A/N: I did not write that Sorting Hat's song! It was written by Judin on DeviantARTDOTcom. You can check out their gallery here = / just replace the DOT's with a full stop.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter pr any of the people in this story. The belong to JK Rowling.
Beginning
Chapter Two: Sorting
After they all got off the train they heard a booming call of 'Firs' years! Firs' years this way!' coming from an impossibly large man and followed the man to the lake.
'Everyone, get in! Four to a boat, and be careful.' Boom the large man, who had a boat larger than the rest all to himself.
'Come on, there's a free boat over there.' Sirius said as he practically dragged the other three boys to the boat.
'Whoa, slow down Siri.' James said as he tried –and failed-to retrieve his hand from Sirius iron grip.
Sirius stoped dead after James said that, sending said boy forwards by several few, Peter right into the lake and Remus managed to stay put.
'Siri?' Sirius said rather puzzled at the name.
'Yeah well I can't be bothered saying "Sirius" every time.' James said as Remus helped Peter out of the lake.
'Hmm, well I guess that's a good point, Jamie.' Sirius said grinning like an idiot.
'Jamie? I refuse to be called by such an indignant name!' James said positively outraged.
'Bad luck, Jamie.' Sirius said smugly as he starting towards the boat again.
James just stood there dumbfounded as Sirius, Remus and a sodden Peter climbed into the boat.
'Well come on then! You'll be left behind if you just stand there like and no-brain idiot!' Sirius said as sat down near the front of the boat.
James gathered his wits and climbed into the boat and sat next to Remus near the back as the large man bellowed 'Forwards!' and the boats started moving towards Hogwarts.
'Just think, soon we'll all be in Hogwarts! Where we'll be learn to do all sorts of spells for all sorts of things!' Sirius said as he stood up and started to jump excitedly; rocking the boat and making Remus hold on to the edge like his life depended on it.
'P-please don't jump.' Remus practically begged in his small, nervous voice.
Seeing the jumping and the rocking made his new friend unconfutable Sirius stoped and sat back down 'Sorry, mate,' Sirius said 'just exited I suppose.'
'Yeah, me too I guess.' Remus said with what could have been a smile as James and Peter nodded their agreement.
'You'll get your firs' look O' Hogwarts in sec.' boomed the large man to the children in the boats.
As they rounded a bend everybody was suddenly Ooo-ing and Ahh-ing as they could now see the gigantic castle that was Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
'It's so beautiful...' Peter said with eyes as wide as dinner plates.
'Yeah...' the other three boys said in union in a dreamy voice, eyes equally as big as Peter's.
Once they had reached the bank of the river, they were met by a stern looking woman with black hair pulled into a tight bun and emerald-green robes.
The large man walked up to and greeted her 'Good evenin' Professor. McGonagall, I've got the firs' years here for ya.'
'Yes, thank you Hagrid, I'll take it from here, goodbye.' Professor McGonagall said to the large man, Hagrid. Hagrid nodded and moved on down the bank.
McGonagall turn to the group of children in front of her and said 'Good evening, and welcome to Hogwarts. In a moment you will go though these doors,' she indicated to the doors behind her, 'and be sorted into your school house. While you are here your house will be like you family, you will have classes together, eat together and spend your free time in you hose common room. Good behaviour will earn your house points, bad behaviour, will lose you points. At the end of the year the house with the most point with The House Cup.' She looked at her watch, 'you have two minuets till we go in, I suggest you use that time to smarten your selves up a bit.' Children were now franticly trying to flatten their hair or straiten their robes or, in Peter's case, dry off as fast as possible.
'Come on!' Professor McGonagall suddenly snapped, 'it's time to go in!' she marched though the gigantic doors closely followed by the group of nervous children.
Everybody was whispering about the sorting, the four boys could hear some of what people were saying and it was things like 'How are we gonna get sorted?' and 'I heard that we have to fight a troll...' and 'My brother said that we have to fight a banshee...' James and Sirius weren't particularly worried Peter was nervous that he would have to fight some huge monster or perform some complex spell or charm and Remus was worried that he would just get put straight in Slytherin because of his little 'problem'
Professor McGonagall led them to a huge room with four long tables, one for each house, the first table was Gryffindor then came Ravenclaw next to that was Hufflepuff and the last one and the one with the least people, was Slytherin.
