Disclaimer: I only own the characters not seen from the Harry Potter books.
The basic plot is mine too.
Thank you my betas. Even though only one of them actually send a revision... Oh well, they have a life other than waiting for me to write.
Hogwarts Express and School
"Quick, don't let them in!" cried out the twins. Mandy and I stood our ground. A voice came from the other side over the loud knocking.
"Figg! You can't run away forever!" the voice sounded very familiar. Another familiar voice said something too.
"Why did you change him back?" Yes, my suspicions were confirmed. Those two voices belonged to James and Sirius.
"James, I don't know what you are talking about," I called out innocently. The knocking stopped. "Good, I was wondering when your fists would hurt." Arabella and Ariel were trying to refrain from laughing at my tactics.
"Lily?" asked what seemed to sound like a dumbfounded James after a long moment of silence.
"No," I said sweetly. "I believe you were suppose to call me Lady Lillian." Mandy sniggered.
"There is someone else in there," said a voice I did not recognize.
"Of course there is. You don't think I would sit here all by my self do you?" my voice turned menacing. What perfect timing for James and Sirius since I was complaining about him only a little earlier.
"Please Lily, let us in," begged Sirius. Arabella and Ariel both shook their head vigorously.
"Why should I?" I asked hoping that would discourage them.
"Why would you not want us in here?" asked James using the same technique I was using. We didn't answer. It seemed like the boys were going to stay outside the door for a very long time.
"Why don't we just ignore them?" mouthed Arabella. Everyone nodded his or her heads in agreement.
"So Mandy, what were we talking about?" I asked turning to Mandy. Before she could answer, the doors were getting banged on again. "What Potter?" I shouted loosing my patience. Arabella and Ariel moved out of my way when I walked towards the door. Both of the girls decided to hide behind a very small Mandy. I swung the door open; it hit to wall with a loud bang and bounced closed again. A chubby boy with mousy blond hair shrunk back. Another unknown boy with light brown hair smiled apologetically. I looked at James and Sirius; James was looking like how he usually did with the messy hair and glasses. Sirius had a guilty aura on him; the expression he had on his face was too innocent be believable. "What are you up to?" all four boy shook their heads.
"So why would you want Fig, or whoever you were looking for?" I purposely pronounced the name like the fruit and acted clueless. The little chubby boy was about to say something but the other boys kept him quiet. All four of them mumbled distinct apologies and scurried off. I looked at their backs with suspicion. Something doesn't feel right. I turned and walked in to my compartment. Mandy and the twins were settled on the seats and Mandy was explaining to them about a Hershey's chocolate bar. Their conversation stopped immediately as I walked in.
"Oh don't stop just because of me." Mandy rose her finger and was pointing it at me while speaking gibberish. Arabella and Ariel looked at me with amused expression.
"Oh my," said Mandy finally gathering her wits. "What happened to you?" I looked at her hard. What did she mean? I went to my pack that had some daily essentials (books, comb, mirror, and notebook) and took out my mirror.
"Potter, Black!" I growled through my teeth. "Oh those immature idiots!" Mandy was afraid and Ariel looked apologetic. Of course I would be mad. First I get my cover blown because of James' big mouth, and then my hair was turned pink with purple splotches that could be called dots decorating it.
"I am sorry," whispered Ariel. "I thought since you knew James and Sirius, you would know what they are famous for. or infamous for rather." I probably looked lost.
"James and Sirius are extreme pranksters. They play jokes on everyone. Malfoy got his makeover done by those two. We took off the potpourri of curses and hexes on Malfoy so James and Sirius are quite mad at us," answered Arabella trying to clear up the mess. I sighed, so that was what Mrs. Potter meant when she was mumbling about keeping James out of trouble.
"So can you take off whatever they send me? I have a counter-spell book but I don't know what they used." Arabella nodded. She got out her wand and started working on my hair.
"They always use this one on girls' hair. I don't know how many times Ariel got cursed with it." I looked at the shyer twin; the ice between her and us was broken.
"They used that at Bella and my birthday party," explained Ariel eagerly. "I was opening the present they sent us and when the ribbon was untied, a puff of smoke came out and when it cleared, both Bella and I got our new hairstyles."
"I am sorry," I apologized on the behalf of James and Sirius.
"Oh don't be," said Ariel, some one knocked on the door of our compartment. It was a gentle knock so Mandy decided it was safe to open it. Outside the threshold was a plump lady with carts full of snacks, though they had strange names. There were Cauldron Cakes, and Chocolate Frogs, to name a few! But there was also the traditional jellybean; only it was called Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans instead of Jellybellys. The Figg twins chose their candy expertly. I was hungry and since I didn't know what to choose, I took a little bit of everything. The pile could be considered a small mountain when I finished. The food cost one galleon.
"Wow! Are you that hungry? Or are you one of those people who can eat all they want and still have a nice figure?" asked Arabella with her jaw inches from the floor.
"I think I did get a little too much," I said after I saw how small the twin's pile was. I dumped the candy near Mandy, who was enjoying her Hershey's chocolate bar.
"What do you mean by 'a little too much'? You can probably feed a giant that much and still have some left," said Ariel.
"I'll mail some back home then," I said decidedly so there was no further discussion of my snack.
My snack might have been enough to feed a giant, but it certainly wasn't enough to feed four girls. Mandy decided to try the candies from the wizarding world and I suppose that brought up everyone's appetite. By the end, I had one box of jellybeans and one chocolate frog.
"Too much eh?" I asked Ariel smirking. Everyone burst out laughing.
"Oh! I think I am going to get fat if I keep eating sweets like this," said Mandy clutching her stomach. Arabella or Bella as she prefers to be called, rolled her eyes.
"If you are going to get fat, then I am going to blow up like a balloon," Mandy was about to protest, but Bella shushed her, "Do you see how skinny you are?" She blushed.
"Well I certainly didn't feel small when both of you thought you could hide behind me!" Mandy teased. We broke into laughter again. That lasted until our stomachs hurt, because we would take just one look at each other and the laughter would start again. I think we did have a little too much sugar on that trip.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
For the rest of the train ride, everyone shared funny stories. Mandy told us the embarrassing tales of when she was around three or four years old at her family's beach house in the Mediterranean Sea. Since I didn't have a story entertaining enough to share, I was contented with listening to stories from Bella and Ariel.
