**As always, any familiar names/events are the sole property of JKR. Now
read away!
Chapter 2
"ALL FERST YERS, follow me!!"
Lily waited until the four boys had well left the opposite stall, then she jumped off with her backpack. Though it was almost impossible to see anything from the evening's darkness, she quickly heard the growl-like voice of a giant man wearing a thick coat under a shaggy black beard. One look at his shadowy face from his tiny lantern, and the girl tremblingly brushed a bit of her hair.
"That's Hagrid the Gamekeeper," Severus noted as he jumped the train steps and stood next to Lily, carrying a small pack over one shoulder.
Lily remained as frightened as she was, and the pale boy smiled comfortingly. "Well, come on!" he encouraged, then he hiked into the merging crowd.
She forced a step forward to the giant, as he carefully attempted to lead them to a lake without stepping on anybody. Lily didn't know what to think....was he going to force them to swim across the lake? And let the weak ones drown??
It then spawned to her that she wasn't a very good swimmer--
"Four people to eh' boat, come on now!" the roaring voice continued in a lighter tone.
Lily breathed a slight relief, feeling the soft muddy ground beneath her shoes lead the way to the rowboats beside a long, wooden dock. Students were already piling into them like it was a roller-coaster ride, and Lily walked along the edge to find a possible vacancy.
As if the sky had suddenly turned bright blue, she heard someone call out "Lily! Over here!" and scurried over to the empty seat diagonally facing Severus in the small rowboat.
An older girl controlled a lantern hanging in front as the boat's oars magically peddled themselves off the edge of the dock.
The young redhead watched the oars softly stroke the water, and she leaned over to touch a bit of the dark surface with her right hand.
"Careful!"
The older girl directed the lantern to Lily's face, and all eyes in the boat turned to her. "I wouldn't do that; merchildren are rather playful this time of year." She said with a side grin. Though Lily didn't know what exactly she had meant, it was enough to return her back to a straight sitting.
"Alright, you'll be seeing Hogwarts in a few moments," the lead girl said simply, then she dimmed down her lantern and let her four passengers drop their jaws for what they saw next.
Lily had seen pictures of them from her old history books, believing them to exist solely throughout the Middle Ages and fairy tales, but watching one appear at that moment before her very eyes made her spellbound in astonishment. A castle. An enormous Gothic castle by the edge of the lake, with its many towers silhouetted by the clear night, and tiny windows brought out by their gleaming yellow light from within. At that moment, she had forgotten all her school worries.
Hogwarts is a castle!?, she asked herself over and over again, trying to rid her old thought that it depicted an ordinary private school.
She glanced around the other passengers, and they were just as surprised as she was. The short redhead boy in front of her had his right hand clasped to the boat's edge, and a chubby girl next to her looked like her eyes would be crawling out soon. Lily saw part of Severus' pale face and she noticed half of an excited smile, like a smile that spoke for all the first- years from what they were gazing at that night.
"We're going to SCHOOL there?" the redhead boy remarked, and everyone laughed.
The boats slowly pulled up to the long stone dock that bordered a tower in the castle, and the first-years got off one-by-one to follow the giant up the dock steps towards the main entrance. Lily was right behind Severus as they both looked straight up at the edging tower, which seemed to stretch all the way to the stars.
When he stopped at the main doors, the giant waited for everyone to crowd around him, then he said, "Alright now. Prefects, lead the way," and disappeared into the night.
"Where is he going?" Lily asked curiously while the older students took charge and opened the doors. A bright yellow light curtained the crowd and warmed their cheeks.
"To one of the side entrances," a prefect boy replied simply as the group began to walk, "he's meeting the professors there."
"What for?"
"I think it's tradition," Severus caught the conversation and turned his head, "for the Start-of-Term Feast, isn't it?"
"Right. They sit in the Grand Table in the Dining Hall with the other years to await your arrival," the boy explained.
"That's really nice, like we were guests here--" Lily said thoughtfully, and the prefect nodded, and scrambled ahead of the group.
As students walked down the wide entrance halls, Lily took her time gazing at every marble statue and wall pattern. She felt like she was touring the house of King Arthur himself, with a museum of armory and tapestry leading down corridors every which way.
How could anyone ever get bored here? she wondered amusingly to herself.
"Lily, the painting's waving at us!" Severus's hand gestured at her, and she turned to the wall. He was right; an oilpaint of a Renaissance woman (wearing a maroon-colored gown) was eyeing them with a smile as they both passed.
