-Chapter 3: The Sorting

Thanks to all my reviewers! But, please, please review! I got like, 113 reads and only about 10 reviews! How sad, how sad. Btw, these first three chapters were already written b4 I posted any, so these came up really fast, but I have to write the next chapter, so it'll take longer.

"I am Professor McGonagall. When you enter through these doors, you will be sorted into your houses. They are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. While you are here, your house will be like your family. Your triumphs will earn you points, while any rule breaking, and you will lose points. The sorting ceremony will begin momentarily." With these words McGonagall went through the doors, her cloak billowing around her.

"I hear she's a right ol' witch, doesn't favor anyone at all, and hates teachers who do favor their house. If you're good at her class and don't break rules, you're in her good book, but if you misbehave and you aren't good at transfiguration, you're in her bad book. My sister says, it's good to be in her good book, because she's fair, but harsh, man. Real harsh," a boy with jet-black and extremely messy hair said, scaring some of the more inexperienced first-years.

"Really?" asked Peter. Remus sighed.

"Yes, really, but she's fairer than harsh, not the other way around. The more lip is missing, the worst off you are. My sister says when she started, she didn't think McGonagall had lip at all, she got in so much trouble. Then she went to my brother and said, "Curt, does McGonagall have any lip?" and he laughed, then said she wasn't the first to doubt it," Remus said, making some kids laugh nervously.

"Is her subject hard?" a small boy asked fretfully.

"Depends," Sirius said. "For me, it comes naturally, but my cousin Andromeda says she failed with flying colors."

"Yeah, I can do it real easy, I've been doing it since I was five, but my older sister still hasn't got the hang of it," the boy with messy hair said.

"Are you Remus Lupin?" a tall girl asked suddenly.

"Yeah, why?" Remus said, aware of every eye on him.

"My brother, he's in fifth year, he says two years ago, your sisters were hit by a car and one died and the other barely survived," she said.

Remus, quite taken aback, replied, "Yeah, Rikki, my twin, got paralyzed, and she couldn't move at all, and Curt pulled me back, we were still really close to the car, and when Rikki couldn't move, Serene threw herself in front of her. Rikki died on impact and Serene was hooked up to machines for about a month before she woke up from her coma. Curt was absent for two weeks and Serene a little more than a month, and it was really near exam time, so they had to go to school all summer, and I was bored so I ended up going with them. I took the exam for fun and I got a better grade than Serene. She was really mad at me, I had to hide under the bed for an hour."

"Wow," whispered the girl. "That should be made into a book, it's so… I don't know."

The boy with messy jet-black hair said, "That's not all, I think about six years ago-" "Yeah, almost exactly," Remus cut in.

"Yeah, six years ago, another almost identical incident happened, one Lupin child was lost, and another barely survived. Who was it?" he asked Remus curiously.

"Serene's twin Lukah died, and I barely survived. I was five and she was seven and they said it was a medical miracle. Her last words were: I'm going to die, sooner rather than later. Better dead than in pain."

The tall girl said, "Wow… that's so… amazing." She seemed immersed. Remus nodded. At that moment McGonagall walked in. She could obviously tell what they were talking about. "Yes, Lupin, you'd better be in Gryffindor, because your sister's making enough fuss as it is."

"I'll keep that in mind," Remus said humbly. Everyone laughed, but Sirius and Peter, who had met Serene, laughed so hard they were doubled over.

"One straight line, please," McGonagall said, irritated. Her lips were visible, but barely. Sirius and Peter immediately straightened up and joined the horde of first years gathering at the doors.

They walked through the doors, gasping at the ceiling, the hugeness of the hall, and at the length of Dumbledore's beard. They congregated in front of a stool, upon which sat an old, musty hat.

"When I call your name, you will come up and sit on the stool, and I shall place the hat on your head, and it will sort you into your house," McGonagall said.

"Ackart, Gina!" "Ravenclaw!"

"Ada, Victoria!" "Slytherin!"

"Ainsworth, Leala!" "Hufflepuff!"

"Athol, Berit!" "Ravenclaw!"

"Barras, Merle!" "Hufflepuff!"

