September 1st, 1991
Nicholas set back his shoulders and tilted his head high, feigning a sense of confidence despite his overwhelming nervousness as he followed Professor McGonagall and his fellow first years into the Great Hall. He let out a gasp of wonder as his eyes immediately looked towards the ceiling of the hall, at the stars and the black sky that glittered above their heads. The candles that dotted around the room suspended in mid air, the feeling of warmth rushing over him all at once made him want to undo his tie.
"It's bewitched to look like the night sky-" Hermione whispered into his ear next to him, Nicholas nodded numbly.
Four long wooden tables were laid out along the room, filled with students eagerly awaiting them. Silver platters and goblets donning the tables in front of the students. Hundreds of eyes following their every move as the first years made their way to the front of the hall in a somewhat orderly fashion. They stood at the top of the room, facing the students with the teachers to their back as they watched Professor McGonagall place an old withering hat on top of a stool.
Perhaps it was Nicholas's imagination, but he could have sworn that the old patchy hat had twitched. He struggled to keep his expression calm as the hat burst into song, his voice booming throughout the hall.
'Oh you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.'
The sorting hat continued its song, every note ringing out throughout the hall bewildering all the first years to the amusement of the teachers and the students. The hat seemed to explain everything about the houses in a more simpler fashion than he had heard Hermione describe earlier, setting him at ease. Looking over at Harry who had shuffled next to him, he noticed Harry's bright green eyes wide with astonishment probably as surprised as him.
"I bet I can sing better," Nicholas whispered to his friend. Harry's face broke into a grin.
"It might start raining if you do," said Harry. Nicholas rolled his eyes elbowing his friend in the ribs. The hat completed it's song, leading the students and all the others to erupt into a round of applause as it bowed from its awkward position. Nicholas found himself laughing and clapping along with Harry and Hermione.
"It's a hat! I'm gonna kill Fred! He said we had to wrestle a troll!" Ron hissed behind them.
"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted,' McGonagall called out as she unrolled a long piece of tan parchment. "Abbott, Hannah!"
A girl with blushed cheeks and pigtails stepped forward before sitting herself on the stool. McGonagall placed the hat on top of her head, the hat went silent for a moment-
"HUFFLEPUFF!" the sorting hat shouted. A table on the right shouted with glee and clapped hard, as Hannah went to sit with her new fellow Hufflepuffs. Nicholas cast an nervous look over at Hermione, who was mumbling under her breath and often biting her lip in nervousness.
"Do you reckon it reads our minds?" Hermione burst out at last, struggling to keep her voice to a whisper, "How can it put us into houses so easily just by what we're thinking?"
"Maybe it digs deep into your bones? Looks into your parentage and personality?" Nicholas offered, anxiously awaiting as McGonagall was going through the B's.
"Well that's completely different, what about muggle borns then? The sorting hat surely can't base it off parentage then-"
"Black, Nicholas!" McGonagall's voice wavered a bit towards the end, as though unsure of the name that had popped up on her parchment. She glanced over to an older man sitting at the Teachers table before her eyes casted onto Nicholas. He seemed to freeze on the spot, all confidence he'd feigned moments earlier felt like it'd washed away from his being.
Hermione elbowed him sharply in the ribs.
"That's a mistake, I'm a Drake." Nicholas stammered, stepping forward. He saw the blonde boy from earlier whirling around at him. The boy's eyes wide in confusion.
"Please step forward Mister Black, we have many more students to sort yet." Professor McGonagall said sternly, the sorting hat in her hand seemed to be sending Nicholas glares. Nicholas could feel his entire being shaking. He'd never heard of that surname before, forcing himself to take a step at the time towards the stool and to the pale shocked faces sitting before him.
He let out an exasperated breath as he settled on the stool.
"Never thought I'd see another Black in this school again," The hat began in his ear "Last time I'd been planted on someone of your heritage, the boy ended up in Slytherin. Whilst his older nuisance of a brother I'd sorted in Gryffindor." The hat started tutting. "Very suspicious you know, you've a great mind on your shoulders. You would do well in Ravenclaw, you're loyal yes- I can see that."
Nicholas sent a look back to Harry and his new found friends, suddenly afraid that he was going to be sorted into a different house to them.
"Ambition yes, you would be a great asset to Slytherin. But of course, your entire family has been put in Slytherin before you-"
"I'm a Drake. I'm the first of my kind." Nicholas said firmly between gritted teeth. "I'm not a Black, don't base me off another kid before me."
"Oh? You've got a fire in you boy. I can see it here in your head. Brave and true, daring. Bold- Very bold." The hat went silent for a moment, and Nicholas could feel his heart starting to sink "don't make me regret this Black- GRYFFINDOR!"
