Chapter three— True Friendships —A place of belonging
Lily Evans pushed her cart that was loaded with her trunk and school supplies down the platforms. Her parents really wanted to come and help her but she was steadfast in her decision to go alone.
She could not or would not rather allow them to baby her. she needed to know about this place on her own.
According to a more detailed letter that had arrived after she had confirmed her acceptance a couple of months before, muggle parents weren't allowed inside the barrier.
It was a funny name, she thought, of what magical people called the none.
She would be away from her parents for more than three months. Her sister she would miss too even though Petunia had wondered if her entire family had gone mad.
She hadn't believed what Lily and her parents told her about magic. She had thought that they had eaten to many beans at dinner that night and smugly told them so.
Lily had thought about what her sister said and did wonder for a spilt second that maybe they were over reacting about the whole thing.
It could be a magician's school or all they knew. Pulling out rabbits from hats was not her idea of a career.
When she went into Diagon Alley however the little voice that had been telling her that everything Petunia was telling her was right that entire week disappeared like a puff of smoke.
Petunia on the other hand had turned up her nose when she found out that everything was real. Lily could do nothing to persuade her that that it wasn't as bad as it seemed.
She told her all about their trip to Diagon Alley, the street, the people, the shops and even what she learned about brooms—although that itself wasn't much.
She'll learn to fly a broom, Lily had informed Petunia but even that didn't faze her.
She had had a month to go before September the first rolled around and she had intended to be prepared for it. What if she didn't know anything when everybody else did?
She had divided her remaining days to the number of book she had and worked on it from there, focussing on each book for the given days.
Now here she was looking for what seemed like a nonexistent platform. The letter she was given said that it was between platforms 9 and 10 at the Kings Cross Station.
Twenty minutes later found her sitting on the train, having had the opportunity to ask a fellow cart pusher as to where it was.
She had walked though the barrier and stood in awe of the huge scarlet train.
Seeing the magnificence of the train showed the reality of what she was brought into. That everything she was doing since she found out she was a witch was real. The barrier had to have been some sort of magic as well.
Still in a fairly small amount of shock she pinched herself and went onto the train.
Though she was alone in the compartment, she didn't feel very lonely because this was what she was accustomed too.
Pretty soon the train started moving very slowly. Unexpectedly her compartment door opened slightly.
A girl who looked slightly of East Indian decent—because of her brown eyes, dark hair and light brown skin—poked her head in and she was wearing black thin rimed glasses.
'Excuse me did you happen to see a red headed girl? Oh sorry you're a red head, well another one then? She's about our age and her hair is curly.'
'No sorry.' Lily replied slightly stunned because the girl said this all very fast.
'Oh that's all right. If you see one though tell her that her cousin is looking for her.'
'All right, no problem.'
'See you then, you never know, we might get sorted into the same house.'
But before Lily had the chance to ask about the sorting she was gone.
She had read in Hogworts: A History that there were four house named after the founders of the school
But what the book didn't say was how would you go through to each house.
Just then her compartment door slid open again to reveal two girls. The first one was the one she just saw and the other was a slightly chubby girl with curly red hair. Then another girl appeared form behind them a few seconds later.
'Hi again I found my cousin.' The familiar girl said as she pointed to the red headed girl to the left of her then continued. 'I though we would sit here, that is if you don't mind.'
'Oh, of course not. My name is Lily Evans by the way.'
'My name is Jessica Adams. The rude one who didn't bother to introduce herself is Sasha Dhanaram.' The girl's cousin interrupted before grinning.
'As if Jessie.' The girl who was Sasha replied pushing her glasses further up her nose.
Lily looked at the two girls oddly. The both of them looked completely different from each other since they were related.
Seeing the look Jessie grinned at her.
'We may look different but we are related to each other unfortunately.'
Sasha rolled her eyes.
'We're related to each other form our mother's side who are sisters.'
Sasha nodded and laughed as Jessie dramatically continued.
'My aunt fell for this dashing young man from Trinidad.'
'I take after my father.'
'Obviously Sash.'
'Yeah well just letting her know. His great, great grandparents are from India.' Sasha added.
Jessie just rolled her eyes. 'It's not that I'm disrespecting her or anything,' she defended herself, 'it's just that she tells everybody that.'
