p As the train began to slow down, Lily sat in the corner of the train compartment, her mind reeling with the past hour's events. /p

p After Lily had left Harry and Ron's compartment, she and Hermione had finally found Neville's toad hiding up near the front of the train. They all then made their way back to the compartment where Hermione had gone on recapping her summer reading list. Lily had to admit, Hermione was nice and they seemed to have a lot in common, but Lily was feeling a little adventurous. /p

p As Hermione plowed on, Lily had made a quick escape to "the bathroom". As she left, she made her way back to Harry and Ron's compartment once more where she spent a good five minutes laughing with them and eating a few chocolate frogs. /p

p That was when Draco Malfoy and his two "body guards" came into their compartment, offering their friendship to Harry and Lily, and making fun of Ron and his family. Lily had rightfully declined as did Harry, but Malfoy wasn't finished with them yet. As he had reached for one of their remaining chocolate frogs, Lily, who was taught a few simple jinxes and hexes from Cedric, quietly took out her wand. Pointing it at Malfoy, she muttered a simple incantation and watched with glee as Malfoy began to wobble and fall over. /p

p "What the…" he yelled from the floor as his two cronies tried to help him up. Bu every time they picked him up, his legs just bucked under him. Harry and Ron were clutching their stomachs, shaking with laughter. Lily smirked as well as Malfoy was dragged out of the compartment screaming foul things at them. /p

p Harry and Ron turned to Lilly with puzzled expressions on their amused faces. Lily just shrugged her shoulders, blushed at the smile she had received from Harry, and made her way back to her compartment. /p

CENTER p /p /CENTER

p When they arrived at Hogsmeade station, Lily stood on her tiptoes trying to spot her brother. She finally caught him and made to walk to him, but he just pointed behind her before disappearing into one of the many horseless carriages taking the students up to the school. Lily was about to take one as well when she heard a gruff voice calling, "Firs' years! Firs' years over here!" /p

p Lily quickly made her way over and was greeted by a stunned, skyward looking Hermione. /p

p "What's…" she was about to say when she followed Hermione's gaze. Above them loomed a giant man with a large scruffy looking beard and a large lantern in his right hand. /p

p Lily turned to see Harry waving a greeting to the man and asked, "Do you know him?" /p

p Harry turned around. "Oh, hello again. Yes, that's Hagrid. He came to give me my Hogwarts letter and took me to Diagon Alley." /p

p "Oh," Lily nodded. /p

p All of the first years were led over to a gathering of boats that were to take them to the massive castle looming overhead. /p

CENTER p /p /CENTER

p As they went through the large double doors, the first years let out an audible gasp that made many of the seventh years chuckle in amusement. Lily looked up to see a ceiling, but it more or less resembled the sky outside as she had expected. What she had not expected, however, was it being more beautiful than Cedric had made it out to be. /p

p "This way, please. Yes, gather around here," Professor McGonagall projected. /p

p The first years all nervously gathered around a hat on a stool. Looking around, Lily noticed she was again standing beside Harry Potter. She blushed furiously, although she had no idea why and looked down quickly at her black shoes. After the sorting hat finished its song, she heard whispers around her as the Professor began speaking. /p
p "Now, when I call your name you will come forward. I shall place the sorting hat on your head, and you shall be sorted into your house. Abbott, Hannah." /p

p A young, pudgy blonde girl stepped forward and nervously placed the hat on her head. Lily looked around to find Cedric, but she couldn't see him over the tall boys surrounding her. She turned back just as she heard Hannah sorted into Hufflepuff. /p

p "Bones, Susan," McGonagall called. Another blond girl stepped forward, this time much taller than Hannah. She was sorted into Hufflepuff as well. /p

p A few other names were called as Lily continued to search for Cedric and blush when she accidentally caught Harry's eye. A girl became a Slytherin, a boy into Ravenclaw, and yet another boy into Gryffindor. Then… /p

p "Diggory, Lily." Lily nervously stepped forward and slid onto the stool. McGonagall placed the hat on her head. Lily jumped as she heard the hat begin to speak. /p

p "Umm interesting…very interesting…another Diggory, huh? I could put you in Hufflepuff, but should you live in your brother's shadow at home and school? I should think not. Maybe it's time for you to blaze your own trail, huh? Better be…. /p

CENTER p GRYFFINDOR!" /p /CENTER

p Lily's eyes flew open in shock as the room quieted slightly. Lily shrugged her shoulders and smiled as she made her way over to the Gryffindors. She spotted Cedric as she sat down. He smiled at her and gave her thumbs up. Lily laughed, glad her brother wasn't mad at her. She was greeted loudly by Ron's brothers as she realized Ron would probably be sorted into Gryffindor as well. She turned her attention back to the sorting. /p

p She watched as the three boys from the train were made Slytherin. Hermione became a Gryffindor, much to Lily's delight, and Ron and Harry joined them as well. To Lily, this seemed like a great start to a great seven years at Hogwarts. The Harry Potter was talking to her, and he was completely normal, and Ron and Hermione were cool too. /p

p Sitting next to Hermione and across from Harry and Ron, she didn't talk very much, just looked down at her plate. She was shy around new people, and knew the only people she would talk to this year would be Harry, Hermione, and Ron. But that was fine with her. She didn't need many friends to be happy. She hardly had any friends at home anyway. /p