The two astounded first-years couldn't think of anything to do except smile back.
It seemed odd, really - as they waved a 'goodbye' to the painting - that neither had felt scared or even fidgety about these new, enchanted surroundings. Perhaps it was Sir Lucifer's and Granny Gwyn's stories that gave Severus and Lily such an intriguing thought about the magical world, that there was no room to be scared of it. Or perhaps they felt safe from the large group of the students walking along with them. Whatever the reason, an idea had subconsciously crossed their minds after passing the hallway of enchanted portraits: to explore the Hogwarts grounds whenever they could.
As the older students halted to the grand staircase in the heart of the castle, the students spotted a gray tabby cat perched over a stair rail, looking over the entire crowd. As it jumped off the rail, there was a wave of gasps as each first-year discovered that the cat turned into a tall, elder woman! And she grinned kindly to all of them.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," she greeted in her magnificent emerald robes, then motioned the prefects to now enter the stain-glass doors preceding them. Her graying hair was held tightly back in a bun, which complemented her librarian-like glasses. "I am Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress and Professor to Transfiguration."
Everyone quieted, and Severus and Lily exchanged odd looks, remembering the name of who'd sent the admission letters!
The woman's firm voice automatically caught all their attention, and she went on talking about standard school behavior, the point rewards for conduct, and finally the Sorting Ceremony.
"The four Houses are: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. At the end of the term, the House with the most points will win the House Cup."
Lily had already said she'd work hard to stay in this magical place, but apart from Severus, the students seemed to be trembling as Mcgonagall mentioned the House names. Why did they look so worried?
"Now follow me." The emerald robes undulated to a turn and moved towards the grand doors, and the first-years lagged behind.
"Brite says that Ravenclaw has the best Quidditch team this year--"
"Imagine being a Slytherin and having to deal with the Wisps--"
"I'll just DIE if I don't make it to Gryffindor!! What'll my parents think?"
Strange chatter was swarming around Lily's ears like an entirely different language, and she kept close to the just-as-surprised Severus while they passed through the doors and into the Great Hall.
Perhaps it was some kind of magic, but the place seemed a lot bigger than she could have thought possible from outside. The Great Hall somehow had enough room to fit four long tables filled with older students, as well as a head table for faculty at the very end. Lily looked up into the ceiling, amazed at the beautiful pattern of white candles, which floated inches above her head.
The group of first-years followed McGonagall to the front of the faculty table, and the ancient-looking hat was revealed at the center platform. As if it were waiting for everyone to look right at it, the Sorting Hat folded itself a pair eyes with a hole at the brim for a mouth, and began to sing....
"Another year has finally sprung
Yet my old ways stay old,
For I'm the famous Sorting Hat
Of which you have been told.
My task here may seem simple
Through your wondrous eyes and ears
But let me say that what I shout
Could mark your life for years!
With 'Gryffindor' comes bravery and
The willingness to find
A virtue for the common good
and justice to the kind.
'Hufflepuff' brings friendship
to those who seek it most,
where hearts can mend and
comfort the saddest little ghost.
'Ravenclaw' knows cleverness
by both the brain and mind,
pure strategy makes their achievements
hard to leave behind.
Or perhaps a 'Slytherin'
Will make your day much more,
Those who wish to shine in glory
Know which way to soar.
Four simple words, four destinies
All sewn into my song,
While I do enjoy a challenge
I have yet to be proved wrong.
So come on up, and let me see
Where all your values lie,
And don't be scared, for Hogwarts School
Makes everything worth a try!!"
A great applause came as the Sorting Hat finished his song, but Lily and Severus just stood frozen. It wasn't only because the hat was magical and could sing - but what it sang made them completely dumbfounded. The House placement couldn't be THAT important, could it?
"I....I don't know what my destiny is!" she panicked: her head was pulling her in all directions: I think I'm smart, but enough for Ravenclaw? Or maybe I'm more nice like a Hufflepuff....
"Lily, it's okay!" Severus tried to calm her, seeing that tears were misting her bright green eyes. "The Sorting Hat just sorts - it can't tell us who we are!"
Just then the applause faded, and Professor McGonnagal rolled out a piece of parchment, and called out the first name.
"Avery, Robert."
The young redhead boy from the row-boat slowly walked up to the platform, sat on the stool, and the Sorting Hat was gently placed over his head. Lily and Severus watched without blinking.
"RAVENCLAW!" and a whole table of students stood up to clap for him as he found a an empty seat.
