Chapter Three:

Princess Lily Goes to Hogwarts

Lily woke up bright and early on September 1st even though she had barely slept two hours the night before. She took a bath and dressed, hardly realizing what she was doing. One of the house elves had already packed her trunk and laid out one of her new Hogwarts uniforms for her. Lily ran her fingers down the place where her house crest would appear later that night and shivered.

It was still hours before she needed to leave but Lily couldn't seem to sit still. She finished getting ready, ate a very small breakfast, then went down to say goodbye to Molly and Edward Thomas. Molly cried a lot and Edwards seemed oddly pale for Lily's liking. Far too soon for Lily' liking it came time to say her farewells to her family. It was oddly formal, compared to her farewell from the Thomas's but Lily tried to tell herself that this was just how her parents were. Her mother gave her a stiff hug and told her she expected a very long report on what she was learning in her classes by the weekend. Her father shock her hand, then started in on a lecture about how she should apply herself to her studies because "the future of our country is in your hands. You will one day inherit my throne and you must be ready to take it when that day comes."

Lily nodded and said "yes, sir" while Petunia scowled. When her turn came she simply gave Lily an impersonal hug that lasted about ten seconds.

"I'll miss all of you so much!" Lily exclaimed, starting to cry again.

"Now Lily, you know when you cry your face starts to puff. Is that how you want your classmates to first see you with a puffy face?" Queen Katherine told her daughter sternly, though her voice wavered a bit.

"No mother," Lily said, trying to stop crying. It took her a few minutes before her face was back to usual and her mother said she was fit to go.

"Make us proud," King Henry called out as he watched his daughter climb into the back seat of the limousine that would take her to Kings Cross. Lily had only been in a limo a couple of times; usually she would take a portkey or use floo powder. However as Kings Cross was a muggle station they had to arrive in a none-magical way.

"We're here Miss," the diver said, pulling in front of the large train station.

Lily looked out the wind to see the large brink building that was Kings Cross station and for some reason her stomach contracted a little at the sight of it. The driver stopped the car and went to open the door for her. Then he got her bags and pushed them behind her as she walked into the station. They reached the barrier between Platforms 9 and 10 which served as 

a way onto the platform. The driver showed her how to get onto the platform, which included running straight at a seemingly brick wall (who would think of that?) Anyway, Lily got onto the platform and was left alone as the driver went to put her trunk in a compartment.

"Why, hello princess," a voice said from behind her, and Lily turned to see a grinning Sirius Black standing there.

"Sirius what are you doing here?" Lily asked, rather stupidly.

"Well I am starting Hogwarts this year, so unless I want to walk to school I have to be here," Sirius said, very seriously.

"Oh, I forgot. Well do you want to find a compartment?" Lily stumbled.

"I'd love to m'lady, only you have been forbidden from association with me," Sirius said playfully, but still Lily blushed.

"Oh, well, I'm sure they didn't mean…" Lily trailed away, trying to think of something to say.

"I'll tell you a secret," Sirius whispered, changing subjects at the speed of light, "I'm going to be a Gryffindor and then you'll be able to talk to me."

"But-" Lily said stunned ever Black since like forever had been a Slytherin. "What about your family?"

"That's why I'm doing it m'lady, think of the looks on their faces." This made Lily giggle, indeed Mr. and Mrs. Black were likely to faint if their precious son become a nasty Gryffindor.

"Well princess this has been fun but I see your fan club is approaching so I will bid you farewell" and with that Sirius Black disappeared into the crowd.

Lily turned to see Amelia Bones and Mafabla (Mia) Hopkirk coming her way. It would be nice to know someone at Hogwarts Lily though as she said hello to the two and they went off in search of a compartment.

An hour later, Lily decided it wouldn't have mattered if she hadn't found the two girls for it seemed everyone on the train know who she was and had decided to come to her compartment to greet her. Though she recognized almost all the names most of the other students had never meet royalty before. They spent so much time scrapping and bowing to her that Lily had to try hard to keep from giggling.

"Well, hopefully that's the last of them," Mia said, three hours into the train ride, closing the door for what seemed the thousandth's time.

"Yes, you would think they had never met a princess before," Lily sighed.

"Well, they haven't," Amelia told her, popping a chocolate frog into her mouth that one of the older students had left as a gift for Lily.

"Oh right," Lily said, giggling and picking up a frog too. It was so nice having people her age around. "And you two were really good are you sure the whole me-being-famous-thing doesn't bother you?"

"No of course not," Mia exclaimed, also picking up a frog, "I mean, you can't help being royalty right? So why should we treat you differently because of it?"

"Oh good," Lily exclaimed, "because assuming we all get in Gryffindor it would be so annoying to have to spend seven years with people who worshiped me."

