Her First Day
Lily Evans's first day at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She's rather nervous too, since she doesn't even know where platform nine and three quarters is. Oops.
Ch 3 Summary: Lily sees the snide blond boy (Lucius), Bella (Bellatrix), and Cissy (Narcissa) again while she is trying to find a compartment. She ends up sitting with Severus Snape, who she had befriended over the summer, but the blond boy enters and scolds Severus for associating with a "Mudblood." Lily leaves and sits in the Marauders' compartment instead. The boys talk about Quidditch for most of the ride, Severus comes in, they quarrel (naturally), and Lily leaves with Severus...
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. These are all JKR's ideas... put to good use. :D
The School and the Sorting
Severus Snape and Lily Evans were hanging about the bathrooms on the train, blending in with those in line to change into their school robes; their initial compartment had undoubtedly been taken over by the obnoxious Mudblood-hating blond boy and his friends. This was all thanks to James Potter and his new best friend teasing "Snivellus" about Slytherin House.
"We will be reaching Hogwarts in approximately five minutes' time," a voice echoed through the entire train, "so please leave your luggage on the train. Do not worry, it shall be taken to the school separately."
After a few minutes of Lily and Severus watching students frantically change into their dress robes, the train started to slow down.
Severus looked out the nearest window and smiled. They were approaching a sea of black waters, something his mother had told him about for a bedtime story when he was younger.
He said, "This is it, Lily. This is really it."
Lily smiled meekly, her nerves finally getting to her. She felt rather excited, yet her stomach was full of fluttering butterflies.
"Hopefully this won't happen when I'm on my first date," she muttered under her breath, trying to assure herself while taking her mind off the wonderful school in the nearing distance.
The train finally stopped.
Lily grabbed her things and said, "Severus, let's go before the rest of the students come out."
Severus nodded and dragged his trunks down the aisle behind Lily.
They deposited their items in a compartment that was empty except for a few trunks.
Many students joined them in the aisle as they struggled towards the door and out onto a small, dimly-lit platform.
Lily had been looking around when she heard a booming voice say:
"Firs' years! Firs' years over here! C'mon now, firs' years!"
She and Severus walked over to where the sound had come from. It was not a particularly hard place to find since a great man of about thirty years towered above the students. She wondered how anyone could grow so tall as she stared at him from her petite 4'10 figure.
"Any more firs' years? Over here!"
"How could anyone possible not be able to see him?" Lily heard a boy behind her ask.
The huge man started walking towards a marvelous black lake. He continued booming at the students, telling them to watch their step and keep following him. It wasn't like anyone could get lost from his voice, anyways.
Lily followed Severus down an exceptionally narrow path on what had to be a very steep mountain. She lost her footing slightly and had a small tumble.
Severus put down his stuff and quickly climbed back up to help Lily, but someone had gotten there first.
Lily felt a tug on her arm from behind. She looked up, up into two great bespectacled hazel eyes.
"Thanks," she mumbled.
"No problem," James said. "Glad I was here to save a pretty little damsel in distress."
Lily blushed furiously as she wondered where he had learned to sweet talk girls like that, especially for an eleven-year-old! James grinned as Severus glared at him and grabbed Lily, urging her on.
"Be careful with her, Snivellus!"
Lily could hear Severus mumbling under his breath. She didn't want to know what he was saying about James; she still felt rather flattered by him, anyways.
After a few more moments of difficult journeying down the mountainside, the huge man from before called out, "Firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec, firs' years! Round this bend here!"
Lily saw the vast castle in the starry night once she had approached the edge of the black lake. She "ooh"ed and "ahh"ed along with all of the other first years.
"C'mon now," their huge leader shouted. "Get on these, no more'n four to a boat!" The students directed their gaze to the fleet of small boats by the shore that Hagrid was pointing to.
Lily and Severus climbed into one boat, where a girl called Alice and a boy named Frank soon joined them.
"Everyone in? FORWARD!"
All the boats launched at once. There were a few whispers and splashes in the awed silence of the first years.
They soon approached the cliff with the castle, which towered over them much more than the great man with the booming voice had, situated on it.
The thunderous voice returned: "Heads down!"
All the students ducked and looked back up to see a wide opening in the cliff. They went through a long dark tunnel and reached an underground harbor.
"C'mon, out now, firs' years!"
The lot of them awkwardly climbed out onto the land—or rocks and pebbles, rather.
"Ready now?" a familiar voice boomed.
A few of the students in the front of the throng, including James Potter, nodded eagerly.
The huge man knocked three times on the large wooden door. The door promptly opened to reveal a tall witch in fabulous green robes who had apparently been waiting for them.
Lily immediately took a liking to this stern-looking woman and the color of robes she was wearing—they matched her own eyes.
"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall."
The witch replied, "I will take them from here. Thank you, Hagrid."
The great man named Hagrid nodded and went over to the side, leaving the new students with the witch, who pulled opened the slightly-ajar door, revealing a magnificent entrance hall.
