#fletcher bones

Everyone gathered at the top of the stairs as someone else descended from above and greeted them. It was there Uncle Neville.

"It's going to be weird calling him Professor Longbottom isn't it. I'm so used to calling him Uncle Neville," Roxy whispered to the group but before anyone could agree Neville began to speak.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor Longbottom eagerly. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, your house will be like your second family while at Hogwarts. You will have classes with your house, sleep in your house dormitory and spend free time in your house common room. The four houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Slytherin and Ravenclaw. Each house has a head, I'm head of Gryffindor, Professor Flitwick is head of Ravenclaw, Professor Deverill is head of Hufflepuff and Professor Higgs is head of Slytherin. While you are at Hogwarts, your achievements will earn your house points, however breaking the rules is not tolerated and any rule-breaking will lose your house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup. I hope each of you will be happy and bring great success to whichever house becomes yours. The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes. Don't worry whatever house you're put in will be lucky to have you, good luck." 

Everyone had begun to chatter excitedly but soon the excitement changed to worry as Professor Longbottom hurried everyone into a line and began to lead them into the great hall.

Lily was stunned as they entered the great hall through the ancient wooden arch. Four long tables were sat in the middle of the hall, one belonging to Slytherin, one to Ravenclaw, one to Hufflepuff and the other to Gryffindor, where the majority of the Potter-Weasley clan were chuckling at the dumbstruck faces of all the first years. 

As Lily looked up at the staff table she recognised quite a few faces. Hagrid was there, he taught care of magical creatures, Headmistress McGonagall was in the middle, she still taught transfiguration because she couldn't bear to give it up after she became Headmistress. 

Professor Flitwick still taught charms.

Professor Deverill was head of Hufflepuff and the muggle studies teacher. 

A man with chocolate brown hair was sat on one end of the table and smirking eerily as they made there way down the hall and Lily could only assume that this was Professor Higgs, head of Slytherin and the potions master at Hogwarts. 

All the first years were now stood at the other end of the hall where a dusty three-legged stool and a crinkly old hat lay. Just when everyone was settling down and waiting for the ceremony to commence the hat burst out into song. They all listened to the song eagerly, taking in every little thing it said. 

After the rather impressive and catchy song,  Professor Longbottom walked over to the chair and picked up the hat. 

"Okay, when I call out your name I would like you to come and sit on the stool. I will place the sorting hat on your head and it will call out which house you will belong to. When your house has been decided go and join your house at its table, this is where you will be eating all your meals for the next 7 years." 

Everyone was watching nervously as the first couple of names were called out,

"Bones, Fletcher" called out Professor Longbottom, Lily gave him a reassuring thumbs up which made him feel a bit better but his stomach was still doing somersaults. 

He sat down nervously and then the sorting hat was placed on his head, "Ahhh, I see great potential here. You're brave, yes, extremely brave. You've had a difficult past I see, not much family left. Your loyalty is undeniable and you have a thirst to prove yourself. Well, I've made my decision ... GRYFFINDOR!" 

Flecther was really excited, he'd always wanted to be Gryffindor. 

"Goyle, Gina"

"SLYTHERIN."

"Sarah Harvey"

"HUFFLEPUFF."

"Hannah Hastings"

"SLYTHERIN."

"Peter Malec"

"RAVENCLAW."

"Cassiopeia Malfoy,"

"SLYTHERIN."

"Potter, Lily" Professor Longbottom called.

Lily was terrified, she didn't know what was going to happen if she wasn't in Gryffindor, I mean sure she didn't want to be the same as everyone else but she couldn't fathom what would happen if she wasn't with her brothers.

"Another Potter. I see you're not like your brothers, you want to stand out, be different to everyone else. Of course you're brave and loyal but you're also intelligent and selfless. However, there is one trait in you that I can see overrides the other. Ambition."

Ambition? Lily thought No, it couldn't be. Ambition was the leading trait of a ... a Slytherin. 

Before Lily could get the hat to change its mind it'd gone and opened its big trap.

"SLYTHERIN!" The hat called.

The Great Hall was submerged into a black hole of silence, nobody could escape it, even the Slytherin table were rendered speechless. 

Lily had tears in her eyes, what were her parents going to think. She looked for Al's face in the crowd, surely he would help her. 

Albus had looked away, she could see his knuckles turning white as he clenched onto the edge of the table. The silence was broke by Lucy and Roxy clapping furiously,

"Whooo! Go Lily" Roxy was shouting.

"We love you Lils." Lucy hollered at her approvingly. Then they both began chanting for her,

"Lily! Lily! Lily!" Hugo had joined in and soon all of the first years were in on it too. 

Lily couldn't believe it, they didn't care that she was in Slytherin? But she was a Potter, they were meant to be in Gryffindor. As Lily watched an uncontrollable smile spread across her face. 

Rose was cheering. Most of the hall had joined in, however, one thing that was tearing her happiness up was that nobody apart from James, Dom, Fletcher, Fred and a couple of their friends from the Gryffindor table were cheering for her.

"LILY! LILY! LILY!" 

Even the Slytherins had joined in, abandoning their prejudice beliefs for just one minute and chanting with the rest of the great hall. Lily was instantly uplifted. Everyone was cheering for her, apart from the stinking Gryffindor table but even that couldn't dampen her spirits.

Lily hopped off of her seat, suddenly in a really joyous mood and practically ran to the Slytherin table where she was greeted by several people all hoping she was okay and telling her not to worry, telling her that Slytherin house was proud to have her.

 Lily looked over to the Gryffindor table as the chants began to die down and caught the eye of Fletcher, he gave her a massive thumbs up then proceeded to watch the sorting. It was time for the surnames beginning with W now.

"Weasley, Lucy"

Lucy walked up to the stool, sat down and waited for the at to be placed in her head. As soon as the hat was on Lucy had something to say.

"Before you say anything I want you to know that I want to be put in Slytherin." She said. This took the hat by surprise but as it delved deeper into her brain he saw her reasoning. 

"Ahh, so you want to be there for your cousin, Lily. Correct?" The hat asked.

"That's true," she replied, "I don't want her to have to go through this alone, although she may seem alright now I know that further down the line she's going to be hurting, a lot. I can't let her get that way which is why I'm begging you to place me in Slytherin so that I can support my cousin." 

The sorting hat seemed to ponder this idea before finally making up his mind.

"You would've made a perfect Hufflepuff Lucy, you're loyalty and kindness towards Lily just proves it but I will do as you wish and put you in Slytherin." The hat agreed, calling out the house.

"SLYTHERIN!"

Lucy bounced off her chair and went to join Lily and her fellow housemates. Everyone clapped for her and James gave her a knowing glance from across the hall and smiled in thanks.

The rest of the first years got sorted with Roxy and Hugo both being sorted into Gryffindor with the rest of the family, the feast continued as normal, with McGonagall giving a speech and everyone tucking in to their food.

Once everyone had finished the feast the prefects led the first years up to the house common rooms and showed them their rooms. Lucy and Lily gripped each others hands as they were led down to the dungeons instead of up a tower to the Gryffindor common room.

“Welcome to the Slytherin Common Room,”