A/N: I am really sorry that I haven't updated sooner but it wasn't exactly entirely my choice. See, my grandmother got sick and was in the hospital. To make an extraordinarily long story short, I needed to keep the phone lines free, and now we've moved just up a hill to live with her to take care of her. Meaning our old computer, the desktop, isn't hooked up. All my work now is being done on my mom's laptop she uses for writing her story (novel she's working on… its actually pretty good, I keep telling her to start writing since I want to find out what happens next). So, now I'm able to get online and so on, so until my computer is hooked up which will probably be later on today, I am working on all my fanfictions on this one little laptop in my parents room since they're kicking me out of mine to paint it. Enjoy the chapter.

Disclaimer: Harry Potter isn't mine, because if it were, Sirius would be reincarnated as an adorable teenager… lol

Time Turner

EilayAdnayVolieay

Chapter Six: Sorting Ceremony

"What do you MEAN, you don't know the counter-curse? You're supposed to be the brilliant one! You're supposed to know these things!" Sirius replied. Lexi and Erin burst out laughing, and James, who could only move his eyes slightly, glared the best he could at Lily, causing them all to laugh even harder. Sirius fell to his knees dramatically at James' side.

"James! My James… oh whatever have they done to thy!" Sirius cried out. Lily rolled her eyes.

"Its "Oh whatever have they done to thou," not "thy". Honestly! I'll… I'll just look in the book. It can't be too hard to find the counter-curse," Lily added hopefully. She really had no idea if the counter-curse would even be in the book, but she had to look. It wouldn't be a great way to start the school year, with James being frozen in place by Lily. Still… she had done magic! Her first real attempt to actually do magic, and she had been successful! She knew she shouldn't be so happy, because it was James who had suffered because of it, but she couldn't help it. Erin and Lexi seemed to be impressed that she could do that spell so easily, without ever trying it before. Lily flipped through the book, trying to find something, anything that might return James to his regular non-frozen state.

"Any luck?" Erin asked. Lily shook her head.

"No, but don't worry," she added hastily, "I'm sure I'll find it. Perhaps we could ask someone…? Your brother, maybe," Lily added. Lexi shook her head.

"I doubt it. He'd just take points away from whatever house you get sorted into, he's a prefect. Sixth year actually," Lexi added sadly. "He'll soon be done school, and off on his own." Lily looked in the book again.

"Well I can't find anything that can reverse James' state. Perhaps…" Lily stopped speaking immediately as a second year Gryffindor student entered their compartment.

"We'll be at the school in another hour, they asked me to tell all the first years to leave their things on the train, change into their robes and follow Rubeus Hagrid to the school." The boy saw James lying on the ground and muttered something. James was soon returned to his regular state, and jumped up. "Who did that?" the boy asked curiously. Lily reluctantly put up her hand.

"I did…" Lily replied. Lexi stepped forward.

"Yes, but James deserved it. He was being a rude jerk and Lily only tested the least painful hex she could find!" Lexi cried out. The boy laughed.

"Relax, I won't get you in trouble. I was just curious to see who could do that spell on the first day of school…" the boy smiled at Lily and left the compartment. Sirius stuck his tongue out at him.

"I don't like him. He thinks Evans should be praised for hexing my James!" Sirius cried out. James rolled his eyes.

"Sirius, if people think we're some gay couple on the first day of school, you're dead." James replied. He sat down on his seat, and Sirius and James didn't talk to the girls the rest of the trip.

"Firs' years, firs' years over here!" Hagrid called. Lily, Erin, and Lexi all headed towards Hagrid's voice.

"Lily! So yeh made some friends!" Hagrid replied. Lily nodded her head.

"Yes, I guess I did." Lily replied. Hagrid laughed and motioned for other first years to come over to where he was.

"Firs' years, over here! So are yeh excited about startin' school?" Hagrid asked, as more first years filed over. Lily nodded.

"Oh yes! I can't wait until my first class!" Lily exclaimed. Hagrid laughed.

"That's what I thought. Go on an' get inter a boat, no more than four ter a boat!" Hagrid replied. "FIRS' YEARS, OVER HERE!" Hagrid shouted loudly, causing Lily and several others to jump at his booming voice. Lily, Lexi and Erin got into one of the rowboats and waited in case someone else wanted to get in. Lily looked around and saw one boy was standing off by himself, unsure of which boat to go in. She got up out of the boat and walked over to him quickly.

"Hi! Would you like to come with us in our boat?" Lily asked kindly. The boy was startled at first that someone had come up to him, and Lily noticed that he was very pale. She wondered if he was feeling ill, but she thought it would be rude to ask. Perhaps he always looked that way, and if that were the case she would surely insult him.

"Oh… alright," the boy replied finally. He followed Lily over to where Erin and Lexi were in the rowboat and got in.