A few of the students started whispering. Lily just stared at the place, in awe. She wondered how big the entire school must be.
There were flaming torches lighting the walls and a marble staircase facing them that led upwards.
The first years huddled together and followed the witch McGonagall across the floor, past a closed doorway on the right, which was emitting a murmur of many voices, presumably of the rest of the students. They, however, were led to an empty chamber at the end of the hall. They all filed in, now nervous as ever.
Professor McGonagall began, "Welcome to Hogwarts. The start-of-term banquet will start shortly, but you first years will be sorted into your houses before taking your seats. The Sorting is very significant; it will put you into the house you will be spending your seven years at Hogwarts with. Your house will be like your family here; you will take classes with the rest of yours house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room…"
Severus was fidgeting. Lily felt like this would take a while, also, but she was really wound up.
"The four houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin," she droned on. "Each house has its own grand history. Each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn you house points, while any rule-breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house you will be sorted into."
Severus smiled and mouthed "Slytherin" to Lily.
"The Sorting ceremony will take place in a couple of minutes in front of the rest of the school. Smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting… I shall return when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly." And with that, she left the chamber.
Lily looked nervous. What if she made a fool out of herself? embarrassed herself in front of everyone?
"It's not any sort of hard test, you just put on a hat or something, and it reads your mind, basically," Severus revealed, comforting her.
Meanwhile, James was telling the other students stories of what the sorting might be. Fighting a vampire, beating a troll, defeating a banshee, on the stories went.
"Move along now," a sharp voice interrupted James's stories. "The Sorting Ceremony is about to start." Professor McGonagall had returned for them. "Now form a line, and follow me."
The first years scrambled into a line as fast as they could, each going to the end of the line. James strode proudly up to the front, along with the three other boys who had been in his train compartment.
They walked out of the chamber and through the double doors that had been closed earlier. Now the first years walked in, most anxiously, to have all the eyes in the Great Hall on them.
Lily looked around at the splendid hall and its many candles floating in the air. There were four long tables of older students seated in front of many empty plates and goblets. One was decorated with scarlet and gold lions, one with yellow and black badgers, another with blue and bronze eagles, and the last with green and silver snakes. She thought the green was very pretty, as they matched her eyes as well as Professor McGonagall's robes. She noted that this was Slytherin house.
There was another raised table with the teachers, including Professor Flitwick, who had taken her and her parents to Diagon Alley for school supplies. Lily and the rest of the first years followed Professor McGongall up there, stopping to face the other students.
She then noticed that the ceiling looked like the starry night outside. Just like it. Or maybe there was no ceiling at all.
Professor McGonagall quietly put a four-legged stool in front of the line of first years. Atop the stool was a strange-looking hat. It seemed to be very old and very dirty. Suddenly, the hat twitched and a rip near the brim opened wide and began to sing.
Lily had been listening to the hat's welcome song about how Gryffindor was for the bold and brave, Hufflepuff for the kind and loyal, Ravenclaw for the smart and wise, and Slytherin for the shrewd and cunning, when Severus nudged her and gestured towards the corner. Ghosts were now pouring out of the walls. Some of the students stopped listening to the song in surprise. Lily was quite taken aback herself.
When the song ended, everyone clapped. The hat bowed to each house table and quieted as Professor McGonagall came forward with a long roll of parchment.
"When I call your name," she said, "you shall put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted."
The first years nodded weakly.
"Aubrey, Bertram."
A plump blond boy went up to the stool timidly.
"HUFFLEPUFF!" the Hat shouted.
The table of yellow and black badger decorations clapped loudly.
"Avery" was sorted into Slytherin, "Bagman" and "Belby" into Ravenclaw, and "Belcher" into Hufflepuff.
"Black, Sirius."
Lily saw Bella whispering to her younger blond sister Cissy at the Slytherin table. She had been unfortunate enough to come upon them twice on the first day—once at the platform and another time on the train; both times they insulted her with words like Mudblood and scum and filth.
The depressed-looking boy from the train who had sided with James against Severus stood up and slowly walked to the stool. He grumpily put the hat on and shut his eyes tight. Then he began muttering something to himself.
"Hm," Lily heard the hat whisper. "Should be… GRYFFINDOR!"
The Slytherin house table was glaring daggers at the boy yet refrained from booing. The Gryffindor house applauded him excitedly. For what seemed to be the first time, "Sirius" smiled.
"Bletchley" was sorted into Slytherin, and "Bones" went to Hufflepuff.
Lily wondered why so many people had a last name starting with B. Her turn would never come, and if it did… well, she'd probably need to use the bathroom by then.
"Catchlove, Greta" was sorted into Ravenclaw as the list of C's began. "Cattermole" and "Cresswell" followed her.
"Evans, Lily," Professor McGonagall called after "Edgecombe" was sorted into Ravenclaw.
