The Chosen

“Oh, my mum was a Gryffindor.”
 
“Really?” Severus said slyly, “Now we can get a three person debate going.”
 
“Leave them alone Severus,” Jean scolded, “ This is between you and me.”
 
The door opened again, and this time another blonde girl stood there only she was much paler. “Can I…”
 
“Oh course,” Lily responded and then pointed at each person she said, “I’m Lily, and these are Jean, Severus, Remus, and Christine.”
 
“Oh, I’m Narcissa Collins,” said the pale blonde, and then she took a seat.
 
“Hey Narcissa,” Jean asked, “Would you prefer Slytherin or Ravenclaw?”
 
“Does it really matter?” She asked a little abruptly.
 
Jean and Severus both laughed. “Of course!” they both screamed at the same time.
 

* * * * *

In Arabella’s compartment Sirius was fighting with the other black haired boy; James. Well, not really fighting, they were more like wrestling. She wasn’t sure why but it looked like it had something to do with the last of the chocolate frogs. “You two are so immature!” She stated flatly.
 
“What?” Sirius said with a laugh.
 
“Nothing,” Arabella sighed. The door was opened and a witch offered them some more food. Both James and Sirius practically dived at the food tray, and Arabella groaned. “Will you two ever grow up?” she muttered under her breath.
 
“No,” James said as he munched on the mountains of candy.
 

* * * * *

When the train came to a stop everyone piled out. “Firs’ years this way!” screamed an extremely large man. A group of young and practically petrified students followed him to a bunch of boats. Lily, Jean, Severus, and Narcissa took one boat together after having a severely bright smile flashed their way, by the man, who was named Hagrid. Remus and Christine ended up in a boat with 2 boys they had never seen before. And Arabella, Sirius, and James, took a boat with a smug looking flaxen haired girl, who didn’t say a word to them the whole way there. The boats went up the river and there was a collective gasp when Hogwarts came into view.
 
“It’s beautiful,” Narcissa whispered. She was right. Hogwarts was a large castle up on a cliff, but it didn’t look foreboding in the least, as one would expect. Something about it seemed to glow and welcome them onward towards it.
 
A stern looking woman who looked to in her middle forties greeted them at the dock. “Welcome to Hogwarts, I am Professor McGonagall,” she said to the new arrivals. She began to explain that they would be sorted into of four houses, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Slytherin, or Ravenclaw, and that they would spend most of their time with their house. Christine let out a little yelp and grabbed Remus’s arm. He tried to force her off, but she clung on tightly as Professor McGonagall led them into the great hall. Again there was a collective gasp and a great deal of muttering as they all looked up to see the enchanted ceiling. They all lined up in the front of the room, all eyes were fixed on the ragged hat on the stool. “What’s that?” whispered a large boy with dull blonde hair. Then he got his answer. The hat started to sing.
 
I am the sorting hat my dear
And my job is to make it clear
You might be a Gryffindor,
Brave, and, bold, and true
Or maybe you’re wise and smart,
Then Ravenclaw’s for you.
Are you patient, sincere, and kind?
Then dearest it’s Hufflepuff for your loving mind.
Slytherin might be your home
If you’re clever and have desire alone
So come on,
I am the sorting hat,
Sit down; let’s have a chat
 
Professor McGonagall looked at the first years a moment, and then went to her list to call off the names of students.
 
“Black, Sirius,” She called out first. He gave Arabella an almost nervous glance and then he walked up, sat on the stool, and placed the hat upon his head.
 
“Well, well, would you look at that,” said a voice in inside Sirius’s head, “Loyalty at all costs, good lad. Well I can see only one place for you…GRYFFINDOR” That last word rang out in the hall and a table of students decorated in red and gold stood up to cheer.
 
“Bones, Jonathon”
 
“HUFFLEPUFF”
 
“Caldwell, Jean.” Jean grinned at Lily and the others and headed toward the hat.
 
“Honey, why do this to me, I hate breaking hearts.”
 
“What,” Jean thought
 
“You want to be in Ravenclaw to please your mother, right?”
 
“Yes.”
 
“Your mind seems up for it, but your heart…it has other plans. I have no choice…GRYFFINDOR” Jean heard the wild cheers, but she also felt her heart drop. What would her mother say?
 
“Collins, Narcissa.” She approached with a little bit of a tremble in her swagger, and did just as the others had.
 
“SLYTHERIN” The hat called out, without really consulting with her. Narcissa looked vaguely shocked, but walked to the Slytherin table.
 
“Diggle, Dedalus”
 
“HUFFLEPUFF”
 
A number of others were called and then… “Evans, Lillian” Lily’s head rang, this was it, what if she wasn’t in a house with anyone she knew, or worse, what if this was all a mistake in the first place. She had to find out the hard way.
 
“Goodness darling, you’re going to be hard. Let me see here. Now what am I going to do with you?”
 
“Please don’t send me away.”
 
“Send you away? Of course not dear. Let’s see here how about we go with…GRYFFINDOR” Jean was the first to jump to her feet and cheer, as Lily joined her.
 
“Figg, Arabella.” The dull blonde didn’t look back as she took the hat. It didn’t say much to her and she was made yet another Gryffindor.
 
“Grant, Christine.” She shot a frightened look at Remus and walked up to the stool with the hat on it. The little girl looked like she would pass out.
 