"I think it was at one of our parents' social gala when we first met James and Sirius," Ariel began. "We found them putting itching powder on the coats of the adults who were present. Then it was after dinner, since everyone was dancing, the boys were under the punch bowl table."
"Ariel and I were under it too since we were the only girls and for some reason, we were always attacked by adults pinching our faces and muttering how absolutely adorable we were in the dresses mum made us were." Mandy made a face and I was unfazed. What was wrong with the dresses that made them dislike the clothing?
"Lily, the dresses were tickle-me pink with white frilly laces decorating it," explained Ariel.
"How cute!" I exclaimed. The three other girls gave me a look. "What?" I asked in bewilderment. What's wrong with pink and white laces?
"Are you out of your mind Lily?" asked Bella. "Whatever," she said again going back on subject. "Well, we realized James and Sirius were hiding Dungbombs."
"What are Dungbombs?" asked Mandy voicing my concern as well. I didn't feel like asking since I still haven't recovered from the embarrassment about the dresses.
"They are bombs that let out a horrid smell," explained Bella vaguely. "Well, when the adults were tired and wanted their drinks, the Dungbombs were set off. The entire hall reeked with the scent of rotten eggs, rancid milk, and the like." We all wrinkled our noses at that thought.
"No wonder Mrs. Potter wanted to talk to James about not getting in trouble," I muttered to myself mainly.
"Yes, but we all know that will never happen," said Ariel sadly. She didn't seem very happy about the pranks James and Sirius played. "I really hope I am not in their house."
"Houses? What houses?" I asked puzzled at the term. "There are individual houses we get to live in? You mean the school is not one building?" I asked another string of questions.
"Houses are just the unit of categorization of one group of people with similar personalities or goal or hobbies," explained Ariel. Then Bella took over.
"There are four houses; Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, and Slytherin," said Bella counting them on her fingers. "Ravenclaws are usually the more studious type. Hufflepuffs are considered the most loyal. Most people seem to look down on them since they aren't very popular. Gryffindors are the brave or courageous. Basically, they're the typical knight like, noble sort of people. Then there is Slytherin," Bella made a face, "they are very ambitious and cunning. Most of them are stuck up and very mean. The albino boy we were helping (though he doesn't believe that to be true) was a second year Slytherin."
"So what house do you think you will be?" Mandy inquired at the twins. I cocked my head in curiosity as well.
"Well, I think I will be a Gryffindor," said Bella quickly and puffing her chest in a comical way.
"I don't know." Ariel started. "Perhaps Ravenclaw. I am not very brave." Bella became indignant when her twin said that.
"What do you mean? You are brave," Ariel shook her head. She quickly directed the attention towards us.
"So what house do you think you will be in with what you know of each house?" Bella glared at her twin's tactics, but was cheery again when she looked at us.
"I really don't know," I started. "Maybe Ravenclaw or Slytherin." Bella and Ariel gasped. "What did I say wrong now?" I asked them annoyed. Getting all those surprise looks do become disconcerting after the umpteenth one. The jaws were still a few inches from the floor. Mandy shrugged and pushed their mouths closed.
"So?" asked Mandy impatiently. "I think I'd go well in Slytherin as well. All of the houses seem to fit me pretty well, except Ravenclaw. There is absolutely no way I would like to study."
"Slytherin usually do not accept Muggle-borns," replied Ariel carefully, though I didn't understand why she was careful.
"Why is that?" I asked stubbornly. I was really all non-magical. My great-grandmother was a witch, and so was the rest of her family.
"Well, you would get teased a lot and you probably won't get along with the others," explained Ariel still maintaining her cautious voice. Bella took a big breath and let it out rapidly.
"They would insult you with demeaning terms like Mudblood." The last word had caught my attention. A Mudblood, isn't that what the blond boy called me?
"And what exactly does that mean?" I inquired more forcefully. Someone insulted me and I did not even know what he said was an insult. I really needed to know whether or not I needed to get revenge, or in my terms, re-dignify myself.
"It means the blood of people without magic are considered dirty. like mud," said Bella furious. "I hate it when people use those terms. Some of the Muggle-burns are Hogwarts best students. The Headgirl last year was all muggle. She had no magically blood in her entire family." Mandy and I gave her a look of "how did you know".
"Father is on the school governing board," said Ariel offhandedly. She was reading something called Hogwarts, a History. I suppose she had picked it up during one of our uncomfortable silent moments on the topic of Mudbloods.
"What may I ask are you doing?" asked Bella putting her hands on her hips.
"Reading." That was the simple answer her twin gave not even looking up. Bella shook her head and mouthed, "She already finished it five times!" Then Bella's attention turned back to us.
"So why were you so curious about what 'Mudblood' meant?" asked Bella. "Did you hear that term from somewhere?" Mandy nodded yes. Bella's face became cold. "Who." The statement was more like a demand then a question. Her eyes narrowed as if she was daring whoever that was to face her wrath. In this case, Malfoy was on the wrong end of the problem.
"We heard it from the really blond boy," said Mandy. Bella's hand balled into fists.
"So he really deserved what the Marauders did to him and congratulations to whoever lifted his robes." She was like the calm predator eyeing its prey; only she was looking at the direction of where Malfoy's compartment would be. Mandy had chosen to snicker at that moment.
"What is so funny?" demanded Bella narrowing her eyes at her.
"Lily is the one who lifted his robes," answered Mandy between giggles. Bella's face brightened.
"Oh thank you so much! You saved my arse when you did that!" I looked at the brown haired girl, wrinkling my eyebrows. "That gave me enough time to catch myself."
"So you were the one that was dueling Malfoy!" exclaimed Mandy like she had jut solved a difficult Arithmancy problem.
"No," said Bella, "Ariel tried to reason with him before me." Upon hearing her name, Ariel looked up from her book.
"Huh? What were you talking about?"
