A/N: Just had to write out this Sorting Hat song before I completely lost motivation. I hope you approve! Again, any reviews are much appreciated!

The Sorting

Descending from the ceiling of the Great Hall, a tattered old hat parted the starry night sky and rested itself atop a stool. Lily looked back over at Theresa, who looked bewildered as well. She tried to glimpse back at Rachel, but couldn't see the short haired girl, so instead faced forward again. She reached out to tap Megan on the shoulder to ask her what in the world was going on, but all became apparent before she could ask, as a crack formed in the hat's mouth, and it began to sing.

In days gone past it was my job

to sort you as seen fit,

But now war has gone and mucked it up

So I may just take a bit.

In the start there were just four,

They divvied up the lot.

But when they passed I was left

To take that lofty spot.

Of daring nerve and bravery

Did Gryffindor value most.

So those that have mettle true

Will find the lion host.

Then of course, wise Ravenclaw,

She always valued minds.

Witty or clever, may you be,

Here you find your kind.

Strong Slytherin, he did choose

The most cunning of all,

And though the house has come undone,

Slytherin shall never fall.

And finally there's Hufflepuff,

The noble and the true,

In her true spirit she smiled kind,

And accepts the lot of you.

Now years went by and present times

Have seen our school divided,

But war is gone and Hogwarts stands

To teach what we take pride in.

And so here now a new age dawns

And Hogwarts stands to meet it,

Keep in mind we're always here

To guide whoever needs it.

And so my song draws to a close

And it's time to sort you all,

Remember no matter the house,

Without unity we shall fall.

So step right up and put me on,

There's no need to have a fear.

Just think of me as the first

To welcome you, first years.

The hat's song ended to loud applause from the student body. Not really sure what to do, Lily clapped along with the rest of the first years. So Hufflepuff accepts all? That would be a great place to be!

The sorting began with Aaron, Thomas. Lily watched as he sat down on the chair and a very small wizard standing on a step stool placed the hat over the boy's face. For a moment there was silence, until at last the hat cried out for all to hear,

"SLYTHERIN!"

The new Slytherin boy hopped down off the chair with a grin and made his way over to the cheering Slytherin table.

"Abbott, Megan."

Lily's new friend was next. She stepped up with more confidence after seeing the first to be sorted. The cap was placed over her head, and Lily waited. And waited. And waited. Lily was next in line and felt herself starting to shuffle a bit nervously as the hat continued to ponder. It wasn't for another five minutes until finally the hat called out,

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

The hat was pulled from Megan's head and she slid gracefully from the chair to thunderous applause from the Hufflepuff table.

"Andrews, And- Lily."

McGonagall had corrected herself. She could hear people snickering and could feel their eyes all upon her as she made her way to the chair. A furious red blush came over her cheeks as the hat descended upon her. A soft, gruff voice filled her ears.

"Well, well... I've been waiting for you a while, Miss Andrews."

Lily didn't speak but could only reply to the hat in thought. She didn't want to open her mouth and further embarrass herself.

"Ah, don't worry about that. Any conversation we have here is private. Now, I've heard from our Headmistress that you're quite the unique witch... Such bravery to be who you are. An admirable Gryffindor trait... And yet, there's Slytherin that could help you fulfill your dreams to be yourself. Strong friendships are made there."

"But Slytherin is home to a number of wizards gone bad," she thought.

"Aye, that's true, but don't judge the many by the few. I'm sure you can make friends in any house, should you try."

Lily's nervousness began to get the best of her. "But what if there isn't a house for me? What if I'm not accepted?"

The hat gave a laugh. "I've been here for longer than I can remember, and I've never failed at a sorting. Don't tell me you didn't talk to anyone on the train?

She then thought of Megan getting sorted into Hufflepuff.

"A Hufflepuff, eh? Definitely my first choice, but I do tend to think things through. You could be quite a good Gryffindor, but if your budding friendship matters most, then you most definitely should be..."

The hat's cry rang out for all to hear. "HUFFLEPUFF!"

More applause came from the Hufflepuff house, perhaps the most eager being that of Megan. Lily hopped from her seat and sat down beside Megan. In the haze of being newly sorted, she completely missed out on Barone, Geri all the way through Harris, William. The only thing that broke her out of the reverie was hearing Kerrigan, Theresa called.

The hat barely touched Theresa's head before declaring, "HUFFLEPUFF!"

Theresa hopped down off the chair and slid over to the bench right across from Lily. She waved and giggled. "Seemed he already knew I made up my mind!"

The first years continued to be sorted, with each of the four houses being well represented by new recruits. At last, the most interesting moment came when it was time for Tanner, Rachel to be sorted. Lily watched in rapt attention, and then let out a small yelp when she heard Rachel let out a groan from inside the hat.

