Sirius' Sorting from...
The Sorting Hat's POV.
"Black, Sirius III"
I heard Professor McGonagall shout. Oh my, another Black. They were never pleasant to Sort, since their thought without exceptions was filled with Dark magic and horrible things. I felt sorry for the children of the House of Black, who was raised during such conditions, but they was proud over their upbringing and ancestry and didn't want pity. Not that anyone wanted pity.
I watched the young boy walk up to me. He looked confident and a bit condescending. Just like all Blacks. Oh well, even if they wasn't pleasant to look into the heads of, they at least was easy to Sort and I got a small holiday during the Sorting Ceremony.
The young boy, Sirius, gave the stool a quick disgusted gaze before taking place at the stool.
My first sight when he lowered his Occlumency was what I thought it would be, Dark Arts, superiority-thoughts and disliking for muggleborns.
My, my. Another Black. The Heir of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black, even. I said. Well, see on that. I guess you should be in Sly… no wait.
Wait? Dislike? Normally it was clear hate I found. I stopped myself before shouting out Slytherin. There seemed to be more in this boy than what met the eye.
Excusez-moi? Sirius asked. Even his thought was posh. Not that I would've expected something else, I could see how his mother had forced the way to talk on him.
I was confused. Now when I took a deeper look into the boy's head I found things I never had seen in a Black's head before, and I had met them all.
Courage, bravery even. This was a boy who took the blame rather than seeing someone he cared about hurt. Something he had proven with his little brother many times. I could see memories of pranks he had planned, or even when the little brother – Regulus - had done something. And Sirius protected his brother and did everything possible to take all the blame and protect his little brother. Even if it ended in… Merlin! Never in all my days had I seen a pair of parents who gave such cruel punishments.
It was a wonder this boy still was able to look adults in the eyes.
This boy was highly abused, and still he stood strong and proud. It was a long time since I had seen someone that strong, if ever. Godric would be proud over this boy.
Another thing I found in his head was loyalty. If he thought someone or something was worth his loyalty he would be loyal to the end, nothing could change his mind. Stubbornness. Suppressed wildness that longed to get out, something it never would in the House of the Snake. One thing was sure, neither Ravenclaw nor Hufflepuff was an alternative, he was not studious enough, even if he had a brilliant mind, for Ravenclaw, and not patient, not tolerant nor hard working enough for Hufflepuff even if he was more than enough loyal for one.
It stood between his family House, Slytherin, and his family's enemy-House, Gryffindor. In Gryffindor his family would not be glad, and he would probably face even more abuse if they didn't disown him, but still I thought he had his best chance there. He had an intense longing for something that some people found easily in Slytherin, that stayed for ever for those snakes, but Sirius would not find in that House. Friendship and love.
The only person that ever had showed Sirius anything of this without a scheme was Regulus, and Regulus wasn't here. In Slytherin he would get a lot of friends, but only because they wanted to get his family name. In Gryffindor, on the other hand, he had the chance to find people who cared about him for him, rather than his name. Most probably he wouldn't be very popular there at first, but I was sure that he would find the right people with a little time.
Yes. Very interesting. True, you are much like your family: proud, confident in your own worth (which was a wonder after everything he had gotten through), determined and intelligent. But you also has something else…
Bravery, courage, loyalty, protective instincts, an ability to love fiercely and a longing to be loved back and a chivalric heart and the strongest will I could remind me to ever see VS determination, cunningness and proudness.
Yes, there was no doubt where I would Sort him. I was worried about the kid's health, I held his life in my non-existent hands right now, and I was deathly afraid I would make the wrong choice, but no matter who his parents was or what they could do, this boy didn't belong anywhere else. I wanted to give him his best chance in life, and in Slytherin he would not retrieve anything but false friends and possibly a death of his good characteristics. For some people Slytherin was the perfect House, which would only increase their good attributes and give them a wonderful time at Hogwarts and friends for life, but for this Sirius Orion Black III nothing good could come from Slytherin except that his parents wouldn't punish him for being in another House.
What are you talking about, Hat? Just Sort me and get over with it. I don't like having my Occlumency-shields down. Hopefully I won't have to sit beside Lucius. I got as answer from him. I couldn't help but chuckle at the kid's involuntary wit.
Oh, I don't think you shall worry about that. But as you wish, I'll get you Sorted. I wonders what Minerva will say…
I caught a wave of un-understanding from the boy. He was confused, which I could understand. I hopes I do the right thing now.
"GRYFFINDOR!" I shouts and after a moment of silence from the boy, too shocked to first comprehend what I said, a wave of anger, shock, disappointment and fear reaches me when he stands up with a jerk.
Just before Minerva takes off me from his head I tells him one last thing.
I'm sorry. You're one of the few I don't listen to what they want, because what you want isn't your own opinion as much as your family's. You'll find it is for the best.
Then I am taken off Sirius' head and I sees him turn around to shout at the headmaster. He won't have it easy in the beginning, but after he has taken his place and the Sorting goes on I gets even more hope about a better future for the poor Heir of the House of Black. That James Potter didn't have a bad head…
Next day I am sitting on my shelf in Dumbledore's office when the headmaster comes in. He has a bright smile on his face, as usual. When he turns against me I gets the feeling that he has something to tell me, and as usual I am right.
"You wanted to be told when young Sirius Black found friends?" Albus asks and I answers "Yes". His smile widens.
"Then I have great news for you, old friend. Mr Black got a Howler from Mrs Black this morning…" I can't help but cringe. I remember her, Walburga Black. Even without what I saw in Sirius' head I can remember from her Sorting that she wasn't a nice woman. "…and when Mr Black left the Great Hall after breakfast James Potter followed him out. Later Minerva told me that they had come to her lesson two hours later talking like they had known each other their whole lives."
I can't help but feel content and a bit self-righteous when I hear this. I knew Sirius would find friends, and I was sure that James Potter would be the one to do it.
Five years later, when a 16-years old James Potter sneaks into the Headmaster's office followed by a happy and free, newly disowned and ran-away-from-home Sirius Black in leather-jacket and a cocky smile to steal me before starting some tumult at the school, calling each other "Prongs" and "Padfoot" and whispering about having to hurry or "Moony" and "Wormtail" would be worried, Sirius takes me to hide me in a secret compartment in their dorm and just before he closes the door he whispers, very quietly but enough for me to hear and grin:
"Thank you,"
And I answers:
"You're welcome."
Nooooo, I did not get this idea from Fiordineve and her story The woes of a Sorting Hat, not at all (which you can find here, by the way: s/11620786/1/The-woes-of-a-Sorting-Hat).
Okay, I'm a bad liar. Of course I got it from there. It's an totally awesome fic, by the way, and mine isn't as good as that, but it was fun to write anyway and that's the most important thing about this.
I hopes you enjoyed! And remember: Review, please!