"Are you sure," Amelia teased, "because being worshipped has perks? I mean these frogs are good."

"Amelia!" Lily exclaimed, tossing a frog at her.

To the great relief of all three girls no more annoying suck ups came into the compartment after that. They spent most of the ride comparing notes about what they knew about Hogwarts, especially about how you were sorted.

"I heard you had to perform magic."

"No, you have to battle a dark wizard."

"I hear they read your mind."

And the rest of the ride eating tons of candy and playing Gobstones. Finally the windows outside darkened and the three girls pulled on their crisp, new robes. A bombing voice announced they would be arriving in five minutes and to leave their luggage on the train, as it would be sent to their rooms later.

Lily was starting to get very nervous, what if she got there and they found out she was a squib like Petunia and was sent home?

When the train stopped they stepped out into the dark night with the rest of the students. A voice was bellowing "First years, first years over here," so they walked in that direction. Lily saw the voice was coming from Hagrid the loveable half-giant she had heard her parents talking about from their time at Hogwarts.

Hagrid led them to a fleet of small boats telling them it was "fou' to a boat."

Lily glanced up at Hogwart's castle. It looked a lot like her family's castle if not a little bit bigger and very homely for a stone building.

A tall blond girl named "Penelope Jones" joined Lily, Mia, and Amelia in their boat. She was nice though see kept blushing whenever Lily looked at her. In a boat in front of them Sirius was sitting with three other boys it was too dark to make out for sure but one of them seemed familiar. Just then there was a splashing sound as Sirius's boat tipped over. Lily watched as the giant squid caught and dumped the four boys back on board.

"I wonder what happened to them?" Lily asked the three others, who just shrugged.

When the boat landed Lily made her way over to Sirius who was staring murderously at the black haired boy who had been in his boat.

"What happened to you?" She asked, pointing at his wet cloths.

"That-that- boy tipped the boat," Sirius spluttered too angry to make a proper sentence.

"Why?" Lily asked but before Sirius could answer the huge oak front door was opened by a very stern looking witch named Professor McGonagall. She led them though a huge entrance hall, much like the one back home. Off to the right was a large dining hall filled with students. Lily could only get a glimpse of it as McGonagall let them into a small chamber off to the side.

She then proceeded to explain about the four houses and life at Hogwarts. Lily didn't listen as she already knew this speech her mother had told it to her almost word for word the night before. Instead she looked around the chamber at her fellow first years. In the corner she saw, to her surprise, the boy she had bumped into in the bookstore. She realized this must have been the boy who had tipped the boat Sirius was riding in. She wondered what he was doing here; he wasn't nobility, or rich, judging from his robes.

McGonagall had finished her speech and left.

"Nervous?" Sirius asked, coming to stand behind her.

"No," Lily lied, "do you know how they sort us?"

"Yes," Sirius told her, "my father told me but I'm not telling m'lady it's a secret."

"Oh, you're just saying that because you don't know," Lily insisted, as Mia giggled at how handsome Sirius was.

"If you think so," Sirius said playful then went to stand next to his cousin Bellatrix in the corner.

"I hope he's in Gryffindor," Mia giggled.

"He wouldn't be, he's a Black they're pure Slytherins," Lily told her sharply, a little annoyed that Mia was looking at Sirius in that was. She left out that Sirius had told her he wanted to be in Gryffindor.

Just then McGonagall came back to lead them into the hall.

"Now form a single file line," she was telling them, "and follow me."

Felling very nervous Lily followed her out of the room trying to keep her head up and walk gracefully like her mother had taught her. They walked though a pair of double doors into the Great Hall. Lily was shocked for a moment at the strangeness and splendor of the place. It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. Professor McGonagall led the first years up here, so they came to a halt in a line facing the other students with the teachers behind them. The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students the ghosts shone misty silver. Lily looked upwards to avoid the stares of the older students and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars. She remembered her mother telling her it was enchanted to look like the sky outside. It was hard to believe there was a ceiling at all and that the Great Hall didn't simply open onto the heavens.

Lily looked down to see Professor McGonagall silently placing a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. It was so dirty and patched that Lily knew her mother would have a fit if she saw it.

Lily wondered what they would have to do with it until she saw it twitch and knew it must be enchanted too. The hall fell silent and a rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth and the hat began to sing:

"Once upon a time,
There lived two witches and two wizards,
Who shared a commend goal.

To educate young sorceress,
To teach them all they knew.

Yet they did fight on one point
How to choice the worthy ones?
And which ones to leave at home.
It was Gryffindor that did declared,
Lets make four houses.
And pick the pupils that we like,
Then everyone can come.


So Hogwarts they did found,
And four houses they did make.
One for Gryffindor,
Who picked the braves at heart.
Those daring fellows,
Who would risk everything,
To save the ones they loved.