Nicholas let out a sigh of relief as he handed the hat back to Professor McGonagall, who's face seemed to go pale as he bounded down towards the roars and cheers of his new found house. Settling in at the table next to another red-headed weasley he turned in his bench to look towards the front to watch the others getting sorted.
"Nicholas is it?" He turned around to find a pair of twins regarding him with a grin, "You're a Black."
"I'm a Drake actually. It was a mess up with the school." Nicholas replied coolly. The two twins looked at each other smirking before turning back to him.
"Doesn't matter to us mate, we just wanted to say thanks for the miffed look on Malfoy's face." Malfoy? Nicholas turned back, looking towards the blond boy that they had pointed out "Malfoy is related to the Blacks, married into the family. Doesn't look too happy that he's not the most pureblooded kid in the school anymore."
"What makes you think I'm a pureblood?" Nicholas said, watching as Hermione got sorted into Gryffindor. Joining his house in clapping for their new housemate.
"Blacks are pureblood elitists. The entire family." One of the twins that introduced himself as Fred replied, "The Most Noble and Ancient house of Black." He recited as though it was a mantra.
"Well I'm not a pureblood. I'm a Drake and I've lived with muggles all my life." Nicholas shot back, patting Hermione on the shoulder as she settled in beside him at the Gryffindor table "I'd hoped you'd be in Gryffindor."
Hermione beamed back at him, her eyes wide with glee as they both turned back to the front not realising that during Nicholas's conversation with Fred and George that McGonagall had gone through the list and was nearing Harry's name. He made eye contact with Harry, showing his crossed fingers earning a smirk off Harry.
"Malfoy, Draco!" McGonagall called out, watching Malfoy saunter up to the stool and settling down. A wide smirk clear on his features, the hat had barely touched his head when it boomed out, 'SLYTHERIN!"
Nicholas sneered watching him stroll to the table at the far end of the hall, being greeted by similar pointed nosed kids with matching green and silver ties.
"Have you ever met a boy with a more ferret looking face?" Nicholas leaned forward whispering in Hermione's ear, she hushed him with a stern tone. Glaring at him to be quiet over her shoulder as he snickered with Fred and George.
"It's rude to talk like that Nicholas." The bushy haired witch hissed back when McGonagall wasn't looking their way.
"But it's true!" Nicholas continued, "It's like as if he's got permanent dung stuck up his nose-" Fred burst out into laughter, igniting a chuckle from George and Nicholas. Hermione tried to keep her resolve as McGonagall called the gryffindors to settle down, Harry had been called.
Nicholas ignored the whispers going around the hall as he sat up nervously watching his friend walk towards the stool, McGonagall placed the hat onto his head. The entire hall was quiet, and he watched as all the teachers seemed to have leaned forward in anticipation for the house the hat was going to call out.
"What if he gets sorted into Slytherin?" Fred whispered across the table to him and Hermione.
"He won't." Hermione pressed firmly, "His family is too good, I read that they were all Gryffindors. He'll be a Gryffindor."
"If it's that easy then why is it taking so long?" Nicholas said nodding towards his friend who looked down towards him and Hermione.
"Harry could just be having a conversation with it or something-"
"GRYFFINDOR!" Nicholas jumped from his seat roaring along with the rest of his house, clapping his hands hard as Harry bounded towards them.
"WE'VE GOT POTTER! WE'VE GOT POTTER!" The weasley twins shouted, hands waving above the rest of the gryffindor table.
"Mr Black! Mr and Mr Weasley please settle down!" McGonagall shouted, "Mr Black get down! You're not supposed to stand on your seats!" Nicholas jumped down from his seat hugging Harry tight as he pulled him in to the seat on his other side. He was in Gryffindor! All the worry was for nothing! Harry clapped him on the arm, his face smiling wide as he settled next to Nicholas.
"We were so worried!" Nicholas whispered, the grin not leaving his face "Thought the hat was gonna put you in Slytherin!"
"Nearly did!" Harry whispered back "Said I'd be good there."
"Yeah, but you're better here mate." Nicholas reassured him, turning back to the front "If it makes you feel better, the hat tried putting me in Slytherin too before he put me here."
"What, why?" Hermione turned round at that point sending him an incredulous look.
"Apparantly my entire family is in Slytherin, apart from one of the guys before me in my family." Nicholas shrugged.
"Mate, you've just been told off by McGonagall for standing on the bench at the start-of-the-year feast." Fred began looking over at George.
"If that doesn't cement how much you belong in Gryffindor, I don't know what will." George finished.
