Hey all. Sorry for the long wait. Life has gotten hectic. I also apologize that the Sorting Hat's song isn't the greatest. I'm no poet unfortunately. Anyways, hope you enjoy!
. . .

The first years stood in a tight group in the entrance hall, whispering amongst themselves and gazing at the large oak doors before them. Excited and nervous whispers circulated through the group. Lily felt as though they'd been standing for hours waiting, but in reality they had marched up the stairs just a few minutes ago. She was still cold from their excursion across the lake, and so was rubbing her arms while Lily Potter chattered in her ear. It was almost a guarantee that she and her cousin Hugo would be in Gryffindor, but Lily had no idea where muggleborns were placed. Where would she be sorted to?

"Oh, just you wait!" Lily Potter whispered excitedly. "Hogwarts is the best school you could ever dream of going to. Aren't you excited?"

Lily just nodded numbly and checked her watch for the umpteenth time in the past four minutes. In all honesty, she felt like she was going to be sick, and the feeling that ice was trickling down her back wasn't helping. Squirming, she at last turned around to see if someone was behind her and nearly screamed. A small impish man was hanging upside down literally holding ice cubes over where her neck had been just moments before. The man cackled and flipped upright, tossing his handful of ice into the air. Many of the other first years did scream when they realized what was happening or when the ice cubes landed on their heads. Lily had never seen anything like the man before; he frightened her.

"Peeves!" Hugo said. "Rose told me all about him. He's the school poltergeist."

Peeves? Lily thought. The term poltergeist made a lot of sense to her as she watched him. He had been dripping ice down her back after all. Someone behind them cleared their throat, catching everyone's, including Peeves', attention. Neville was scowling at Peeves, his wand pulled out and pointed at the wretched man bobbing in the air. "I know how much you like the first years," Neville said coldly, "but I also know how much you like the Bloody Baron and the handful of spells friends have taught me. Bug off. Now."

Peeves blew a big, wet raspberry before zooming off.

"Sorry about that guys," Neville said, looking tired. "We're ready for the sorting now. Follow me."

He threw open the oak doors and led the way through the great hall. Lily soaked it in, eyes wide, as stars glimmered over her head. Hogwarts, A History had mentioned something about an enchantment reflecting the weather outside, but had failed to describe the floating candles, or the banners hanging in midair over the four house tables where all the older students were sitting. The staff table looked intimidating, but Lily caught McGonagall's eye and swallowed back her nerves. Wherever she was sorted, she would be happy with it and do the best that she could. Thinking about that, her attention was drawn to the stool sitting before the staff table with a tattered hat resting upon it. It seemed a rather odd decoration, but then again, Lily thought, it may have something to do with the sorting. She had traveled to Platform 9 ¾ via ratty old scarf earlier that day after all.

Neville stepped up next to the stool and pulled out a roll of parchment, then looked to Professor McGonagall, who stood and smiled out at the students. "Welcome," she said, "to our new students as well as our old to another year at Hogwarts. Without further ado, we will let the sorting commence!"

Lily watched Neville as he unfurled his roll of parchment, but it was not he who spoke next. Instead:

"Another year has passed us by

Full of victories and woes,

But do not doubt, I will not lie!

Our time here ever flows.

New dangers come, we must prepare,

I warn you all, beware!

For your courage and your chivalry,

Your brains and cunning too

Are needed for the cavalry

In the great wizard war two."

There were gasps and whispers all around at the conclusion of the song that Lily discovered had come from a rip at the brim of the old hat. It was very much a warning, and Lily could see the worry on many of the teachers' faces. Neville had visibly grown paler at the concluding line of the short song, reminding Lily that he was friends with Harry Potter and had been a part of the last wizarding war. McGonagall rose and caught the students' attention, the hall falling instantly silent. She beckoned for Neville to begin the sorting.

Clearing his throat, Neville called out, "Aarons, Tabitha!"

A bold looking girl marched past Lily and took a seat on the stool, pulling the hat down to her brow. Lily watched curiously, but it was not long before the rip at the brim opened once more and called out, "SLYTHERIN!" Grinning, the girl ran off to join the Slytherin table, who cheered and welcomed her.

"Arnold, Jeremy."

He was sorted into Hufflepuff, and on down the line they went. Lily's nerves vanished for a moment as she watched the sorting of her group from the Leaky Cauldron, but returned when the next name to be called was hers. What if the hat didn't know where to put her?

"Kensington, Lily!"

Lily ducked her head and walked up to the stool. The hat slid down past her eyes, which Lily was grateful for seeing as she couldn't see the students staring at her anymore. A whisper in her ear startled her though, saying, "Muggleborn, eh? Plenty of you around lately. You have a lovely thirst for knowledge, that would suit you in Ravenclaw . . . but you also have fierce loyalty deep in your heart there. You'd make a good Gryffindor too. Very curious."

Lily flicked between the names, her heart pounding. Anywhere would be fine. She just wanted to belong.

