Chapter Ten
THE SORTING
The castle was on the top of a mountain, enlighted by thousand of inner lights, it stood out of the dark sky like an illustration in one of Lily's books. She was amazed. The cold air wasn't bothering her anymore, for what she was staring at was much better than books or illustrations. It was true.
The moon was reflecting on the surface of the lake where the boats silently slided. Everybody was feeling the same as her and, keeping the breath, watched the enchanted castle above them.
After some of the best minutes in Lily's life, the boats reached the other shore, right under the castle in a kind of underground harbour. Their gigantic guide took them up a passage in the rock, toward a garden under the castle's shadow.
The man knocked the huge wooden door they were in front of, and a woman opened it from inside. It was Professor McGonagall.
"Thank you, Hagrid. I'll take them from now on," she said with a bit of a smile playing on her strict face. The man turned to them, made a quick smile and walked on.
"Follow me," ordered the witch, turning and walking through a large hall. Her steps were echoing loudly, for the room was as large as a cave.
The crowd did as told. No one was talking anymore. Hundreds of buzzing voices were coming from a big door on their left. It was probably the Great Hall, but Professor McGonagall took them to a small room behind it.
"Wait here and be quiet. I'm going to see if they are ready for the ceremony," said the witch.
Lily was feeling both excited and scared at the same time. Her stomach seemed to have been tied into a knot. The room was, of course, warmer than the outside, but she was freezing again.
The ceremony. It was the Sorting, of course. Lily felt as if in that very moment her fate was going to be jugded. The people she'd have been with for the next seven years were going to be chosen in the next few minutes. 'Slytherin, please, let it be Slytherin!' thought the little girl, feeling even smaller.
She had known Severus for just a few hours, and Peter for even less, but she felt them as her safeness anchor in that big, strange, intriguing place. At that moment, in front of that closed door, waiting for her destiny, she felt she couldn't face being far from the only two people she knew.
Lily looked at Severus, at her side. He smiled her. Not really a reassuring smile. He was scared, too.
The door opened suddendly.
"We are ready," announced Professor McGonagall. Lily swallowed, her throat was completely dry.
The crowd followed the witch into the Great Hall. It was surely the biggest room Lily had ever seen. Four long tables were placed longitudinally, students were sitting around them, chatting. Another table was at the end of the room, with the teachers. The whole room was lit by candels fluttering around from a man's height to... Lily suddendly noticed that there was NO ceiling. The sky could be seen on their heads.
"That's not really the sky; it's just a magic." Severus had noticed her astonished look.
As they entered the room, all the chatting stopped, and people stared at them, making Lily feel even more uncomfortable.
McGonagall had taken them to the teacher's table, in front of which had been placed a stool with a very old hat.
Lily was going to collapse in that very moment, her knees were quivering. She was so scared that she didn't even noticed when the hat started to sing a long story about Hogwarts and how it had been made. At the end, Severus had to push her to make her applaud with everyone else in the room.
Then, Professor McGonagall came in, holding a parchment
"Averne Hannah!" called loudly. A dark haired girl walked slowly toward the stool, sat on it and wore the hat. It was covering her eyes. Some moments passed by with nothing happening, then
"HUFFLEPUFF!!" shouted the hat. Students from the Hufflepuff table applauded loudly as the little girl walked toward them.
"Balance Mandy!" another girl approached the stool. The same scene took place again, exept that this girl was sent to "RAVENCLAW!!"
Professor McGonagall went on calling names, and Lily felt more and more anxiety as the "E" was approaching. Then, finally
"Evans Lily!" Her heart flopped, and she remained stuck where she was. Severus pushed her gently, giving a warm smile. Lily looked at the hat, swallowed and went quivering to sit on the stool. She wore the hat.
"So..." a voice whispered at Lily's ear "a little anxious, aren't we? You didn't even listen my song earlier."
"So... sorry," whispered Lily as reply
"You're worrying about being alone, aren't you? You mustn't, I'll put you where you'll be fine and you'll be able to develop your abilities, so don't worry"
"Please... please put me..." began Lily, but the hat didn't give her time to finish
"SLYTHERIN!!" it shouted, and Lily felt her heart fill again. She took it off and smiled at Severus while walking to the Slytherin table.
"Farnati George!" said McGonagall. Lily was so happy she didn't care to the following sorting, while she noticed she was hungry. Really hungry. But the plate in front of her was empty, as all the others.