"I'm Lily Evans," Lily added. "This is Erin and Lexi… they never told me their last names…" Lily replied. The boy nodded at them.

"Nice to meet you… I'm Remus Lupin." Remus noticed there were no oars in the boat.

"I suppose this boat is supposed to move on its own…" Remus muttered to himself. Lily noticed but said nothing. Was he a muggle born as well? He didn't look as though he were one. Lily felt like smacking herself on the head the instant she thought that. Of course he doesn't LOOK like a muggle born—I don't either! Stupid, stupid…

"Everyone in a boat? Right, lets move on then shall we?" Hagrid boomed. His voice echoed across the lake, and Lily noticed that James and Sirius were in a boat with a plump little boy with a very round face. Funny, I thought the two of them were more I'm-better-than-everyone-else type, but their being kind to that boy. Perhaps I judged them to quickly… Lily thought. She would soon forget ever thinking that she had judged them to quickly once she found out just how big of troublemakers Sirius Black and James Potter were.

Hagrid got into one of the rowboats by himself, and magically—literally—the boats began to move closer to where Lily assumed the school was. She gasped suddenly, as she saw a tentacle come up out of the water in front of her.

"Is that supposed to be there?" Remus asked. Lily shook her head.

"Don't think so… Hagrid! A little help, please?" Lily called. Hagrid tossed something into the water and the creature went back under. Some of the students were frightened—leaning back as far as they could in their boats. Others were excited, such as James and Sirius who looked ready to jump into the water. They threw envious looks in Lily's direction, as she was sitting at the front of the boat and was therefore closest to the creature.

"Well, you've all met the Giant Squid. 'Least that's what they call it, 'cause it's so… giant." Hagrid finished lamely. One boy that was sticking his nose in the air in the boat next to Lily's muttered, "So I suppose they call you just a Giant. It's ridiculous what they allow in this school!" the boy added louder. Lily glared at him, as did Lexi and Erin who also heard. Remus kept his head down, but Lily could see that he also disapproved of the boy putting Hagrid down. If Hagrid noticed, he pretended not to. The boy noticed Lily glaring at him, and smirked. Lily glared daggers at him, but suddenly was distracted by the sight in front of her. Is this the school? She wondered loudly. In front of the boats was a massive castle, old-fashioned looking. Lily saw that she wasn't the only one amazed—even Erin and Lexi, who weren't as new to the wizarding world as Lily was, were amazed at the sight of the school. Lily had read about it, obviously, in Hogwarts: A History, but she hadn't dreamed how it would look this close. Bats flew out from the top of the castle, ghosts were floating in and out of the castle walls, and there was candlelight in every window. It was a beautiful sight, although Lily was a little scared at the thought of sharing a school with a host of ghosts.

"We're almost there, now, just another moment or two," Hagrid called. The giant squid emerged from the water again, and with a wave of its tentacle, swam back under. Surely it wasn't waving at us? Lily thought.

"It's beautiful," Erin whispered. Several people who had heard her nodded in agreement. It was old, which Lily knew for a fact, but yet she had never imagined that a castle would be considered a school. There were probably thousands of secret passageways and secret rooms, just like in the old mystery books Lily loved to read. She had brought several with her—in fact, her trunk was full of mostly books.

Finally, the boats reached land and stopped. Everyone jumped out of their boats, both excited and frightened. Excited because the school was enormous and would mean they would be able to do magic! Frightened because now came the Sorting Ceremony. Hagrid lead them into a hallway and walked inside the room that was ahead of them, telling them to wait for Professor McGonnagol to come out.

"What house do you think you'll be in Lily?" Lexi asked. Lily suddenly realized—there was a Sorting Ceremony! She had forgotten all about it… which house would she be in?

"I… I don't know. I never really gave it much thought…" Lily admitted. Remus, who was still standing with them, cut in.

"Gryffindor, for the brave and daring, Ravenclaw for those who are intelligent, Hufflepuff for those who are loyal, and… Slytherin, for those who are cunning." Remus looked thoughtful. "I don't know which house I'll be in either," he added.

"Lily will be in Ravenclaw for sure!" Lexi replied. "She performed a hex perfect on the train, and it was her very first attempt EVER!" Remus looked impressed.

"That's pretty good. So are you a pureblood, half-blood or muggle-born?" Remus asked curiously. Lily tried not to look confused… half-blood? Pure blood? What's that supposed to mean?

"Muggle born. In fact Hagrid had to come to my house because my mother was keeping my letter from me. I do feel bad… I accidentally made her lose her voice entirely, and I suppose that wasn't very nice." Lily replied. Lexi looked as if she were about to say something, but all the talking stopped once a very stern looking woman entered the hallway. This must be Professor McGonnagol… Lily thought. She certainly looked like she'd be a harsh teacher.

