevieve Collins, the first Gryffindor and a very pretty blonde girl, blushed crimson as many boys wolf whistled her while she sat down not far from my brother. I noticed her eyeing up Ryan and Louis in a not very subtle manner. Countless names were read out and we clapped for all of them politely. As the name Malfoy was called out I saw all the Potter-Weasley-Delacours go silent as a tall and willowy girl walked up to the sorting hat, her hair was the exact same shade as Scorpius' white blonde mane and she had the same dark grey eyes that stood out against her skin. Unlike others she didn't shake as she walked, in fact she looked mildly bored and above it all. The hat was placed on her head, and matter of moments later the hat proclaimed the word 'Gryffindor'. The room was silent for a second before there was a smattering of applause from us Gryffindors which I guessed was more out of politeness that anything else. A Malfoy in Gryffindor? Cissia Malfoy walked towards the Gryffindor table, throwing a shocked look back at her brother over on the Slytherin table; Scorpius just ignored her and started talking to Azalea Smith. Cissia sat down silently, never looking any of us in the eyes clearly upset by her brother's attitude.

I kind of sympathised with her, she, like James and I, had come to Hogwarts with a famous family, both her and Scorpius were the children of Draco Malfoy and Astoria Greengrass-Malfoy though Scorpius and Cissia had to join Hogwarts with the sigma of having Death Eater family. Lucius Malfoy, their grandfather had been imprisoned in Azkaban after The Final Battle. He'd passed away the year I was born and Narcissia had died from grief not soon after. I saw many people, not just Gryffindors stare at Cissia as she tried very hard not to turn a violent shade of red. Sensing what was going on McGonagall cleared her throat nosily and we all averted our eyes back to the sorting.

Emma Morton went into Slytherin. Anastasia Petal went into Hufflepuff which she seemed happy about. Then, before I knew it, Albus's name was called. As I had expected, the room fell deathly silent yet again just like it had with Cissia Malfoy. You could hear Albus' footsteps echo loudly across the room as he walked up to the sorting hat. He was as ashen as Nearly Headless Nick. James had stopped joking with Ryan and Louis and was staring at Albus, almost daring him to be sorted into Slytherin.

The hat sat on Albus's head for several minutes, everyone kept on gazing at him though. Many of the first years were gazing at him like he was the lead singer of The Hippogriffs (Rose, Molly, Lucy and Minnie's favourite wizarding pop group who actually sucked and weren't half as good as many Muggle bands or composers.) After what seemed a lifetime to me the hat opened it mouth and screamed "Gryffindor!" I sighed, a huge weight lifting of my shoulders. Albus being sorted into Slytherin would have made James's year. Albus stumbled towards the table while James made room for him. I knew that within a week Albus would be a miniature James, he'd walk, talk and hex just like him. Just like my dad. Just like my grandfather. He'd most certainly be a Potter.

Finally Quimby Zola was sorted into Ravenclaw and Professor McGonagall rose out of her chair.

"Welcome. I welcome back our returning students and I say a hearty welcome to Hogwarts to those students starting this year, you are now travelling on a journey into discovering the complex and fascinating world of magic."

"And discovering Aphrodite and Ryan snogging all over the castle" Rose muttered. I snorted loudly causing a few people to glare at me.

"A few simple words before our feast begins" McGonagall said. "By now all of our returning students should know that the Forbidden Forest is called that for a reason and is not to be trespassed in anyway, deliberate or otherwise." At this point she glared at James who raised his hands in mock defeat, there was a smattering of laughter and a few rounds of applauses, I rolled my eyes at Rose who shook her head at her brother Hugo who was cheering loudly. "New students should take heed to this warning, and now let us enjoy our marvellous feast!" McGonagall added as the plates filled up magically with every array of food you could think of. Over the years Hogwarts food had got better and better. Various dishes had been added since I first started so now the four long tables were groaning with dishes from nearly every continent. I ploughed through my favourite dish of a thick vegetable soup and warm bread rolls. I hadn't realised just how hungry I was until all the food was laid out in front of me. I noticed many of the younger students stare at me while I ate, it would have put normal people off their food but I was used to it though is never stopped being annoying I noticed, normal but never pleasant.

"You ask her."

"No. You!"

"No you ask her" Three first years whispered who were sitting near me.