After a little more deliberation, the hat finally cried out, "HUFFLEPUFF!"

Rachel thrust the hat from her head and made her way over. Megan gave her a confused look as she plopped herself down on the bench.

"So... what was your problem there?" The long raven haired girl asked.

"I really wanted to get into Gryffindor, but the hat seemed to think that I'd do nothing but misbehave!"

"I wonder where it got that idea," mused Theresa.

Rachel folded her arms across her chest. "Yeah, well, it decided to sort me with you three so that you could 'keep me in line' or something like that. That's why I groaned."

Lily laughed and patted Rachel on the head. "Well it's okay! I'm sure we can still get into plenty of adventures without being in Gryffin-"

She was quickly cut off by Megan's glare. "Will you two at least get to the start of term before planning on ways to slack off?"

Lily shrugged in apology while Rachel stuck her tongue out. Once Wembley, Zoltan was sorted into Ravenclaw, the hat ascended back into the enchanted ceiling and faded from view.

It was then that McGonagall rose from her seat at the Head Table and stepped over to a wooden podium with the school's crest carved into it. A lion, an eagle, a serpent, and a badger. McGonagall raised her hands for silence, and the entire school seemed to oblige right away. The entire school... except for Rachel, who was still acting out how she was going to tunnel under Hogwarts.

McGonagall cleared her throat and Rachel quickly snapped to attention, turning around to face the Headmistress.

"Welcome, one and all, to a new dawn at Hogwarts. As those who were with us last year know, our castle was under attack from the forces of evil last year, but Hogwarts and its students prevailed. Some of you may have lost friends, but their spirits will always live on in our memories.

Therefore, it is with a mixture of regret and sorrow, that I introduce to you a few new House Ghosts, that represent not only the memory of the tragic war, but the hope that through the history of these horrific acts, they will never be repeated. First, a wonderful witch and Auror who will be representing Hufflepuff, Nymphadora Tonks-Lupin."

A silvery ghost with short spiky hair glided past and seemed to trip on the combat boots she was wearing. Lily wasn't quite aware that ghosts could trip.

"Just Tonks, actually," giggled the ghost as it turned color from silvery to a bright pink. She sat down next to Lily and reached her hand up to ruffle her hair. Lily felt chills run down her spine, like she was doused with freezing cold water.

"And also, one of the bravest men I have ever had the pleasure of knowing," McGonagall began.

"And a right handsome bloke too," cried Tonks.

McGonagall glared at the ghost, who immediately quieted down. It seemed that the Headmistress had the ability to make even the most playful ghost behave.

"Representing Gryffindor, Remus Lupin."

Another ghost appeared from seemingly out of nowhere, middle aged but with scars upon his face that made him look slightly older. He waved kindly before soaring over to Tonks.

"Right, thanks for that, darling. Now that I'm properly blushed, even as a ghost, do you think we can behave ourselves for the rest of the speech?"

Tonks grinned and nodded.

"Good." Lupin slid his way over to the Gryffindor table. Tonks giggled the whole time and slid herself over next to Theresa.

Theresa smiled kindly at the ghost, who was still trying her best to bend the rules by making silly faces to Megan and Lily. Lily bit her lower lip and tried to stay focused on McGonagall's speech, but when Tonks' face transfigured into that of a duck's bill, Lily couldn't help but grin.

"He's pretty cute, my husband. Huh, Theresa?" The ghost winked and jabbed Theresa in the sides, but Theresa immediately squirmed. No doubt she felt the same freezing cold.

At last, a cry came out from the podium. "Oh for heaven's SAKE, Miss Tonks. One more distraction from you and you and I'll banish you to the Potions dungeon for a week!"

"But... Snape's other portrait is there! You can't do that!"

"I can, and it seems that he's taken to enjoying your abysmal potion making, so I'm sure you two will have plenty to talk about."

Tonks frowned and levitated upward, frowning at the new Hufflepuffs while floating over to her husband, who was sitting respectfully at the Gryffindor table and listening to McGonagall's speech.

"Now, as I was saying, there are a few areas that are still under construction as we attempt to repair the castle and return it to its pristine glory. I ask that all students mind their steps, especially around the third floor corridor.

Also, please remember that the staircases do indeed change directions, so do try to hop off on your stop, lest you be headed in the complete wrong direction. And finally, prefects are always available to help any of those in need. First years, these will be your primary point of contact and they will always be happy to help you find your classes.

That's all I have at this time, so please, let's eat!"

McGonagall clapped her hands and a grand feast appeared in the center of every table. Chicken, beef, salads, puddings, anything you could possibly imagine and more. Rachel's eyes went wide as she saw the massive splay, while Megan feverishly began splatting pudding down into a bowl.

