Sirius Black / Remus Lupin / Peter Pettigrew / James Potter
Wednesday, 1st September 1971.
Hogwarts
Sirius still couldn't believe it. He was really looking at the Hogwarts castle. It wasn't the greatness of it that sparked the joy inside of him, he was used to that. It was the opportunity to be away from his parents, the opportunity to have a home, to finally be himself for once and not having to apologize for it. The real chance at freedom.
"Are you guys coming?", he heard James' voice after he stopped walking towards the shore next to the boats they are supposed to take up to the castle.
It didn't escape his notice that James used plural so, when Sirius turned to his right, he saw Remus with the expression which could describe exactly how Sirius felt. It was expression of hope. It made him not feel alone in his admiration.
The taller boy yelled back at James, "Yeah, we are coming.", and as they approached the boat, he gestured for Sirius to step first inside and join their two friends.
The four of them stayed quiet for the duration of the ride, which seemed silly as they couldn't shut up on the train. Somehow all of them felt like this experience deserves some kind of a quiet respect.
The lake was dark, reflecting the stars and soon to be full moon. Sirius noticed that Remus' gaze was fixated on his lap while all of the other first years were looking at the surroundings and the beautiful night sky. He suspected Remus maybe didn't know how to swim, so he got a bit scared of the lake and boats. Soon enough they were at the boathouse located in the foot of the castle hill. James exited the boat first and helped Peter.
As soon as Sirius stood up after Remus, the boat started to wobble due to the lack of weight. He placed a hand on Remus' shoulder for support and the taller boy got a hold of his upper arm, preventing him from falling straight into the mud on the shore.
With that, they helped each other get out of the wobbling boat and started their journey up the stairs. James and Peter were a bit ahead of them talking to some blonde girl, but there were too many first years for the two to try and catch up.
"Where do you want to be sorted?", he heard Remus' voice from beside him.
Sirius shrugged, not really thinking about the answer, "I don't really know, my whole family has been in Slytherin so I assume I will be sorted there too."
That earned him an amused laugh from the boy, "But that isn't really the answer. I asked what you wanted, not where do you think you will end up."
They were now maybe a third of the way up.
That made Sirius muse, "I didn't really think about that.", he was slightly intrigued by the boy's explanation. James had asked him the same thing back on the train, and he didn't really have a real answer then either. The Slytherin was just an obvious choice, so there wasn't really much point in him thinking about that. He already got the chance to get away, so everything else somehow seemed like a sealed deal.
"What about you?", he looked at Remus curiously.
The tall boy put on a smug smile, "I think I would like for the Sorting Hat to determine that."
"Hey, that's not fair, that is also not an answer.", Sirius playfully punched him on the arm, "What is it that you want?", using Remus' own words against him made the boy laugh.
"I guess you are right.", there was a pause before he continued, "I think I would like to be with you lot, wherever that may be."
Sirius thought for a second, he really liked James, Peter and Remus. When he first talked to James couple of hours ago, he felt some kind of connection he never felt before. Like he was already comfortable with the boy, like they have been friends for years. If he got the chance to choose, would he rather choose them over Slytherin? Did he even want to be in Slytherin? Was there even a choice to be made?
"I guess I would maybe like that too.", they looked at each other again and smiled.
After a lot of stairs, and a few corridors, they were all finally standing in front of a big wooden door and a seriously looking witch.
"Welcome to Hogwarts. The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will have to be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have..."
The witch was still speaking, but after that Sirius turned off completely. The thought of having a family, a real family, excited him. He felt giddy again bouncing from foot to foot, although that feeling was replaced as soon as he touched the ring on his right hand's index finger.
What was Regulus doing right now? Was he okay? Did he need his help? How could Sirius think of any family other than his own?
He shook his head. No, he wasn't thinking about leaving Reg with them, he was thinking of a family that he will introduce to Reg and make him a part of.
Felling someone push him forward, Sirius turned and saw James gesturing him towards the big door that now stood open to Sirius' surprise. When did I miss that?