Our conversations later were pointless since we talked about everything from the muggle world to the stars in the sky. Bella and Ariel had attempted to explain quidditch to Mandy and I, but that was hopeless. The conversation was dropped when a prefect told us to change.
"Yay! We're here!" shouted someone from another compartment. The four of us went to exit to the train with the mass of students.
"Lily!" shouted some one from behind. That was James. I winced when I heard Sirius' calling me as well. Ariel and Mandy both patted my shoulder in comfort. I begrudgingly turned around to face them. Why did I have to have such good manners then?
"I believe we left out an introduction the last time we meet," announced the sandy haired boy. "I am Remus Lupin. The other boy I am sure you don't know is Peter Pettigrew. Idiot number one and two," Remus pointed to James and Sirius, respectively. I immediately took a liking to the boy, "had forgotten their manners." Snickers broke out from the boys. I suppose the secret pun had something to do with the trick they pulled earlier. Then a voice at a higher pitch said something that probably wasn't supposed to be said.
"Hey! What happened to your hair?" It was short boy that would be Peter.
"There is nothing wrong with her hair," said Bella coaxing him to say more.
"Sirius had changed it earlier but now it is back to normal," replied the boy despite the other three boys' signals for him to stop. Instead he continued, "Are they able to reverse it?" Peter asked the others. Bella had a triumphant smile.
"Sirius, do you have a say in the matter?" asked Ariel with the same grin. I looked at her with a confused expression. What on earth are they up to? To my surprise, Sirius had gotten a hiding place between James and Remus.
"First years!" called a loud booming voice. "Over here!"
Mandy, who had been quiet during the mini interrogation, spoke up. "Come on, I think we're suppose to go that way." She pointed in the direction of an extremely large person. He, or that was what I presumed, looked like a tree even from afar. Bella and Ariel were still torturing Sirius until Mandy rolled her eyes and dragged Bella away. Ariel quickly followed and I could tell the boys gave a sigh of relief.
"First years, gather here!" said the giant once again as we approached. He led us to a large bunch of rowboats after a short walk. "Four to a boat!" Mandy, the Figg twins and I set out to find an empty. Much to everyone's distaste, there were none. Three boats had extra room. One boat had two girls who quickly waived Ariel and Arabella over. I suppose they had met earlier. The other two boats only had one space left. That meant Mandy and I would not be able to be together. The giant kindly rushed us to get in.
"Don't worry lass. You will be together soon enough." I looked at his surprisingly kind smile and headed toward the nearest one. To my utter disappointment, that happened to be filled with the two questioning boys on the platform and an arrogant looking boy whose hair looked too shiny to be normal.
"Hello," I said the usual greeting to ease the discomfort while I took a seat in front of the two friends and next to the greasy haired boy. The two behind me muttered incoherent Hi's as the other boy only scooted away from me and eyeing me in contempt. He had no right to do that if contempt was present, I should have been the one expressing it. Why would anyone respect a person who looked as if he had never discovered the existence of shampoo! Mandy and the twin gave me comforting looks before the rowboats moved on their own. I gasped mentally, but the obnoxious boy had noticed and his sour expression turned to one of a sneer. I chose to ignore him and busy myself with eyeing the large amount of water in front of me.
The lake had looked like an ocean before we saw the tip of the castle I will call home for the next term. With glistening lights illuminating the large spectacle, the sight looked like one of a fairy tale. That reminded me of a picture of the castle of Prince Charming in Cinderella shown in a movie made by the Walt Disney Company in America. Being too engrossed in the scene, a large splash made me jump. Laughter broke out and I search for the root of humor.
"Sirius, what did you think you were doing?" shouted a furious Peter. I couldn't help but feel sorry for the boy. Somehow I don't believe he would fit in well with people like James and Sirius.
"Sorry Pete. I just couldn't resist," snickered Sirius, along with the rest of students. "You were just too close to the edge." No one bothered to help the poor boy out. If I had been closer to the front, where they were, I would have offered my assistance.
"Aw, how horrible of them," I muttered shaking my head. Saying that made me feel like a mother hen and I felt more uncomfortable when my "perky" neighbor added his input.
"He deserved it. sticking around those three blundering idiots!" I hadn't responded so he turned his face to me. The sneer was irritating me. If I hadn't heard Maria's voice in my head, the palm of my hand would have made an unwelcoming introduction to his cheek. I was mad at him for saying that even though I agreed with the "blundering idiot" part for James and Sirius. He might have been half-correct but Remus seemed gentlemanly and Peter was such a darling. I kept silence. A tiny "whoop" was heard as a large tentacle lifted Peter out. Then, I had the sudden shameful thought of the tentacle lifting my neighbor and do a javelin through across the lake. The few hundred yards away from the castle seemed a lifetime away. I tried to look for Mandy, Bella, and Ariel but the sun had gone down a long time ago and I could barely make out people's silhouettes, much less tell them apart.
"Alright! We are here!" announced the giant man as we were near enough to realize the enormously large size of the castle. I had completely forgotten he was with us since he hadn't done anything to get Peter out.
"May I help you Lady Lillian?" asked the mock courteous voice belong to Sirius Black. I raised my eyebrow at his extended hand. Why did I get the feeling to not touch it?
"No thank you Mr. Black." I rolled my eyes and stepped out of my boat. I suppose the two boys behind me had lost their curiosity about my identity. That was fine. I didn't mind it at all. Taking a happy step to Mandy, Bella and Ariel, I heard the sarcastic voice of the slimy git whose name I did not care to know.
"Lady?" he asked me with a mean tease ringing from his tone.
"No, no that is not my name. It is Lily. It may sound like Lady but I assure you Lady is not a name." The four boys and my new friends couldn't help but giggle. The fact that the boys were giggling was enough for me to lose my indifferent expression.
"Are these the First years, Hagrid?" asked a stern voice from somewhere near the main gate. The giant man affirmed this and we were turned over to the stern professor.
"I am Professor McGonagall and I welcome you to Hogwarts." She looked around evaluating every student with her intense gaze. "You will each be sorted into one of four houses, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin." Excited whispered spread through the crowd. Bella and Ariel initiated a knowing smile and Mandy and I had the identical happy faces. The professor waited until the students quieted before continuing.
