THE LARGE TRAIN WHISTLED, signalling that the students had made it to Hogwarts.
They gathered their things, before boarding off the train, onto the platform of Hogsmeade Statiom. It was a small, dark platform, but had enough room for all of the children.
They gathered into a group in front of Hagrid, who directed them to small boats which fitted around three-four people, travelling across the large lake.
Lily stared up at the cloudless night sky, the small dots of white glimmering across the lake, the cluster of stars only making the sight more wonderful.
Lily smiled at the view. She had always loved the night sky, the constellation of stars making her wonder what it would be like to be closer, to see the stars clearly, every little detail standing out.
She had always loved astronomy, and had always wanted a telescope, and to be able to sit in a room for hours on end, examining the night sky.
She took her attention away from the clear sky, and realised they were close to Hogwarts.
She let out a sigh, smiling slightly at the castle.
It was dark, the outline of the castle stood out, as did the large windows which were placed all over the large building.
She looked around at the children beside her, who were pointing at certain parts of the castle, smiling.
She fiddled with her hair as she thought of hoe much better it would be at Hogwarts than it was at the Dursley's.
No Dudley, no Uncle Vernon, and no Aunt Petunia.
It was going to be wonderful.
•••
The large group of children stood before the entrance of the great hall, although the doors were closed, they could already imagine what it would be like.
"Now, in a few short minutes you will be taken into this hall, and you will join your classmates." Begun a woman, she seemed to be in her fifties-sixties, and wore an emerald green cloak, along with a stern look on her face.
"But before you can be seated, you must be sorted into your houses. They are
Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin."
She looked around at the children before suddenly, the shy, slightly chubby boy who was following Tommy Lupin earlier, jumped out from the crowd.
"Trevor!" He exclaimed, as he scrambled past the pile of eleven year-olds, before picking up what seemed to be his toad, off the ground in front of the Professor's feet.
He looked up at the woman, she wore a stern look on her face, looking back down at the boy.
"Sorry." Muttered the frightened boy, before he quickly stood next to his friends once again, trying to ignore the sniggers around him.
Instead of telling him off, the Professor simply huffed and walked out of the room, leaving the children in silence.
Suddenly, a smirking boy with grey eyes and light platinum-blonde hair came out of the crowd, before standing in front of the two, although he kept his gaze on Harry.
"So, it's true then, what they're saying on the train? the Potter's have come to Hogwarts."
Harry shared a look with his sister, before turning back to the boy.
He looked over to his two, rather large, friends, pointing at the two as the said their names.
"This is Crabbe, and Goyle. And I'm Malfoy. Draco, Malfoy."
He said his name so very proudly, Lily almost laughed. He seemed to arrogant, and so full of himself. The smirk the eleven year-old kept on his face only made the fact more obvious to the girl.
Ron let out a soft snort, looking down slightly.
Draco aggressively turned to the red-head, an angry look on his pale face.
"You think my names funny, do you?" He examined the boys attire, along with casting a look at Lily, who stood beside the boy.
"There's no need to ask for yours," he stared down at the two. "Red hair, and hand-me-down robes? You must be the Weasley's." He spat, saying Ron'a second name as if it were some sort of plague.
He then turned to Harry once more.
"You'll soon find that some wizarding families are better than others, Potter.
You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort." He offered Harry his hand, although Harry didn't not mover a muscle.
"I think I can tell the wrong sort for myself, thanks." Harry fired back at the boy. As he should, as Malfoy wasn't exactly being polite.
Lily let out a chuckle, shaking her head lightly.
Malfoy turned to the chuckling girl, a stern look on his face.
"What are you laughing at, blood-traitor?" He asked, staring at the girl through cold eyes.
"It confuses me how someone so.. so arrogant, and self-absorbed can be so very silly." She began, making eye-contact with the boy, her green eyes staring into his grey ones.
"Excuse me?" He spat, as a smirk made its way onto Lily's face.
"Ever wonder where the... other Potter is?" She asked, batting his eyes innocently at the boy.
When the boy side-eyes the crowd, he began to seem anxious- almost scared.
"You know, I may have red hair but I'm not a Weasley. I'm Lily Potter." She clarified. She was quite annoyed with the boy already, just seconds ago he practically just called her new-found-friend poor, then went on to call her a blood-traitor.
He seemed at a loss for words, as the girl didn't dare take her eyes off of him.
She had always been a kind girl, to everyone, but not to the people who insulted her or her friends.
And now, that included Malfoy.
He opened his mouth to retort back to the girl, before he was interrupted by Professor McGonagall harshly tapping on his shoulder.
Lily gave him one last smirk, before stepping down.
"We're ready for you now." Said the Professor, opening the doors to the entrance hall.
It was beautiful.
The ceiling appeared to look like the night sky, according to Hermione, it's not real, and it was just bewitched.
