Before the End

The Sorting, September 1^st, 1971

Lily and the rest of the first years followed Professor McGonagall into the huge Entrance Hall again. They had very little time to stare, though, because she quickly led them across the hall and into the huge doors at the other side.

The room they entered was even larger than the Entrance Hall. There were four long tables down the length of the room. At the far side was a long table where sat about ten people who must be the teachers. Professor McGonagall led the first years to that table and they lined up in front of it.

Professor McGonagall placed a stool in front of the first years, and then a very old hat on top of it. The state of the hat would have met Petunia faint. Lily smiled to herself, though she didn't feel at all like smiling.

What the hat did next would definitely have made Petunia faint.

A rip in the brim opened like a mouth, and the hat began to sing.

A thousand years ago or more

The greatest wizards of that time

Met together and decided

To build this school of mine.

And in this school they decided

To have four houses bear their names

And in each house there would be students

Who shared their own distinct traits.

Gryffindor for bravery

Ravenclaw if they were smart

Slytherin for the cunning

Hufflepuff for workers hard.

Gryffindor was chivalrous

Ravenclaw was wise

Slytherin was unscrupulous

And Hufflepuff was kind.

Students were chosen out by hand

When the Founders were alive

But soon arose a problem

What to do when they had died.

Then Gryffindor's idea came

I was chosen for the part

The Founders ideals were put in me

So I could tell house apart.

So remember what I do for you

Just put me on and then,

I'll chose the proper house for you

I've been right ever since then!

The hat bowed to all the tables and fell silent.

Professor McGonagall was holding a long list. "When I call your names, you will sit on the stool and try on the hat. Ackerley, Christopher!"

The hat shouted, "RAVENCLAW!"

* * *

"Avery, Henry!"

"SLYTHERIN!" shouted the hat.

Sirius wasn't sure if he was glad or not that his last name was Black. At least he hadn't been first.

"Black, Sirius!"

Ah, well. Doomed anyway.

Sirius walked to the stool and put on the hat. It covered his entire head.

The hat was talking.

"Hmmm ... You want to be in Gryffindor, don't you? Well, let's see. Mischievous ... that will get you in trouble, you know. Definite intelligence, although not much sense ... you know, you're quite a lot like Godric Gryffindor himself. Yes ... GRYFFINDOR!"

It shouted the last word to the whole hall, and the table on the far left cheered as Sirius took off the hat. He almost ran to the table, checking that his mice were still in his pocket.

* * *

Lily watched as Sirius Black went to the Gryffindor table, then listened to the Sorting. Kenneth Branstone was Sorted into Hufflepuff.

"Cauldwell, William!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Consueta, Eve!"

Lily stared. That couldn't be...

It was, definitely. She could clearly see Eve's black hair just before she put on the hat.

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

It was Eve. She ran over to the Hufflepuff table. Lily wondered how her friend was a witch...

"Cromwell, Olivia!"

Annetta, who was next to Lily, tensed.

"SLYTHERIN!"

"Dobbs, Irving!"

Only one or two more.

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Dorny, Joan!"

"Dunstan, Beatrice!"

"Evans, Lily!"

Lily gulped and walked to the stool. She shouldn't have worried. The hat yelled "GRYFFINDOR!" almost before it was on her head.

* * *

Remus really didn't expect to be in Gryffindor. His parents had both been Gryffindors, but he was a werewolf. He was a Dark creature, no matter what anyone said. And with the murders, and the disappearances, and everything else his parents talked about when they thought he was asleep, Dark creatures were not exactly respected.

"Gudgeon, David" was put in Hufflepuff. Then "Jones, Gladys" was as well, "Kloet, Annika" went to Ravenclaw, and then they were in the L's.

"Lestrange, Jason!"

"SLYTHERIN!"

"Lovegood, Eseld!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Lupin, Remus!"

Remus walked to the stool and sat down, trying not to look as if he was walking to his own execution. He put on the hat, and was very startled when he heard a voice in his ear.

"Hmmm ... interesting. Very interesting. Lots of bravery ... intelligence ... Yes, you're a werewolf, but still ... yes ... GRYFFINDOR!"