'My name is Megan Matthews though.' Said the girl form the back who was now noticed by Jessie and Sasha since she spoke. 'Nice to meet you three.'
'Sorry,' Sash grinned sheepishly. 'I guess it was hard to get in a word edgewise.'
Megan laughed.
As the girls got ready to settle themselves in, Lily felt kind of odd. They didn't seem to mind sitting with her
Jessie sat across from her and Megan sat next to Lily. Sasha was about to sit next to her cousin she fell. Almost flat on her face too if Jessie didn't stop her fall.
'Well Mc. Klutz strikes again.'
'Hey it wasn't me this time. I tripped over something furry.'
Jessie, Megan and Lily looked at the floor and saw nothing.
'There is nothing there Sash.'
Sasha huffed.
Jessie leaned forward and in a fake whisper said, 'she always gets like this when she klutz's up.'
Sasha just laughed good-naturedly and stuck out her tongue at her cousin, who continued, 'But for whatever balance defects she may have she makes up for in brains.'
'Of course!'
Jessie looked at Megan and Lily.
'See don't tell her that sort of thing to her face. It goes to her head.'
Lily soon felt at ease with the three girls. All three of them were really talkative and funny. But she couldn't help shake the feeling that she saw Jessie somewhere before.
'So guys where do you live?' Megan asked.
Lily told them where he lived. 'On Chirrun's Crescent in Enfield.'
'Hey I live hear there.' Jessie exclaimed.
It was then Lily placed her. 'You live in the big house near the woods.'
'Yeah I do, how do you know that?'
'I saw you a few years ago when I was on my bicycle.'
'Bicycle? Oh you're muggle born!'
'That depends on what a muggle born is. Oh it that since my parents are muggles and I was born a witch?'
'Yeah that's it.'
'I see now.'
Halfway through the journey a skinny boy with dark brown hair knocked on the door. 'Excuse me but have any of you girls a niffler?' he asked and the words rolled of his tongue differently and it sound really charming.
'Hey are you from Australia?' Megan asked.
The boy just grinned.
'Yeah I am.'
'That's neat.'
'Yeah but the journey was a killer though, I had to take three portkeys here. Anyway about the thing that I'm looking for...these two fellows let them out at the front of the train. I'm looking for one because this girl wants one as a pet and asked me to get one for her as a pet.'
The girls laughed.
'Is a niffler furry and short?' Sash asked.
'Yeah it is why have you seen it?'
'No sorry.' And Sasha then turned to the rest of the girls, 'ha! See that's why I tripped. I told you it was totally me.'
'All right Sash, we believe you.' Jessie answered.
'My name is Matthew Ashton by the way.'
'We are,' said Morgan from her place next to Lily. 'Sasha, Jessie, Lily and myself, Megan.'
'Nice to meet you but I had better press on before all the nifflers have disappeared. I'll see you when we get there.'
'Okay, bye then.'
Two hours later Lily and her new friends walked up the stone steps of the castle. They had just gotten off the boats that had carried them across the lake and were awed by the sight of Hogworts all lit up.
It had look like something out of a card to Lily. She was literally speechless.
Jessie had to nudge her out of the boat that the four girls had shared.
They all together were the new first years or so the strict looking woman who had come to the front of the great large door, said after introducing herself as Professor Minerva Macgonnagal.
She then lead them inside the hall where it seemed the rest of the school had convened to the front where there was a rather beat up looking hat on a stool.
Soon enough the sorting ceremony began with the hat, or the sorting hat as they were told burst into song.
After the lyrics died the Professor unrolled the parchment that was rolled up in her hand. The first person up to the stool was, 'Adams, Jessica.'
The hat sat on her head for a few seconds before shouting, 'Ravenclaw!'
Jessie got up from the stool and took of the hat but before she left she saluted them and then joined the table that was cheering the loudest.
Another girl was up but she was sorted into Slytherin who look like an unpleasant lot.
Soon a familiar face was called up to the hat.
'Ashton, Matthew.'
That fellow was sorted into Gryffindore and after a few more people had gotten sorted it was Sasha's turn and just as her cousin did she saluted after the hat said, 'Ravenclaw' and went off to take her seat.
