Julia hurried over to James, Remus and Sirius, who, for some reason, were
all staring at the ceiling.
"What are you looking at?" she turned her head upwards. "Oh."
"That." Remus said simply. The ceiling was amazing. It reflected the night sky outside, and made it look, almost, as though there was really no ceiling at all. Drippy candles of all sizes floated at different heights above them.
"I didn't expect it to look like this," Julia murmured. Their attention was brought back to the front of the dining hall by the sound of singing. The hat at the front of the room was singing quite nicely through a rip just above its brim that acted as a mouth. The song was about all the houses, and what sort of people ended up where. The song made Julia even more nervous, because, the way the hat described Gryffindor house, it seemed like everyone there was very brave, and Julia had never thought herself to be a person of courage. The hat finished its song, and everyone assembled clapped. Professor McGonagall pulled out a long roll of parchment and began reading off names in alphabetical order. Sirius was the third student to be called forward. He looked totally calm as he placed the hat on his head.
"Hmm...Another Black, eh? You're different from all the rest of your family, I can see that...Ah! GRYFFINDOR!" The hat shouted. A great cheer arose from the Gryffindor table.
"What did the hat mean when he said 'another Black'? Does Sirius have lots of brothers and sisters?" Julia asked James.
"No. He's got one older brother, I think, and two cousins. His cousins are in Slytherin." he pointed out two skinny girls, who looked like they wore permanent scowls on their faces.
"Lily Evans," called Professor McGonagall. The red-haired girl Julia had been talking to walked forward. The hat had barely touched her head when it shouted "GRYFFINDOR!" Lily looked delighted, and ran to join her table.
Julia had to wait a little while before her name was called, but not long. After Amelia Handel had been sorted into Hufflepuff, Julia's turn came.
"Good luck," Remus nudged her forward.
"Thanks," Julia managed to whisper as she walked forward, palms sweating. The hard knot she'd felt earlier kept rising and rising in her stomach. She felt as if she might explode. Julia gingerly picked up the sorting hat, sat down, and placed it on her head.
"Ooh. You're a tough one. You're smart, want to make a good impression on everyone." There was some laughter here, and Julia bit her lip. "Ah, you're nervous. But there's certainly strength here. You'll do well under pressure..." There was a pause. Julia could almost feel that knot in her mouth now. "Alright. I think we've got it...GRYFFINDOR!" Julia nearly fainted with relief. She glanced at Remus and James, who gave her the thumbs up as she went to join her new housemates at the table.
"Congratulations, Julia!" Sirius gave her a pat on the back. I was afraid you'd pass out for a moment there." Julia laughed.
"I've never felt so nervous in my life!"
"You needn't have been," Lily Evans told her from across the table, "I told you you'd do well."
"Quiet! Remus is up there now," Sirius silenced Lily. Remus looked completely calm and composed, the way Sirius had been. There wasn't a doubt in anyone's mind where he'd be sorted, including the hat.
"Gryffindor!" it shouted. Julia and Sirius joined in the cheers of their house.
"Good going," Julia grinned as Remus took the seat across from her.
"Thanks. Who's this?" he indicated Lily.
"Lily Evans," Lily said, shaking his hand. There was a small sound of shuffling feet, and Julia looked up to see a chubby, nervous boy standing behind them. He reminded her slightly of a mouse.
"Do you mind if I sit here?" he indicated the seat next to Sirius.
"Er, I suppose not, I guess." The mousy boy sat.
"What's your name, then?" Julia asked.
"Peter...Peter Pettigrew."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Julia Harris." Sirius, Remus and Lily all introduced themselves.
"James Potter," Professor McGonagall called out. James strode confidently forward.
"Three guesses where he gets sorted," Sirius said, smirking. It was no surprise. James sat down and joined his friends at the Gryffindor table only moments later.
"James, this is Lily Evans. Lily, James Potter." Julia introduced them. James nodded in acknowledgement.
"Who're you?" he asked Peter. Peter introduced himself nervously again. There was a sound of a fork being tapped on a glass. All talking ceased, and everyone watched as older man with the longest beard Julia had ever seen stood up.
"Is that the headmaster?" Julia asked.
"Yeah. That's Professor Dumbledore," Lily told her.
"I have a few start-of-term announcements to make," Dumbledore said. His voice wasn't big or booming, but it commanded respect and attention. "First years please note that the forbidden forest, on the east grounds, is strictly out of bounds. If you are found there, you will be given a detention. That goes for everyone." he seemed to look specifically at a few students. "That said, let the feast begin!"
Julia stared in surprise as the once empty tables became laden with enormous platters of delicious-looking food. She was starving, and so helped herself to as much food as she thought she could hold.
"Got enough food, Harris?" James laughed at her.
"I'm starving! Aren't you?"
"Yeah, I guess I've just never seen a girl eat that much in one sitting."
"Oh, shut up and let her eat, Potter!" Lily snapped, "Honestly!" James seemed to deflate for a moment, but he didn't seem to let the comment eat at him too badly, and started eating.
