Don't Save Me

Chapter 1: The Sorting

I could feel my heart racing as I walked into the Great Hall, Professor Mcgonagall leading us up to the front. I could feel all eyes on us as my peers and I walked toward the front of the Hall. The sorting hat sat atop its stool, looking particularly menacing, ready to decide my fate. Professor Mcgonagall stopped as we reached the front of the hall and turned to face us.

"Before we begin, Professor Dumbledore would like to say a few words," Professor Mcgonagall said as she turned toward the teacher's table. A man with a warm smile and twinkling eyes stood and began to speak. I turned away and looked around the hall. Candles hung from the ceiling and a beautiful night sky was displayed on the ceiling. I couldn't hear what the old man had said, as my nervousness began to overtake me.

Does the hat speak aloud? How much of my head can he see? I reach for my arm, mindlessly itching the place the bruises were just this morning, hoping my concealment charm will be good enough. I felt a slight pull at the back of my mind and I looked around. Someone is trying to read my mind! I looked at the tables but all eyes were focused up front. I turned my eyes to the other side of the hall to the Slytherin table. A boy of about 12 was staring back at me, confusion crossing his features. His dark eyes searched mine, not daring to look away.

"Y/n Y/l/n," Professor Mcgonagall calls. I break away from his intense gaze and turn toward the front of the room. Professor Mcgonagall is smiling at me as she holds the hat up, waiting to sort me. I slowly walk to the stool and take a seat. The hat slips down over my eyes and the faces disappear.

"Hmm... curious." I startle as the hat speaks. "Difficult... What house are you hoping for?"

"I don't really have a preference," I reply in my head.

"Hmm... you have quite the secret hidden in your head, don't you my dear?" I can feel the adrenaline coursing through me as every muscle in my body screams for me to run... to deny the truth, but the words fail me as the hat continues searching through my head. I focused only on my few happy memories... the ones with my aunt. The hat searched into my mind, trying to pull the secret from the depths of my brain.

"What is it you don't want me to know, child?" the hat asked. I felt a tear slip down my cheek and I quickly brought my hand to my face, pretending to itch it as I wiped the tear.

"Please..." I silently begged the hat. "Please... just let it go." The hat was silent for a moment as it contemplated my request.

"Your secret may stay a secret, dear child. I simply need to sort you. Your mind holds great knowledge... you have already mastered a concealment charm and you seem to be quite skilled with Occlumency. There has not been a child to come through here that I haven't been able to read. I sense great bravery within you... a need to help others... you seem to be constantly putting others before yourself... you are secretive and cunning... and I sense a great desire for knowledge within you... but where to put you?" He continued searching through my mind, carefully avoiding those memories I have protected. Memories of summer afternoons with my aunt played through my mind. My uncle's face flashed in my mind and I felt disgust rise within me. The hat sensed my discomfort and continued searching, pushing the memory aside. He continued searching and a new memory surfaced. It was me jumping in front of my childhood friend as a rabid dog lunged toward her. I could remember this day so clearly. It was the first time I had used my magic. I pushed the dog away from her with my magic and it flew backwards. The memory stopped and the hat spoke again.

"Interesting... Your bravery seems to be your strongest point. While you would be a good fit for any of the houses, particularly Gryffindor and Slytherin..." There was a slight pause before the hat continued aloud.

"Better be... Gryffindor!" the hat shouted aloud. The hall erupted into loud cheers, particularly from the Gryffindor table, as the hat was pulled from my head. Professor Mcgonagall beamed at me and gestured for me to take a seat with my classmates. I walked down and took a seat at the Gryffindor table next to a girl with fiery red hair and a boy with untidy dark hair that stuck up at strange angles. The girl was the first to speak.

"Hi! I'm Lily," the girl said as she outstretched her hand and I shook it. "This is James, Sirius, Peter, and Remus," she continued, gesturing to the other four boys who sat with her.

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Y/n," I replied, shaking each of their hands. James looked over to the Slytherin table and a look of disgust crossed his features.

"What year are you guys?" I asked.

"We're second years," Remus replied, smiling at me.

"Ugh... Snivellus is looking over here again," he said, gesturing at the dark-haired boy sitting at the Slytherin table.

"Will you stop it?" Lily replied, smacking James in the arm.

"What? I can't help it! His face annoys me! He keeps staring over here." I looked over at the boy again and his eyes held a look of longing that I couldn't explain. There was a sadness in them and it seemed to me that this sadness had been there a long time.

"What's his name?" I asked, looking at Lily.

"That's Severus Snape. He's a good friend of mine but these knuckleheads don't seem to get along with him." James snorted as she said this and turned to Sirius.

"That's an understatement," he said, laughing. His friends erupted in laughter... all except Lily and Remus, who seemed uncomfortable with the conversation.

"I think he's obsessed with you, Lily," Peter said, laughing and looking at his friends, waiting for their laughter. He breathed a sigh of relief when James and Sirius laughed, craving their approval.

"Oh, shut up, Peter. Besides... it's not me he's looking at," Lily replied, smirking as she looked at me. I looked back at the boy whose eyes hadn't left our table... or rather... hadn't left me. I looked away from his intense gaze and focused on my food.

Severus Snape... seems we both have our secrets.