Lillian's room and Sorting Feast

They left her office and marched down the corridor, down staircases until they reached the third floor corridor again. Lillian followed McGonagall past the stone gargoyle down the corridor and around a corner. A few steps later they stopped in front of a wooden door.

"Your room" said Professor McGonagall and opened the door.

They went inside. The room wasn't very big and a bit bald with only her bed, a wooden desk, a wardrobe, an empty bookcase with three shelves and a wooden chair behind the desk. The chimney was cold, only a few logs were inside it but no fire danced upon them.

"Neat..." said Lillian but wasn't able to hide the hint of disappointment.

"I will now go and look for the headmaster and Professor Flitwick. Meanwhile you can unpack your things into the wardrobe and put your books on the shelves."

Not waiting for Lillian's answer McGonagall left her alone and the things she had been carrying on the threshold. Lillian carried it inside and closed the door. Except of the baldness the room was tidy. She now even noticed the sink with the mirror above behind the door. Beside it there were two hooks and above the hooks there was a smoothly cut niche within the stony wall to store a few things like a tooth brush with beaker, soap and a comb or hairbrush. There room itself was rectangular. Her bed had been transported from the dormitory down here and had been placed between the only two windows the room had. The wardrobe was on the left side of the door, while the desk stood not far away from the foot end of the bed close to the opposite wall between two unlit torches. The bookcase was located in the corner of the wall behind the desk and the chimney wall.

Lillian unpacked her things and neatly sorted everything on her bed before starting to put it away. The wardrobe already contained towels, wash clothes and items for personal hygiene. She hung her new robes on hangers spotting no crumb of dust within the empty shelves of the wardrobe. She would have to ask someone to conjure her some clothing beside what she was wearing over her pyjama. After ordering the course books in the bookcase someone knocked on the door.

"Yes?" Lillian walked towards the door as it opened and Professor McGonagall, Professor Dumbledore and a small man walked in.

"Ah, Argus really did a good job" said Dumbledore looking around with a bright smile.

"Indeed Albus" said the little man with a squeaky voice.

"May I introduce Professor Flitwick to you Miss Block?" Professor McGonagall pointed at the small man who smiled.

"Nice to meet you Miss Block" he squeaked and Lillian smiled. He looked around in the room and then back at Lillian. "I was asked to make the room a bit more comfortable. What is your favourite color?"

Lillian raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Dark crimson. Why do you ask?"

But Professor Flitwick didn't reply he only swung his wand and on most of the bare walls appeared dark crimson wall hangings which looked quite fluffy. Lillian let out a sound of enjoyment.

"Do you have any favourite plants or flowers?" Professor Flitwick asked eagerly.

"Ah well," said Lillian and smiled. "I like wild roses."

And with another swing of his wand ornaments of wild roses appeared in gold and silver on the wall hangings.

"Amazing" Lillian just said really enjoying the way how Flitwick decorated her new room.

After a bunch of other questions the floor was wooden and wherever he found space Flitwick conjured room plants. He even conjured up a very comfortable looking armchair in front of the chimney. After the basic decoration and embellishment was done he smiled at Lillian. "What do you want to be done with your bed?"

"I prefer to keep my bed the way it is, but I would like to have dark thick curtains on the windows. I'm used to sleep dark."

Another charm later she had thick black curtains on each window, held back by invisible ropes and after asking for it she also got a small bedside table.

"Thank you very much Professor Flitwick."

"You are very welcome young lady" he squeaked happily. "Touch the curtains with your wand and they will open and close" he added.

"Thank you again. Uhm..." Now Lillian came to the point where it got a bit uncomfortable to ask. "I – I think I need some more clothes..." She gulped slightly and looked down on the ground. "I – I have nothing but what I wear at the moment – what is underwear, a pyjama and this conjured Jeans, T-Shirt, socks and shoes."

"That can be taken care of Miss Block, but I think it would be best if a woman would do that" said Dumbledore calmly and exchanged a look with Professor McGonagall who nodded.

"I will wait outside until you call me in" she said and Flitwick and Dumbledore said goodbye and left the room. "Please order your current clothing on your bed."