When Lily's turn came, she went up and the hat was placed on her head. Lily couldn't believe it when the hat began speaking to her in her mind and she also couldn't believe it when the hat shouted, 'Ravenclaw' also.
She raced to the table that held her new friends. They all grinned at each other. Now all they had to do was wait to see if Megan would be in Ravenclaw too.
There were four of them so far. A girl was sorted in the house before Sasha though Lily didn't quite get her name. She would ask after the sorting was over.
Soon enough it was Megan's turn after about fifteen other children were sorted. They all suffered a disappointment however when the hat called out the house she would be sorted into.
The hat had called out Gryffindore and she gave them a sad smile and went to her table that was cheering loudly.
When the last girl was sorted into Ravenclaw they introduced themselves. The girl who was sorted earlier was Anna Borucka who had shoulder length brown hair that matched her brown eyes.
The last girl was Hannah Walker. He too had brown hair though it was longer than Anna's but had icy blue eyes.
As all the first years settled in someone called for attention out in the front of the hall.
'Welcome to another year at Hogworts and good evening to you all. My name as you may or may not have known is Albus Dumbledore. I used to teach here many years ago and I was called back recently to because headmaster. I would first like to announce that as your new headmaster I would do my utmost best to keep this school in order. Also I would like to say that the third floor is out of bounds for all students. There is another thing I would like to say to all of you but I'm afraid this only concerns the fifth years.
'I would like two students to consider going to consider taking an exchange course with another school. The other school in question is Durmstrang. A boy and a girl would suffice and I would like to talk to all the students who are interested after you have eaten this wonderful feast.'
A prefect named Amos Diggory led them all back the Ravenclaw tower after the feast where they separated form the rest of the first years.
Since their belongings were already upstairs Lily and her dorm mates ran up to see their new rooms where they would be spending the rest of their seven years in.
James and Sirius went into their dorms early because they were itching to get settled early so that they could go out and explore the school. Then they had arrived at the Kings Cross Station they had sneaked in a couple of nifflers each.
They had entered the train at different points in the train and let them run amuck in there.
Afterwards when they had gotten to the castle they were interested to see how the sorting would take place.
James could sense the nervousness radiating from his friend but Sirius had acted as though he wasn't nervous.
But James saw his face when the sorting hat—they found out that when you put on the hat it would tell you what house you'll be in—shouted "Gryffindore."
He was totally shocked and happy.
Bellatrix had "disgusted" written all over face when James had searched for her at the Slytherin table but the joy on his friend face was indescribable.
Sirius gave him thumbs up, then jumped and hit his two feet together in the air before sitting down.
The crowd laughed at his antics.
Okay now he was jealous.
James could just see him smirking.
Honestly though, he was really happy for Sirius, he really was.
Then James resorted to start counting the amount of people who was getting into Gryffindore.
The first bloke was a fellow named Ashton, Sirius was second and then James zoned out all of the other houses just to listen to who got into Gryffindore.
Soon this other bloke who look sort of tired in James's opinion got sorted into Gryffindore as well but James hadn't gotten his name, he was too busy scowling at the hat.
It forever in is opinion but the were finally down to the letter beginning with is last name. A girl was sorted into Gryffindore and then came a small boy who by all accounts looked like a Hufflepuff type of person but the hat somehow put him in Gryffindore.
James didn't have to wait long anymore because his name was called and the hat had barely touched his head when it called out 'Gryffindore'.
James was ecstatic but he had forced himself to remain cool and nonchalant when he went over to the table and low fived Sirius.
Before they had had a chance to stare at their plates the headmaster, or the new headmaster rather as he announced had made a few announcements. There was something about a student exchange program to Durmstrang but James didn't particularly care about that so he hardly paid any attention.
He barely heard that the third floor of the school was forbidden but told himself that he would ask Sirius if he wanted to see it later.
After loading their plates with everything in sight, the boys had introduced themselves to each other.
'Matthew Ashton.' Said the boy with the dark brown hair.
'Shiriush,' Sirius started then stopped pounded his chest while he swallowed and started again, 'Sirius Black.'
James followed suit with his name, 'James Potter.'
'Remus Lupin.' Said the tired looking fellow had said then gave a tentative smile before putting chicken into his mouth.
'Peter Pettigrew.' Was all the small blonde boy had said.
Before the night the first years met some of the people that they would remember for the rest of their lives.
