Eleanor Potter ~ My Brother's Best Friend

The sorting ceremony

The five first years got off the train and followed the crowd until they heard a loud voice filling the air.

"Firs' years o'er here!" A very large man with very long and bushy hair was shouting at the terrified first years, the rest of the school just laughed and reminisced as they remembered their first year and knew exactly what was about to happen next.

They made their way over to the giant man and saw he was stood in front of a river, filled with little boats.

"You don't think that's how we're getting to the school do you?" Lily asked the others slightly annoyed that Severus hadn't mentioned anything about any boats.

"Righ' is this everyone?" The giant man asked as all the smallest people in the school huddled around him all slightly terrified of what was going to be asked of them. "Now I need you all to get into groups of three or four and line up so I can help yous into a boat."

It all suddenly got quite loud as everyone began talking and moving around, Lily turned to Ellie and asked if she wanted to be in a boat with her and of course Ellie said yes relieved she didn't have to be the one to ask. Severus then found his way over to Lily to which Lily asked him if he wanted to come in the girl's boat as well which he quickly accepted with a look of relief. Ellie wondered why and her mind went back to how Lily had came into her and the other boy's carriage looking quite upset, as Lily seemed to still be speaking to Severus like normal she came to the conclusion that it must of been someone else in the compartment that Severus had taken her to that upset her. Ellie made a mental note to find out who she had been sat with so that one day she could curse whoever made Lily upset, once she'd learnt the suitable spell of course. She didn't like it when people picked on other people for no reason, and Lily seemed really lovely so why would anyone have a reason to pick on her.

James, Sirius and Remus had all grouped together and were being helped into the boat in front of Lily, Ellie and Severus' boat. Once they were all in their boats the large man (who they had now discovered was called Hagrid) sat in his own boat at the very front and shouted onward and all the boats began moving together across the lake and towards the castle.

Towards Hogwarts.

Their home for the next seven years.

The best years of their lives.

They didn't seem to be in the boats for very long at all until they had reached the other side of the lake and they were all being helped out by Hagrid, only one young boy fell in but luckily it was at the very edge so he was only knee deep in the water and he didn't seem to bothered anyway.  The first years then began walking up towards the castle and soon came to the huge doors which opened on there own as the group approached. They were met at the doors by a witch in emerald green robes and an emerald green hat. She introduced herself as Professor McGonagall.

"Good evening first years and welcome to Hogwarts," She spoke with a strong Scottish accent, "If you would follow me up the stairs please."

The first years hung onto every word she said and eagerly followed as she began to walk up the staircase until they reached another set of doors.

"Now in a few moments you will pass through these doors and join your classmates, but before you take your seats you must be sorted into your houses." McGonagall began, "They are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. And while your here your house will be like your family, your successes will earn you points, any rule breaking and you will lose points. At the end of the year the house with the most points will be awarded the house cup. Now the sorting ceremony will begin please follow me."

The doors opened and they were met with the entrance hall which had four hourglass like containers and each had one of the house names above it. The Ravenclaw hourglass already had a few blue jewels at the bottom, probably for house points Ellie thought before turning towards the great hall. There were four long tables with students sat at them all turning their heads to the first years as they walked into the hall. At the back there was another long table which faced forwards instead of sideways, here sat the teachers and in the middle Albus Dumbledore the headmaster. Ellie and James both recognised him from their chocolate frog card collection, almost every other card they got was Dumbledore, quite annoying really.