Disclaimer: If I own it it's mine…if I don't it's not. Three guesses whose this is.
A/N: Sorry! I know I haven't updated in more days than I have teeth, but I've been really busy, not to mention unmotivated. Fist, I was on a month-long trip, then had to make up a week of school, then spend all my time with my new puppy, which is still taking up so much of my time. I may ramble in this chapter, seeing as I have no real ideas, just a general plot, but bear with me and I'll do my best.
Kady Rilla Wholi: Thanks! ;-)
FrankieBGoode: Thanks for the review! Sorry to disappoint about that whole quick update thing…. I'll try to be better.
quitesirius: I love your reviews! They're so encouraging! And I'm glad you liked my description of Moody! Thanks!
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This chapter is dedicated to the awesome…the best…allie kat5, who put me on her favorites list after just two short, mediocre chapters. I love you!
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Chapter 3-A Whole New World
A sudden windstorm had swept up at Lily's house. As days went soaring past, so did pages, which were being flipped continuously since she had returned from Diagon Alley and her first brush with magic. The minute she had gotten home, she had raced to her room, disappearing from sight. She had so far learned her schoolbooks to the point of memorization, but school started in one more day!
Lily's sudden studying fetish dissipated into a severe urgency to be absolutely, positively, and in all other ways prepared, as well as she could be, for the next day. She packed, unpacked, repacked, and reminded her parents innumerable times that they had to get her to King's Cross station before 11 o'clock.
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Suddenly, it was time. She was leaving, embarking to…a whole new world. She had just given her last hugs to her parents, exchanged grumbled goodbye's with her sister, and was about to board. A few feet away, she saw James Potter doing the same. A giant wave of relief swept over her at the sight of a familiar face, so she waved and started lumbering, trunk in tow, toward the train. A brown haired, timid-looking boy was getting on right in front of her, and as he was hoisting his trunk onto the train, is slipped his grasp, falling on an unfortunate red-headed target.
"Ow!" Lily cried, pinned to the ground by the trunk.
"Sorry," the brown haired boy said, pulling off the trunk and helping her up. "Didn't mean to. It was a bit heavy."
"No kidding" She rolled her eyes. "I'm Lily…Evans, by the way."
"Remus Lupin."
"Hi."
They were now, finally, aboard the train, and looking for some compartment space. The train had just started moving, and Lily quickly glanced out of the window at her parents who were left there, standing on the platform, racing away. Lily tore her eyes away from the window when she noticed the Remus was a car away, and motioning to her to follow. She sped forward into the compartment.
"Hey, Lil!" It was James, by some luck, who was sitting in that compartment, along with a good-looking boy with black hair and a mischievous air. "This is Sirius Black, and you're Remus Lupin, aren't you?" Remus nodded. "Well," he said to Sirius, "this is Lily Evan--"
"Lily!!" The boy called Sirius cried, giving her a huge hug.
"You know each other?" James asked. Lily gave a shake of the head with a surprised look on her face. James raised his eyebrows at Sirius.
"Just being friendly…" Sirius said, looking downcast and doggedly returning to his seat.
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After that nice little icebreaker, the rest of the train ride went quickly, and suddenly it was slowing to a stop, and a booming voice was ushering them out of the train. Lily stuck close to her three new friends, phoenix (which she had named Yannick, after the first Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts, she had read) in hand.
Suddenly, a pleasantly familiar voice called out: "Firs' years. Over 'ere, firs' years. To th' boats, now." Hagrid was calling them over, Lily recognized from a monstrous looking man emitting booming calls for first years. Lily, James, Sirius, and Remus shuffled over to his with the rest of the first years into boats, four per. Most of the students, James and Remus included, were staring at Hagrid and his enormous mass, although it didn't faze Lily anymore. The boats suddenly started to move across the lake as though (or probably) by magic, and after a short five minutes, Lily found herself staring at the most amazing and magical place she would ever see in her life.
