Chapter 5

The four had changed into their robes before they'd gotten to the train stop. They walked to where they saw a man that was seven feet high. The three boys immediately went to grab the boat with him. Lily reluctantly followed intimidated by the sheer size of the man. While they were riding in the boat, they found out that his name was Hagrid and that he was the games keeper at Hogwarts. Lily after listening to him talk was starting to like him. Hagrid was nice and he didn't mind explaining things to her. She promised to visit him when the first weekend came up. She was listening to him tell stories about previous people who'd caused trouble.

James was sitting right next to Lily leaving Remus and Sirius to sit behind the pair of them. He had immediately taken a liking to Hagrid and had seen Lily hesitate when the three of them had picked this boat. She was now listening attentively. He figured with her focus and determination she'd make an excellent student. He'd just have to change that. It'd be hard work but when Lily was just as corrupted as he was it would be fun. Then all thoughts were lost as the castle came into view. It was huge and you could see lights from the windows. James' jaw dropped along with the other three in the boat. He felt Lily grip onto his arm and hang on. He looked at her and saw that she had excitement and shock written across her face. He couldn't wait to see what else was in store for them.

James didn't have long to wait to find out. All the first years were standing around the grand entrance talking quietly. They were waiting for someone to tell them what they were to do. James, Lily, Sirius, and Remus were standing towards the back arguing over how they were going to be sorted.

"I say that it's something small and quiet." Lily said confidently.

"Well, I say that it's going to be a quiz or something." Sirius was the one who shot this idea out.

"I bet you 10 chocolate frogs that it's going to be some sort of object that decides which house we belong to." Remus held out his hand to Lily and Sirius and they accepted.

"You're on." Lily and Sirius said at the same time and the three of them shook hands just as Professor McGonagall came into the room.

"Alright students, two single file lines please." She led them through the giant doors and into the dining hall. The students sitting at the table went quiet and watched, bored, as the new batch of first years came in. McGonagall stopped in front of a stool with a hat on top. When Remus saw the hat he turned toward Sirius and Lily and smirked. "When I call your name sit on the stool and I shall place the hat on your head." Then she took out a scroll and read the first name. "Andrews, Michael." A short boy with brown hair and mossy green eyes walked up and sat on the stool. After a few seconds 'Ravenclaw' could be heard throughout the hall. Five minutes later Sirius' name was called.

Sirius walked up to the stool and sat down. McGonagall put the ragged old hat on top of his head and it slid past his eyes. Then he heard what he assumed was talking in his head. "Another Black eh? Your line tends to run towards Slytherin, except for your cousin Andromeda. Let's see you have a great deal of loyalty in you for friends. You also have an amazing amount of courage. Not qualities for a Slytherin, though you do have a streak of sneakiness in you…" Sirius waited for the voice to say something else but all of a sudden it yelled out loud towards the audience in the hall. "Gryffindor!" Sirius hopped off the stool and shot his cousin Bellatrix a smirk when he looked and saw her silently fuming.
A chorus of cheers was heard down Gryffindor table. Then McGonagall went on calling names. It was ten minutes later when another familiar name was called. "Evans, Lily." Lily walked up to the stool on shaky knees but no one could tell. She sat on the stool as Sirius had done and waited for her house to be chosen. Then she heard it. "Hmm… interesting, you have troubles in your past. Strong willed, stubborn, brave and courageous. It also seems you have a very intelligent mind. Interesting, very interesting…" Lily was a bit confused but stayed silent. She waited for what felt like an eternity but was in reality only a few seconds when the shout came out. "Gryffindor!" More cheers were heard from the Gryffindor table as that was only the third new student they got this year the other two being Sirius and a sweet looking girl named Blair Browning.

Remus was starting to get anxious when it finally came to his name. He walked up and did the exact same as all the other students before him. The hat was placed on his head. Like Lily and Sirius he heard a voice in his head and immediately started thinking he was going crazy. "No, you're not going crazy. All of the other students have heard me talk also. Not let's see. A werewolf hmm? I have never once sorted a werewolf into a house so this is a very momentous occasion. Very intelligent, you will most likely be the top of your class along with that Evans child. You'd be suited to Ravenclaw. Though I don't think that would be the best place. The best place for you is…" Remus was about to start squirming when the hat finally shouted, "Gryffindor!" Remus let out a relieved sigh and walked to Gryffindor table and sat beside Sirius and right across from Lily. He got a beaming smile from Lily and a pat on the back from Sirius. Then they all turned to look at James who was still standing seeing as his name was towards the end in their little group.

James' name was finally called five minutes later. "Potter, James." He walked up like everyone else and sat on the stool. The hat barely even touched his head when Gryffindor was called out. He grinned and walked down the table and sat next to Lily who was talking quietly with her new roommate Blair. She turned and hugged James then went back to talking with Blair. James smiled at Remus and Sirius who grinned back. When the last name was called out, Dumbledore stood up and went to the podium. "Now since this is a first year for some I shall point out some key rules. The Forbidden Forest is as it name says, forbidden." James and the rest of the students tuned out the rest of the speech after that until he got to the end. "Now that we have finished, let the feast begin." Then out of nowhere food appeared on the trays. James and the rest of the first years in the hall eyes got big. "Wicked," was all James could get out. Then he began loading his plate with whatever he could grab as were Sirius and Remus. Lily politely took only a few things at a time. She looked at the three boys with disgust. They were eating like pigs. She shook her head then went back to her dinner.

When dessert was over Dumbledore stood up once again, "Alright I want to wish all of you happy dreams and I hope that your first day tomorrow goes well. Now all first years follow the prefects towards your common room. Good night." The students in the hall all filed out towards their common rooms.

Lily bid James, Remus, and Sirius as she followed Blair into their dorm. Blair and Lily each collapsed onto the beds that had their trunk by it after they put on their pajamas. They immediately fell asleep. Lily was asleep for a while before the dream came. She was sitting in a dark room and an evil voice was talking to her, taunting. She was crying and shaking where she was. She couldn't see who the evil voice belonged to but she didn't think she really wanted to know. Then the voice shot a spell at her and she started screaming. That's when she snapped out of the dream. She sat up and had tears running down her cheeks. She looked over to see Blair sleeping peacefully. She wanted James but didn't know if she could get to the boys' dorm. She immediately decided she had to at least try. So she climbed out of bed and put on her slippers then walked to the stairs leading up to the boys' dorm. She was still shaking from the dream and from the cold of the tower. She went into James, Sirius, and Remus' dorm and went straight to the lump that looked like James. She shook him awake.

"Wha? Whozat? Lily, that you? Wha'z the matter?" James' voice was slurred with sleep. He could tell that there was something wrong with Lily.

"I had a really scary dream James. Do you think I can sleep with you tonight? Please." Lily had tears in her eyes. She was extremely shaken from the dream.

"Sure, Lils, you can sleep with me. Come on." James pulled up the covers and scooted over to the other side of his bed. Lily lay down and hugged him and held on. James put the covers down and hugged her back. They fell asleep like that. Lily didn't have any more dreams and felt safe in James' arms. She'd explain why they were like this to Remus and Sirius in the morning and explain to Blair where she'd gone, but right now she was comfortable right where she was at.