Disclaimer: Don't own; don't sue.
A/N: So, once again unedited, simply because I don't have the time or patience, here's the next chapter I had typed. Some Mary-Sue-ish actions I would regularly deem cliche, I find less cliche considering the time setting, and the general world order in the new millennium.
Chapter Four
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Lily plugged into her iPod - a muggle device she was glad now worked at Hogwarts - to calm her nerves. After listening to The Feeling's "Sewn," she felt much better - read to "shake that ass and misbehave." At that thought, she let out a little snort/giggle earned her a strange look from the first year next to her.
The first years had been ushered away from the rest of the students, as Lily knew they would, and had been told to wait while the others made their way to the Great Hall in the castle.
"Lily - put that away." Hugo poked the hand with the iPod in it, and Lily casually wrapped it up with her headphones and tucked the little bundle in a side pocket of her robes.
"Are you excited?" she asked Hugo, bouncing on her heels. "I mean, you should be more excited than me, but maybe you shouldn't, I guess I can't speak for you--" Lily's line of babble was cut off by an airy voice floating above the crowd.
"First years - please come to the dock, we've got to board the boats. And please be careful with the life vests, we may have a family of gnargles." Luna Lovegood's breathy command was quickly followed. Luna was a friend of the extended Weasley family, yet they were the most stunned when she gained international recognition just ten years out of school when she discovered and researched the Blibbering Humdinger. It was at her awards ceremony when her father, Xenophilius Lovegood, was struck down by a heart attack and died.
Luna was a tall, wispy woman, with pale blonde hair and very large, clear blue eyes - much like water. She had a taste for the eccentric, and always managed to sneak in a touch of her own strange personal style - today it was a bright blue zigzag ribbon trim on the sleeves and bottom of her robes - and the silver shoes.
"Hurry up, hurry up." she called, absently, giving a little wave to Hugo and Lily. She was the Head of Ravenclaw and the Care of Magical Creatures professor. The old professor, Hagrid, another good friend of the extended Weasley family, had to leave a few years before due to his engagements with Madame Maxime - the headmistress of Beauxbatons, the French magic school. He had wanted to stay on longer, but Headmistress McGonagall absolutely refused. The Potters couldn't tell if it was because she wanted Hagrid happy, or because she wanted her students to graduate in one piece.
Lily dutifully checked her life vest for gnargles, then climbed into one of the little boats with Hugo. Then the miniature fleet of first years set sail - moving across the great black lake with bird-like ease.
"It is beautiful." Lily breathed, gazing up at the castle, and around at the twinkling lights on the lake.
"This lake is entirely man made, did you know that? Well, wizard made. Rowena Ravenclaw and Godric Gryffindor created it to serve as an aquifer for their school when they first established Hogwarts." Hugo said, patting his robes to make sure that his book hadn't fallen out.
"If you aren't in Ravenclaw, I'll be surprised." Lily said, wryly. No matter how much she wanted him to be happy, she couldn't help but think how alone she'd feel without him.
"I won't." stated Hugo, though Lily wasn't sure if he even knew what she was talking about, he seemed so immersed in the trivia professor Lovegood was spewing out from the boat behind theirs.
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"Please form a line in alphabetical order." Professor Lovegood instructed them, as they amassed in the Entrance Hall.
Lily arranged herself between Archer Pentrough and Annie Quinn. Noticing the strange looks they gave her, she smiled uncertainly.
"Er... is it true that your dad's Harry Potter?" a boy a few spots ahead of Lily in the line asked, looking incredulous.
"Oh... yeah." she realized what all of the stares were about, and immediately felt awkward.
"Did he really die and come back to life?" Annie asked, her eyes wide with amazement.
"Well... kind of, I suppose." Lily answered, but before"Well... kind of, I suppose." Lily answered, but before they could mob her with more questions, she raised her voice the slightest bit. "Please: My dad's past is his - not mine. If you want to ask him, ask him yourself. I'm here to make my own friends, not start a fan club for my dad." she emphasized the word and made a little gagging face. A few people gave her smiles, or laughed, and a few more looked sheepish.
Archer turned around. He was a fit looking boy, looking like he was also on the upper end of the age level, and he had a nice smile. His hair was grown out and shaggy, reminding Lily of the guys she saw on muggle television. His eyes matched hers: brown.
"Lily, right?" he asked, holding out a hand.
"Yep." she grinned. "And you're Archer, I remember."
"Yeah. Look - if you want, I was thinking --"
"Quiet down now, we're going into the Great Hall." Professor Lovegood ordered as the great double doors opened and the first years were bathed in the warm glow of floating candlelight.
"Wow." Lily whispered, breathless for the second time that night.
She noticed out of the corner of her eye that Archer was giving her a strange look. He opened his mouth, and then apparently thought better of it and closed his mouth. Lily let a small proud smile creep onto her lips.
Professor Lovegood took a weathered old stool and placed it right in front of the high table, holding in her hand a scroll of parchment and a wrinkled and old patched hat. She placed the hat gently on the stool and everyone gave it their uptmost attention as it opened its mouth-like brim and began to sing.
"Welcome back, with joy and cheer
To celebrate another year
With open brim I sort you gladly
Even those who behave badly
A few for each the houses four
Perhaps, then, a few students more
You'll listen to my sorting song
So hush and I won't take too long
For those of you with burning pride
And scalding wit to pierce the hide
Your strengths you've not yet learned to know
But Slytherin, it's there you'll go.
