So Sirius gets his howler in this one!
The next morning at breakfast, Sirius's mother's letter arrived as promised. He read it over quickly.
"I am appalled! My own son in Gryffindor. I can hardly believe it. I've written a letter to Dumbledore, requesting that you be moved to Slytherin. I don't know how you managed to do this but you have reached a new level of disgrace. Rest assured that the minute you return home for the holidays, you will be punished. I am disgusted. Do you think it is a joke? You are shaming your family by being in that house. I'm ashamed to even call you my son and I'm disgusted that that fool Dumbledore would allow this happen. I know that you had something to do with this mess and when I find out how you did it I will most certainly see to it that you are properly punished. In the mean time I am having your cousins keep an eye on you so don't you dare get into any trouble you nasty, selfish child, you've done enough on your fist night already."
Sirius sighed and folded up the letter. Next to him, James had received one from his parents too, congratulating him on being in Gryffindor. He read a few lines. "So proud of you. I'm so happy. Well done." He sighed and took an extra large gulp of his pumpkin juice to take his mind off it. He choked and Remus had to thump him on his back.
"Thanks." He muttered hoarsely. He didn't want to change houses. He didn't want to be in Slytherin. Hell, he'd even told his mother once that he'd prefer to be in Gryffindor. He sat back in his seat thinking. James had folded up his letter and was helping himself to pancakes.
"We got charms today." He said. "That should be neat. My mum liked charms."
Sirius looked over his own schedule, he hadn't really looked at it when he'd first got the list. James was right. They had charms. Quite suddenly the week already seemed long.
Remus, who was sitting next to Sirius gave him a strange look and Sirius panicked, wondering if he had seen the letter. Whatever it was, Remus turned away and reached for another muffin.
All through that morning's charms lesson, he was in a state of panic. He dreaded being called to talk to Dumbledore. He dreaded changing houses.
When the tiny professor in charge of the charms class called his name sharply Sirius jumped in his seat. He hadn't been paying attention.
"Mr. Black!" The teacher squeaked. "Please pay attention. I'm trying to get you all prepared for your first year of charms."
Sirius nodded, embarrassed. He tried to pay attention but he had so many things going through his head that he didn't really feel like part of the class. He felt like he was drifting and there was a knot in is stomach so big he thought he would puke.
Towards the end of the lesson a student came in and handed the professor a note and Sirius felt his heart speed up. The Tiny teacher looked up at him and handed him the note. "Go to the headmaster's office at the end of class Mr. Black." He said.
Next to him James looked over at the note, eyebrows raised. "You in some kind of trouble?" He asked.
Sirius pretended that he didn't know. He shrugged and slumped in his seat. When the bell rang he waited for the room to clear out before he asked the teacher where Dumbledore's office was. James stood by the door waiting for him.
"Want me to come?" He asked.
Sirius shook his head. "Nah, go to lunch."
They turned and went in different directions and as he rounded the corner, he passed right through a ghost.
"I say!" The ghost cried indignantly. "Do watch where you're going!"
He looked up. It was the Gryffindor ghost. He remembered him from the first night's feast. "Sorry." He mumbled, shivering a little at the nasty feeling the ghost left on him.
The ghost adjusted his collar. "Well, first years can be forgive, I suppose." He said. "Ah, but why are you all the way over here? It's lunch time and the great hall is the other way."
Sirius hesitated. "I'm going to the headmaster's office." He said.
"Well! What a coincidence, as am I. Shall we accompany one another?"
Shrugging, Sirius nodded.
"And what would be your name?"
"Sirius Black." He said.
The ghost raised an eyebrow. "A Black in Gryffindor? That's very unusual. The Bloody Baron has had almost all of the Blacks that I know of."
Sirius shifted his bag. He was a little proud of that but at the same time the ghost's words only reminded him why he was headed to Dumbledore's office in the first place . "Well, guess I turned out a bit different."
"Yes, indeed!" The ghost's head wobbled. "Ah, but I forget myself. I have not given my name." He drew himself up and bowed, keeping his head in place with one hand. "I am Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington. You may call me Sir Nicholas."
Sirius nodded again.
"So, not in trouble, I hope?" Sir Nicholas asked.
"Not that I know of. You?" Sirius didn't think a ghost could be in trouble but he asked anyway.
"Alas, I am very troubled. Our resident poltergeist Peeves is causing havoc and I must seek the headmaster's help." He shook his head mournfully and it wobbled sickeningly.
"I haven't met him." Said Sirius, wondering what it would be like to meet a poltergeist. He had heard stories but had never met one.
"Count yourself lucky." Said Sir Nicholas gravely. "Though I'm sure that luck won't last. You'll meet him sooner or later and when you do I hope for your sake that you do not suffer much."