The last word was shouted to the whole hall, and Remus took the hat off and walked quickly to the Gryffindor table.

* * *

Annetta fully expected to be in Ravenclaw.

It would be a shame, she thought as she watched Remus walk to the Gryffindor table. Lily was in Gryffindor, and so were Sirius and Remus. Still, Ravenclaw would be all right. As long as she wasn't in Slytherin.

Linda Mare was put in Slytherin.

"More, Annetta!"

Annetta walked to the stool trying to look perfectly calm, and put the hat on her head.

"A More, are you? And all of you in Ravenclaw, of course ... You'd do very well there yourself, you know. Yes, you could go in Ravenclaw - love of learning, knowledge - yes, you'd do very well in Ravenclaw. Yes, I think you should ... No. There's something -not Ravenclaw. GRYFFINDOR!"

Annetta put the hat down and walked to the Gryffindor table, so surprised that she almost forgot where it was.

* * *

Peter was not very worried about which House he'd go in. If he went into Ravenclaw, his mother would be happy. He'd prefer to be in Gryffindor, of course. If he went to Hufflepuff or Slytherin - well, he'd prefer not to go into either. And as everyone he'd met here so far except James had got into Gryffindor, and James wanted to go into Gryffindor, Gryffindor would probably be the best. But he could live in any other House.

Besides, he didn't think it was possible to cheat the Sorting Hat, so he'd end up in whatever House he ended up in, and there was no point in worrying about it.

"North, Jennifer" went to Slytherin. "Ollopa, Cassandra" was a Gryffindor.

"Pettigrew, Peter!"

Peter walked up to the hat, looking much calmer than Annetta with about half the effort.

"Let me see," said the hat. "Brains, but not enough focus for Ravenclaw. Not Hufflepuff. Where shall I put you? You could be a Slytherin ... cunning, certainly. But not very ambitious ... better be GRYFFINDOR!"

Peter walked quickly to the table on the left.

* * *

If James Potter didn't get in Gryffindor, he would be very disappointed. Even though Elizabeth and Mary were in Gryffindor. So when his name was called, he tried hard not to look nervous and walked up to the hat.

"Hmmm," said the hat, "You could fit into Slytherin or Gryffindor. Certainly ambitious enough for Slytherin ... No, too much bravery for anywhere but GRYFFINDOR!"

That was quick, James thought, walking to the Gryffindor table and sitting next to Sirius.

LILY VII

September 1^st, 1971

Annetta had looked very shocked when she was Sorted into Gryffindor, but she seemed happy as well. Lily was, anyway.

She still couldn't believe the Eve was a witch. She mentioned this to Annetta.

James heard her. "Where does she live?" he asked Lily as "Sinistra, Florence" was Sorted into Slytherin.

"15, Phoenix Avenue," Lily said. "Does it matter?"

"Phoenix Avenue ... she was probably Muggle-born. And I've never heard of the Consuetas."

"Why does where she lives matter?"

"Godric's Hollow is sort of split," said Sirius. "Most of the wizards live east of Golden Street. Some wizards and some Muggles live on either side, though."

"I think one of my Mum's friends had someone called Eve Consueta," said Annetta. "She'd be Muggle-born, then."

"Your mother's an Obviamir?" asked Sirius.

"Yes."

"But the Mores don't need to work," said James. "They're basically the richest wizarding family there is. And they still do."

"We're very eccentric. And the Malfoys are about twenty times as rich and influential. There's no point in bringing up rank. You're a Potter, after all."

"Wasn't that bringing up rank?" Remus asked, grinning.

"No," said Annetta, "that was bringing up heredity. The Sorting's almost finished."

It was. Sonia Vablatsky was Sorted into Ravenclaw, then "Weasley, Anne" and "Whisp, Jenny" were Sorted to Gryffindor, and Professor McGonagall took the hat, stool, and list into an antechamber as a man in the centre of the Head Table with a very long beard stood up.

