Amazing-Jax: I'd love to have my story in a community, but I really don't know anything about C2. So if you need me to do something to get my story there let me know.
Disclaimer- I do not own Harry Potter or Sailor Moon and do not profit from the use of its content.
The Witch and her Broomstick
First Year: Life is a House
The first years stood clustered together anxiously waiting just inside the entrance hall. Hagrid had left them to go take of other business but strictly told them not to move until a teacher came to take them into the Great Hall for the sorting.
"Sorting?" James questioned sounding nervous.
Serena nodded. "Yeah. I'm so excited! Hoping for Slytherin. It's the house my father was in. But seeing as how every Tsukino that's come through Hogwarts has been in Gryfindor I'll probably end up there."
Now James appeared even more confused. "Slytherin? House?" His voice lowered meaningfully. "What exactly is sorting, and will it hurt?"
"Don't you know?" asked Serena surprised. Her mother and father had explained the process to her in great detail and told her all about the different houses and what qualities are expected from each.
James shook his head and said, "No. I don't. My parents tried to tell me about Hogwarts, but I really didn't want to listen. I personally would much rather be tutored at home not in this wretched castle."
A scowl crossed her face and she silently fumed. Wretched! The castle was not wretched, but positively beautiful. She couldn't wait to explore every room and passage. There might even be unicorns on the grounds! How could someone call Hogwarts anything short of amazing?
Just then there was the distinct 'clip-clap clip-clap' of someone in heels coming down the staircase to the right. And sure enough a young witch clad in crisp black and gold robes with a wide rimed hat came to a halt on the last step. Though youthful she held herself with great pride and did not smile to ease any of the student's nerves.
She opened her lips that had been pressed into a thin line and said sternly, "Welcome to Hogwarts. I am Professor McGonagall. Very soon you will go up these stairs and into the Great Hall where the rest of your senior classmates have already taken seats. You will then be sorted into one of the four houses. They are Ravenclaw, Slytherine, Hufflepuff, and Gryffindor. You are to be silent and wait for your name to be called."
She swept her heated gaze over them making eye contact with a few.
"Now, please follow me."
James leaned over to Serena and whispered, "What crawled up her 'arse and died?"
She giggled but quickly muffled them when the professor sent a reproachful look over her shoulder. So they climbed the stairs and entered the Great Hall where Serena tried to look everywhere at once. Above them was the night sky, misty and dark, just hanging in the high ceiling.
"How do they do that?" questioned Peter in amazement from his place beside James. Serena knew that it was a strong bewitchment because the ceiling in her room at home did the same thing, and she told Peter as much.
"Woah! Your parents must be very powerful if they can do that," gushed Peter.
But James just shrugged and said, "I don't see what's so wonderful about it."
It was useless, she knew, for James to hate Hogwarts forever. She didn't doubt that by the end of the year he would be very fond of the school. Already she felt as though she might fall over with all the excitement that was bubbling up inside of her.
Professor McGonagall stood holding a scroll next to a tall stool upon which sat an old ratty hat that was torn and patched. Serena recognized it as the sorting hat her father had mentioned. And just as he had said it would, the hat's torn brim opened up and began singing.
It was quite a silly song, but very clever with lyrics concerning the four founders of Hogwarts and the houses that each developed. When the hat finished it's tune the entire hall sounded with applause. He bowed (as much as a hat can) and thanked them with modest words.
Once the thunder of noise died out Professor McGonagall cleared her throat and read the first name on the list.
"Amy Anderson."
A tiny girl with strangely colored hair walked timidly to the stool where the hat was resting. McGonagall raised the hat and the shy girl hoped on top of the seat with a certain amount of difficulty. The professor placed the sorting hat upon her blue locks and without a moments hesitation it shouted, "RAVENCLAW!"
A polite round of applause came from the mentioned table and Amy Anderson took her seat at an empty spot her face red with embarrassment. Next there were two more girls called both of which were placed in Hufflepuff. And then McGonagall called, "Sirius Black."
The handsome boy Serena had bumped into on the train glided towards the stool with a knowing half-smile on his lip. The hat was placed onto his head and after several moments of silence it bellowed, "GRYFFINDOR!"
For a few seconds the boy didn't move and the smile fell from his face. But the claps from Gryffindor stole away his stupor and he slowly trailed over to the awaiting bench. Several more names were called until a familiar one was read.
"Lita Kino."
She was placed in Ravenclaw and the boy after her was speedily assigned to Slytherin. Two other students were placed into their houses and Serena waited just knowing her name would be next …
"Serenity Nimbus-Tsukino the 16th."
Quiet murmurs followed Serena to the stool and she sat down on it trying her best not to knock it over. Something rough brushed her ears and the hat began to whisper in her head.
'I was expecting another Tsukino and here she is! I must say your ancestry is very remarkable. Many strong witches have come through here with your blood…yes indeed.'
'Um…thanks.'
'Haha! I see you didn't get your mother's complete lack of modesty. She was a fiery one she was.'
Serena grinned.
'She still is! But father keeps her in line.'
The hat chuckled.
'I bet he does. I always knew he would make something of himself. Now I suppose you already know where I'm going to put you.'