"Fine, I'll ask here" I heard the tallest say, she leant over the table and tapped me on the arm. "Excuse me I'm sorry to bother you while you're eating but-"

"Yes. Yes I am Harry Potter's daughter and no I don't give out autographs." I sighed, repeating the same performance I had to endure every year.

"Oh! No! It's not that! But could I have your autograph…I want to prove to my cousin that I've met you! You wrote that really cool article about House Elf rights in The Quibbler a few months ago didn't you? Well among other things" She said producing the page out of The Quibbler I had appeared in along with Aunt Hermione. "I really wanted to go to the rally on House Elf rights but my Dad wouldn't let me as I was too young, I'm part of S.P.E.W too!" The girl gabbled pointing to her robes, an orange S.P.E.W badge was pinned happily to her collar.

"Oh…well that's cool." I said grinning slightly. It was a nice surprise to be famous for something I've done not what my father or mother have done. I signed the magazine page still grinning.

"I'm Abby Carmichael and it's so cool to have finally met you!" Abby said smiling from ear to ear. "It's so cool that you were there, at the rally. I showed my father after the rally! He says that it shows that there are some decent witches left in the world!"

"Well you're welcome." I said while Rose sniggered. Abby went back to talking to her friends who looked about as happy as she did; all of them were smiling so hard their faces must have killed. The feast carried on and after the puddings were eaten McGonagall rose out her seat again.

"As I said welcome to another year, just to add to my announcements, Quidditch tryouts will be held next Saturday for anyone who wishes to become part of the teams, please contact your Quidditch captains for more information. Now, for some exciting news, as you may know Professor Huckleberry has retired from her post as Defence of the Dark Arts and I am very pleased to inform you that we that we have found an excellent replacement." McGonagall said smiling. This was odd as she never smiled like that. Seriously she never ever smiled like that.

"Wonder who it could be. Huckleberry was a good teacher. We learnt tons with her" Rose whispered to me. "It'll be a shame to not have her as our teacher anymore."

"I dunno but they better be good I've got NEWTS to study for next year." I whispered back while many students glared at me for talking. Sod them, I was talking weather they liked it or not.

"So you're taking them early as well?" Rose asked looking forlorn; I knew she was panicking over sitting in her lessons without me, she'd have to put up with Scorpius and Louis and for that I really pitied her.

"Yeah… Professor McGonagall told me when she was over for Sunday lunch a couple of weeks ago" I whispered while Professor McGonagall carried on talking. I was so proud of myself for passing my OWLS early but I knew I'd miss having lesson with Rose plus I was quite nervous about having lessons with the Sixth Years.

"-many of you may know him from the work he's done over the past years, I'm happy to introduce our new Defence Against The Dark Arts teacher…"

"Let's hope he's nothing like Lockhart" I whispered to Rose, we giggled remembering all of the tales we had heard about the phoney git from Uncle Ron and my father, shockingly Aunt Hermione still wouldn't say a bad word about Lockhart, Ron said that she still had a bit of a crush on him ever after all these years.

"So he's got to be humble and clever then…" Rose giggled.

"Harry Potter" McGonagall said. I wiped my head to McGonagall, so fast that my neck creaked loudly, hoping I had misheard. I hadn't.

"WHAT!" I screamed as the entire hall erupted into furious clapping and cheering, minus the Slytherins who for once felt the same as I did; shocked and quite pissed off. I watched my father come out of a side room, hug Hagrid, Professor Longbottom and McGonagall before sitting on the right hand side of the head's seat. I could see James and Albus nearly faint with happiness and pride. I, on the other hand wanted to run and live in the forest, dangerous creatures or not. I whirled round and stared at Rose who looked just as stocked as I was. One things for sure Dad certainly keep this quiet. If he could keep that quiet then what else could he keep quiet?


"I mean what the hell!" I hissed in the common room that night. Rose and I were sitting in the corner nearest the fire talking about the night events. James was in his element of course, I think the entire school was, it was like Harry Potter would be teaching them Defence Against the Dark Arts! How could they not be excited? Cue the heavy sarcasm... "Why does he have to be here? He is trying to turn my life into some crappy version of a Greek tragedy where I go insane and end up blundering someone to death?" I hissed to Rose pacing up and down the corner we have sat in for the last four years.

