Roxy Surfer: Thanks for reviewing. I'll try to make it less confusing.
Chapter 2: She's a Gryffindor???
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. JK Rowling does.
"And you know what's cool?" Sarah whispered to Lily as they walked along. "We're in the same year as his sons!"
They were still talking about Harry Potter.
"Yeah, but his sons hate you… remember?" Lily said.
"Oh yeah." Sarah said crestfallen. "But it's still cool." She added.
Lily was about to reply, but they rounded the bend and saw Hogwarts, and all words left everyone. The castle looked splendidly picturesque, with all the windows alight, and the sliver off mood rising just over one of the towers.
Silently, they got into their little fleet of boats and cast off.
Fifteen minutes later found them all waiting for Professor McGonagall to return and take them to the sorting. James, Sirius, Danny, and Zach whispered together in a corner. Sarah and Lily stood around, faces pale. Heather, Kathy, and Venitia talked nervously with a girl named Zena. Serpen Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle hung around, smiling confidently. Other people whispered nervously as they struggled to make themselves look their best.
Finally, the professor returned. "Follow me." She said sharply, and turned away. Everyone did what she said. She led them through the great double doors, and into the great hall, lining them up in front of the staff table.
The first years shuffled around as she got out the sorting hat and placed it on the stool. Lily was surprised, and delighted, when it started to sing:
Hello, you fine young students,
All gathered in this hall.
Listen closely to the tale,
That I shall tell you all.
In time almost forgotten,
(So very long ago)
There lived four great wizards,
Whom all of you should know.
They saw there was a problem
In this long ago land.
There was no school for sorcerers,
And so they took a stand.
The built this Hogwarts castle,
And they began to teach.
They sorted out the students
By the qualities of each.
The very bravest students
Were chose by Gryffindor.
These ones were not afraid,
Of any task, or quest, or chore.
The cleverest of wizards,
Who learned beyond the rest,
Were given to wise Ravenclaw,
So she could teach them best.
The just and loyal students,
Went to Hufflepuff the sweet.
She taught them to be fair
To any person they might meet.
And last off all was Slytherin.
He loved the cunning one.
His students would do anything,
As long as they had fun.
So through the years it went on
And now I sort instead.
So step right up to this old hat,
And put me on your head.
The hall applauded as the song died down. Professor McGonagall picked up the hat.
"When I call out your name, you will put on the hat and be sorted." She looked at a long list.
"Antollia, Jana." A pretty girl with curly strawberry blonde hair jumped up.
"HUFFLEPUFF." The hat shouted.
"Bakers, Warren."
"RAVENCLAW."
"Bondsworthe, Daisy."
"RAVENCLAW."
Sarah watched the proceedings with distraction, barely noticing when Crabbe became a Slytherin. She had too much on her mind.
"Dursley…" McGonagall paused at this name for a second. "Jennifer."
A brown haired girl stepped up. The Potter twins watched her, frowning.
"RAVENCLAW."
"Dursley, Thomas." A boy who was obviously the last girl's twin stepped up.
"HUFFLEPUFF."
"Ethal, Gina."
"RAVENCLAW."
"Goyle, Brian."
"SLYTHERIN."
"Gregory, Sally."
"SLYTHERIN."
"Hagrid, Bernard." The Potters and the Weasly watched this one avidly.
"GRYFFINDOR." The Gryffindor table exploded with cheers.
And so it went on. Sarah watched as the first Weasley cousin, "Longbottom, Daniel," was sorted into Gryffindor as well. Then "Lupin, Zena," a pale girl who looked a bit weak. Then…
"Malfoy, Sarah."
Sarah could feel all eyes on her. Of course, she knew that everyone expected the hat to shout out that she was a Slytherin. She was about to prove them wrong…
She hoped.
As the hat fell over her eyes, she heard a little voice. "Interesting. I know your family, and they've always been Slytherins, but not only do you not fit one, you actually don't want to be one. Very interesting."
All she could think was, I'm not going to be a Slytherin. She smiled in relief.
The hat chuckled. "No, defiantly not a Slytherin."
A few feet away, the rest of the hall was wondering why the hat was taking so long to declare her a Slytherin.
"You're too honorable. Yes, well, better be… GRYFFINDOR." The hat said, shouting out the last. Sarah stood up, beaming.
There was no applause. Everyone just stared at her in shock. She distinctly heard someone mutter, "She's a GRYFFINDOR???" from the direction of the potter twins. She looked around. Her brothers both had their eyes narrowed at her. She looked at them, held her head high, and began to walk towards the Gryffindor table.
All the eyes in the hall followed her.
As she reached the Gryffindor table, she heard the sound of one person clapping. Turning, she saw Lily, applauding her, and glaring at everyone in the hall, daring them to disagree with her. Sarah smiled at her friend, and Lily grinned back. Suddenly she heard another person clapping.
Sarah looked up at the head table. Albus Dumbledore was clapping for her, eyes twinkling over half moon spectacles.
Slowly, as in a daze, the rest of the hall joined in. But the clapping was almost resentful, and when she sat, everyone cleared a space for her, as though she were a bomb about to explode. As she looked back up at the rest of the first years, she could see the Potter and Weasley boys, glaring at her. She looked down at the tabletop, tears beginning to sting the corners of her eyes.
What did you expect? She asked herself as her brother was sorted into Slytherin. Them to welcome you with open arms? You're still a Malfoy, even though you've been sorted into Gryffindor. Nothing's changed. She choked back tears. She didn't want to be seen crying. It's not fair. She thought.