"Berkeley, Darwin!" Slytherin!"

"Black, Sirius!" Remus straightened up. "Gryffindor!"

"Bride, Mika!" The tall girl who had asked Remus if he was Remus Lupin. "Gryffindor!"

"Cain, Jade!" "Gryffindor!"

"Cinder, Palila!" "Hufflepuff!"

"Danker, Anna!" "Slytherin!"

"Dapple, Tom!" "Hufflepuff!"

"Eliot, Christine!" "Ravenclaw!"

"Evans, Lily!" "Gryffindor!" Remus got a little bored and took to looking around at Serene. It was more amusing watching her complain about being hungry than it was to listen to the endless list of first years, until:

"Lupin, Remus!" There were mutterings from everyone who knew about the story of the Lupins, which was basically everybody third year and up, and some others. "Gryffindor!" Remus smiled as he took a seat next to Sirius and across from Serene, who was sitting next to Mika Bride, Jade Cain, Lily Evans, and a girl who resembled the boy with messy black hair. Remus tuned out again and spoke softly with Serene until the next name he recognized was called.

"Pettigrew, Peter!" Peter looked extremely nervous. "Gryffindor!" He let out a visible sigh of relief and took the seat next to Remus.

"Potter, James!" The boy with messy black hair. The girl who resembled him seemed to be holding her breath. "Gryffindor!" He sat next to Peter.

The sorting didn't take much longer. Dumbledore stood up, beaming at his students. "I have a few announcements to make, but I know we are all hungry, so I think we should eat first, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. Let the feast begin!" With those words the gold platters were instantly filled to the brim with the most delicious-looking food Remus had ever seen.

"House-elves. The kitchen is right under here, and they cook the food and send it up. They're real nice, some of the nicest house-elves I've ever met," Serene explained.

"How do you know what the kitchen looks like?" Mika asked.

"Been there. I'll show you later, but we have to be careful not to get caught."

"I have a feeling that won't be a problem," The girl who resembled James said naughtily. "I'm Maxey, by the way."

"Why won't that be a problem?" Sirius asked.

"James has… no, wait, I won't tell you," Maxey smirked.

"I've got an old invisibility cloak of my dad. We could use that," James said.

"Wicked," Sirius said.

"What are house-elves?" Lily and Peter asked at the same time.

"Um… they're… um… little elf-things, and… um… you'll have to see for yourself," Serene said, apparently at a loss for words, which didn't happen often.

"I see…" Lily said, nodding.

Dinner being over, Professor Dumbledore stood up to address the students.

"Welcome and welcome back! Before we all leave to go to bed, I have a few announcements! The Forbidden Forest is, as always, forbidden, and some students might have noticed an addition to the school grounds! The Whomping Willow is a gift from the Ministry, but it did earn its name honestly. There are no restrictions keeping you from it, but I would advise against going near it." A few students laughed.

"You may laugh now, but you won't laugh when Madam Pomphrey won't let you out of the hospital wing." A handful of the older students who had been in the hospital wing one too many times looked horrified at the prospect.

"Prefects, lead your first years to your common room. I trust everyone will go to bed, as you all have class tomorrow." These words were met by groans.

"First year Gryffindors! Over here, please!" A girl with curly red hair said, smiling. Her companion prefect was also redheaded, though his was straight and he was much taller. They led the first years through a labyrinth of hallways and moving stairs before they came to a picture of a fat lady in a pink dress.

"Rutabaga!" The girl said. "That's the password. Before you leave the common room every day, I suggest you check the announcements to see what the new password is, because you won't be allowed in if you don't know."

The portrait swung open to reveal a cozy looking room with a roaring fire.

"By the way, I'm Molly Prewett, and this is Arthur Weasley. Girl's dorms are over there, and boy's dorms are over there. Off you go," Molly said.

The first years bid each other goodnight and climbed the spiral stairs until they reached their dormitory, where they quickly undressed and collapsed on the bed, exhausted.

Hi everyone, this is the last chapter without Tess helping at all. Next chapter, she will help. It probably won't be up for a while. Tessa, chapter 12 of ALAH was completely utterly pointless! Silly Tessie.

Lib