"Wow." This became the new first year mantra, being chorused from boat to boat at the sight of this amazing castle. Suddenly, all of Lily's previous self-consciousness came flooding back. Ok, so she knew it was real; it couldn't possibly be some scheme (no scheme is this elaborate), but she know started thinking that she may not even be magical at all. Here was this place filled with more magic than she had ever dreamed about, where some of the greatest people she had ever heard of and some of the most famous mythical people had lived and learned. It seemed way too fantastic to imagine herself in the same footsteps.
A few more minutes floating and she realized that she never needed to worry. The boats had docked right near the castle, where Hagrid dropped them off and then headed up the stone steps into Hogwarts. Suddenly, another voice, sterner and younger, called out to them. She too called out, "first years", her voice as sharp as her dark black bun.
"I'm Professor McGonagall, head of Gryffindor house. In a few minutes," she said this all while ushering them up the stone steps Hagrid had just climbed, "you will go in through those doors," she pointed at a pair of grand doors, "in to the Great Hall, where you will be sorted into your houses. They are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. They are all fine houses and, once sorted, will become your homes and family's within Hogwarts. Good luck." The doors opened, and they were ushered inside.
The 'wow' mantra started up again, to smirks from a few of the older students. A few of the people from Slytherin house, Lily noted, were waving to Sirius from his table, but he just scowled and looked away. Professor McGonagall place a stool in front of the new students, and on it a tattered, ripped hat, which had just started to sing:
Many of you know me,
Though some of you do not
But to me the elders don't matter,
Because the younger ones are sought.
I am here to sort you
In houses rich and true
My choices all are perfect.
I promise they'll suit you.
To my brave new young ones
I promise Gryffindor.
But if you've strong brains in you
Then Ravenclaw, you're for.
Those hardworking, ambitious first years
You'll live in Slytherin.
But you honest and loyal
In Hufflepuff you'll be in.
Don't be scared, just go and try
It's perfectly okay
But unless you put me on,
This song won't end today.
All around the hall, people were clapping, and before Lily knew what was happening, the first name, "Black, Sirius", was being called. Lily smiled for her friend when he finally got into Gryffindor, which seemed the best house.
Suddenly, it was her turn. Where had the time gone? She approached the stool, but in her nerves, tripped and fell flat on her face. The hall rang with laughter, but Lily had more important things to think about. She put on the at, and heard it whisper in her ear:
"Smooth…very smooth." Lily scowled at this. "Oh, ok, just want to get down to business. Sounds like a Slytherin." Lily's scowl became more pronounced. "Maybe not." Well, you do have a brilliant mind, you know. Very loyal. Hmm…oh, wait, but that trip. You humiliated yourself, but didn't care. Very brave, girl. Why I remember when a little boy…name Merlin, I think, did just about the same thing. Model Gryffindor, he was. You're a bit like him, you know…hmm…" Lily was now increasingly bored, and was sending all her thoughts to the hat in the form of 'hurry up, will you? And get to the point.' "Fine, be that way, girl. GRYFFINDOR!"
Lily sighed in relief, and sat down next to Sirius, who was yelling catcalls at her. She turned back to the hat, and saw that Remus and James had also been Gryffindors, and then Headmaster Dumbledore stood up.
"Hello, everyone, especially my new first years. I have many a good announcement, but there are better times to tell you. First, eat!" Food suddenly appeared on gold plates on the tables: the most amazing food Lily had ever seen. What to do but follow Dumbledore's instructions, then? She hungrily ate everything in sight, and only managed to think about the little tripping incident (after which James and Sirius decided to rename Lily "Elf" for 'elegant little flower') 100 times, so that by the time Dumbledore stood up to talk again, even the teachers were calling her Elf. But that didn't matter…Dumbledore's words didn't matter. She heard no instructions or names of teachers; she barely heard the dismissal. All she remembered was crawling into bed in her dormitory, sleepy and so excited for the next day.