McGonagall left the room as well and Lillian undressed to then order everything neatly on her bed. Then she took a towel from the wardrobe and wrapped it around her naked body. She called McGonagall and 10 Minutes later she sorted everything that was conjured up into the wardrobe. Before Professor McGonagall had left she had told her where the bathroom was and conjured up a crate for the laundry. Lillian was told that all her clothes had name tags and that the laundry was done by house elves. Then McGonagall had left and Dumbledore had come in again to let her know, that he would meet her in the Great Hall in two hours.

After Lillian had stuffed away all the conjured clothing and even some spare new bed linen and lined up her new shoes and boots on the floor of the wardrobe she walked over to her bed and unpacked her wand. With a little trembling in her fingers she took the wand into her left hand and stroked over the polished wood gently. A few golden sparks emitted from the tip of the wand, possibly a sing for that he liked it. After a blank moment she got up and placed the wand box beside her books into one shelf and the wand on her bedside table.

There was plenty of time left until her meeting with Dumbledore so she decided to take a quick bath or shower if possible, because she wanted to be fresh and clean for the ceremony. It happened that the bathroom McGonagall had mentioned looked like one of those prefect bathrooms with a large pool-like bathtub and several taps. In no time the tub was filled with water and foam and the combination of scents smelled rather exotic. Determined not to be in the Great Hall last minute she swam through the tub a few rounds and then started washing her hair which always took a while because of the volume and the wavy structure.

An hour later she was back in her room and dressed herself in black jeans, a black T-Shirt and then threw over one of her new working robes. She still had some time left, which she knew because she had just noticed the clock on the mantelpiece of the chimney, so she decided to take the book "A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration" from the shelf and leaf through it sometimes reading the one or the other passage. When she had been in Diagon Alley she had also bought parchment, quills and an unbreakable inkwell with ink that changed its colour. The inkwell and one of the quills were placed neatly on the desk and the parchment and the other quills were sorted into the drawers of the desk.

When it was time to get ready she placed the book onto the desk and walked over to the bedside table to take her wand. She left her room and closed the door to head off to the Great Hall. She met Dumbledore halfway what was good because he lead her to the Great Hall. The more she would go this way she would keep in mind how to get there from her room. She decided to explore the castle and its corridors and staircases and the school grounds the following day.

When they went into the Great Hall it was still rather empty. There were only some few early students sitting at their house tables and Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick and Hagrid were already sitting at the staff table. Professor Dumbledore led Lillian into a little chamber behind the staff table. She remembered that this chamber was mentioned in the fourth book when the participants of the Triwizard Tournament were elected.

"In half an hour all students will be taking their seats on their house tables and I will hold my speech letting everyone know the most necessary things about you" said Dumbledore and smiled faintly. "I will finish my speech with the word 'Please welcome with me Miss Lillian Block' – or do you insist on your second first name?"

Lillian shook her head. "In fact I actually only name it when I think that something very formal is going on."

"Good good. When I mention my last sentence you will come out of the chamber and walk towards me."

"Do I have to say something?"

"No no – not if you don't want." Dumbledore smirked.

"Ah well no. I prefer to remain silent until I was sorted."

"Then it's decided."

Dumbledore left the chamber and Lillian heard the damp sounds of chattering and babbling as the Great Hall was filling with students and teachers. Approximately fifteen minutes later there was silence and Dumbledore began his speech.

"Good evening. I hope every one of you had a good first week. As for some of you might have already heard we have a new resident since this morning."

He paused for a moment and Lillian pressed her ear to the door not to miss anything. She heard a very damp buzzing that seemed to come from the students. She imagined how some of them were whispering. Then Dumbledore continued.

"As some of you might also already know the person who arrived in the morning is a young woman. It happens to be, that this woman was transported into our school from a parallel existing world." He paused again and Lillian was once again able to hear buzzing noises.

"After a few tests we found out, that our guest got magic abilities and so I decided she will start to have classes together with the first year students even though she is far too old." Another buzzing started but it fell silent once again.

"I hope that every one of you will welcome your new co-student in a friendly manner and help her catch up on what she had missed in the lessons this first week. And now - Please welcome with me Miss Lillian Block!"

