This one-shot was written for:

1. Harry Potter Fanfiction Challenges - No.1HPfanLuvsHP's Places in Harry Potter World Competition - Godric's Hollow – This is where Harry "battled" Voldemort for the first time. Write about conquering one's fears.

2. Harry Potter Fanfiction Challenges - Exceeds Expectations' Camp Potter: A Challenge - History Appreciation (pre-Trio fics) - Mandatory: Write about Regulus Black.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter series, all rights go to J.K. Rowling.

Full of fear

The Great Hall was just as beautiful as he has always imagined it from the descriptions his parents have given to him. However, as he was looking at the strict-looking professor in the emerald cloack with a list in her hands, he wasn't in the state to look for the star, Alpha Leonis he was named after.

"When I call your name, you will come here and you will put the Sorting Hat on your head." He heard the voice of Professor McGonagall, but it seemed very remote. He fixed his dark eyes on the old hat which decided his fate. Then he searched for his brother's long black hair. He sighed a bit when he noticed his older brother, Sirius who was sitting with his friends. The only one, Regulus actually recognized from them was James Potter; he has seen him a few times at gatherings.

"Abbott, Emily," McGonagall said the first name on the list and a light-blond-haired skinny little girl with big blue eyes stepped out of the little group the first years were standing. She was shaking because of her nervousness, but eventually she reached the stool. Regulus closed his eyes when the girl sat down. In only a few minutes the same was going to happen to him. A cap which was able to talk and read his mind will be able to destroy his future.

Emily Abbott was sitting on that stool for about three minutes when the Sorting Hat shouted Hufflepuff. The girl who blushed from all the attention she got quickly reached her new house's table where she was happily greeted by many cheerful Hufflepuffs. Regulus looked around only to notice that his brother has fixed his grey eyes on him. Sirius gave his brother a nod and he even offered a slight smile.

"Black, Regulus," the Transfiguration professor said in a strong voice. Everyone fixed their eyes on the younger son of the old and noble Black family. Only a year before everyone at Slytherin would have already greeted him as their own housemate, but now all everyone did was staring at him like they haven't seen any eleven-year-old boys before.

He walked proudly to the stool but he was actually shaking. This was the moment which decided everything. What would happen if he was sorted into Hufflepuff? What if that old cap decided that it was moody now and it just wouldn't put him into Slytherin? What would his parents say? Would they detest him just as they did Sirius?

He was afraid. He was full of fear as he reached the stool which seemed to be able to only bear the weight of a pre-teen. He met McGonagall's eyes who nodded sternly at him and gestured to the stool where that stupid hat was. He even met Slughorn's eyes who smiled at him reassuringly and in a triumphal way. It seemed like the professor was sure that Regulus was indeed going to be the proud member of the Sytherin house.

The only problem was that Regulus wasn't so sure.

He sat down on the old stool and grabbed the Hat. He put it on his head, but it was too big for him and he couldn't see out of it. It was like sleeping, or a dream. There was silence and darkness until a voice which reminded him of nothing started to speak in his mind.

I see.

That was all what that stupid hat told Regulus who grimaced as a response. Why didn't it just shout Slytherin as it should have? He was a Black, a true one, not like his brother. That was his place; that was where he belonged.

Slytherin. Put me into Slytherin.

He said to the hat which remained silent for what seemed like an eternity to the young wizard but it wasn't more than two seconds.

I'm the Sorting Hat; it is my task to decide in which house you belong.

The Hat told Regulus who scowled. This wasn't going in the way he hoped. The silence was gone and he heard that some of the older students started chatting probably about why he wasn't sorted already.

Then tell me where I belong!

Regulus nearly shouted in his mind if that was possible. He didn't see anything but he felt the glanced of the whole school on himself.

You are manipulative, but you are just as much manipulated. You don't understand the difference between good and bad. You are brought up just as your brother was, but he is completely different. You are proud, selfish, egoistic and all you want is to please your parents. You are afraid of them and what they would say if you are even a bit different from them.

