The got off the train, in the now dreary rain and ran to get into the horseless carriage. The black carriage gleamed with water and looked quite noble. The girls hopped in without a second thought.
Sparkling ceilings greeted them as usual as they walked through the doors into the Great Hall after the ride to the castle. The room was immaculate as always, even with the waterlogged kids traipsing about.
All the students took seats, at their respective tables, in time to see a professor place a wooden three-legged rickety stool in front of the hall. A worn ripped hat stood atop, quite proudly. Nervous-looking first years filed through a door near the hat. One girl, a little one with her long brown hair in pigtails, looked ready to faint. The hat began to sing, causing the girl to jump.
"Good and evil
Have always fought
Rise together
And the will fall
Death the seek
Of muggles all
A dark lord is come
Biggest fraud of all
You must unite
Or one will conquer
Dirty blood is pure
A cut will prove
The cunning of Slytherin
The loyal of Hufflepuff
The wise of Ravenclaw
The brave of Gryffindor
The emerald-eyed raven
Together will rise
One will live
And one will die."
The student body stared in awe at the hat. Only once before had it ever given a warning. It was unheard of for the sorting hat to ever prophetize.
Professor Orzac cleared his throat nervously, attempting to vanish the awkward moment. "Erm, when I call your name, please come forward and put the hat on. Appleby, Maxwell." A short boy, though tall compared to his fellow classmates, walked forward, placing the hat over his curly brown locks.
"Hufflepuff!" the hate shouted out. Slowly the class was placed in its' proper houses, with students glancing hungrily at their plates.
Eventually "Reed, Angelique" was called. The girl with pigtails, that Lily had noticed earlier, came forward. If she had looked ready to faint earlier, she now resembled the living dead. She managed to sit down and put the hat on, which fell over her eyes. Her ankles were crossed and her hands were fidgeting in her lap. Soon enough "Gryffindor" was called out. Lily cheered along with the rest of her house as Angelique quietly slipped into the empty seat next to Lily. She once more crossed her ankles and fidgeted with her hands.
"Hi, I'm Lily," the red-head said quietly to the younger girl.
"I'm Angelique," her blue eyes landed on her plate and stared hard.
"It's nice to meet you. So do you know anyone here?"
"No," her answers were short and sweet just like her.
"Do you come from a muggle family?"
Her azure eyes glanced sharply at Lily, her interest had been sparked. "Muggle, what's that?" Lily set off answering questions left and right about the wizarding world.
At long last Lily finally asked a simple question, out of the blue. "What's your favorite color?"
Once more she had caught the younger girl's attention. "Orange" Lily picked up an unused napkin and transfigured it easily into an orange daisy.
"Welcome to Hogwarts,"
"Do I get to do that?" And so began the school year.