"Hello," he said. "I don't want to keep you waiting for your food, but I have a few announcements to make. I am Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster of this school. First of all, I would like to welcome all new students who have just been Sorted, and to welcome back all students who are returning. Now, please pay attention. A Whomping Willow has been placed on the grounds. This tree is exceptionally dangerous and I would advise all of you to stay as far away from it as possible. To all new students, the Forbidden Forest on the edges of the school grounds is forbidden to students, hence its name.

"Also, a notice from our caretaker, Argus Filch, that the list of items banned in the corridors has been expanded to include stink pellets, hiccup sweets, and frog-spawn soap. Anyone wishing to see this list, which now consists of four hundred and fifteen items, will find it in Mr. Filch's office.

"On a lighter note, there are a few places open on most of the House Quidditch teams. Anyone wished to play for their House should contact either their Head of House, or Madam Hooch.

"The Heads of Houses are Professor McGonagall, for Gryffindor, Professor Flitwick, for Ravenclaw, Professor Sprout, for Hufflepuff, and Professor Egg, for Slytherin.

"And now, just two more words. Tuck in."

And food appeared.

Lily stared as the gold plates which had already been on the table were covered with roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon, steak, roast potatoes, fried potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, and peppermint humbugs.

Lily stared at the peppermint humbugs and decided not to ask.

She helped herself to a little of everything (except the humbugs) and listened to the conversations going on around her. Next to her, Annetta seemed to be doing the same.

"...Half-blood? I'm Pureblooded, I think most of the first years are, not that it matters..."

"...Turned my aunt into a horned toad, took them ages to get her back..."

"...You won't be doing very interesting things for a few months, just matches into needles and that sort of thing, they start you off small..."

"...My little sister's a genius, it's really annoying..."

"...Eleven inches, mahogany, dragon heartstring, and he said it was good for Transfiguration..."

"...Falmouth Falcons versus Wimbourne Wasps. I wish I could go, but classes will have started by then..."

"...Ravenclaw won the House Cup last year, hope we get it this year. Maybe the new first years will help..."

"...My brother Arthur works in the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office. He's twenty six..."

"...My parents wouldn't tell me anything about it. They just changed the subject. What do you think it is? It must be something pretty bad..."

"...I hear Sprout got a whole shipment of bubotubors, hope we don't have to work with them..."

"...Hundreds of them this year, I really don't know what the wizarding world's coming to with all this filth. But then, it's just what you can expect, with this Headmaster..."

The last voice came from the Slytherin table. Lily twisted around to look.

A tall girl with blonde hair had obviously said that. Olivia Cromwell, the one Annetta didn't like, was sitting next to her; Lily could hear her saying, "I quite agree, Narcissa..."

An older student had noticed her looking. A girl with black hair, grey eyes, and glasses said, "That's Narcissa Cromwell. Don't get on her bad side. I'm Elizabeth Potter, who are you?"

"Lily Evans. Is your brother James Potter?"

"Yes. Make sure he doesn't put a mouse in your bed, he and Sirius Black are just -"

"Narcissa Cromwell?" That was Annetta.

"Yes. You're a More, aren't you?"

"Yes."

"I'm Elizabeth Potter."

"James Potter's sister?"

"I can already tell that I'm doomed forever to be known as 'James Potter's sister'. It's usually the younger siblings who are known like that."

"She doesn't look anything like her sister," said Lily.

"Who?" asked Annetta.

"Um," said Lily. "Narcissa Cromwell, I mean."

"Does it matter?" Annetta usually seemed to be open-minded; Lily wondered why she wasn't being so now.

"Talking to my sister, are you?" asked James, turning away from Peter. "Don't, she'll start lecturing you about rules. At least Mary and Andromeda aren't here."

"I'm right here," said another girl who looked almost exactly like Elizabeth and was sitting next to her. "Don't pretend you can't see me, James, you know perfectly well where I am."

"And I'm here," said Sirius' sister on Annetta's right.

"We're surrounded by them," said Sirius, as if his sisters were bats or something.

Lily could sympathise, although she already rather liked the three older girls. Not that she would tell that to James or Sirius; from the expressions on their faces as they looked at their sisters, anyone who said that would get one of Sirius' mice in her bed.

Lily resolved to get Annetta's cat to guard the dormitory door at night.

