YAY. Finally got my computer started after it crashed. Now's my holiday so i thought I'd give you all the next chapter the one we've all been waiting for ... The Sorting!!

"Oy, you there! Is this your toad?" asked Hagrid who was checking the boats as the first years scrambled out of the boats.

"Trevor!" cried a blissful Neville, holding out his hands. The followed Hagrid with the light of Hagrid's lamp leading them towards the castle. They walked up a flight of masonary steps and crowded behind Hagrid. "Everyone here? Still got yer toad?" When Neville nodded the affirmative, Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and on the castle door.
The door swung open revealing a woman with an uptight bun and a stern look on her face dressed in emerald-green robes.
"The firs' years, Proffessor McGonagall." said Hagrid.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here." The entrance hall was gigantic. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches and the ceiling was high so very high. A magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the uppper floors. They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Lily could hear the voices of hundreds from a doorway to the right. The rest of the school must already be here thought Lily. Professor McGonagall showed the first years into an empty chamber off the hall.
They all crowded in, standing rather closer together than they usually have done, peering about nervously.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said 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." Her gaze lingered for a moment on Neville's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear. Lily nervously squeeze Draco's hand. "I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall, "Please wait quietly."

Lily knew all about the Sorting Hat, but she still couldn't help feeling nervous. What if it judged her unfit for any of the four houses? Or decided that she wasn't magical at all? The feeling deepened. Draco saw the look on her face and gave her hand a gentle squeeze of assurance. Lily looked beside her and gave a small shy smile which Draco returned with a smirk and nod.

Suddenly, something happened which made her jump about a foot in the air – several people behind her screamed. "What the -?" She gasped. So did the people around her. About twenty ghosts had just streamed through the back wall. Though Lily knew about the Hogwarts ghosts, she wasn't prepared for this.

"New students!" said the Fat Friar, smiling at them. "About to be Sorted, I suppose?" A few people nodded mutely. "Hope to see you in Hufflepuff! My old house, you know."

"Move along now," said a voice. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start." Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall.

"Now form a line," Professor McGonagall told the first years, "and follow me."

Feeling oddly as though her legs had turned to lead, Lily got into line behind Hermione. Draco was behind her, and Neville infront of Hermione. They walked out of the chamber, back across the hall and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.

Lily had never even imagined such a strange and splendid place. It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles, which were floating in mid-air over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets.

At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting, Lily noted Professor Snape was among them and gave him a small wave which he returned with a curt nod. Professor McGonagall led the first years up here, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty silver. Mainly to avoid all the staring eyes, Lily looked above and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars.

She heard Hermione whisper to her, "It's bewitched to look like the sky outside, I read about it in Hogwarts, a History." Lily quietly thanked her for the information and looked back up.

She quickly looked down again as Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched, frayed and extremely dirty. If Aunt Petunia was here she would berate the Professors for letting it get so dirty.

For a few seconds, there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip in the brim opened wide like a mouth – and the hat began to sing:

Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,

But don't judge on what you see,

I'll eat myself if you can find

A smarter hat than me.

You can keep your bowlers black,

Your top hats sleek and tall,

For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat

And I can cap them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head

The Sorting Hat can't see,

So try me on and I will tell you

Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor,

Where dwell the brave at heart,

Their daring, nerve, and chivalry

Set Gryffindors apart;

You might belong in Hufflepuff,

Where they are just and loyal,

Those patient Hufflepuffs are true

And unafraid of toil;

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,

if you've a ready mind,

Where those of wit and learning,

Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in Slytherin

You'll make your real friends,

Those cunning folk use any means

To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!

And don't get in a flap!

You're in safe hands (though I have none)

For I'm a Thinking Cap!"

The whole hall burst into applause as it finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables before becoming still again.

The hat seemed to be asking for alot. Lily didn't particularly feel brave or quick witted or clever at the moment.

Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said.

"Abbot, Hannah!"

A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of the line, put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down.

A moments pause went before the hat shouted out " HUFFLEPUFF!"

The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table. Lily saw the Fat Friar waving merrily at her.

Lily tuned out the noise and hummed in her head waiting for the turn of one of her friends or herself.

"Granger, Hermione!" got Lily out of her daze and watched as Hermione ran to the stool and jammed the hat eagerly on her head.

"GRYFFINDOR!" was what the hat roared. Lily gave a small smile to Hermione which she returned happily.

A horrible thought struck Lily. What is she wasn't chosen to be in a house at all? What if she just sat there with the hat over her eyes for ages, until Professor McGonagall jerked it off her head and said there had obviously been a mistake and she better get back to the Dursleys?

She applauded happily as Neville was sorted into Gryffindor.

It wasn't long before Draco's name was called. He swaggered forward and got his wish at once. The hat had barely touched his head when it screamed, "SLYTHERIN!"

Draco went to join the Slytherin table. And like that she was left all alone her three friends had already been sorted and now she was having doubts on whether or not she belonged here.

There weren't many people left now. "Moon"..., "Nott".., "Parkinson".., then a pair of twin girls one went off to Ravenclaw another to Gryffindor and then "Perks, Sally-Anne." finallly she called "Potter, Lily!"

As Lily stepped forward, whispers broke out like little hissing fires all over the hall.

"Potter, did she say?"

"The Lily Potter?"

The last thing she saw before the hat dropped over her eyes was the hall full of people craning their necks to get a good look at her. The next second, she was looking at the black inside of the hat. She waited nervously.

"Hmm, Difficult. Very difficult." said a small voice in her ear.

"Plenty of courage, I see. Such a brilliant mind. There's talent, A my goodness, yes - a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that's interesting... So where shall I put you?"

"I don't mind either Slytherin or Gryffindor. Honestly, thats where my friends went too."

"Ah yes. The Granger girl, Longbottom and Malfoy i presume?" I said yes and he replied.

"Well you shall do well in either houses. So I believe its up to you."

" I want to go to ....."

Hahas! cliffhanger! I don't know which to put her in shall she go to Gryffindor or Slytherin? its in your hands!