Chapter 2: - The Sorting

Alice, stayed in the compartment has Lily pulled on her robes and the train slowed down and pulled into a small dark station, The compartment's door suddenly slid open again and for a split second Lily had the horrible thought that Bellatrix Black was back again, but much to Lily's relief it was Miriam who came striding into the compartment,

"Boy was Tad mad!" Miriam informed them with a smile on her face, "He says he's going to write to Mother to tell her that I'd disobeyed her by- What's wrong?" she asked abruptly looking at Lily full of concern, Lily guessed that she still hadn't got over the creepy feeling that Bellatrix Black had left with her and the shock of thinking that she'd come back must have been showing on her face, it certainly was on Alice's, her face was slightly paler then normal so Lily had to assume that she didn't look any better,

"Nothings wrong" Lily lied "I'm just nervous, that's all!" Why she was lying to Miriam Lily didn't know, she just knew that she didn't want Miriam to think any less of her because she was creped out by a strange girl, But it was more then just that, why had Bellatrix came into the compartment in the first place? What was she going to say before Alice had appeared? What would she have done if Alice hadn't come back?

Thankfully Lily wasn't left to pondered these horrible thoughts, Miriam was already shunting them both out of the compartment before Lily had even realised,

"What about my trunk?" Lily asked quite alarmed,

"Don't worry about it," Alice assured her "My mother told me that elves take them up to the castle for us"

"Really!" said Miriam sounding quite surprised "Jed told me trained mountain trolls do it!!!" Alice laughed, but Lily didn't have the faintest idea why this was amusing. They emerged out of the train onto the Platform where all the other students where now gathering, the older students where heading off out of huge cast iron gates but before Lily, Alice and Miriam could think what they should do they heard a booming voice call,

"Firs'-years!, Firs'-years over here!" it was a giant of a man, the hugest person Lily had ever seen in her entire life he was about as tall as two normal men and the width of five, he had black matted beard and hair and the sight of him was quite alarming, but looking up Lily could see that beneath all that hair he was smiling a kind smile and his black beetle eyes gleamed as the light from his lantern that he was holding hit them.

"I'm guessing that's Hagrid" Alice whispered as they headed over to the man "my dad's told me all about him, he's the gamekeeper at Hogwarts, but don't let his size full you, he's supposed to be the nicest person you could ever meet!"

Lily noticed that Miriam however didn't seem to want to take any chances and she moved to the other side of the small group, unfortunately Miriam wasn't the only one, may of the first years that had followed Hagrid's calls were keeping their distance from him even though many of the older students was calling Hagrid and waving joyfully at him,

"Alright there Amanda" Hagrid called over the sea of heads has an older girl in her mid teens with curly brown hair shouted him,

"I've been made prefect" Amanda called back happily pointing to the small badge on her chest,

"Always knew you would" Hagrid shouted back smiling even more; Lily couldn't help but like Hagrid, he reminded her a lot of her father, except that Lily's dad wasn't quite so big and hairy.

"Come on" He called "Follow me!" the first years followed Hagrid down a steep narrow path, with thick trees on either side making it very dark,

"Yeh'll get yer first look at Hogwarts in a sec" Hagrid called, and has the trees narrowed Lily saw it: In the distance across a dark black ice-like lake, perched on top of a mountain was the most enormous castle, little pinpricks of light where shining from it's many window like hundreds of stars

"Wow" Lily whispered breathlessly if only her parents could see this she thought, Miriam and Alice both smiled at her and they all continued to follow Hagrid down to the edge of the lake where lots of little boats waited.

"We're using boats?" Miriam said looking at them disappointedly "Jed told me we'd be flying to the school on Dragons!!!"

"No more'n four to a boat" Hagrid called, "I said no more'n four" Hagrid said this last part to Alice's twin brother and his friend who where trying to climb into a boat that already had four other boys in it, Lily watched them scurry off to the next boat that only had two boys in, Alice's brother and his friend jumped into the boat just before another boy could climb in and they blew the boy a very loud raspberry and laughed to each other, Lily noticed that the boy who they had stopped from getting into the boat was the pallid, thin, greasy haired boy who Miriam had introduced to her as Severus Snape, glaring at them Severus moved along to the next boat. Lily followed Alice and Miriam into the nearest empty boat and they sat down wrapping their robes tightly around them,

"I wish I put my cloak on" Alice said her teeth chattering,

"Or even some gloves" Miriam said rubbing her hands together "My hands are like blocks of ice", Lily didn't care about the cold she was really getting nervous now and they'd only just got off the train, she was dreading going up to the school and what ever they'd have to do to be put into their houses and weather she'd be in the same house as Miriam and Alice, but all thoughts of houses where suddenly pushed from her head has she saw Bellatrix Black walking down the bank heading directly for their boat with a malicious smile twisting her face.