She looked up again as they came to the "P's". She was interested in this part.
"Phillips, Ophielia."
"GRYFFINDOR."
"Pink, Wrenna."
"HUFFLEPUFF."
"Podmore, Harrison."
"GRYFFINDOR."
…And finally…
"Potter, James."
Sarah watched, eyes wide.
"GRYFFINDOR." The hat said, after some deliberation. James got up, grinning. He paused as he got to the Gryffindor table though, and looked up at his twin.
"Potter, Sirius."
Sirius grinned as the hat fell on his head. Like his brother, the hat took some time before proclaiming…
"GRYFFINDOR."
Sirius ran down to join his twin. The two of them whispered quietly, glanced at Sarah, and then deliberately walked over and sat across from her.
Sarah actually began to hope.
She watched the rest of the sorting ceremony, cheering as loud as the rest when all the Weasleys but one got into Gryffindor. The last one, Venitia Weasley, became a Ravenclaw. Everyone looked at little surprised at this, but didn't take much notice.
Finally…
"Wright, Lillian." Sarah crossed her fingers under the table.
"GRYFFINDOR."
Sarah cheered the loudest of all at this pronouncement. Lily beamed as she sat by Sarah.
As the sorting finished with "Yeller, Anne," Dumbledore stood up.
"I have a few start of term notices. First of all, the forest outside the grounds is strictly forbidden." He seemed to be directing this statement at the Gryffindor table in particular. "And there is a reason for that. Second, Mr. Filch has asked me to remind you that magic is not to be used in the halls. Also, the list of items not allowed in the school includes all Weasley Wizard Weezes products. To see the full list, contact Mr. Filch. Lastly, we have two new additions to our staff. Professor Flitwick, I'm afraid, has retired. His position will be filled by his assistant, Ms. Hermoine Granger." Dumbledore gestured to a young witch with frizzy brown hair, who stood to great applause from the Potters and Weasleys.
"Excellent." Sarah heard Sirius Potter whisper. "She'll go easy on us, since she's dad's old school friend."
"And also, may I present our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Stella Winters." A black haired woman stood and nodded curtly at the crowd.
As the woman sat, Dumbledore spread his hands. "And now, let the feast begin." He clapped his hands, and the plates filled with food.
Sarah and Lily were in the middle of a conversation about classes, when Sarah was tapped on the shoulder. Turning, she found herself looking at Sirius Potter.
"So, Malfoy…" He said conversationally. "You must have been mortified to have been put in our house."
Sarah stiffened at the menacing undertone in his voice.
"Are you just waiting for the feast to be over so that you can go to Dumbledore and beg for a transfer?" He kept on nastily. "Or are you just thrilled at the chance to spy on us 'pathetic' Gryffindors."
Sarah was at a loss for words. He was being so cruel.
"Just thought we'd warn you…" James drawled. "You'd better watch your back."
Sarah finally found her voice. "Why should I? I'm a Gryffindor, like you." She asked coolly.
"You're a Malfoy." Sirius spat at her. "You aren't fit to lick any true Gryffindor's toes. Get out of our house pretender, before we make you get out."
Sarah's eyes filled with tears. She blinked them back, but knew she couldn't stand that for long. Hurriedly she stood, and ran out of the hall, not even thinking about the fact that she didn't know where to go.
Lily watched Sarah go. Eyes narrowed, she turned her gaze on the two boys smirking at her across the table. "What was that for?" She asked them.
"You ought to be thanking us." James said. "We just chased off a bit of Slytherin scum."
"A BIT OF WHAT???" Lily roared at them.
"Oh, sorry." Sirius said, not sounding at all sorry. "Forgot that she was your friend. That must mean that you're from another stuck-up, pure-blood family. Why don't you go join her?" He smirked arrogantly at her. "I'm sure you can plot your evil, muggle-born destroying, plans under the guise of being hurt."
Lily was mad. First, they had assumed that Sarah was evil before they even knew her. Then, after chasing her off and making her cry, they had the audacity to say she was faking it. Plus, they accused Lily herself of being like Sarah's family.
Barely keeping her temper in check, Lily gritted out, "For your information, I am a muggle-born, or should I say in your terms, (as I can see that you're just as stuck up and cruel as Sarah's brother) I am a mudblood." She glared at them. "And to think that she was so happy because she was going to be in the same year as you two." They just stared at her, shock written all over their faces. "You don't deserve her admiration, and from the look of it, your father probably doesn't either."
Slowly, Lily stood, still glaring at the twins. She turned away to walk off. The James seemed to come to then. He got up, and stopped her before she exited the hall.
"You idiot girl." James hissed in her ear. "You believed her? She's probably lying in wait just now, waiting for you to come comfort her." He grabbed her arm. "Don't go. She wants you to trust her, and then she'll betray you."
"Let me go." Lily said coolly to him.
"I'm warning you…" James began again.
"I SAID, LET ME GO!!!" Lily yelled at him. James released her in shock. Giving him one last contemptuous look, she left to find Sarah.
James shook his head as he went back to his seat. "We warned her." He sighed to Sirius. "She's just going to have to find out for herself."
Sirius and the Weasley cousins all nodded in agreement. Only one person at the Gryffindor table was looking uncertain.
Zena Lupin, only child of Remus Lupin, frowned thoughtfully at the door to the entrance hall.
AN: OK. That was an interesting chapter to write. Did you like my sorting song? I didn't mean to make James and Sirius so mean, but that's just the way it is I guess. Review please.