To students who cannot pretend
The always honest, moral friend
Making friends while staying true
Tis Hufflepuff the place for you
And Gryffindor will suit the most
For those who do try not to boast
But work instead for a stronger good
Both noble and brave, like Robin Hood
And last to those with open mind
It's Ravenclaw the house you'll find
The knowledge you'll gather here you'll see
Will reap in benefits indeed
And now my song comes to and end
I leave at last a dying trend
To make in each other house: a friend
And house relationships will mend
So as my sorting song does close
Upon your head my wisdom goes
And last I'll leave you with this tip:
codwall, fungi, sassune dip!"
There was a round of applause for the hat's song as Professor Lovegood unrolled the scroll.
"Aarons, Gabriella," she called, and a young girl who must have just turned eleven, stepped up nervously to the stool. Luna smiled at her as she placed the hat on her head.
"HUFFLEPUFF!" the hat bellowed, and a table to Lily's right roared, waving yellow banners, rejoicing in having the first student of the year.
Once she understood how it worked, Lily tuned out the rest of the sorting, until it got to "Owens, Libelle," who was sorted into Ravenclaw.
"Pentrough, Archer," Luna read, and Archer gave Lily a last nervous and reckless smile before walking up to the stool. After a few second the hat gave a twitch before calling out "GRYFFINDOR!" Lily wanted to clap, but she was too nervous.
"Potter, Lily," Luna beamed at her friend's daughter as she placed the sorting hat on Lily's head.
Lily swallowed.
"Ah, another Potter," The sorting hat spoke, quietly, but peacefully, "Your family seems to do quite well here. You may not want to be with them NOW, but deep down you love them more than you may ever love another. You do share much with your parents. Naturally you'd fit in anywhere, but you know where you belong. "
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Lily let out her breath and beamed as she took off the hat, and walked confidently to the Gryffindor table, where her brothers and Rose were all cheering for her. She squeezed between Archer and James, while James tugged her hair - "For good luck!" he insisted. Lily glared at him, but couldn't stay mad for long, she was too relieved.
Rose shushed them as the next girl went up to the stool. "Hugo's up soon!" she whispered, anxiously.
"Calm down, Rose," James said, trying to sound reassuring.
"Shh!" she ordered.
The Potters exchanged silent looks, but kept silent, except to cheer for "Roland, Quirren," "Sant, Melinda," and "Thompson, Jaelle."
"Weasley, Hugo." Luna called, and a surprisingly calm looking Hugo walked up to the stool.
Rose grabbed Lily's hand, nervously.
"Rose..." Lily said, under her breath, "Rose, you're hurting me."
"Oh," Rose let go, blushing but not looking away from Hugo.
The hat seemed to be making a very difficult desicsion. There was silence in the hall. Lily supposed that the Weasley's were quite
famous as well. "RAVENCLAW!" the hat shouted.
Rose let out a breath, and - surprisingly - almost all of the Gryffindor table was applauding with the Ravenclaws.
"Are you alright?" Lily asked Rose, quietly, while Hugo joined the Ravenclaw table.
"Yes," Rose sighed. "It's just... you know... he's my brother," she shrugged, helplessly. "But I'm glad he's happy," she smiled, sadly.
"Lily?" Archer tugged at her sleeve.
"Hm?" she turned from Rose, and found herself face to face with him.
"Well, I heard some of the older students talking on the train... I was going to ask if --"
"Hold that thought." Lily smiled apollegetically, pointing at the Headmistress, who was attempting to get the students' attention.
Professor McGonagall cleared her throat, loudly. Soon silence fell in the hall.
"Welcome back to Hogwarts. It is once again a joy to have back our older students and welcome the new. I have a few announcements before we begin our feast. First, for new students, and some older students, I'd like to remind you that the Forbidden Forest is just that - forbidden - to all students unless you are accompanied by an adult staff member."
James poked his friend Arran Samuels and snickered.
"For all of you: the first dance of the year will be held this Friday night in the Great Hall. Attendance is not required, but if you are not at the dance there will be regular curfew. Also, as a reminder, no magic is to be used outside of class.
"Lastly, I'd like to remind students that quidditch tryouts will be held all of this weekend and next week. In your common rooms are lists for which positions are needed and what day the tryouts will be held.
"Now, If you will-" she waved her hand and the tables filled with the succulent feast.
Lily turned to Archer, who was already devouring a roastyed chicken leg. "Er... what did you want to say?" she asked, looking amused.
"Oh." Archer swallowed and wiped his mouth across the back of his sleeve. "I just wanted to ask if you'd like to come to the dance with me. So... do you?" he asked, hopefully.
Lily shrugged. "I guess... I'll think about it. It's not like we really know much about each other yet, anyway." she smiled, and he smiled back.
"That makes sense." he agreed, "I just wondered if you wanted to go - you know - as friends." He clarified, helping himself to a roll.
"Oh, sure." Lily nodded, grabbing the spoon of a large casserole and dishing some onto her plate.
The feast was fantastic - Lily had never seen so much food in the same place. And she was even happier when supper was replaced with dessert.
"You'll like the ice cream," Rose passed her a dish with a large block of ice cream upon it, "They've got everything."
"Lil, I've got to give you something when we get back to the common room," James told her, quietly, "You'll love it - fantastically useful."
"What is it?" aksked Lily, intrigued.
"Let's just say it's a gift from Uncle Geroge."
Lily's face lit up. Uncle Geroge - her favorite uncle - owned Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, a joke shop in Diagon Alley and now Hogsmeade as well, and was always good for a laugh. She couldn't wait to get something from Uncle Geroge.
A/N: Review thanks
Lisa
Oh, come on! Only one new review? I may not be able to bring myself to type up any more of the 70 pages I have left, if there isn't a welcoming audience.... just a warning...