After a few minutes, Professor McGonagall came back for us, and led us into the Great Hall.

There were four tables to seat each house, and the room was lit by at least a thousand candles. We walked to the end of the room, in front of the teacher's table, and Professor McGonagall placed down a four legged stool. She held a hat, which I knew was what was going to sort us into our houses.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," Professor McGonagall said. "Adams, Emily!"

A girl with hazel eyes and brown hair braided down her back shakily went up and sat on the stool. McGonagall placed the hat on her head. The hat was silent for a moment before –

"SLYTHERIN!" the hat called.

The girl got up and went over to sit at the Slytherin table, where applause greeted her.

"Black, Sirius!" Professor McGonagall called.

Sirius swaggered up to the stool and sat down. McGonagall placed the hat on his head, and we waited for a moment. The hat seemed to be deciding before it called out –

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Sirius exhaled in relief and gave me and James a small thumbs up. The Gryffindor table cheered louder than the Slytherin table. McGonagall called out a few more names before she called out, "Evans, Lily!"

Lily walked up to the hat with trembling legs and sat down upon the rickety stool. Professor McGonagall dropped the Sorting Hat onto her head, and barely a second after it had touched her hair, the hat cried, "GRYFFINDOR!"

I heard a small groan and turned to see Severus beside me. He saw my look and glared at me. I rolled my eyes and returned my attention to the front. Lily went over the Gryffindor table, spied Sirius, and sat far away from him.

There were quite a few names until –

"L/n, Y/n!"

I walked towards the stool and sat down. Professor McGonagall placed the hat on my head. It was silent for a moment.

"Ravenclaw would do you well, with that brain of yours," the hat mused. "As would Slytherin, with your ambition. But the heart you have – that is the heart of a lion. GRYFFINDOR!"

I sighed happily and walked over to join Sirius as the Gryffindors cheered. He clapped me on the back, and I smiled at him. The next name was 'Lupin, Remus.'

I watched as Remus sat on the chair and waited for the hat's decision.

"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat yelled.

I clapped and hollered with the table as Remus came over and sat down next to me.

There were a few more names until Peter Pettigrew was called. The hat mused over it for at least a minute, not being able to decide whether he should be in Hufflepuff or Gryffindor. I crossed my fingers, hoping my new friend was with us. The hat must have heard my pleas because it yelled "GRYFFINDOR!" barely a second later.

We all cheered, and Peter came over to sit next to Remus. After Peter sat down, James Potter was called. He walked up to the stool, and the hat barely touched his head before it called, "GRYFFINDOR!"

I cheered and clapped as James came over and sat down next to Sirius. The rest of the names were called out, including 'Severus Snape', who was placed in Slytherin.

Once all of the students had sat down, an older man – who I knew to be Professor Dumbledore because of my chocolate frog cards – stood up at the front.

"To the new students of Hogwarts, welcome! To the old students, welcome back! There are a few words I would like to say, but first, I'm sure you're all quite hungry. So, dig in!"

Various types of foods began to appear on the plates along the table. There were excited murmurs between the first years, before we all began to dig in and chatter started.

"This is gonna be awesome," James said. "We're all in the same house, and Evans is in Gryffindor, too–"

"Oh my god, you already have a crush on her," I muttered as I speared a potato with my fork.

"Well, can you blame me? Look how pretty she is," he said.

I rolled my eyes and refrained from telling him that there were other attributes in a woman besides beauty.

Conversation resumed, and we all talked excitedly about the upcoming years. We met the ghosts of Hogwarts (after nearly dying from a heart attack because our house ghost, Nearly Headless Nick, appeared out of my plate) and we finished dinner.

"Ahem — just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered," Professor Dumbledore said. "I have a few start-of-term notices to give you. First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils." James and Sirius glanced at each other. "I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors. Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch."

"Quidditch?" James whispered.

"Shut up," I said. "First years aren't allowed, remember?"

"And now, bedtime," Dumbledore said. "First years, please follow your prefects to your dorms. Off you trot!"

A Gryffindor boy and girl who both seemed to be sixteen were waving at the first years. I dragged along James, who grabbed Sirius, who grabbed Remus, who grabbed Peter. We followed the two prefects who led us up stairs that moved and past paintings that talked. I watched Lily walk by herself and look at everything in wonder.

Eventually, we were led to a painting of a woman in a tower. They called her the Fat Lady and gave her a password – jibblesmider – and she swung open, like a door. The prefects led us in and directed us to the dorms, boys on the left and girls on the right. I said goodbye to my friends and made my way to my room.

My dormmates consisted of Marlene McKinnon, Alice Fortescue, Mary McDonald, and Lily Evans, the latter of which kept glaring at me. I decided to offer an olive branch to her when the other three girls began talking amongst themselves.

"Lily," I said. She turned to face me, the glare on her face almost sending me running for the hills. "I think we got off on the wrong foot. I'm sorry I didn't say anything in the compartment. Can we start over? Please?"

Lily seemed to ponder it for a moment before sighing.

"Yeah, I guess so," she replied. "I'm Lily Evans."

She stuck out her hand and I grabbed it and shook.

"Y/n L/n," I said. "Nice to meet you."

Lily smiled a little bit, and I smiled back.

Life at Hogwarts was going to be amazing.