Lily took a few time looking around and noticed many things she hadn't seen before. First of all, in the middle of her table was standing a... ghost! And several others were flying around the tables.
"Pettigrew Peter!" Lily shocked herself out of her astonishment and watched.
"GRYFFINDOR!!" shouted the hat. Lily's heart flopped again. What if even Severus was sorted for another house? Hoping so much for Slytherin should have been useless. Till a moment before she was feeling safe, but now... She grapped the table hard, feeling bad again while "Poncher William!" was sorted Hufflepuff.
"Potter, James!" Lily was once again taken away from her thoughts. It was the boy with the brother wand.
The Big Hall was silent, watching the hat. It was taking longer than the others. Then, all of a sudden, the hat shouted
"AH!" some moments of astonishment passed "Gryffindor" said the hat quietly, sounding extremely serious. The young wizard took off the hat, uncertain. Professor McGonagall was uncertain, too, but smiled at him saying "Welcome, Mr. Potter."
The Sorting went on normally, as if nothing had happened and quickly everyone forgot the event. Lily got back worrying about Severus. Finally, also her dark haired friend was called
"SLYTHERIN!!" announced the hat. Lily rather hugged him for happiness. Everything had gone well and as the last ones were called, she thought there was no need to worry so much.
"Zubbert Ronald!" was the last to be sorted ("SLYTHERIN!!"). Professor McGonagall put the pachment away and was going to take the hat away as well, when it spoke again, by everybody's astonishment
"Excuse me, I've made a mistake." Professor McGonagall stopped, uncertain
"Lily Evans, would you please come back here, please?" said the hat
Lily felt as if her the world was falling on her. Why? Why her? She had hoped so much to be with someone she knew. To be with Severus. It was just not fair.
The little girl went on, quivering. She wore the hat again.
"I'm really sorry for this. Really" whispered the voice
"P...please..." whispered Lily, but it was too late
"GRYFFINDOR!!!" shouted the hat, louder than before as to assure everyone that this time he was right. For some neverending moments, no one moved. Lily took the hat off her head very slowly, trying not to cry. Gryffindor's table exploded in applauses.
She did not noticed that.
THE SORTING
The castle was on the top of a mountain, enlighted by thousand of inner lights, it stood out of the dark sky like an illustration in one of Lily's books. She was amazed. The cold air wasn't bothering her anymore, for what she was staring at was much better than books or illustrations. It was true.
The moon was reflecting on the surface of the lake where the boats silently slided. Everybody was feeling the same as her and, keeping the breath, watched the enchanted castle above them.
After some of the best minutes in Lily's life, the boats reached the other shore, right under the castle in a kind of underground harbour. Their gigantic guide took them up a passage in the rock, toward a garden under the castle's shadow.
The man knocked the huge wooden door they were in front of, and a woman opened it from inside. It was Professor McGonagall.
"Thank you, Hagrid. I'll take them from now on," she said with a bit of a smile playing on her strict face. The man turned to them, made a quick smile and walked on.
"Follow me," ordered the witch, turning and walking through a large hall. Her steps were echoing loudly, for the room was as large as a cave.
The crowd did as told. No one was talking anymore. Hundreds of buzzing voices were coming from a big door on their left. It was probably the Great Hall, but Professor McGonagall took them to a small room behind it.
"Wait here and be quiet. I'm going to see if they are ready for the ceremony," said the witch.
Lily was feeling both excited and scared at the same time. Her stomach seemed to have been tied into a knot. The room was, of course, warmer than the outside, but she was freezing again.
The ceremony. It was the Sorting, of course. Lily felt as if in that very moment her fate was going to be jugded. The people she'd have been with for the next seven years were going to be chosen in the next few minutes. 'Slytherin, please, let it be Slytherin!' thought the little girl, feeling even smaller.
She had known Severus for just a few hours, and Peter for even less, but she felt them as her safeness anchor in that big, strange, intriguing place. At that moment, in front of that closed door, waiting for her destiny, she felt she couldn't face being far from the only two people she knew.
Lily looked at Severus, at her side. He smiled her. Not really a reassuring smile. He was scared, too.
The door opened suddendly.
"We are ready," announced Professor McGonagall. Lily swallowed, her throat was completely dry.
