Chapter 2:

'Who said the sorting hat is made of liquorice?'

Stella's point of view:

I find Lily again just before the Sorting Ceremony and we wish each other luck before we are all told to stand in a line. Hopefully we'll both end up in the same house. Almost as soon as a teacher called Professor Mcgonagall begins to read the names of people off a scroll of parchment, an annoyingly familiar someone is called forward.

"Black, Sirius!" Mcgonagall declares briskly.

Several moments pass, then the hat hollers, "Gryffindor!"

I groan inwardly. Gryffindor was the house I was aiming to get into. I'm seriously reconsidering Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff as an ideal house.

Lily makes it into Gryffindor as well, as does Sirius' little friend, James, and Remus from the boat.

Until my name is called, the rest of the sorting becomes a fast and furious blur. I hope my lunch doesn't make a guest appearance to all the school. Then-

"Ravyne, Aurora." McGonagall says. I feel as if her words are echoing around the hall as I cautiously make my way up to the Sorting Hat & sit on the stool.

"Aha! I remember your parents! Both had a strong desire to gain knowledge, both good Ravenclaws. But what's this? You seem to have a lot of courage and have a nerve to stand up to anyone for what you think is right, so you'd be an ideal Gryffindor. I already know a certain someone would be pleased if you're placed there. "a little voice from the hat tells me

"Anything's better than Slytherin." I mutter. "Even if being put in Gryffindor means having to put up with that arsehole Black."

"GRYFFINDOR!" The hat yells, its mind made up. I hand the hat to a "Snape, Severus" and walk off to the Gryffindor table to find Lily. As I do so, a reasonable amount of clapping and congratulations from the Gryffindor table, including some unnecessary wolf whistles from Black.

"Well done" Lily whispers to me, as Professor McGonagall signals for a hush whilst the hat is making up its mind about "Severus Snape". He goes into Slytherin.

"Big surprise there." I overhear Potter sniggering to Black.

As the last person is sorted into Hufflepuff, Professor McGonagall makes the scroll, Sorting hat and stall vanish with a flick of her wand. Then Dumbledore, the headmaster, says a short and rather random speech about "Indigo, carbonara, Austria and squirrels." He then lets the feast go ahead and with a clap of his hands, the feast appears before our eyes.

I look over at Lily. She's sitting there with her mouth open, then giggles, "That was absolutely amazing!"

"That's magic." I laugh as I help myself to some carrots. I glance over at Sirius and James. They're already piling their plates full of drumsticks and various other foods. I nudge Lily, who's helping herself to some broccoli.

She raises her eyebrows and states fairly loudly, "Well we know who's going to be sick tonight."

I laugh, then James' head appears from behind a mountain of mashed potato.

"Evans, can we help it if we're growing?

"What, are you intending to grow to giant size? Fat lot of good that'll do you." I remark sharply.

"Get this into perspective. You are probably the most shortest person in the school, Stella, or Aurora. Whatever your name is. Me and Jamesie, here on the other hand, intend to grow up and reach a proper height. We can't sit around talking to midgets such as you and Evans if we are wasting our time when we can be eating." Black replies smoothly. I feel my fury build inside as he makes fun of my height, but I ignore it and with raised eyebrows, state coolly, "Well I don't see any loss there."

That makes them both shut up, as they turn around and talk to the other Gryffindor boys: Remus Lupin and another boy, who I don't know.

"God I hate him." I groan as I stab at a roast potato with my fork.

"Don't listen to him. He's only saying it to wind you up. Besides, him and Potter are so egotistical, it'll be their big heads that grow, not the rest of their bodies." Lily says with some sympathy.

"And one day they won't be able to walk due to their huge egos." I point out.

"Precisely." We both laugh.

When dessert begins, we start getting to know Francesca, Alice and Susie who are first year Gryffindors as well. At the end of feast, I can't deny that I want nothing better than to lie down and fall asleep. I have no idea what time it is, but all the food I've eaten is making me feel sleepy. Dumbledore warns us that the Forbidden Forest and the Whomping Willow are out of bounds to students, and wishes us all goodnight. Then, the Gryffindor prefects lead us to the Gryffindor portrait hole.

We enter the Gryffindor common room. It's going to be easy to think of Hogwarts as home if this is just the common room. The female Gryffindor prefect introduces herself as Jara Henderson, and tells us that our dormitory is the first room on the staircase on the right. The male Gryffindor prefect is telling the boys likewise, but obviously their dorm is up the staircase on the left.

I'm the last girl to enter our dorm. Lily greets me by saying, "No prizes for guessing which one's your bed, Ella."

Hmm…this is going to be so hard…one free bed and there's a trunk next to it with the initials 'ASR' on it…oh the challenges of life.

"I hope that no-one snores. The last thing I want to do is wake up late tomorrow. McGonagall doesn't seem to be the kind of teacher who will let you get away with murder." Alice mumbles sleepily.

"Well, you're lucky, I don't snore." Everyone answers at once.

"Fingers crossed no-one's lying then." Fran giggles.

"Night all." I say and drift off into sleep, dreaming of a giant leprechaun wearing the sorting hat and a talking umbrella who were arguing over whether they should cook me in a stew or throw me to the Giant Squid.

Sirius' point of view:

As we walk towards the Temple of Doom, I mean, the great hall, James asks me, "So, Sir, what do you reckon we have to do to be sorted?"

"I dunno…wrestle a troll? Turn the sorting hat into a liquorice dog?"

"Who said the sorting hat is made of liquorice?" A tiny voice pipes up.

"Haha, clever this one. Wish it was. My stomach's grumbling again!" I declare with sarcasm.

