An: I realize that I have taken forever to update, but real life is annoyingly captivating. I've broken two laptops (which is where I do most of my writing), had compatibility issues (android doesn't get along with anything, not even itself occasionally), had exams, found gaming groups, and got a boy friend.

Also tv tropes, and plotbunnies will ruin your life.

I don't own harry potter

Chapter 2 join your houses

Like so many students before me, I put the hat on to be sorted. No one had ever told me how the hat sorts so I had no idea what I should expect. Having another voice speak in my mind was not anywhere close to what I expected though. So another Black, come to join the ranks of Slytherin eh? There is no way I'm going to let it put me in any house just because of my family. I don't care if it is an ancient family rule, house bias, or other trumped up non-sense, no silly hat will stick me with those biased jerks, especially not with Malfoy. You clearly have plenty of courage and determination, but I must warn you that the path you are taking will not be easy... So being a Gryffindor will bring trouble, thats old news, just get on with it already...

... Being jerked back to reality by the hat calling out my new house is remarkably disorienting, especially given the almost complete silence of a group of people who are too startled to speak. Most of the Slytherin table and some of the Gryffindors are glaring at me in what must be some new type of record. And the looks on their faces are priceless. And from the looks on my new housemates, it will be a while before they get over this.

Remus's POV

It wasn't really a surprise to me when the sorting hat put Sirius in Gryffindor. Even though I only met him earlier today, he really came across as a true Gryffindor. Most of the rest of the people in the hall did find it surprising though. In fact, they are almost up to my name and the muttering hasn't stopped. The good news is that this will blow over soon. And it's just about my turn to be sorted.

On a largely unrelated subject, I so hope those forks aren't silver.

"Remus Lupin" And now its my turn to be sorted, I wonder where I'll be. Probably not in Gryffindor or Slytherin, after all I'm not that brave or ambitious.

Peter's POV

This is shaping up to be the best first day ever. I've made some new friends, had a generally good time, found out some exciting new secrets, and the previous sortings show that I might actually wind up where I want to be. There is one blemish on this otherwise perfect day, James being unable to accept that Sirius is or even could be a nice guy. James is complaining about the sullying of Gryffindor with Blacks and losers who look like they could be bowled over with a feather. That last point annoys me because even though I just met him I'm sure that Remus is not a loser. I think, however, I'll have to wait on arguing with James because it's now my turn to be sorted.

James's POV

I can't believe it. How could those three total losers make Gryffindor. Not that I particularly dislike Remus or Peter, but neither of them belong in Gryffindor. I mean Remus could be blown over by a small gust of wind and is sufficiently in love with his books to be a great Ravenclaw, Peter is too weak spiritually and can't stand up for himself, and the Black is from a family that has been evil and in Slytherin since the dawn of time. At least the the other guys aren't too bad, for instance Frank is great, if a bit boring.

Making a point not to let my out of place housemates interfere with my enjoyment, I joined in conversation with the other housemates about everything besides the false Gryffindors. We discussed the teachers, the old standards McGonagall, Slughorn, Sprout, Madame Hooch , Binns, Flitwick, Vector, Vale, and the other teachers who had been on the staff for a while and the new Defense against the dark arts teacher Professor Ronin. We also talked about the school quidditch teams, how Ravenclaw's best players graduated last year, and the effect that would have on the balance of power around school.

There were also a few of the older Gryffindors who wanted details on what it's like to be the son of two famous aurors prompting that whole snowball. The attention was great at first but is now really getting on my nerves.

While I was being pestered for information, I searched desperately for a way to get away from the crowd. Then it came to me like a lightning bolt, foist them onto someone else, for instance, Sirius Black.

Remus's POV

During the dinner conversations, I tried to get a handle on the other Gryffindors in my year. Frank was the easiest because I saw rather quickly that he wouldn't start investigating me if I asked him not to, though he would be one of the first to realise that I was hiding something. Peter could figure it out because he is so curious and energetic, but given the way he believes James's wild tale of slipping into the ministry and stealing the minister's pen, he ought to believe my excuses. James is bright and has access to all the materials he would need to put the clues together … IF he could ever see beyond himself and his little world. Sirius might be dangerous because he acts like he's hiding something and might be able to recognize that in others. Also, he would have all the knowledge he needs to put two and two together. I just hope he'll understand what it's like to have people hate you without knowing you and therefore not tell any one. The gaggle of girls further down the table probably won't even notice me, let alone see anything suspicious.

