A Magical Journey
Chapter Summary: Lily and her friends get sorted
Chapter Two: The Sorting
The door swung open. A tall, black haired witch in violet robes stood there.
"Thank you Hagrid, I'll take them from here." She said. She pulled the door a little wider and group walked in, all murmuring in amazement. The entrance hall was huge, the stone walls lit with torches, the ceiling was too high to see, and a marble staircase opposite them led to the upper floors.
They followed the older witch across the stone flagged floor. She stopped in front of a pair of oak doors and they gathered around the stern looking woman.
"Welcome to Hogwarts." She said. "I am Professor McGonagall. The start-of-term feast will begin shortly before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of you house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room."
Lily listened carefully as Professor McGonagall talked about the four Houses and house points.
"Now, form a line and follow me."
The double doors opened and Lily gasped. The Great Hall was lit by thousands of candles, floating over four long tables, where the older students were sitting. The tables were laid with glittering gold plates, goblets, and silverware. At the top of the hall was where the teachers were sitting. Professor McGonagall led them up to the top table where they stopped in a line, facing the other students, with the teachers behind them.
Lily noticed a four legged stool sitting in front of the first years; a patched and filthy looking wizarding hat sat on top of it. It got quiet when the hat's brim opened like a mouth and it broke into song;
"It's been a thousand years since I was made,
With some simple cloth and thread,
But, oh don't let that fool you,
For I can see into your head.
So put your faith in me,
To sort you to the right place,
For I know just where you should be,
To fill the empty space.
You may be in good Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave of heart.
Their nobleness and chivalry,
Set Gryffindors apart.
Or perhaps you're in dear Ravenclaw,
Whose smarts are surpassed by none,
If studying is your fancy,
You won't be the only one.
If you're not there, well have no fear,
For Hufflepuff will hold you dear,
There lie the greatest friends of all,
That you'll find walking down this hall,
Or maybe Slytherin shall be your home,
Where cunning and ambition freely roam,
So come and let me see your mind,
So your rightful place I may find." (1)
The Great Hall broke into loud applause. Lily blinked and turned to look at her friends. Stella and Rhya watched the hat, their faces impassive, and Marie was looking just as confused as Lily was.
"When I call your name," Professor McGonagall said startling Lily out of her thoughts. The older woman stood next to the Sorting Hat, a scroll held tightly in her hand, "Please put the Sorting Hat on your head."
"Allen, Rebecca."
A petite girl with frizzy blonde hair stepped out of line and walked nervously to the hat, placing the hat on her head. It slipped over her eyes. A moment later the hat shouted,
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
Rebecca took off the hat and made her way to the table that was cheering happily.
"Black, Sirius."
"I hope Black isn't in our House." Stella whispered. "At least without James."
"Why?" Lily whispered back.
"Those two are pranksters. They'd doom us all."
Lily raised her eyebrows at the dark haired girl but didn't say anything else.
"GRYFFINDOR!" The hat shouted a few minutes later.
Lily saw Sirius turn around and smirked cockily at, she assumed, James and walked calmly over to the table in the corner. The C and D names were called. Lily felt butterflies in her stomach as her name came closer to being called.
"Evans, Lily."
Lily sent her friends a nervous glance and stepped forward. Lily sat on the stool and put the hat on her head. It slipped over her eyes.
"Well, what do we have here?" A small voice said in Lily's head making her jump. "No need to be scared, Lily Evans, I am the Sorting Hat." Lily relaxed slightly. "Where to put you." It continued.
Anywhere but Slytherin. Lily thought.
The hat chuckled. "Oh no, I wouldn't dare put you there! You're too pure for that House. Hm. You have a strong mind and a great loyalty to your friends. Brave too."
Will you please put me somewhere? Lily thought impatiently.
"Now, now. No need to get impatient with me! I think I'll put you in…"
"GRYFFINDOR!" The hat shouted so the whole hall could here it.
Lily pulled off the hat and walked over to the cheering Gryffindor table. As soon as she sat down, across from Sirius and next to an unknown second year, older students swarmed around her, congratulating her in getting into Gryffindor.
Lily smiled and turned back to the Sorting, where a mean looking girl was sorted into Slytherin.
"Fairchild, Alexander."
A short brown haired boy got on the stool. Five minutes later the hat made him a Ravenclaw. Alexander ripped off the hat and ran to his new House. Lily saw some of the older boys greeting him with pats on the back and hand shakes.
"Fairchild, Alexandria."
A female version of Alexander stepped out of the slowly shrinking ranks of first years. She got on the stool and put the hat on her head. A minute later the hat shouted,
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Alexandria pulled the hat off her curly brown head, placed it back on the stool and made her way to Gryffindor table. Lily cheered along with the rest of the table. Her twin brother was clapping politely from Gryffindor.
"Hello," Lily said smiling at the other girl. "I'm Lily."
"Hi Lily." Alexandria smiled back at the red haired girl. "Please call me Alex. My Mama had to name me Alexandria while my Papa named my twin Alexander." Alli shook her head.
