Here's chapter 2!

I wrote a new Sorting Hat song which I'm very proud of! Perhaps not quite JK standard though...

Enjoy...


Chapter 2 - The Sorting

The train pulled into a small station, dimly lit and with a sign saying,

'Hogsmeade'. Lily and Cassie clambered out of the train and found themselves

being swept along with the surging crowd of students. About halfway down the

platform the crowd parted and an absolutely giant man appeared with a flickering lamp in his

hand."Firs' years. Anymore firs' years?" Lily and Cassie joined the small gaggle of

students at his feet. Peter and Sirius, who they had lost on the train, joined them

after a couple of minutes. The group followed the huge man off the platform and

down a wide stony track. Lily could see the silhouettes of huge fir trees bearing

down on either side of her. They crunched and slid down the track for about ten

minutes then emerged at the side of what appeared to be a large, deep lake. About a

dozen little rowing boats were bobbing unsteadily in the stormy water.

Peter shuddered. "If they're suggesting we go in those boats..."

"All righ'. Four to a boat, no more. I'll be goin' up front in this one" The giant man

sunk ungracefully into the largest boat and it sunk down about half a foot into

the water. There was a moment of confusion as everybody tried to get in a boat that didn't have

holes in. Lily, Sirius, Peter and Cassie all managed to get into a rowing boat on the far right,

although it rocked rather dangerously for a while. When they were all

in the boats they sped off across the lake. Except for a nasty incident where a boy

called James dropped his glasses in the lake and nearly fell in retrieving them,

they all reached the other side of the lake unscathed.

After passing through a curtain of ivy, the first years found themselves

approaching a vast, rambling castle. Lights shone from thousands of windows,

and hundreds of towers and turrets were dark against the light of the half moon.

The man lead them all up to a huge oak door a knocked on it three times with a

great meaty fist. It swung open to reveal a tall woman with jet black hair in a tight

bun and square rimmed glasses. Lily heard Cassie gulp, the woman looked very

strict.

"Thank-you Hagrid. I'll take them from here." The woman stepped back and they

all piled, dripping, into a cavernous entrance hall. There was a great, sweeping

marble staircase and the walls were covered in oil paintings. Nervous as she was,

Lily couldn't help realising that they were moving. She was reminded of stately castles that she

had visited with her parents, then wished she hadn't - she was already missing them. Hundreds

of voices could be heard behind a pair of thick wooden doors to the right. The woman swept a

critical eye over the first years, especially Sirius, who had fallen flat on his face on the mud

by the lake. She stepped back and nodded.

"Welcome to Hogwarts. I am Professor McGonagall, the deputy headmistress. This is where

your schooling in the magical world begins. Please proceed to the great hall in single file where

you will be sorted into your houses." Lily slotted into line between Cassie and Peter, feeling

more and more nervous by the second, and found her feet taking her into the hall.

The great hall was gigantic, there were four long tables running down to the far

end, where there was another long table on a raised platform, presumably where the

teachers sat. Right in the centre of this table sat an old man with long silvery hair

and beard and half moon glasses. Even from the other end of the hall, Lily could

make out the man's twinkling light blue eyes. She recognised him as Albus

Dumbledore, head of Hogwarts school and supposedly the most powerful wizard in

the world. The hall was lit with thousands of floating candles and the four long

tables were lined with chattering students.

"Each house has a different table," whispered Cassie "that one over there's

Griffindor" It seemed to take an age to reach the other end of the hall. The first

years lined up facing the rest of the school and there was a sudden hush. Professor

McGonagall appeared out of a side door carrying a three-legged stool and a

completely dilapidated old wizards hat. She placed it on the stool in front of the

line of first years. There was silence, then a rip near the hats brim opened wide and

it started to sing:

I have sorted students year by year

and I have yet to find

A pupil who has got no place,

An unreadable mind

A wrong decision I have yet to make

On which house would be best

Griffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Slytherin

It is but a simple test

You may be placed in Slytherin

If you pride ambition and wealth

Slytherins achieve their aims

By cunning and by stealth

Hufflepuff could suit you most

If you're one who honours friends

If you're friendly and hard working

Always willing to make amends

Or else in fiery Griffindor

Where bravery is the key

Individuals with character

Find this is the place to be

Last not least is Ravenclaw

Where dexterity is prized

Ravenclaws show wit and logic

When facing a problem disguised

So come up here and try me on

Don't try to be a fake

And please oh please don't worry

I'm yet to make a mistake!

There was a rush of applause and then more silence. Professor McGonagall stepped

forward again, this time with a scroll of parchment in her hands.

"When I call your name, please step up to the stool and put on the hat to be sorted.

Andrews, Jonathon" A small boy with blonde hair walked to the hat, looking

absolutely petrified. He nervously placed the hat on his head, and, after a second of

two, it shouted out, "Hufflepuff". One of the tables exploded with applause and

Jonathon hurried off to one of the empty seats at the end of the table. Next,

"Angleby, Laura" and "Arkworth, Julianne were sorted into Slytherin. And after

that, "Black, Sirius". Sirius stepped out, beaming, from beside Cassie and plopped

himself down on the stool Lily forgot her own worries for a second and hoped desperately that

he wouldn't be put in Slytherin. But she needn't have fretted, for within seconds he was declared

the first

Griffindor. Then "Blackthorn, Cassiopeia" was called. Cassie gave Lily's hand a

quick squeeze, took a deep breath and walked purposely to the stool to put on the

hat. It had barely settled on her head when it shouted, "Griffindor". Smiling and

looking thoroughly relieved, Cassie joined Sirius, who gave her a giant bear-hug,

at the Griffindor table. Lily looked sideways at Peter. He looked as though he'd just

been asked to do trampolining on the moon. The rest of the Bs and Cs passed

fairly quickly and before she knew it, Professor McGonagall had called, "Evans,

Lily"

Lily, very aware of hundreds of eyes on her, sat down awkwardly on the wooden

stool and placed the hat on her head. She jumped as a little voice whispered in her

ear, Hmmm, don't worry Evans, as I said earlier, there's a place for everyone.

Hmmm, very intelligent, there's a great deal of loyalty in there, and, deep down,

there's an awful lot of bravery... Lily crossed her fingers, the hat seemed to be

taking an awfully long time. So, hmmm, I think there's really no doubt about it,

you belong in "Griffindor" The hat shouted this out to the hall. Numbly, Lily

pulled it off her head. She was aware of load clapping coming from one table and

she soon found herself being hugged by Cassie and Sirius. Cassie was grinning

from ear to ear,

"BRILLIANT! I knew you'd be Griffindor! We just have to see where Peter goes

now." By the time Lily's relief had set in Professor McGonagall was on "Jones,

Mary", a tall Chinese girl who was sorted into Ravenclaw. Then "Lupin, Remus"

was called out. A pale boy with longish light brown hair and light hazel eyes, he

sat on the stool for what must have been three whole minutes before he joined the

Griffindor table. He smiled shyly at the three of them then turned to watch the

sorting. A boy with silvery blonde hair and a cold face, "Malfoy, Lucius" was

being sorted. The hat took extremely little time to proclaim him a Slytherin.

"Matthews, Joan" and "Medworth, Hannah" were both sorted into Hufflepuff then

James Potter, the boy who nearly fell in the lake was the next new Griffindor. He

was by far the tallest first year, with warm hazel eyes and messy black hair. He

grinned widely at the rest of them and settled himself next to Remus. Lily crossed

her fingers as Peter's name was called out. He looked scared stiff but after about a

minute was sorted into Griffindor. Lily cheered along with the rest, now all of her

friends were in the same house she could finally relax.