NEW AND IMPROVED!!!! I re-read this story and it made me cringe it was sooo bad. So I decided to make a few changes and put it back up. So far this is the only chapter I have done this to, but if you see the words 'NEW AND IMPROVED' you will know that it has been fixed up. Oh and I it isn't really new and improved. It's just improved, but whatever.
A/N: Ok, this is my first attempt at fanfiction. I have spent hours reading other peoples and I finally decided to write my own. PLEASE REVIEW!!! I really need motivation to keep writing. Constructive criticism is appreciated, and if someone would be so kind as to tell me what a flame is I might be able to say if I want them or not. I know I am a really bad speller and my verb tense always changes but you can probably understand what I am saying. Well I hope you enjoy my stories!!!
Disclaimer: All the really cool characters belong to J.K Rowling. I own the first years and a few professors.
- *****
Harry Potter: The next Generation
Part One
I walked into the great hall with the rest of the first years. I was so scared. I didn't know why though. All you had to do was put on a hat. At least that is what both my parents and my three older brothers had said. They wouldn't lie. I had heard the funny stories daddy told about how he was afraid that he wouldn't be sorted. That the hat would just not put him anywhere. It seemed funny then but now it made perfect sense. I suppose I was scared because I really wanted to be put into Gryffindor. If it put me in Slytherin I don't know what I'd do. Run away maybe.
My eyes scanned the great hall for my brothers. I found them, Remus and Sirius (the twins), leaning over a piece of parchment and laughing. They were both in the fifth year. They both had brown hair and bright green eyes. Everyone says I look the most like them, but I think I look more like Mum. They may have mum's hair but their faces look more like Daddy. Everyone also says that they act just like their godfathers and namesakes (constantly in trouble). My oldest brother James looks exactly like Daddy, and I mean EXACTLY. If you took a picture of Daddy when he was 20 and a picture of my brother now it would be extremely difficult to tell them apart. They had the same messy jet-black hair that never cooperated. Mum said that was half of what made Daddy cute. James was short for his age and very thin. He had graduated two years ago. In addition to James, Sirius and Remus I have a younger sister, Page. She is only six so it will be several years until she comes to Hogwarts. And now Mum is expecting another one.
"Anderson, Susan" Professor Wintorna called out the first name.
"Hufflepuff"
I caught Remus' eye and he winked, which made me feel better. I wondered what Daddy and Mum were doing right now, and James too. I didn't really know exactly what Daddy did for a living, some sort of spy or something. Whatever he was James was working for him now. Daddy never went into detail of his job except with mum and James. Mum has a very cool job. She is the head of the Accidental Magical Reversal Squad. She is always getting calls out to deflate a person or put all the furniture back on the floor.
"Cooper, Gywnne"
"Ravenclaw"
Oh no, only 13 more letters! I can't take this kind of stress. I looked up to my right to see how my best friend, Samuel Arthur Weasley, was taking the stress. He face was a purplish-reddish-whitish-greenish color. He looked like he might be sick any moment. That didn't comfort be because if he was, it would be all over me. Sam was an only child. His dad, and my mum and my daddy had been best friends at Hogwarts. They had done everything together, including defeat the greatest dark wizard in a long time, Lord Voldemort. Of course it had mostly been daddy but the others had helped. I loved to listen to stories of their adventures. I had been so excited about starting, but now I wish I was anywhere but here.
"Edwards, Lawrence"
The brown haired boy standing on my left went paled than he had been (if that's possible) and went to put the hat on.
"Gryffindor"
I was desperately wishing the time to go slower, but of course when you do that it only seems to go faster. Before I knew it Professor Wintorna was at the P's.
"Pender, Pollyanna."
Oh God I'm next.
"Slytherin"
"Potter, Lily"
The audience had one look at me, a small girl with bushy brown hair pulled back into a ponytail, with bright green eyes, before I disappeared under the hat.
"Let's see… Hummm… Lilly Potter, eh? I remember sorting your parents…Well you've definitely got brains, a lot of courage…lets see, Ravenclaw or Gryffindor?"
Gryffindor, I thought desperately, Gryffindor
"Gryffindor? You sure? Ok then you get GRYFFINDOR!" The hat shouted the last word.
I pulled off the tattered hat and handed it to "Quinn, Erin" (Hufflepuff) and practically ran to the Gryffindor table. I barely heard the cheering and Sirius and Remus yelling "Yeah Lil!" because I was so relieved to be in Gyffindor. I plopped down in an empty seat next to the Lawrence kid. As I waited for Sam's turn to be sorted, I decided to start a conversation with Lawrence.
"Hi my names Lily Potter. What's yours? Aren't you happy to be in Gryffindor? I am, all my family was. I was really scared when I put the hat on because it wanted to put me in Ravenclaw. I suppose that wouldn't be too bad, but my brothers are in this house so its nice to be with them. That's them, down there. Those two laughing and pointing at the Slytherins." I pointed down to the table at my two brother. "What's your name?" I asked again.
"Oh my name… its Lawrence, Lawrence Edwards. I'm the first in my family to attend Hogwarts. Everyone was so surprised when I got my letter. My father actually got angry, but my mother convinced him that it might be good for me." He stopped and looked back at the sorting as "Regina, Florence" become a Ravenclaw. "I have heard about you," he started talking again. "Your father is Harry Potter. And your mother is Hermione Granger."
"Yes they are."
"They are in The Rise and Fall and Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts, you know."
"Yes I do." What did this kid think I am? Stupid? Of course I knew that.
"That must be exciting to, you know, have famous parents. It didn't say they have kids." Lawrence wasn't looking at me he was still watching the sorting.
"Well they do." I was starting to get annoyed.
