A/N: I know, it's been a little longer since I updated. But exams are taking a lot of my time and well, this story didn't get much love, so I invested my time more in my other fic. But I'm back! I like this story and I have lots of cool stuff planned for it, so I won't give it up.

Special thanks goes to Lioness-of-Tortall-7 for reviewing!

Chapter 4

The feast was finally over, and all the Gryffindor first year students had followed Ted Tonks up to the dormitories in Gryffindor Tower. All but two. James Potter and Sirius Black had looked at each other nervously when Professor McGonagall had approached them after the bowls with dessert had vanished and Dumbledore had wished them all a good first night back.

„Potter. Black. Follow me."

That was all the stern looking woman had said and the two boys had hurried to shuffle out of the Great Hall behind her.

Sirius and James followed Professor MgGonagall through the corridors of the castle, without a clue where they were going. James was casting looks at Sirius with a nervous smile, and Sirius tried to smile back, but he was too agitated. He had the feeling, like his stomach had been tied into knots the whole day and since the Sorting in had just gotten worse. He had almost not been able to eat anything of the delicious looking food.

He was a Gryffindor. A Gryffindor! He was so doomed. Of all the houses he could have been sorted into, that was the one that was sure to get him killed. It was like marrying the daughter of your archenemy, like in that old muggle play. Ronaldo and Judith or something. Only that their families had previously loved their respective children, while it seemed that he had been the thorn in the side of his since he was born.

But this... this would surely end him! He could never go back home. Well, that was not such a bad thought in itself, but he doubted his parents would actually let him stay away. As much as they seemed to hate and despise him, they still seemed to want him around, if for no other reason than to show him just exactly that.

Sirius was so ensnared in his fears and worries, he at first didn't notice that they had reached their destination. Professor McGonagall had stopped in front of a door and opened it with a strange wave of her wand. Then she turned around and looked at them down her nose.

„Step inside."

They obediently shuffled into the room, that looked like a mixture between an office and a library. Professor McGonagall flicked her wand at the fire place and a fire roared up immediately. She went behind her desk and sat down looking at the boys for a few moment in silence.

„Would you care to explain to me why you felt the need to engage in physical violence, on your first day, before you even reached the school?" She raised her eyebrows at them, waiting. „I don't know if this kind of behaviour was accepted at your own homes, although I rather doubt it."

James looked up at this. „They started it!" He said defiantly. „They called Felicity a Mudblood!"

The professor frowned. „Yes. Mr. Tonks told me about that. That was a very stupid and spiteful behaviour and they will be dealt with by their own head of house, Professor Slughorn, I believe. Still, this is no excuse for your behaviour. At Hogwarts you will be expected to solve your quarrels in a different way. Fighting is under no circumstances acceptable behavior in this school."

Her gaze went from Sirius to James and back again, and the two boys nodded while looking appropriately bashful.

„Alright." Professor McGonagall concluded. „Since this incident happened on the train, even before you were sorted, there will be no points taken from Gryffindor. But don't be mistaken. If anything like this will happen again there most certainly will be. I'm sure your fellow students will confirm to you, that I have no reservations to take points from my own house. As it is you will both serve detention. For that, you will come here to my office at seven o'clock tomorrow evening. And I will of course write to your parents and tell them about your behaviour."

She stood up and walked over to the fireplace, throwing some yellow powder from the mantelpiece in the flames. „Very well. You can go to your dormitories now. One of the house-elves will show you the way."

The moment she had finished her sentence, a small creature with brown leathery skin, pointed ears and huge yellow eyeballs emerged from the fireplace and bowed deeply to Professor McGonagall.

„Ah, Niffy. Would you please be so kind to escort Mr. Potter and Mr. Black to their dormitory? They will also need the password."

Niffy the house-elf took another deep bow and turned to the boys. „If you would follow me young masters?" She said walking to the door of the office.

James followed her, but Sirius remained standing in front of McGonagall's desk. The stern looking witch had seated herself again, looking through some parchments. When she noticed Sirius still standing in front of her, she looked up with raised eyebrows.

„Yes Mr. Black? Is there something else?"

Sirius cleared his throat somewhat nervously. „Ehm... I wondered if I could speak to you for a moment, Professor." He said awkwardly.

Professor McGonagall looked at him questioningly, but didn't probe any further, when she saw the anxious face of the boy. She looked over to the door, where James still lingered, waiting „Move on already, Mr. Potter. I will bring Mr. Black after we are done."

James gave Sirius a curious look, but vanished out the door after the house-elf.

