I forgot to mention this in my first chapter, but I do NOT own the Marauder, Lily, or any of the professors, only Alivia (sob sob)
I got a shock as I hit the cold water, but to me, it didn't matter very much. I was a swimming champ, accepted into the junior Olympics. I was told that I could give champion swimmer Michael Phelps a run for his money. I began swimming fast, and after about a mile of fast even strokes, I felt something brush up against me. I turned my head to see a giant squid floating lazily beside me. Holy smokes he's bigI thought about the size of my house. Even so, I smiled at him, or tried anyway, for as soon as I tried, Hagrid seemed to realize I wasn't in the boat yelled my name. Startled, I ended up with a nose full of water.
"Hang in there Ali" he shouted "We're coming for you." By this time, I was close to the boats, so I sped up to swim alongside the one my friends were in.
"Nah…I'm…Good…Hagrid" I said, one word for each time my head came up for a breath of air. With that I passed the boat, swam a few strokes, and reached the bank. I pulled myself up and waved to the others taking mock bows. I was always told I was a drama queen. As soon as the boats pulled up to the shoreline, Hagrid, Peter, James, Sirius, and Remus hurried up to me looking frantic and began checking me for injuries.
"Hey, I'm fine, honestly, guys, just wet, come on, WILL YOU GET THE HECK AWAY FROM ME, I'M FRICKING FINE!" I started to say, but ended up shouting. The five of them stepped back looking alarmed.
"Erm…Alivia…you swam about two miles in frigid waters after you FELL FROM YOUR BOAT" Peter yelled. I was surprised that rat boy cared so much.
"Yea, so?" I asked, then turned my back on them and headed after all the others who were following a tall professor. My friends followed still looking at me like I was some sort of lunatic. "I made the junior Olympics for swimming" I told them hoping that sentence was enough to shut up their concerned looks. That it did, but they were still gaping I sighed "My magic probably played a part in it too" the four of them looked slightly more convinced and we turned to listen to the Professor.
"Hello first years" she said looking stern "I am Professor McGonagall the transfiguration teacher and deputy headmistress. In a few minutes, you will be sorted into your houses. They are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin" the last was said with a grimace.
"Next to me James whispered "There wasn't a witch or wizard who didn't go bad that was in Slytherin" my stomach clenched. What if I was in Slytherin? My friends would HATE me. I didn't listen to the rest of McGonagall's lecture, but concentrated on keeping bad thoughts of turning evil from swimming through my head. After McGonagall left, a bout of whispering about the houses broke through among my fellow first years.
Noticing how pale and worried I looked Remus leaned in and whispered "You'll be fine, you're definitely Gryffindor or Ravenclaw material." I just closed my eyes feeling exhausted. Before I had time to pull myself together, McGonagall returned and led us into a huge hall. My whole house could fit in here I mused silently. In the center of the hall sat an old, patched, frayed hat. I stared as a rip in the brim opened and the hat began to sing what could be next, talking tables? I wondered. I zoned out through most of the song and gave a start as Professor McGonagall began calling names from a long list.
I watched the students being sorted my mind elsewhere until I heard Black, Sirius being called. I gave him a thumbs up as he walked towards the stool with a nervous expression on his face. He sat there for a couple seconds before he was declared GRYFFINDOR! Sirius punched the air and shouted a triumphant yes as the table to the far left exploded in cheers. After Sirius's sorting, the list seemed to drag on and on.
Emmert, Malcolm became RAVENCLAW!
Evans, Lily became GRYFFINDOR!
And then about fifteen kids down the list Grogent, Allison became HUFFLEPUFF and I felt my nerves kick in hard. H was so close to G on the list.
Halafir, Anderson a boy with a mean glint in his eyes became SLYTHERIN!
Hector, Zackary became RAVENCLAW!
Then Herribode, Shelly became GRYFFINDOR!
Herezin, Alivia I felt butterflies batter my stomach as I walked slowly up to the stool. I put the hat on my head and jumped as it began to speak.
"Ah! See now you're a hard student to sort. Qualities of all the houses, but a strong edge for Gryffindor and Slytherin"
"Not Slytherin, please" I begged. "I don't want to be in an evil house, and I'd like to be in Gryffindor with my friends, if you wouldn't mind." It felt weird, being polite to a hat, but still, I had to be in Gryffindor and id politeness worked, so be it.
"Oh you're a polite one aren't you, but Slytherin isn't evil. Well, anyways, if your mind is set you better be…. GRYFFINDOR!" I gave a sigh of relief as the far left table once again burst into cheers. I sat down next to Sirius and watched as Frank Longbottom, Remus, a girl named Alice Peckard, Peter, James, and another shy looking girl named Gillian Wesbroel joined us at the Gryffindor table. The sorting finally ended with Zyzyzra, Aabaria becoming HUFFLEPUFF! As Professor McGonagall carried away the stool and hat an old man with long white hair and beard to match stood up and bid them to eat.