"I know what you mean, mate," James says to me then turns to the owner of the tiny voice, a short boy with sandy blond hair and big, pale blue watery eyes, "What's your name?"

"Peter Pettigrew."

"Nice to meet you Peter. I'm James Potter and this is Sirius Black. Having fun so far? Made any friends?"

"Well before I meet you two I was talking to Remus Lupin on the train." He squeaks, pointing to a boy with mousy brown hair and hazel eyes who's an average height.

"Hi. You must be Remus?" James says to Remus.

"Yes I am. How do you know my name?" He inquires.

"Aha. Peter here was just telling me and Sirius how he was talking to you on the train." James explains, "I'm James this is Sirius." He adds, indicating me.

"Nice to meet you both." Remus says quietly, shaking our hands.

Professor McGonagall tells us all to tidy ourselves up and to walk in a singe file line into the Great Hall.

"Well this is it." I gulp. "Good luck, guys."

McGonagall says my name second, I go up on the platform, sit on the stool, the hat covering most of my head.

'Another Black, eh? I think I may know where to put you…'

"Not Slytherin, unless you want me to go insane. At least put me in the same house as Stella and James." I mutter under my breath

'Hmm…but where to put you? You have the talent of your ancestors in your blood, but there's a courageous streak, now that's new, and a habit of showing now regard for the rules whatsoever…better be GRYFFINDOR!" The hat bellows the last word out. I smile to myself, then Bellatrix, one of my other cousins, catches my eye. She's in Slytherin, and she's sending me her worst death stare. Ooh…I'm so scared. I roll by eyes and stride over to the Gryffindor table, where I am greeted by cheers from older Gryffindors.

Lily Evans gets placed in Gryffindor too, and Remus, James, Peter and several other girls. Finally-

"Ravyne, Aurora." Aurora? She told me her name was Stella?

A long pause. Then the sorting hat finally yells "GRYFFINDOR!."

I smile and start wolf whistling as she walks in her elegant way over to the Gryffindor table.

Then that greasy haired boy who shared the same boat with me and James gets called up.

"Snape, Severus!" Haha…nice name!

A split second later-"SLYTHERIN!"

"Big surprise there." James mutters over to me.

The girl who was marvelling over the rowing boats goes last, going into Hufflepuff.

Before the feast starts, Dumbledore gives us a speech. Thank goodness it's only about four words long. My stomach needs food! He claps his hands once and finally the beautiful food is on the table.

I am already begin piling up my plate with food, James and Peter doing likewise. The only one of us who isn't eating much is Remus.

"Remus, are you crazy? There's lots of food here and you're just eating steak and potatoes?" James asks in horror that Remus can eat so little.

Apparently our eating frenzy has attracted Lily and Aurora, no Stella- whatever her real name is' attention, as Lily remarks tartly, "Well we know who's going to be sick tonight."

"Evans, can we help it if we're growing?" James retaliates.

"What, are you intending to grow to giant size? Fat lot of good that'll do you." Stella declares sharply.

"Get this into perspective. You are probably the most shortest person in the school, Stella, or Aurora. Whatever your name is. Me and Jamesie, here on the other hand, intend to grow up and reach a proper height. We can't sit around talking to midgets such as you and Evans if we are wasting our time when we can be eating." I say, silently shocked by the harshness of my own voice.

She doesn't show any emotion, just raises her eyebrows and says directly to me in a distant tone, "Well I don't see any loss there." Hmm…so she's 'playing hard to get' with me is she? Give it a week or two and she'll find me irresistible!

I turn away and only talk to Remus, James and Peter during the feast, trying hard to blatantly ignore Stella and Lily. I see James is attempting to do the same. Hmm.

The feast ends, and Dumbledore tells us that the Forbidden Forest is out of bounds, then wishes us goodnight. When he mentions the forest, me and James exchange devious glances. This school seems to be full of unknown and prohibited places to explore. Excellent.

The prefects lead us to the Gryffindor portrait hole, which is a painting of a fat lady. Once I find out where our dorm is, I start racing up the tower into our dorm, and collapse on my bed.

James enters the dorm next. "Beat you." I smirk, lounging on my four-poster bed idly. Much better improvement to home.

"So guys, seen any girls that catch your eye so far?" James cuts to the point.

"Girls? They smell! They like flowers and rabbits and girly stuff!" Peter yelps. Oh, how ignorant are the innocent.

"Not really. But then again, personality's more important then just looks." Remus states pointedly.

"True, but really, you get attracted to a girl by how she looks first, then fall in love with her personality, don't you?" I suggest suavely.

"Me, I think Lily Evans is hott." James murmurs casually, with a sparkle in his eye.

"The redhead?"Remus asks.

"With the bad attitude." I add, smiling innocently at James.

"With the friend with the even worse attitude." James remarks.

"Hey! That's a bit unfair! Stella is very attractive, and attracted to me!" I blurt out.

"Yeah, you can tell by all those lovely comments she makes." James mutters in an undertone, his voice practically dripping with sarcasm.

"She loves me really, but she has a feisty nature and is obviously playing hard to get." I conclude.

"I don't like girls! They smell!" Peter pipes up.

"Yeah, we know you think that, young Peter." James moans lazily.

"Just what until your hormones kick in." I smile smugly.

"What?" Peter yelps in confusion.

"When you mature, you'll become attracted to girls because of hormones." Remus explains.

"Hormones also cause other things to happen." James adds.

"Like what?" Peter asks, clearly interested.

"You'll learn in time." James yawns, pulls the hangings around his bed shut and mutters, " 'Night then."

It takes some time for me to fall asleep, because loud snoring is coming from Peter's bed. I groan and pull my pillow over my head, waiting impatiently for sleep to come.