"Yes, but being silly like that does not mean you're a Gryffindor Nicholas. The Hat saw something else in you." Hermione reassured him.
"Yeah, my dashing good looks and godly physique." He chuckled, hearing Harry start laughing behind him. Hermione rolled her eyes at the two boys, fighting to keep a grin off her face.
The sorting continued, more students being placed in different houses and grumbles from Harry and Nicholas about just wanting to eat. When Ron was placed in Gryffindor ("Black! Potter! Get down this instant! Or I will start issuing detentions!" McGonagall shouted, her face red watching the two black haired boys welcome their friend to the table) and the last of the first years were sorted into their houses, Albus Dumbledore stepped up to a golden dias.
Nicholas kept trying to guess how old Dumbledore was, considering the old man donned a beard half as long as his body with his even longer silver hair cascading down his back. He beamed down at his students, his arms open wide as he regarded them all with twinkling blue eyes.
"Welcome!" His voice too carried along the great hall, "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! Now before we begin, I have a few words I would like to say." Nicholas cocked an eyebrow, was this where he was going to start distributing rules and regulations on how the students were supposed to behave? Were they going to get told off for standing on their seats?
"Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!" Dumbledore said proudly "Thank you!"
"Is he mad?" Nicholas heard Harry ask Percy, the gryffindor prefect.
"Mad? Perhaps. He's a brilliant wizard though. The best in the world." Percy replied, before offering potatoes. Nicholas let out a gasp as the empty platters before them suddenly filled up with food, full to the brim with yorkshire puddings and meats and mashed potatoes. He eagerly filled up his plate, offering Hermione and Harry a yorkshire pudding as he greedily grabbed 3 for himself.
Nicholas was never starved living at home, granted he was more on the skinny side but he put that down to genes. Considering he was a chubby baby though as Mel said, it was probably just him filling out to his proper body weight. Nicholas dug in, immediately stuffing his face with a mouthful of yorkshire pudding and gravy.
"You'll get a stomach ache if you continue eating that fast." Hermione scolded him, Nicholas turned round at her face completely serious before opening his mouth wide.
"Bite me." He said around a mouthful of food, Hermione shouted at him slapping him arm. Nicholas chuckled and smirked to himself.
"You're absolutely disgusting Nicholas!"
"Thanks, I do try." He said before filling his mouth again. Nicholas turned his attention to the other first years at their table, interacting every now and again when his mouth wasn't full to the point of exploding.
"When do you reckon we get our timetables?" He asked Harry during pudding, Harry shrugged.
"Might be tomorrow morning, I'm just praying we don't have a class with that guy on our first day." Harry said pointedly towards a man in dark robes staring at the both of them. Harry and Nicholas look back watching the man with the hooked nose widen his eyes almost in surprise. Nicholas looked back at his friend with a cocked eye brow.
"Maybe he wishes he had your hair? His looks it's been dumped in a deep fryer." Nicholas guessed, Harry laughed before turning back to his pudding.
"I want to learn about Transfiguration," Hermione started talking with Percy "I'm so excited to learn how to change things from one thing to another."
"I want this year to be over so I can try out for Quidditch!" Nicholas grinned leaning forward, Harry nodding erratically behind him. Hermione rolled her eyes at Nicholas's excitement, his grey eyes turning silver "Harry and I are gonna try out for Quidditch!"
"You can't be thinking so far ahead already Nicholas, we haven't even started yet!" Hermione protested, "Besides, you'll get into trouble if you even try."
"All the better for us to start now!" Harry said, smirking at Nicholas "It sucks first years can't try out. I'd love to try for Chaser."
"Seeker, for me. Never played it before but I already know I'm made for that sport." Nicholas placed a hand over his heart, looking over at the head of his house "You never know, maybe McGonagall will see how good I am and put me in the team."
"In your dreams Black." Harry shoved his shoulder, he grimaced touching his forehead as he looked back up to the teacher's table.
"Hey, you okay?" Percy asked.
"N-nothing." Harry stammered, causing Percy and Nicholas to worry. Nicholas looked back to the head table, looking at the teacher in the black robe talking to another teacher with a purple turban.
"Who's that teacher talking to Professor Quirrell?" Harry asked Percy.
"Oh, you know Quirrell? He's the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher." Percy pointed towards the teacher with the purple turban, he looked a bit anxious talking to the teacher next to him, "The teacher in the black robes in Professor Snape. He teaches Potions. But everyone knows he's after Quirrell's job though."
"Why's that?" Nicholas asked.
"Snape knows a lot about the Dark Arts. Been after the job for ages. But no one ever sticks out the job for long." Percy explained.
"The job's cursed." Fred added around a mouthful of treacle tart.