Another was for Slytherin,
Who picked the slyest of them all.

Those sneaky people,

Who know how to get what they want.

The next was for wise Ravenclaw,
Who picked the ones who valid learning.
Those intelligent people,
Who know how to use facts,
The get their means.

The last was fair Hufflepuff,
Who knew all people were equal,
Even thought they had different values at heart.
When she lived,

She took the ones the others past up.

But now she is gone,
And I pick those who I think,
Value equality and working for what you get.


So try me on,
And I'll decide were you ought to be…"

Lily didn't know whether to laugh or clap but looking around she decided on the latter. Once the applauses had died down Professor McGonagall came forward and told the first years; "When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted." Then she started to read off names.

"Bones, Amelia," she read, and Amelia squeaked. Muttering something about how horrible it was to have your last names start with 'B' she squeezed Lily's hand and shaking slightly walked forward and put the hat on her head. After a moment to Lily's great relief the hat shouted "GRYFFINDOR."

"Black, Bellatrix," was called. Bellatrix was a pretty dark haired girl who gave a smug smile as the hat shouted "SLYTHERIN" barely seconds after touching her head. She pranced off to sit at the green and sliver table who had given her a standing ovation.

"Black, Sirius," McGonagall called. Winking at her Sirius walked forward and placed the hat on his head. Even with the dirty thing falling over his face Lily couldn't help but notice that he was extremely handsome. The hat took about five minutes to decide with Sirius, until finally it called, "GRYFFINDOR," into the shocked crowd. The hall erupted in whispers and some clapping from the Gryffindor table. Giving Lily another cheeky wink Sirius ambled off to join the red and gold table. Lily couldn't help noticing how some of the people over at the green and silver table looked about ready to curse Sirius and how some of his classmates were shooting him suspects looks as he took a place at the very end of the table.

"Evans, Her Royal Highness Princess Lily," was called, making a few people laugh at the odd argument of her name and others to stand on their seats to gawk at her. Nervously but determined to keep her cool Lily glided up to the stood and gently placed the sorting hat on her head.

"Princess are you?" A sly voice said in her head.

"Err… yes, you talk?" Lily though trying not to picture how ridicules this was; talking to a hat.

"Naturally, but let's get on with it shall we. Awe, you're a difficult one to place. Very headstrong, a determination to prove yourself I see. Slytherin would do you well."

"Oh, please not Sl-" Lily started but was cut off.

"No, I would not put you there. You are too honest and not nearly as ambitions as you should be to fit in with them. Hufflepuff maybe or Ravenclaw you are certainly smart enough. Yet, I think you will do well in GRFFINDOR!"

The hat shouted this last word to the entire hall and the table on the far left with red and gold banner over it exploded in cheers. Shaking slightly from sheer relief Lily went to sit next to Amelia and a few sets away from Sirius who was still alone at the end of the table. (Apparently no one had wanted to sit next to the 'Black' as he was supposed to be an evil Slytherin.) Sirius smiled at her as she took her seat and she waved back making sure the other Gryffindors saw she was being friendly to Sirius.

"Hopkirk, Mafalda" was called, and after a few seconds she also became a "GRYFFINDOR." Smiling widely she came to sit next to Lily, who gave her a big huge so relieved that she wasn't separated from her first two friends.

"Jones, Penelope," was called and the blond girl Lily had shared a boat with walked nervously forward to put the hat on. A few moments later it yelled, "GRYFFINDOR!" Smiling slightly Penelope came to sit next to Amelia at the end of the table with the rest of the first years.

"Lupin, Remus," took forever to become a "GRYFFINDOR." He pulled off the hat smiling widely and seeming not to notice the reduced applause and murmurs of "scholarship" and "white trash" around him as he went to seat at the end of the Gryffindor table with a bunch of older children in shabby robes who were cheering him loudly. This confused Lily a little for she had never heard of Hogwarts giving scholarships but before she could say anything the next student was called.

"Peasegood, Arnold," became a "GRYFFINDOR."

"Pettigrew, Peter," was called, (the blond boy Lily had met at her parent's ball.) To Lily's great annoyance he became a "GRYFFINDOR" moments later. She sighed; well he wasn't too bad just a bit of a stuck up always trying to get in good with the powerful people, like her.

"Potter, James."

The skinny black haired boy Lily had bumped into in the bookstore walked forward confidently and put on the hat. It took only about a minute before the hat shouted "GRYFFINDOR!" Lily noticed that the clapping for James seemed to be less than for the other new Gryffindors (except for Remus and Sirius) and next to her she heard a boy mutter, "great another scholarship." Lily felt a sudden bang of pity for the boy, it must be hard to come to a school full of people so different from yourself but then she remembered. This boy was nothing, white trash as that kid had said, why was she even bothering thinking about him? So she turned her attention back to the sorting in time to hear "Perks, Amanda," being called.