"Your houses will be like you family. The parts of the castle designated for each house would be your home while your common rooms would be similar to your house's family room. There will be the House Cup awarded for the house with the most points. You may earn points by your good behavior while disruptive actions will cost you. I believe the students are ready for you. Please make yourselves presentable." She eyed Peter's drenched robes in disgust. The grand doors of the hall automatically opened to reveal the large gathering of students and teachers. We followed the quick stepped teacher and stopped right in front of the Professor's table.
"I will call your name and you will put on the sorting hat." Professor McGonagall looked in the direction of the old weathered hat. As if on cue, it broke into song about each of the houses. The descriptions were basically what Bella and Ariel had told us. When Professor McGonagall started calling out the students' names, Mandy became very nervous.
"My last name begins with an 'A'!" she whined. I had forgotten about that. Oops, just a minor mistake on my part.
"Don't worry. It is just a house," I said what I hoped were comforting words. She didn't have time to answer.
"ACRA, Amanda!" called the deputy headmistress. Mandy turned around, winked, and crossed her fingers. The hat stayed on her head for perhaps ten seconds before it called out, "GRYFFINDOR!" Everyone in the hall clapped politely. Next came a few other A's and B's were next.
"Black, Sirius!" called the professor. Laughter broke out once again among the first years since Sirius proved to not judge someone by his or her name. He confidently placed the hat on his head and within seconds, it shouted Gryffindor. To my surprise, Sirius was the only B this year so C's were next and a few D's followed. I happily thought Ev was pretty late in the alphabet so I still had some time to guess what the hat would do. I really hope it didn't read minds. That would just be embarrassing.
"Evans, Lillian!" A few people stared and I suppose that was because I looked startled.
"Already?" I asked to no one in particular. Ariel shoved me forward and Bella rolled her eyes meaning to say "of course dummy." The walk to the stool seemed longer than expected. I gently picked up the old hat and perhaps it was just me, but I could have sworn it smiled.
"Ah, I know your great-grandmother. She was the studious type. In Ravenclaw I believe - you say you might like that? Well, let me see. Um, no, you are a tad more fun than always study." I felt my cheeks burn. So maybe the hat does read minds.
"No dearie, I don't read minds. You told me that whether you believe it or not. I only look for the personality." The hat was silent for a few moments. I scanned the room looking for people's reactions. It hadn't taken others that long.
"Is there something wrong?" I asked the hat, feeling somewhat foolish.
"Oh no. You are quite difficult to sort. Not Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff. That is for sure. Slytherin can't do. Would you like Gryffindor?"
"But I am not brave," I protested.
"Bravery is not merely being not afraid of small dark spaces," the hat explained. How did she know I was claustrophobic?
"I suppose that would be fine. Mandy is there." The problem was resolved when the Sorting Hat yelled Gryffindor. Sirius whistled and clapped like a lunatic while Mandy, who happened to be next to him shrieked as she applauded.
"Lily!" called Sirius overdramatically. "We thought we had lost you over there!" He resumed the theatrics by pulling Mandy and I into a tight hug and emitting what I guess would be sniffing sounds.
"Let go! I can't breathe!" complained Mandy wrenching Sirius' arm away from her neck. I looked around at the other Gryffindors to seek help, but was met with many amused looks. It was when Bella was to be sorted did Sirius finally let go.
"GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the hat with a beaming Bella skipping towards us. We didn't do many of the congratulatory ceremony Sirius had planned since Ariel was to be sorting. Disappointing groans were heard when the other Figg twin was placed in Ravenclaw. Gryffindor received its share of First years between the letters F to O. One of which was Remus Lupin. He smiled happily as he joined us and the ever so polite Sirius shoved Mandy out of the way to give room for his friend. Mandy scowled but she was happy since that gave her a little more distance from the unpredictable black haired wizard.
"Pettigrew, Peter." He had probably sat on the stool for nearly as I as I had. And the most coincidental thing was he was sorted in Gryffindor as well. Sirius and Remus each gave the short boy a pat and resumed seated since James would be sorted soon.
"Potter, James." Before James put on the hat, he waved at the headmaster. I had stared too long since the old man had caught me staring and winked. I felt my cheeks burn for the second time tonight.
"Jamie!" squealed Sirius once again. All of the Gryffindors groaned as they prepared themselves for another episode of "Sirius, the Drama Queen". He did the ceremonial hug and James managed to choke Sirius before he was the victim. "James, let go." Everyone who heard burst out in muffled snickers since Sirius usually did the choking. The four friends were reunited and I could feel the mischief rising in the air.
The sorting was finally over. The latter half was not as exciting since James was the last person for me to expect the outcome. The un-neighborly boy I had to sit with in the boat was named Severus Snape and he was Slytherin. To my astonishment (not really), he joined Malfoy and his two cronies. I could have guessed they were friends. They had the same aversion for The Boys, the Figg twins, and me.
How sad, the first day hadn't truly started and I already had two people sneering at me. At least I had three loveable friends and two annoying acquaintances.
Postscript: The next part would be a series of mishaps for Lily and others.
Was it just my confused brain or was chapter four and three really twisted? I had thought I deleted the author notes, but grrr. maybe I did something wrong. Also, I want to apologize for the long delay. If my school schedule keeps on being at least three tests per week along with a presentation, I won't be able to update frequently, not to mention I won't even be able to write at all! If you would like me to e-mail you when I do update, let me know somehow (e-mail or review or something). School has already taken over my life.
Thanks for reading. Tata!
Appreciation Notes:
Emma: I had said earlier the ficcy is going to be somewhat love/hate (make that dislike, grudge, etc.), but I'll see what I can do about your idea. Hmm, maybe Lily are friends with them earlier and after a summer, James changes and Lily gets annoyed with him.
Jess the Great: Good thing whatever you are confused about is cleared up. If there are anymore questions, just let me know and I will explain.
Meghan: Thanks for the review. Compliments are always a nice side dish to writing.
Jackie: I just love the encouraging words. okay maybe not love, but reeeaaally like.
Rachna: Thanks for the offer, but I already have three. And I realized having multiple betas is a bit hard when reviewing their corrections since my brain just have a hard time getting all the corrections.