Sirius paused, wondering just how bad the poltergeist was but just as he did so, Sir Nicholas stopped and he had to stop himself from walking through him again. "This is the Headmaster's office." He said, serenely and with nothing more he drifted through the stone gargoyle that stood before them.
Sirius stared at it for a moment. "Um, hello?" He waited but there was no reply and then he knocked on the gargoyle. "Hello?"
"Oh, the password is Cabbage Soup." Sir Nicholas said, popping his head through the wall above the gargoyle. Sirius jumped as the head retreated.
"Oh. Cabbage Soup." He said, thinking himself stupid for not realizing that there would be a password. The gargoyle jumped to the side and he found himself hesitating. He did not want to go up to the office. What if he really was transferred to Slytherin? What if his mother had been so mad that she'd actually come to the school? He forced himself to take a step forward.
He climbed the stairs, wishing they were longer and found himself outside the office door more quickly that he would have liked. He waited a few second before knocking.
"Just a moment!" A voice called from within and then Sir Nicholas floated through the door looking down trodden and the door opened.
Sirius peered around inside, adjusting his bag as he did so Dumbledore was sitting at a large desk, hands folded on top of it. He smiled and motioned for Sirius to enter.
"Please, come in." He said. Sirius spotted a letter on his desk and recognized his mother's hand writing. His blood turned cold as he set his bag down and sank into a chair.
Dumbledore leaned across the desk and continued to smile. "I'm sorry to interrupt your lunch." He said. "I'll try to be quick."
Sirius shrugged, feeling hopeless. "It's alright." He didn't feel much like eating at the moment.
"Well, until then, have some cookies to tide you over." Dumbledore offered a tin and Sirius took one only nibbling a it. His mouth felt very dry.
"Well, Mr. Black. This morning I received a letter from your mother." Dumbledore paused and Sirius had an urge to apologize for whatever his mother had said. "It would appear that she's not pleased with your sorting. She wishes to have you switched to Slyherin." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Now, what do you say to that?"
"What?" He was thrown off. He didn't understand what Dumbledore was asking.
Dumbledore smiled. "Would you like to be in Slytherin?"
Sirius hesitated. "wha- do I have a say?"
"Well, yes. If you would like to. Would you prefer to be in Slytherin?"
He glanced at the letter and then at the headmaster. "No."
"Well then! That's settled and I'll write and tell your mother that it's quite impossible to have you switched." Dumbledore tapped his nose and winked. "Hat's decision is quite final, you know."
Sirius looked up at him as the headmaster took out a roll of parchment. "Is that all?" He asked, disbelievingly?"
Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. "Should there be more?"
He didn't know what to say and sat dumbly.
The headmaster smiled again. "Well, I think that's it. Enjoy your lunch break."
Sirius got up and after making sure the door to the office was closed, he raced down the stares and to the great hall. He felt a great weight lift from his shoulders. He was not in trouble and he was not in Slytherin. He spotted James and the others and made a dive for them.
"Hey!" James cheered. "What was that all about?"
Sirius grabbed a sandwich. "I forgot some books at home. I just had to pick them up from the headmaster's office."
James nodded as though it made perfect sense and shoved part of a sandwich down his throat.
Next to him, Remus raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything.
Sirius swallowed his sandwich and reached for another. He was wonderfully happy not to be in Slytherin and it only vaguely struck him that Dumbledore had lied for him. Well, maybe he knew how argumentative his parents could be.
They had History of Magic next and it was a bore. Sirius couldn't for the life of him pay attention but luckily, neither could James. They spent the entire class goofing off in the back. It was only twenty minutes in that they incurred the wrath of the red haired girl.
She turned around in her seat and gave them an angry look. "Could you please be quiet?" She hissed.
Sirius gave her a disdainful look and James threw a paper wad at her. She shook her head as though she could not believe them and moved across the class room. They waved goodbye, still grinning.
At dinner, Sirius avoided his cousins, although Andromeda gave him a polite wave. He was in the good spirits that usually accompany a lesson spent goofing off and he was not about to go and run it by talking to them.
It was only after dinner was over when Remus pulled him aside did his cheerfulness slip.
They were most of the way up to the common room when Remus cornered him. "I didn't mean to," Remus said. "but this morning I accidentally read part of your mother's letter." He paused, looking apologetic. "And I know it's none of my business but are you going to switch houses?"
Sirius looked at him, not knowing what to say. He did not yet know Remus well enough to know if he was being judged but he opted for the truth. "Heck no! I'm staying in Gryffindor, mate."
Remus smiled a little. "Are you going to tell James?"
Sirius shrugged and looked out the window they were stopped next to. "I dunno. Maybe."
He nodded. "I see, well, I'm glad." Remus looked as though he truly was glad.
Sirius shrugged. "I'd still have been friends with you guys if I'd switched."'
He laughed. "Well, that's nice to hear."
I hope people are liking this story! Thanks for reading!