Disclaimer: Harry Potter belong to JK Rowling. Not me. Unfortunately.
"Black, Sirius."
The heir to the Black family took a quick glance at the Slytherin table, his eyes meeting with his favorite cousin, Andromeda. She sent him a quick wink, reminding the boy of their conversation on the train. He had been afraid of not being sorted into Slytherin with the rest of his family. He had never been all that cunning, always rushing headfirst into trouble.
"Well, well, another Black." Sirius smirked. "I guess I'll send you strait into... wait, what's this?"
The boy froze. "No, I'm afraid not. You would be eaten alive in Slytherin. Ah, and it seems you know it, too."
"What? No, I have to be in Slytherin!"
"For your parents, or for you?"
Sirius clenched his fists. "I am heir to the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, you will..."
"You are not Slytherin material, Mr. Black."
"Ravenclaw then."
"Afraid not. You have never opened a book voluntarily in your life." Sirius flinched. He knew fully well that he was not just and fair. "You will understand in time, you have my word."
"Don't you dare." Sirius used his most menacing tone, actually whispering under his breath instead of thinking it.
"You will do best in...
"Gryffindor!"
Sirius froze. The Great Hall went deadly silent.
"Up you get, Mr. Black," Professor McGonagall said, a slight frown on her face as she took the hat from his head.
"There's been a mistake!" The voice belonged to his cousin, Bellatrix.
There was instant uproar.
"Blacks are not Gryffindors!"
"Filthy Blood Traitor!"
"We don't want a Black with us!"
"Resort him!"
"Silence!" Dumbledore got to his feet. "If you would kindly take your seat, Miss Black," Dumbledore said. "And you to yours, Mr. Black."
Sirius stood, and made his way to the table on the far side of the hall. He couldn't understand how he had ruined everything in his first five minutes at the castle.
Gryffindors all down the table glared at him, some even hissing at him as he walked passed. He took a seat as far from everyone else as he could. He would transfer. His parents would never tolerate their heir being a Gryffindor.
"Evans, Lily." The red-haired girl in front of Remus grinned at her black-haired friend and practically ran forward, sitting down eagerly.
"Gryffindor!"
Remus started worrying. What if the hat knew his secret? If it could really read minds like it said... The hat would know he was a werewolf.
"Fawcett, Laurence."
What if it yelled out Werewolf instead of a house? Everyone would know his secret! They would hate him, shun him, attack him, or maybe worse.
"Hufflepuff!"
"Longbottom, Frank."
"Gryffindor!"
Coming here was a mistake. Maybe if he left now, Dumbledore could send him home. At least there he had his mother. At least she didn't hate him for what he was.
"Lupin, Remus."
Remus froze, hearing his name called. Professor McGonagall looked around at the crowd of first years in front of her.
"Mr. Lupin?" A couple older students chuckled; they remember the panic of having their name called.
Remus stepped forward hesitantly. He looked up at the staff table, directly at Dumbledore. The man had risked his job and reputation to give him this chance. The man sent him a wink and Remus felt himself calm down a bit. He sat down gingerly, and Professor McGonagall dropped the hat onto his head.
"Hmm, very interesting." Remus jumped at the voice. "It's okay, it's just me. It appears we have a problem here." Remus closed his eyes, dreading the next word. "You could fit in two different houses perfectly."
Remus' eyes flew open.
"Not what you were expecting? It's not my place to tell anyone anything that I see. Your secret is safe with me. Now where to sort you?"
"Please, not Slytherin..." he thought to the hat.
The hat chuckled. "You think I was planning on Slytherin? No, you would never fit there. You are too kind, and much too brave for that. You are so much more than your Lycanthropy, young man. Don't forget that."
Remus swallowed. "Then where," he asked.
"It was quite brave of you to come here. And yet you value your intelligence above the rest of the traits."
"I was terrified. I'm not brave. I'm not all that smart either."
"On the contrary, child. Bravery is not the lack of fear, but the ability to stand up and face your fears head on. As a matter of fact, I've reached my decision. I hope you enjoy your time in...
"Gryffindor!" The last word was shouted for the rest of the hall to hear.
Remus swallowed hard as he heard the cheers from the table at the other side of the hall. He smiled, and headed over toward his new classmates.
"McKinnon, Marlene."
He reached the table, and noticed the students all had given one of the two new Gryffindors a huge berth. There was at least four seats on either sides of Sirius Black. The other boy looked up at him with cold, grey eyes. But Remus knew a front when he saw one. He sat across from the Black heir and, after only a brief hesitation, held out his hand to the other boy. "I'm Remus, good to meet you."
Black looked at him, and rose a single eyebrow. "I do not consort with Halfbloods. My sorting is a mistake, one which will be rectified shortly. Do not touch me."
Remus blinked, not used to rudeness from people who did not know what he was. He pulled his hand back, a frown forming on his face as he turned to watch the rest of the sorting.
"Pettigrew, Peter."
Peter stumbled as he stepped forward and sat down on the stool harder than he had meant to.
"Difficult, very difficult." Peter closed his eyes. He knew he wasn't good enough to be at Hogwarts. "Oh, no, you misunderstood me. You have qualities of three of the four houses, it depends on where I put you which you will decide to strengthen."
Peter blinked. "Really?"
"Yes, child. You are cunning enough for Slytherin. You are resourceful enough for Ravenclaw. And you are brave enough for Gryffindor."
Peter clenched his fists. "Am I really going to sit here and be mocked by a hat? I'm not cunning, or smart, or brave."
"You don't see it yet, but you are. I'll give this to you. You decide. Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin. Which will you decide to become?"
The boy swallowed hard. His grandparents were both Slytherins, and his father is a Gryffindor. No one had expected anything but Hufflepuff from Peter. But now that he could choose, he realized what he wanted more than anything was to make his father proud. His muggle mother didn't understand magic. But his father did.
"Gryffindor, please."
"Very well. You will have many opportunities and many good friends in...
"Gryffindor!"
Peter grinned hugely, and looked back at the boy he had met on the train. James Potter said he would be a Gryffindor, and everyone knew all Potters always were. The messy-haired boy gave Peter a thumbs up, and Peter went to the table.
"Potter, James."
Peter was surprised to see a boy sitting across from the Black heir, but sat beside the irritated-looking boy anyway.
"Hi, I'm Peter." He held out his hand.
"Remus." They shook hands.
James gave a thumbs-up sign to his friend from the train just as he heard, "Potter, James."
He sauntered up to the stool and sat down.
"Ah, a Potter. Only one place for you, child."
"I'm not a child!"
"Okay, okay, you're just about the easiest sorting of the day, I'll have you know."
"Really?"
"Of course! You're as Gryffindor as it gets. So I hope you enjoy your new housemates in...
"Gryffindor!"
James grinned as he stood, handing the hat back to Professor McGonagall. He made his way over to the Gryffindor table, waving at a couple second and third years he knew, and froze. He had intended to sit across from Peter. But that would mean sitting beside Sirius Black. James scrunched up his nose slightly at the thought. Blacks were evil, everyone knew that. Why would Peter sit with him?
Until he noticed the boy Peter was taking to. He sat beside Peter, and introduced himself to the new boy. The three sat talking, completely ignoring the cold grey eyes of the boy across from them.