The food was as good as it looked, and Julia was far from hungry when the feast was over.
"That was quite possibly the best food I've had in my life," she said contentedly.
"I could tell," Sirius quipped. Julia shot him a look and he clammed up. Students began to get up from their tables, and follow the prefects to their dormitories. One of the Gryffindor prefects, a red-haired fifth year named Arthur Weasley, got the students to their hallway mostly without incident. However, at one point the staircase many of the students stood on began to move. Julia was almost startled out of her wits by this, and gripped onto the stair rail for dear life. It didn't last long, however, and everyone continued on until they reached the portrait of the fat lady that was the entrance to their common room.
"Pedopod," Weasley said, and the portrait swung inward, "Nobody forget that, that's the password," he announced to the students.
The common room was warm, filled with comfortable looking chairs and ottomans. Two stairways lay at the end of the room, one leading left to the girls' rooms, the other going right, towards the boys' quarters. Most of the students went to their rooms, but some stayed behind. Julia felt a tug on her robe. She turned around to see Remus.
"We need to talk."
"Alright." He pulled her aside.
"Why did you lie on the train?" Oh no. He knew. Or did he? Maybe if she played dumb, he'd think she'd been telling the truth.
"Lie about what?"
"Don't be stupid. You don't strike me as a dumb person. Anyway, that's not the point. I know you're muggle-born. Why didn't you say so?
"Was it that easy to tell?" Julia asked sheepishly.
"Well, I don't think Sirius and James know, if that's what you're asking. But I could."
"I didn't tell anyone because...I just didn't think anyone would want to talk to me if they knew I wasn't born with it."
"Well, you must have been born with something, otherwise you probably wouldn't be here."
"Just...Please don't tell Sirius or James. I'll tell them myself, but not now."
"That's fine. Believe me, I've gotten very good at keeping secrets. See you tomorrow then, Julia." Remus headed up the stairs to the dormitory.
"What was that supposed to mean?" Julia thought as she climbed the stairs. She stopped at the door marked "First Years," and entered. Her trunk lay at the foot of an empty bed in between Lily and another first year girl.
"Ready for classes tomorrow, Julia?" Lily asked.
"I think so. What do we have?"
"Don't know yet," said the other girl, "We get the schedules tomorrow."
"Oh. Sorry, I don't think we've met yet. I'm Julia Harris," Julia said to the girl.
"Alice Goodwin," Alice gave a friendly smile.
"We'd better get in bed. It's lights out soon," said another girl down at the end. Julia nodded, and everyone put out the lights as their first day at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry came to an end.
"What are you looking at?" she turned her head upwards. "Oh."
"That." Remus said simply. The ceiling was amazing. It reflected the night sky outside, and made it look, almost, as though there was really no ceiling at all. Drippy candles of all sizes floated at different heights above them.
"I didn't expect it to look like this," Julia murmured. Their attention was brought back to the front of the dining hall by the sound of singing. The hat at the front of the room was singing quite nicely through a rip just above its brim that acted as a mouth. The song was about all the houses, and what sort of people ended up where. The song made Julia even more nervous, because, the way the hat described Gryffindor house, it seemed like everyone there was very brave, and Julia had never thought herself to be a person of courage. The hat finished its song, and everyone assembled clapped. Professor McGonagall pulled out a long roll of parchment and began reading off names in alphabetical order. Sirius was the third student to be called forward. He looked totally calm as he placed the hat on his head.
"Hmm...Another Black, eh? You're different from all the rest of your family, I can see that...Ah! GRYFFINDOR!" The hat shouted. A great cheer arose from the Gryffindor table.
"What did the hat mean when he said 'another Black'? Does Sirius have lots of brothers and sisters?" Julia asked James.
"No. He's got one older brother, I think, and two cousins. His cousins are in Slytherin." he pointed out two skinny girls, who looked like they wore permanent scowls on their faces.
"Lily Evans," called Professor McGonagall. The red-haired girl Julia had been talking to walked forward. The hat had barely touched her head when it shouted "GRYFFINDOR!" Lily looked delighted, and ran to join her table.
Julia had to wait a little while before her name was called, but not long. After Amelia Handel had been sorted into Hufflepuff, Julia's turn came.
"Good luck," Remus nudged her forward.
"Thanks," Julia managed to whisper as she walked forward, palms sweating. The hard knot she'd felt earlier kept rising and rising in her stomach. She felt as if she might explode. Julia gingerly picked up the sorting hat, sat down, and placed it on her head.
"Ooh. You're a tough one. You're smart, want to make a good impression on everyone." There was some laughter here, and Julia bit her lip. "Ah, you're nervous. But there's certainly strength here. You'll do well under pressure..." There was a pause. Julia could almost feel that knot in her mouth now. "Alright. I think we've got it...GRYFFINDOR!" Julia nearly fainted with relief. She glanced at Remus and James, who gave her the thumbs up as she went to join her new housemates at the table.
"Congratulations, Julia!" Sirius gave her a pat on the back. I was afraid you'd pass out for a moment there." Julia laughed.
