Disclaimer: As is usual with fan fics, I do not own the characters of Lily Evans/Potter, James Potter, Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew, Remus Lupin, Severus Snape, or any of the others which may be found in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books, as well as any plot details or other names/places/proper nouns removed from the books (i.e., Hogwarts, Ollivander's, Chocolate Frogs). I also do not own the names Frodo or Elanor, which are taken from J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.
I do own the character of Azalea Evans and any others not found in the Harry Potter books.
Special thanks to the 504 girls: Karen, Jenny, and Jen. You are closer than sisters and I love all three of you.
Also special thanks to the rest of the band 5 Oakland 4: Frank, Kevin, Elliott, and especially Tony, to whom I owe a debt of love and friendship far larger than I'll ever be able to pay.
Chapter 2: The Sorting
The two girls screeched to a halt on the other side of the barrier, pulling their trunks to a stop and gawking up at the huge scarlet steam train that waited directly in front of them.
"Wow, Azalea," the red-headed girl whispered. "I didn't think it would look like this…"
"Me neither," the brunette agreed. "Come on Lily, let's load our trunks and find seats, I guess…"
"Need help?" a friendly voice asked. Both girls turned around to see two boys standing behind them. Both had black hair and brown eyes, and were regarding the girls with friendly interest.
"We're already loaded," explained the shorter of the boys; shorter, though both were tall for their age. "I'm James Potter."
Lily and Azalea both shook James's outstretched hand, and then the other boy introduced himself. "And I'm Sirius Black."
"I'm Azalea Evans, and this is my sister, Lily," Azalea said.
Once they had shaken hands all around, Lily added, "And we would appreciate some help…"
"Nothin' to it," said Sirius, and he hefted one end of Azalea's trunk as she picked up the other. With the boys' help, the two girls were able to quickly secure their things, and then carry their owl cages into the train.
"Come with us," James invited. "We've already got a compartment."
Lily and Azalea looked at each other and shared a secret smile. "Okay."
As the train began to move, Sirius and James examined the two owls that the girls had brought with them. Azalea's was a large grey screech owl that immediately took a liking to Sirius, as he poked a finger through the bars of the cage to ruffle the owl's neck feathers. "What's his name?" he asked Azalea.
"Frodo," Azalea answered, plopping down beside the cage.
"And this beauty is Elanor," Lily added, showing off the snowy white owl belonging to her. At James's inquiring look, she shrugged. "We've always been big fans of Tolkien…"
There was a knock at the compartment door, and it slid open to admit another boy, this one small and plump. "Do you mind if I sit here?" the boy asked nervously. "Everywhere else looks full…"
"Sure," said Sirius, picking up Frodo's cage and scooting over closer to Azalea on the bench.
The plump boy brushed limp blonde hair out of his face as he sat down. "I'm Peter Pettigrew," he introduced himself. The rest of the occupants of the compartment gave their names as well.
"Are you two Muggle-born?" James asked, looking at the girls. "I don't recognize the name Evans."
Lily and Azalea glanced at each other. "Yeah...no one else in the family is magic," Lily said. "It was a huge surprise when Azalea and I got our letters."
"Me too," piped up Peter. "My dad's an accountant."
"What about you two?" Azalea asked, looking from James to Sirius.
Sirius grinned. "Known each other since we were five," he stated. "Families chock full of wizards and witches. Some reason, though, me and James are both last in the lines. There's a lot of pressure on us."
"We have a sister…" Azalea grimaced. "Petunia. She's younger than us and she's a little weirded out by the whole magic thing."
"What can you do?" James shrugged, pulling a pack of cards from his pocket. "Now…shall Sirius and I teach you how to play Exploding Snap?"
They passed the long train ride happily in games of Exploding Snap. When the witch with the tea cart came by, Sirius and James helped the three Muggle-borns pick out the best treats, and they sat eating Chocolate Frogs and Every Flavor Beans, as the two boys battled each other on Sirius's pocket chess set. They were all fascinated by the movements and the savagery of the pieces, and didn't even notice as the compartment began to grow dark.
Suddenly realizing that he was squinting to see the board, Sirius looked up from the pieces. "We must be nearly there," he observed. As if on his command, they all felt the train begin to slow down, and heard the hiss of steam and the squealing of the brakes.
When the train stopped, they gathered their things, shoving spare treats and cards into their robe pockets. Azalea and Lily looked at their owls, finally deciding to bring the cages with them. Both owls had gone to sleep during the journey, but woke up as they were moved, letting out sleepy hoots of confusion.
They disembarked the train to see a tall, gangly young wizard calling "First year students to me, please! First years, please make your way over here…"
James looked around at the other four. "I guess that's us…"
Moments later, they stood in a large group of students around the tall man. "Professor Kettleburn," he introduced himself. "Care of Magical Creatures. Do I have all the first years?" He seemed to count heads quickly. "Right, then. Down to the lake, follow me!"
