Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters created by JK Rowling. But, anything you don't recognize is mine.
Hello! I am now on the way to the THIRD chapter of That Thing You Do ((hoooraaaay!))! I was thinking about the fifth HP book when I realized…JK said she was gonna give out info on Lily and the gang…soo, if I'm not done with this story when the fifth book comes out (which I probably won't be) then…
TOO BAD!! Haha scared somebody didn't I? Anyways…thanks to all who reviewed the first and second chappies:
~Ju~ Thanks a bunch hunni!!! Yeah, you're right about her parents…maybe I can fix that later…((thinking))…
~Toria~ Thanks a bunches!
~Ebony River~ Your theory about James jumping in the lake now seems very very logical…OOPS! Thanks for reviewing. It's really helpful for a first timer (yup, I really am a first timer)! Oh, and thank you SOOOO much for adding me to your fave author, fic, AND author alert!! THANK YOU! (also, glad you agree with the eleven yr. old topic!)
~Jenny and Teeny~ tee hee… thanks for reviewing!
~Shree~ Hey, thanks for the tips and stuff! You've been so nice to me (though I keep annoying you!! Lol)!
Ok, on with the story…
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Hagrid pounded his fist against the castle door three times. The door quickly swung open, revealing a small, thin witch with silvery hair woven tightly in a single plait. Her green eyes were worn with age and her skin was similar to a prune's. Her face wore a stern expression that immediately softened at the sight of the nervous first years. She cordially nodded towards Hagrid and then directed her attention to the students.
She started in a kind, warm voice "Good evening students. If you would please follow me."
She was about to turn around when a small voice in the crowd shyly asked, "Who are you?"
The woman friendlily smiled, "Professor Geraldine Smith."
She then turned around and guided the first years into the entrance hall, its walls lit with blazing torches, the ceiling stretching high above, and the beautiful marble staircase glowing in the orange light. The students quickly looked around the hall and then followed Professor Smith into a small room off the side of the hall.
"Welcome to Hogwarts. We will soon begin the start of term banquet, but before we commence, each of you will need to be sorted into your appropriate houses. You will be grouped with people who share the same traits as you. These people will later become your family away from home. There are four houses at this school: Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Slytherin, and Hufflepuff. Each of these houses has produced wondrous witches and wizards who have succeeded throughout their life at school. When at Hogwarts, your successes will earn your house points, while your faults and rule breaking will take them away. When the year comes to a finish, these points will be totaled and the house with the greatest amount of points will receive the house cup. All students should consider this to be a great honor," she paused for effect before starting again. "We will be starting the Sorting Ceremony in a few minutes. The rest of the school will be watching." Professor Smith watched as the students' faces changed from solemn to panicked. "I will return when the ceremony is ready to begin." With that she left the room calling out, "Please remain quiet."
The students were in a hushed but frenzied state. Many loud whispers were heard telling stories like the ones Remus, James, Lily, Sirius, and Peter had heard earlier that day (A/N- I didn't forget Bella, but she was the one telling them. I just forgot to say so :s ).
"I heard that if you don't do it right they-" one voice started.
"EXPEL you!" another finished.
"But, what are we supposed to do?" a nervous whisper asked.
"Oh, we only have to pull a rabbit out of a hat. I could do that yeeeeears ago!" one voice boasted.
"Oh," the whisper nervously replied.
The stories kept getting worse and the unprepared kept fidgeting. The six friends didn't say a word, amazed at the lies the students had heard from friends, family, and the older students who were searching for a good laugh. Nevertheless, the gang soon got nervous too. They had just realized that it was possible they wouldn't be sorted into the same houses. However, they did not have much time to dwell on this thought. Professor Smith had returned and was leading the first years into the Great Hall.
The first years looked in awe at the sight before them. The room was illuminated by thousands of candles floating in mid-air above four tables that stretched the length of the hall. These tables were filled with golden goblets, golden plates, and chattering ghosts and students whose heads were turning to glance at the new students walking in. At the front of the room was the High Table where the faculty was seated. The first years were lead to the space in front of the faculty table, where they stood in a straight line felling stupid as they faced the stares of the entire school.
However, the first years soon realized their elders' eyes weren't on them, but on a battered old hat resting on a four-legged stool. Their faces wore puzzled expressions as they stared expectantly at the hat. To their surprise, the hat sprung to life! A rip by the brim opened like a mouth and the hat started to sing:
"Oh I may not be
A pretty hat, that ain't a lie, is that?
But I am smart, if you can't see
I'd die if another hat were like me
But simple as that seems to be
I am the Sorting Hat you see!
I sort the weak, the brave
And bold! You shouldn't listen
To what you've been told,
Because you'll stay with me, you see?
And I will put you where you should be.
So, come and put me to the test
I'll try to place you where you're best!
Could it be in GryffindorWhere lives the lion's soul?
The ones with brave and daring hearts
In Gryffindor will do their part!Or maybe you shall rest you see,
In the place where all the learners be,
Where wit and wisdom sit to dine,
In Ravenclaw you'd do just fine!