There were four large tables, almost full to the brim with students, of all ages.
At the top of the room, there was yet another long table at the front of the hall, where the headmaster, the caretaker, Hagrid and all of the other teachers sat.
There were many gasps and 'woah's from the newcomers, and many stares from the older students, and the teachers, who were observing the scene.
The Professor guided the crowd of students to the front of the hall, before stopping, and placing a small circular four-legged stool on the stone ground, and placing a father old and crumpled hat on top.
"When I call your name, you will come forth, and you will be sorted in to your houses." She pulled out a scroll, before unravelling it.
"Granger, Hermione!"
The young bushy-haired girl that Lily, Harry and Ron had met earlier, stepped forward, muttering to herself, 'it's ok.' 'Just relax.'
The hat stayed on her head for around ten seconds, before it decided; "GRYFFINDOR!'
She smiled, before walking to the table which began to clap the loudest, and taking her seat.
"Malfoy, Draco!"
A small smirking boy, with platinum blonde hair which was tightly combed back, stepped up, and before the hat even touched his head, it shouted; "SLYTHERIN!"
"There's not one witch or wizard who went bad that wasn't on Slytherin," muttered Ron, resulting in Lily and Harry raising their brows slightly, although still listening to the sorting.
"Longbottom, Neville!"
The same shy, slightly chubby boy who lost his frog, Trevor, stepped out, shaking with nervousness.
The hat took a few seconds to decide,
"GRYFFINDOR!"
The boy looked up, surprised.
"B-but I'm not brave enough! I can't be a Gryffindor, please t-try it again, Professor, I'm sure I'm a H-Hufflepuff!" Neville begged the Professor, although she sternly told him to go and sit down.
Lily gave him a small smile as he made his way over, before another name was called.
"Abbott, Hannah!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
"Finch-Fletchly, Justin!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
"Finnigan, Seamus!"
"GRYFFINDOR!"
"Thomas, Dean!"
"GRYFFINDOR!"
"Weasley, Ronald!"
"GRYFFINDOR!"
"Cove, Charlotte!"
"RAVENCLAW!"
"Potter, Harry!"
Many whispers travelled around the hall, the majority being: 'Harry Potter?'
'Didn't he and his sister defeat.. You-Know-Who?' 'Scarhead?'
Harry stood still for a moment, before Lily gave him a soft push, smiling at him.
"It'll be alright." She whispered.
Simply just hearing her soft voice made him feel better.
The two had always been close - after all, they were all each other had ever had, after being brought up by none other than the Dursley's, they were always there for each other.
He walked forward to the stool, before sitting down, and seconds later he felt that hat on his head, which was so big it covered his eyes.
All he could see was black; he decided to simply close his eyes, as he was rather anxious.
"Hmm... difficult, very difficult. Full of courage, not a bad mind either, talent. Oh yes... and thirst, to prove yourself.
But where to put you?"
Harry wondered why the hat was taking so long, so long to simply decide what house he would be in.
All the others took merely ten seconds, his was now taking over two minutes.
"Not Slytherin. Not Slytherin." He whispered. He didn't want to be in the house of the person who killed his parents, nor did his sister. Who would?
"Not Slytherin, eh?" The hat questioned, it seemed to have heard him.
"Are you sure? You could be great you know. It's all here.. in your head." The hat turned his head to the side, where the Slytherin table sat.
"And Slytherin could help you on the way to greatness! There's no doubt about that. No? Better be... GRYFFINDOR!"
Harry's face, along with his sisters broke into a smile. The only person he know apart from her, Ron Weasley, was also in that house. He hoped they could become better friends.
He hopped off of the stool, and skipped over to the Gryffindor table, which were full of people clapping, along with a pair of red-head twins, who Harry guessed were Ron's brother's, who were chanting; "We got Potter! We got Potter!"
Harry smiled as he sat down, greeting the people around him, before turning his attention back to the sorting.
"Potter, Lily!"
Lily looked up, she was slightly startled, as it had been quiet for a few minutes.
She wasn't scared, though.
She knew that no matter what house she was sorted in, she'd be herself.
Perhaps she was sorted into Slytherin?
Of course she didn't want to be in the same house as Voldemort... but did that mean she would change? No.
She still had her brother. That was all that mattered to her.
She walked up to the stool, before sitting down, and resting her hands on her knees.
She took a deep breath, as the hat was put on her head.
"Hmm. Difficult. Bold, yes.. very bold." The hat began. "A smart mind. Rather reckless... ambition, oh.. yes. Kindness... Lotalty.. could be a Hufflepuff." Lily thought about the Hufflepuff house. Although she didn't know much about them, they seemed cool.
"You have the mind to be a Ravenclaw; a love for reading, a smart mind... big you have the pride and ambition for Slytherin. Although the bravery of a Gryffindor.