My eyes widened in shock as the food appeared magically on the platters. There was a wide selection of anything a person would ever want to eat. Suddenly, the sweets Peter had brought back for us to share seemed a lifetime away, and I began to load up my plate with everything at reach.
"I love magic" I said through a mouthful of mashed potatoes. The food here was the best ever. After the food was cleared off of the platters, dessert appeared with a pop. "I love magic" I said again helping my self to an enormous chocolate chip cookie.
"I second that" said James through a mouth full of treacle tart. Down the table I saw the red-head he had been infatuated with on the train give him a disgusted look and a glare.
"Third it" said Sirius.
As soon as we had finished eating, and the last of the food and drink had disappeared from sight, the tall bearded professor stood up.
"Welcome to all our new students, and to our old students welcome back!" he said. "I am Professor Dumbledore, the Headmaster. Now, this is the first time in many years that the term has started on a Friday, but I know that all of you will use this to your advantage."
"Our caretaker Mr. Filch would like to add that Blood-Balls are now on the list of forbidden items. The full list of 5,126 items is displayed in Mr. Filch's office."
"The forbidden forest is off limits to all old and new students, so steer clear of it. Now, off to bed to you all, Prefects lead the first years!" the Professor finished with a wave. As the tables began scraping back, I heard someone calling to all the first years. I followed the voice to find the savior girl. Once all of the new Gryffindor first years had gathered around her and another boy we set off.
The walk up the castle was long and the staircases kept moving. Next to me, Peter whispered that he would never be able find his way around. I patted his shoulder comfortingly, but I couldn't shake off the feeling that I couldn't trust him.
I felt my eyes get heavier and heavier and next to me, all my fellow first years were yawning and dragging their feel when at last we stopped in front of a portrait of an extremely fat lady dressed in pink.
"Password?" she asked.
"Astalavista" the savior girl said.
"Very well Mira, enter" the fat lady said. Her name is Mira I thought I ought to thank her fro her help on the train. We entered the common room which was very comfortable looking with squashy armchairs by the fire and tables for homework.
"Girls dormitories are on the left boys on the right" said the other prefect.
"Girls can enter the boys' dormitories, but boys don't even try to get into the girls dormitories" Mira said.
"All right, boys follow me, and girls follow Mira, we'll show you your dorms" said the boy.
Mira led us to our dorms and then left us a lone. Lily, Alice, Shelly, Gillian and I chose beds and unpacked our stuff. After I was done, I went back to the common room and found James and Sirius planning their first prank of the school year.
"Why don't you guys do it on our dear old Minnie" I suggested.
"Who's Minnie?" asked James, I had their attention now.
"Oh, dear Minnie McGonagall" I said with an evil grin, "Her real name is Minerva, but Minnie sounds so much--"
"Better! Or prankier anyway" Sirius finished.
"We're real Marauders" I said.
"Marauders?" asked James.
"You know, like troublemakers, except it sounds better"
"I like it" the other two said in unison.
"Back to the prank" James said.
"We could call her Minnie instead of Professor, but that would only earn numerous detentions" I said "But its still a good idea, but we should wait until we learn some real transfiguration." The boys nodded.
"We like the Minnie idea" James said while Sirius nodded vigorously "We'll try it Monday morning, good thing we have her first" he concluded. We grinned.
"Well I'm off to bed then boys, tell Remus and rat b- er Peter." I said "Need anything before I crash?"
"Can you….um well…..try to get friendly with Lily, make her hate me less?" James asked sounding sheepish.
"I can try buddy, but honestly, good luck" I said watching the red head glare in our direction "I dunno if she'll like me because I hang out with you, mate." I turned my back and went to bed.
~*~
The next morning I got up rather early, surprising myself. Usually, I was the last person awake on the weekends at home. I showered and got dressed and preceded down to the common room. When I got down, I saw, to my surprise, Lily sitting in one of the arm chairs near the dying embers of the fire. Her eyes were red and puffy.
I approached her cautiously. "You okay Lily?" I asked.
"Why do you care?" she asked "You're friends with Potter."
"James? Did he do this? I can kill him for you if you want" I offered.
This produced a watery giggle out of Lily. "Um, no he didn't" she said. "He just sort of, well…" her voice drifted off.
"I get it, sorta" I said, trying to be sympathetic this whole comforting thing really isn't my thing "You either love him or hate him." Lily nodded.
"But, he really didn't do anything" she continued. "My sister, well we were really close until I got my Hogwarts letter. I think she was jealous or something because she wrote to the headmaster."
"Me and Sev found the letter, and I maybe mentioned it to Petunia, and now she hates me" Lily's sobs redoubled, and I wrapped my arms around her.
Well, even though the circumstances weren't exactly the greatest, I had found another friend. One who would keep me out of detention. Hopefully.