"See?" Severus whispered. "I told you, it just wants to scare us."
"Black, Sirius."
A boy with curly black hair casually walked up to the stool. Lily narrowed her eyes, recognizing him from the train; he was one of the four boys in the opposite stall--.
"GRYFFINDOR!" A different table erupted with cheer as the boy jumped down and ran to his table.
"Do you think you'll be in Slytherin?" Lily then asked, clutching her small backpack by the straps.
"I know my grandfather was sorted there," Severus noted, "but it really doesn't matter to me."
A few more names came afterwards, and as each student was separated into an individual House, the little girl grew more and more anxious to know where she herself would be placed.
"Evans, Lily."
Her eyelids rose at the sound of her name, and slowly she took a deep breath - hoping not to stumble on anything - and walked up to the platform. As she turned to sit straight on the three-legged stool, she tried hard not tense up from the hundreds of eyes that seemed to be looking at her that very moment. Lily's eyes wandered around and caught the face of that mean blonde-haired boy from the station, Malfoy, smiling grimly at her. She looked immediately away as the Sorting Hat softly touched her head.
"Hmmm....." Came a whispery voice at the edge of her ear, "The first Evans at Hogwarts I presume, this is very exciting...."
The little girl clutched the edge of the stool and closed her eyes as the voice spoke.
"....I see you have plenty of love, my dear, good-hearted nonetheless...."
This doesn't seem so bad, Lily thought, smiling as she listened intently.
"....but what's this?"
Her eyes sprung open, scared.
"Courage?"
What?? Lily thought curiously.
"Oh, what grand way to have truth be told! I believe you will make fine work as a.....GRYFFINDOR!"
Lily's face lighted up as she saw an entire table stand and cheer for her. The Hat was then lifted off her head and she quickly ran off to the Gryffindor Table. Once she sat, she wasted no time in looking back to spot Severus in the crowd, and he gave her a proud smile.
She smiled as an afterthought - strange how the Sorting Hat found her as brave, after her worrisome nature. Perhaps Severus was right; maybe this was all a joke?
As the names continued, the only thing she hoped for now was that her friend would be in Gryffindor too.
Things seemed to be going quite smoothly through Lily's view, until the name "Lupin, Remus" was called. Students were beginning to cause a stir of mumbles all around the Great Hall.
Lily watched a boy with ear-length hair walk up to the stool. As he turned around to show his face, she recognized him - the nice boy from the train station!! But Lily couldn't help but wonder why people were mumbling; nothing seemed to be wrong about him.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Lily clapped excitedly, then realized she was one of the very few doing so. Remus walked with a reluctant smile and found a seat next to the boy named Sirius Black.
"Congratulations," Lily said, hoping he'd remember her.
"Thanks!" Remus replied ever so kindly, and Lily had the urge of talking the other Gryffindors off from being so inconsiderate.
After a spiffy little boy named "Pettigrew, Peter" was unhappily called for Hufflepuff, the next "GRYFFINDOR!" came to "Potter, James."
He was a tall, rather skinny boy with round glasses and messy black hair. Lily assumed he was best friends with Sirius and Remus, since he was too busy giving them high-fives that he didn't even look at the little redhead sitting right next to him.
Finally, after what seemed ages of wait, "Snape, Severus" was called up from the small remaining crowd of first-years, and he calmly walked up for his sort. He smiled at Lily as the Sorting Hat was placed on his head, and Lily couldn't remember praying so hard in her life......
"...SLYTHERIN!"
As if a thousand pebbles had flown straight at her face, she saw Severus walk indifferently to the table furthest from hers. When she noticed Malfoy clapping along with the others, Lily fought hard not to think terrible things.
Severus sat down and shook hands with the other Slytherins close-by, and before the applause faded again, he glanced across the Great Hall to look at Lily.
She grinned, as if about to weep, but then gave a slight shrug that said, "it doesn't matter, right?"
And Severus answered that with a single nod to the head.
Once the remaining first-years had found their own House, the elder wizard from the High Table - which Lily knew had to be Dumbledore - raised his hands, and the Start-of-Term feast began.
Lily didn't pay much attention to the delicious food, or to the dancing ghosts that appeared shortly afterwards. What really kept her mind was that Severus didn't seem to care about House placement as much as others did.
Finding another Muggle-born at Hogwarts made this new life even more exciting for Lily Evans, and before falling asleep that first night in the castle, the little girl wished with all her heart that they would be friends.