Hmmm.. better be.. GRYFFINDOR!"
The Gryffindor table broke into applause once more, along with the Weasley twins chanting; "We got both of the Potter's!"
Lily laughed as she greeted them, sitting in between the twins, across from Harry.
Once the room became silent once more, she turned attention back to the sorting.
To Lily's slight annoyance, the boy who decided to call her 'Lilyflower', Tommy Lupin, was also sorted into Gryffindor.
He smirked at the girl before sitting down with his three friends.
Once all the first years had been sorted, Professor Dumbledore, the headmaster stepped up, ready to make an announcement.
"Welcome back, everyone, and to our new first-year students, welcome to Hogwarts.
Now, I have a few announcements to make. First of all, our care-taker, Mr Filch, has asked me to remind you that the Forbidden Forest is strictly forbidden. Also, I would like to remind you, that the third floor corridor is also, strictly forbidden, to anyone who does not wish to die a most painful death."
"That's nice." Remarked Lily, quietly, earning a soft laugh from the twins.
"Well, I shall not bore you any longer. For now, let the feast, begin!"
Many gasps were heard all around the hall, as the large tables filled with food.
There were Roast Potatoes, Chicken, Chips, all sorts of foods.
The children all got their own share of foods, eating as much of as little as they wanted, as well as drinking Pumpkin Juice, which Lily and Harry had never tasted.
"Wow, this is amazing." Remarked Lily, as the two red-head twins beside her turned to face her.
"Fred Weasley."
"George Weasley."
Lily looked between the two, a smile on her face.
She wasn't sure why, maybe it was having been away from the Dursley's for more than twenty minutes, or simply being around all different children her age, nice people, but she was happy, very happy.
"Lily Potter."
Fred and George looked at one another, before looking back to the girl.
"Well, young Lily, how do you feel about pranks?" Asked the twin to the left, she was sure this was Fred.
"Pranks?" She questioned, the twins both nodded. She turned back to her food, before speaking once more.
"I absolutely love them. I honestly can't tell you how many times I've pranked my aunt and uncle, and especially my cousin."
She looked back up at the twins, to see their eyes widened slightly.
"What?" She questioned, furrowing her brows.
George looked back to Fred.
"Freddie, she can be our new edition! We could always use an extra helper, and plus, she's small!"
The two smirked at one another.
"I'm still her you know.." Lily took a peice of chicken into her mouth, looking between the two.
"It seems, young Lily, that we share your love of pranks. Would you like to be our elf helper?" Questioned Fred, looking down at the girl.
"Well, as long as you don't call me an elf, like... ever, then.. yes. Yes I would like to be your.. new edition." She giggled at the boys' expression, as she continued to speak with the people around her.
One of these people included a girl who had been sorted into Ravenclaw, her name was Charlotte Cove.
She had dark skin, brown eyes, and dark drown curly hair, which Lily noticed had some dark blue through it.
The girls had started a conversation about what the Wizarding World was like, as Charlotte was pure-blooded, she knew much more about the wizarding world than Lily did.
They two had turned around on their seats resting their plates on their laps, as Charlotte talked about her love for the wizarding sport, Quidditch.
"My dad taught me when I was younger, he was really good at it when he was young. He went here too, he was in Hufflepuff, and was the captain for the Hufflepuff Quidditch team," she had said, eating some Treacle Tart.
Lily's eyes widened. After hearing a lot about the sport, she thought she actually would like it.
After around another five minutes of talking, Lily's attention went to the many sweet foods on her plate, which she had randomly picked out.
"Hey.. Charlie?" Lily had decided to call her Charlie, Charlotte had said she had been the first person to call her that, and she thought it was cool.
"What are these?" She pointed to a small circular cake, with a sweet gouie substance on the top. "It looks like a mini pie," she looks down at the unfamiliar food.
Charlotte giggled. "That, that is only the best dessert.. in this world. It's called a Treacle Tart, it's one of my favourite foods ever. Try it!" She smiled encouragingly at the girl, before Lily picked up the tart, taking a large bite.
Her eyes widened as a bitter, yet sweet taste settled into her mouth.
"That, that is gorgeous." She said, smiling brightly, looking at her new friend with wide eyes.
"Yup. It's amazing. Mum says I eat them too much.. but I just can't help myself. They're just too good." Charlie replied.
"Too right they're too good!" Exclaimed Lily, still eating. "They're delicious!"
Charlie chuckled. "Yeah, they're really good."
Soon, the children were told to go up to the Common Rooms.
"Well, I'll see you tomorrow?" Charlie asked, smiling at her new friend.
"Yep." Lily smiled back, before saying goodbye and leaving the Great Hall, with her brother.
•••
A/n: AH I'm so so sorry this chapter was so long- anyway what do you guys think of Charlotte?
- Sophie