Lily and I stepped off the Hogwarts Express with much trepidation.
Following the enormous man who had called for the first years to follow
him, I couldn't help but feel nervous. I had been waiting for this moment
all my life, and now that it was here, I suddenly wasn't ready.
Lily looked even paler than me. I couldn't blame her; it had only been a month since she had found out that she was a witch, and now she was entering a school, completely unprepared. Lily had always been the type who had liked to be prepared, and had tried to squeeze every spell I knew from me. We had spent half the summer hexing her cat, Sienna, for practice. Petunia would follow us around, and cry for us to stop tormenting the poor cat. But Lily didn't pause until she had mastered all the spells I had told her. Even so, I was aware that my hexes weren't really required for school, and Lily was very upset that she wasn't on top of things.
Next to us, James Potter and Sirius Black were having an animated conversation about a Quidditch team I didn't know. They had hit it off immediately, united by their picking on Severus. Severus was in the back, shooting dark looks at the duo. I walked over to a kid who was walking alone, but seemed supremely confident. Lily stuck with me, though she didn't look interested in a long talk with a stranger. I smiled at the girl.
"Hi! I'm Magda," I said brightly. The girl's eyes swept over me, sizing me up. Then she stuck out a hand.
"Cissa Black. Are you a pureblood?" I was taken aback. That wasn't the first question that came to my mind when you first met someone. Then I remembered something that my mother had told me about one pureblood family. They were highly ethnocentric and looked down on Muggle-borns.
"Actually, I'm half-and-half," I told her, ignoring the unease I suddenly felt. "Are you related to Sirius Black? I met him on the train."
Her lip curled. "Unfortunately, yes. I also have two sisters who are here. We're triplets, obviously. Who's that?"
She was talking about Lily. I introduced her, because she seemed too afraid to talk. Then I hurried away. Cissa made me nervous, and I wasn't prepared to admit that Lily wasn't pureblood.
"What'd you do that for?" Lily demanded when we had walked away. "Finally, someone in this place who actually seemed almost friendly..."
Quickly, I explained to her about purebloods and the Blacks. She wasn't impressed.
"You're not my baby-sitter," Lily said angrily. "I don't need your help." And she stormed off.
A moment later, when we got on the boats, I noticed her stepping on one with Cissa and two other girls on it. I turned away. Lily and I don't usually fight, but she'd get over it soon enough. Right now, though, the biggest moment of my life was turned bittersweet.
I looked around, and noticed one boat with only two other first years on it- Remus Lupin and another kid. Remus waved me over to the boat and grinned.
"Hi, Magda. This is Emmeline Vance." I smiled at her, and she nodded in acknowledgement. She looked as though if she opened her mouth, she might throw up.
"I wonder which house I'll be in," I said, just to make conversation. "I'm little bold, a little cunning, a little studious, and a little hard- working! I'll probably end up in Gryffindor or Slytherin, though."
Remus looked amused. "Your choices are kind of different, if you catch my drift. Judging by your performance on the train, I'm predicting Gryffindor for you."
Emmeline finally opened her mouth. "What are Slytherin and Gryffindor?" she asked.
I started to explain about the four Houses, when we reached the shore. Remus, Emmeline, and I stayed together while one professor, Professor McGonagall, explained to us about the Sorting Hat. Then we lined up, (I stood behind a boy with long red hair) and filed into the Great Hall of Hogwarts.
As the Sorting Hat sang a song about the Houses, I looked for Lily. She had been staring at the Hat, but when she felt my eyes on her, she turned around and gave me a wan smile. I was relieved that our spat had lasted only a few minutes, but now, my mind was free to worry about which house I would end up in. My mother had been in Ravenclaw, but we had both agreed that I probably wouldn't end up there. I was just too disorganized to be a good student.
The actual Sorting began with Abercrombie, Sarah ("HUFFLEPUFF!")
Black, Andromeda.
"GRYFFINDOR!" I noticed Cissa Black looking appalled. If I was correct, having a sister in Gryffindor was probably a crime in her family.
Black, Bellatrix and Black, Narcissa were Sorted into Slytherin. "No surprise there," I muttered to myself.