"That's alright, Alex, my mum had to name me and my older sister after flowers." Lily said not paying attention to the sorting. "You're Italian, right?"
"Yes I am. I was born in Venice, Italy with Xander and Mama moved us to Wales nine and an half years after me, Xander and our younger sister, Claire, were born."
Lily hadn't noticed James, Peter, and Remus sitting next Sirius nor did she see Stella next to Alex. Marie was behind her, smirking, and poked her in her ticklish sides. Lily shrieked and jumped slightly.
"Marie!" Lily wrapped her arms protectively around her sides. "Don't do that!" She scolded the giggling girl.
Alex got up and moved to a different, less crowded spot. Marie took the vacated seat and put her head down laughing silently.
"Marie, shut up!" Stella said suddenly hazel eyes watching the sorting. "Rhya's next!"
Lily and Marie lifted their eyes up toward the top table where, low and behold, Rhya was sitting on the stool, the old Sorting Hat covering her eyes. After a few short moments the hat called out,
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Lily, Stella, and Marie jumped to their feet and screamed with joy, happy to be reunited with their friend.
"Yes, we're all in Gryffindor!" Lily embraced the slim eleven year old.
"Great," Lily heard James say sarcastically. "Now I have to spend seven more years with my twin and her merry band of witches."
Lily, Rhya, and Marie all glared at the messy haired boy sitting in front of them. Stella crossed her arms but didn't say anything. The four girls turned when a sudden hush fell over the Hall. Headmaster Dumbledore stood from his chair, his blue eyes twinkling.
"Welcome all new and returning students! All I have to say is eat, drink and be merry!" Dumbledore sat back in his seat and all the golden plates and platters filled with delicious smelling food.
Lily had never seen so much food that she liked to eat on one table; roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausage, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup and, oddly enough, Peppermint Humbugs. She took a little of everything and poured herself a glass of iced Pumpkin Juice.
Lily took a bite of her lamb chop, shivering from the wetness from her clothes.
Marie shivered next to her. "I'm freezing still." She complained.
"We're cold too, Marie, it's not just you." Rhya said taking a spoonful of peas into her mouth.
"Yeah, I know. I'll be happier when I get into my warm pajamas."
The other three girls agreed.
The last of the crumbs disappeared from every plate, dessert appeared. Lily grabbed herself a slice of apple pie and a large scoop of French Vanilla ice cream.
"Gross, Sirius you need to learn to eat with your mouth closed." Remus said in a disgusted voice.
Lily looked up from her pie and saw Remus brushing chewed up brownie off his robes.
"'Orry mafe." Sirius said with his mouth full of sweets.
Lily frowned looking revolted. "Stop talking with your mouth full. It's disgusting!" Lily snapped.
Sirius stuck out his tongue at her; it was covered in partially chewed food. Lily, Rhya, Marie, Stella and several twelve and thirteen year old girls, who were sitting close enough to see what Sirius was doing, wrinkled their noses and made noises of disgust.
"Black, you pig!" Stella cried out.
Dumbledore stood once more and raised his arms, the Hall falling quite. "I have a few start of term notices before you all go to bed. The Forbidden Forest is, what it's name suggests, forbidden to all students as is the village of Hogsmeade to all below Third year. Also, we have planted the Whomping Willow out on the grounds this year, it does not like anyone touching it so don't become too curious. Now, bed time!"
"First year Gryffindors!" A plump red haired girl called a silver badge with a 'P' on it called over all the noise. "Over here!"
The ten first years gathered in front of the plump girl, who had a friendly smile on her face. "I'm Molly Prewett and I'll be showing you the way up to the Dormitory. Please follow me and try not to fall behind."
Molly led the tired group away from the chattering crowds, out of the Great Hall and up the Marble Staircase.
Lily's legs were beginning to feel like lead. She was too sleepy to notice the portraits moving and talking. Twice Molly led them through doorways hidden behind sliding panels and hanging tapestries. They climbed more staircases, yawning and dragging their feet. At the end of the corridor was a portrait of a fat woman wearing a silky pink dress.
"Password?" She asked.
"Godric Gryffindor." Molly said. The portrait swung open to reveal a round hole in the wall. Everyone scrambled through, Peter needed a leg up, and found themselves in the Gryffindor Common Room, a round room filled with several squishy armchairs and a couch located in front of a roaring fire.
Molly directed the girls through one door to their dormitory and the boys through another. At the top of a spiral staircase - they were obviously in one of the towers - they found their beds at last: five four-posters hung with deep-red velvet curtains.
Their trunks had already been brought up. Too tired to talk much, they pulled on their pajamas and fell into bed.
Lily sighed in contented sleepiness. "Night everyone." She said.
"Night," Four sleepy voices echoed.
Lily smiled and let sleep take over, it had been a very good day.
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AN (1): The Sorting Hat's song that I used isn't mine, someone else wrote it and I borrowed it.
AN (2): Next chapter should be anytime now.