Foundations

Author's Notes: This chapter's a little longer by my usual standards, but it gets a lot of stuff out of the way. I hope everyone is enjoying this so far. I'd appreciate feedback, even if it's a quick "Please post again soon!"

Four

Lily was torn between being absolutely terrified and dreadfully excited. Even after Sev had told her about magic three years ago, she had never really believed that she was a witch too. She had almost burst of happiness when her Hogwarts letter had arrived on her eleventh birthday in April.

But now she was actually here. There was a giant of a man calling himself Hagrid leading them away from the train. It was a clear night, the stars twinkling overhead, and Lily could feel the excitement bubbling up even more as they followed a twisting path through the darkness to the edge of a large lake. She climbed into one of the little boats with Sev and the other two boys from the train compartment.

The boats were taking them to a castle where she would get to learn all about magic. It loomed ahead of them in the darkness, windows glinting brightly against the night. Her voice had gotten stuck somewhere in her throat, but she didn't think she'd be able to find words to describe what she was feeling anyway, so she just squeezed Sev's hand tighter.

Together, they'd pored through his mother's copy of Hogwarts, A History, and had learned everything they could about their new home for the next seven years. They'd found a reference to a Sorting Hat, but the book didn't say anything more than it had been left by the Founders and offered no other clue as to how the Sorting actually worked.

The last three weeks had been spent reading through most of their textbooks and talking about which House they hoped to be Sorted into. Lily hoped that she and Sev would end up in the same House. She couldn't quite imagine being separated from the only friend she had here. They had become so close since that day on the playground when he told her about magic.

Even if Petunia had never approved and her parents had always been wary of the little boy with his tattered clothes and dark hair, Lily hadn't let that stop her. She had never cared about where he lived or how much money he had or how he dressed, and even if he had come to Hogwarts and she hadn't, she wouldn't just stop being friends with him.

There seemed to be a million steps they had to climb up to the front entrance of the castle before they were led inside by a stern looking woman who introduced herself as Professor McGonagall, the deputy headmistress. Lily barely heard what she was telling them before she was gone from the small room, leaving the group of eleven-year-olds alone.

"Oh Sev, promise me we'll stay friends even if we're not Housemates?" Lily asked, turning to face Sev. "You're my best friend and it will just be stupid to not be friends any more just because some mangy old hat says we shouldn't be."

Sev hesitated a terrifyingly long moment before he nodded his agreement. She threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. He tensed, but patted her on the back. She knew how much he hated physical contact, so she let go of him quickly, but she just couldn't contain her excitement.

"This year is going to be fantastic," she gushed. Before Sev could reply, the professor had returned and told them to follow her into the Great Hall.

It was indescribable.

Lily, like most of the other first years, couldn't help but stare in awe and amazement. Nothing, not even the description in Hogwarts, A History, could have prepared her for this. It reminded her a little bit of the cathedral they had visited last year in school, except so much better. The ceiling seemed to go on into infinity, filled with all the stars of the night sky scattered above her. Candles were floating above the four long House tables, and colorful banners hung all along the back wall.

Professor McGonagall led them up to the front dais, and the first years spread out across it in a line, ready for inspection from their new schoolmates. Lily thought at first that the professor had cleared her throat, so she turned to pay attention, when she realized it was the hat that had started singing.

She was so amazed that she barely heard a word that it said, and by the time she forced herself to pay enough attention, it was done singing and Professor McGonagall had started giving instructions.

"When I call your name, come forward and place the Hat on your head," the deputy headmistress said as she unfurled a scroll of parchment.

"Able, Christopher!" A gangling boy with blond hair approached the stool, sitting down and letting the Hat drop over his head. Lily held her breath, waiting to see what would happen next.

"Ravenclaw!" the Hat shouted, and the boy removed the Hat, heading towards the cheering table decked out in blue and silver. He was grinning, so however the Hat actually made the decision couldn't be that bad. Lily let out her breath and let the excitement override the nervousness.

"Black, Sirius!" A black-haired boy, shorter than herself, strutted up to the seat with a confident smirk. She thought Professor McGonagall looked disapproving, but since she didn't know the professor yet, she couldn't be sure.

The Slytherins all looked ready to welcome him to their ranks, so Lily assumed he must come from one of those old families Sev had told her about, but she didn't want to get in trouble for talking, so she couldn't ask him.

