Hullo wonderful readers! And how are you today? I'm just dandy. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Thank you to everyone who reviewed! Honest, bunches of reviews make me type faster and better! So, review! Pretty please!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything that you recognize. It's all the brilliance of Miss J. K. Rowling.
Dreaming of You
By Samantha Kensington
Chapter Three: A New Family
Lily and her new friends talked about anything and everything they could bring up. They chatted about the exciting new school and their wonders at what the castle might look like. They did not have to use their imaginations about the castle for long.
As the boats turned a corner, Lily gasped at the site before her. Amazing would be an understatement about the castle that is Hogwarts School of Witch Craft and Wizardry. Lily marveled at the colossal towers and high turrets. Even the rough, gray stone of the structure astounded the muggle-born red head who was used to small suburban homes. The site so captivated Lily, Meredith, and Kate that they did not notice one particular boat slinking towards them.
James, Sirius, and Remus floated gradually toward the amazed girls. They snickered to themselves at the trick up their sleeves, created from the "brilliance" of James.
The three boys each grabbed an oar that lay in the bottom of the boat. They slipped the oars underneath the girls' boat as levers to…
"James Potter! I can not believe you!" shouted a soaking wet Lily who now floated in the lake. This was NOT how Lily wanted to see the beautiful castle for the first time. Meredith and Kate fumed with anger beside their overturned boat; the water was freezing.
'Two can play at that game,' Lily said to herself as she stared daggers at the laughing trio. She winked at her friends treading water beside her.
"Oh no!" Lily shouted as she sank underneath the water. "Something's… got… my foot!" She shouted in between breaths for air. "I can't…fight it off…much… longer!" Lily sunk under water one last time. Meredith and Kate had caught onto Lily's game, and while the boys focused on the "drowning" Lily, they sneaked around to the other side of their boat.
James stopped laughing and his face paled to a shade of white. He didn't want to hurt Lily, he just wanted to play an innocent prank on the girl. He leaned over the side of the boat to scan the water for the drowning Lily. He was just about to jump in and save her when…
Lily sank underneath the water and swam underneath the boys' boat where she joined Kate and Meredith. Lily shushed Meredith who looked like she would burst into giggles at any moment.
Lily held up her hand for the on-three, 'One…Two…Three.'
"Lily Evans! I can not believe you!" exclaimed an exasperated James who was completely taken back by the Lily's daring. He was also fuming that she had faked drowning. He had been really worried! "Don't you dare do anything like that, again! I was really-
"What, James? You were really upset? Worried? Yea, right! You deserved it!" Lily screamed back at him. By this time, the other first years surrounded the group of children and gawked at their boldness. Hagrid then came over to the group and forced himself to frown in disapproval although he wanted to laugh at the site of the six children floating in the water with their furious glares.
"Well look what y've done to yerselves. What 'appened here?" Hagrid said, trying to sound stern without showing his amusement. They all began telling their own side of the story at the same time, overwhelming poor Hagrid.
"Woah, Woah! Calm yerselves!" The children stopped talking. "One at a time!" Hagrid yelled. They all started talking, again.
"Stop!" There was silence as Hagrid's voice echoed across the lake. "You," Hagrid pointed to Lily, "Tell me what happened."
"Well, these idiotic boys tipped our boat over!" Lily told Hagrid while pointing at the three boys.
"And then they tipped our boat over!" James said while pointing at the girls.
"Serves you right!" Lily shouted at James and immediately all the children began to quarrel again.
"STOP IT!" boomed Hagrid. "I can't handle all your arguing, it's giving me a bloody headache," Hagrid yelled. "Just get back in yer boats and try ter behave, please!" Hagrid was no longer amused.
The girls got back into their boat and stared at the boys as if hoping they could inflict some sort of pain on them if they glared long enough. The boys got back into their boat and stared just as threateningly at the girls. The group of first years only moved to shiver involuntarily in their sopping wet clothes.