Though you may not be strong and buff,
There is a place in Hufflepuff
Where just and loyalty are true.
No fear of toil? This place's for you!
Or finally in Slytherin,
Where cunning people find their friends.
These people use their strengths within
To achieve their goals with no amends.
So stick me on those noggins clear
I won't bite you, so have no fear!
You know you're in safe hands m'dear!
'Cause I'm the SOOOORTING HAAAAAAT!"
(A/N-HAHAHAHA! THAT WAS 100% WRITTEN BY ME ME ME ME ME!!!! Though at some points it's a little foggy! Oh well, I'm proud of myself.)
All the old students thundered out a round of applause, while the new students let out sighs of relief to the true sorting method. Soon the noise died down and Professor Smith stepped forward, "I will now call out the names on the list in alphabetical order. When your name is called, please step forward and place the hat on your head," she explained. "Abbate, Jennifer"
A small girl with frizzy blond hair and green eyes shakily walked to the stool and placed the hat on her head, "HUFFLEPUFF!" the hat called after a slight pause. A polite applause came from the Hufflepuff table as Jennifer walked over and sat down. Soon after the A's had finished Professor Smith called out a familiar name, "Black, Sirius!"
Sirius boldly walked towards the stool, plopped down and had barely had the hat on his head when the hat boomed, "GRYFFINDOR!" The Gryffindor table erupted into a deafening applause and several cheers. Some second year girls gave approving looks towards Sirius as he walked to the table and sat down.
Many names later, the professor called out, "Evans, Lily!" Lily put on a brave face and approached the chair. She sat down and listened as the hat commented on her qualities ("Could be good for Ravenclaw, but better be…). "GRYFFINDOR!" the hat cried soon after she placed it on her head. More applause erupted from the Gryffindor table. Lily walked to the table, a smile on her face. She didn't notice the guys' eyes following her as she walked over to Sirius who gave her a paternal pat on the back and started talking to her. They chatted, ignoring their peers' sorting until they heard the name "Figg, Arabella" being called by Professor Smith. At the name, Sirius's ears perked up and he grinned as the hat again called out, "GRYFFINDOR!" The deafening applause started again.
Arabella walked over with a grin as big as the Cheshire cat's. Sirius and Lily enveloped her in a hug and welcomed her to Gryffindor. The hat then sorted several Slytherin and Ravenclaws followed by grand applauses. After a bubbly little girl ("Leah, Liah!") was sorted to Hufflepuff the name "Remus Lupin" rolled off of Geraldine Smith's tongue. Remus walked over to the hat, looking a little worried. He placed it on his head and sat a short while, while the hat kept pondering where to place him. It was especially confused because Remus had wisdom and learning ability, the qualities of a Ravenclaw; bravery, nerve, and chivalry, the qualities of a Gryffindor; and with his "condition" he wouldn't do too bad in Slytherin. However she decided that the Gryffindor lifestyle would suit Remus best. "GRYFFINDOR!" roared the hat!
Remus's face lit up brightly as he walked over to the Gryffindor table. He was welcomed by his three friends and was glad to be with them instead of the Slytherin. The friends were so engrossed in conversation that they almost didn't hear Peter get sorted into Gryffindor, but they looked up in time to see him proudly walking to the table. They welcomed him like the others and waited for James's name to be called since 'Potter' wasn't too far away from 'Pettigrew.'
A brown-haired girl, Patricia Plumm, was sorted into Ravenclaw. Then the name "James Potter" was heard coming out of Professor Smith's mouth. James coolly walked over to the chair, slightly trembling from the effort used to not go into a fit of scratching. He sat down for about a second when the hat yelled, "GRYFFINDOR!" James walked over to the table and got several winks from the older girls. He found his friends and as he vigorously scratched his arm and then his leg, said,
"I knew I'd be in Gryffindor. Gryffindors have been in my family as long as this school's existed." James explained to his friends.
"Oh, well isn't somebody special!" Lily asked sarcastically.
"Yeah, I guess you could say that, considering the strength it took not to scratch my arm off in front of the whole school!" James replied grinning.
"That was meant to be a rhetorical question, James."
"I know," James said winking at Lily, who stuck her tongue out at James when he seated himself next to Lily.
The other five friends just looked at James and Lily, positive they would end up together by the end of their education at Hogwarts. They just wondered…when?
~*~
The sorting ceremony ended abruptly with Severus Snape, who was sorted into Slytherin. After Severus's name had been called, an old wizard with silver hair stood up at the High Table.
"Welcome all! Welcome to yet another year at Hogwarts! The banquet will be beginning, right…about…now!"
At the word 'now' all the dishes on the table filled with an assortment of food: Steak, bacon, roast chicken, roast beef, pork and lamb chops, potatoes, peas, fries, ketchup, and many…many other foods.
Peter, Remus, James, and Sirius just stared at the food in a complete daze. Then while slowly approaching the food with his outstretched pointer finger, Sirius asked carefully, "Is it…real?" He soon got his answer as an older student yelled, "EY! Whatcha think yer doin? The food's not gonna bite ya!"
