The Train Ride/Sorting
12 year old Sirius Black sat across from 11 year old Remus Lupin on the train heading for Hogwarts. His enemy James Potter had tried to enter their compartment but the death stare Sirius gave him sent him away.
"That wasn't very nice you know," Remus spoke up as James headed away looking for another place to sit.
"I have my reasons for hating Potter."
"Well, shouldn't you hate me as well? You said you know I'm a werewolf," Remus said coolly. "I don't think the famous Black family would be happy about you associating with me."
"My family says a lot of stuff but it doesn't make it true," Sirius told him softly. "I can be friends with whoever I want. I don't want to force a friendship on you if you don't want it. For some reason I feel drawn to you. I don't mean that in a creepy way. I just mean in a way that I feel connected to you. I don't know how to explain it."
Remus relaxed a little bit because he saw something in his eyes that was different. "Sirius Black is my first friend at Hogwarts? I'm shocked."
Sirius grinned. "Don't judge me based on what you know about my family. There is so much more to me than what you have seen or heard."
"So you're not trying to befriend me to bring me to your father to have me executed for my condition that I can't control," Remus asked referring to an article in the daily prophet months ago about Orion Black wanting all werewolves to be rounded up and put to death since they are monsters.
"I wouldn't do that. I know you probably don't trust me and I don't blame you. Just give me a chance. Please," Sirius begged.
It was hard for the young werewolf to say no to him. "Ok. You should know that it takes me a while to warm up to people because I'm not used to being around them due to my condition. It's not exactly easy to be around people when you have this huge secret that you have to keep."
"I know that is true," Sirius told him with a sigh. "But you can trust me to keep your secret. And thanks to Dumbledore my family can't say anything about you either. I don't understand how they can be so prejudiced. I mean not all so called dark creatures are bad."
Remus laughed. "Had many experience with them have you?"
"Maybe a time or two. I'll tell you later. Want a chocolate frog?" the two of them ate chocolate and talked about their life and what houses they expected to be in.
"Of course I'll be in Slytherin. I HAVE to be."
"Have to be? What does that mean," Remus asked confused.
"My whole family since the founding of the school has been in Slytherin. I have to be. My mother warned me bad things will happen if I don't end up in Slytherin. I think she sees something rebellious in me which of course there is but that's another story for another time."
Remus was curious but knew well enough to leave subjects alone because people would talk about them when they were ready. "Well, I don't think that I would be in Slytherin. My dad was in Ravenclaw and my grandparents were in Gryfindor and Hufflepuff. I could end up in either one of those three though I'm pretty sure I may end up in Ravenclaw. My dad says I exhibit traits of that house."
Sirius pouted. "It's a shame. I would love to be in the same house as you."
"Well, you know that a half blood werewolf is not bound to end up in Slytherin. We'll still be friends no matter what house we are in right?" Remus looked at him so sadly that it broke the eldest Black's heart.
"Of course," Sirius told him reaching for his hand to give it a brief squeeze.
"OK."
When they got to the school and when it was time for the sorting, Sirius was nervous. "What if I'm not in Slytherin? I don't want to die."
"Your parents will really kill you if you aren't in Slytherin," Remus asked surprised. "Yeah. Didn't I mention that?"
"No. You said bad things will happen."
"They'll kill me. They can't have me messing up the family legacy like…" Sirius stopped talking because Mcgonagall called his name. Remus gave him a small encouraging smile Sirius's heart raced as the hat was placed on his head.
"Sirius Black, you have an unusual amount of bravery. I think Gryfindor might be a better fit for you than Slytherin," the hat said.
"Please no," Sirius thought, "I can't be in Gryfindor. My parents will kill me. Slytherin is where I belong. Even if I don't want to be there."
"Hmmm." For the first time in Hogwarts history, the hat spent more than five minutes deciding on a house for Sirius. It was a record breaking hour before the hat reluctantly put the young man in Slytherin like he requested. Sirius breathed a sigh of relief and went to join the other Slytherins at the table.
Remus was happy for Sirius but he knew Sirius didn't want to be there so a part of him was sad for him. After Frank Longbottom was sorted into Gryfindor, the hat sorted Remus.
"Interesting. You could do well in Ravenclaw but you are a true Gryffindor through and through. You are more brave than you know Mr. Lupin," the hat said as it called out Gryffindor!
Remus grinned and went to sit at the table beside Longbottom. James Potter sat beside him after he was sorted. "Hey. You are the guy on the train that was talking to Sirius Black. You were also talking to him before the sorting. You do know that his family isn't the best family to be friends with? They are evil!"
"There is so much more to Sirius than his family," Remus whispered back. "You should give him a chance."
"No. Never," James said stubbornly. After the sorting was over, they ate. James, Frank, and a boy named Peter talked and got to know one another while Sirius sat alone with no one to talk to. Well, he could have talked to Severus Snape, but he has never liked Snape. He didn't think it was possible for anyone to be worse than Potter, but Snape was worse than Potter. He forced himself to answer the millions of questions that Snape asked him even though his mind and eyes were focused on Remus who was slowly becoming close to the boy that he most despised.