Chapter Five - Hogwarts

When the train stopped Severus and I got off first, while the future marauders followed us from behind, all the first years followed the older ones until we heard our names being called.

- "First years this way." - All the first years followed him to the black lake - "Only four to a boat."

Severus and I got into a boat with a girl, blonde, blue-eyed, pale-skinned but not sickly looking. She has an elegant bearing with a cold face that showed no emotion but in her eyes, you could see a little gleam of excitement.

Then up came another little girl with short shoulder-length hair, dark brown, round face, white skin, and brown eyes, she looked nervous and excited.

The blonde girl looked at Sevy and me and then looked at the other boats where the other kids were talking to each other, we were the few ones who didn't talk.

- "Hello" - They looked at me - "I'm Lily Evans and you?"

- "I'm Narcissa Black." - I look at Severus.

- "Severus Snape."

- "Alice Max," - She said looking at us with a small smile.

After we introduced ourselves we stood in silence listening to the water and the other children.

- "Alice, which house do you want to be in?"

- "I'm not sure, but I think Gryffindor would be good." - She looked at me with a shy smile and I smiled and nodded.

- "And you Narcissa?" - I said looking at her.

- "Slytherin, all the Blacks went to that house."

- "Severus wants to be there, I don't know if I'm going to get into Slytherin." - As I said that, Severus looked at me.

- "You're going to be in Slytherin with me," - I looked at him.

- "Sev just because you want me to be in Slytherin with you doesn't mean I'm going to be chosen." - 'There's a chance I'll get into another house and not Gryffindor!'

- "I... fine." - He just sighed in annoyance.

- "Anyway, if we're not in the same house we'll still be friends." - I smiled at him - "Don't worry."

Severus just nodded his head, while we were talking to each other Narcissa looked at us silently analyzing us.

- "Narcissa, Alice, I hope we'll keep talking even if we're not in the same house."

- "Of course, I don't think it would be a problem for us to talk."

- "I'll say the same." - Alice replied.

Suddenly I hear gasps of surprise and amazement, when I turn around I see the castle, it was amazing, at that moment my magic eyes appear, I gasp in surprise to see so many colors surrounding the castle, it was without a doubt something magical.

- "Your eyes," - Said Alice.

- "You have magical sight." - They both looked at me with surprise.

- "Do you know what it is?" - Asked Severus interested.

- "Yes, a long time ago one or another Black had magical sight before they became extinct." - A curious look appeared on her face as she looked me in the eye.

- "Seriously, you wouldn't happen to know how to control it, would you?"

- "I don't, but I can ask my parents if they know anything." - Narcissa said.

- "Really, thank you, Narcissa." - I felt my eyes tingle, and knowing what it was, I looked around.

When we arrived everyone got down from the votes, and we followed the big hairy man to the castle, the hairy man raised a giant fist and knocked three times on the castle door.

'Hagrid looks just like he does in the books, only younger'.

The door opened immediately. A tall, black-haired witch in an emerald green robe stood there. She had a very serious face and Lily's first thought was that she wasn't someone she should make angry. This was someone she was better off not being in trouble with.

- "First years, Professor McGonagall," - Said the hairy man.

- "Thank you very much, Hagrid. I'll take them from here."

She opened the door wide. The entrance hall was so large that they could have fit my whole house in it. The stone walls were lit with glowing torches like those of Gringotts, the ceiling was so high you couldn't see it, and a magnificent marble staircase in front of them led to the upper floors.

We followed Professor McGonagall through a path marked on the stone floor. She could hear the sound of hundreds of voices, coming from a doorway to the right (the rest of the school must have been there), but Professor McGonagall led the first years to a small, empty room off the entrance hall. They gathered there, closer together than they were used to, looking around nervously.

- "Welcome to Hogwarts," - Said Professor McGonagall. - "The New Year's banquet will be held shortly, but before you take your places in the Great Hall, you will have to be selected for your houses. Selection is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be like your family at Hogwarts. You will have lessons with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitories and spend your free time in your house common room."

> "The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its noble history and each has produced notable witches and wizards. While at Hogwarts, their triumphs will earn the houses points, while any infraction of the rules will cause them to lose points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points will be awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope that all of you will be a credit to the house you play for."

> "The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes, in front of the rest of the school. I suggest that, while you are waiting, you get dressed up as best you can, Welcome to Hogwarts," - Said Professor McGonagall. - "I will be back when we have everything ready for the ceremony," - Said Professor McGonagall. - "Please wait quietly."

Then something happened that made her jump in the air... Many of the people in the back screamed.

About twenty ghosts had just passed through the back wall. Pearl-white and slightly transparent, they were gliding around the room, talking to each other, barely looking at the first years. They were arguing.

- "Let's get going," - Said a high-pitched voice. - "The Sorting Ceremony is about to begin."

Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one, the ghosts floated across the opposite wall.

- "Now form a line," - Said the professor to the first years, - "and follow me."

They left the room, walked back across the hall, through double doors, and into the Great Dining Hall.

It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles, hovering in the air above four large tables, where the other students were already seated. On the tables were golden plates, cutlery, and goblets. On a podium at the head of the dining room was another large table, where the teachers were seated.

Professor McGonagall led the first-year students there and had them stop and line up in front of the other students, with the teachers at their backs.