"Mmm…"
I was saved doing anything drastic to him because just at this moment Remus and Sirius decided to come over. Remus sat in the seat next to me and Sirius took the seat across from Lawrence.
"Now," Sirius began, "now that you are in Gryffindor you have to know certain rules. You better listen to this too." He jerked his head in Lawrence's direction. "First, we hate Slytherins, second we do everything possible to make their lives miserable. Got it? We could use another Potter to help us out, and daddy told us he gave you the invisibility cloak, which makes you very very valuable."
This was true. Yesterday Daddy had taken me aside while I was packing and had given me the cloak. He had told me to "use it wisely".
"But you have the Marauders Map" I pointed out.
"True, and now with you and the cloak we will bring misery to the Slytherins that they haven't felt since daddy left." He looked extremely pleased with himself. "Oh look Sam's a Gryffindor."
"What?" I had been so absorbed in conversation that I hadn't heard Professor Wintorna call Sam's name. I cheered along with the rest of the Gryffindors. Sam had been the last first year to be sorted so Wintorna was rolling up her list.
Sam sat down across from me. His face looked almost back to his natural shade, which definitely suited him better. The color he had been clashed horrible with his red hair. "Wow, I'm glad that's over. Now its time for food."
A feast had appeared on the golden plates in front of us. As I helped my self to food I listened to the other conversations around me. Remus and Sirius were trying to loosen Lawrence up. At first I thought that this would be impossible, but they soon had him joining them in their first Slytherin attack. Which, of course, would be tonight. As Remus says "The first day of school is the best for pulling pranks. First the teachers don't expect anything, second neither do the Slytherins, third, teachers are still in a good mood from the summer, and last they have forgotten about what you did last year." Across from me Sam was introducing himself and me to the other first years. There was Priscilla (Cilla) Chamberlain, Elizabeth (Lizzy) Montgomery, Nyx (Yes it's a girl, she's from somewhere I'm not sure of) Queena, Noah Rochester, Andrew Chizzle, and Nathaniel Harper. I said hi to all of them and they all launched into their life stories. I smiled and nodded when appropriate but didn't really pay attention.
I looked up at the high table. I already knew most of the teachers. Daddy and mum would have them over for diner a lot. My favorite was Professor Lavender Weasley. She teaches astronomy, she's also Sam's mum so I know her very well. A lot of the Professors are from Mum and Daddy's year at Hogwarts. This is probably because right after they had graduated a bunch of teachers had retired. Professor Albus Dumbledore looked at me and smiled, he was a good friend of Daddy's. Next to Dumbledore were Professor Neville Longbottom (potions) and Professor Pavarti Patil (Divination). Also at the table was Professor Katharine Wintorna, transfiguration; Professor Melissa Norp, Herbology; Professor Luke Hawthorne, charms; and a few I had never seen before. I noticed that professor Binns and Professor Julia Snuff were missing. I figured Binns probably didn't attend the feast, since he is a ghost, but I don't know why Snuff isn't here.
"Hey Sirius?" Sirius stopped hi conversation with Lawrence and looked at me.
"What?"
"Is Snuff still the DADA teacher? She's not here." Sirius looked up at the table.
"Oh I don't know maybe she snuffed it." At this statement Remus and him started laughing, I rolled my eyes. "Hagrid isn't up there either. Did daddy say something about him retiring? I don't remember."
"Could I have you attention please." Dumbledore's voice came from the high table. I turned around in my seat to see him. "Now that everyone has finished eating I would like to say a few words. First I would like to welcome all the new students to Hogwarts and I would like to welcome all the old students' back. It's a brand new year. In my eyes everyone starts with a clean slate." At this he looked at Sirius and Remus. "Now I have a few announcements before everyone goes to bed. First, all first years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all students. Second we have a few new teachers this year. Professor Andrew Roosevelt will take Hagrid position as Care of Magical creatures professor." The professor I had never seen stood up. "Blaze Hingham will be the new keeper of keys and grounds. Professor Julia Snuff has taken a job at a school in America and will not be teaching DADA this year. The new professor will arrive tomorrow. I'm not going to tell you who it is now. I'll just say it'll be a big surprise. Now I am going to ask all prefects to hand out schedules and then lead first years to their dorms. Goodnight everyone."
Remus (I'm not sure how he became a prefect) handed out the schedules. I looked at mine. I had DADA with the Hufflepuffs first. That was good I would be one of the first too find out who the new professor is. After that I had double potions with the Slytherins. As Sirius says, Gryffindors always have double potions with the Slytherins.
As Remus led us up to the house dormitories I could barely keep my eyes open. Sam had to keep poking me. I saw suits of armor, ghosts, and paintings through my half-closed eyes. I knew that I should be keeping my eyes open so I could remember how to get back down. I was never going to remember the way. Oh well.
We got to the picture of the fat lady and Remus gave the password yellow pages. I looked around the common room but was much to tired to really notice anything. I followed the other girls up a spiral staircase and went into a room marked FIRST YEARS. Cilla, Lizzy, and Nyx were already there. I murmured a "goodnight" and "I'll talk to you in the morning" to them before I feel asleep with out even changing.
***
A/N: When I first posted this fic I got a review that it was confusing so I decided to re-post it with this a/n to explain it. The person who is telling the story is Lily Potter. She is Harry Potter and Hermione Granger's daughter. Their other children are James, Remus, Sirius (Remus and Sirius are twins), and Page. Sam is Ron Weasley and Lavender Brown's child. I know that all the Potter children are named after people, sorry. (You will find out about Page later) I guess Harry and Hermione were uncreative with names. I hope this helped. If it didn't please tell me!! And don't forget to review!!!!!