Thank you my betas. Even though only one of them actually send a revision... Oh well, they have a life other than waiting for me to write.
Hogwarts Express and School
"Quick, don't let them in!" cried out the twins. Mandy and I stood our ground. A voice came from the other side over the loud knocking.
"Figg! You can't run away forever!" the voice sounded very familiar. Another familiar voice said something too.
"Why did you change him back?" Yes, my suspicions were confirmed. Those two voices belonged to James and Sirius.
"James, I don't know what you are talking about," I called out innocently. The knocking stopped. "Good, I was wondering when your fists would hurt." Arabella and Ariel were trying to refrain from laughing at my tactics.
"Lily?" asked what seemed to sound like a dumbfounded James after a long moment of silence.
"No," I said sweetly. "I believe you were suppose to call me Lady Lillian." Mandy sniggered.
"There is someone else in there," said a voice I did not recognize.
"Of course there is. You don't think I would sit here all by my self do you?" my voice turned menacing. What perfect timing for James and Sirius since I was complaining about him only a little earlier.
"Please Lily, let us in," begged Sirius. Arabella and Ariel both shook their head vigorously.
"Why should I?" I asked hoping that would discourage them.
"Why would you not want us in here?" asked James using the same technique I was using. We didn't answer. It seemed like the boys were going to stay outside the door for a very long time.
"Why don't we just ignore them?" mouthed Arabella. Everyone nodded his or her heads in agreement.
"So Mandy, what were we talking about?" I asked turning to Mandy. Before she could answer, the doors were getting banged on again. "What Potter?" I shouted loosing my patience. Arabella and Ariel moved out of my way when I walked towards the door. Both of the girls decided to hide behind a very small Mandy. I swung the door open; it hit to wall with a loud bang and bounced closed again. A chubby boy with mousy blond hair shrunk back. Another unknown boy with light brown hair smiled apologetically. I looked at James and Sirius; James was looking like how he usually did with the messy hair and glasses. Sirius had a guilty aura on him; the expression he had on his face was too innocent be believable. "What are you up to?" all four boy shook their heads.
"So why would you want Fig, or whoever you were looking for?" I purposely pronounced the name like the fruit and acted clueless. The little chubby boy was about to say something but the other boys kept him quiet. All four of them mumbled distinct apologies and scurried off. I looked at their backs with suspicion. Something doesn't feel right. I turned and walked in to my compartment. Mandy and the twins were settled on the seats and Mandy was explaining to them about a Hershey's chocolate bar. Their conversation stopped immediately as I walked in.
"Oh don't stop just because of me." Mandy rose her finger and was pointing it at me while speaking gibberish. Arabella and Ariel looked at me with amused expression.
"Oh my," said Mandy finally gathering her wits. "What happened to you?" I looked at her hard. What did she mean? I went to my pack that had some daily essentials (books, comb, mirror, and notebook) and took out my mirror.
"Potter, Black!" I growled through my teeth. "Oh those immature idiots!" Mandy was afraid and Ariel looked apologetic. Of course I would be mad. First I get my cover blown because of James' big mouth, and then my hair was turned pink with purple splotches that could be called dots decorating it.
"I am sorry," whispered Ariel. "I thought since you knew James and Sirius, you would know what they are famous for. or infamous for rather." I probably looked lost.
"James and Sirius are extreme pranksters. They play jokes on everyone. Malfoy got his makeover done by those two. We took off the potpourri of curses and hexes on Malfoy so James and Sirius are quite mad at us," answered Arabella trying to clear up the mess. I sighed, so that was what Mrs. Potter meant when she was mumbling about keeping James out of trouble.
"So can you take off whatever they send me? I have a counter-spell book but I don't know what they used." Arabella nodded. She got out her wand and started working on my hair.
"They always use this one on girls' hair. I don't know how many times Ariel got cursed with it." I looked at the shyer twin; the ice between her and us was broken.
"They used that at Bella and my birthday party," explained Ariel eagerly. "I was opening the present they sent us and when the ribbon was untied, a puff of smoke came out and when it cleared, both Bella and I got our new hairstyles."
"I am sorry," I apologized on the behalf of James and Sirius.
"Oh don't be," said Ariel, some one knocked on the door of our compartment. It was a gentle knock so Mandy decided it was safe to open it. Outside the threshold was a plump lady with carts full of snacks, though they had strange names. There were Cauldron Cakes, and Chocolate Frogs, to name a few! But there was also the traditional jellybean; only it was called Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans instead of Jellybellys. The Figg twins chose their candy expertly. I was hungry and since I didn't know what to choose, I took a little bit of everything. The pile could be considered a small mountain when I finished. The food cost one galleon.
"Wow! Are you that hungry? Or are you one of those people who can eat all they want and still have a nice figure?" asked Arabella with her jaw inches from the floor.
"I think I did get a little too much," I said after I saw how small the twin's pile was. I dumped the candy near Mandy, who was enjoying her Hershey's chocolate bar.
"What do you mean by 'a little too much'? You can probably feed a giant that much and still have some left," said Ariel.
"I'll mail some back home then," I said decidedly so there was no further discussion of my snack.
My snack might have been enough to feed a giant, but it certainly wasn't enough to feed four girls. Mandy decided to try the candies from the wizarding world and I suppose that brought up everyone's appetite. By the end, I had one box of jellybeans and one chocolate frog.
"Too much eh?" I asked Ariel smirking. Everyone burst out laughing.
"Oh! I think I am going to get fat if I keep eating sweets like this," said Mandy clutching her stomach. Arabella or Bella as she prefers to be called, rolled her eyes.
"If you are going to get fat, then I am going to blow up like a balloon," Mandy was about to protest, but Bella shushed her, "Do you see how skinny you are?" She blushed.
"Well I certainly didn't feel small when both of you thought you could hide behind me!" Mandy teased. We broke into laughter again. That lasted until our stomachs hurt, because we would take just one look at each other and the laughter would start again. I think we did have a little too much sugar on that trip.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
For the rest of the train ride, everyone shared funny stories. Mandy told us the embarrassing tales of when she was around three or four years old at her family's beach house in the Mediterranean Sea. Since I didn't have a story entertaining enough to share, I was contented with listening to stories from Bella and Ariel.
