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Chapter 3: Gryffindor, Whatever That's Supposed to Mean.
AN: Hi! A big, big thanks to h4ppy3nd, xNotAMugglex, and 'A Fan' (Anonymous) for leaving me a review! I actually smiled when I read them. I encourage you to check out their pages and leave me a review as well ;)
Disclaimer: J. K. Rowling invented and owns Harry Potter and his universe. I am merely mixing up the same 26 letters that she used to create something new.
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The tall, wooden door swung open in an instant. A tall witch stood before the crowd of eager first years that immediately stood up straighter and quieter once they saw her. The witch was the new Deputy Headmistress, Professor McGonagall. She was fairly tall and had jet black hair that went straight down to her waist. Her expression was stern, but a small, barely recognizable gleam of mischief shown in her eyes. Lily took an immediate liking to Professor McGonagall.
"Thank you, Hagrid, for escorting the students to the castle." She said at last.
Professor McGonagall stepped aside and the door followed her, opening up to let the numerous students into the entrance hall. Lily's mouth involuntarily dropped open, the entrance hall was so massive, at least eight times their class could have fit in there comfortably. The walls were stone and illuminated with flaming torch sconces. The ceiling seemed to go up to Heaven, above, and there was a magnificent set of marble stairs that led up to more of the school.
Professor McGonagall did not waste time. She led the students across the flagged-stone floor and into a smaller chamber off of the hall. The group crowded in, standing shoulder-to-shoulder just to fit within the tiny space. Everyone peered up at Professor McGonagall anxiously.
"Hello, new students and welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you are seated in the Great Hall, you all must be sorted into your Houses. The sorting ceremony is very important because, during your time at Hogwarts, your House will be a bit like your family here at Hogwarts. You will take classes with your Housemates, sleep in your House's dormitory, eat meals at your House table, and spend your free time in your House's common room.
"There are four Houses in which you might be placed. They are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has a fascinating and noble history and each has produced outstanding and powerful witches and wizards. While you are here at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn you House points, while any frivolous rule-breaking will result in the deduction of House points. At the end-of-term banquet, the House point will be tallied and the House with the most points will be awarded the House Cup, a great privilege. I hope that all of you are successful in whichever House becomes yours.
"The Sorting Ceremony will begin in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest that you prepare yourselves while we wait."
Lily turned nervously to Severus in an effort to convey her anxiety to him, but something unexpected occurred. Several students stumbled back into others due to the shock. Lily nearly stumbled over because a tall blond girl has knocked into her, but managed to remain upright by grabbing a hold of the first thing she could. This also happened to be known as Glasses. The same Glasses from the train that practically chased her from her compartment.
Time almost stood still as she realized just whose arm she had grasped. As soon as did, she let go and blushed crimson, darker than her hair. She turned away from him, mortified. He barely reacted to the scene, as if he didn't notice at all, because he was looking up, awestruck, at the ceiling. Lily followed his gaze towards the ceiling and what she saw made her jump about a meter of the floor. About fifteen ghosts had just entered through a wall and we chatting up above the students' heads. Opaque, pearly-pearly white, and transparent they glided through the small chamber.
"Well, hello there!" Called out one of the ghosts
"Isn't it pleasant to see such fresh faces, in their youth, of course?" Commented another.
"The newest students, I presume you'll be. Yet to be sorted, my dears?" One female ghost in long flowing robes directed her questions at the students. A response would be an overstatement to the shocked and muffled murmur that followed her question.
The silence that followed the exit of the ghosts was only interrupted by an enthusiastic voice ringing out from the doorway: "The Sorting Ceremony is about to start!"
Professor McGonagall had returned. She directed them to form a line and lead them out of the chamber, across the Entrance Hall once more, and through two magnificent doors. Lily stood behind Severus, with a short black-haired girl with a sweet face behind her. Lily was so nervous she couldn't imagine what house she might be in, though she hoped it was with Severus.
Lily looked around and saw four long tables with benches lining each side. The tables were decorated with fancy gold dishes and cutlery. Many students were already seated on these benches and were looking up at Lily and the other first years. Many were joking, laughing, or whispering behind their hands.
When Lily turned her head and looked in the other direction, another table came into view. This table was at the head of the Great Hall. The teachers were all seated there. Even the recently promoted Head Master, Albus Dumbledore, was talking energetically to another professor.
But, perhaps, what was most astonishing of all was the ceiling. It appeared that there was no ceiling at all and that the roof opened straight up to the heavens. The sky on the other side was black as the purest ink with diamond-like stars shining brightly through.
