"I don't know Mother, it looks pretty solid" Lily commented, as she looked at the wall separating platforms nine and ten at the train station.
"Do you think James was joking when he told me to run through that wall?" Lily asked.
"Well, do have a better idea?" her father asked.
"I suppose this is where I tell you goodbye" Lily said.
"bye sweetheart" her mother said.
"Bye mother, bye Daddy. I love you! Oh, uh, see you later Petunia" and with that Lily turned and pushed her cart toward the wall.
Much to her surprise, she went right through it, then went in search of Jodie. Lily didn't see her anywhere on the platform, so she decided to put her things on the train then look for her in one of the compartments.
Lily was starting to panic. She couldn't find her friend anywhere, and she had only one compartment left to look in. Unfortunately, the only people in the last compartment were James, Sirius, and Remus.
"Have any of you seen Jodie Blankenship?" Lily asked.
All three boys looked extremely uncomfortable and James said "Um, uh, no not recently"
"what's that supposed to mean, and why does everyone start acting so strange at the mention of Jodie and James?"
"just...Never mind. No I have not seen Jodie and how do you know her anyway?" James asked
"I meet her when we went to Diagon Ally, and you three ditched me" Lily said forcefully.
"We told you we were sorry!" James exclaimed.
Lily rolled her eyes and left to double check the compartments, and see if she had some how over looked Jodie.
"Jodie!" Lily exclaimed as she finally spotted her friend in one of the compartments on the train.
"Where were you? I was starting to get worried." Lily said, running up to her friend.
"I, um, I was running late and I almost missed the train." Jodie said.
"What happened to your face?" Lily asked spotting a newly formed bruise on Jodie's left cheek.
"Oh. That. I was outside next to my trunk, and I tripped and fell, and hit my cheek against the corner of the trunk" Jodie explained.
Lily was absolutely sure Jodie was lying, but she did not have time to dwell on that fact because the driver had just announced that the train would be arriving at Hogwarts in five minutes.
The two girls changed into their robes, and exited the train as it came to a stop.
As she stepped off the train, Lily spotted a man that was twice as tall as a regular man. He was calling to the first year students, asking them to come over by him. Lily made her way over to the giant man, felling so nervous that she could hardly breath.
"Jodie, do you know how they are going to separate us into houses?" Lily whispered as she turned to her friend. She noticed that Jodie was very pale, and looked unbelievably nervous too.
"No, it's a very well guarded secret, but I heard rumors that we might have to do magic." Jodie said
Lily's heart sank. She had read all her books, but she hadn't tried to do any spells yet. What happens if we can't do any spells? They might us go home! I don't want to go home!
"Jodie! Y-you don't suppose we would have to take him on?" Lily asked, gesturing to the enormous man leading them toward a lake.
Jody face went from white to green. She looked like she was going to be sick.
"Are you okay Jodie?"
Jody shook her head slowly "Yes" She said in a very small voice.
They reached the lake and separated into groups of four to journey across the lake in small boats.
The boats continued, and then the giant said
"Kids, if yeh look up now yeh'll get yer first look o' Hogwarts"
It was so beautiful it almost made Lily forget about her nervousness. It was an elegant castle with many towers.
The boats bumped gently against the shore and all the first year walked through a large door. They were then guided through a magnificent entrance hall by Professor Rector, a tall wizard with frizzy grey hair and many wrinkles. He then lead them into a small room, where he instructed them to wait until it was time for them to be sorted
It seemed like forever before Professor Rector came back. Tring to keep her mind off what was coming next, Lily studied the faces of her classmates as they filed into the Great Hall. All of them looked incredibly pale, including the self-assured Valerie.
Lily gasped as she came into the great hall. It was remarkable. Her favorite part was the ceiling. It looked as if there was nothing there at all. You could see all the stars in the heavens. It was absolutely amazing.
Lily's attention was drawn away from the ceiling and on to Professor Rector as he brought in a stool with three legs, and placed a hat on it. It was a very old, very ugly wizard's hat. Lily looked at it curiously, wondering what in the world they would have to do with that hat.
Quite suddenly, the brim of the hat opened up, and then it began to sing-
I am the Hogwarts sorting hat that long ago was made
To sort the students when the founders memories did fade
Good Gryffindor did fill me with a knowledge that was great
To see the minds of wizards, and to then decide their fate
Each founder picked their students with such different qualities
They told me what to look for, and to sift them out you see
Gryffindor sought out the brave, they were his favorite kind
The strong and daring, I am sure, you will always find
Hufflepuffs are famous for their patients and their truth
Maybe Hufflepuff is where, you will spend your youth
However, there is Ravenclaw if you are very bright If you're witty, and you keep your studies in your sight
You might belong in Slytherin if you are very keen
They are the most determined ones that I have ever seen
So let me look into your mind, and see where you should be
I promise I will tell the truth, now leave it up to me!