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Only slightly disappointed she hadn't made it into Slytherin she hopped off the stool and headed to the Gryffindor table where she received an enthusiastic greeting. She watched as James and Peter were also placed in Gryffindor and then turned her attention from the sorting ceremony to the teachers sitting at the staff table. There was a very colorful arrangement of professors varying dramatically in age.
Already she could see boys staring at the youngest teacher; a beautiful woman with aqua hair that fell to her shoulders. She sat two seats to the left of Professor Dumbledore, the headmaster, whose eyes were focused on the auburn haired boy currently being sorted. Serena had heard a great deal about the powerful wizard that was head of Hogwarts school. He had been a teacher when her parents went through but had risen to his new position quite a few years back.
Professor Dumbledore rose from his seat after the last first year had been sorted into Slytherin and raised a hand for silence. The students instantly became quiet and the aging wizard smiled warmly at them.
"Welcome! Welcome to another year at Hogwarts. Congratulations first years to be sorted into your houses. I think you will find the older students most willing to assist you if you are ever in need of anything." He paused to let his eyes roam over the room behind his half-moon spectacles.
"I would now like to introduce the heads of the houses because you will see that there have been some changes." He paused and then said, "Professor Slughorn will be the head of the Slytherin house."
There was applause and the short, rounded man to Dumbledore's left stood (which did not make him much taller) and gave a small bow. Serena bit back a giggle at his walrus like appearance. How very strange.
"Professor Kaiou is the new head of Hufflepuff."
The witch nodded her head serenely at the loud raucous coming from her table. Next to Serena, James said, "To bad I'm not in Hufflepuff. At least there would be one thing to look forward to."
"This year the head of Ravenclaw will be Proffesor Flitwick."
A small man maybe three feet tall waved his hand and smiled broadly.
"And finally of course Professor Meioh is the head of Gryffindor."
The white haired witch sitting next to Dumbledore gave the vaguest of smiles, her wine colored eyes distant.
James rose an eyebrow at her and said with distaste, "Isn't there some sort of expiration date on teachers? That woman looks absolutely ancient." Serena sent James a dirty look and he shrugged. "Old people make me nervous."
Dumbledore continued on saying, "I would also like to introduce you to the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Professor Tenle, if you would rise please."
A tall man with short sandy blonde hair and a femininely shaped face stood quickly, glared, and then sat back down again. A large potion of the female students swooned at his good looks and the boys rolled their eyes annoyed.
"He is soooo handsome!" Serena exclaimed quietly and the red haired girl sitting across from her giggled.
"What's so funny?" asked Serena curiously.
"Well," the girl leaned in closer so not to be over heard, "He is a she."
Serena's eyes widened to the size of galleons and she too leaned further across the table. A woman? "NO. WAY." But the redhead nodded and said, "Yeah, her name is Amara. She's a popular racecar driver and is really well known by muggles."
"Wow, not a lot of witches and wizards socialize with muggles. Most try to avoid them," Serena said with a hint of awe in her voice. "I've never met one before."
"Well both of her parents are muggles so-"
"Are you telling me that there are mudbloods teaching us?" interrupted a throaty voice from the table behind them. Serena turned around to see a gruff broad shouldered boy looking to the staff table in disgust. Obviously the Slytherin boy had overheard what the two were talking about.
"Mudblood?" questioned the girl Serena had been talking to.
The older boy sneered. "That's right. Dirty wizards and witches with muggle filth for parents."
"They are not dirty! Some of the most powerfull witches and wizards are muggleborn." Serena argued after the red haired girl had shrunk back into her seat, her cheeks aflame. The feast had already begun but their raised voices were drawing the attention of the students near to them.
The Slytherin boy narrowed his eyes at her and Serena got to her feet, arising to the silent challenge. "And who are you? A muggle lover no doubt."
"And what if I was?"
"I'd-"
Someone else broke in. "Is there a problem, Flint?"
Serena looked to her left to see the handsome boy from the train Sirius Black standing imperiously next to her. But Flint didn't seem phased by his appearance.
"Yeah, there is. This muggle lover here keeps talking back like she's better than me. And I-"
Sirius interrupted him again. "Isn't your sister married to a muggle, Flint?" he asked innocently. But the Slytherin knew he was anything but naïve and his eyes darkened with anger. Flint took another step so that he was dangerously close to Sirius but a pale hand on his shoulder stopped any further advancement.
Luscious Malfoy said to Flint calmly, "Sit down."
He was in the midst of protesting when Malfoy said again to take a seat. And Flint moved back to the Slytherin table with a scowl. Once gone Malfoy looked at the other two his face expressionless.
"Serena," he said and nodded his head in greeting.
"Luscious," Serena replied her tone still icy from talking with Flint. The blond boy then nodded to Sirius and said, "We need to talk."
Sirius frowned but said, "Yeah, I know." And then they both returned to their respective tables without a word more. Serena still stood there perplexed for a minute before gathering her senses and taking her own seat next to James.
"What was that all about?" asked James.
Serena shrugged dismissively and look over to where the redhead was poking at her food distractedly.
"My name's Serena."
The girl looked up. "I'm Lily Evans. And you didn't have do that, you know. I…I just didn't know that people like me were called…that."
Serena shook her head. "You're not…called that, I mean. It's just that some purebloods feel so superior to everybody else. It's not okay for them to talk to you like that. Tell a teacher next time it happens."
"Thanks."
Serena smiled. "You're welcome."
End First Year: Life is a House