"Princess Lilly," He said his cold dark eyes baring into her, "You are to come with me."
"Who are you?"
"I am Professor Snape."
"OH! You are the Potions Master aren't you! I'm very excited to start potions!" Lilly said cheerfully even though she was soaked to the bone.
"Follow me." Professor Snape said as he turned his back to her.
Lilly quickened her step and followed the greasy haired Potion Master to a horseless carriage. She entered after him gladly to be out of the rain.
"Princess..." Professor Snape began.
"Oh please just call me Lilly or Miss Star! I'd like that much more!"
"Fine. Miss Star, you are expected to be presentable and ready to give a speech to all the students." He said looking her over with disgust written all over his face, "Which it seems you are not. None the less you will be sorted into a house after all the first years have been sorted and after your, well unprepared but mandatory speech."
"Oh ok well umm I'll think of something to say." Lilly said blushing, not knowing what to say to this man. He seemed to hate her even though she had just arrived.
"Now then, while most of the teachers here, including Dumbledore, may treat you like a princess and bow to your every wish, I on the other hand will make no exceptions. If you fail potions you fail, there will be no changing the marks just because of your father's position."
"Of course! I completely understand! I'm actually glad that at least you will be treating me fairly!"
Snape just sat there looking at her. This wasn't the reaction he was expecting. He was trying to make her hate him like all the other students but the meaner he was the nicer she became. This wasn't part of his plan! She was supposed to hate him like all of the other students. That was how the plan would work. He'd have to think of something to make her hate him and fast.
"Good I'm glad we understand that. Because I do not bow down to little princesses who are getting a free ride to school from their fathers. Here we are Professor McGonagall will be waiting inside for you." He said his expression unchanging while he opened the door.
Lilly looked at the man as she exited the carriage. He was so mean to her. All she was trying to do was be nice and he said she was just getting a free ride at school. Does that mean he thinks I'm stupid? Or what? Why was he so rude to me? Lilly asked herself as she ran to the front doors of the castle with all the other students.
Lilly rung out her soaking hair and looked around the large entranceway. All the other students were making their way to what Lilly presumed was the dinning hall. She started to make her way to the dinning hall when there was another hand on her shoulder.
"Princess, please follow me." Came the voice that belonged to the hand.
Lilly turned to see an older, distressed looking witch. She was tall and looked very stern. Her mouth was set in a straight line. It was Professor McGonagall. Professor McGonagall turned and started towards a small, empty classroom.
"Now then," Professor McGonagall said once they were alone in the room, "I'm Professor McGonagall."
"Yes I know! It is a pleasure to meet you!"
"As is it to meet you. Now then I presume Professor Snape told you about the speech."
"Yes he did."
"Right then, after all the other first years have been sorted Professor Dumbledore will announce you and you will come out of the same side chamber as where the first years come and make your speech and be sorted." McGonagall said hurriedly, "First though you must make yourself presentable!"
"Oh yes of course I got quite soaked. Let me see. Dry, dry, dry, dry..." Lilly started murmuring to herself. There was a small gasp from Professor McGonagall and Lilly opened her eyes. She was completely dry, even her hair.
"Well then. Now that you are more presentable please follow me. I believe Hagrid has arrived with the first-years."
Lilly followed Professor McGonagall out of the empty classroom, down the deserted yet soaked hallway, and into a small room off the side of the Great Hall. In the small room there were about 35 small, frightened looking children. All witches and wizards Lilly realized.
"Right then first-years, please line up in alphabetical order as I call your names." Professor McGonagall said, "Oh thank you Hagrid. You can go into the Great Hall now."
"Not a pr'blem Pr'fess'r." Hagrid said turning to leave the room.
Lilly turned to see whom Professor McGonagall was addressing. There stood an extremely large, hairy man. He had to be at least 3 times the height of a regular man. Lilly stepped back in amazement as he left the tiny room.
Lilly waited in silence as the small wizards lined up looking terrified. One in particular caught her eye. The smallest of them all who as wrapped in an extremely large coat which seemed to have belonged to Hagrid. Lilly tearing her eyes away from the small wizard went to the end of the line as Professor McGonagall told her to.