"Please step forward as I call your name, sit on the stool, and place the hat on your head" Professor Rector said as unrolled a long piece of parchment.
"Achenbach, John"
A tall boy with curly blonde hair stumbled forward, the hat slipping over his eyes as he placed it on his head.
For a moment the whole room was silent, and then......
"RAVENCLAW" the hat yelled, scaring Lily half to death.
And so the list went on, until...
"Blankenship, Jodie"
The hat had barely touch her head before shouting "GRYFFINDOR!"
The line seemed to be moving so slowly.
It seemed like forever before Rector got to Lily's name.
"Evans, Lily"
Lily walked slowly forward, sat on the stool, and allowed the hat to fall over her eyes. Then came a small voice inside her head-
Hmm, let's see. Oh, I see a lot of intelligence, yes a lot indeed. Perhaps Ravenclaw? However you are rather determined, so maybe slytherin? But, I see you are a good friend, and you will have many good friends in the future- that would suggest Hufflepuff. No! Now I see it so clearly. I know just where you belong!
"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat bellowed.
Lily ran over to the Gryffindor table and plopped down next to Jodie, feeling quite relieved, and immensely excited. She would get to stay with Jodie, and she was very thankful for that.
The hat went on, putting James, Remus, and Sirius in Gryffindor as well. Finally the sorting ended with "Zielinski, Terrence- Hufflepuff", and Lily turned her thoughts to food for the first time since arriving at Hogwarts. She was famished.
"Hello students!" said a man with a long silver beard and long flowing hair.
"I am Professor Dumbledore" the man said
ahh, so that's Professor Dumbledore Lily thought to herself.
Dumbledore smiled cheerily at the students as he told them about a few rules that were very important to follow at Hogwarts.
The plates were then magically filled with the most delicious looking feast Lily had ever seen.
After the feast, the Gryffindor prefects lead the new Gyffindors up to the tower. It was located behind a picture of a fat lady in a pink silk dress and the password was 'dill pickle'.
As Lily laid in bed that night she thought about James and Jodie-
There is something going on here that everyone knows about, but me. there is something hanging over their past that they don't want me to know about! But I will find out!
"Do you think James was joking when he told me to run through that wall?" Lily asked.
"Well, do have a better idea?" her father asked.
"I suppose this is where I tell you goodbye" Lily said.
"bye sweetheart" her mother said.
"Bye mother, bye Daddy. I love you! Oh, uh, see you later Petunia" and with that Lily turned and pushed her cart toward the wall.
Much to her surprise, she went right through it, then went in search of Jodie. Lily didn't see her anywhere on the platform, so she decided to put her things on the train then look for her in one of the compartments.
Lily was starting to panic. She couldn't find her friend anywhere, and she had only one compartment left to look in. Unfortunately, the only people in the last compartment were James, Sirius, and Remus.
"Have any of you seen Jodie Blankenship?" Lily asked.
All three boys looked extremely uncomfortable and James said "Um, uh, no not recently"
"what's that supposed to mean, and why does everyone start acting so strange at the mention of Jodie and James?"
"just...Never mind. No I have not seen Jodie and how do you know her anyway?" James asked
"I meet her when we went to Diagon Ally, and you three ditched me" Lily said forcefully.
"We told you we were sorry!" James exclaimed.
Lily rolled her eyes and left to double check the compartments, and see if she had some how over looked Jodie.
"Jodie!" Lily exclaimed as she finally spotted her friend in one of the compartments on the train.
"Where were you? I was starting to get worried." Lily said, running up to her friend.
"I, um, I was running late and I almost missed the train." Jodie said.
"What happened to your face?" Lily asked spotting a newly formed bruise on Jodie's left cheek.
"Oh. That. I was outside next to my trunk, and I tripped and fell, and hit my cheek against the corner of the trunk" Jodie explained.
Lily was absolutely sure Jodie was lying, but she did not have time to dwell on that fact because the driver had just announced that the train would be arriving at Hogwarts in five minutes.
The two girls changed into their robes, and exited the train as it came to a stop.
As she stepped off the train, Lily spotted a man that was twice as tall as a regular man. He was calling to the first year students, asking them to come over by him. Lily made her way over to the giant man, felling so nervous that she could hardly breath.
"Jodie, do you know how they are going to separate us into houses?" Lily whispered as she turned to her friend. She noticed that Jodie was very pale, and looked unbelievably nervous too.