Lily's her stomach gave a horrid squirm, "Please no" Lily hissed to herself "not her"

"Hay!" Miriam shouted "There's room for one more in here!"

'What was she doing!?!' Lily's brain screamed but much to Lily's relief they where joined in their boat by a very cutie looking boy with dark brown hair and matching eyes

"Hi" he said looking from one girl to the other, "I'm David Darcy" he said slightly shivering "It's bloody cold isn't it?" they all laughed and agreed, Lily breathed a sigh of relief has she turned to see Bellatrix head off to join Severus. Hagrid made sure that all the first years where safely in the boats before he climbed into the reaming one, he was so large that he had an entire boat to himself,

"Forwards" Hagrid called and there was a sudden jolt which made Lily scream, the boats where moving of their own accord, she felt so silly now as Miriam and Alice laughed at her, but at least Lily wasn't the only one, David looked a little shocked to see the boat moving and a few more girls up and down the river bank let out screams and gasps as well. The boats glided across the moonlight lake and if Alice, Miriam and David had thought it was cold on the river bank it was nothing compared to the lake itself they where all freezing in the open boats has they reached the middle of the dark lake and the boats floated across its dark depths. Looking around at the other students in the other boats Lily could see Alice's brother and his new friend splashing water at each other and rocking their boat from side to side,

"I hope he falls in and drowns" Alice said bitterly looking at him as well, but Lily was more concerned about the other two boys in the boat one of them didn't seem too bothered about the antics of his new companions he even joined in by splashing water at them, but the fourth boy looked as though he was going to be sick, Lily wished that Alice's brother and friend would stop messing around purely for the sake of this poor sea sick boy because even though it was dark and the boys sandy brown hair hung down around his face Lily could see that the boy looked extremely pale.

The boats continued across the lake and into a darkened tunnel, Lily heard a few of the girls in neighbouring boats gasped has the moonlight was suddenly blocked and they where all cast into darkness, finally still shivering the boats came to a rest in an underground harbour,

"Come on" called Hagrid as he lead the first years up a set of long stone stairs towards a huge set of oak doors, standing in front of which was a tall, dark haired witch wearing emerald robes, with a stern enough face to rival that of Miriam's mother Lily thought.

"My name is Professor McGonagall" she said looking at them all "Please follow me"

The first years left Hagrid and followed Professor McGonagall through the doors, inside Lily gasped, the entrance hall was huge and flaming torches lit it from either side of the walls, a magnificent marble staircase stood at one side of the entrance hall and several small oak doors where scattered around the walls, even Alice and Miriam where staring around at the different sights and in someway this made Lily feel a little less nervous.

"In just a little while you shall be sorted into your houses" McGonagall said has they all stood in the centre of the entrance hall, "The sorting ceremony is a very important part of life at Hogwarts, while you are here your house will be your family your good behaviour will be rewarded in the form of house points which will be recorded in your house's hourglass"

McGonagall pointed to the front doors and turning Lily saw four enormous hourglasses each with a name of a house above it, as they spoke a few grains of what looked like emeralds fell into the lower bulb of the one named Slytherin while on the other side of the four hourglasses a few red grains flew up into the top bulb of the one for Gryffindor.

"Has you have just seen" McGonagall continued her lips narrowing "any rule breaking and house points will be deducted from your house, at the end of the year the points are accumulated and the house with most points is awarded the house cup, this is a very great honour and I hope that you will all be a credit to which house you becomes your, Please wait here, I shall see if they are ready" with this professor McGonagall turned on her heels and disappeared off into the shadows,

"More like she's gone to see who's lost her house some points already" Miriam hissed in Lily's ear "Tad told me old McGon's head of Gryffindor house" Lily forced a laugh, she was getting really nervous now,

"H-How do they sort us into houses?" Lily asked hoping that it wasn't going to be a test

"Mum and dad wouldn't tell me" Alice said at her side "But they did say that finding out which house you'll be in is the whole point of coming to Hogwarts, I just hope I'm not in Slytherin!"

"Jed told me that they use a bewitched hat" Miriam said keeping her voice low has McGonagall returned "But I'm starting to think Jed's been lying to me"

Professor McGonagall beckoned them all to follow her and she led them past the marble stairs into the shadows, out of the darkness another set of huge oak doors loomed into view, As McGonagall approached them they opened and she continued to lead them into a vast room with four long tables all the older students where already sitting at the tables and they followed the first years procession as McGonagall continued to lead them up the centre of the great hall.