The crowd followed the witch into the Great Hall. It was surely the biggest room Lily had ever seen. Four long tables were placed longitudinally, students were sitting around them, chatting. Another table was at the end of the room, with the teachers. The whole room was lit by candels fluttering around from a man's height to... Lily suddendly noticed that there was NO ceiling. The sky could be seen on their heads.
"That's not really the sky; it's just a magic." Severus had noticed her astonished look.
As they entered the room, all the chatting stopped, and people stared at them, making Lily feel even more uncomfortable.
McGonagall had taken them to the teacher's table, in front of which had been placed a stool with a very old hat.
Lily was going to collapse in that very moment, her knees were quivering. She was so scared that she didn't even noticed when the hat started to sing a long story about Hogwarts and how it had been made. At the end, Severus had to push her to make her applaud with everyone else in the room.
Then, Professor McGonagall came in, holding a parchment
"Averne Hannah!" called loudly. A dark haired girl walked slowly toward the stool, sat on it and wore the hat. It was covering her eyes. Some moments passed by with nothing happening, then
"HUFFLEPUFF!!" shouted the hat. Students from the Hufflepuff table applauded loudly as the little girl walked toward them.
"Balance Mandy!" another girl approached the stool. The same scene took place again, exept that this girl was sent to "RAVENCLAW!!"
Professor McGonagall went on calling names, and Lily felt more and more anxiety as the "E" was approaching. Then, finally
"Evans Lily!" Her heart flopped, and she remained stuck where she was. Severus pushed her gently, giving a warm smile. Lily looked at the hat, swallowed and went quivering to sit on the stool. She wore the hat.
"So..." a voice whispered at Lily's ear "a little anxious, aren't we? You didn't even listen my song earlier."
"So... sorry," whispered Lily as reply
"You're worrying about being alone, aren't you? You mustn't, I'll put you where you'll be fine and you'll be able to develop your abilities, so don't worry"
"Please... please put me..." began Lily, but the hat didn't give her time to finish
"SLYTHERIN!!" it shouted, and Lily felt her heart fill again. She took it off and smiled at Severus while walking to the Slytherin table.
"Farnati George!" said McGonagall. Lily was so happy she didn't care to the following sorting, while she noticed she was hungry. Really hungry. But the plate in front of her was empty, as all the others.
Lily took a few time looking around and noticed many things she hadn't seen before. First of all, in the middle of her table was standing a... ghost! And several others were flying around the tables.
"Pettigrew Peter!" Lily shocked herself out of her astonishment and watched.
"GRYFFINDOR!!" shouted the hat. Lily's heart flopped again. What if even Severus was sorted for another house? Hoping so much for Slytherin should have been useless. Till a moment before she was feeling safe, but now... She grapped the table hard, feeling bad again while "Poncher William!" was sorted Hufflepuff.
"Potter, James!" Lily was once again taken away from her thoughts. It was the boy with the brother wand.
The Big Hall was silent, watching the hat. It was taking longer than the others. Then, all of a sudden, the hat shouted
"AH!" some moments of astonishment passed "Gryffindor" said the hat quietly, sounding extremely serious. The young wizard took off the hat, uncertain. Professor McGonagall was uncertain, too, but smiled at him saying "Welcome, Mr. Potter."
The Sorting went on normally, as if nothing had happened and quickly everyone forgot the event. Lily got back worrying about Severus. Finally, also her dark haired friend was called
"SLYTHERIN!!" announced the hat. Lily rather hugged him for happiness. Everything had gone well and as the last ones were called, she thought there was no need to worry so much.
"Zubbert Ronald!" was the last to be sorted ("SLYTHERIN!!"). Professor McGonagall put the pachment away and was going to take the hat away as well, when it spoke again, by everybody's astonishment
"Excuse me, I've made a mistake." Professor McGonagall stopped, uncertain
"Lily Evans, would you please come back here, please?" said the hat
Lily felt as if her the world was falling on her. Why? Why her? She had hoped so much to be with someone she knew. To be with Severus. It was just not fair.
The little girl went on, quivering. She wore the hat again.
"I'm really sorry for this. Really" whispered the voice
"P...please..." whispered Lily, but it was too late
"GRYFFINDOR!!!" shouted the hat, louder than before as to assure everyone that this time he was right. For some neverending moments, no one moved. Lily took the hat off her head very slowly, trying not to cry. Gryffindor's table exploded in applauses.
She did not noticed that.