Lily Evans pushed her cart that was loaded with her trunk and school supplies down the platforms. Her parents really wanted to come and help her but she was steadfast in her decision to go alone.
She could not or would not rather allow them to baby her. she needed to know about this place on her own.
According to a more detailed letter that had arrived after she had confirmed her acceptance a couple of months before, muggle parents weren't allowed inside the barrier.
It was a funny name, she thought, of what magical people called the none.
She would be away from her parents for more than three months. Her sister she would miss too even though Petunia had wondered if her entire family had gone mad.
She hadn't believed what Lily and her parents told her about magic. She had thought that they had eaten to many beans at dinner that night and smugly told them so.
Lily had thought about what her sister said and did wonder for a spilt second that maybe they were over reacting about the whole thing.
It could be a magician's school or all they knew. Pulling out rabbits from hats was not her idea of a career.
When she went into Diagon Alley however the little voice that had been telling her that everything Petunia was telling her was right that entire week disappeared like a puff of smoke.
Petunia on the other hand had turned up her nose when she found out that everything was real. Lily could do nothing to persuade her that that it wasn't as bad as it seemed.
She told her all about their trip to Diagon Alley, the street, the people, the shops and even what she learned about brooms—although that itself wasn't much.
She'll learn to fly a broom, Lily had informed Petunia but even that didn't faze her.
She had had a month to go before September the first rolled around and she had intended to be prepared for it. What if she didn't know anything when everybody else did?
She had divided her remaining days to the number of book she had and worked on it from there, focussing on each book for the given days.
Now here she was looking for what seemed like a nonexistent platform. The letter she was given said that it was between platforms 9 and 10 at the Kings Cross Station.
Twenty minutes later found her sitting on the train, having had the opportunity to ask a fellow cart pusher as to where it was.
She had walked though the barrier and stood in awe of the huge scarlet train.
Seeing the magnificence of the train showed the reality of what she was brought into. That everything she was doing since she found out she was a witch was real. The barrier had to have been some sort of magic as well.
Still in a fairly small amount of shock she pinched herself and went onto the train.
Though she was alone in the compartment, she didn't feel very lonely because this was what she was accustomed too.
Pretty soon the train started moving very slowly. Unexpectedly her compartment door opened slightly.
A girl who looked slightly of East Indian decent—because of her brown eyes, dark hair and light brown skin—poked her head in and she was wearing black thin rimed glasses.
'Excuse me did you happen to see a red headed girl? Oh sorry you're a red head, well another one then? She's about our age and her hair is curly.'
'No sorry.' Lily replied slightly stunned because the girl said this all very fast.
'Oh that's all right. If you see one though tell her that her cousin is looking for her.'
'All right, no problem.'
'See you then, you never know, we might get sorted into the same house.'
But before Lily had the chance to ask about the sorting she was gone.
She had read in Hogworts: A History that there were four house named after the founders of the school
But what the book didn't say was how would you go through to each house.
Just then her compartment door slid open again to reveal two girls. The first one was the one she just saw and the other was a slightly chubby girl with curly red hair. Then another girl appeared form behind them a few seconds later.
'Hi again I found my cousin.' The familiar girl said as she pointed to the red headed girl to the left of her then continued. 'I though we would sit here, that is if you don't mind.'
'Oh, of course not. My name is Lily Evans by the way.'
'My name is Jessica Adams. The rude one who didn't bother to introduce herself is Sasha Dhanaram.' The girl's cousin interrupted before grinning.
'As if Jessie.' The girl who was Sasha replied pushing her glasses further up her nose.
Lily looked at the two girls oddly. The both of them looked completely different from each other since they were related.
Seeing the look Jessie grinned at her.
'We may look different but we are related to each other unfortunately.'
Sasha rolled her eyes.
'We're related to each other form our mother's side who are sisters.'
Sasha nodded and laughed as Jessie dramatically continued.
'My aunt fell for this dashing young man from Trinidad.'
'I take after my father.'
'Obviously Sash.'
'Yeah well just letting her know. His great, great grandparents are from India.' Sasha added.
Jessie just rolled her eyes. 'It's not that I'm disrespecting her or anything,' she defended herself, 'it's just that she tells everybody that.'
