The Marauders: Through The Years
Chapter 2: On The Boats
Thank you to my two reviewers so far:
Erbanana: Thanks!
rainbowspring: OMG thank you! Thank you thank you thank you!
ShipsCollide: Thank you!
On with the story….
"Hi Peter, Remus. I'm James Potter." James said, smiling at them.
"I'm Sirius. Sirius Black," Sirius said. "And please don't make the joke," he said, grinning.
Remus also laughed, but Peter didn't understand.
"I don't get it," he moaned. Remus, James and Sirius rolled their eyes.
"Well, Peter. Have you noticed how similar Sirius' name is to the word "serious"?" Remus explained. Peter nodded, finally understanding.
"I get it now!"
"Finally," James muttered to Sirius, who grinning.
Just then, the boats started moving. Peter immediately started shaking.
"I d..don't l…like b…being on b…boats," he stuttered.
"Me neither," said Remus, sympathetically.
"So," said James, trying to start a conversation. "What house are you hoping for?"
"Well," Remus began, "Gryffindor would be nice, but I'm so glad to be here I don't really mind. What about you?"
"Gryffindor, all the way!" James said. "My whole family have been there!"
"Of course! You're a Potter!" Remus said, remembering. "How about you, Sirius? Oh…."
"Yes, my whole family have been in Slytherin. But I think I'll break the tradition. Peter?" Sirius asked.
"I'd like Gryffindor, but I don't think I am brave enough. Hufflepuff might be nice."
Remus noticed he'd stopped stuttering now that he forgot about the boats. Just then, a loud voice spoke.
"Mind yer heads!"
The four of them, and everyone else, ducked, as they went under a low hanging. Finally, they could see Hogwarts.
"Ooooooooh!" All the first years said in excitement. The boats landed, and Peter jumped out at once, all too glad to get off. The others jumped off after him, then followed a giant of a man inside Hogwarts. Sirius stared up at the giant door and stopped for a moment.
"What?" James asked him.
"This will be my first time to walk through these doors. I never want to forget this moment," Sirius replied. James nodded, understanding, then he walked on, leaving Sirius lingering behind.
A moment later Sirius caught up with him. He was just about to say something to him, when they had stopped moving, and were staring up at a stern witch, aged around fifty years old. She spoke to the soon-to-be-Sorted-first-years.
"Welcome to Hogwarts. Here there are four houses, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin. Each house has produced exceptional witches and wizards. I hope that you shall be a credit to whichever house you are Sorted into. In a moment, you will pass through these doors, to be Sorted. I
will come for you when we are ready." With that, the elderly witch left.
No one spoke. They were all too nervous. In a minute she came back, and they all followed her. Looking up as they entered the Great Hall, they had a similar reaction to seeing Hogwarts for their first time.
"It's bewitched to look like the night sky," Sirius heard a girl telling another. "I read about it in Hogwarts: A History."
That one's Ravenclaw for sure, Sirius thought.
They stopped, and stood in front of an old hat.
"Now, when I call your names, please come forth, and I will place the Sorting Hat on your head." The witch said.
"Abbott, Alice!"
" Hufflepuff!" The hat cried.
"Black, Sirius!"
The Slytherins sat up eagerly; they'd been waiting for this. Sirius heard one whispering to another that they didn't need the Sorting Hat.
Sirius made his way up, and the Hat was placed on his head.
"My, another Black, I see?" The hat spoke inside his head.
Yes, Sirius thought.
"Well, I must say, you are nothing like the rest of your family. I sense something: Gryffindor?"
Maybe you do, I'm nothing like my family. Sirius thought back.
"Hmm… this is surprisingly hard. Slytherin or Gryffindor? Your choice, Black,"
What? Sirius said in surprise. How can I make this decision? But it was easy enough. Sirius knew what he wanted. He wasn't going to follow in the footsteps of his family. He was a born leader, not a follower.
Gryffindor! He thought.
"So sudden…" the Sorting Hat mused. "But Gryffindor it is!"
And with that, the Hat cried out for the whole hall to hear,
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Everyone froze. They hadn't been expecting that. The Blacks present glared at him with immense loathing. Bellatrix looked murderous. The witch gave him an encouraging smile, though he could tell she hadn't been expecting that. Sirius walked slowly to the Gryffindor table, himself not believing his choice. His whole future had changed at the matter of one word, and now no one in his family (except maybe Andromeda) would ever speak to him again.
Sirius sat down at the table, and everyone around him looked rather wary. The elderly witch continued calling out names.
"Lupin, Remus!" was Sorted into Gryffindor, and he grinning at Sirius, then sat down next to him.
"Moon, Alice!" was also Sorted there, and she sat down next to Lily Evans, who also had been Sorted.
"Pettigrew, Peter!" joined them, and after him "Potter, James!"
James sat on the other side of Sirius, and Peter sat opposite them. By the end of the Sorting they had 4 girls:
Lily Evans,
Marlene McKinnon
Alice Moon and
Mary MacDonald.
There were also four boys, the four boys we just met. Dumbledore began the start of the term with his usual speech, only this time he had something else to add on.
"However, this term, we have something new. A Whomping Willow has being planted on these grounds. I trust that all of you will stay away from it. And now, let's start our excellent feast!"
The food appeared on the table. Sirius and James started on it immediately, and Peter quickly followed suit. Lily, however, had a question.
"What's a Whomping Willow?"
"It's an extremely dangerous tree. If something, even something as light as a feather, touches any part of it, the Willow will strike back. It could kill you, or at least poke out your eye." Remus followed that explanation with examples of gruesome things. Remus caught Peter staring at him.
"What?" he demanded.
"Funny. I was just going to say a tree that hits you," he grinned. Everyone laughed, and they began their feast.
A/N: Sorry it took me an extra day to update, this chapter was hard to write and I got caught up with this thing called real life. Have you heard of it? I'm just about to write a new story, so it might be a while before I update again. Thanks for the three reviews again!
A/N 2: I need ideas for pranks, Muggle or Magical. I'm not really a prankster myself, so I have trouble. Please PM me if you have any ideas, and I will make sure to give credit where it is due!