Once the boats reached the other side of the lake and all of the first years unloaded, the children were shuffled into the enormous foyer of the school. They looked around at all the space in the area and surmised their new home. James couldn't help wondering at how many quidditch fields could fit in there. "At least two," he figured as his eyes traveled to the high ceiling.
The warmth from the blazing fireplace relieved Lily and the other children who had fallen into the lake. The brood of first years looked up the grand staircase to see a stern, young woman with brown hair pulled back so tight that the only thing to rival it was her terse demeanor. Clearly this was a woman not to be crossed.
She looked down at the children through square-framed spectacles. "I am Professor McGonagal," stated the young witch. Lily noted that she could not have been more than thirty years of age. "I teach transfiguration and am the deputy head mistress of Hogwarts. There are four houses in all: Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. While you are here, your house will be like your family. Your successes will earn your house points. Any rule breaking and your house will lose points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points will be awarded the house cup," Professor McGonagal informed the children. McGonagal's eyes wandered over the crowd and settled on a specific six and their disheveled state.
"What happened here?" she gasped. Hagrid spoke up:
"There was a bit of a… dispute… during the trip across the lake," He tried to explain what had happened to her. Professor McGonagal did her best not to chuckle at the silliness of it all but hid her amusement well.
"Thank you, Hagrid. You six," the Professor pointed at the implied children. "I should give you a detention, but seeing as it is the first day and you seem to be punished enough," McGonagal's eyes scoped over their soaked and shivering bodies, "I will refrain from giving you too harsh of a punishment. However, if I hear or see any more of this funny business, I will not hesitate to take points from your houses. Here, we don't want you catching pneumonia on your first day," She pulled out her wand and gave it a wave. Lily felt her clothing instantly dry. "The rest of you," McGonagal looked up at the other students, "Follow me!" She led the first years into the Great Hall.
Lily let out a sigh of relief to hear that they would not be receiving a detention, but still fumed at James and his friends. James muttered to Lily under his breath:
"Are you still mad at me?"
"Of course I'm mad at you!"
"But we didn't get a detention."
"But I still fell into the lake."
"So did I!"
"Well good, you…you… marauder!" Lily spit the name out as an insult. James, however, grinned.
"A marauder, aye? I rather like the sound of that. Oy Sirius, did you hear what Red just called me?" James turned to the boy on his right.
"I sure did. I like the sound of it, too. How about you Remus?" Sirius turned to a sandy-hair boy.
"I rather like it," replied Remus.
"It's settled then. We are now to be referred to as the Marauders!" James decided and the other two soon backed him. Lily huffed at how they could turn her insult into their club name.
The marauders fell to the back of Lily's mind as she walked through the doors into the Great Hall. She stared in awe at the magnificent ceiling that took the form of a vast, cloudless, starry night very similar to the one she had just been staring at moments ago. "Wow," she murmured as they passed hundreds of floating candles.
"Double wow," Meredith said.
"Triple wow," Kate followed.
"Quadruple wow," came James cheeky response, receiving a glare from Lily.
"Quintuple wow," Remus followed James' lead.
"Hey, no fair! I don't know the word for 'six' –tuple!" Sirius shouted.
"You three think you are so funny, don't you?" Meredith snapped.
"Yes, yes we do," Sirius grinned. Meredith just scowled and couldn't wait until they started lessons and she could learn a few curses to throw at him.
They were so caught up in their argument that they didn't even notice what Professor McGonagal was up to. Kate noticed everyone staring at an old tattered hat and got the others' attention.
"When everyone quiets down, we will begin the sorting ceremony," Professor McGonagal stated while the students quieted down a bit.
When the hall settled, the tattered hat opened at the seem and burst into song. It sang about the different houses and what qualities each house looked for in a student. (A/N I'm not gonna make up a song because rhyming and me don't exactly click)
Once the hat finished, Professor McGonagal unrolled a bit of parchment and began to read off names.
"Black, Sirius."
One of the three marauders left his friends to walk up to the stool. He was an attractive boy with chocolate brown (and currently wet) hair falling into his deep, stormy, gray eyes. Lily could not help but notice how his eyes held the slightest mischievous twinkle. Professor McGonagal placed the oversized hat on his head and he threw a dashing smile at the student body before it fell over his eyes. You could tell that one day, Sirius Black would become a well-known name around the student body.