"Right then follow me everyone. Lilly, you will enter when the doors open. Professor Dumbledore will open them alright?"
"Yes Professor."
"Alright lets go everyone! Chop chop!" Professor McGonagall said leading them to the Great Hall.
Lilly waited out side the large wooden doors as the last of the first-years walked in looking around in pure amazement, and fright.
"Oh hurry up," Ron moaned, beside Harry. "I could eat a Hippogriff."
"Ron do you always have to think about food!" Hermione said testily. "Have either of you seen Lilly since the train ride?"
"No I haven't." Harry began but then the doors to the Great Hall opened and everything went silent.
Professor McGonagall was leading a long line of first-years up to the top of the Hall. All of the first-years looked as thought they had swum across the lake. They were all shivering with a combination of cold and nerves as they filed along the staff table and came to a halt in a line facing the rest of the school – all of them except the smallest of the lot, a boy with a mousey hair, who was wrapped in what Harry recognized as Hagrid's moleskin overcoat. The coat was so big for him that it looked as though he was draped in a furry black marquee. His small face protruded from over the collar, looking almost painfully excited. When he had lined up with his terrified-looking peers, he caught Colin Creevey's eye, gave a double thumbs-up and mouthed, "I fell in the lake!" He looked positively delighted about it.
Professor McGonagall now placed a three-legged stool on the ground before the first-years and, on top of it, an extremely old, dirty, patched wizard's hat. The first-years stared at it. So did every one else. For a moment, there was silence. Then a tear near the brim opened wide like a mouth, and the hat broke into song:
'A thousand years or more ago,
When I was newly sewn,
There lived four wizards of renown,
Whose names are still well known:
Bold Gryffindor, from wild moor,
Fair Ravenclaw, from glen,
Sweet Hufflepuff, from valley broad,
Shrewd Slytherin, from fen.
They shared a wish, a hope, a dream,
They hatched a daring plan
To educate young sorcerers
Thus Hogwarts School began.
Now each of these four founders
Formed their own house, for each
Did value different virtues
In the one they had to teach.
By Gryffindor, the bravest were
Prized far beyond the rest;
For Ravenclaw, the cleverest
Would always be the best;
For Hufflepuff, hard workers were
Most worthy of admission;
And power-hungry Slytherin
Loved those of great ambition.
While still alive they did divide
Their favourites from the throng,
Yet how to pick the worthy ones
When they were dead and gone?
'Twas Gryffindor who found the way,
He whipped me off his head
The founders put some brains in me
So I could choose instead!
Now slip me snug about your ears,
I've never yet been wrong,
I'll have a look inside your mind
And tell where you belong!'
Lilly could hear the song muffled through the great wooden doors. Then there was applause as it finished. Then there were periodic rounds of applause as students were sorted into certain houses. It was a good ten minutes until the room went silent again.
Finally with, "Whitby, Kevin!" ("Hufflepuff") the Sorting ended. Or so they thought. But Professor McGonagall did not take the stool and hat away.
"About time," Ron said, seizing his knife and fork and looking expectantly at his golden plate not noticing that the sorting hat hadn't been removed.
Professor Dumbledore had got to his feet. He was smiling around at the students.
"While I would like to say Tuck In! We have one more student who is to be sorted." He said with his deep voice echoing around the hall.
"Oh come on!" Ron said exasperatedly.
"I would like you all to stand and welcome our new transfer student," He said as they all stood. "Princess Lilly Star."
The doors swung open and Lilly saw for the first time all of the students and the Great Hall. All they students were standing turning to face her all murmuring and point at her.
Lilly took a deep breath and walked down the isle between the tables. She walked gracefully as she was taught to do, like a Princess.
It was almost like she is walking on a cloud floating towards the staff table. So elegant and poised like nothing I've ever seen before. Draco narrowed his eyes in disgust. I can't be attracted to someone who associated with Potter, Weasley, and Granger. He thought to himself. No, I'm not attracted to her! I loathe her just like the rest of them, the mud-blood, and muggle lovers! With that he placed an evil smirk on his face as he thought of new ways to torment them all.