"I think it was at one of our parents' social gala when we first met James and Sirius," Ariel began. "We found them putting itching powder on the coats of the adults who were present. Then it was after dinner, since everyone was dancing, the boys were under the punch bowl table."
"Ariel and I were under it too since we were the only girls and for some reason, we were always attacked by adults pinching our faces and muttering how absolutely adorable we were in the dresses mum made us were." Mandy made a face and I was unfazed. What was wrong with the dresses that made them dislike the clothing?
"Lily, the dresses were tickle-me pink with white frilly laces decorating it," explained Ariel.
"How cute!" I exclaimed. The three other girls gave me a look. "What?" I asked in bewilderment. What's wrong with pink and white laces?
"Are you out of your mind Lily?" asked Bella. "Whatever," she said again going back on subject. "Well, we realized James and Sirius were hiding Dungbombs."
"What are Dungbombs?" asked Mandy voicing my concern as well. I didn't feel like asking since I still haven't recovered from the embarrassment about the dresses.
"They are bombs that let out a horrid smell," explained Bella vaguely. "Well, when the adults were tired and wanted their drinks, the Dungbombs were set off. The entire hall reeked with the scent of rotten eggs, rancid milk, and the like." We all wrinkled our noses at that thought.
"No wonder Mrs. Potter wanted to talk to James about not getting in trouble," I muttered to myself mainly.
"Yes, but we all know that will never happen," said Ariel sadly. She didn't seem very happy about the pranks James and Sirius played. "I really hope I am not in their house."
"Houses? What houses?" I asked puzzled at the term. "There are individual houses we get to live in? You mean the school is not one building?" I asked another string of questions.
"Houses are just the unit of categorization of one group of people with similar personalities or goal or hobbies," explained Ariel. Then Bella took over.
"There are four houses; Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, and Slytherin," said Bella counting them on her fingers. "Ravenclaws are usually the more studious type. Hufflepuffs are considered the most loyal. Most people seem to look down on them since they aren't very popular. Gryffindors are the brave or courageous. Basically, they're the typical knight like, noble sort of people. Then there is Slytherin," Bella made a face, "they are very ambitious and cunning. Most of them are stuck up and very mean. The albino boy we were helping (though he doesn't believe that to be true) was a second year Slytherin."
"So what house do you think you will be?" Mandy inquired at the twins. I cocked my head in curiosity as well.
"Well, I think I will be a Gryffindor," said Bella quickly and puffing her chest in a comical way.
"I don't know." Ariel started. "Perhaps Ravenclaw. I am not very brave." Bella became indignant when her twin said that.
"What do you mean? You are brave," Ariel shook her head. She quickly directed the attention towards us.
"So what house do you think you will be in with what you know of each house?" Bella glared at her twin's tactics, but was cheery again when she looked at us.
"I really don't know," I started. "Maybe Ravenclaw or Slytherin." Bella and Ariel gasped. "What did I say wrong now?" I asked them annoyed. Getting all those surprise looks do become disconcerting after the umpteenth one. The jaws were still a few inches from the floor. Mandy shrugged and pushed their mouths closed.
"So?" asked Mandy impatiently. "I think I'd go well in Slytherin as well. All of the houses seem to fit me pretty well, except Ravenclaw. There is absolutely no way I would like to study."
"Slytherin usually do not accept Muggle-borns," replied Ariel carefully, though I didn't understand why she was careful.
"Why is that?" I asked stubbornly. I was really all non-magical. My great-grandmother was a witch, and so was the rest of her family.
"Well, you would get teased a lot and you probably won't get along with the others," explained Ariel still maintaining her cautious voice. Bella took a big breath and let it out rapidly.
"They would insult you with demeaning terms like Mudblood." The last word had caught my attention. A Mudblood, isn't that what the blond boy called me?
"And what exactly does that mean?" I inquired more forcefully. Someone insulted me and I did not even know what he said was an insult. I really needed to know whether or not I needed to get revenge, or in my terms, re-dignify myself.
"It means the blood of people without magic are considered dirty. like mud," said Bella furious. "I hate it when people use those terms. Some of the Muggle-burns are Hogwarts best students. The Headgirl last year was all muggle. She had no magically blood in her entire family." Mandy and I gave her a look of "how did you know".
"Father is on the school governing board," said Ariel offhandedly. She was reading something called Hogwarts, a History. I suppose she had picked it up during one of our uncomfortable silent moments on the topic of Mudbloods.
"What may I ask are you doing?" asked Bella putting her hands on her hips.
"Reading." That was the simple answer her twin gave not even looking up. Bella shook her head and mouthed, "She already finished it five times!" Then Bella's attention turned back to us.
"So why were you so curious about what 'Mudblood' meant?" asked Bella. "Did you hear that term from somewhere?" Mandy nodded yes. Bella's face became cold. "Who." The statement was more like a demand then a question. Her eyes narrowed as if she was daring whoever that was to face her wrath. In this case, Malfoy was on the wrong end of the problem.
"We heard it from the really blond boy," said Mandy. Bella's hand balled into fists.
"So he really deserved what the Marauders did to him and congratulations to whoever lifted his robes." She was like the calm predator eyeing its prey; only she was looking at the direction of where Malfoy's compartment would be. Mandy had chosen to snicker at that moment.
"What is so funny?" demanded Bella narrowing her eyes at her.
"Lily is the one who lifted his robes," answered Mandy between giggles. Bella's face brightened.
"Oh thank you so much! You saved my arse when you did that!" I looked at the brown haired girl, wrinkling my eyebrows. "That gave me enough time to catch myself."
"So you were the one that was dueling Malfoy!" exclaimed Mandy like she had jut solved a difficult Arithmancy problem.
"No," said Bella, "Ariel tried to reason with him before me." Upon hearing her name, Ariel looked up from her book.
"Huh? What were you talking about?"
Our conversations later were pointless since we talked about everything from the muggle world to the stars in the sky. Bella and Ariel had attempted to explain quidditch to Mandy and I, but that was hopeless. The conversation was dropped when a prefect told us to change.
