Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I was in Utah. Fun!
When the Hogwarts Express pulled into Hogsmead Station, Lily, Hugo, Roxanne, and Aludra clambered off the train.
"Firs' years! Firs' year o'er 'ere!" Bellowed a loud voice.
"Hello Hargid!" Hugo said.
"Of, 'ell you lot. You mus' be Lily. 'ermione wrote me yesterday 'bout you," Hagrid said.
"This is Hagrid Lily. He's the game keeper here. He's an old friend of the families," Roxy said.
"Hello," Lily said.
"My brother told me about you," Aludra said. "He's Scorpius. He said you're nice."
"Scorpius, eh? Yeah, he comes down to visit me with Rosie and Albus," Hagrid said. He then raised his voice to address the other first years. "All right, follow me to the boats."
Slipping and stumbling, they followed Hagrid down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. It was so dark on either side of them that Lily thought there must be thick trees there. Nobody spoke much.
"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here."
There was a loud "Oooooh!"
The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.
"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Lily climbed into a boat, followed by Hugo, Roxy, and Aludra.
"Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself. "Right then — FORWARD!"
And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.
"Heads down!" yelled Hagrid as the first boats reached the cliff; they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face.
They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbor, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.
Then they clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle.
They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front door.
Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.
The door swung open to reveal Professor Longbottom.
"ello Professor. I brough' the firs' years," Hagrid said
"Thank you Professor Hagrid. I'll take them from here," Professor Longbottom said.
Professor Longbottom showed them into a small chamber. Lily could hear chattering from beyond the door. She realized that the rest of the school must already be in the hall.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor Longbottom. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but 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 your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room. The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rulebreaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honour. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."
He left through the doors and the first years began to nervously fix their appearances.
"Hugo, your cloak is crooked. Lily, fix your hair," Roxy began making sure that her cousins were straightened out. She seemed oblivious to the fact that there was dirt on her robes from when she had failed while clubbing off the train. Lily sighed and began brushing it off for her.
"Come this way," Professor Longbottom said, once he returned.
The first years formed a line and followed him.
Lily had never even imagined such a strange and splendid place. It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. Professor Longbottom led the first years up here, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty silver. Mainly to avoid all the staring eyes, Lily looked upward and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars.
She heard a student whisper, "Its bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts, A History."
It was hard to believe there was a ceiling there at all, and that the Great Hall didn't simply open on to the heavens. Lily quickly looked down again as Professor Longbottom silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. Madam Smith wouldn't have let it in the home.
Maybe they had to try and get a rabbit out of it, Lily thought wildly, that seemed the sort of thing — noticing that everyone in the hall was now staring at the hat, he stared at it, too. For a few seconds, there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth — and the hat began 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 Hogwarts 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 Great Hall burst into applause. The hat bowed to each of the four tables, then became still again.
Professor Longbottom unrolled a scroll and began reading names. She heard a few names that rung a bell from the biography she had read. Corner, Mulan became a Ravenclaw. Finnigan, Kelly became a Gryffindor. Finch-Fletchly, Sarah became a Hufflepuff.
"Malfoy, Aludra!" Professor Longbottom called.
Aludra sat down, and the hat was on her head for about ten seconds before it called out, "SLYTHERIN!"
The Slytherin table cheered from beneath a green banner with a snake on it.
Lily awaited nervously for her turn. "Nott!" Lily began shifting her weight from one foot to the other. "Parkinson!" Lily began shaking.
"Potter, Lily!"
Whispers broke out throughout the hall. "Potter? Lily Potter? They found her! Look at her!"
Roxy and Hugo gave Lily a little push forward, and Lily shakily walked to Professor Longbottom. The professor gave her an encouraging smile, and Lily sat down on the stool. The hat was to big for her head, and it slipped down over her eyes. The last view she had of the hall was of students craning their necks to get a good look at her.
"Ah, the missing Potter. Your brothers are full of thoughts of you. They're both in Gryffindor. But where should I put you?" a voice in her ear said.
"Not Gryffindor. Not like my parents," Lily thought.
"Not Gryffindor eh? I remember your father saying the same thing about Slytherin. But are you sure? You have plenty of courage. More than both your parents even. But no, that is not your dominant trait. Perhaps loyally. No, you would not do well in Hufflepuff. You have wit, and learn quickly. But again, Ravenclaw is not the house for you. But Slytherin…I see your desire to not be like your family. I think you are mistaken in that. You are mistaken in your opinion of your family. But, even if you knew the truth, you are cunning and ambitious. Yes, the houe for you is SLYTHERIN!"
Lily heard the hat yell the last word out to the Great Hall. Unlike the other first years, who all got a round of applause when they were sorted, only Professor Longbottom clapped, and that was short lived. Lily took of the hat, handed it to Professor Longbottom, and made her way to the Slytherin table. She smiled in triumph.
Step one of Operation Not like my Parents complete! Lily thought.
Lily sat down next to Aludra. Once she sat down, the Slytherins seemed to realize that they should cheer for their new house member. They cheered. Lily smirked. Yes, this house was a bit slow. All the better to gain control of it.