They had almost finished the food by now, and once it was all gone, on the tables appeared blocks of ice cream in every flavour Lily could think of, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate eclairs, jam doughnuts, strawberries, and rice pudding.

"Why don't you like your sisters?" Lily asked James and Sirius (By now, Elizabeth, Mary, and Andromeda weren't listening to them).

"Don't you have a sister?" James asked.

"Wasn't her name Peony or something?" asked Sirius.

"Don't you dislike her?" asked James.

They said this so fast that it could have been one person speaking.

"Yes. Petunia. Yes," said Lily. "I was wondering if there was any actual reason."

"Not really."

"Well, they've spoiled sixteen of our experiments."

"What kind of experiments?" asked Peter Pettigrew, who was sitting next to James. "Anything to do with frogs?"

"We didn't mean to hit you!" Sirius protested.

"We just did," added James.

"That's not what I asked," said Peter. "I just wanted to know where you got the frogs."

James and Sirius grinned at each other.

Lily decided to see if any of the other girls who would be in her dormitory had any pets that could help guarding the door.

She still hadn't forgotten the toad in her desk at school when she was nine.

"The Mores aren't usually in Gryffindor, are they?" Remus asked Annetta.

"Every single member of my family, both sides, has been in Ravenclaw for at least five hundred years," Annetta answered. "Except my cousin."

"How did you get here then?"

"I don't know."

Most people were finished eating by now. Several people at the end of each table stood up. So did Professor Dumbledore.

"You will be shown to your House common rooms by the Prefects. Good night!"

The Prefects at the ends of the House tables started for the huge double doors at the back of the Great Hall, and the students followed. Lily happened to look up. She gasped.

The ceiling of the Great Hall - well, actually it looked more like the Great Hall didn't have a ceiling, that it just disappeared into the night sky.

"The ceiling is enchanted to mirror the sky outside," said Annetta. "Didn't you read Hogwarts, A History?"

"Some of it," said Lily.

Hogwarts, A History had been about half as large as a dictionary. Lily couldn't believe anyone could read all of it in one month.

The Prefects led them down several corridors and through several passages hidden behind tapestries. Lily tried to remember where they were going so she wouldn't get lost - Hogwarts was huge - but she was very tired and couldn't pay much attention. Suddenly she was jerked awake by something hitting her in the back of the head. She yelped and looked around.

Behind her was a pile of rulers, floating in mid-air. One of them was raised to throw.

"That's Peeves," said the Prefect. "He's a poltergeist." He raised his voice. "Peeves! Show yourself!"

A tiny little man with mismatched clothes appeared with a very rude noise and a lot of purple smoke.

"Hello, ickle firsties," he said, and swooped toward them. Lily ducked.

"Stop that, Peeves!" said the red-haired Prefect. "The Bloody Baron will hear about this, trust me!"

Peeves disappeared with another rude noise and more smoke. The rulers landed on Sirius' head.

The Prefect looked angry. "Peeves doesn't even listen to us Prefects," he said. "The Bloody Baron - the Slytherin ghost - is the only one who can control him. Follow me."

They continued along the corridors and up the stairs. Finally they stopped in front of a large portrait of a fat lady in a pink dress. "Password?" she asked sharply.

"The password," the Prefect called to the students, "is Liondragon!" The portrait swung open, and the students walked into the opening under it.

The room they entered was decorated almost solely in red and gold and full of squashy armchairs and small tables. It was round, obviously the base of one of the towers, and at the far side was a large fireplace with a fire crackling merrily in it. The room looked, altogether, very cosy and comfortable and warm.

But Lily was now so tired that she wasn't very interested in the room, and was very glad when the Prefect pointed out the stairs to the dormitories and they went up to the rooms.

Their dormitory was at the top of the stairs, with a sign saying, 'First Years." It was also round, and in it stood five large four poster beds with scarlet hangings and gold trim. There were several windows, and in front of each was a small table with a pitcher of water on it. The beds already had their trunks, which they had left on the train, at their foots. Lily's bed was near a window. She quickly changed into her nightgown, and very soon she was asleep.