Chapter Six:
A Warm Welcome
After all the students were ushered into long canoe like boats by a sharp, disagreeable looking woman, Lily spoke again.
"James. Look at all the students!" she cringed.
The boy, startled, turned to face her. Then he chuckled. "All the students?! You'd think that you'd be awed by the school itself, not the students."
"I, I am," she stammered. "It's magnificent. I never would have expected a castle, but."
"But?" James teased her and tweaked her nose.
"Hey there!!! James that hurt!!!" she wailed.
"Oh sorry." He draped his arm over her shoulder, and she was surprised at how much at ease she was. "Now about those students."
Lily laughed gaily, and James smiled into her eyes with that grin that melted her heart. He was quite oblivious to that though. "Looks like we're almost there," he said excitedly.
"Yeah." she was less tense than before, and James was relieved.
"I hope we're both in Gryffindor," he murmured into her ear.
Lily grinned. "Gryffindor, now tell me which house is that?"
James pulled away from her in shock. "You mean to say that you don't know about the houses?"
Lily shook her head earnestly.
"Oh well there are four of them. Each named after one of the founders of the school." James began eagerly, but someone's hand on his shoulder interrupted him.
"Young man, I suggest you step out of the boat. I am sure your friend will find out everything she needs to know at the sorting ceremony." a woman said coldly. She was the stern lady that they had met at the Hogwarts station.
"Yes ma'am," James replied, and without another word he led Lily out of the boat.
Once they were out of the woman's earshot, Lily whispered. "I certainly hope all the teachers aren't that stern."
"Oh Lil, I don't think she's a teacher. That must be Madame Maltrey, the evil gamekeeper." he told her sincerely.
"Oh yeah, and how would you know?" Lily punched him playfully in the arm.
"You keep forgetting that I have an inside source. My sister Martha." When Lily looked at him disbelievingly he said. "What? Did you honestly expect me to know this all by myself. Well I suppose that I am indeed brilliant."
Lily giggled again, and James smiled to himself, pleased that she was loosening up.
A couple minutes later they entered the great hall, and joined the long winding line of first year students. At the head of the line stood a old chipped stool, with a ragged old witches hat placed upon it. To everyone's surprise, the hat was speaking through a slit in it's side.
"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 inside 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!" (From Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone)
Lily laughed. " What a peculiar hat. This school is so full of odd things."
James looked at her and agreed. "Hogwarts is odd to me too, even though Martha has told me all about it."
Suddenly a short, plump, woman came strolling down from the teachers' table with a scroll in her hand. She smiled kindly at the excited, and some quaking, new students.
"Welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, when I call your name put on that hat," and she pointed toward the stool, unnecessarily, I should say, for everyone knew which hat she meant. Then she cleared her throat and began calling out names. Lily remembered James poking her excitedly when his friend, a tall, gangly, curly haired boy, was called to the Gryffindor table, and he applauded along with the members of that house. Shortly after the woman began calling out girls names. Lily was soon sitting, trembling, on the ancient stool, lowering the sorting hat onto her head.
"Hmmm. You have a great brain. Perhaps Ravenclaw." the hat thought, perusing Lily's mind .
"No! No!" Lily thought. "Put me in Gryffindor, James said it is the best."
"Gryffindor, not a bad choice either for you I suppose. And seeing that you clearly desire to be in the same house as James I'll put you in. GRYFFINDOR" the hat shouted. But as Lily whipped it off her head she distinctly heard it mutter. "Don't worry, I'll place this James boy with you."
Lily sighed with relief, and ran over to her new house table where she was embraced by numerous older girls, who all seemed very pleased to have another new Gryffindor.
After waiting anxiously to see if the hat would carry out it's promise to her, Lily was relieved to hear it shout out GRYFFINDOR when James was sitting on the stool waiting to be sorted. When he reached the table he hugged Lily tightly. "The hat told me about you. How sweet that you wanted to be in the same house as me," and in the spur of the moment he kissed her cheek. Lily blushed.
"You ought to be ashamed for that James, and I really ought to slap you for that kiss, but I'm too happy right now."
James laughed at her. "It's a token of our friendship. It is my promise that I will always be your friend."
Lily sighed in content as food piled up on her dish. Her first evening at Hogwarts had proved to be splendid, she was glad to find that she had had nothing to worry about at all for being the daughter of muggles. Everyone had seemed to accept her, but at that moment she didn't care, because James had just sworn to her his perpetual friendship. Taking his hand in hers Lily murmured. "I'll be your best friend too James, forever and ever."