Another Black! Very interesting indeed. You don't seem to belong with the rest of your family in Slytherin.
Sirius snorted at this. "What a shame," he muttered under his breath.
Be quiet and let me finish, the hat scolded. Yes, you should definitely be put in "Gryffindor!" it announced to the school.
Sirius made his way to the far right table that was clapping for him. Melissa Buffet, Henry Conners, and Amos Diggory were sorted before McGonagal called "Evans, Lily."
Lily walked up to the stool and began to feel those somersaulting pterodactyls again. She passed by Mark who gave her an encouraging smile. "Please call out Ravenclaw, Please," she wished to herself.
She sat down on the stool, and felt her short legs dangling over the edge. The professor placed the hat on her head and it nearly swallowed the whole of it.
Hmmm, Miss Evans. You have a very interesting mind, indeed. You are very smart, no doubt about that, but you are also very loyal to your friends. You have much cunning, but are also very courageous. So where to put you…
Lily crossed her fingers for Ravenclaw. "Ravenclaw…please put me in Ravenclaw…" she asked subconsciously.
Ravenclaw? Yes, you are very book smart. Nevertheless, your leadership abilities and courage make me want to place you in Gryffindor. Moreover, there is a very interesting part of your mind that I can't quite figure out but makes Gryffindor all the more appealing.
"Come on, please put me in Ravenclaw with Mark," she begged.
No I definitely think you should go in "Gryffindor!"
Lily made her way over to the far right table that had burst into applause. She caught Mark's eyes as she passed the Ravenclaw table. She shrugged her disappointment to him and then walked the rest of the way to the Gryffindor table. She then remembered what Mark had said about Gryffindor and her spirits rose the slightest.
Lily watched Holly Farrah join the Hufflepuffs, Norah Harold be cheered into Ravenclaw, and Terrence James sit down with the Slytherins before a familiar name was called out. "King, Meredith."
Meredith could feel her nerves knees nearly buckle with nerves as she walked up to the front of the hall. McGonagal placed the hat on her head after she sat down on the stool. She crossed her fingers for Gryffindor with her new friend.
Interesting. You often follow the crowd, but you know how to seek a leader and good friends. I know only one house that can help you, "Gryffindor!"
Meredith smiled meekly as she smoothed her skirt and walked over to Gryffindor cheers.
Lily brightened as Meredith walked over to her house's table. Maybe Gryffindor wouldn't be that bad after all. Meredith sat down beside Lily and the two smiled at their luck.
"Lupin, Remus."
Remus walked cautiously up to the stool and let McGonagal drop the hat on his dirty blonde hair.
You are very smart indeed, with plenty of courage. Yes, you would have to be very courageous. Don't be so afraid to tell your friends, you may be surprised at their reactions. I think I will put you in "Gryffindor!"
Remus walked over to his house's table and sat across from Sirius.
The hat continued to sort students. One interesting fellow was called upon next.
"Pettigrew, Peter."
A short chubby boy with light blonde hair walked up to McGonagal. His twisting hands and ducked shoulders revealed The professor dropped the tattered hat on his head and it fell down to his shoulders.
Well, Mister Pettigrew, you're a difficult one to place. You don't exactly excel at your schoolwork, but you're decent enough. You have a little cunning that could be used well at the right time, but Slytherin doesn't seem right for you. Your loyalties are fickle. Be careful, you don't want to end up in the wrong group. You may not be the bravest of the lot, but I think I will still put you in "Gryffindor!"
Peter sort of waddled over to the Gryffindor table and sat next to Remus. He immediately engaged Remus and Sirius in a conversation of how brilliant they were with their trick on the girls.
"Potter, James."
James grinned as he made his way up to the stool. He sat down and let the hat fall on his head.
Hmmm… an interesting mind you have, Mister Potter. You're one of the more difficult ones to place. You are cunning and your desire to live up to your family name makes me want to put you in Slytherin.