Chapter 2
"ALL FERST YERS, follow me!!"
Lily waited until the four boys had well left the opposite stall, then she jumped off with her backpack. Though it was almost impossible to see anything from the evening's darkness, she quickly heard the growl-like voice of a giant man wearing a thick coat under a shaggy black beard. One look at his shadowy face from his tiny lantern, and the girl tremblingly brushed a bit of her hair.
"That's Hagrid the Gamekeeper," Severus noted as he jumped the train steps and stood next to Lily, carrying a small pack over one shoulder.
Lily remained as frightened as she was, and the pale boy smiled comfortingly. "Well, come on!" he encouraged, then he hiked into the merging crowd.
She forced a step forward to the giant, as he carefully attempted to lead them to a lake without stepping on anybody. Lily didn't know what to think....was he going to force them to swim across the lake? And let the weak ones drown??
It then spawned to her that she wasn't a very good swimmer--
"Four people to eh' boat, come on now!" the roaring voice continued in a lighter tone.
Lily breathed a slight relief, feeling the soft muddy ground beneath her shoes lead the way to the rowboats beside a long, wooden dock. Students were already piling into them like it was a roller-coaster ride, and Lily walked along the edge to find a possible vacancy.
As if the sky had suddenly turned bright blue, she heard someone call out "Lily! Over here!" and scurried over to the empty seat diagonally facing Severus in the small rowboat.
An older girl controlled a lantern hanging in front as the boat's oars magically peddled themselves off the edge of the dock.
The young redhead watched the oars softly stroke the water, and she leaned over to touch a bit of the dark surface with her right hand.
"Careful!"
The older girl directed the lantern to Lily's face, and all eyes in the boat turned to her. "I wouldn't do that; merchildren are rather playful this time of year." She said with a side grin. Though Lily didn't know what exactly she had meant, it was enough to return her back to a straight sitting.
"Alright, you'll be seeing Hogwarts in a few moments," the lead girl said simply, then she dimmed down her lantern and let her four passengers drop their jaws for what they saw next.
Lily had seen pictures of them from her old history books, believing them to exist solely throughout the Middle Ages and fairy tales, but watching one appear at that moment before her very eyes made her spellbound in astonishment. A castle. An enormous Gothic castle by the edge of the lake, with its many towers silhouetted by the clear night, and tiny windows brought out by their gleaming yellow light from within. At that moment, she had forgotten all her school worries.
Hogwarts is a castle!?, she asked herself over and over again, trying to rid her old thought that it depicted an ordinary private school.
She glanced around the other passengers, and they were just as surprised as she was. The short redhead boy in front of her had his right hand clasped to the boat's edge, and a chubby girl next to her looked like her eyes would be crawling out soon. Lily saw part of Severus' pale face and she noticed half of an excited smile, like a smile that spoke for all the first- years from what they were gazing at that night.
"We're going to SCHOOL there?" the redhead boy remarked, and everyone laughed.
The boats slowly pulled up to the long stone dock that bordered a tower in the castle, and the first-years got off one-by-one to follow the giant up the dock steps towards the main entrance. Lily was right behind Severus as they both looked straight up at the edging tower, which seemed to stretch all the way to the stars.
When he stopped at the main doors, the giant waited for everyone to crowd around him, then he said, "Alright now. Prefects, lead the way," and disappeared into the night.
"Where is he going?" Lily asked curiously while the older students took charge and opened the doors. A bright yellow light curtained the crowd and warmed their cheeks.
"To one of the side entrances," a prefect boy replied simply as the group began to walk, "he's meeting the professors there."
"What for?"
"I think it's tradition," Severus caught the conversation and turned his head, "for the Start-of-Term Feast, isn't it?"
"Right. They sit in the Grand Table in the Dining Hall with the other years to await your arrival," the boy explained.
"That's really nice, like we were guests here--" Lily said thoughtfully, and the prefect nodded, and scrambled ahead of the group.
As students walked down the wide entrance halls, Lily took her time gazing at every marble statue and wall pattern. She felt like she was touring the house of King Arthur himself, with a museum of armory and tapestry leading down corridors every which way.
How could anyone ever get bored here? she wondered amusingly to herself.
"Lily, the painting's waving at us!" Severus's hand gestured at her, and she turned to the wall. He was right; an oilpaint of a Renaissance woman (wearing a maroon-colored gown) was eyeing them with a smile as they both passed.