Professor McGonagall told them to stay there and she went up to the staff table and brought in a three legged stool and a hat the look older than Dumbledore; it had patches everywhere and had a rip near the bottom that looked like a mouth. Suddenly the hat moved, the mouth-rip started to move as the hat began to sing
Another year is coming
and the children stand in line
They are waiting for me to sort them
for that is the purpose of mine
Here at Hogwarts we have four houses
and I will appoint you to one
and when you are snug in your new home
we'll get some magic done
The lions of Gryffindor tower
are the bravest and noblest around
Scarlet and gold are their colours
In their eyes there is hope to be found
In Ravenclaw wit conquers muscle
In blue and in black lie their hearts
They are Rowena's children
she taught them the spell-casting arts
The badgers are loyal of nature
The Hufflepuff house is true
They make the best kind of friendships
and yellow and black are their hues
Last stands the Slytherin household
where those cunning and cold find their kind
They hide behind veils of silver
and know to put heart after mind
You see we are varied in merits
and somewhere in this you belong
It's important that we stand together
for together we will be strong
Once the hat had finished its song the room exploded into applauds, every student and a few teachers were clapping and cheering. Once the room had calmed down Professor McGonagall came up and she pulled out a long roll of parchment 'When I call your name, you will come up here and I will place the Sorting Hat on your head to be sorted'
She started to call names and Sirius's surname being Black, it didn't take long for McGonagall to reach his name on the list.
'Black, Sirius' called McGonagall and Sirius walk up and sat on the stool, McGonagall put the hat on his head and he heard a voice whispering in his ear.
'Ah, a Black. Everyone in your family has been in Slytherin, but you seem different.'
'No way am I going in Slytherin like the rest dumb family.'
'No, you're not right for Slytherin, I think you would do better in GRYFFINDOR!' the Sorting Hat shouted the last part out loud and the Gryffindor table exploded in cheers while the Slytherin table all just sat there mouths open in shock, all the Black's were always in Slytherin.
Soon Professor McGonagall reached the 'L's and as she called Remus's name all the teachers looked at each other, most the students didn't notice but James and Sirius did and James shot a questioning look to Sirius from where he was standing near the front of the room, and Sirius shrugged in return.
James and Sirius turned back to the front of the room where Remus was getting the hat put on his head.
'Well, a werewolf, that's new I've never sort one of those before. Well a Dark Creature would probably go in Slytherin, but that doesn't seem right for you, and you have to pretty brave to go though that every month. Better be, GRYFFINDOR!' As the shouted out its decided house Remus allowed himself a small almost-smile and the teachers seem to deflate with relief. Again, nobody noticed, except James and Sirius.
Remus walked over to the Gryffindor table where he was greeted by and pats on the back that, Sirius being right next to him saw very clearly, made him wince slightly.
After a few more names Professor McGonagall reached the 'P's and soon Peter was walking up to the front of the room to be sorted.
The hat was put on Peter's head and almost immediately he heard a voice say.
'Interesting, interesting, not smart enough for Ravenclaw, not loyal enough for Hufflepuff, not cunning enough for Slytherin, but you are not afraid to speak your mind so, better be, GRYFFINDOR!'
Peter seemed to explode with happiness when the Sorting Hat said that he would be in Gryffindor, just the house he had been hoping for. He stumbled over to the table cheering the most and was greeted with claps on the back and deafening cheers.
Right after Peter came James. He clambered up to the front of the room and eagerly sat on the stool, completely confident that he was going to be in Gryffindor.
The hat had barely touched his head before he heard, 'A Potter, eh? You'll be easy to sort, GRYFFINDOR!'
James smirked as he walked to the Gryffindor table, he was right.
McGonagall continued to call out names until she reached the end of the list and in total there were four new Gryffindors nine new Hufflepuffs five new Ravenclaws and six new Slytherins.
Once every new first year had been sorted and seated at their new house table, Dumbledore stood and instantly everybody stopped talking and listened, 'Welcome first years, and to all that attended Hogwarts last year, welcome back! I would like to say a few things before we all become too befuddled by our wonderful feast, I would like to remind you that the Forbidden Forest is off limits to all students without a member of the staff present and there are a few new items on the banned list, said list can be found on the door to our caretaker, Mr Filch's office. That is all, and now, let our feast begin.' He waved his arms and food appeared on the tables and plates, lots and lots of food.
James Sirius and Peter were instantly shoving food on their plates and in their mouths while Remus just sat and ate very little.
After the feast was finished and everybody was full and happy Dumbledore sent them all to bed.
The perfect that had shown them to Gryffindor tower had just told them that the password was 'Lethifold' and told them that they should go to bed and all their stuff was already in their dorms.
They were up in their dorm and trying to decide who will sleep on which bed, Remus had already decided that he would be sleeping on the bed closest to the door and Peter had chosen the bed across from Remus and Sirius and James were fighting over who sleeps were on which of the two remaining beds. Eventually James decided that he would sleep on the bed next to Remus's and Sirius would sleep on the remaining bed.
Now that everyone had a bed Sirius, James and Peter got changed into their PJ's and Remus went to the bathroom to get changed.
They were all just getting to bed when they heard a prefect yell 'Lights out!' and they all drew their bed curtains closed and the light, indeed, went out.