The spell was broken. The boys soon took their forks and began stabbing at random dishes, piling up their plates to the limit, and still going for more. Arabella and Lily just looked at the boys' greedy actions. They then decided the best they could do was ignore them and soon began filling their plates with a piece of meat, two vegetables, and a piece of bread.
They ate and chatted with the boys. James kept looking at Lily, poking her sides, and telling her that if she hadn't have made him itch all over he would be thoroughly enjoying his meal at the moment. He then got an evil glint in his eye, turned the sleeve of his robe inside out, and rubbed if all over Lily's arms and face. She looked at James with a glare that said, "Run or die," but didn't have a chance to do anything because she was overwhelmed with the irritating feeling of little bugs creeping up her arms and face. She was about to rip apart her flesh, when she remembered the golden rule, "Never scratch. It only makes it worse. Seek revenge."
She then picked up her pumpkin juice, poured it over James's heads and said, "There. Now we're even."
James's reply was, "Not until I do this." He proceeded to pour his pumpkin juice over Lily's head. "Now we're even." James said laughing.
Lily looked like she was ready to scream bloody murder when she started laughing too. The both of them sat guffawing while the people around them watched them laugh.
~*~
Headmaster Dumbledore sat at the High Table with the other professors. He watched Lily and James laughing with soaked heads and thought to himself, 'They will end up together one day.'
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Meanwhile, the four dry friends looked at each other with bemused expressions on their faces. They couldn't understand why their friends were acting so strange. Nobody knew why Lily had poured her juice on James or why James had poured his on Lily or, most of all, why the two were laughing over the matter. To tell the truth, Lily and James didn't know why they were laughing over being soaked and itchy. However, they did know the laughing took their mind off of the irritating little feet marching all over them so they continued laughing until the dishes in front of them filled with deserts.
At that point, everyone at the table started fighting over the last pieces of pie and cake. These small battles ended when the desert plates cleared and Dumbledore stood once again.
"I'm sorry for neglecting to tell you this before, but for those of you who are new to this school, my name is Professor Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts since…last year!" Dumbledore began, "Now, to begin, first years need to know that the Forbidden Forest is, well, forbidden. And as a special request of our new caretaker, Mr. Argus Filch, we would like to ask that no magic be done between classes in the corridors. Finally, Quidditch tryouts will be during the second week of the term. However, you must be in the second year to join the team. Now! Let's our school song!" With a flick of his wrist, the words to the school song shot out of his wand and floated above the hall for everyone to see. "Now choose your favorite melody and one- two- three!
"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts
Teach us something please…"
The school bellowed in all different tunes the words that were hanging above the Great Hall. When everyone had finished singing (they finished at different times) Dumbledore declared it was bedtime and the students followed their house prefects to their dormitories.
The Gryffindor prefect, Mindy Stout, led the group past talking portraits and behind hidden doors and up several sets of stairs until they finally stood in front of a portrait of a fat lady in a pink silk dress. "Password?" she asked.
"Whippie Skippo," (A/N-Teeny~remind you of something?) Mindy said. The portrait swung open, revealing a round hole in the wall. Everyone climbed through the hole into the Gryffindor common room, a circular room with a fireplace and comfortable-looking armchairs. Lily and James hurriedly asked where their dorms were located. After they'd been informed Lily went through a door to the left and James through a door to the right where they ran up their spiral staircases and found their dorm rooms…and their awaiting showers. They quickly stripped off all their clothing and hopped into the shower, feeling the agony wash down the drain.
~*~
As Lily and James enjoyed their showers the other four gathered in the common room talking about the classes that would begin the next day. About ten minutes later James returned in his pajamas and Lily did the same five minutes after him. They stayed up talking until 9:30, when they realized how tired they were and decided it was time to get some sleep. Lily Arabella went up to the first year girls' dorm room while the boys went to the first year boys' dorm room.
Because there were only four Gryffindor boys that year, Remus, James, Peter, and Sirius had the room to themselves. They quickly changed into their pajamas and went to bed.
On the other hand, there were two new girls in the dormitory when Lily and Arabella went upstairs. Lily and Arabella quickly introduced themselves to their roommates and found that they were living with Melanie Baker, a quiet girl with shoulder length golden brown hair and kind brown eyes; and Robyn Gillette, a funny Muggle born girl with dark brown wavy locks and violet eyes. The four girls did not have much time to get acquainted with one another because of the low energy they had. They just got changed, went to bed, and anticipated the next day, when they would begin to learn magic!
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DanniBannani~
Okie Dokie, that was chapter 3. I wrote that in ONE DAY!!!! That's what happens when people write nice reviews ((hint hint)). Tee hee, just kiddin. Well, I hope you enjoyed! I enjoyed writing it so... I hope this story isn't boring you too much! Okay, all I need you to do now is to click on the little button down there and review, please! That's all I've gotta say. (again, thanks to all who have reviewed so far!) *smooches*
By the way, how did you like my Sorting Hat song??? (horrible, eh?)