"Hmmm . . . a tricky decision, but I think I've found your place in GRYFFINDOR!" The last word was shouted for the audience to hear. Flushing, Lily placed the hat back on the stool and made her way to the Gryffindor table amongst a thunderous applause and jeering from her new housemates. She squeezed into a seat beside Carissa and looked up to meet Merlin's smiling gaze at the Ravenclaw table, causing her to duck her head shyly. Carissa nudged her with a wink, and then they both turned their attention back to the sorting.

Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, Slytherin . . . the sorting continued for the next half hour before Lily Potter was called up. Lily watched the red headed girl confidently don the hat who soon announced her to be in GRYFFINDOR. Smiling, Lily Potter dashed over to their table and took a seat between her brothers who were cheering the loudest. Ten minutes later, Hugo Weasley had also joined them at the Gryffindor table and everyone looked expectantly up to the front. McGonagall stood once more and said, "Well, what are you waiting for?"

The gold plates and goblets set before the table seemed to explode with food, causing Lily's jaw to drop. Gruel was just about the only option at the orphanage, and chicken a rare treat. Here there were piles of roast beef, chicken breast, ham, turkey, stuffing, and potatoes, everything prepared in every manner imaginable. Carissa rubbed her hands together and dug in, her eyes gleaming. Lily tried a small portion of nearly everything. Everything seemed to melt on her tongue, and she closed her eyes in bliss. If this was a dream, she never ever wanted it to end. After dinner came the wave of desserts in another jaw-dropping arrangement, and students had stopped chewing long enough to fill the hall with chatter once more.

"The elves have outdone themselves this year," Carissa said with glee, helping herself to raspberry tart and apple pie. "I love the sorting feast!"

"Elves?" Lily asked.

"Yeah," the boy across the table said. "Down in the kitchens. The house elves do all the cooking. Little blokes. They'll be pleased you're enjoying yourself. I'm Carson, by the way. Same year as Carissa there."

"Pleased to meet you," Lily said with a nod, biting into a bit of treacle tart. "So, what was the deal with the song? Was that the hat?"

"Oh yeah," Carissa said with a nod. "Hat sings something new every year. Sometimes good, sometimes a warning. I hope it was joking about a second wizarding war. It mentioned all the houses by value though. Courage is Gryffindor, and chivalry has to be Hufflepuff just because they're polite to a fault. Brains is always Ravenclaw and Slytherin are cunning. I wonder what it was trying to warn us about this year. I haven't heard of any new dark wizards since the time of Harry Potter."

Lily squirmed a little in her seat. "Um . . . when I got my wand, Mr. Ollivander seemed to think something odd was going on too. He gave a name, but I can't really recall – "

"Listen up!" Professor McGonagall called over the din of students. The Hall fell instantly into silence. "Our feast is drawing to a close, I'm afraid, and warm beds are calling for you. You have a busy day tomorrow. However, there is a matter I'd like to address before you all go your separate ways." She looked sternly over all the students. "The Minister of Magic has asked me to inform you that extra security measures will be taken at Hogwarts this year. Now, they don't want you to worry, but there are rumors circulating about a new threat to the wizarding world. Rumors, mind you! The Aurors are of course investigating, but no evidence has been found yet.

"Other reminders: the forest is forbidden to all students, and any Weasley Wizard Wheezes products caught in the classrooms will be confiscated immediately. Quidditch tryouts will begin next week, so seek out your respective captains. There will be no dueling in the corridors, and no exploring after hours. Enjoy the rest of your feast, and then pleasant dreams!"

Whispers broke out across the hall as students finished up their desserts and slowly the food vanished from the tables. Lily was stuffed and drowsy, but the name Rosalind Stone was now ringing in her ears. She fell in line with the other Gryffindor first years without a second thought and didn't pay much attention to where they were going as they climbed stairs and turned down corridors. She was only jerked out of her reverie when they came to a halt outside a painting of an enormous lady in pink silk drinking from a champagne glass. She eyed them all as she drained the golden liquid before asking, "Password?"

The older student – Lily thought he was called a prefect – stepped forward and answered, "Gingersnaps."

Lily watched amazed as the portrait swung to the side, admitting the group to a large room with comfy looking chairs and a snapping fire. It was decorated with red and gold just as the banners hanging over the Gryffindor table in the hall below. It looked homey. The prefect led them to the middle of the room and then began instructing them on their dorms and when breakfast was. Lily was too tired to care at that point and only heard that the girls' dorms were up the staircase on the right. She stumbled up the stairs with the other four first year girls and found her trunk by the bed over by the window. Lily Potter was in the bed next to hers, and she bounced on it excitedly, chattering to no one in particular. Lily changed into pajamas numbly and hit the pillow without a word. Despite how tired she was, she wasn't able to fall asleep for several more minutes. Rosalind Stone still echoed in her head, and her full belly did flips when she remembered that classes would begin in the morning. Soon, though, she and the others were all snuggled up in their blankets, snoring soundly.