"Can it be Aphrodite?" Rose asked. "And can it be highly bloody and macabre?"

"Rose…please…" I sighed throwing myself into a seat.

"Well he's certainly kept it quiet, Mum and Dad never said anything to Hugo and me." Rose said as she propped her feet up by the roaring fire."If that is any consolation…"

"I love it here because I can escape from some of the family! I'm free here! Well sort of… This is so frustrating!" I screamed causing people to look round and glare. Aphrodite looked up and sniggered at me. She nudged Amelia and Dominique who got up smoothed down their skirts and sauntered over to where I was sitting. Oh god what now?

"So…" Aphrodite drawled playing with the My Sweetheart necklace roped round her neck that I would have loved to throttle. "Someone looks discontented." She said giggling.

"That's a big word Aphrodite; did you read a dictionary over the summer?" I asked glaring at her. Who did this girl think she was? According to Aunt Hermione she was just like her mother...giggly and vapid. She and Ryan were destined for each other I think.

"Oh please just cause some of us didn't take our OWLS early, swot, doesn't mean we're stupid." Aphrodite said sneering as Amelia and Dominique tittered. Aphrodite was now whirling her wand around trying to look threatening. It didn't work.

"Wow Aphrodite, I think the first years are more mature than you at this moment in time." I said leaning even further back in my seat and opening The Dark Arts Outsmarted to read for the millionth time.

"Lily, can't you at least try to be nice?For once?" Dominque asked arching her eyebrows at me. I rolled my eyes at her. Could she really expect me to be nice to Aphrodite of all people?

"Shut up Dominique. I do the thinking, plotting and knocking down the peg here not you" Aphrodite snapped at Dominique flicking her hair. Dominique glared at Aphrodite for "cussing" her and started to mutter to herself. I've known Dominique since we were little kids; I have to sadly as she's my cousin. She's always been beautiful; she is like a miniature version of her mother. Though she was more Veela than her siblings Victoire was way prettier than Dominique, Dominique looked very fake due to the fact that she had indeed spent her entire summer in the south of France tanning herself golden brown. Add that to her white blonde hair and she looked like an orange wearing a Scorpius Malfoy wig. Dominique continued muttering glaring which caught the attention of her followers. They cracked their knuckles ready to defend their love from whatever had annoyed her. I still cannot believe she's just as smart as Victoire, it really does shock me, Dominique hides it very very well.

"Problem here ladies- well we can't really count that as a lady" Ryan said bounding up to Aphrodite and pointing at me.

"Little Miss Activist is moaning about Daddy teaching here." Amelia said while Aphrodite practically hovered Ryan's face off. They should come with a weather warning.

"Excuse me," I said getting up and walking off with Rose "There are something's I just don't want to see and that" I pointed at Ryan and Aphrodite's face sucking "is one of them"

"That girl is more annoying than a banshee with PMS." Rose said as we climbed out The Fat Lady's portrait. "I thought living with Hugo is bad but they make him look like a well mannered genius"

"And that is saying something" I muttered.

"Good evening girls. Did you have a good summer?" The Fat Lady asked us.

"Yes, thanks Lady. Violet okay?" I asked smiling. Rose and I got on with the portraits, mainly due to the fact that we were part of the school committee that Victoire started in her third year, we looked after the school grounds and all the paintings. Many of them were very friendly such as The Fat Lady and her friend Violet.

"Yes thank you, slightly worse for wear after entering a drinking contest with the drunken monks." The Fat Lady smiled.

"Hope she feels better soon" Rose said as we walked off. "Anyway back to Aphrodite, banshee or what?"

"Comparing her banshee is much too kind." I said jumping down the trick steps. "I'd say she more like an Acromantula."

"Yeah but I doubt her blood is that valuable." Rose sniggered. This was a private joke as Aphrodite always went on about being pure-blood and was just about as Anti-Muggle-borns and Half-Blood as the Slytherins, probably why she looked down on Rose whose mother was a Muggle born witch, though still smarter than most pure bloods put together.

We walked down the corridors chatting every now and then to the paintings on the walls. The picture of Anne Boleyn sneered at our attire then called out that our skirts were so too short and what did we think we were "common farm girls?"

"Stuck-up witch." I muttered as we crossed the Entrance hall.