"Welcome, first years, to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. No matter what you're lives were like before, I assure you that there will be no stretching of the rules, even for a first year. Hogwarts does not accept those who do not abide by the rules, and anyone breaking the rules will pay the consequences with detention and loss of house points. I do believe that sounds… fair. Some of you are purebloods, with a witch and wizard for parents. Some of you are half-bloods, with only one magical parent. Some of you are even muggle borns, being the only magical one in the entire family. But I assure you that no matter which you are, you have just as much chance to be successful at this school as anyone, as long as you focus, do your work, and be willing to learn as much as you can. Anyone who tells you otherwise, isn't someone worth listening to. You are about to enter the Great Hall, that being the room behind me, and participate in the official Sorting Ceremony. You will wait until I call your name, and you will walk up to the stool near the teachers table. Then you will put the hat that is on the stool, on your head. The rest is in the hats hands… so to speak." Professor McGonnagol attempted what may have been a smile, but looked more like a look of someone in horrible pain. She motioned for the students to follow, and threw the doors of the Great Hall open.

It was a magnificent sight! The ceiling, which Lily knew to be enchanted, looked exactly like the evening sky outside. There was even a shooting star that flew across the sky, disappearing. Candles were lit and floating above the tables that many students now sat at. Lily saw that there were banners hanging above each table—one with a lion on it, one with a snake, another with a badger and the final one with an eagle. The students sitting at the tables below had house patches on their robes, with the same symbol sewn on it.

"Let us welcome our first year students!" Professor McGonnagol called out. There was a loud applause from the students already seated, and when McGonnagol raised her hand, they quickly stopped. It seemed that no student wanted to make her angry, at least not on the first day back to school.

"When I call your name, you will step forward and place the hat on your head. Abbott, Mary!" McGonnagol called. A red headed girl stepped forward and placed the hat on her head. It had barely touched when the hat yelled, "HUFFLEPUFF!" Mary, happy with the house she had been sorted into, walked over to the Hufflepuff table and sat with the other students. McGonnagol went through a few names before finally coming to Lily's.

"Evans, Lily!" McGonnagol called. Lily attempted to move forward but found her legs suddenly frozen in spot. At first she was worried that it was James getting back at her for hexing him, but she soon realized it was just her being nervous as she walked up. She looked out at everyone that was watching her… so many people. Did they all have to stare at her while she did this? Couldn't they… turn around, or something? Taking a deep breath, Lily grabbed the hat off the stool and placed it on her head. She sat on the stool, and waited. Silence. Was the hat searching her mind, seeing which house she belonged in? Lily muffled a laugh. Never before had she ever considered that a hat could actually have a mind of its own. She had to stifle a scream as the hat whispered quietly,

"Very bright, I see. You would make an excellent Ravenclaw student… the house of those most intelligent. Yet there's something else as well, yes, courage… loyalty… daring… and I detect slight hot-headedness as well. Where to put you… not Slytherin, no most definitely not! Hufflepuff…? No, it wouldn't suit you as much. The best house… yes, I'm sure that it's the right one… for you, is… GRYFFINDOR!" the hat shouted. Lily took the hat off her head and placed it back on the stool. She headed over to the gryffindor table to where Erin was already sitting… she was a Creole, so she had already been sorted. Lily realized that all the hat had been saying before it said which house she belonged to, only she had heard.

"Wow, you got Gryffindor! I was so sure that you would have been in Ravenclaw!" Lexi exclaimed, as she dished out what she wanted to eat. Lily smiled.

"Well, the hat… it seems so weird saying that… considered putting me in Ravenclaw. But for whatever reason, it changed it's mind and… well here I am. Pass the potatoes please," Lily added. "I'm just glad we're in the same house. And I can't wait until tomorrow… it's our very first day of school!" Lily added excitedly. "Just think, we get to learn spells and get homework!" Erin and Lexi groaned.

"Way to remind us that we actually have to do work tomorrow, Lils." Lexi replied. Lily didn't say anything, but it had sounded weird being called Lils instead of Lily. Not in a bad way, just different. Lily decided she liked Hogwarts already.

A/N: Well it was a bit longer than my other stories chapters I think, so be happy guys! I thought that was a perfect spot to end it, and the next chapter will be Lily's first day at school. I don't know if I'll go through every class or not, but I will try to get the update as soon as possible. Internet time for me is a bit restricted since I need to use my grandmothers phone line as opposed to our own, and she doesn't use the phone a lot but she wants to be able to when she does. Don't forget to review, let me know what you think. And if you have any ideas, throw them at me. I might use it, I might not. If I do, I'll give you credit. If I don't, I'll thank you for the ideas anyways. So go for it.