Sirius looked around at the other first years gathered in the hall and shuffled his feet nervously. He didn't know any of them yet, though he'd sat beside a nice chap named James Potter on the train ride there. The Professor that had silently led them from the boats to this hall returned. He was an old man wearing a rumpled suit and very thick glasses. He looked slightly bothered to be dealing with them.

"Okay, listen up," he said in a flat voice and simply waited for everyone to quiet down. "I'm Professor Binns and in a few seconds we're going to walk into the Great Hall. There you will be sorted into your houses," he droned on and on in a monotone voice, explaining the process. Sirius stopped paying attention. The man was just too boring. He looked around and caught the eye of that James fellow he knew. James winked at him and he grinned back. He had a feeling he was going to like that guy.

Then the group started to move forward. He had no idea what he was going to be doing once he got inside. He should have paid attention! He just hoped he wasn't first, whatever it was. He already knew he'd be in Slytherin anyway. Everyone in his family had been (with that one exception they didn't talk about). It was a tradition.

He stopped when the rest of the group did and watched Professor Bins pull out a short stool and set an extremely old, dirty and patched wizard's hat on it. He knew about the sorting hat from his parents and his cousins, so it came as no surprise when a rip near its rim opened and it began to sing.

"You might not think I'm much

when you look upon my size,

but I'm the one that's chosen

to read what you've got inside.

When you set me on your head

I will look within your mind,

and there within I will seek

your perfect House to find.

Perhaps your house is Gryffindor,

wherein lie the daring,

those who have true bravery

when Death's upon them staring.

Or maybe it is Hufflepuff

for those who are loyal and just,

who are patient in all things

even if toil they must.

Or perhaps you belong in Ravenclaw

where the are cleverest are found,

if you've got the wits and intelligence

and are learning bound.

Or yet in power-hungry Slytherin

may your home reside,

if you are ambitious

and cunning besides.

So put me on your head

and let the sorting start,

the sooner we get started,

the sooner you depart."

There was a smattering of polite applause after the hat had finished it song, along with a small rumble of murmuring. Was that a typical song for the sorting hat?

Professor Binns unrolled a long scroll and read out, "Sirius Black."

Great. Of course he'd be first. He walked forward and watched the Professor pick up the hat. He stood in front of him and waited. The students already seated started giggling.

"Sit down on the stool," the Professor told him. Sirius could feel his face grow red. He knew that. He sat down and let the Professor sit the hat on his head.

"Hmm, interesting," the hat said.

Interesting? Sirius thought. What could be interesting? He was bound for Slytherin.

"Really?" the hat asked. "Are you ambitious?"

"If I need to be," Sirius said quietly.

"Are you sure?" the hat asked with a hint of laughter.

"I guess so," Sirius said impatiently.

"No," the hat said, "I think you belong in GRYFFINDOR!" it yelled. Sirius sat there stunned. This couldn't be happening.

He vaguely heard the Professor call another name, but it didn't register until the laughter started again. The Professor nudged him and told him to take a seat at the Gryffindor table. He got off the stool and stood staring at the Slytherin table.

He saw his cousins Narcissa and Bellatrix staring back at him with disgusted looks on their faces. Some blonde chap said something to them and they looked away, turning their backs to him. He knew that they wouldn't have anything to do with him now. It was the family way. He had somehow, without even doing anything, managed to let them all down.

Again he heard the laughter as Professor Bins cleared his throat, took the hat from his head and gave him a nudge towards the Gryffindor table again. Someone standing beside him got up on the stool. In a daze, Sirius walked towards the table. This couldn't be happening. Just wait until his mother heard. She would have a fit! Somewhere, as if in a fog, he heard someone calling his name.

"Sirius!" he heard a female voice and looked around. "Over here Sirius!" It was his cousin Andromeda. She was sitting at the Gryffindor table already. She had been sorted into the Gryffindor house years ago. She was the one aberration the family didn't talk about.

He walked over to her and sat down beside her. This had to be her last year here. And he would be the one to take her place in the family hall of shame. He rested his elbows on the table and put his head in his hands.

"It'll be okay Sirius," she said. "You'll see."

"Yeah, buck up chap," he heard a male voice say. He looked up to see who had said it and saw a pleasant looking guy with brown hair sitting next to his cousin.

"This is Ted Tonks," she introduced him and Ted stuck his hand out to Sirius. Sirius took the hand and shook it. He had a firm grip and seemed friendly enough.

"I've heard a lot about you," Ted said and smiled at Andromeda. Sirius looked back at her and saw her blush. They'd always been close as children, whenever their families had gotten together. She had been his favorite cousin, truth be told.

"Nothing bad," Andromeda said, "just stories about some of the stuff we used to do. Like, remember that one time when we built that tree fort and wouldn't let the Narcissa and Bellatrix in?"

He did remember. He felt a grin spread across his face. Maybe not being in the same house as them wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing. He looked over at the Slytherin table again, saw them welcoming a new student and frowned. That should have been him.

"Potter, James," he heard the Professor call out and turned back to see where he ended up.

"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat shouted not but two seconds later. James grinned as the Gryffindor table cheered for him. He sauntered over and, after a few slaps on the back and shaking of hands, sat next to Sirius.

"Hello again," he said. "Looks like we'll be in the same house together." He winked at him again.

"Yes it does," Sirius said and found a grin growing on his face. Yes indeed. This didn't have to be a bad thing at all.

Disclaimer: these characters are not of my own creation, they belong to JK Rowling. I've simply borrowed them.