The Hat told him and the young Black was ready to grab the Hat and to make a big campfire from it. Now the whole school was speaking loudly and he could hear some words and parts of sentences. He didn't like what he was hearing, not even a bit.

JUST SORT ME, YOU STUPID HAT!

He was really angry at the stupid cap which didn't do what it should have and which wanted to humiliate him in front of the whole school.

I haven't finished. You are a proud and egoistic boy or at least that's what you show to your surroundings. But the truth is you are a boy who is afraid of his own parents and who just wants them to be proud. Admit it that you aren't fond of Slytherin and that you don't want to be there only your parents want you there and then I will sort you.

The Hat told him and Regulus sighed. He heard as McGonagall coughed and he realized how long he must have been sitting on that bloody stool. He had no idea what the hat was doing but he had to do what it said unless he wanted to be sent home because the hat couldn't sort him.

Okay, are you happy? My parents want me to be a Slytherin so I want to be one.

He sneered and for a moment it seemed that the Hat wasn't going to respond and he was actually going to take the train back to London.

You are intelligent, you have the ability to achieve a lot more than your parents would ever be able to imagine. Do you want that? Do you want to be more than expected? Do you want to be something better?

The Hat asked Regulus who of course wanted. He wanted to become great; he wanted to show his parents how good he really was.

I want it.

He answered truthfully. He didn't hear the noise coming from the Great Hall anymore. He was waiting for the answer of the Hat, he even caught his breathe.

You can reach everything; the basics are in your head. All you need is the right house which isn't Slytherin for you. Ravenclaw, which is the house for the most intelligent and intellectual students. Your decision, Ravenclaw or Slytherin?

The Hat asked something completely random in Regulus' opinion. When he was talking about achieving more than everyone would have expected from him and making his parents proud he was sure that the bloody hat understood him eventually and wanted to place him in the right house. But Ravenclaw?

Ravenclaw would help you to become someone else, someone people can look up. Don't you want it? I could just shout my decision, but I give you a choice. Will you overcome and conquer your fear of disappointing your parents or will you be stuck in the shadow of the Black family forever?

The fact that he was sitting on that bloody stool for at least four of five minutes didn't make Regulus happy, but at the moment he had a bigger problem. The Sorting Hat was sure that the house which really situated him wasn't where his parents wanted him to go. What would his parents say to Ravenclaw? Did he even want to go there? He was sure that Surius would be really happy as he has told him at least a hundred times over the summer that he should go to any other houses besides Slytherin.

Don't let your family live your life.

That was the only thing the Hat said. For a moment Regulus didn't think about his parents' opinion, it was probably a first for him. He only imagined himself as a Prefect and a head Student with perfect NEWTs and millions of job offers. That seemed like a pretty good future in his opinion. It was over after a second, but it was still in his mind.

I want to be great, I want to achieve no one ever has.

He said, but the Hat didn't react. He sighed and he said what was very hard for him to say as he knew that his parents wouldn't be pleased.

Ravenclaw.

Just at the moment he thought that fatal word the Hat shouted. "RAVENCLAW!"

You are already great, young Mr. Black. You have overcome your biggest fear and you have chosen wisely. You will do fine in Ravenclaw.

The talking hat told Regulus.

Thanks.

That was the only thing he answered. He put down the hat on the stool with a newfound respect for the thinking and talking object. He looked up and he saw the disgusted and outranged faces of the Slytherins, he heard his happily shouting big brother and he saw the smiling and waving Ravenclaws.

He heard as McGonagall called the next first year, a boy called John Brand, but he didn't care as he was greeted by enthusiastic eagles and not snaked.

His parents wouldn't be pleased, he was sure of it. However, as he looked to the stool where now a sandy-haired boy was sitting with the Sorting Hat on his head he was sure he didn't make a big mistake.

After all, sometimes the Hat made mistakes, but usually it was right.

When Regulus already shook hand with everyone at his table he looked up only to meet the eyes of his grinning brother who held up his cup and gestured to Regulus. He didn't need Legilimency to know what Sirius was thinking about.

You did it, little bro. You are better than them.