To my disbelief, Sirius Black was Sorted into Gryffindor. I guess that the Hat knew something that I didn't know.
Soon enough, Lily's turn came. She didn't move.
"Evans, Lily!" Professor McGonagall repeated, looking at us with a strange look.
Go, Lily, I thought at her. She didn't budge. Then, to my utter relief, James Potter, who had been standing behind her, gave her a nudge. Lily jolted back into awareness, her face bright red. I gave her an encouraging smile, and she stumbled up to the Hat. It was silent for a moment, and then it shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!"
"Yeah, Lily!" I cheered. She practically ran to the Gryffindor table and sat next to Andromeda Black.
For some reason, instead of scaring me even more, the incident made me more confident. I suddenly knew that I would also end up in Gryffindor, and that I had nothing to fear. In fact, after Remus was Sorted into Gryffindor, and my turn came, I was completely calm and easily walked over to the Hat and put it on.
"Ah, yes... Olive's daughter. I remember your mother well. She was never sure that she really belonged in Ravenclaw. Many a time she would try me on, always trying to see where she belonged. She never quite fit in. Married a Muggle, I see... verrrry interesting. Ah, yes. Sorting you, now. Well, this is odd... you seem to belong in one too many houses. You've got that noble streak, but also some underhandedness. Looks like it's up to you where to go." I blinked. I couldn't decide this for myself! "You're going to have to make this decision for yourself. If you can't, then it's Hufflepuff."
I couldn't go to Hufflepuff! I thought about Remus and Lily, sitting at the Gryffindor table. Then I remembered Sirius Black nearby. What sort of House was one that allowed such a bully? I opened my mouth to tell the Hat that I chose Slytherin, when it called out, "GRYFFINDOR!"
My eyes widened, but what could I do? I took off the hat and walked slowly to the Gryffindor table. Lily grinned and patted the spot next to her. Andromeda gave me a brief smile.
After the last kid was Sorted, I looked around. The Gryffindor first-years were Lily, Remus, Sirius, Andromeda, Emmeline, James, Harry Whitby, Brian McDonald, Molly Darkle, and me. I couldn't help but feel uneasy. Gryffindor was supposed to be the noble house. Why did I feel as though most of us belonged somewhere else?
Lily looked even paler than me. I couldn't blame her; it had only been a month since she had found out that she was a witch, and now she was entering a school, completely unprepared. Lily had always been the type who had liked to be prepared, and had tried to squeeze every spell I knew from me. We had spent half the summer hexing her cat, Sienna, for practice. Petunia would follow us around, and cry for us to stop tormenting the poor cat. But Lily didn't pause until she had mastered all the spells I had told her. Even so, I was aware that my hexes weren't really required for school, and Lily was very upset that she wasn't on top of things.
Next to us, James Potter and Sirius Black were having an animated conversation about a Quidditch team I didn't know. They had hit it off immediately, united by their picking on Severus. Severus was in the back, shooting dark looks at the duo. I walked over to a kid who was walking alone, but seemed supremely confident. Lily stuck with me, though she didn't look interested in a long talk with a stranger. I smiled at the girl.
"Hi! I'm Magda," I said brightly. The girl's eyes swept over me, sizing me up. Then she stuck out a hand.
"Cissa Black. Are you a pureblood?" I was taken aback. That wasn't the first question that came to my mind when you first met someone. Then I remembered something that my mother had told me about one pureblood family. They were highly ethnocentric and looked down on Muggle-borns.
"Actually, I'm half-and-half," I told her, ignoring the unease I suddenly felt. "Are you related to Sirius Black? I met him on the train."
Her lip curled. "Unfortunately, yes. I also have two sisters who are here. We're triplets, obviously. Who's that?"
She was talking about Lily. I introduced her, because she seemed too afraid to talk. Then I hurried away. Cissa made me nervous, and I wasn't prepared to admit that Lily wasn't pureblood.
"What'd you do that for?" Lily demanded when we had walked away. "Finally, someone in this place who actually seemed almost friendly..."
Quickly, I explained to her about purebloods and the Blacks. She wasn't impressed.
"You're not my baby-sitter," Lily said angrily. "I don't need your help." And she stormed off.