Lily opted for a piece of grilled chicken and grabbed a roll. She cut the roll open and reached out for a jar of mustard. She slathered both sides of the roll and stuck the chicken in between. After her first bite, she felt the other three first year Hufflepuff girls staring.

"Umm... bon apetit?"

Rachel blinked and shook her head. "Go figure, the American needs to put everything on a sandwich."

"Hey," Lily snapped back. "I just happen to like not having to use a fork and knife! And besides, I am the great and powerful Sandwich Maker. All will bow before my sandwich making prowess!"

Lily tossed the sandwich onto Rachel's plate, daring her to take a bite. After a hesitant nibble, it seemed that Rachel approved.

"Mmph, what is this glorious thing?"

"Yeah, it's called a chicken sandwich with some mustard. I work with what I've got, but I've found that you have to have something to make the meat juicy, otherwise it's just dry and you're gnawing on rough chicken. No fun."

Lily tried to reach for her sandwich, but Rachel downed it in three bites. Lily made another one with a frown.

After a filling dinner, the plates and platters faded from view, and everyone was instructed to go to their common rooms. The four Hufflepuff girls followed their prefects down a flight of stairs, and then another. They came to a large portrait of a painting.

"Now, just tickle the pear like this," the prefect explained as she rubbed a finger along the pear's side. "And then the door will swing right open!"

And indeed, the portrait swung aside, revealing a round, oaken door. The door opened up and the prefect led the students inside. The hallways were warm and cozy with happy yellow light illuminating every last inch. While the dormitory was underground, it seemed to be cheery in a way.

The common room was also just as cozy, with round entryways and a crackling fire.

"Alright then, here we are," said the prefect. "It's time for bed. If you need any assistance, the prefect's hallway is in the opposite corner. Goodnight, then. And remember, term starts tomorrow, so don't be late to classes!"

Lily and the other three girls made their way down the hallway. What if the doorway didn't let her in? What if it registered her as a boy and kicked her out?

Nervously, she approached the door labeled "First Year Girls". Biting her lower lip, she crossed the threshold and opened the door. Her eyes squeezed shut, waiting to be thrust violently backward...

But it didn't come. Lily opened her eyes to see a wonderful bedroom with large four-poster beds, one for each of them. Lily went into the bathroom to change, still feeling a slight bit embarrassed about her body, and then climbed into bed.

Before she turned out her light, she looked to the three girls. Rachel seemed like she wasn't ready to sleep for another two weeks, Megan was brushing her long hair, and Theresa was reading her book.

"Girls?" Lily asked. The three of them looked up. Rachel stopped hopping up and down on her bed. "Thank you. For everything. It means a lot to know I've got friends like you."

The touching moment seemed to come crashing to a halt as Tonks, the new Hufflepuff ghost, soared into their room. She gave Lily another goofy look as she slid over to sit at the foot of the girl's bed.

"So... our wonderful Headmistress tells me that you're a girl, hmm? Well that's pretty cool! I haven't met anyone like you before, so that's awesome! And if you need any tips when it comes to transfiguration, you're talking to a Metamorphmagus!"

The ghost smiled widely, but was met with a look of confusion. She nodded and began to morph her face into an exact copy of Lily's face. "It means that I can change my appearance at will. Kinda awesome I got to keep it being all ghosty and such!"

Lily laughed and laid back in her bed. "Yes... I suppose you're right! That's awesome, Tonks! But... I've got class in the morning, so maybe we could talk tomorrow?"

In truth, Lily really wanted to talk to Tonks. She wanted to be able to see herself as a girl rather than the boy she currently looked like. Maybe the Metamorphmagus could help to that end...

Tonks nodded. "Sounds good to me! Besides, Remus always gets weird when I roam around the halls at night. Gotta go join him and the other ghosts for some sort of boring first-day-of-school orientation thing. Who knew being in the spiritual realm had so many disadvantages? Can't I just camp here with you? Pretty please? I won't be a bother..."

Lily shook her head, but Rachel bounced up. "You can hang out with me, Tonks!"

The ghost excitedly floated over to Rachel and began to bounce on the girl's bed, but Megan glared. "NO. We need to sleep. I don't think McGonagall would appreciate the first year Hufflepuffs being late to class because we were kept up all night by our house ghost!"

With a loud sign, Tonks sulked and floated through a wall, sticking her tongue out at Megan in the process.

"I think I'm gonna like her," grinned Rachel.

Postscript: There it is! I know that ghosts stick around when they still have business left to attend to on the earthly plane. I think that Tonks and Lupin would stay as ghosts so that they can make sure that Teddy grows up to be an awesome kid. In return, they'll be Hogwarts house ghosts until Teddy graduates. So there's my thinking for that.

So... what'd you think? Please let me know!