The night was dark and cloudless. The stars stood out brilliantly in the night sky and the cold glow of the moon bathed the excited students in a blanket of soft light. Students were filed into little wooden boats and magically propelled across the chilly waters. Lily had no difficulty distinguishing her fellow first years from the rest of the crowd, shaking with apprehension while their friends gasped in jubilant awe at the ancient castle towards which they drifted.
Tearing her eyes away from Hogwarts, Lily looked over at her two companions in the boat. The first, a girl with delicate porcelain features and hair of equal fairness, sat staring at the castle with casual disinterest. It was hard to tell, as she was very small in build, but Lily surmised that the girl was at least a year older than herself. It was too dark to see what was actually on her uniform, but Lily could tell that it wasn't a generic "new student" badge like her own. The other student in the boat was the boy who Lily had met briefly on the train within the crowd of Exploding Snap spectators. Although he had seemed confident enough on the train, now he was shivering more than the cold night air alone could cause and staring at the castle with fear, his watery eyes darting occasionally to Lily and the other girl.
After a moment of consideration Lily decided that this boy needed some comforting conversation, and was about to introduce herself when the other girl suddenly turned to face the boy and glared.
"Oh, stop twitching already! Not only is it quite unproductive and will get you nowhere, it's a damn nuisance!"
The boy jumped violently at her venomous words, nearly tipping the boat. With a high-pitched squeal, the girl grabbed the sides of the boat to steady herself, and threw another fiery look at him in annoyance.
"Well, if you hadn't yelled at him the boat wouldn't be wobbling! Its easy for you to scold! This isn't your first year, is it?" Lily felt entirely justified in snapping right back at the girl in the boy's defense. This sudden burst of confidence took her by surprise, however.
Patient calmness was usually her favorite weapon of choice.
The girl sniffed in distain. "No. Of course not. And… you are?"
"Lily Evans. This is my first year. I'd appreciate it if you were a bit nicer to him. Not just for kindness's sake, although that should be reason enough. I don't want to take a dip in this lake any more than you do."
The girl sniffed again, but upon deciding there was nothing more to say, turned to face the castle once more. The rest of the trip was taken in silence, the only sound coming from neighboring boats and the lapping of the waves against the nearing shoreline. Perhaps this first impression was a poor one, Lily mused. The girl may end up being nice under less stressful circumstances. Nonetheless, she felt that this first impression was a pretty accurate one.
The boat nudged ground and their boat came to a sudden stop. The girl flipped her long hair over her shoulder and grabbed her book bag without a word of goodbye. The boy, however, took his time in collecting his possessions so that he could thank Lily once the blond was halfway up the hill.
"Thanks for that. I don't know what's wrong with me. I've never been so nervous in my life."
Lily smiled. "It was nothing. I can't stand it when girls treat others like that. Girls are far more vicious than boys when it comes to scathing comments."
"I don't know about that, Lily." Peter replied. "I've met some very rude boys in my life. You need to get out more!" Lily laughed.
On their way up the incline, Lily learned that his name was Peter Pettigrew, his family was mostly of wizard stock, and he had a younger brother. As they entered the castle through a great, towering door, Peter turned to her and asked what house she thought she'd be in.
"House? What do you mean? I heard a few other students talking about it on the train, and I figured that it was a way of placing students into dormitories according to personality, or something of the sort."
Peter smiled again, but Lily couldn't help but notice the nervousness with which he glanced about the hallway. Lily couldn't help shaking a bit either in such a magestic and, yes, intimidating atmosphere.
"Well, I guess I don't need to explain much to you. There are four houses, see. Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and…well… there's Slytherin, but I've wondered why they've kept it for so long. Lots o' kids with a knack for trouble, if you ask me. Ambitious, fairly selfish, and often greedy, they are."
Lily looked skeptical. "Really? Well, I will never believe that they are all like that. The more I consider it, the less I like the idea of sorting students. Doesn't it just create dissention within the student body? Prejudice? Disinclination to make friends with those in a different house than your own?"
Peter looked a bit discomforted. Lily decided not to press the matter, and changed the subject to pets. Peter was just telling her about his missing Puffskien, when another set of double doors opened to reveal a massive room. Lily had to look twice to confirm that it actually had a ceiling at all. It was designed to mimic the actual night sky, and the effect was startlingly beautiful.