A moment later, when we got on the boats, I noticed her stepping on one with Cissa and two other girls on it. I turned away. Lily and I don't usually fight, but she'd get over it soon enough. Right now, though, the biggest moment of my life was turned bittersweet.
I looked around, and noticed one boat with only two other first years on it- Remus Lupin and another kid. Remus waved me over to the boat and grinned.
"Hi, Magda. This is Emmeline Vance." I smiled at her, and she nodded in acknowledgement. She looked as though if she opened her mouth, she might throw up.
"I wonder which house I'll be in," I said, just to make conversation. "I'm little bold, a little cunning, a little studious, and a little hard- working! I'll probably end up in Gryffindor or Slytherin, though."
Remus looked amused. "Your choices are kind of different, if you catch my drift. Judging by your performance on the train, I'm predicting Gryffindor for you."
Emmeline finally opened her mouth. "What are Slytherin and Gryffindor?" she asked.
I started to explain about the four Houses, when we reached the shore. Remus, Emmeline, and I stayed together while one professor, Professor McGonagall, explained to us about the Sorting Hat. Then we lined up, (I stood behind a boy with long red hair) and filed into the Great Hall of Hogwarts.
As the Sorting Hat sang a song about the Houses, I looked for Lily. She had been staring at the Hat, but when she felt my eyes on her, she turned around and gave me a wan smile. I was relieved that our spat had lasted only a few minutes, but now, my mind was free to worry about which house I would end up in. My mother had been in Ravenclaw, but we had both agreed that I probably wouldn't end up there. I was just too disorganized to be a good student.
The actual Sorting began with Abercrombie, Sarah ("HUFFLEPUFF!")
Black, Andromeda.
"GRYFFINDOR!" I noticed Cissa Black looking appalled. If I was correct, having a sister in Gryffindor was probably a crime in her family.
Black, Bellatrix and Black, Narcissa were Sorted into Slytherin. "No surprise there," I muttered to myself.
To my disbelief, Sirius Black was Sorted into Gryffindor. I guess that the Hat knew something that I didn't know.
Soon enough, Lily's turn came. She didn't move.
"Evans, Lily!" Professor McGonagall repeated, looking at us with a strange look.
Go, Lily, I thought at her. She didn't budge. Then, to my utter relief, James Potter, who had been standing behind her, gave her a nudge. Lily jolted back into awareness, her face bright red. I gave her an encouraging smile, and she stumbled up to the Hat. It was silent for a moment, and then it shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!"
"Yeah, Lily!" I cheered. She practically ran to the Gryffindor table and sat next to Andromeda Black.
For some reason, instead of scaring me even more, the incident made me more confident. I suddenly knew that I would also end up in Gryffindor, and that I had nothing to fear. In fact, after Remus was Sorted into Gryffindor, and my turn came, I was completely calm and easily walked over to the Hat and put it on.
"Ah, yes... Olive's daughter. I remember your mother well. She was never sure that she really belonged in Ravenclaw. Many a time she would try me on, always trying to see where she belonged. She never quite fit in. Married a Muggle, I see... verrrry interesting. Ah, yes. Sorting you, now. Well, this is odd... you seem to belong in one too many houses. You've got that noble streak, but also some underhandedness. Looks like it's up to you where to go." I blinked. I couldn't decide this for myself! "You're going to have to make this decision for yourself. If you can't, then it's Hufflepuff."
I couldn't go to Hufflepuff! I thought about Remus and Lily, sitting at the Gryffindor table. Then I remembered Sirius Black nearby. What sort of House was one that allowed such a bully? I opened my mouth to tell the Hat that I chose Slytherin, when it called out, "GRYFFINDOR!"
My eyes widened, but what could I do? I took off the hat and walked slowly to the Gryffindor table. Lily grinned and patted the spot next to her. Andromeda gave me a brief smile.
After the last kid was Sorted, I looked around. The Gryffindor first-years were Lily, Remus, Sirius, Andromeda, Emmeline, James, Harry Whitby, Brian McDonald, Molly Darkle, and me. I couldn't help but feel uneasy. Gryffindor was supposed to be the noble house. Why did I feel as though most of us belonged somewhere else?