She stepped up onto the platform where the Sorting Hat sat and face the crowed of students. All of them still standing and staring. Then all of a sudden they began to bow to her.
"No please! Don't bow." Lilly said her voice echoing in the enormous hall like a song. "I don't want anyone to bow to me. I've come to Hogwarts to be a normal student and witch. I would greatly appreciate it if you could all just treat me like a normal student and not like a Princess. So no bowing, no curtsying, no calling me Princess, Your Highness or anything else! From this moment forward inside or out of this school I am Lilly Star! Nothing more, and nothing less!" With that she turned to Professor McGonagall, who motioned her to sit on the stool.
Lilly sat on the stool as everyone else sat down too. Professor McGonagall placed the hat on her head and all of a sudden there was a voice in her head.
"Hmmm. Let me see, let me see." It said harshly in her ear. "Snakes all around you. Yes you are completely surrounded by them."
"Not Slytherin!" She pleaded to her self.
"No not Slytherin? Well you would do well there but no I see that, that is not the way. Hmmm lets see very smart, yes very smart. A hard worker too. Hmmm no, no neither of those will do. Very brave yes. Yes! That's it!" it finished determinedly. "Gryffindor!" it shouted to the whole hall.
The whole Gryffindor table shouted and cheered with delight. Lilly smiled pleasantly to herself as she walked down to sit with the rest of the Gryffindors. She found a seat next to Hermione and two other redheads, who appeared to be twins.
"Oh Lilly! It's wonderful that you're a Gryffindor!" Hermione said beaming.
"I'm really glad I am one!" Lilly said laughing at Hermione.
"Excellent! We've got Potter and a Princess in our house now!" Said the one twin closest to her. "I'm Fred Weasley by the way."
"And I'm George!" Said the other.
"Now then. I have two words for you all." Came Dumbledore's booming voice and the hall went silent. "Tuck In!"
Lilly helped herself to large amounts of food as it appeared on the golden plates in front of her. She listened pleasantly to the Gryffindor house ghost tell Ron and Harry about Peeves antics of frightening the house-elves, all because the Bloody Baron wouldn't let him come to the feast. All of a sudden there was a loud clang from next to her.
Hermione had knocked over her golden goblet. Pumpkin juice spread over the tablecloth, staining several feet of the white linen orange, but Hermione paid no attention.
"There are house-elves here?" She said, staring, horror-struck, at Nearly Headless Nick. "Here at Hogwarts?"
"Certainly," said Nearly Headless Nick, looking surprised at her reaction. "The largest number in any dwelling in Britain, I believe. Over a hundred."
"I've never seen one!" said Hermione.
"Well, they hardly ever leave the kitchen by day do they?" said Nearly Headless Nick. "They come out at night to do a bit of cleaning... see to the fires and so on... I mean, you're not supposed to see them, are you? That's the mark of a good house-elf, isn't it, that you don't know it's there?"
Lilly sat quietly listening to the conversation not wanting to say anything because her house had over 300 house-elves working at it and she didn't want Hermione to get angry at her.
"But they get paid?" Hermione said. "They get holidays, don't they? And- and sick leave, and pensions and everything?"
Nearly Headless Nick just laughed. "Sick leave and pensions?" he said re-adjusting his head. "House-elves don't want sick leave and pensions!"
Hermione proceeded to look down at her plate of food, and the put her knife and fork down upon it and pushed it away from her.
"Oh, c'mon, 'Er-my-knee," said Ron, accidentally spraying Harry with bits of Yorkshire pudding which caused Lilly to giggle. "Oops- sorry, 'Arry – " He swallowed. "You won't get them sick leave by starving yourself!"
"He's right Hermione it won't do them any good." Lilly said.
"Slave labour," said Hermione, breathing hard through her nose. "That's what made this dinner. Slave labour."
Hermione proceeded not to touch anything else the rest of the meal despite the attempts of Ron's persuasion of Treacle tart, Spotted dick, and Chocolate gateau. Lilly tried to reason with her but Hermione still claimed it was slave labour.