Lily quickly stepped up to the stool. She was thinking of either Gryffindor, where James and his friends were likely to end up, or Slytherin, what Severus had wanted, when she put on the Sorting Hat. Ravenclaw definitely wouldn't be bad either since she loved to learn, but she felt Hufflepuff was too nice for her to fit in. Of course, the Sorting Hat would choose for her anyway, and barely a second after it touched her head, it cried:
"GRYFFINDOR!"
This was followed by deafening cheers The Gryffindor table had not had a first year sorted into it since "Black, Sirius."
Lily glimpsed Severus groaning. She took off the hat and handed it to Professor McGonagall so "Fenwick" and "Jorkins" could be sorted.
She hustled over to the Gryffindor table but turned back to give Severus a short weak smile. "Black, Sirius" scooted over as she sat down, but Lily turned her back on him and crossed her arms firmly. She obviously still held a grudge against him because of his awful comment to Severus. After all, she had already let Severus down by joining Gryffindor, the nemesis of Slytherin House.
Alice and Frank from the boat were also sorted into Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, respectively.
"Lupin, Remus" was called and sorted into Gryffindor. "Black, Sirius" clapped loudly at this.
"McKinnon" and "Meadowes" joined Gryffindor, and "Mulciber" Slytherin. "Pettigrew, Peter" was hurrying to sit at the Gryffindor table with "Black, Sirius" and "Lupin, Remus" when Professor McGonagall named:
"Potter, James."
He nearly strutted up to the stool and put on the hat, with his chin up. The hat shouted "GRYFFINDOR!" as fast as it had with Lily. He grinned widely and joined his three friends from the train compartment, all sitting happily united at the clapping Gryffindor table.
"Snape, Severus" was called by Professor McGonagall once one "Purkiss" went to Hufflepuff and another "Purkiss" to Ravenclaw.
He went and sat down on the stool. The hat took about ten seconds before it exclaimed, "SLYTHERIN!"
He walked over to sit with "Rookwood" and "Rosier" at the Slytherin table without bothering to look at Lily. The blond boy who had most courteously pointed out the words Hogwarts Express painted on the train at the platform was wearing a badge on his chest and patted Severus on the shoulder. "Travers" soon joined them after a few more first years were sorted into Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff.
Professor McGonagall rolled up her parchment and took the Sorting Hat away.
A tall, bearded wizard with gray hair stood up. He was obviously the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Professor Albus Dumbledore.
He beamed at the students as he announced, "Welcome, students! Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Enjoy your meal, thank you!"
Lily looked down at the table, amazed that the students were now grabbing the delicious-looking foods closest to them.
She dug in with the rest of the food-hogging first years, not noticing that the Head of Slytherin House—the Potions Master—was telling Severus to see the Headmaster after the feast for some rather urgent news concerning his father.
- - - - - - - - - -
Severus Snape finally found the gargoyle marking the Headmaster's office after wandering around, following teachers from a distance. He had never liked asking other people for help. He told the gargoyle the password Professor Slughorn had given him and entered the opening hole in the wall that led to Professor Dumbledore's office.
When he climbed the stairs to the top, he found the door to the office open. He stepped inside and waited for the Headmaster and the news regarding his parents. He nodded to Professor McGonagall to acknowledge her leaving the office once she had put the Sorting Hat in a corner.
He approached it and decided to wear it again.
"Ah, Snape, Severus, is it?" the hat said. "Wondering why Evans, Lily was separated from you?"
Severus did not even need to nod since the hat could read his thoughts.
"At the first second, she appeared to be tough since she was intelligent, ambitious, brave, and kind at times, but she wanted Slytherin the most, apparently. Of course, you seem to have forgotten the fact that the great Salazar Slytherin did not choose Muggle-borns for his house. Because she was brave enough to want Slytherin as her top choice—and I could not grant her that—I sorted her into Gryffindor instead. Not that she had a bad mind either… I am sorry, but I cannot change any sortings I have made and do not plan to. I stick with my word. You in Slytherin, and Evans, Lily in Gryffindor. Hopefully you will find a way around the rivalry between your two respective houses."
And with that, Severus removed the hat and returned it to its original place on the bookshelf. He quietly waited for Professor Dumbledore's news, mind still on Lily rather than his father. He hoped his father had not gotten drunk and started beating his mother again.
FINITE INCANTATEM.
A/N: Aw, it's the end; hope you guys all liked it! T'was considerably longer than I expected since the first book had all the scenes to this one. Read HP7 if you want to know about Lily and James's future—I'm pretty in canon—or read some of my upcoming stories. :D Or you could read The Story of Four Friends by Star of the North, which is where my whole image of the Marauder era comes from -- based entirely off that FF. I had a hard time adjusting to Snape's pensieve scene because I believed Star of the North more than JKR. Haha. Make sure to read her! And wishesanddreams also, she's my beta for Miracle (I'm her beta, too), and we might start another story together, featuring James and Lily. :D