"I've never felt so nervous in my life!"
"You needn't have been," Lily Evans told her from across the table, "I told you you'd do well."
"Quiet! Remus is up there now," Sirius silenced Lily. Remus looked completely calm and composed, the way Sirius had been. There wasn't a doubt in anyone's mind where he'd be sorted, including the hat.
"Gryffindor!" it shouted. Julia and Sirius joined in the cheers of their house.
"Good going," Julia grinned as Remus took the seat across from her.
"Thanks. Who's this?" he indicated Lily.
"Lily Evans," Lily said, shaking his hand. There was a small sound of shuffling feet, and Julia looked up to see a chubby, nervous boy standing behind them. He reminded her slightly of a mouse.
"Do you mind if I sit here?" he indicated the seat next to Sirius.
"Er, I suppose not, I guess." The mousy boy sat.
"What's your name, then?" Julia asked.
"Peter...Peter Pettigrew."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Julia Harris." Sirius, Remus and Lily all introduced themselves.
"James Potter," Professor McGonagall called out. James strode confidently forward.
"Three guesses where he gets sorted," Sirius said, smirking. It was no surprise. James sat down and joined his friends at the Gryffindor table only moments later.
"James, this is Lily Evans. Lily, James Potter." Julia introduced them. James nodded in acknowledgement.
"Who're you?" he asked Peter. Peter introduced himself nervously again. There was a sound of a fork being tapped on a glass. All talking ceased, and everyone watched as older man with the longest beard Julia had ever seen stood up.
"Is that the headmaster?" Julia asked.
"Yeah. That's Professor Dumbledore," Lily told her.
"I have a few start-of-term announcements to make," Dumbledore said. His voice wasn't big or booming, but it commanded respect and attention. "First years please note that the forbidden forest, on the east grounds, is strictly out of bounds. If you are found there, you will be given a detention. That goes for everyone." he seemed to look specifically at a few students. "That said, let the feast begin!"
Julia stared in surprise as the once empty tables became laden with enormous platters of delicious-looking food. She was starving, and so helped herself to as much food as she thought she could hold.
"Got enough food, Harris?" James laughed at her.
"I'm starving! Aren't you?"
"Yeah, I guess I've just never seen a girl eat that much in one sitting."
"Oh, shut up and let her eat, Potter!" Lily snapped, "Honestly!" James seemed to deflate for a moment, but he didn't seem to let the comment eat at him too badly, and started eating.
The food was as good as it looked, and Julia was far from hungry when the feast was over.
"That was quite possibly the best food I've had in my life," she said contentedly.
"I could tell," Sirius quipped. Julia shot him a look and he clammed up. Students began to get up from their tables, and follow the prefects to their dormitories. One of the Gryffindor prefects, a red-haired fifth year named Arthur Weasley, got the students to their hallway mostly without incident. However, at one point the staircase many of the students stood on began to move. Julia was almost startled out of her wits by this, and gripped onto the stair rail for dear life. It didn't last long, however, and everyone continued on until they reached the portrait of the fat lady that was the entrance to their common room.
"Pedopod," Weasley said, and the portrait swung inward, "Nobody forget that, that's the password," he announced to the students.
The common room was warm, filled with comfortable looking chairs and ottomans. Two stairways lay at the end of the room, one leading left to the girls' rooms, the other going right, towards the boys' quarters. Most of the students went to their rooms, but some stayed behind. Julia felt a tug on her robe. She turned around to see Remus.
"We need to talk."
"Alright." He pulled her aside.
"Why did you lie on the train?" Oh no. He knew. Or did he? Maybe if she played dumb, he'd think she'd been telling the truth.
"Lie about what?"
"Don't be stupid. You don't strike me as a dumb person. Anyway, that's not the point. I know you're muggle-born. Why didn't you say so?
"Was it that easy to tell?" Julia asked sheepishly.
"Well, I don't think Sirius and James know, if that's what you're asking. But I could."
"I didn't tell anyone because...I just didn't think anyone would want to talk to me if they knew I wasn't born with it."
"Well, you must have been born with something, otherwise you probably wouldn't be here."
"Just...Please don't tell Sirius or James. I'll tell them myself, but not now."
"That's fine. Believe me, I've gotten very good at keeping secrets. See you tomorrow then, Julia." Remus headed up the stairs to the dormitory.
"What was that supposed to mean?" Julia thought as she climbed the stairs. She stopped at the door marked "First Years," and entered. Her trunk lay at the foot of an empty bed in between Lily and another first year girl.
"Ready for classes tomorrow, Julia?" Lily asked.
"I think so. What do we have?"
"Don't know yet," said the other girl, "We get the schedules tomorrow."
"Oh. Sorry, I don't think we've met yet. I'm Julia Harris," Julia said to the girl.
"Alice Goodwin," Alice gave a friendly smile.
"We'd better get in bed. It's lights out soon," said another girl down at the end. Julia nodded, and everyone put out the lights as their first day at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry came to an end.