When A Butterfly Beats Its Wings

This is my first story, meaning there will probably be mistakes... I guess they don't matter so much seeing as this is an AU fic but I'll do my best anyway :P Basic summary of the story as I've planned it so far: In September 1971, Sirius Black was sorted into Slytherin, as opposed to Gryffindor. This one little change triggers a whole series of different events, ones that are hopefully worth reading! So enjoy...

Just a quick chapter to begin with.

The Great Hall was almost exactly how he'd pictured it; his excitement over finally getting to attend Hogwarts had been overwhelming over the summer, resulting in much teasing from his elder cousins who were already in attendance at the famous school. Sirius had spent much of their time together pestering them for information.

As the new set of First Years headed up to the front of the Hall behind the Professor, his father's disapproving, cold grey eyes appeared in the forefront of his mind once again, making him eye the Sorting Hat with a feeling of dread. As much as Sirius may disagree with the rest of the Black family on matters of blood purity and its importance in the wizarding society, he still bizarrely felt a sense of duty to the old man. He knew that if that tattered and dirty Hat called out any other house apart from Slytherin, he'd be letting him down. Worse than that, he'd be embarrassing him.

It was a heavy weight on the shoulders of the eleven year old.

"Black, Sirius!"

His eyes fixed on the hat as he made his way through the crowd and up to sit on the stool, his heart beating loudly in his chest. As the hat was lowered onto his head, he caught sight of his cousins sitting at the table he knew he should be joining shortly, Bellatrix eyeing him suspiciously as usual, while Andromeda seemed expressionless. Cissy looked eager.

Sirius jumped as a voice sounded in his head, one that definitely wasn't his own.

"Another Black, eh? Hmm, a little trickier than the last few I'll say. A very conflicted young man I see."

Narcissa leant over to her elder sister and whispered, "It's taking a while..."

Andromeda glanced at her and nodded, "I know. But don't worry, he's a Black. He'll be sitting with us shortly."

Inside though, she was starting to get a little nervous, every member of the Black family attending Hogwarts had been called for Slytherin almost immediately. But then, this was Sirius.

He was starting to sweat, small beads of perspiration were beginning to form on his forehead as the Hat continued its debate.

"Your bravery would be most suited for Gryffindor, but I can sense a darkness calling within you, one that you want, no, need to answer. Hmm..."

"Will you just pick already?" Sirius muttered through gritted teeth, his dark unruly hair falling in front of his eyes. "Just put me in Slytherin and get this over with."

"Very well, if you insist... SLYTHERIN!"

The table furthest to his right erupted in cheers at getting yet another member of the elite family as Sirius breathed a sigh of relief and sauntered over to a spare seat near Andromeda who threw him a smile.

"Well done. You just saved yourself a hell of a lot of trouble."

He nodded and turned his eyes back to the sorting. As it progressed, he thought back to the words he'd heard in his head just a moment ago. A darkness calling within you... He couldn't seem to shake off the sense of uneasiness that fell upon him at hearing those words again.

"Potter, James!"

Sirius looked up and met his eyes, there was a brief pause then... "GRYFFINDOR!"

Cheering erupted on the other side of the hall this time, as the boy grinned and walked towards his new housemates, while Sirius felt a brief flash of... disappointment? Shaking his head he turned his attentions away from the sorting, wondering when the food would be served. He was starving.

I know, I know, a bit slow but I'm just setting it up for the good stuff ;)