'My name is Megan Matthews though.' Said the girl form the back who was now noticed by Jessie and Sasha since she spoke. 'Nice to meet you three.'
'Sorry,' Sash grinned sheepishly. 'I guess it was hard to get in a word edgewise.'
Megan laughed.
As the girls got ready to settle themselves in, Lily felt kind of odd. They didn't seem to mind sitting with her
Jessie sat across from her and Megan sat next to Lily. Sasha was about to sit next to her cousin she fell. Almost flat on her face too if Jessie didn't stop her fall.
'Well Mc. Klutz strikes again.'
'Hey it wasn't me this time. I tripped over something furry.'
Jessie, Megan and Lily looked at the floor and saw nothing.
'There is nothing there Sash.'
Sasha huffed.
Jessie leaned forward and in a fake whisper said, 'she always gets like this when she klutz's up.'
Sasha just laughed good-naturedly and stuck out her tongue at her cousin, who continued, 'But for whatever balance defects she may have she makes up for in brains.'
'Of course!'
Jessie looked at Megan and Lily.
'See don't tell her that sort of thing to her face. It goes to her head.'
Lily soon felt at ease with the three girls. All three of them were really talkative and funny. But she couldn't help shake the feeling that she saw Jessie somewhere before.
'So guys where do you live?' Megan asked.
Lily told them where he lived. 'On Chirrun's Crescent in Enfield.'
'Hey I live hear there.' Jessie exclaimed.
It was then Lily placed her. 'You live in the big house near the woods.'
'Yeah I do, how do you know that?'
'I saw you a few years ago when I was on my bicycle.'
'Bicycle? Oh you're muggle born!'
'That depends on what a muggle born is. Oh it that since my parents are muggles and I was born a witch?'
'Yeah that's it.'
'I see now.'
Halfway through the journey a skinny boy with dark brown hair knocked on the door. 'Excuse me but have any of you girls a niffler?' he asked and the words rolled of his tongue differently and it sound really charming.
'Hey are you from Australia?' Megan asked.
The boy just grinned.
'Yeah I am.'
'That's neat.'
'Yeah but the journey was a killer though, I had to take three portkeys here. Anyway about the thing that I'm looking for...these two fellows let them out at the front of the train. I'm looking for one because this girl wants one as a pet and asked me to get one for her as a pet.'
The girls laughed.
'Is a niffler furry and short?' Sash asked.
'Yeah it is why have you seen it?'
'No sorry.' And Sasha then turned to the rest of the girls, 'ha! See that's why I tripped. I told you it was totally me.'
'All right Sash, we believe you.' Jessie answered.
'My name is Matthew Ashton by the way.'
'We are,' said Morgan from her place next to Lily. 'Sasha, Jessie, Lily and myself, Megan.'
'Nice to meet you but I had better press on before all the nifflers have disappeared. I'll see you when we get there.'
'Okay, bye then.'
Two hours later Lily and her new friends walked up the stone steps of the castle. They had just gotten off the boats that had carried them across the lake and were awed by the sight of Hogworts all lit up.
It had look like something out of a card to Lily. She was literally speechless.
Jessie had to nudge her out of the boat that the four girls had shared.
They all together were the new first years or so the strict looking woman who had come to the front of the great large door, said after introducing herself as Professor Minerva Macgonnagal.
She then lead them inside the hall where it seemed the rest of the school had convened to the front where there was a rather beat up looking hat on a stool.
Soon enough the sorting ceremony began with the hat, or the sorting hat as they were told burst into song.
After the lyrics died the Professor unrolled the parchment that was rolled up in her hand. The first person up to the stool was, 'Adams, Jessica.'
The hat sat on her head for a few seconds before shouting, 'Ravenclaw!'
Jessie got up from the stool and took of the hat but before she left she saluted them and then joined the table that was cheering the loudest.
Another girl was up but she was sorted into Slytherin who look like an unpleasant lot.
Soon a familiar face was called up to the hat.
'Ashton, Matthew.'
That fellow was sorted into Gryffindore and after a few more people had gotten sorted it was Sasha's turn and just as her cousin did she saluted after the hat said, 'Ravenclaw' and went off to take her seat.
When Lily's turn came, she went up and the hat was placed on her head. Lily couldn't believe it when the hat began speaking to her in her mind and she also couldn't believe it when the hat shouted, 'Ravenclaw' also.
