Chapter 3

SLYTHERIN??? Lilly thought, panicking.

The Slytherin table cheered, and the Griffendors looked dumbfounded. James and Albus' eyes widened with disbelief, Hugo's jaw dropped and Rose shrieked softly.

Lilly could hear whispers all across the Hall: "A Potter in Slytherin?" "That old hat must be insane!" "This is a disaster!" "So much for the noble Griffendor Potters!"

"Potter, you had better… Erm…" Professor McGonagal muttered, who was clearly disbelieving.

With shaking legs, Lilly stumbled over to the long table and sat down lightly between the black-haired girl, Sarah Parker, and a boy with white-blonde hair who called himself Scorpius Malfoy.

"Hey, Ginger. Little weird, being a Potter in Slytherin. Kind of kills the whole Potter pride scenario, eh?" Scorpius sneered.

"You're not helping much." Murmured Lilly, keeling over and putting her forehead on the table.

"Never mind him." Sarah whispered, touching Lilly's arm. "I was sure I'd be in Ravenclaw!"

The rest of the Sorting and McGonagal's speech seemed to be in a distant universe. Lilly gazed past Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs to see Albus and Rose looking horrified, James trying to laugh about it to Hugo, though they both were also disbelieving.

Lilly wasn't brought back to the real world until food appeared magically in front of her, though none of it seemed particularly appetizing.

I'm in Slytherin. Lilly thought suddenly, the horrible truth hitting her at last. Behind her eyes burned, and there was nothing she wanted more then to run out of the Great Hall, out of Hogwarts and to go home. So she did what she always did when she was upset at home – she slid under the table and curled up into a ball.

Maybe I'm lucky enough to be a squib. Then I can go home! Thought Lilly, though she knew there wasn't a chance. After all, she had made Hugo's frog Jiggers turn yellow with black spots on the train.

Lilly sighed, and quietly began crying. Then she felt something brush against her arm.

Turning around, she saw Sarah Parker crouching next to her, a look of sincere understanding on her face.

"My parents are going to kill me, too." She said simply. "I'm a Ravenclaw family. Neither of us belongs in this house."

Lilly opened and shut her mouth, trying desperately to form words, but failed and buried her face in her hands.

Out of nowhere, a hand grabbed her hair and pulled Lilly out from underneath the table. A quick glance to her right told her that Sarah was being treated the same way.

Lilly found herself looking up at the pointed, grinning face of Scorpius Malfoy.

"Sorry to interrupt this touching tear-fest," Scorpius sneered, holding the girls in an iron grip. "But we've got to be going." He marched on after the Slytherins, still dragging Lilly and Sarah by their hair.

"This is rather amusing." Scorpius laughed to no one in particular. "Its like dragging two disgusting little dogs on a leash"

Rage erupted through Lilly, who pulled out her wand. Simultaneously, Sarah drew hers.

Both girls whipped their wands at Scorpius, and Lilly called out the only spell she – and apparently, Sarah – knew well: "EXPAILLARMOUS!!"

Scorpius fell backwards, his wand flying out of his hand. He fell right into Jacqueline Burton, who fell onto Tommy Eagle, and the Slytherins toppled like dominoes, one by one, up until Douglas Conrad, the Slytherin Prefect. Douglas hit the ground and the hall fell silent save for Scorpius' moaning.

"What the Crumple-Horned-Snorklack was THAT????" Douglas cried, sitting up and glaring all around the hall.

Lilly felt like crying. Her wand slipped out of her numb hand and clattered against the stone floor, and she felt all eyes upon her and Sarah.

Then, something that would have made Lilly fume five minutes ago brought her a wave of relief. James was standing – or rather, keeling over – laughing! Lilly didn't care if he was laughing at her; it was just good to know that they truly were in the same universe.

A click-clack of heels came up behind Lilly and Sarah, and Lilly turned her head just enough to see McGonagal staring down her nose at her.

As McGonagal led Lilly and Sarah past the students out of the Great Hall, her expression changed from anger to pure delight.

"That was stunning!"