Thanks for the reviews, Kankananime123, Sarah Liz B (You'll see… :P), and Weasleytwinslover87!
If you read my first story, you'll find a similar scenario in this chapter…
I'm trying to do a chapter a day, hopefully I can go up to two a day when the story moves forward a bit. :]
If you do or don't like cheese, you should review. ;]
DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN ANY OF THIS, EXCEPT FOR ANY CHARACTERS YOU DON'T RECOGNIZE. JK ROWLING IS JESUS!
CHAPTER 11
After finding our own compartment, we remained undisturbed for the rest of the ride though I still sensed tension between Severus and Lily. I didn't find out the reasons behind it until after we had arrived at the train station in Hogsmeade and were being called by the Hogwart's gamekeeper, Hagrid to follow him.
"Where is he leading us?" Lily asked, more to Audrey then to Severus.
"My grandfather told me that first years always ride across the lake as a tradition." said Audrey.
"I heard some boy saying earlier on the train that there was a giant squid in the lake." Lily said, biting her lip.
"I've heard that too, but I don't think it's true. My mother never saw it when she went to school." Severus said, trying to be of some comfort to his companions.
I think I was the only one on that boat excited by the thought that there could be a giant squid in the black lake.
Within a few minutes of rowing, they heard a scream coming from their left. A giant tentacle had sprung out of the water, thrashing.
"'E means no harm!" yelled Hagrid over the screams. "He's just greetin' ye!"
The squid continued to thrash around, and the trio had gotten soaked.
Audrey swished her head to the side, knocking her long, wet, black hair out of her face. She looked at a petrified Lily and a normal looking Severus and began to laugh.
"Audrey!" Lily whined. "I hardly think this is the time for laughter."
Severus now broke into laughter as well, Audrey was shocked but still couldn't stop laughing.
"Lils…I just…" She laughed. "I can't believe it's actually real."
With that, Lily began to laugh with the other two.
When the three finally reached the castle with the other first years, Audrey looked around noticing that many of the other first years were soaked.
Out of all the murmuring and talking came two loud voices.
"AND I GRABBED IT'S TENTACLE! AND SIRIUS WAS RIGHT THERE, AND HE WAS BEATING IT WITH ONE OF THE OARS." James said, frantically moving his arms.
"AND THEN IT GRABBED PETER, AND JAMES DOVE ONTOP OF IT AND STABBED IT WITH HIS WAND." said Sirius, reenacting the stabbing motion.
"Oh Merlin." Audrey said, nodding her head towards the boys that they shared the compartment with for a while on the train. Lily looked aggravated and Severus just glared.
Remus noticed them looking and gave Audrey a small wave and a sad smile. They were having a fantastic conversation on the train about William Shakespeare, the wizard author who was even popular with the muggles. Sadly, it was interrupted by the little outburst between Severus and James.
"Welcome to Hogwarts." said a voice; all the first years were quiet. A tall woman with tight black hair that was pulled back into a bun and emerald green robes approached them.
"I am Professor McGonagall, 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."
"I hope she's in our family." Sirius whispered to James, nodding his head towards Audrey.
James gave a small laugh.
"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 rule breaking will lose house points."
At this moment, Severus, Audrey, and Lily exchanged glances and quickly looked over at James and Sirius.
"At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours. The 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."
With that, Professor McGonagall left momentarily. Audrey noticed Lily smoothing out her robes. She also looked to the left and saw Sirius lick his hand and attempt to flatten James' hair.
I knew from the moment I saw those two together on the train that they would forever be inseparable.
They were led into the hall, Audrey, like many others, looked at the ceiling that was littered with stars. She was irked when Sirius and James kept trying to trip Severus all the way into the hall. Edik had told her all about the Sorting Hat and how it sang every year.
"I swear, Audrina! The song gets longer ever year." Audrey heard her grandfather in her head as the Hat began to belt.
"How long do you think this will go?" Lily whispered to Audrey, ten minutes into the song. Audrey shrugged in response.
The first name was called, and Audrey and Lily were silenced.
The names seemed to fly by, and then he was called…
"Black, Sirius."
The hall seemed to fall under an unusual silence, Audrey noticed to her right the house decked out in green robes. They were the most intent, watching him like hawks.
Sirius sat on the stool straight faced as the Hat began to mutter quietly to itself.
I had the advantage of hearing a lot better than a human being, and I could hear what the Hat was saying clearly.
"Your family has been in Slytherin since the founding of this very school…you would do great things there; there are no doubts on that. Cunning and clever, just like your ancestors…but there is something else, bravery, a lot of it…so much that you're stubborn…loyalty, willing to die for people that are worth it…"
Audrey couldn't hear any of Sirius' thoughts of course, but it was quite an advantage to have such excellent hearing. A rude advantage, but still…
"Hmm…" The Hat grumbled out loud. "Best be…GRYFFINDOR!"