The two astounded first-years couldn't think of anything to do except smile back.
It seemed odd, really - as they waved a 'goodbye' to the painting - that neither had felt scared or even fidgety about these new, enchanted surroundings. Perhaps it was Sir Lucifer's and Granny Gwyn's stories that gave Severus and Lily such an intriguing thought about the magical world, that there was no room to be scared of it. Or perhaps they felt safe from the large group of the students walking along with them. Whatever the reason, an idea had subconsciously crossed their minds after passing the hallway of enchanted portraits: to explore the Hogwarts grounds whenever they could.
As the older students halted to the grand staircase in the heart of the castle, the students spotted a gray tabby cat perched over a stair rail, looking over the entire crowd. As it jumped off the rail, there was a wave of gasps as each first-year discovered that the cat turned into a tall, elder woman! And she grinned kindly to all of them.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," she greeted in her magnificent emerald robes, then motioned the prefects to now enter the stain-glass doors preceding them. Her graying hair was held tightly back in a bun, which complemented her librarian-like glasses. "I am Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress and Professor to Transfiguration."
Everyone quieted, and Severus and Lily exchanged odd looks, remembering the name of who'd sent the admission letters!
The woman's firm voice automatically caught all their attention, and she went on talking about standard school behavior, the point rewards for conduct, and finally the Sorting Ceremony.
"The four Houses are: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. At the end of the term, the House with the most points will win the House Cup."
Lily had already said she'd work hard to stay in this magical place, but apart from Severus, the students seemed to be trembling as Mcgonagall mentioned the House names. Why did they look so worried?
"Now follow me." The emerald robes undulated to a turn and moved towards the grand doors, and the first-years lagged behind.
"Brite says that Ravenclaw has the best Quidditch team this year--"
"Imagine being a Slytherin and having to deal with the Wisps--"
"I'll just DIE if I don't make it to Gryffindor!! What'll my parents think?"
Strange chatter was swarming around Lily's ears like an entirely different language, and she kept close to the just-as-surprised Severus while they passed through the doors and into the Great Hall.
Perhaps it was some kind of magic, but the place seemed a lot bigger than she could have thought possible from outside. The Great Hall somehow had enough room to fit four long tables filled with older students, as well as a head table for faculty at the very end. Lily looked up into the ceiling, amazed at the beautiful pattern of white candles, which floated inches above her head.
The group of first-years followed McGonagall to the front of the faculty table, and the ancient-looking hat was revealed at the center platform. As if it were waiting for everyone to look right at it, the Sorting Hat folded itself a pair eyes with a hole at the brim for a mouth, and began to sing....
"Another year has finally sprung
Yet my old ways stay old,
For I'm the famous Sorting Hat
Of which you have been told.
My task here may seem simple
Through your wondrous eyes and ears
But let me say that what I shout
Could mark your life for years!
With 'Gryffindor' comes bravery and
The willingness to find
A virtue for the common good
and justice to the kind.
'Hufflepuff' brings friendship
to those who seek it most,
where hearts can mend and
comfort the saddest little ghost.
'Ravenclaw' knows cleverness
by both the brain and mind,
pure strategy makes their achievements
hard to leave behind.
Or perhaps a 'Slytherin'
Will make your day much more,
Those who wish to shine in glory
Know which way to soar.
Four simple words, four destinies
All sewn into my song,
While I do enjoy a challenge
I have yet to be proved wrong.
So come on up, and let me see
Where all your values lie,
And don't be scared, for Hogwarts School
Makes everything worth a try!!"
A great applause came as the Sorting Hat finished his song, but Lily and Severus just stood frozen. It wasn't only because the hat was magical and could sing - but what it sang made them completely dumbfounded. The House placement couldn't be THAT important, could it?
"I....I don't know what my destiny is!" she panicked: her head was pulling her in all directions: I think I'm smart, but enough for Ravenclaw? Or maybe I'm more nice like a Hufflepuff....
"Lily, it's okay!" Severus tried to calm her, seeing that tears were misting her bright green eyes. "The Sorting Hat just sorts - it can't tell us who we are!"
Just then the applause faded, and Professor McGonnagal rolled out a piece of parchment, and called out the first name.
"Avery, Robert."
The young redhead boy from the row-boat slowly walked up to the platform, sat on the stool, and the Sorting Hat was gently placed over his head. Lily and Severus watched without blinking.
"RAVENCLAW!" and a whole table of students stood up to clap for him as he found a an empty seat.