"Gryffindor!" the Hat bellowed. The boy didn't move from the stool, and no one had started clapping. Lily was sure that Professor McGonagall looked less than pleased now, but she put a hand on the boy's shoulder, and he finally stood up, handing her the Hat and heading towards the red-and-gold table in silence. His swagger was gone, and he kept his eyes fixed straight ahead, a grim look on his face.

"His entire family has always been in Slytherin," Sev whispered to her as Professor McGonagall cleared her throat and continued on to the next student. "They go back generations."

"How do you know?" Lily whispered in return as a blond girl bounced up to the stool.

"Everyone who knows anything about Wizarding families knows that. They're the Blacks, after all," he responded, tone somewhere between exasperation and condescension. It was the tone he always used when telling Lily something he thought was obvious.

Lily didn't get a chance to respond when her own name was called. She gave Sev one last fleeting smile and he squeezed her hand in reassurance before she went forward, stomach fluttering madly.

"Hello, young lady," a voice said in her ear once the Hat was on her head. She couldn't help but squeak a little in surprise. "Ah, no reason to be afraid, my dear. My, you're a clever one, aren't you? A difficult one to Sort, but I've never been wrong before. You belong in GRYFFINDOR!" Lily heard the House name echoing through the Hall when she tugged the Hat off her head.

This time, the red-and-gold table was clapping and cheering loudly, and she made her way to an empty seat near the Black boy who had already been Sorted there and another girl-Alice, Lily thought her name was, who had been two ahead of her on the list.

She had to crane her neck to see Sev still standing with the others on the dais, but she clapped just as loudly when Marcia Higgins became a Gryffindor, and when Lupin was Sorted into Gryffindor, and then Pettigrew a few minutes later. After that, a boy named Potter joined them, and Lily held her breath when Sev's name was called.

He tried to look cool and calm, but Lily could see how nervous he was. The Hat wasn't on his head very long before it shouted out "Slytherin!" Lily couldn't help but feel disappointed that they had been separated, and she got a few dirty looks from some of the older Gryffindors when she clapped for Sev anyway.

After all the rest of the students were Sorted, an old man with a long white beard stood up. Lily had to stifle a giggle at how stereotypical he looked as a wizard with his long robes and pointed hat and crooked nose. He reminded her of Gandalf, from The Hobbit, which had been her favorite book for as long as she could remember. He introduced himself as Professor Dumbledore, the headmaster, and then food appeared on all the tables and Lily let herself be distracted by the feast.

The distraction didn't last long when a ghost appeared out of the center of the table. Lily felt foolish for the way she had squeaked and jumped, tipping over her cup of pumpkin juice.

"My apologies, dear child," the ghost said among laughter from the older students. "My name is Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, resident ghost of Gryffindor House. If ever you are in need of my services, do not hesitate to ask."

"Just call him Nearly-Headless Nick, everyone else does," one of the older boys said, and before Lily could question why, the ghost's head tipped over sideways, hanging on by a scrap of flesh.

"There goes my appetite," Marcia said, pushing away her plate. Lily couldn't help but agree, until a hundred different desserts appeared along the table.

"I don't think I've ever seen this much food all in one place before," she said, taking three different tarts after she saw others doing the same.

There was so much to see, and so much to try, and so many new people to talk to and make friends with that Lily barely even realized when the prefects were leading them off towards Gryffindor Tower with its portrait of the lady in pink and its comfortable looking couches and the four-posted beds with red and gold curtains and view out across the Hogwarts' grounds towards the lake and the Forbidden Forest.

I wish Sev was here, she thought to herself. I know it's barely been an hour or two since we got Sorted, but I miss him. Her new roommates were nice enough, but Sev was her best friend. They'd done practically everything together since they'd met.

Chin up, Lily, she told herself. You heard that hat. Gryffindors are brave. You'll still be able to see him all the time. More than before, probably, now that we'll have classes together. And we can still work together in the library or spend time together outside.

She remembered what her mum and dad had always told her about being brave. It didn't mean not being afraid, but not letting that fear take control. She was scared, being up in this tower without Sev, and she was scared that even though they promised to stay friends, they wouldn't be able to manage. And… she was scared that she wasn't going to be any good at magic and they would send her home.

But she was a Gryffindor now, so she pushed those fears down and focused on all the good things-new friends, new classes, magic; she would do her best to stay friends with Sev, do her best in all her classes so she could stay here at Hogwarts, do her best to be a Gryffindor.

She let that thought buoy her as she drifted off into sleep, excited about what would come next.

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