Professor McGonagall studied the young boy before her for a long moment. „Well? What is it Mr. Black?"

Sirius swallowed but met the eyes of his unexpected head of house. To his surprise they looked at him rather kindly. „I wanted to ask you if you could maybe not write to my parents about this." He said quietly.

„I'm sorry Mr. Black, but that's the way things like this are handled at Hogwarts."

Sirius swallowed again. He felt rather queasy. „Okay." He whispered. „But... could you maybe leave out the reason... that it was because of Avery and Burke calling her a Mudblood?"

Professor McGonagall frowned. „Why do you want me to leave out the only thing, that actually explains your behavior even if it might not excuse it entirely?" She asked, looking at him with her eyebrows raised almost to the rim of her pointed hat.

Sirius grimaced, staring at his shoes. „My parents won't see it like this. They will be furious enough I fought like a muggle. If they find out I'm in Gryffindor and associating with Muggleborns, that will make things even so much worse."

Minerva McGonagall looked at the young Black for a moment. „I understand, that all your family has been in Slytherin House. But you might know, that it's not always our family ties that characterize us the most." Her tone had become a little warmer. „If the Sorting Hat put you in Gryffindor it had it's reasons and I won't be able to change that."

„I don't want to change it." Sirius admitted in a whisper. He couldn't believe he had the audacity to state it out loud. When he looked up at the professors eyes, he said with a little more confidence. „I... I like being in Gryffindor. But my parents... for them it will be a scandal. And it will be my fault. I just thought..." He broke of, somewhat resigned. It would probably make no difference. For his parents he would be as good as dead.

„Well, Mr. Black, since you acted out of the need to protect a fellow student, and since I'm positively convinced that you regret your behaviour... I think it won't be necessary to inform your parents of your actions this time. I rest assured it won't happen again."

Sirius looked up at her with a small smile. „Thank you, professor."

Professor McGonagall nodded curtly and stood up, sweeping past him. „Now come, Mr. Black, we have to get you to your dormitory, it's getting late."

Sirius followed her up the travelling staircases and corridors to a portrait of a rather well-fed Lady in a pink dress. „Hinkypunk!" said Professor McGonagall and the portrait swung open, revealing a small entrance in the wall behind it. The professor then turned towards Sirius.

„Here we are. Your luggage will already have been brought to your dormitory." She gave him a small, almost unnoticeable smile. „Good night, Mr. Black. And Welcome to Gryffindor House!"

***

When Sirius came up to the dormitory he was greeted by the loud and cheerful voice of James.

„Hey Sirius! There you are! What did you have to talk about with McGonagall? I saved you a bed next to mine!" The grinning boy ran up to him, not waiting for an answer and slung an arm around his shoulder, Sirius couldn't help but grin back. „Come on, you have to meet out fellow comrades-in-arms-and-spirit!"

James dragged Sirius towards his appointed bed and the other two boys sharing their dormitory. One was short and chubby with hair of an unidentifiable colour. He grinned at Sirius, while chomping on a sugar quill. How he could still be hungry after the feast Sirius didn't understand. „Hi. I'm Peter. Pettigrew. You're Sirius Black the third, aren't you?" His voice was a little squeaky and he held out his hand to Sirius looking very eager.

Sirius shook Peter's hand, with an amused frown. „Ehm... yeah. But you can leave out the third, or the Black as well." With a slight sigh he mumbled to himself „Not sure how long I'll still be having that name..."

Then his gaze fell on the fourth boy, who stood by the bed on the other side of his. He was slender, almost delicate with honey coloured hair, that hung in his face and big brown eyes. His clothes were worn and he looked almost like a little stray puppy, especially because he was looking at Sirius with a somewhat awkward expression.

Sirius went over to him and held out his hand. „Hi, I'm Sirius."

The boy took his hand and shook it with a surprisingly firm grip. „Yeah, I know. Your family is quite well known." he ducked his head a little. „I'm Remus Lupin."

„Nice to meet you Remus. And... well, I hope you won't hold my family against me."

Remus looked at him a little surprised, but than he nodded and smiled. His whole face suddenly changed and looked young and boyish. James came over and slung one arm around Sirius and one around Remus, turning them around to face Peter.

„So boys. Sirius and I already have our first detention. I think that is a sign. What do you say, we will become the greatest mischief-makers this school had ever seen?"

Peter was the first to nod in agreement. Remus gave James and Sirius a shy smile and Sirius... well, Sirius grinned at the rest of them and said „Yeah, I guess we will!", but in his eyes there remained a sliver of doubt and a glimmer of fear.

TBC

Please review! You're feeding the muse!