… I think that I have never heard any one so successfully dodge questions as Sirius just did with the barrage of queries that the seniors foisted on him. James is of course laughing at Sirius's predicament, interestingly, Peter looks more annoyed than impressed, though that could just be my imagination.

However Sirius's evasions make it quite clear to me that he is hiding something. Though it
is not my place to pry, this has made me quite curious.

Peter's POV

After the feast, we headed to our dormitories, with Gryffindors dividing into a string of mini groups. James wound up laughing and chatting with a few higher years. I walked up with Sirius and Remus, who were trying to ignore James and read a book, respectively. After walking a ways into the castle, loosely following the other Gryffindors I managed to get Sirius out of his funk and into a conversation about pranks, which might not have been all that much better given the way he kept on coming up with new ways to humiliate Malfoy. Remus kept trying to pretend that he wasn't interested but it was obvious that there were a whole lots of things he was just itching to say, and would contribute if he would just get the nerve to speak. Having felt the same thing before when watching on the edge of a conversation, I made a point of slipping him a few opportunities to join the chat without the awkwardness of interrupting.

When we reached the Gryffindor dorms, I was overcome by awe. Gryffindor has always been the house of heroes, and these are the bunks that they slept in, the chairs that they sat on.

It would be a few days before I realized that Sirius flinched at the sight of the flame coloured room or that James was glaring at us.

The next day was truly exciting with Sirius's howler at breakfast and our new classes. The howler came with rest of the mail, about half way through breakfast. You know how most howlers give the recipient time to at least notice and register its presence before they start screaming, well this one didn't. Before it had even hit the table it started talking with a hard man's voice, which was interestingly not shouting - aren't howlers supposed to shout?, but instead talking cooly. "You are in a lot of trouble young man. No Black has been a Gryffindor in over ten generations. Your mother is highly displeased by this turn of events. This disgrace to our family name will be very hard to forgive". All through this Sirius had been sitting there stoically, carefully not reacting but the Man's next mildly cryptic line brought a very visible wince from Sirius. "You do realize, I hope, how much this impacts Regulus." With that the letter burst into flames leaving black soot that fell slowly onto the table.

"Was that your father who sent that?" I asked after the shock had worn off and Sirius's pained expression had faded a bit.

"Yes" was the terse reply.

The rest of breakfast was filled with whispers and the muted roar of a disturbed crowd. I don't think that anyone was paying attention to what they were eating. I know I wasn't.

-

After an unholy amount of time spent wandering the corridors and dodging the poltergeist that seemed to hate me for some unexplained reason I finally made it to class. Do you have any idea how embarrassing it is to walk into a class very late? If you don't I'll just say that you don't live it down for weeks. I didn't really get much out of Mcgonigal's lesson. James managed the transfiguration on his first try, something both immensely impressive and unquestionably guaranteed (don't ask me how that worked). Slughorn's potions class was okay, but not really my thing. If it weren't for Slughorn's watchful eye we probably have fought the snakes over the insults they were throwing. Most of which came from Severus, earning him the displesure of a lot of gryffindor, but it was started by a different member of the house and most of them played some role in it, though there were a few that didn't.

First was the accusations that neither Remus nor I deserved to be in Gryffindor, which had James replying angrily in our defense. Then the accusations that James was a spoiled git. This had Sirius saying "Of course he is".

To which the reply from a Slytherin whose name I can't remember was was "Such a great traitor Black, can't even pick one side."

We'd all turned red and were in varying stages of readiness towards fighting when Slughorn came and broke up the fight and took a couple points from his own house. For the head of Slytherin house, he's a good guy.

Professor Sprout's class was relaxing and much more friendly than potions. The Hufflepuffs are always easy to work with and the starting lesson wasn't difficult at all. History of magic had us all sleeping and the new defense against the dark arts professor wasn't much better. After he introduced himself as Professor Ronin, James suggested that drone on might be a more appropriate name. We spent the rest of the lesson trying to survive the monotony. Professor Binn's class was even worse.

-
The class that we were looking forward to - Quidditch- was on our third day. All of Gryffindor was looking forward to it, expect for everyone in higher years that it didn't apply to, a lot of the girls, and possibly Remus. Oh well, James, Sirius, Frank, and I were looking forward to getting to play.

I've always loved flying and heights. When the world is spread out below you like a patchwork quilt everything seems to fit into place. There's no hurry, no mistakes, no worries. Falling
on the other hand …

Sometimes when the broom drops while descending it is hard to remember that I'm flying and not falling and that scares me. Even so the idea of playing quidditch seems so cool somehow.

End chapter 2