"Don't take it personally." Harry said. "She tends to get fixated on one thing and won't be swayed by it."
"Oh." Lilly said.
"Hey don't you have house-elves in you castle or something?" Ron asked his mouth still full.
It was the question she had been dreading. Hermione turned and stared at her. Lilly began to blush severely.
"Well... um... yes." Hermione gasped and Lilly dropped her head in shame.
"How many?" Hermione asked staring angrily at Lilly.
"Oh... um please Hermione don't get mad!"
"How many?" Hermione's voice rising.
"Over three hundred." Lilly whispered.
But before Hermione could react Albus Dumbledore got to his feet again. The buzz of chatter filling the Hall ceased almost at once, so that only the howling wind and pounding rain could be heard.
"So!" said Dumbledore, smiling around at them all. "Now that we are all fed and watered."
"Humph!" said Hermione in disgust.
"I must once more ask for your attention, while I give out a few notices. Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to tell you that the list of objects forbidden inside the castle has this year been extended to include Screaming Yo-yos, Fanged Frisbees and Ever-Bashing Boomerangs. The full list comprises dome four hundred and thirty-seven items, I believe, and can be viewed in Mr. Filch's office, if anybody would like to check it." Dumbelore's mouth twitched slightly at the corners and he continued. "As ever, I would like to remind you all that the Forest in the grounds is out-of-bounds to students, as is the village of Hogsmeade to all below third year. It is also my painful duty to inform you that the inter-house Quidditch Cup will not take place this year."
"What?" Lilly heard Harry gasp and saw him look around at the twins and a few other people along the table.
"No! That's not fair!" Lilly said disappointedly.
"Dumbledore continued despite the outrage of some students. "This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers' time and energy – but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts..."
At that moment, there was a deafening rumble of thunder, and the doors of the Great Hall banged open. Lilly turned in her seat to see what had caused them to open.
A man stood in the doorway, leaning upon a long staff, shrouded in a black traveling cloak. Every head in the Great Hall swivelled towards the stranger, suddenly brightly illuminated by a fork of lightning that flashed across the ceiling. He lowered his hood, shook out a long mane of grizzled, dark grey hair, and then began to walk up towards the teachers' table.
A dull clunk echoed through the Hall on is every other step. He reached the end of the top table, turned right and limped heavily towards Dumbledore. Another flash of lightning crossed the ceiling. Hermione and Lilly both gasped. There was a sharp foreboding shiver shot straight up Lilly's back.
The lightning had thrown the man's face into sharp relief, and it was a face unlike any Lilly had ever seen. It looked as though it had been carved out of weathered wood by someone who had only the vaguest idea of what human faces were supposed to look like, and was none too skilled with a chisel. Every inch of skin seemed to be scarred. The mouth looked like a diagonal gash, and a large chunk of the nose was missing. But it was the man's eyes that made him frightening.
One of them was small, dark and beady. The other was large, round as a coin, and a vivid, electric blue. The blue eye was moving ceaselessly, without blinking, and was rolling up, down and from side to side, quite independently of the normal eye – and then it rolled right over, pointing into the back of the man's head, so that all they could see was whiteness.
The stranger reached Dumbledore. He stretched out a hand that was as badly scarred as his face, and Dumbledore nodded, and gestured the man to the empty seat on his right-hand side.
The stranger sat down, shook his mane of dark grey hair out of his face out of his face, pulled a plate of sausages towards him, raised it to what was left of his nose and sniffed it. He then took a small knife out of his pocket, speared a sausage on the end of it, and began to eat. His normal eye was fixed upon the sausages, but the blue eye was still darting restlessly around in its socket, taking in the Hall and the students.
"May I introduce our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher," said Dumbledore brightly, into the silence. "Professor Moody."
Lilly got another jolt up her spine like a warning bell when his electric blue eye turned and focused on her. She quickly looked away afraid he had seen her staring at him.
A/N: Well there is chapter 8! Sorry about the wait. I hope you enjoyed it because there is a lot more to come! So don't forget to R/R because I really look forward to you opinions! In the next chapter: classes start!