PART I

Chapter 6: A Choice of Sorts

It was nighttime and still raining by the time the train arrived at Hogwarts. After Severus and Lily climbed down the steps dressed in their school robes, they met the gamekeeper, Ogg, who escorted all the first years across the lake in small wooden boats. Severus and Lily shared a boat with two twin boys who were rather quiet during the short journey. As their boat drifted closer to the magnificent castle, Severus felt his heartbeat quicken with excitement and Lily squeezed his hand. Hogwarts was an edifice full of mystery with winding passageways and twisted towers; they had so much to learn.

Severus and Lily walked into the Great Hall together. Lily was shivering and Severus offered her his thick wool traveling cloak as they stood beside the great wooden benches lining the spectacular room where the older students were waiting for the first years. Severus felt rather intimidated by all the students, gossiping and whispering about their new classmates.

"Who are all those people?" Lily asked referring to the long table at the front of the room populated by the Hogwarts staff.

"That's Albus Dumbledore," said Severus pointing to a tall wizard with a long graying beard, shimmering blue robes, and distinctive half moon spectacles. "He's the new Headmaster. When my mum was here, it was someone else, but she told me a bit about Dumbledore."

"He looks very nice," Lily remarked. "He's smiling."

Severus shrugged. "My mum says he almost became Minister of Magic, but he chose to stay at Hogwarts instead." He continued telling his friend what little he knew about their new teachers while they waited for the rest of the first years to file in. "That woman there is Professor McGonagall. She took up Dumbledore's job as Transfiguration Professor and Head of Gryffindor. I think that smaller man over there is Professor Flitwick, Head of Ravenclaw House. And Professor Kettleburn teaches Care of—"

Severus was interrupted by a small commotion near the entrance. The caretaker, Argus Filch, had just caught two first years trying to sneak in a pair of broomsticks in spite of the rule prohibiting new students from bringing such items. One boy was small with glasses, untidy black hair, and a frustrated expression. The other was unusually handsome for being eleven. He stood with his arms crossed and there was an air of rebelliousness about him.

"It's not fair," the boy with glasses argued. "I've been riding for years and that's a new Cleansweep!"

"Rules are rules, boys," Filch snapped. "Now hand over the brooms if you don't want to make trouble with the Headmaster on your first day here."

The two reluctantly turned over the contraband. Instead of taking a place at the end of the line for the Sorting Ceremony, they walked up to the front and cut in with a sandy haired boy who looked rather ill. Severus sneered. He hated it when people believed themselves to be above rules that applied to everyone else.

The whispering in the Great Hall died down as Professor McGonagall strode up to the front of the room holding a wooden stool and an old, battered-looking hat with a large slit on the side. She set the stool down in front of the teacher's table and looked proudly at the line of nervous first years.

"Let the Sorting begin!"

Severus and Lily watched as Professor McGonagall called each student in line to the front of the room, where they wore the hat, which placed them in the appropriate house. The hat usually made its decision within a few seconds, but Severus noticed that it took longer for some students. It took quite a while with the handsome broom smuggler, but in the end, it decided to place both him and his friend in Gryffindor.

"What if it can't decide where to put me?" asked Lily. Severus looked at her with a furrowed brow and she seemed to get the message and stop worrying. Lily had a tendency to become quite talkative when she was nervous. "I hope we're in the same house, Sev," she whispered.

The line slowly became shorter and shorter. Soon Lily and Severus were standing at the front. In an attempt to be an example and ease her nerves, Severus decided he would go first. As he stepped up and took his place on the stool, he heard Professor McGonagall call out his name.

"Severus Snape."

Severus felt the hat being placed on his head and he heard a strange voice in his ear.

"Hmmmmm, let's see here," said the voice. "You've certainly got brains…from a noble family…quick to learn. I sense bravery too. Gryffindor, like your mother might be right. But what's this? What is all this Dark Magic you know?"

Severus looked around the Great Hall and felt his face flush. Hundreds of pairs of eyes were staring right at him and he sensed the Sorting Hat was taking an unusually long time.

"Hmmmm," said the hat again and Severus hoped it would finish up soon. "There most certainly could be a very important role for you to play, but which path shall we go down? Shall we choose what is right or what is easy?"

What is right, of course thought Severus. Nothing about his life had ever been easy.

"Oh, it won't be easy, but I do think it is right," whispered the hat and Severus felt his heard pounding as it finally announced his placement. "Slytherin!"

Feeling relieved to be finished with the process, Severus slithered off the stool and joined his new house at their table. Immediately his heart started pounding again when he saw Lucius Malfoy waiting for him at the table with a smirk spread across his porcelain smooth face.

He clapped Severus on the shoulder and whispered in his ear. "Congratulations. We can use more talent like you in this house."

Severus ignored him and watched Lily take her seat on the stool. As long as they were together in the same house, it would all be OK. He didn't know what the hat had meant about things not being easy, but he knew he could make it through whatever he might face with his best friend by his side.

McGonagall placed the hat on Lily's head and she closed her eyes waiting for an answer. Severus wondered what it was saying to her, but he assumed it wasn't very much because before long, it had an answer.

"Gryffindor!"

Severus' heart sank. He watched the rest of the ceremony in complete dismay, unable to stomach the idea that he and Lily would be in separate houses. The last thing he felt like doing was having a celebratory feast and he hardly touched the mountains of delicious food that appeared when the last student was finished being Sorted.

When the Feast was over, Severus didn't even get out of his seat. One of the twins who had rode across the lake with Severus and Lily elbowed him and pointed Severus in the direction of Professor Slughorn, their Head of House. Almost mechanically, Severus began to follow his peers as they marched to the dormitories.

He felt a hand on his arm and turned around to see a familiar pair of green eyes looking at him with uncharacteristic disappointment.

"Here's your cloak back, Sev," said Lily softly.

"Thanks," Severus responded politely. He took the cloak and began to walk away, but Lily stopped him by pulling him into a hug.

"I won't forget about you," she whispered in his ear before breaking free from the embrace. Severus sadly watched her run to catch up with the rest of the Gryffindors before turning to follow the Slytherins to the dungeon.