"Students, attention please. All new students come and stand up here, please!" A middle aged witch with auburn hair and glasses was ushering them all towards the front, guiding the students past the long tables at which many older students sat socializing.
All the first years sat themselves down on the floor, stones cold beneath their legs, in front of a funny-looking old hat. Some were whispering excitedly, but most just stared dumbly at the hat.
"Ehem."
Everyone looked up at the woman in obedience. Children always behave the best when they are absolutely terrified.
"Welcome to Hogwarts. I am Professor McGonagall, as of this year, the new Deputy Headmistress, and as of previous years, your Transfiguration instructor as well. This," she said, indicating the bedraggled hat sitting on the stool next to her, "…is the Sorting Hat. Within it lies the will of Hogwarts' Founders: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin. I shall call out each of your names, one by one, and you shall be sorted into your Houses according to where the hat decides you will do best. I will place the hat on your head, and after a few moments of consideration, it will call out your House."
"Call out…?", Lily heard the boy James Potter whispered to Sirius Black. Sirius Black shrugged. Apparently the boys had become close friends after their fierce rivalry on the train died out.
And the Sorting began.
"Abbott, Henry!"
Henry rose from his place, cheeks flushed and nervous as any of the others. He sat on the stood, eyes closed in resignation.
"HUFFLEPUFF!" the Hat called after a moment or two. Relieved, Henry went and sat down with the applauding Hufflepuffs, a bit light headed.
Sirius and James watched as the students went, one by one, up to the Hat to be sorted.
"Do y'think I'll be in Slytherin, like the rest of my family?" Sirius asked James with frustration as a girl with brown hair and a wary eye went to take her seat at the Slytherin table.
"Can't tell you, mate." James replied distractedly, who had been staring at a very pretty read haired girl in the crowd for the past few minutes. Sirius looked to see who he was ogling at.
"Oh, can you take your mind of that girl for just one second, here?"
"Sorry, but no." James grinned mischievously. Sirius rolled his eyes.
"Ok. She's ok looking. But what about that other girl over there? The one with the braids…"
"Black, Sirius!"
Sirius and James tore their gaze away from the gaggle of girls and gazed, terrified, at the hat.
"I guess you're up, Sirius. Best of luck!" James really hoped that Black would be in Gryffindor with him. Well, he couldn't know that he would be there for sure, either, but all of his family had been, so it was very likely.
With one last look at the girl with the braids, Sirius took a deep breath and took up all the confidence he could muster. No one would have known how nervous he was by the way he approached the Hat with such grace. A few girls giggled. Sirius grinned as he sat down on the stool, watching them blush crimson as he winked at the cutest. James's redhead, however, merely rolled her eyes and watched with bemusement.
"Ah. Interesting…", the Hat whispered in his ear. "Very, very, very interesting."
Sirius had the impression that it was enjoying this immensely. Well, he certainly wasn't. The joy he felt at the girls' admiring looks had turned into a far less pleasurable flip in his stomach.
"So, you don't want to be in Slytherin, like your relatives, do you?"
Sirius screamed the word "NO!" over and other in his head, willing the Hat to hear him.
"No need to yell, boy! I was only asking…", the hat chuckled. "Very well, I guess you're a…"
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Yes! He could hardly believe it! Sirius pranced off the stool towards the Gryffindor table, grinning at James as he passed. James grinned back as he ran his fingers through his hair, leaving it very untidy and yet unusually becoming.
"Evans, Lily!"
Lily started. She had been spacing out, watching the stars twinkling above them. Slowly, she went forward, trying to ignore anything and everything but her destination. Sitting down on the stool was a bit awkward, the hard wooden seat was not remotely comfortable. And then, everything went black as the hat was placed over her head, its brim far too wide to sit atop her curls.
"Hmmm." The hat was silent for many minutes, and Lily began to worry. What if she couldn't be sorted for some reason? "So, you don't believe in The Sorting either?" it asked suddenly. Lily was surprised. She didn't think it would ask a question so off topic.
"Actually, the question isn't as entirely unrelated as you may believe…" the Hat replied, interpreting her thoughts.
Lily braved a reply. "No, not really." The Hat thought for another moment.
