Edit: I originally wrote this late at night, and I've gotten some constructive reviews. So enjoy this new and improved version. And I totally redid James' sorting. It's longer and better I think.

Note: I do not own these characters or the original story they are based on. They all belong to JK Rowling

Sirius adjusted his hat for the umpteenth time since entering the enchanted Great Hall, his stomach a pit of snakes, writhing and just down-right uncomfortable. He couldn't imagine eating anything at the feast tonight. The mere thought of food made his stomach go into spasms.

This whole Sorting ordeal was too much. It would be so much better if they could have had private sortings, at home, without a giant crowd watching.

Why was he so nervous though? He knew where he was going, he knew the type of people he'd be spending the next seven years with. There was no wonder about it; he'd be going into Slytherin, just like his cousins, his parents, their parents, and their parents before them. Yes, he would go there and learn from his fellow Slytherins why being a Pureblood was more important than being a good person. Why muggleborns were the scum of the earth. Yep, that was just the place he wanted to go…

Who was he kidding? He had never agreed with his parents about Pureblood supremacy…

"But Mother, why are Muggleborn wizards not as good as a Pureblood? I mean if they can do the magic, why does it matter who their parents are?"

That had earned him one of many slaps from his mother. He supposed she would write to Bellatrix and have her slap him should he keep saying such blasphemous words.

The strict looking witch at the front of the hall had just set out a hat. This must be the Sorting Hat Andromeda had told him about. Bellatrix had said he would have to battle a troll and only those who survived with minimal injuries would be admitted into the school. Did she really think he was that dumb? Andromeda always treated him like an intelligent human being, that's why he liked her best. She didn't seem to buy into the Pureblood idolatry to the same extent as the rest of the family either. She always got a look on her face whenever her sisters started spouting the Black party line and never seemed that into the muggle bashing the others were so fond of.

The Sorting Hat was singing something, but Sirius couldn't concentrate. He remembered what that boy, James, had said on the train after he said that he would probably be sorted into Slytherin…

"And I thought you were alright!"

The song had ended, and the witch started calling out names, in alphabetical order. It didn't seem like he had that long to wait.

"Black, Sirius!" she announced.

With a heavy heart, Sirius walked up to the hat, and it was placed it on his head.

"Oho, what have we here, another Black, eh?" said a voice in his ear. Sirius nodded an imperceptible amount.

"Hmm, you're different from the others though. Oh yes you're intelligent and cunning, but you aren't the type to climb over the bodies of your enemies to get to the top…No, you aren't a good fit for Slytherin." For the first time since getting to Kings Cross that morning, Sirius felt hope rise in his chest.

"Hmm, where should I put you, Mr. Black? You could do well in Ravenclaw, you have the mind for it. But no, that's not right either. You aren't afraid to stand up for what you believe in…I know where to put you…GRYFFINDOR!" the hat bellowed the last part aloud.

He couldn't believe it. Sirius stumbled off the chair and, instead of heading to the right side of the hall, he walked to the left of the hall, towards a cheering crowd that welcomed him with open arms. He couldn't stop smiling. He caught Bellatrix's eye at the table he had assumed he would be going to as she stared at him with a murderous look on her face. A look that had him running for his life back home merely made him laugh tonight. Suddenly he was starving.

Remus Lupin saw the first of the boys he had met in the train get sorted into Gryffindor. That Sirius fellow was smiling ear to ear as he walked over to the Gryffindor table. Guess he hadn't been destined for Slytherin after all. Remus didn't know where he was destined, not like that Potter boy anyway. His mother was a muggleborn witch and had been in Hufflepuff during her tenure here, and his father was a pureblood who was a Ravenclaw. But they were both something he wasn't….normal.

Remus kept expecting to have Dumbledore spot him and say that there had to have been some mistake. Remus Lupin shouldn't be here, around normal people. No…he should go home. He was too dangerous to come here. The letter back in July had been a mistake, go on Remus; the train is waiting for you.

No, no the letter had to have been real. It had said that special provisions had been made. Yes. It was going to be ok, he'd be able to come here and do what he had always wanted to do: Learn magic. He knew that he had the talent, he remembered when he was younger being able to make spiders do cartwheels. But he and his parents had always figured that his…condition….would inhibit him from learning, from having the ability to be a functioning member of society.

And then that letter had come. His father had cried as he read it, and hugged Remus for the first time since….well since he was little anyway.

And then a wand had chosen him, and books were bought, and a lovely owl bought, and then he was on the Hogwarts Express. It would be cruel for all that hope to be snatched away at the last minute. He kept waiting for the words, "Sorry Mr. Lupin…"

"Keller, John" said Professor…McGonagall, yes that's her name, and Remus watched as a sandy haired boy scurry up to the stool. The hat had barely touched his head when it yelled out "HUFFLEPUFF" and Remus realized he was next.

"Lupin, Remus" and his feet were moving forward. He couldn't breathe. The hat was going to not be able to place him because…because he was a werewolf. And werewolves don't go to school. No, they go and bite little children and ruin their lives…

Remus sat down on the stool and the hat was put on his head. Remus closed his eyes and waited for the bad news…

"Remus Lupin….a werewolf eh?" Remus tensed up. But the hat made no further mention of it. "Let's see, a smart one, yes quite intelligent, and a very developed sense of right and wrong. You'll do well in any of the four houses really." This wasn't what Remus had expected.

"Slytherin isn't quite right, nor is Hufflepuff. You'd be a good fit for Ravenclaw, oh yes. You have a drive to learn. You want to know everything there is to know. Ravenclaw would help you do that. But you are also very strong. Yes, a very strong person. You'd have to be wouldn't you? You'd feel right at home in Gryffindor. But where should you go?"

