"Firs years, this way!" Hugo, October, and I were pushed and shoved in the throng or first-years nervously making their way towards Hagrid. He was holding a lantern and smiling down at the stream of eleven-year-olds. I didn't think he looked scary at all, but maybe thats because I've known him for my entire life. Once at the slimy dock we claimed one of the boats. As they began to move I looked up at Hogwarts. I had been here before, but it was in the middle of the day and in my opinion the castle was much more impressive at night. Lights glinted from windows, reflecting on the water. The towers seemed to collide with the stormy sky.
Someone screamed and my head whipped around. A short girl with brown eyes wide with shock was pointing at the water. I looked at it. A foot below the surface was the giant squid. Just sitting there, not bothering anyone. James had told me some silly story about how the squid was a carnivore and ate every single human that got close enough to him. In my terror I ran into Rose's room (we were at Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione's house.) and she very calmly had told me that the squid was quite friendly and only ate small fish. In fact, some students even swam in the lake. I was jerked out of my thought as the water suddenly began to ripple as the first of our small league of boats bumped into the rocky shore and the squid shot away.
Once we arrived at the massive oak doors Professor Flitwick told us to wait until he came to collect us for the sorting in a few minutes. My fellow first-years had gathered into clumps sprinkled throughout the room, talking nervously. I was so anxious. How would my family react if I was in Slytherin? I didn't want to know. My thoughts began to spin. October waved a hand in my face. "Lily?" she laughed, "Earth to Lily?" I looked at her quizzically, my brow furrowed in my 'What are you talking about?' look and head cocked. Hugo walked up"Hey-" but stopped in shock.
There was a slightly translucent arm sticking through his forehead! Hugo's eyes looked up and his face was priceless. "Merlin!" he yelped in a croaky voice, scurrying to the other side of the room. I burst out laughing, doubling over, the look of shock and horror on his face still etched in my mind. I saw the rest of the ghost that had terrified Hugo out of his wits float through the wall. "Hugo, you looked like you were about to wet yourself!" I said and was overcome in another fit of laughter. The people around us stared, as if it was against the rules to laugh or even talk normally. As if on cue Professor Flitwick walked in, smiling at us. "The Sorting is about to begin!" He looked between the crowd and me, slightly confused. Then he told us to follow him to the Great Hall.
It was magnificent! The enchanted ceiling was bright and starry. There were four house tables, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin all of them with students filling up the benches on either side. Some craned their necks to look at us while others (Mostly the older students) sat bored, waiting for the sorting to be over. Butterflies began to churn in my stomach as Professor Flitwick (with some difficulty) set the stool down and opened a scroll. The person he called up first became a Hufflepuff, I think her name was Abigail something-or-other I wasn't really paying attention because I was double-uber terrified. Next to me October was muttering under her breath and Hugo seemed to be silently threatening the sorting hat to put him in Gryffindor or else. A few kids became Ravenclaws, a couple were Slytherins and then I realized something. They had called my name. Professor Flitwick looked at the crowd of First-Years and repeated "Potter, Lily". I swear I flushed all the way up to the roots of my hair. Some of the kids snickered and I managed to give them my family's famous Weasley Glare.
I walked up to the stool and hoped that I hadn't looked like a complete fool. Then the hat was plopped on my head. At first it was grouchy saying something like "I wish someone else would just sort them, its so easy even a foolish top hat could do it!" Then he fell silent, and I'm guessing he was scanning my brain. "Well, theres only one house for you." he sighed "Headstrong, impulsive… GRYFFINDOR!".
The Gryffindor table roared and I went to sit with my brothers who, for some strange reason only clapped me on the back and grinned. Had they actually been worried about which house I would be in? I shook my head, no they couldn't! They were my brothers Al and James. The ones who teased me daily, the ones who pulled practical jokes every other hour, the ones who drove my mother crazy. I reveled in the glory of being a Gryffindor for the entire dinner. Then I noticed something. The benches were being scraped aside, food was vanishing off of plates tiredly I found Hugo and October and almost jumped with joy when I discovered they, too, were Gryffindors.
I know! I didn't mention October and Hugo's sorting but honestly I have been working on this chapter for waaaaaaay too long... On with the plot, I say, on with it!
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