"No, it's a very well guarded secret, but I heard rumors that we might have to do magic." Jodie said
Lily's heart sank. She had read all her books, but she hadn't tried to do any spells yet. What happens if we can't do any spells? They might us go home! I don't want to go home!
"Jodie! Y-you don't suppose we would have to take him on?" Lily asked, gesturing to the enormous man leading them toward a lake.
Jody face went from white to green. She looked like she was going to be sick.
"Are you okay Jodie?"
Jody shook her head slowly "Yes" She said in a very small voice.
They reached the lake and separated into groups of four to journey across the lake in small boats.
The boats continued, and then the giant said
"Kids, if yeh look up now yeh'll get yer first look o' Hogwarts"
It was so beautiful it almost made Lily forget about her nervousness. It was an elegant castle with many towers.
The boats bumped gently against the shore and all the first year walked through a large door. They were then guided through a magnificent entrance hall by Professor Rector, a tall wizard with frizzy grey hair and many wrinkles. He then lead them into a small room, where he instructed them to wait until it was time for them to be sorted
It seemed like forever before Professor Rector came back. Tring to keep her mind off what was coming next, Lily studied the faces of her classmates as they filed into the Great Hall. All of them looked incredibly pale, including the self-assured Valerie.
Lily gasped as she came into the great hall. It was remarkable. Her favorite part was the ceiling. It looked as if there was nothing there at all. You could see all the stars in the heavens. It was absolutely amazing.
Lily's attention was drawn away from the ceiling and on to Professor Rector as he brought in a stool with three legs, and placed a hat on it. It was a very old, very ugly wizard's hat. Lily looked at it curiously, wondering what in the world they would have to do with that hat.
Quite suddenly, the brim of the hat opened up, and then it began to sing-
I am the Hogwarts sorting hat that long ago was made
To sort the students when the founders memories did fade
Good Gryffindor did fill me with a knowledge that was great
To see the minds of wizards, and to then decide their fate
Each founder picked their students with such different qualities
They told me what to look for, and to sift them out you see
Gryffindor sought out the brave, they were his favorite kind
The strong and daring, I am sure, you will always find
Hufflepuffs are famous for their patients and their truth
Maybe Hufflepuff is where, you will spend your youth
However, there is Ravenclaw if you are very bright If you're witty, and you keep your studies in your sight
You might belong in Slytherin if you are very keen
They are the most determined ones that I have ever seen
So let me look into your mind, and see where you should be
I promise I will tell the truth, now leave it up to me!
"Please step forward as I call your name, sit on the stool, and place the hat on your head" Professor Rector said as unrolled a long piece of parchment.
"Achenbach, John"
A tall boy with curly blonde hair stumbled forward, the hat slipping over his eyes as he placed it on his head.
For a moment the whole room was silent, and then......
"RAVENCLAW" the hat yelled, scaring Lily half to death.
And so the list went on, until...
"Blankenship, Jodie"
The hat had barely touch her head before shouting "GRYFFINDOR!"
The line seemed to be moving so slowly.
It seemed like forever before Rector got to Lily's name.
"Evans, Lily"
Lily walked slowly forward, sat on the stool, and allowed the hat to fall over her eyes. Then came a small voice inside her head-
Hmm, let's see. Oh, I see a lot of intelligence, yes a lot indeed. Perhaps Ravenclaw? However you are rather determined, so maybe slytherin? But, I see you are a good friend, and you will have many good friends in the future- that would suggest Hufflepuff. No! Now I see it so clearly. I know just where you belong!
"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat bellowed.
Lily ran over to the Gryffindor table and plopped down next to Jodie, feeling quite relieved, and immensely excited. She would get to stay with Jodie, and she was very thankful for that.
The hat went on, putting James, Remus, and Sirius in Gryffindor as well. Finally the sorting ended with "Zielinski, Terrence- Hufflepuff", and Lily turned her thoughts to food for the first time since arriving at Hogwarts. She was famished.
"Hello students!" said a man with a long silver beard and long flowing hair.
"I am Professor Dumbledore" the man said
ahh, so that's Professor Dumbledore Lily thought to herself.
Dumbledore smiled cheerily at the students as he told them about a few rules that were very important to follow at Hogwarts.
The plates were then magically filled with the most delicious looking feast Lily had ever seen.
After the feast, the Gryffindor prefects lead the new Gyffindors up to the tower. It was located behind a picture of a fat lady in a pink silk dress and the password was 'dill pickle'.
As Lily laid in bed that night she thought about James and Jodie-
There is something going on here that everyone knows about, but me. there is something hanging over their past that they don't want me to know about! But I will find out!