Smiling, James threw an arm around his shoulders, "Come on, mate. We got a sorting to attended."
The Great Hall was full of students, all cheering for them. There were four large, long tables, presumably one for each house in Sirius' mind. There was a front table as well, full of professors. All of them had exited looks plastered on their faces.
The witch from earlier who was leading them stopped in front of the front table with a roll of parchment. Beside her stood a small stool with an old hat, the Sorting Hat.
"When I call your name, you will put on the Sorting Hat and sit on the stool to be sorted. Avery Danon!"
A huge boy went up a couple of stairs and sat on the chair and the witch placed the hat on his head. Maybe a couple of seconds had passed when the hat called:
"SLYTHERIN!"
The whole Slytherin table started cheering and whistling, Sirius even saw Narcissa clap. In the crowd of first years, he noticed the boy from the train, Snivellus, with the same sneer on his face.
That's when it clicked.
That stupid sneer was the reason for Sirius' irritation with the boy. Granted, the boy was rude, but usually Sirius would at least try to ignore him, he would probably fail at it, but he would try.
The moment he saw the boy sneering like that, he didn't even have the time for trying to ignore the situation because his irritation bottle was already magically filled to the brim. Only it wasn't magically filled, it was filled because he knew that stupid sneer.
That was the same sneer everybody from the Black family and pureblood families used while looking at him, while talking about muggleborns or any house other than Slytherin. It was the sneer indicating some ungranted superiority and Sirius hated anyone who lived in delusion to be superior to others for imaginary reasons.
"Black Sirius!"
He froze, pulled out of his discovery. For a moment, Sirius really did forget that he was literally at the Sorting Ceremony as a first year. James gave him a little pat on the back along with the look that said You got this.
With his back straight and head held high, Sirius stepped up to the chair and sat down. When the hat fell in front of his eyes, everything on the outside went mute.
Another Black...
well, this should be easy...
Sirius heard the hat say and immediately knew where he was going. Some kind of sadness overtook him, frustration even because he will have to share the next seven years with people like Snivellus. Already prepared to stand up, he frowned not expecting the hat to actually continue its observation of his mind.
hm... but what is this young Sirius...
interesting, very interesting indeed...
how has that gotten there...
well, this changes a couple of things...
you better be...
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Sirius just sat there. All his previous thoughts erased by this information. The witch removed the hat, but he still sat there. Only after he heard the cheers of the other Gryffindors was he able to move. He could feel most of the Slytherin table looking at him with disgust.
"Nice one, Sirius!", James was shouting and jumping frantically from the crowd which helped him feel a bit better, at least someone was excited that he didn't end up in Slytherin.
Merlin! He didn't end up in Slytherin. The Black heir was sorted into Gryffindor. A cold chill went down his spine just at the thought of the consequences, at the same time reminding him of the punishment he received just for knocking down some stupid bookcase. He didn't even want to think about what will Orion do to him, Walburga can be a piece of candy compared to his father.
As he sat down at the table, a couple of his fellow housemates patted him on the back which didn't help his current state, but nonetheless he tried to smile brightly at them.
Sirius looked across the hall looking for one specific person. Narcissa was staring at him with some mixture of horror and fear in her eyes. This made him even more nauseous. He felt like he was about to puke, but she must have seen the panic on his face so she sent him a small smile. That was enough to calm him down for now, so he nodded at her.
All he needed to do was to relax, watch the rest of the Sorting Ceremony, eat and then talk to her tomorrow. Yes, that is the plan, everything will be okay, he just needed to calm down.
* * *
Remus saw the ginger girl walking towards where Sirius had sat. He was confused by the look on the boy's face. If he was about to guess, he would say that it was fear. Just as he was about to question James if he was imagining things, the witch called:
"Lupin Remus!"
Taking a deep breath, he did what everyone else did, sat on the chair and let the hat fall over his eyes. Remus hoped the Sorting Hat wouldn't consider his lycanthropy as some sort of an evil trait and put him straight into Slytherin.