"Yay! We're here!" shouted someone from another compartment. The four of us went to exit to the train with the mass of students.
"Lily!" shouted some one from behind. That was James. I winced when I heard Sirius' calling me as well. Ariel and Mandy both patted my shoulder in comfort. I begrudgingly turned around to face them. Why did I have to have such good manners then?
"I believe we left out an introduction the last time we meet," announced the sandy haired boy. "I am Remus Lupin. The other boy I am sure you don't know is Peter Pettigrew. Idiot number one and two," Remus pointed to James and Sirius, respectively. I immediately took a liking to the boy, "had forgotten their manners." Snickers broke out from the boys. I suppose the secret pun had something to do with the trick they pulled earlier. Then a voice at a higher pitch said something that probably wasn't supposed to be said.
"Hey! What happened to your hair?" It was short boy that would be Peter.
"There is nothing wrong with her hair," said Bella coaxing him to say more.
"Sirius had changed it earlier but now it is back to normal," replied the boy despite the other three boys' signals for him to stop. Instead he continued, "Are they able to reverse it?" Peter asked the others. Bella had a triumphant smile.
"Sirius, do you have a say in the matter?" asked Ariel with the same grin. I looked at her with a confused expression. What on earth are they up to? To my surprise, Sirius had gotten a hiding place between James and Remus.
"First years!" called a loud booming voice. "Over here!"
Mandy, who had been quiet during the mini interrogation, spoke up. "Come on, I think we're suppose to go that way." She pointed in the direction of an extremely large person. He, or that was what I presumed, looked like a tree even from afar. Bella and Ariel were still torturing Sirius until Mandy rolled her eyes and dragged Bella away. Ariel quickly followed and I could tell the boys gave a sigh of relief.
"First years, gather here!" said the giant once again as we approached. He led us to a large bunch of rowboats after a short walk. "Four to a boat!" Mandy, the Figg twins and I set out to find an empty. Much to everyone's distaste, there were none. Three boats had extra room. One boat had two girls who quickly waived Ariel and Arabella over. I suppose they had met earlier. The other two boats only had one space left. That meant Mandy and I would not be able to be together. The giant kindly rushed us to get in.
"Don't worry lass. You will be together soon enough." I looked at his surprisingly kind smile and headed toward the nearest one. To my utter disappointment, that happened to be filled with the two questioning boys on the platform and an arrogant looking boy whose hair looked too shiny to be normal.
"Hello," I said the usual greeting to ease the discomfort while I took a seat in front of the two friends and next to the greasy haired boy. The two behind me muttered incoherent Hi's as the other boy only scooted away from me and eyeing me in contempt. He had no right to do that if contempt was present, I should have been the one expressing it. Why would anyone respect a person who looked as if he had never discovered the existence of shampoo! Mandy and the twin gave me comforting looks before the rowboats moved on their own. I gasped mentally, but the obnoxious boy had noticed and his sour expression turned to one of a sneer. I chose to ignore him and busy myself with eyeing the large amount of water in front of me.
The lake had looked like an ocean before we saw the tip of the castle I will call home for the next term. With glistening lights illuminating the large spectacle, the sight looked like one of a fairy tale. That reminded me of a picture of the castle of Prince Charming in Cinderella shown in a movie made by the Walt Disney Company in America. Being too engrossed in the scene, a large splash made me jump. Laughter broke out and I search for the root of humor.
"Sirius, what did you think you were doing?" shouted a furious Peter. I couldn't help but feel sorry for the boy. Somehow I don't believe he would fit in well with people like James and Sirius.
"Sorry Pete. I just couldn't resist," snickered Sirius, along with the rest of students. "You were just too close to the edge." No one bothered to help the poor boy out. If I had been closer to the front, where they were, I would have offered my assistance.
"Aw, how horrible of them," I muttered shaking my head. Saying that made me feel like a mother hen and I felt more uncomfortable when my "perky" neighbor added his input.
"He deserved it. sticking around those three blundering idiots!" I hadn't responded so he turned his face to me. The sneer was irritating me. If I hadn't heard Maria's voice in my head, the palm of my hand would have made an unwelcoming introduction to his cheek. I was mad at him for saying that even though I agreed with the "blundering idiot" part for James and Sirius. He might have been half-correct but Remus seemed gentlemanly and Peter was such a darling. I kept silence. A tiny "whoop" was heard as a large tentacle lifted Peter out. Then, I had the sudden shameful thought of the tentacle lifting my neighbor and do a javelin through across the lake. The few hundred yards away from the castle seemed a lifetime away. I tried to look for Mandy, Bella, and Ariel but the sun had gone down a long time ago and I could barely make out people's silhouettes, much less tell them apart.
"Alright! We are here!" announced the giant man as we were near enough to realize the enormously large size of the castle. I had completely forgotten he was with us since he hadn't done anything to get Peter out.
"May I help you Lady Lillian?" asked the mock courteous voice belong to Sirius Black. I raised my eyebrow at his extended hand. Why did I get the feeling to not touch it?
"No thank you Mr. Black." I rolled my eyes and stepped out of my boat. I suppose the two boys behind me had lost their curiosity about my identity. That was fine. I didn't mind it at all. Taking a happy step to Mandy, Bella and Ariel, I heard the sarcastic voice of the slimy git whose name I did not care to know.
"Lady?" he asked me with a mean tease ringing from his tone.
"No, no that is not my name. It is Lily. It may sound like Lady but I assure you Lady is not a name." The four boys and my new friends couldn't help but giggle. The fact that the boys were giggling was enough for me to lose my indifferent expression.
"Are these the First years, Hagrid?" asked a stern voice from somewhere near the main gate. The giant man affirmed this and we were turned over to the stern professor.
"I am Professor McGonagall and I welcome you to Hogwarts." She looked around evaluating every student with her intense gaze. "You will each be sorted into one of four houses, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin." Excited whispered spread through the crowd. Bella and Ariel initiated a knowing smile and Mandy and I had the identical happy faces. The professor waited until the students quieted before continuing.