Looking past David Darcy Lily could see another table at the top of the hall and by the looks of it that was the teachers table, at the very centre of which sat a very old looking man with long silvery hair and beard. Professor McGonagall directed the first years to line up at the font of the teachers table facing the older students.

"When I call out your name" She said pulling out a long roll of parchment from the inside of her robes "You will sit upon this stool and place the sorting hat on your head" now that the first years had lined up Lily had only just noticed the stool with a very battered looking hat perched on top of it. Lily quickly looked at Miriam who shot her a quick smile, Jed had at least told the truth about something,

"Artemis, Miriam" McGonagall called

"Good luck" Lily whispered,

"Thanks, you too" Miriam whispered back and Lily could have sworn that has Miriam walked up to the hat she had mumbled

"Hufflepuff here I come!" But it wasn't Hufflepuff that the hat shouted in fact it took a very long time for the hat to say anything, Looking around the hall Lily could see Miriam's older brothers sitting on the far table both with looks of concern on their faces, a low buzz could be heard as many of the students in the hall turned to talk to their neighbours staring at Miriam, but Lily could see that Miriam wasn't at all bothered by this, in fact it almost looked as if Miriam was listening to someone whispering in her ear.

"GRFFINDOR!!!" the hat exclaimed after what felt like an age and Professor McGonagall pointed Miriam over to the table on the other side of the hall which had erupted into cheers and where Miriam was greeted by the curly haired Amanda. Looking back at Miriam's brothers Lily could see them talking very angrily amongst themselves; obviously they didn't share Miriam's thoughts on not wanting to be in Slytherin. After the long time that it took to sort Miriam the rest of the first years moved much more quickly,

"Ashborn, Katie",

"RAVENCLAW!",

"Avery, Morton",

"SLYTHERIN!",

"Biggs, Janis",

"RAVENCLAW!",

Lily's nerves grew even more as Black, Bellatrix was sorted into Slytherin the E's where creeping ever nearer,

"Black, Sirius" called McGonagall; it was Alice's brothers friend,

"He's Bellatrix's cousin" Alice whispered in Lily's ear,

"GRYFFINDOR" the hat exclaimed and Sirius was the second student to join the Gryffindor table, where again Amanda jumped to her feet and welcomed him, Miriam however Lily noticed didn't, and Sirius didn't seem at all bothered by it.

"Brown, Amy" was also proclaimed a Gryffindor, Amanda jumped to her feet once more to welcome the new house mate and Amy sat next to Sirius and Miriam both of whom welcomed her, but again ignored each other.

"Catchlove, Greta", was the first student to be declared an "HUFFLEPUFF" the table opposite the Gryffindors burst into applause and shouts of joy as Greta made her way over to them, no sooner had they sat down then Darcy, David joined them, his announcement of being made a Hufflepuff wasn't heard over the excited yells for Greta.

Lily was really nervous now her stomach felt like it was turning it's self inside out what if she wasn't sorted into the right house? What if she was sorted into Slytherin with Bellatrix Black? What if it turned out that she had been given her letter by mistake and the hat just shouted "GO HOME MUGGLE!!!"? What if....

"Lily go on" it was Alice and she was pushing Lily in the square of her back, Lily had been so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she had completely missed the sorting of Dolohov, Antonin into Slytherin and didn't even hear McGonagall call, "Evens, Lily"

"Go on it's your turn" Alice said again pushing her forwards,

"Come along Miss Evens" professor McGonagall said holding the sorting hat out to her, flushing as red as her hair Lily took the hat as a few sniggers from the Slytherin table reached her ears. Lily crammed the hat on her head and sat on the stool, the hat was massive and fell almost over her eyes,

"Well" said a small voice in her ear which startled Lily and she almost jumped off the stool, "Mmmm, let me see where shall I put you?....."

'Any where but Slytherin' Lily thought, 'Any where but Slytherin',

"So you're another one that doesn't want to go to Slytherin ay?"

'Let me be with Miriam' Lily thought trying to ignore the voice in her ear 'please let me go with Miriam'

"I will tell you what I told young Miss Artemis," the hat continued "you are not the one who gets to decided where you go"

'But I don't know anyone else besides Miriam and Alice' Lily told the hat

"But that's not one of the traits of Gryffindor house" The hat told her "Loyal people belong to Hufflepuff" it continued like this for a few moments longer the hat telling Lily the different qualities that it thought she had

"Intelligence yes" It hissed "And your not afraid to stand up for yourself or for your fellows, If I see correctly you've done this on a few occasions already, well maybe.... yes it'll have to be....