"Ignore her; she got into a fight with Morgana over the summer whose hat was more fashionable apparently and they're still not speaking." Rose said giggling.

"I wonder if they ever spoke to Lavender Brown, they'd get on like a house on fire." I said snorting walking past the Gryffindor hourglass. We planned to go and see Hagrid and see what highly dangerous and deadly, but completely cool, creatures he had purchased over the summer. Maybe it was something that would maul Ryan, Aphrodite, my brother…everyone…

"Miss Potter!" I heard a voice call. "Where do you think your going at this time of night? It is past curfew." I groaned as I turned round to see my father and Neville Longbottom coming out the staff-room. There's no escaping the two people that yelled at me more than anyone else in this world. Professor Neville Longbottom was forever having to call me to his office. As my head of house he was in charge of trying to "Set me on the path of righteousness and deciency" according Rose. He can try but I still remember him getting drunk three Christmas's ago and imitating Celestina Warbeck. It was both amusing and creepy. He sounded spot on, plus he had acquired a pair of breasts and a brilliant wig thanks to Uncle Ron's spells. The memory still brings tears of laughter to all us Potter-Weasley-Delacours and also makes it nearly impossible to listen to him yell at me with a straight face.

"Professor…Father…" I said waiting for the ear bashing. "Marvellous evening isn't it? "

"Don't try and change the subject Lily" Neville said in a wary voice. I'd tried doing the whole 'change the subject and hope for the best' plan too many times now I think.

"Good evening Rose." My father said smiling slightly at Rose. He liked Rose, she was smart and well spoken and never stepped a toe out of line. Well he thought so. Rose hardly ever got caught despite her trying because people ever believe that she would do anything remotely seditious. it was a shame no one thought that about me...

"Good evening Uncle Harry." Rose said grinning. My father smiled back then looked at me. Here it comes. Three. Two. One…

"Lily…what are those?" My father asked. I closed my eyes and breathed.

"Pardon father?" I asked putting emphasis on the last word. "What are what?"

"Those things on your feet." My father said nodding at the black Muggle high-top trainers I was wearing instead of regulation shoes. Sardonic git. Considering he was brought up by muggles he had a very narrow mind on muggle fashion. Methinks the Dursley's sent him backwards. I also really hoped that I wasn't going to get the "You are a Potter and therefore in the public eye and that means that you must dress and behave in the right manner" lecture again...for the millionth time...this year.

"They're Shoes." I said. "I'd have thought a great wizard like you would have known what shoes were" I sneered turning on my heels and walking back up the staircase. I knew I was going to get into trouble for that remark but I was past caring.

"Lily! Lily Luna Potter get back here" My father called from the bottom of the staircase.

"Sorry sir I can't hear you!" I called while Rose ran after me snorting with laughter.

"She is worse than you and Ginny combined" I heard Neville say to my father.

"So much for seeing Hagrid." Rose said sniggering as I stormed back into the common room. I was so mad at my father for being here that I didn't care what I said to him. I frowned as I sat back down in the seat I had jumped out of not but half and hour ago. I spotted Aphrodite again who looked like she was about to burst into another tirade, she climbed off Ryan's lap with a vile smirk on her face but was pushed back down by Sirius; he glared at Aphrodite challenging her to get up again.

"What! I'm not going to say anything!" Aphrodite snapped. Sirius said nothing but gave her a patronising look. She huffed and sat back down on Ryan and began fawning over him again. The sight was actually sickening.

"I'm going to bed." I sighed heaving myself up out of my chair. Rose nodded and waved me away. I skirted around James and his minions trying to ignore them all apart from Sirius who smiled ever so slightly. I quickly returned the smile before legging it up the stairs so I could have a moment of peace for once.


It took me a long time to get to bed that night. I tossed and turned until the early hours and was strongly tempted to grab my broom, James' invisibility cloak that he inherited from our father and go flying just for something to do but luck was most definitely not on my side tonight and I knew I'd end up getting caught thanks to some twisted turn of fate. In the end I had to resort to staring at the curtains on my bed until I had to pretend to be asleep when Aphrodite came to bed, not long after she was joined by Amelia and Dominique who both with twittering away about something. I was very tempted to cast a silencing charm on all of them but once again I knew I'd just end up getting caught like always. Guess it was back to curtain staring and praying for sleep.