"No! Not Slytherin!" James thought to the hat, "It would be the death of me or at least all of them…"
But Slytherin isn't all bad.
"Yes it is."
No it isn't.
"Yes it is."
No it- I can not believe I am having this argument. Fine Mister Potter. You win this time, but you will not be the last Potter with whom I will have this argument. I will place you in "Gryffindor!"
James walked over to his new family thinking deeply about what the hat had said. He shrugged it off as he sat next to Sirius. He then noticed all the compliments he was getting from a small squeaky voice across from him.
"Wow James! You're in Gryffindor, too! This is so awesome! Don't you think it's awesome?" Peter tried to get James to take note of him.
"Yes Peter. That's great." James muttered forcing a smile.
Melanie Quinn to Hufflepuff, Cody Rawlings to Ravenclaw, and Stewart Rosson to Slytherin were sorted before another familiar name came up on the roster.
"Sanders, Kate."
Kate walked briskly up to the hat and sort of bounced onto the stool. She smiled at McGonagal as she put on the hat. Lily crossed her fingers that she would be placed in Gryffindor, too.
You are a very lively person, Miss Sanders. Everyone seems to enjoy being around you. You are an outgoing character and fear very little. Yes, you should definitely be put in "Gryffindor!"
Kate ambled over to the Gryffindor table and plopped herself in the seat across from Lilly and Meredith.
"Snape, Severus."
The greasy, black-haired child walked up to the hat quickly. His eyes darted around the room as the hat dropped onto his head.
You are very brave and cunning. Your cleverness is one of your greatest attributes. You are a person of knowledge, but a loner, too. Your desire to excel will lead me to put you in "Slytherin!"
The marauders didn't like the look about this kid. His eyes kept darting around the room and he had a wicked grin that liked to play across his face. James leaned in and motioned the other three boys to lean towards him. "I have a great plan, mates," James said grinning from ear to ear as he explained his idea.
The hat finished putting the rest of the first years into whatever house suited each best. When the hat finished and the first years all settled down at their new tables, the headmaster stood up to address the students.
"It is my pleasure to welcome you all back to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I hope the first years find their next seven years to their liking and that the rest of you find the school as wonderful as it was when you first arrived. Now, I will not delay the feast any longer," As Professor Dumbledore spoke the last part, he outstretched his arms and, upon his beckoning, all sorts of wonderful foods appeared on the tables.
It was at this moment James mouthed to the other three boys, "One, Two, Three." On three, the boys aimed their wands at a specific boy at the Slytherin table. His robes immediately changed to a pink dress with white frilly lace on the sleeves and collar. Severus looked around with menace in his eyes for the person who would dare play such a dirty trick on him. It didn't take long for him to find four boys in fits of laughter sitting at the Gryffindor table. He glared at the four and vowed to get back at them. The rest of the student body looked up at the boy and started laughing, all except for one little red head.
"James, why are you so immature?" Lily shouted at the top of her lungs.
"Because I want to be," James retorted.
"Why don't you just act your age?" Lily was starting to turn red.
"Why don't you just act your age!" James mimicked in a mock high pitched voice.
"Stop it!"
"Stop it!"
"You are so infuriating!"
"That will be enough!" Professor McGonagal shouted at the two. At this point, the whole student body stared at the two first years. "Another word out of you two and I will take points from your houses. And you four, I suppose you are behind the lovely ensemble Mister Snape is fashioning?" The boys looked up at McGonagal and attempted to look innocent, but failed miserably.
"You four, follow me! As for you Miss Evans, I hope your attitude shapes up over the next year or you will find yourself in my office, as well!" Professor McGonagal scolded the small red head.
"Yes, Professor," Lily muttered with her eyes on the ground. She was so humiliated, to be scolded on the first day of school! Lily hoped she could make up for such a bad first impression. She plopped back down in her seat and stared at her plate, unable to eat.
As soon as the professor left with the boys, Meredith couldn't hold back anymore, "I can not believe the nerve of him! Those boys act so stupid, it's insulting to man kind!"