As Lily took in her marvelous surroundings, Professor McGonagall busied herself with placing a rickety stool at the front of the line of first years. On top of that stool she placed the oldest hat that Lily had ever seen. It was worn and torn, patched and stitched, resewn at the seams, and utterly falling apart in spite of it all. The pointed hat was something of a spectacle to Lily who was amused that no one had used magic to fix such a plain hat. All of a sudden the whole Hall quieted and a pause of silence overcame the crowd. Then, a rip near the brim of the hat opened wide, like a mouth, and the hat started to sing:
Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,
But, don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.
You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring nerve and chivalry set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true and unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
If you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends
Those cunning folk use any means
To achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!
The students in the Great Hall exploded into applause as the hat bowed to each house table. Once the Hall quieted once more, Lily's expression softened and she let go of the tension in her shoulders. All she had to do was put on the hat. She felt that she fit well into all of the categories that the Sorting Hat had sung about; Lily just hoped she was in the same House as Severus, whatever that would be.
Professor McGonagall had cleared her throat, catching the attention of the First Years, gathered at the front of the Hall. She was standing next to the Sorting Hat's stool, holing a large scroll with thick wooden poles.
Clearly, she directed the students. "When I call your name, take a seat on the stool and place the Sorting Hat on your head. Then, wait for the Hat to announce your house and join the older students at your House table."
Professor McGonagall looked down at the list and read aloud, "Anhelarent, Persephone." Persephone skittered quickly towards the stool and sat down, placing the Sorting Hat on her head.
After a brief moment's pause, the Hat shouted, "Slytherin!" The Slytherins cheered as Persephone made her way to the table beneath the flag bearing a snake.
"Avery, Marcus."
"Slytherin!" Marcus followed Persephone and sat on the end of a bench at the Slytherin table amidst a second round of cheers.
"Backles, Jim"
"Hufflepuff!"
Cheering once again echoed through the Hall.
"Black, Sirius"
As soon as Sirius Black emerged from the crowd, Lily Evans recognized him from earlier on the train, as she had called him Messy.
"Gryffindor!"
Lily thought that maybe Gryffindor didn't appeal so much to her anymore.
Soon, Catchglove, Greta and Circuiti, Clarice were made Ravenclaws. Then, Crudelis, Rosia became a Slytherin.
"Evans, Lily."
Lily hesitated before walking forward on trembling legs and sitting down upon the rickety stool. Professor McGonagall dropped the Hat over her eyes, but before she could begin to form a thought, the Hat had shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!"
Lily took the hat off her head and gave it back to Professor McGonagall, with a small thank-you. She hurried towards the cheering Gyffindors, glancing back at Severus Snape with a sad sort of smile. He let out a small groan that Lily didn't hear.
When Lily arrived at Gryffindor table, Sirius Black scooted up the bench to make room for her. She sat down, but crossed her arms and turned her back to him.
As the roll continued, Alice Fortescue joined Lily with the Gryffindors, Peggy Hoghes became a Ravenclaw, Gavin Horis joined the Slytherin House, and Remus Lupin too was made a Gryffindor. Then, Mary MacDonald joined Allice and Lily at the Gryffindor table. Lily watched as Grace McNorth ran towards the Hufflepuff table and welcomed Dorcas Meadowes to sit next to her.
The Nache twins, Hera and Vera, became Slytherins and Arthur Ouesli and Lavinia Parumici joined the Hufflepuff house. The next First Year was Peter Pettigrew. His Sorting was particularly memorable as it took nearly seven minutes before the hat finally shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!"
After him, Nathaniel Perks became a Hufflepuff and high fived every other first year at the table as he found a seat. The next to be sorted was "Potter, James," but Lily had called him "Glasses." He, too, was sorted into Gryffindor and pushed his way in between Lily and Sirius, to sit by his new mate.
"Hello," he turned to her, "I'm James."
"Hi, I'm Lily."
He smiled to her and then burst into conversation with Sirius on his other side. Lily was surprised that he had not remembered her from the train.
Then, Lily heard, "Snape, Severus!" called to the sorting stool. (She had missed the quick sortings of Johnathan Princeps into Ravenclaw and Evan Rosier into Slytherin.) Lily watched Severus place the hat gently on his own head and wait for just a moment until the Hat cried out, "Slytherin!"
Severus Snape moved to the opposite side of the Hall from Lily. He sat down next to a cheering Slytherin boy with bright blonde hair and a red badge, who then thumped him on the back in congratulation.
Adrian Stebbins and Emmaline Vance concluded the ceremony by both joining Ravenclaw House. Lily was famished and eagerly ate the Welcoming Feast straight through desert, all the while enjoying getting to know her fellow Gryffindor First Years. She couldn't help but wish that Severus was with her.
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AN: Sorry this took literally months to write, but I got busy with school and such. Well, please write a review for me anyways. J