.
.
After all the students were ushered into long canoe like boats by a sharp, disagreeable looking woman, Lily spoke again.
"James. Look at all the students!" she cringed.
The boy, startled, turned to face her. Then he chuckled. "All the students?! You'd think that you'd be awed by the school itself, not the students."
"I, I am," she stammered. "It's magnificent. I never would have expected a castle, but."
"But?" James teased her and tweaked her nose.
"Hey there!!! James that hurt!!!" she wailed.
"Oh sorry." He draped his arm over her shoulder, and she was surprised at how much at ease she was. "Now about those students."
Lily laughed gaily, and James smiled into her eyes with that grin that melted her heart. He was quite oblivious to that though. "Looks like we're almost there," he said excitedly.
"Yeah." she was less tense than before, and James was relieved.
"I hope we're both in Gryffindor," he murmured into her ear.
Lily grinned. "Gryffindor, now tell me which house is that?"
James pulled away from her in shock. "You mean to say that you don't know about the houses?"
Lily shook her head earnestly.
"Oh well there are four of them. Each named after one of the founders of the school." James began eagerly, but someone's hand on his shoulder interrupted him.
"Young man, I suggest you step out of the boat. I am sure your friend will find out everything she needs to know at the sorting ceremony." a woman said coldly. She was the stern lady that they had met at the Hogwarts station.
"Yes ma'am," James replied, and without another word he led Lily out of the boat.
Once they were out of the woman's earshot, Lily whispered. "I certainly hope all the teachers aren't that stern."
"Oh Lil, I don't think she's a teacher. That must be Madame Maltrey, the evil gamekeeper." he told her sincerely.
"Oh yeah, and how would you know?" Lily punched him playfully in the arm.
"You keep forgetting that I have an inside source. My sister Martha." When Lily looked at him disbelievingly he said. "What? Did you honestly expect me to know this all by myself. Well I suppose that I am indeed brilliant."
Lily giggled again, and James smiled to himself, pleased that she was loosening up.
A couple minutes later they entered the great hall, and joined the long winding line of first year students. At the head of the line stood a old chipped stool, with a ragged old witches hat placed upon it. To everyone's surprise, the hat was speaking through a slit in it's side.
"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 inside 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!" (From Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone)
Lily laughed. " What a peculiar hat. This school is so full of odd things."
James looked at her and agreed. "Hogwarts is odd to me too, even though Martha has told me all about it."
Suddenly a short, plump, woman came strolling down from the teachers' table with a scroll in her hand. She smiled kindly at the excited, and some quaking, new students.
"Welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, when I call your name put on that hat," and she pointed toward the stool, unnecessarily, I should say, for everyone knew which hat she meant. Then she cleared her throat and began calling out names. Lily remembered James poking her excitedly when his friend, a tall, gangly, curly haired boy, was called to the Gryffindor table, and he applauded along with the members of that house. Shortly after the woman began calling out girls names. Lily was soon sitting, trembling, on the ancient stool, lowering the sorting hat onto her head.
"Hmmm. You have a great brain. Perhaps Ravenclaw." the hat thought, perusing Lily's mind .
"No! No!" Lily thought. "Put me in Gryffindor, James said it is the best."
"Gryffindor, not a bad choice either for you I suppose. And seeing that you clearly desire to be in the same house as James I'll put you in. GRYFFINDOR" the hat shouted. But as Lily whipped it off her head she distinctly heard it mutter. "Don't worry, I'll place this James boy with you."
Lily sighed with relief, and ran over to her new house table where she was embraced by numerous older girls, who all seemed very pleased to have another new Gryffindor.
After waiting anxiously to see if the hat would carry out it's promise to her, Lily was relieved to hear it shout out GRYFFINDOR when James was sitting on the stool waiting to be sorted. When he reached the table he hugged Lily tightly. "The hat told me about you. How sweet that you wanted to be in the same house as me," and in the spur of the moment he kissed her cheek. Lily blushed.
"You ought to be ashamed for that James, and I really ought to slap you for that kiss, but I'm too happy right now."
James laughed at her. "It's a token of our friendship. It is my promise that I will always be your friend."
Lily sighed in content as food piled up on her dish. Her first evening at Hogwarts had proved to be splendid, she was glad to find that she had had nothing to worry about at all for being the daughter of muggles. Everyone had seemed to accept her, but at that moment she didn't care, because James had just sworn to her his perpetual friendship. Taking his hand in hers Lily murmured. "I'll be your best friend too James, forever and ever."
.
.