"He looks unpleasant, doesn't he?" Lily whispered to James. He followed the direction of her glance to see a pale boy with greasy dark hair glowering around and slouching along with the group, yet holding himself apart from the rest of the students.
"Definitely," he agreed with her.
At the lake, there was a huge throng of boats waiting for the first years. "Four to a boat!" shouted Professor Kettleburn, taking a seat in a boat that was noticeably larger than the rest.
Peter had gotten separated from them on the way down to the lake, and so it was easy for Sirius, James, and the Evans girls to take a boat for themselves. As they set off across the lake and got their first glimpse of the castle, both girls let out gasps of delight.
"Wow…" muttered Sirius. Even James looked impressed.
They were led up the stairs by Professor Kettleburn, to stop outside a set of huge wooden doors. "Wait here," the professor told them. "You'll be sorted into your Houses in just a moment. Your House is like your family while you're here. You'll live, eat, attend classes, and spend free time with the members of your House. I'll just go check and see if they're ready for you."
The professor darted away, and Azalea glanced at the greasy-haired boy that her sister had seen earlier. "Remind me not to be in his House," she muttered, and Sirius, the only one to have heard her, chuckled.
When Professor Kettleburn returned, they were led through the doors into the Great Hall, walking down the center aisle flanked by two long wooden tables on either side. They all straightened up reflexively, in response to the interested gazes of the older students.
At the front of the Hall stood a severe-looking witch with black hair and emerald-green robes. "When I call your name, come up and sit on the stool. I shall place the Sorting Hat on your head, and you will be Sorted into your Houses.
"Black, Sirius!"
Sirius leaped up onto the stool, and the Hat had hardly touched his head before a rip in the brim opened and it shouted "GRYFFINDOR!"
One of the tables started whooping loudly as Sirius jumped off the stool and took a seat at it. He cast a glance over his friends – would they all be together?
"Chapman, Sean!"
Azalea took the pause to whisper to Lily, "Do you think we'll be in the same House?"
"Conners, Autumn!"
"I dunno…"
James, who had overheard them, leaned over. "Hard to say. I heard that brothers and sisters are sometimes together and sometimes not."
"Doppelganger, Michael!"
"That's encouraging…"
"Evans, Azalea!"
Azalea gulped, then strode forward and sat on the stool. She felt the hat touch her head, and a second later, a tiny voice seemed to speak in the back of her mind.
"Well now, let's see here. Hmmm, plenty of talent, yes, even with your background…quite daring, are we? I know just the place for you…GRYFFINDOR!"
Azalea let out a whoop that echoed those at the Gryffindor table, and jumped off the stool to take the seat next to Sirius. "If only James and your sister get into Gryffindor, we'll be unstoppable!" he shouted in her ear.
"Evans, Lily!"
Azalea watched anxiously as her sister took the seat. Lily was smart, true, but if Gryffindor was a place for daring and bold people, she might not find a place there. Azalea, as the older by ten minutes, usually took the lead in whatever they did…
The Hat took a minute or longer to decide with Lily. Finally, to Azalea's intense relief, it shouted again, "GRYFFINDOR!"
Azalea stood up to hug her sister as she came to the table, and the three of them conferred excitedly for a few moments as the Sorting went on.
"Lupin, Remus!"
A slim boy with light brown hair took the stool, and he turned out to be another that the Hat took its time on; however, after a few moments had passed, Remus Lupin became another new Gryffindor.
Sirius, Lily, and Azalea all greeted him as he sat down. "Thanks," said the newcomer sheepishly. "I guess I'm a little overwhelmed…"
"Don't worry, we are too," Lily assured him.
Azalea grabbed Sirius's arm. "Look, there goes Peter!"
"Pettigrew, Peter!"
Peter sat there for over five minutes with the Hat on his head. He looked up at the witch overseeing the process in fright; however, she stood there implacably. Finally, the Hat's brim opened, and it spoke out, in quite a normal tone "Gryffindor," abstaining from the usual shout. Peter nearly tripped over the stool, he was so anxious to get off the stage.
"Potter, James!"
Sirius, Azalea, Lily, and Peter began clapping as James confidently took his seat, and the Hat sat on his head for approximately five seconds before consigning James to Gryffindor. With a wild yell, James vaulted the stool and sat down next to Peter, grabbing Sirius's outstretched arm over the table.
One more girl joined the Gryffindors, a pretty blonde named Lucy Zuckerman. As the applause died down, a tall man stood from the very center of the staff table on the dais. Silver hair flowed down his shoulders, and his eyes twinkled behind half-moon glasses.
"Welcome to all," he said, including the entire Hall in his glance. "After the feast we shall make announcements and such…but for now…tuck in!"