She raced to the table that held her new friends. They all grinned at each other. Now all they had to do was wait to see if Megan would be in Ravenclaw too.
There were four of them so far. A girl was sorted in the house before Sasha though Lily didn't quite get her name. She would ask after the sorting was over.
Soon enough it was Megan's turn after about fifteen other children were sorted. They all suffered a disappointment however when the hat called out the house she would be sorted into.
The hat had called out Gryffindore and she gave them a sad smile and went to her table that was cheering loudly.
When the last girl was sorted into Ravenclaw they introduced themselves. The girl who was sorted earlier was Anna Borucka who had shoulder length brown hair that matched her brown eyes.
The last girl was Hannah Walker. He too had brown hair though it was longer than Anna's but had icy blue eyes.
As all the first years settled in someone called for attention out in the front of the hall.
'Welcome to another year at Hogworts and good evening to you all. My name as you may or may not have known is Albus Dumbledore. I used to teach here many years ago and I was called back recently to because headmaster. I would first like to announce that as your new headmaster I would do my utmost best to keep this school in order. Also I would like to say that the third floor is out of bounds for all students. There is another thing I would like to say to all of you but I'm afraid this only concerns the fifth years.
'I would like two students to consider going to consider taking an exchange course with another school. The other school in question is Durmstrang. A boy and a girl would suffice and I would like to talk to all the students who are interested after you have eaten this wonderful feast.'
A prefect named Amos Diggory led them all back the Ravenclaw tower after the feast where they separated form the rest of the first years.
Since their belongings were already upstairs Lily and her dorm mates ran up to see their new rooms where they would be spending the rest of their seven years in.
James and Sirius went into their dorms early because they were itching to get settled early so that they could go out and explore the school. Then they had arrived at the Kings Cross Station they had sneaked in a couple of nifflers each.
They had entered the train at different points in the train and let them run amuck in there.
Afterwards when they had gotten to the castle they were interested to see how the sorting would take place.
James could sense the nervousness radiating from his friend but Sirius had acted as though he wasn't nervous.
But James saw his face when the sorting hat—they found out that when you put on the hat it would tell you what house you'll be in—shouted "Gryffindore."
He was totally shocked and happy.
Bellatrix had "disgusted" written all over face when James had searched for her at the Slytherin table but the joy on his friend face was indescribable.
Sirius gave him thumbs up, then jumped and hit his two feet together in the air before sitting down.
The crowd laughed at his antics.
Okay now he was jealous.
James could just see him smirking.
Honestly though, he was really happy for Sirius, he really was.
Then James resorted to start counting the amount of people who was getting into Gryffindore.
The first bloke was a fellow named Ashton, Sirius was second and then James zoned out all of the other houses just to listen to who got into Gryffindore.
Soon this other bloke who look sort of tired in James's opinion got sorted into Gryffindore as well but James hadn't gotten his name, he was too busy scowling at the hat.
It forever in is opinion but the were finally down to the letter beginning with is last name. A girl was sorted into Gryffindore and then came a small boy who by all accounts looked like a Hufflepuff type of person but the hat somehow put him in Gryffindore.
James didn't have to wait long anymore because his name was called and the hat had barely touched his head when it called out 'Gryffindore'.
James was ecstatic but he had forced himself to remain cool and nonchalant when he went over to the table and low fived Sirius.
Before they had had a chance to stare at their plates the headmaster, or the new headmaster rather as he announced had made a few announcements. There was something about a student exchange program to Durmstrang but James didn't particularly care about that so he hardly paid any attention.
He barely heard that the third floor of the school was forbidden but told himself that he would ask Sirius if he wanted to see it later.
After loading their plates with everything in sight, the boys had introduced themselves to each other.
'Matthew Ashton.' Said the boy with the dark brown hair.
'Shiriush,' Sirius started then stopped pounded his chest while he swallowed and started again, 'Sirius Black.'
James followed suit with his name, 'James Potter.'
'Remus Lupin.' Said the tired looking fellow had said then gave a tentative smile before putting chicken into his mouth.
'Peter Pettigrew.' Was all the small blonde boy had said.
Before the night the first years met some of the people that they would remember for the rest of their lives.