"Yes… Hufflepuff never believed much in it either. However, I don't believe you belong there. You have loyalty, yes. And a heap of fair-mindedness. And some ambition and a dash of cunning, even…yes. Terribly courageous. Eh. You are a bit too curious, I see. And, yes. A little too self-confident, perhaps?… (Lily took some offence at this last.) Hmmm…"
The hat paused. "Would you object if I placed you in Slytherin?"
Lily frowned slightly. She didn't want to be considered cruel or overly ambitious. And yet, she thought it would be fun to discredit that awful stigma… "No. Never mind. That won't do", the hat mused, delving into her mind even further. "I've made up my mind, then. You are definitely a…"
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Lily hopped off the stool, all fear gone. She had heard a lot of nice comments about Gryffindors, so she wasn't disappointed. She couldn't shake the lingering feeling, however, that if the Hat needed that much time to sort her, it must take its time with many others too. You can't just categorize people! Sure, some are nicer than others, but…
She sat down next to another red-haired girl, who greeted her warmly.
"Absolutely wonderful, meeting you, Lily! I'm Molly Prewett!" Lily returned the greeting and shook hands. Although she was a bit heavy set, the excess baby fat did nothing to detract from Molly's warm glow and beautiful smile. Lily liked her already.
Now there were only five students left. Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, James Potter, a pale boy with dark eyes, and a young boy with a terrible case of acne.
Remus was selected and he went without fear. He had been very discomforted by the hard stone floor, and his aching body had allowed him to forget all about his anxiety. Happy that he could finally stretch his legs, Remus walked to the awaiting Hat and sat with calm deliberation.
"Oh! I wish my decisions were always this easy! Although very clever and not always as strong willed as you'd like, you're a real gentleman, aren't you, boy?" Remus blushed crimson. "Yes. Brave, too. Oh yes. Go on, don't believe me. But you must know you belong in…"
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Glad to finally sit more comfortably, Remus sat down at the Gryffindor table with a sigh.
"Pettigrew, Peter!"
Lily watched as Peter scurried up to the stool and hurriedly took a seat, accidentally knocking the stool over in his fright. A few nasty chuckles from the Slytherin table were quickly silenced by a look from the majestic old man sitting at the very center of the teacher's table.
"That must be the Headmaster that mother met while shopping…" Lily thought.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Peter walked to the table and sat down on Lily's left, still a little embarrassed that he knocked the stool over. Lily whispered her sympathy and his face brightened a bit.
The crowd of first years was slowly thinning as student by student was sorted. An Ella Peverell went to sit at the Ravenclaw table as Professor McGonagall called for "Potter, James" to come forward.
"GRYFFINDOR!" The Hat shouted once more. James strolled over to the table and sat next to Sirius.
Peter went and joined the group, dazed by the experience but overjoyed that he was in Gryffindor.
"Not too traumatizing, really, was it Peter?" Remus asked with a sly smile. Peter decided not to answer, but grinned sheepishly back and
shrugged his shoulders.
"Snape, Severus!"
The pale boy rose. He was almost to the hat when he sneezed violently. Once. Twice. Four times. Sniffling, he wiped his nose with the sleeve of his robe and sat down. Students tittered, and James and Sirius suppressed a fit of hysterics with a cough or two.
"I don't find the common cold half as amusing as you two obviously do." Lily said, watching the boy under the hat sympathetically. Sirius and James looked over at her and exchanged a glance, then resumed their entirely unconvincing coughing fit.
"Did you see how he twitched at every sneeze?" Sirius whispered to James with a merciless grin.
"You call that a twitch? More like a…um…" James did his own little interpretive twitching fit as Sirius finally cracked, laughing blatantly.
The boy turned his dark eyes on them, tinged with distain and…did Lily detect a hint of embarrassment? No. It must have been her imagination.
"SLYTHERIN!" the Hat called out. Snape joined the Slytherin table as McGonagall called up the remaining student to be sorted, Devon Wilson, who was promptly sorted into Hufflepuff.
McGonagall went and took her place at the Staff Table, as the Headmaster rose. All eyes were on him as his lips formed a welcoming smile and he began to speak.
Author's Note:
This chapter has been revised, thanks to the kind readers who informed me that I'd completely forgotten to alphabatize the Sorting. (I'm so embarrassed!) A few other little fixes here and there were made too. Nothing major. Thank you very much for the help, everyone, and I hope that you will continue to correct me in the future:)