Hm... a Lupin...
haven't had one of you in a long time...
I see, just like the previous one... intellect... creativity...
but... your courage and strength are prominent as well...
a lot of struggling along the way...
a difficult one you are...
I think I know just where you belong...
"GRYFFINDOR!"
When the hat was lifted from his head, Remus heard the cheers and roars from his house table. He was so happy there were no words to explain it. He didn't end up in Slytherin and, plus, he ended up with one of his new friends. Yes, actual friends.
"Yes, Remus, good job!", James shouted from the group of first year students who still waited for the sorting.
Remus grinned at him and continued his walk towards the table and curly haired boy who was looking at him.
"Congrats, Remus.", Sirius said to him, but he could see that the little smile Sirius gave him was a bit forced.
"Thanks...Are you alright?", he asked Sirius as he sat next to him. Maybe the boy didn't actually like him and was disappointed to see Remus joining his house table. Then he remembered that Sirius was looking awful ever since his own sorting.
"Yeah, fine... just shocked a bit I guess.", the boy said, still slightly on edge. Then the conversation from earlier popped inside Remus' mind. Sirius was supposed to end up in Slytherin, no wonder that he was shocked.
Reassuringly, he smiled at the boy, "I guess you did get what you wanted in the end.". This was his attempt to remind Sirius that maybe his wishes were more important than some family tradition.
Sirius finally looked up at him, something new in his eyes. There was a small smile forming on his lips and this time it looked real.
"Yeah, I guess I did.", he laughed, "Thank you."
"For what?"
"For encouraging me to put myself first.", he was really smiling now.
* * *
"Just be calm Pete, it will be great. You don't even have to do anything. Marlene got Gryffindor as well, you'll get it too.", James whispered to Peter as it was nearing his turn for the sorting.
"I know, I know. It will be fine, just fine.", the smaller boy repeated more to himself that to James.
"Pettigrew Peter!"
James patted him on the back for good luck and he made his way up the small stairs, still feeling incredibly nervous.
A Pettigrew...
you are an interesting one... a lot of resourcefulness...
even ambition... love for your friends...
a bit of a rule breaker... hmm...
I think you will do just fine in...
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Yes, he thought to himself, yes. He made it, he really made it. Peter looked at the grinning Sirius and Remus, then at James who was shouting, "Yes, Peter! I knew it!"
The whole Gryffindor table was clapping, along with his two new friends who gestured him to sit across from them. Peter turned towards the Ravenclaw table in search for his brother, and when he found him, he saw William grinning from ear to ear. He could see that he was the one making most of the noise in the whole hall.
"Great job, Peter!", Sirius said while laughing.
Peter high-fived Remus, "I still can't believe it, we really did all make it."
Remus quirked an eyebrow towards the now reduced crowd of first years, "Well, we still have to wait for James."
Peter just sent him a sly smile, "Oh, don't worry about him, he is for sure getting sorted here."
* * *
"Potter James!"
It was finally his time. There were only a couple of students waiting to be sorted, he was among the last ones. Confidently, James made his way towards the small chair and sat.
Ah a Potter...
I was waiting to meet you... heard a lot about you...
Just like I expected... bravery, loyalty, dedication...
Even a bit of recklessness and mischief...
I know just what to do with you...
"GRIFFINDOR!"
James stood from the stool with a knowing grin. Jokingly, he even took a bow before retreating towards his house table. He knew all along he was right. The roars could be heard from the Gryffindors as he made his way towards his friends. He saw William at the Ravenclaw table giving him a thumbs up with a bright smile.
"Nice one, James!", Sirius shouted over the cheers.
"What did I tell all of you! We made it! All of us made it!", James shouted still grinning from ear to ear, the rest of the boys mirroring his expression.
Sirius leaned in and messed up his already messed hair, "Maybe you will be good at Divination.", he joked.
"Maybe you are right, Sirius. I just feel it, we will be friends forever. It's destiny.", he looked at each of them unable to contain his smile.