There was silence in his ear. Did the hat expect him to say something? Remus thought of Sirius, and James. They had made him feel welcomed on the train, they were Gryffindors for sure.

"Aha," whispered the hat. "Yes it's all clear to me now. You belong in…..GRYFFINDOR!"

Lupin just sat there for a moment, stunned. He was here, and they weren't going to kick him out. He was getting the chance to be….normal. He took off the hat, and on shaking legs he made his way to the Gryffindor table and sat next to Sirius and across from the girl on the train…Lily. Sirius gave him a funny look and said, "You look like someone's just given you a bag or every flavor beans that didn't have bogey flavored."

Remus laughed and said, "I'm just…so happy to be here."

Peter Pettigrew rang his hands. James looked so self-assured standing next to him, but Peter had never been self-assured about anything, and especially not about this. This was going to decide his whole future here and who his friends would be. There was so much pressure to be put in the right house. He knew his mother was expecting him to be a Gryffindor, just like his father, but Peter had no idea if he was worthy of such a grand house A house that had the likes of the boys from the train entering into it. Sirius was such a big personality, and Remus had seemed so smart, and James was so confident. They were everything that Peter so desperately wanted to be. They were everything his mother said his father was.

His father had died when he still a baby of a heart attack, at least that's what his mother told him. From then, he was his mother's special little guy, who was going to be just like his father. And he tried. He tried to be brave, and smart, and confident, but he wasn't any of those things. He would never be Jacob Pettigrew, the auror, top of his class at Hogwarts. He was just Peter, who was always picked last to play games, who was always slower than everyone else, who always got jokes a day after everyone had laughed. He would never be in Gryffindor like his dad.

He tried to figure out how he was going to tell his mother that he had been sorted into Hufflepuff…

Dear Mother,

School is fantastic, and I got sorted into Hufflepuff.

Love, Peter.

That was sure to go well, he thought, wondering if anyone got Howlers on the first day of class. Oh, the witch up front was getting close to his name

"O'Brien, Nicole"…. "SLYTHERIN"….

"Pettigrew, Peter"

Peter took a deep breath and made his way to the hat. He made himself ready to be told in no uncertain terms that he was going to fail his mother. As he made his way up to the stool, Peter thought about how much he wanted to be like James and Sirius. How much better his life would be if he could be like them.

The hat slid onto his head.

"Hmm, Pettigrew, Pettigrew, I remember your father. He was such a strong, courageous man. An obvious Gryffindor if I ever saw one. But that isn't you, is it Mr. Pettigrew? Yes I can see you think that. You think yourself a Hufflepuff. But no, you don't fit there Mr. Pettigrew, trust me, I know. You idolize those that you perceive to be stronger than you; you want to be like them. Hmm, you could be a great Slytherin you know. What you learn there would help you become great, just like you always wanted. Yes…I think…"

Peter would never be able to tell his mother that he was put in Slytherin. That would earn him more than a Howler, she would downright kill him. "Please not Slytherin, please."

"Not Slytherin? But you would do so well there…still no? Then I suppose it will have to be… GRYFFINDOR!"

The knot of tension building up in his lower back released. Peter couldn't believe it…he did it. He made it into his father's house. He had a chance to live up to his mother's expectations. He ran down to the table without taking off the hat and had to bring it back. The whole hall laughed at him, but he didn't care. He didn't have to write an owl to his mother that he had been put into Hufflepuff or, he shuddered, Slytherin. She was going to be so proud of him!

James was impatient. And that small kid, Peter was taking forever to get sorted. James was next and he wanted to know that he'd be joining the house of his ancestors. The rip in the hat opened, and James' heart started beating faster. But then it closed again, and James went back to tapping his feet.

Sure, he talked a big game, saying with surety that he'd be in Gryffindor, but he didn't really know. His mom said, usually in an exasperated sigh, that he was just like his father, but really that didn't mean that he was his father, Charlus Potter. No he was James. There was a shot that he'd be put in Ravenclaw, that wouldn't be too bad. His dad had said at the station that it didn't matter what house he was put in, all that mattered was that he did his best.

But Slytherin? He meant it when he said that he would leave. James was thankful that Sirius had been put in Gryffindor when he was sorted. If James was put there, he was sure that they could be friends. It would have been a pity to be enemies with him, he had seemed so cool.

Finally the Sorting Hat shouted Gryffindor and Peter ran down to the Gryffindor table….only to have to go back up and return the hat. Another delay, thought James, and his foot began to tap faster and harder. Finally the little twerp sat down and McGonagall cleared her throat to read:

"Potter, James"

His legs were shaking as he went up there. Not from nerves, but from anticipation. He really wanted to know where he was headed; Gryffindor, like he'd always dreamed….or elsewhere. Would he have to move out tomorrow because the hat thought he belonged in Slytherin? The moment of truth was here.

McGonagall placed the hat on his head and the voice his father said he would hear whispered in his ear, "James Potter, what should I do with you? You could never fit in Slytherin, so stop worrying. That's not where you're headed." James let out the breath he had been holding. You brave, confident, and have a, ahem, Lion's share of intelligence. You already know what I'm going to say Mr. Potter…..GRYFFINDOR!"

James laughed and took off the Sorting Hat and gave it back to McGonagall, where he thought he might have seen a hint of a smile playing upon her lips. But as soon as he saw it, it was gone and McGonagall was calling out the next name. He bounded over to the Gryffindor where Sirius gave him a high five, Remus smiled, and Peter reached over to shake his hand. It was going to be an excellent seven years.