atelophobia • {HP universe} (BOOK 1)

~ five ~

If standing in the Great Hall with all the older Hogwarts students staring at you wasn't scary, standing in the Great Hall with Snape staring at you was. Lily was shanking under all the pressure she was feeling, and she was so scared that she could barely hear the song the sorting hat was singing. Harry turned to her.

"Hey, are you okay Lily?" He asked, and gave her a warm smile.

"Yeah, of course." She replied with a smile as the group of first years moved up close to the sorting hat. Harry didn't look nervous, in fact, he looked excited. That was, until he looked up at Snape and clutched his scar. Now it was Lily's turn to ask if he was okay. Ron and Hermione also listened in.

"It's nothing." Harry replied. When Lily looked back up at Severus, his eyes were still glued on Harry, analyzing his every feature. There was more then a glint of something in his eyes, Snape's usually cold eyes were completely filled with unidentifiable emotion.

"Hermione Granger." Professor McGonagall, head of Gryffindor house called. Lily felt bad, knowing that Hermione had a lot of pressure on her since she was going first.

Hermione sat nervously as the sorting hat was placed upon her head, and after she increasingly got nervous, the sorting hat finally yelled, "GRYFFINDOR!"

Cheers erupted throughout the Gryffindor table, and a wide smile spread across Hermione's face as she joined them.

"Draco Malfoy." Professor McGonagall called. Draco smirked, and sat down on the chair in front of everyone. The sorting hat barely touched his gelled hair before it yelled, "SLYTHERIN!"

This wasn't a surprise to Lily, somehow she just knew he would get into Slytherin. There were loud cheers coming from the Slytherin table, which only stoped when Professor McGonagall called, "Rom Weasley." He gulped and headed up.

After a few seconds, the hat called out, "GRYFFINDOR!"

This was very unreassuring to Lily, who wanted to be in the same house as Hermione and Ron, and possibly Harry if he got into Gryffindor. Lily's thoughts were interrupted but Professor McGonagall calling, "Liliana Star."

Lily could tell that Professor McGonagall hesitated in Lily's last name. She then remembered that all the teachers knew about Severus being Lily's father, but the other kids were not to know.

Lily was trembling when she sat down on the seat, with the only comfort being the small smile Severus gave her before she sat down. The sorting hat then began speaking to her.

"Ahh, a complicated mind. Your loyalty and kindness wants to make me place you in Hufflepuff, yet your bravery surpasses that, your courage is overwhelming, drawing me very much to Gryffindor. You have Ravenclaw qualities too, of course, yet something is drawing me to Slytherin. Perhaps your attraction to trouble, perhaps your heritage, or perhaps your deepest feelings? Although I am certain Gryffindor seems most logical, I've learned to trust my deepest instincts. Well, that would put you in..."

Lily felt like she was gonna puke.

"SLYTHERIN!" The sorting hat yelled out to the students. She stood up and glanced back, to see a proud look on Severus's face. She made eye contact with Ron and Hermione, who gave her a supportive smile and she shrugged. Then she made eye contact with Harry, who gave her a bright smile and clapped for her.

Lily reached the Slytherin table, and sat down next to Draco, who gave her a strong pat on the back.

"I knew you'd be in Slytherin." He said and smiled at her. Lily almost missed the disappointing feeling she got when Harry got placed in Gryffindor. She then noticed Draco deeply glaring at Harry. Lily concluded that something must have happened while she was zoning out, stressed about her Hogwarts house.