"Every teacher has only last about a year." George finished.
Dumbledore stepped forward at the moment, clapping his hands and causing all the pudding to suddenly disappear much to Ron's disappointment seeing as he was reaching for some more apple crumble. The hall fell silent as everyone turned towards the headteacher.
"Ahem- just a few words now that everyone is full and watered. I have a few notices to give." The air had gone serious all over again, "First-years should note that the forest in the grounds in forbidden to all students. Older students would do well to remind them of this as well." Nicholas had a piercing feeling that Dumbledore was looking at the Weasley twins in particular.
"I have also been asked by Mr Filch, the caretaker, to remind you that no magic at all is to be used in the corridors between classes," Nicholas let out a groan of disappointment "and that Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of term. Anyone interested in playing for their teams should contact Madam Hooch. This invitation is not extended however to the first years."
Harry and Nicholas grimaced, looking over at a disappointed Ron who seemed to be glaring at the empty platter.
"And finally, I must warn you all that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is off limits to everyone who does not wish to die a most painful death." Nicholas blanched, looking around at his fellow Gryffindors hearing Harry chuckle a bit behind him. But he was one of the only few who did.
"Wait, he's serious?" Nicholas looked to Percy for confirmation.
"Must be. But normally he'd give some sort of explanation y'know? Perhaps he'd give the prefects some more information later." Percy smirked proudly, puffing out his chest as though showing off the gleaming prefect badge on his school robes.
"And now before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" Nicholas's head banged onto the table, with a loud groan. He half-heartedly joined in the sing along with the other students refusing to have himself heard.
As the song came to a finish, Dumbledore wiped at tears under his eyes before smiling and sending them off to bed. Nicholas followed the rest of the gryffindors as they made their way to the common room.
"Do you reckon we get our own bedrooms?" Harry asked as they trudged up one of the staircases, Nicholas shrugged.
"Maybe we have to jump over an abyss to get to the tower, to show that we're gryffindors?" Nicholas retorted.
"You're impossible." Harry replied.
"Yeah but I'd be boring otherwise." Nicholas chuckled, trying to help his friend from stepping into the vanishing step.
As they clambered up a set of stairs, Percy paused before a large portrait of a lady. She glanced down at Percy and the newcomers, a cocked eyebrow as she looked over Harry and Nicholas.
"Password?" She said.
"Caput Draconis,' said Percy as the Portrait swung in on itself. Revealing a large hole for them to climb in through. They all scrambled in fighting to get a look into the Gryffindor common room. A large red room, full of squishy armchairs and a roaring fire in one side. There were several small tables set out around the room, windows that showed the hogwarts grounds and the forbidden forest. Nicholas was only half paying attention to Percy explaining that students weren't allowed to go into the opposite gender's dormitory, unless they wanted to get hurt.
Nicholas listened to Percy directing the girls through one door to their dormitory and the boys through another. After climbing up another spiral staircase, the first year gryffindor boys found a room with six four-poster beds with red velvet curtains.
Their trunks had already been moved to a bed, Nicholas grinned realising that his bed was in between Harry's and Neville's, he jumped headfirst onto the bed. Inches away from hitting the headboard.
"These beds are so comfy!" Nicholas laughed, feeling as though he was sinking into a bed of clouds. He realised that he was the only one at this point full of energy, as the five other gryffindor boys had started stripping to get ready for bed with heavy lidded eyes and sleepy grins.
Ron was the first to fall into bed, followed by Neville then the other two boys (who introduced themselves earlier as Dean and Seamus). Harry sat down on the edge of Nicholas's bed, watching Nicholas stroke Raven's feathers softly.
"What d'you think?" Nicholas asked at last, "Think it'll be a good year?"
"I think so,' Harry yawned rubbing his eyes behind his glasses "Just hope we don't have that Snape guy tomorrow."
"You never know, he might be alright." Nicholas tried to lighten the mood, but he felt like he was faking it at this point. He didn't want to say just yet about how perturbed he was about the fact everyone kept calling him 'Black' instead of Drake, and all of the reactions he'd gotten from it.
"He looks like he just wants to set the whole school on fire all the time." Harry mused. Nicholas smirked.
"You're paranoid mate. We should get some sleep, I've just realised that we have to somehow find our way around the castle tomorrow morning without getting lost." Harry nodded, "Makes you wish we had some kind of map y'know." Harry chuckled quietly, as he clambered into his own bed next to Harry's.
Nicholas pulled out the parchment and quill he'd bought the other week in Diagon Alley, his mind being too awake to fall asleep as he decided to write a letter to his sister Mel and nephew. Allowing his mind in the silence of the night to drift into his worries.