Letters To Hogwarts (Final Chapter)

When Severus and Lily got off, they could hear a loud voice calling “Firs' years! Firs' years, this way!”

“Whoa!” Lily said, her eyes widening at the large man. Even Severus's eyes widened. The man was huge with hair and a beard and beetle black eyes that sparkled. He was almost a giant.

“C'mon! This way! Firs' years over here! Any more of yeh? Watch yer step!” Said the large man. Then, they followed him, Lily clutched Severus's hand as they walked down a steep narrow path. The large man suddenly said “Yeh'll be getting' yer firs' look at Hogwarts in a sec. It's jus' 'round the bend!”

The narrow path had opened up to reveal a big black lake. Perched on top of a mountain on the other side was a vast castle with towers and turrets.

“Oh, it's beautiful!” Lily whispered into Severus's ear. He smiled and said “Yeah, it is.”

“No more'n four to a boat!” The large man called. Severus noticed for the first time a lot of little boats. He and Lily crawled into one of them and were followed by two others. There was a commotion and then the large man called “Everyone in? Right! FORWARD!”

The boats lurched and moved across the lake. Lily looked down at the water and Severus said “What do you think'll happen if I touch it?”

“The water?” Lily asked. She reached in and let a finger glide over the surface of the water. Soon, a tentacle came up out of the water and Lily screamed, backing into Severus. “What is that?”

“Must be the giant squid,” a kid behind them said. “My dad told me that there was a giant squid in the lake.”

They crossed and clambered out of the boats. Lily kept close to Severus and they followed the large man through a passageway in the rock in front of them and coming out onto damp grass. They walked up a flight of steps in front of them and the large man called “We all here? Okay,” and he knocked on the door.

The door opened and a severe looking woman with black hair pulled back into a tight bun and square spectacles. She looked down at them and the large man said “The firs' years, Professor McGonagall.”

“That's the woman who took me to Diagon Alley!” Lily whispered into Severus's ear.

“Thank you, Hagrid,” Professor McGonagall said. “I'll take them from here.”

The large man, Hagrid, walked away and Professor McGonagall pulled the doors wide. The first years shuffled forwards into the entrance hall and Lily whispered “Sev! I could fit my whole house in here!”

“And mine with it,” Severus said, smiling slightly.

They followed Professor McGonagall into the room and she then turned and said “Welcome to Hogwarts. The start-of-term banquet will start shortly, however you must first be sorted into your houses before you take your seat in the Great Hall. Sorting is very important, because it will be someone of a family to you. You will sleep in the dormitories and spend your free time in the common room. You will also have classes with the rest of your house.

“The four houses are called Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. Each house has its own history and have produced many good witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn you house points. Any rule-breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points earn the house cup. A great honor. I hope each and every one of you will work towards it.

“The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I recomment you smarten yourselves up while you wait.”

She left and Lily wondered aloud “I wonder how we get sorted.”

“I wonder if it hurts!” One kid called in response.

“It's in front of the whole school,” Severus said. “I wonder if they'll make us do magic.”

“But we haven't learned anything yet!” One boy said.

“I have,” Severus said. Lily looked at him and said “Why did you read all of the textbooks before you came?”

“Why not?” He muttered so only she could hear. He glared in front of him and muttered “Better than listening to Mum and Dad argue over whether I should even come.”

Lily smiled at him and said “Don't worry.”

A few minutes later, the doors opened and Professor McGonagall led them inside. Everyone ooed and aahed at the sight. Candles were floating above their heads and there appeared to be no ceiling. They stopped and they focused their attention to the hat that was on a stool. Lily jumped with it began to sing. Severus listened. Yes, he wanted to be in Slytherin.

“Evans, Lily,” Professor McGonagall called after a few others went first. Lily walked up. The sorting hat was barely on her head before it screamed “GRYFFINDOR!”

Severus groaned slightly as Lily made her way over to her table. She gave him a sad sort of smile and shot a look of dislike at one of the boys they had met on the train and sat somewhere else. Severus eventually went up when he heard his name “Snape, Severus.”

“SLYTHERIN!” The hat screamed and he handed the hat back to Professor McGonagall and went to the Slytherin table as they cheered. He sat next to a prefect, who patted him on the back and said “Welcome to Slytherin, Severus. I'm Lucius Malfoy.”

“Thanks,” Severus said, glancing over at Lily. He didn't really listen to any of the other kids get sorted.

Once the sorting was over, Dumbledore stood and said a few things to the school. Severus was still looking at Lily. Then, he jumped as food appeared on the empty plates in front of him. He looked at them and then began to eat. Then, he looked at Lucius and said “Do we have classes with the other houses?”

“Mostly with the Gryffindors,” Lucius said, shrugging. “Why that is, exactly, I have no idea. Why?”

“No reason,” Severus said. “I just have a friend who was just sorted into Gryffindor, that's all.”

“Oh,” said Lucius. He shrugged and then went back to his food.

After the banquet was over, Dumbledore said a few more words. Mostly warnings, like Mr. Filch wanting to remind students not to preform magic in the corridors and that the forest on the castle grounds was forbidden. Then, Lucius stood and called “First years, this way! Quickly, this way,” and he led them down to the dungeons. He walked to a wall and said “The password is currently 'Thelemic'.”

As soon as he said the word, a door in the wall opened and there was lots of green light all around them. The first-year Slytherins walked in and Lucius said “All of your things will be in your room already. Boy's dormitories it to the left and girl's is to the right.”

Severus immediately went into the boy's dormitory, feeling tired, while the other first-years explored the common room. He would have time to explore later.

There were four beds in the dormitory labeled First Years. Severus quickly found his trunk and changed for bed quickly. Then, he closed the curtains and placed his wand on the bedside table. He closed his eyes and smiled to himself. He knew he was home.

End