"Your houses will be like you family. The parts of the castle designated for each house would be your home while your common rooms would be similar to your house's family room. There will be the House Cup awarded for the house with the most points. You may earn points by your good behavior while disruptive actions will cost you. I believe the students are ready for you. Please make yourselves presentable." She eyed Peter's drenched robes in disgust. The grand doors of the hall automatically opened to reveal the large gathering of students and teachers. We followed the quick stepped teacher and stopped right in front of the Professor's table.
"I will call your name and you will put on the sorting hat." Professor McGonagall looked in the direction of the old weathered hat. As if on cue, it broke into song about each of the houses. The descriptions were basically what Bella and Ariel had told us. When Professor McGonagall started calling out the students' names, Mandy became very nervous.
"My last name begins with an 'A'!" she whined. I had forgotten about that. Oops, just a minor mistake on my part.
"Don't worry. It is just a house," I said what I hoped were comforting words. She didn't have time to answer.
"ACRA, Amanda!" called the deputy headmistress. Mandy turned around, winked, and crossed her fingers. The hat stayed on her head for perhaps ten seconds before it called out, "GRYFFINDOR!" Everyone in the hall clapped politely. Next came a few other A's and B's were next.
"Black, Sirius!" called the professor. Laughter broke out once again among the first years since Sirius proved to not judge someone by his or her name. He confidently placed the hat on his head and within seconds, it shouted Gryffindor. To my surprise, Sirius was the only B this year so C's were next and a few D's followed. I happily thought Ev was pretty late in the alphabet so I still had some time to guess what the hat would do. I really hope it didn't read minds. That would just be embarrassing.
"Evans, Lillian!" A few people stared and I suppose that was because I looked startled.
"Already?" I asked to no one in particular. Ariel shoved me forward and Bella rolled her eyes meaning to say "of course dummy." The walk to the stool seemed longer than expected. I gently picked up the old hat and perhaps it was just me, but I could have sworn it smiled.
"Ah, I know your great-grandmother. She was the studious type. In Ravenclaw I believe - you say you might like that? Well, let me see. Um, no, you are a tad more fun than always study." I felt my cheeks burn. So maybe the hat does read minds.
"No dearie, I don't read minds. You told me that whether you believe it or not. I only look for the personality." The hat was silent for a few moments. I scanned the room looking for people's reactions. It hadn't taken others that long.
"Is there something wrong?" I asked the hat, feeling somewhat foolish.
"Oh no. You are quite difficult to sort. Not Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff. That is for sure. Slytherin can't do. Would you like Gryffindor?"
"But I am not brave," I protested.
"Bravery is not merely being not afraid of small dark spaces," the hat explained. How did she know I was claustrophobic?
"I suppose that would be fine. Mandy is there." The problem was resolved when the Sorting Hat yelled Gryffindor. Sirius whistled and clapped like a lunatic while Mandy, who happened to be next to him shrieked as she applauded.
"Lily!" called Sirius overdramatically. "We thought we had lost you over there!" He resumed the theatrics by pulling Mandy and I into a tight hug and emitting what I guess would be sniffing sounds.
"Let go! I can't breathe!" complained Mandy wrenching Sirius' arm away from her neck. I looked around at the other Gryffindors to seek help, but was met with many amused looks. It was when Bella was to be sorted did Sirius finally let go.
"GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the hat with a beaming Bella skipping towards us. We didn't do many of the congratulatory ceremony Sirius had planned since Ariel was to be sorting. Disappointing groans were heard when the other Figg twin was placed in Ravenclaw. Gryffindor received its share of First years between the letters F to O. One of which was Remus Lupin. He smiled happily as he joined us and the ever so polite Sirius shoved Mandy out of the way to give room for his friend. Mandy scowled but she was happy since that gave her a little more distance from the unpredictable black haired wizard.
"Pettigrew, Peter." He had probably sat on the stool for nearly as I as I had. And the most coincidental thing was he was sorted in Gryffindor as well. Sirius and Remus each gave the short boy a pat and resumed seated since James would be sorted soon.
"Potter, James." Before James put on the hat, he waved at the headmaster. I had stared too long since the old man had caught me staring and winked. I felt my cheeks burn for the second time tonight.
"Jamie!" squealed Sirius once again. All of the Gryffindors groaned as they prepared themselves for another episode of "Sirius, the Drama Queen". He did the ceremonial hug and James managed to choke Sirius before he was the victim. "James, let go." Everyone who heard burst out in muffled snickers since Sirius usually did the choking. The four friends were reunited and I could feel the mischief rising in the air.
The sorting was finally over. The latter half was not as exciting since James was the last person for me to expect the outcome. The un-neighborly boy I had to sit with in the boat was named Severus Snape and he was Slytherin. To my astonishment (not really), he joined Malfoy and his two cronies. I could have guessed they were friends. They had the same aversion for The Boys, the Figg twins, and me.
How sad, the first day hadn't truly started and I already had two people sneering at me. At least I had three loveable friends and two annoying acquaintances.
Postscript: The next part would be a series of mishaps for Lily and others.
Was it just my confused brain or was chapter four and three really twisted? I had thought I deleted the author notes, but grrr. maybe I did something wrong. Also, I want to apologize for the long delay. If my school schedule keeps on being at least three tests per week along with a presentation, I won't be able to update frequently, not to mention I won't even be able to write at all! If you would like me to e-mail you when I do update, let me know somehow (e-mail or review or something). School has already taken over my life.
Thanks for reading. Tata!
Appreciation Notes:
Emma: I had said earlier the ficcy is going to be somewhat love/hate (make that dislike, grudge, etc.), but I'll see what I can do about your idea. Hmm, maybe Lily are friends with them earlier and after a summer, James changes and Lily gets annoyed with him.
Jess the Great: Good thing whatever you are confused about is cleared up. If there are anymore questions, just let me know and I will explain.
Meghan: Thanks for the review. Compliments are always a nice side dish to writing.
Jackie: I just love the encouraging words. okay maybe not love, but reeeaaally like.
Rachna: Thanks for the offer, but I already have three. And I realized having multiple betas is a bit hard when reviewing their corrections since my brain just have a hard time getting all the corrections.