The table of students in red, the Gryffindor table, burst into loud, obnoxious applause. Audrey then turned to the table of green, many of them were murmuring to each other and throwing looks over at the Gryffindor table. She could only assume that those students were of the Slytherin house.
Before she knew it, she was called.
"Dalio, Audrey."
What an odd experience, it was. The Hat seemed to take forever with it's decision.
"Another Dalio!" The hat exclaimed inside her head. "What's taken so long?"
"My father went to Durmstrang." Audrey thought to the Hat.
"Ah, yes…the famous Dalio line is known for it's movement between the schools." The hat reasoned.
"Famous?" Audrey asked. "I hardly think we're famous, more like infamous."
"Involuntarily infamous. Misunderstood, you are, daughter of Dalio." said the Hat.
"I suppose…" Audrey replied.
"The Dalio family is a part of the first generation of Hogwarts students, since then, it's descendants have graced three of our four houses…Now, where to put you, Audrey Fiona Dalio?"
"Slytherin, where the cunning and ambitious stay?" The hat asked, more to itself then Audrey.
"NO." Audrey thought. "I've heard awful things about that lot."
"Not Slytherin, eh? What about Ravenclaw, you are quite witty. Your great great grandfather was in Ravenclaw…"
"I-" Audrey began but the Hat didn't regard anything she wanted to say and continued to talk.
"Or Gryffindor…you have a brave, burning heart. I can feel it. You are courageous…"
"Alright…" The Hat said out loud. "Better be…GRYFFINDOR!"
Oh the next seven years were going to be so enjoyable.
Lily was the next recognizable person to get into Gryffindor house. Sirius had moved to make room for her on the bench but she gave him an angry look and instead sat next to Audrey, who unfortunately was across from him.
"Ladies." Sirius grinned, tipping an imaginary hat to them. They returned it with an emotionless look.
If at that exact moment you had told me what my relationship with Sirius Black was going to come out to, I would have thought you were a filthy liar.
Remus Lupin was the next familiar name to come into Gryffindor house. He grinned sitting next to Sirius, and was perplexed by the looks that Lily and Audrey gave Sirius. Audrey however smiled at Remus.
"Now we can finish our conversation." Remus smiled.
Audrey nodded.
"What conversation?" Sirius butted in.
"We were talking about William Shakespeare." Audrey said, slightly haughty. "But I'm sure you wouldn't know much about him, would you?"
Sirius' reply shocked the three; he turned to Remus and spoke.
"And thus I clothe my naked villany, with odd old ends stol'n out of holy writ, and seem a saint, when most I play the devil!"
Remus chuckled. Audrey said nothing, for at the very same moment, James Potter had joined their table.
"Aha!" Sirius said, clapping James on the back. James grinned.
"Fancy seeing you here, mate. I thought your family were with that Slytherin lot?"
Sirius laughed.
"I broke tradition, I suppose."
"Snape, Severus."
Audrey and Lily turned, watching Severus. He was one of four students left.
The hat barely touched his head when it said he was in Slytherin. I wasn't sure how I felt…I forced myself to reserve my judgments and I am thankful I did.
"I hope he's alright." Lily whispered to Audrey.
"He can hold himself." Audrey reassured, she saw something different in Severus that many couldn't see. She just didn't know what it was yet.
Audrey and Lily decided to ignore the boys next to them and talk to a blonde girl that was also a first year by the name of Marlene.
"Well, I know there's a dance studio upstairs…I don't know who teaches and how selective they are. I only know step." Marlene said conversationally as they were eating.
"Woah! You dance too?" Audrey asked.
Marlene nodded and replied. "I started at age two."
Audrey grinned. "Me too, step, modern, and ballet. But primarily step, my teacher hates modern and ballet."
Marlene laughed. "Good then, I met this girl on the train who was also a step dancer. Incredibly stuck up! I couldn't believe it! She got sorted into Slytherin of course."
The other two girls laughed at this.
Time had flown at the feast, and before they knew it they were being led up to Gryffindor tower by the prefects.
The girls were rather tired and a little annoyed at James and Sirius who were being obnoxious. Peter was laughing at them and Remus followed shaking his head.
"I'm sorry about them." Remus whispered to Audrey, nodding his head towards his companions.
"Oh it's alright, Remus. You can't control those lunatics. I don't think anyone can without a proper stunning spell." Audrey's face broke into a smile, Remus grinned.
After meeting their other roommate, Ashley Bell, the girls had called it a night.