"I couldn't agree with you more, Mere," Kate declared.
"Yes, they are definitely a bunch of prats. And now we're in the same house as them. Oh bother, will somebody just shoot me now!" Lily exclaimed while throwing her hands up in the air as if she was begging some higher power to relieve her from this misery.
"Well, at least the three of us are in the same house. That would have been dreadful if the sorting hat had separated us," Kate conveyed in an attempt to cheer up her new friend.
"Yes, yes, I suppose your right. Well, we better eat," Lily replied as she began to pile on small amounts of turkey and mashed potatoes. Meredith and Kate followed her lead. Once everyone had their fill of dessert the plates cleared and the headmaster stood to say a few words.
"I hope you all enjoyed your meal as much as I did. Now I have a few announcements to make. The forbidden forest is off limits to all students." The eyes of the marauders, who had just returned from McGonagal's office with a sharp scolding and detentions for the following week, lit up when they heard this. "Also, it would be prudent of you to note our caretaker, Mr. Denethor, has added a few things to his list of illegal objects to be confiscated if found. I think that is all for now. First years, please follow your house prefects to your new home," Dumbledore finished with a smile.
Lily, Kate, and Meredith stood to follow a tall sixth year wearing a prefect badge. The girls completely ignored James, Sirius, and Remus the entire time; despite the fact that they were making faces at the girls whenever they could.
"Fairy Rings," the sixth year said loud enough for all the first years to hear when they approached a portrait of a fat lady wearing a dress that looked like it was from Renaissance England. The portrait swung open to reveal a door, which he opened for the first years. As they stepped inside, they saw a large room with a few tables and lots of comfortable chairs and sofas. Warm red and orange flames filled the fireplace on the side of the room
"This is the Gryffindor common room. Boys' dormitories are upstairs to the left; Girls, yours is the same but to the right. You'll find all your luggage has already been taken to your rooms." After he finished, the boys and girls separated into their own rooms.
Lily, Meredith, and Kate found five beds inside the room that had 'First Years' written on the door. It was a lovely room with red and gold bedspreads and curtains. The girls wondered who also shared the room. They did not have to wait long, however, before two girls strolled into the room.
They introduced themselves as Benton Reeves and Sarah Cartright. Benton had long honey-brown hair and light brown eyes. She was very short, maybe 4 feet and 10 inches tall. Sarah had shoulder length dark blonde hair and blue eyes. She was taller than Benton, but still shorter than most girls her age.
"Hullo, I'm Lily," Lily introduced herself. "And this is Kate and Meredith."
"Hey, weren't you the three girls who got dumped in the water?" asked Sarah.
"Unfortunately, yes, that was us. Those boys are rotten," Meredith informed Sarah and Benton of all that had happened between the three girls and the three boys.
"That's dreadful!" Benton exclaimed.
"Yea, you can say that again," said Kate
"That's too bad, those boys were really cute too!" Sarah couldn't help but say.
"Cute! Yea right! Cute my arse!" Lily exclaimed.
"Sorry, I didn't mean anything by it. I was just stating the obvious," Sarah tried to mend her words. "Anyway, its not like I have a crush on any of them after that, I was just saying that they were cute. You can't say they are ugly just because of what they did."
"Well, I suppose they aren't all together unfortunate looking, but that doesn't mean they can go tip our boat over!" Lily compromised.
"I for one would like to change the subject," Kate declared, "So where did you two girls come from?" The five girls started chatting together about their many different pasts. Lily felt so happy as she got to know the other girls. She had been so nervous that morning about whether she would belong at Hogwarts, but now she had no doubts left in her mind. Hogwarts was her home and these girls were now her family. She knew she'd have them to fall back on whenever she was in need.
Huggles to everyone reading!
A/N: Please keep in mind that the childish nature of the first three chapters was intentional. The next chapter will be their sixth year- so stay tuned because it gets a lot better from there. I've already written about 10 chapters of this but I'm going through and cleaning it up so that's why it takes a while.
lots of love, Sam