“Don’t be afraid,” said the voice inside her head, “I’m only going to put you in the house that’s best for you. Now let’s see timid, yes, and kind and generous, oh darling don’t cry…HUFFLEPUFF” Christine looked back toward Remus with tears glittering in her eyes as she joined the cheering Hufflepuffs.
 
“Gudgeon, Davy”
 
“HUFFLEPUFF”
 
“Lestrange, Ryan.” The vindictive looking boy put the hat on his head, the entire hall thought they heard it laughing before it shouted, “SLYTHERIN”
 
“Longbottom, Frank.”
 
“GRYFFINDOR”
 
“Lovegood, Gavin”
 
“RAVENCLAW”
 
“Lupin, Remus.” Over at the Hufflepuff table Christine crossed her fingers, and leaned forward trying to hear.
 
“Oy vey what a year, another hard one.”
 
“I’m sorry,” Remus thought.
 
“No problem little one, I think I’ll take a gamble with you.” Remus sighed with relief; he too was scared of being sent away, but for a very different reason than Lily. “GRYFFINDOR” Remus smiled weakly and walked over to the cheering Gryffindor table, and Christine held back tears.
 
“Malfoy, Gretchen.” The smug looking pale girl sauntered over to the stool and the hat was barely on her head before it screamed Slytherin. She smiled, her brother would be proud.
 
“McKinnon, Mackenzie”
 
“RAVENCLAW”
 
“Mcmillian, Aaron”
 
“HUFFLEPUFF”
 
“Norell, Alison”
 
“RAVENCLAW”
 
“O’Flaherty, Fiona”
 
“GRYFFINDOR”
 
“Pennyfeather, Laura”
 
“RAVENCLAW”
 
“Pettigrew, Peter.” The large boy walked to the hat almost as nervously as Christine.
 
“Hello little one, don’t be afraid, now let’s see…oh dear, now isn’t that disappointing. Such fear, dreadful, but everything else…oh my. I couldn’t make you a Slytherin, they’d eat you alive, a Ravenclaw perhaps…oh dear me…I really shouldn’t dothis, you have too much fear, but I have no real other option…GRYFFINDOR.” The startled boy walked over to the Gryffindors…too much fear?
 
“Pontner, Rodney”
 
“RAVENCLAW”
 
“Potter, James.” The black haired boy looked at his friends Arabella and Sirius over at the Gryffindor table, smiled, and put on the hat.
 
“Awww would you look at that.” James was shocked to hear such words “Perfect fit…. GRYFFINDOR” James walked over to his friend grinning broadly.
 
“Rosier, Evan”
 
“SLYTHERIN”
 
“Smethley, Veronica”
 
“HUFFLEPUFF”
 
“Snape, Severus.” As Severus stepped forward Lily held her breath.
 
“I hope he gets Slytherin, just like he wants,” Jean whispered. Lily shot her a glare and pointed at Christine. Jean nodded sadly, but then…
 
“SLYTHERIN” The hat screamed. Severus looked happy, but maybe a little disappointed, but of course no one could tell. He took his seat at the Slytherin table just as ‘Travers, Cameron’ was made another one.
 
“Timms, Agatha”
 
“HUFFLEPUFF”
 
“Turpin, Alan”
 
“RAVENCLAW”
 
“Warbeck, Celestina”
 
“RAVENCLAW”
 
“Wilkes, Patrick”
 
“SLYTHERIN”
 
After the ceremony, the headmaster; Albus Dumbledore stood up. A few older Slytherins groaned. “Welcome to a new year here at Hogwarts! I have a few words for you all; Capture the flag.” He smiled and then sat back down. Everyone, including those who had groaned, applauded. Then the feast began, several first years continued with their gasping as the food appeared. Lily felt a little afraid. Everyone seemed so at home here and she didn’t really know anyone. Well, except Jean, but she seemed to have engaged in an intense conversation with an older girl.
 
“Oh, yes the classes are hard sometimes, but I’m sure you can handle them,” The girl said sweetly.
 
“I certainly hope so,” Jean replied.
 
On Lily’s other side Remus, from the train, was fidgeting around nervously. “Are you okay?” Lily asked him.
 
“Yes, I’m fine,” He answered, but he didn’t look it. Lily looked at him skeptically, but decided not to say anything. She just sat there twisting her hands. “So, what do you think class will be like?”
 
Lily looked at him oddly for a few seconds and then smiled. “Complicated, defiantly.”
 
“I hope they aren’t too hard, but the likelihood of that…” he trailed off nervously, and started to stare downward at the table.
 
“Don’t worry about it.”
 
“I won’t too much, I’m kind of scared of being here.”
 
“You’re not alone Remus.” Lily looked around she was scared too. Then Jean tapped Lily on the shoulder.
 
“Making friends?” Jean asked quite expectantly.
 
Lily looked at Remus and smiled, “Of course.”
 
After the feast some older students led the first years to their common rooms and dormitories. Professor Dumbledore had taken Remus to his office, which was peculiar, but everyone was a little too tired to wonder why. Arabella almost got lost because she had her eyes on a Ravenclaw prefect, but Sirius pulled her back. They all came to a halt suddenly in front of a portrait of a large woman dressed all in pink. She looked them over and muttered “password?” a few first years gasped again.
 
“Swiss fish,” said the prefect.
 
“Swiss fish?” Arabella asked looking confused, but no one heard her.