The sorting was almost over now, only a brown haired boy, named "Rosier, Evan" who became a "SLYTHERIN." A grassy haired kid named "Snape," who Lily vaguely registered was a scholarship student who became a Slytherin and then "Warrington, Jenny," who became a "GRYFFINDOR" and the sorting was over.

Albus Dumbledore got to his feet. Lily had meet him a couple times before when he came to the castle to meet with her father.

"Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts or if you are a first year Welcome!" He told them his eyes twinkling "Before we begin our banquet I would like to say a few words: Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titleandus."

Lily giggled softly, that was the sort of thing Dumbledore always said. Mia looked puzzled so Lily whispered, "don't worry he's always like that. Could you pass the potatoes." For when the Headmaster had finished his 'few words' the food had appeared.

Lily was really hungry after eating almost nothing that day so she filled her plate with all her favorite foods. One thing to be said for Hogwarts was that they had really good food.

"Amelia, do you know anything about those scholarship students?" Lily asked, well helping herself to some turkey. She was looking down at the group of people she had seen early who were all dressed in second hand robes. Amelia shook her head but a sixth year Lily didn't know answered instead.

"I know about them, princess," he said as Lily cringed at her title. "There are about two or three in every year. The headmasters use them as charity cases to make the school look good. They're all here because they're supposedly really good students. Almost all the prefects and the Head boy and girl are scholarship students. But they're really just all white trash and some token minorities. You should stay clear of them they're bad news."

"Why?" Lily asked curiously, "do they get in a lot of trouble or something?"

"Well no," the fifth year said and then added, "but they're all from Knockturn alley and the bad neighborhoods. They must all be full of dark magic to live there. Besides they're always cussing and dancing to, horrible music, and their clothes are so… tight."

"Oh," Lily said, understanding. They were the kind of people who worked for their money. Lily shivered at the thought and made a mental note to stay clear of them in future.

After that she spent the rest of the feast talking with the other first years (well except for the scholarship students who were sitting at the other end of the table.) She found she really liked Gideon Prewett who she had met at her parent's ball. There was another first year girl named Amanda Perks who was really nice but didn't have much in the way of brains. She found Jenny Warrington very stuck up though; her family was really wealthy but not nobility. However she acted as if she were the princess at the table. She kept complaining about everything but she was extremely pretty so the boys at least were ready to put up with her.

Too soon Dumbledore stood up again to give his start-of-term speech.

"Now that we are all feed and watered," he started, "I have a few start of term notices to give out. First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden. Madam Pincer, our librarian, would like me to remind you that the restricted section is restricted to anyone who does not have a signed note from a teacher. Also, this year a Whomping Willow has been planted on the grounds. As this plant can be very dangerous to anyone who goes to near it I advise you all to stay clear of it. Anyone wishing to play Quidditch this year should contact their 

head of house and finally I would like to welcome to our staff Argus Filch who will be taking over as caretaker for Apollyon Pringle who has sadly passed away."

With that Dumbledore sat down. Lily noticed as the school got up that most students did not seem too upset that Pringle had died. Lily guessed that he had not been a very nice person but judging by this Filch he was no improvement.

"First years Gryffindors please follow me," a tall Spanish boy who had a Head Boy badge on his chest called over the crowd. Lily and her friends when to stand by him "Everyone here? Good, follow me, I'll show you to the common room."

It seemed like miles from the great hall to Gryffindor tower. They weaved in and out of corridors, though hidden passages behind dusty tapestries and up hundreds of staircases. The Head Boy, whose name turned out to be Jose DeNino, told them that everything at Hogwarts tended to change around most of the time. Lily who had experience with castles felt she would be lost in minutes. Meanwhile all the other first years looked a bit scared at the thought of a living in a castle.

Finally they came to a stop in front of a painting of a very fat lady in a pink silk dress.

"Password?" She asked in a bored voice.

"Carpe Diem," Jose told her, then added to the first years, "please remember the password cause if you forget it you'll be locked out."

The painting had swung open to reveal a round hole in the wall. They all scrambled though it and found themselves in the Gryffindor common room, a cozy, round room full of squashy armchairs.

Jose pointed the girls though one door to their dormitory and the boys though another. At the top of a spiral staircase Lily and her friends found their room at last. It was a cozy round room like the common room below with six four-posters hung with deep gold and velvet curtains. Their trunks had already been brought up.

Lily found hers was by the window, next to Mia and Amelia's. Suddenly feeling very tired after the long day, they all changed quietly into their pajamas and climbed into bed. Before dosing off into a dreamless sleep Lily decided she was going to like Hogwarts a lot.