Finally Lillian left the chamber and walked towards Dumbledore. In the corners of her eyes she noticed a teacher with black, shoulder long, greasy hair sitting close to the chamber. He went ashen in his sallow face and widened his eyes in complete astonishment and even dropped his jaws. But Lillian had no time to waste and quickly passed the staff table to go over to the podium where Dumbledore stood. A buzz of whispers went through the Great Hall as she turned around to face the students.

"Miss Block, would you please sit down on that stool?" Dumbledore pointed over to the stool with the Sorting Hat and when Lillian walked over he followed her. He picked up the hat and Lillian sat down. Dumbledore placed the hat on her head and it slit down over her eyes a bit. Immediately she heard a smart voice talking, but it wasn't Dumbledore – it was the hat.

"A bit old for going to school aren't you dear" asked the hat and immediately went on. "But I see that you need training. So, where to put you?! You are smart, no doubt about that, but I also see a lot of courage and a big heart. A tricky choice..." Lillian started to feel a bit unsettled. The house actually didn't matter to her even though she would prefer everything before Slytherin. "So you don't want to Slytherin dear" said the hat instantly. "You have talents for each of our houses but since you are so determined I think it will be best to put you in GRYFFINDOR!" The hat shouted out the chosen house into the hall but it stayed silent until Dumbledore removed the hat and Lillian got up. Then hell broke loose and the Gryffindor table applauded and screamed and rejoiced so loud and even from behind her she heard the clapping of hands. She turned around to the staff table full of teachers and saw everyone smiling and clapping – everyone but one. The teacher with the long, black and greasy hair, which Lillian now finally recognised as the potion master Professor Snape. He didn't even dare to look at her. So she turned around again and walked down over to the Gryffindor table and found an empty chair between Harry and two red-headed twin boys.

"Wicked stuff. Transported from another world – that sounds like coming from a book" said one of the red-heads and offered his hand to her.

"Ehehe yeah – like from a book." She took the hand and shook it.

"I'm Fred Weasley and this is my brother George." He pointed at the second red-head.

"I'm Lillian, nice to meet you." She also shook hands with George.

"This is so amazing. Because of your arrival the school decided to have another feast. Actually the next feast would have been on Halloween." Only now that Fred said this, Lillian had noticed that the table was bending under the weight of delicious looking food. She looked down the table and recognised Ron and a few others staring at her.

"Uhm hi – I... I think we'll be having classes together from now on" said Lillian and offered Ron her hand over the table. It took him a while to shake it.

While eating she chatted with Fred and George and Ron who bombarded her with questions about the world she had come from.

"Well actually it's just like the Muggle world. I mean I'm muggle-born. I didn't know that I had magic blood until Dumbledore tested me." She glanced at Harry shortly who had been rather silent.

"Wow – you should get to know my father" said Ron and then stuffed his mouth with steak and kidney pie.

"Should I?" Lillian knew that Ron's father was crazy about Muggle artefacts but she promised Dumbledore to pretend that she knew nothing.

"Yeah he is crazy about Muggle artefacts and drives Mum crazy with it."

"I see."

During the next fifteen minutes even Harry got a bit more talkative. He and Ron offered her to help her catching up with what she had missed in the past week.

She couldn't help but to feel watched during the feast and it wasn't because of the staring students. It was more a tickling sensation that crept down her neck. She looked around and over to the staff table. Snape's glances met hers and he let his fork fall onto his plate and spilled his robes with sauce. Quickly he looked away. Lillian raised an eyebrow and went on eating.

"What's the matter Lillian?" asked Ron who had noticed the hint of concern on her face.

"Ah nothing I just..." she shortly glanced over to Snape again but he seemed to force himself to pay attention to his plate. "It's just about that teacher with the greasy hair..."

"Oh you mean Snape? He's a rotten sod. He hates almost every student but those of his own house."

"I...see..."

"You will get to know him on Monday morning in the potions class."

"I'm afraid I won't." Lillian knew that the only class she wouldn't participate was potions and she had a very vague idea of the reason.

"You are kidding me." Ron eyeballed her as if he expected her to say that she was joking but she just shook her head.

"No. I will be having all classes but potions. For some reason Dumbledore doesn't seem to want me to study potions." She shrugged.

After the feast Fred and George invited her to join the little party they were going to establish in the Gryffindor common room and she decided that it was the best way to distract her from the odd feeling about Snape.