"See?" Severus whispered. "I told you, it just wants to scare us."
"Black, Sirius."
A boy with curly black hair casually walked up to the stool. Lily narrowed her eyes, recognizing him from the train; he was one of the four boys in the opposite stall--.
"GRYFFINDOR!" A different table erupted with cheer as the boy jumped down and ran to his table.
"Do you think you'll be in Slytherin?" Lily then asked, clutching her small backpack by the straps.
"I know my grandfather was sorted there," Severus noted, "but it really doesn't matter to me."
A few more names came afterwards, and as each student was separated into an individual House, the little girl grew more and more anxious to know where she herself would be placed.
"Evans, Lily."
Her eyelids rose at the sound of her name, and slowly she took a deep breath - hoping not to stumble on anything - and walked up to the platform. As she turned to sit straight on the three-legged stool, she tried hard not tense up from the hundreds of eyes that seemed to be looking at her that very moment. Lily's eyes wandered around and caught the face of that mean blonde-haired boy from the station, Malfoy, smiling grimly at her. She looked immediately away as the Sorting Hat softly touched her head.
"Hmmm....." Came a whispery voice at the edge of her ear, "The first Evans at Hogwarts I presume, this is very exciting...."
The little girl clutched the edge of the stool and closed her eyes as the voice spoke.
"....I see you have plenty of love, my dear, good-hearted nonetheless...."
This doesn't seem so bad, Lily thought, smiling as she listened intently.
"....but what's this?"
Her eyes sprung open, scared.
"Courage?"
What?? Lily thought curiously.
"Oh, what grand way to have truth be told! I believe you will make fine work as a.....GRYFFINDOR!"
Lily's face lighted up as she saw an entire table stand and cheer for her. The Hat was then lifted off her head and she quickly ran off to the Gryffindor Table. Once she sat, she wasted no time in looking back to spot Severus in the crowd, and he gave her a proud smile.
She smiled as an afterthought - strange how the Sorting Hat found her as brave, after her worrisome nature. Perhaps Severus was right; maybe this was all a joke?
As the names continued, the only thing she hoped for now was that her friend would be in Gryffindor too.
Things seemed to be going quite smoothly through Lily's view, until the name "Lupin, Remus" was called. Students were beginning to cause a stir of mumbles all around the Great Hall.
Lily watched a boy with ear-length hair walk up to the stool. As he turned around to show his face, she recognized him - the nice boy from the train station!! But Lily couldn't help but wonder why people were mumbling; nothing seemed to be wrong about him.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Lily clapped excitedly, then realized she was one of the very few doing so. Remus walked with a reluctant smile and found a seat next to the boy named Sirius Black.
"Congratulations," Lily said, hoping he'd remember her.
"Thanks!" Remus replied ever so kindly, and Lily had the urge of talking the other Gryffindors off from being so inconsiderate.
After a spiffy little boy named "Pettigrew, Peter" was unhappily called for Hufflepuff, the next "GRYFFINDOR!" came to "Potter, James."
He was a tall, rather skinny boy with round glasses and messy black hair. Lily assumed he was best friends with Sirius and Remus, since he was too busy giving them high-fives that he didn't even look at the little redhead sitting right next to him.
Finally, after what seemed ages of wait, "Snape, Severus" was called up from the small remaining crowd of first-years, and he calmly walked up for his sort. He smiled at Lily as the Sorting Hat was placed on his head, and Lily couldn't remember praying so hard in her life......
"...SLYTHERIN!"
As if a thousand pebbles had flown straight at her face, she saw Severus walk indifferently to the table furthest from hers. When she noticed Malfoy clapping along with the others, Lily fought hard not to think terrible things.
Severus sat down and shook hands with the other Slytherins close-by, and before the applause faded again, he glanced across the Great Hall to look at Lily.
She grinned, as if about to weep, but then gave a slight shrug that said, "it doesn't matter, right?"
And Severus answered that with a single nod to the head.
Once the remaining first-years had found their own House, the elder wizard from the High Table - which Lily knew had to be Dumbledore - raised his hands, and the Start-of-Term feast began.
Lily didn't pay much attention to the delicious food, or to the dancing ghosts that appeared shortly afterwards. What really kept her mind was that Severus didn't seem to care about House placement as much as others did.
Finding another Muggle-born at Hogwarts made this new life even more exciting for Lily Evans, and before falling asleep that first night in the castle, the little girl wished with all her heart that they would be friends.