Chapter 10: Registers and the Sorting
While the Hogwarts Express was taking students to Hogsmeade, Rita Skeeter was heading towards the Ministry Headquarters and she was really angry. 'Curse you, Black.' She thought. 'The revelation that you're an Animagus made practically everyone I'd write about install anti-Animagus wards which I cannot approach without triggering and now I have no choice but to register my own form before someone finds it out and sends me to Azkaban.'
Meanwhile, at Grimmauld Place, her target of hatred was wondering what to do. He had no one he could talk except Kreacher and the portraits of his mother and of former Hogwarts Headmaster Phineas Nigellus Black and loneliness still wasn't making him that desperate. Without a way to reach his godson or that slimy snake that dared to take advantage of his wrongful imprisonment or a clue to Pettigrew's whereabouts, he found no use for his newfound freedom. "What am I supposed to?" Sirius asked no one in special.
"You should get yourself cleared; marry a pureblood witch, preferably killing Andromeda's mudblood husband to make her available; and sire a pureblood son who'll keep our family name alive." Headmaster Black answered. He didn't have too much faith on his great-great-grandson but Sirius was his only hope to continue Noble and Most Ancient House of Black.
"I didn't ask you, Phineas." Sirius retorted but then remembered that, like everybody else who ever was the Headmaster of Hogwarts, Phineas Nigellus Black had access to Headmaster Dumbledore's office. "Phineas, can you deliver Dumbledore a message?"
"Call me Headmaster Black or Great-great-grandfather Phineas and I may think about that." Headmaster Black replied.
Eventually, the Hogwarts Express arrived at Hogsmeade Station. Fearing a similar close call to the one back at Platform 9 ¾, Peter Pettigrew scurried away from the train towards a carriage. They're looking for a dog, not for a rat and, aside from Sirius Black, everybody thought him dead. Meanwhile, the students were showing typical 'not again' bored expressions from having to, once again, stop and wait while Ministry Aurors searched their belongings and their pets for Sirius Black. "The only suspicious animal here is Weasley's rat." A first year girl named Daphne Greengrass protested. "Maybe Black isn't the only unregistered Animagus in this case."
Daphne's comment caught Hagrid's attention as the groundskeeper was readying himself for his yearly task of leading first years to the boats. "Hey…" He'd protest against speaking ill of the dead but he then remembered only a handful of people knew about 'poor Peter' being an Animagus and decided not to tarnish his memory by making it known he broke the law. "First years, this way…"
"Not yet, Hagrid." Auror Shacklebolt replied. "We're still searching for Black."
Eventually, the first years took the boats and all of them were happy except for Ron Weasley, who was wondering where Scabbers went. "How did you get permission to bring a rat anyway?" Neville Longbottom asked Ron. "I thought only cats, owls and toads were allowed."
"Headmaster Dumbledore opened an exception when Scabbers was Percy's pet, Neville." Ron proudly answered.
"Percy's?" Harry asked in wonder. "How old is that rat anyway?"
"I don't know." Ron admitted. "Scabbers suddenly showed up at our garden back when Percy was a small child and became his pet until he got an owl and Scabbers was given to me."
"Can he do anything magical?" Dean eagerly asked.
"Nope." Ron sadly answered. "He's just an ordinary rat."
"Did your family find Scabbers before or after Sirius Black was arrested?" Harry asked, suspecting there's something fishy about an "ordinary rat" living as long as Scabbers was said to have done.
"After, I believe, but why do you…" While answering, Ron realized what Harry was suspecting. "Harry, you cannot believe what that Greengrass girl said about Scabbers being an Animagus. She's a Slytherin. She's probably covering up for Black."
"My Godfather Severus is a Slytherin!" Harry protested.
"And Greengrass has yet to be sorted along the rest of us first years, Ron." Dean added. "How can you be so certain she'll become a Slytherin?"
"Her family has a tradition of being sorted there." Ron answered like it explained everything.
"So does the Black Family and yet Sirius Black became a Gryffindor." Neville counter-argued Ron's point.
"Nominally yes but he showed his true Slytherin colors by betraying the Potters." Ron replied.
"House affiliations have nothing to do with that and I can't be so certain of his supposed guilt since he has yet to be tried." Harry explained.
"Harry, Sirius Black was denied a trial because his guilt is so obvious a trial would be a waste of time." Ron said.
"Madam Bones disagrees." Harry stated.
"Come on, Harry." Ron pleaded. "It's obvious those trials she's giving some Death Eaters are mere show trials to trick Black into turning himself him. It's a desperate plan but if Black falls for it then it'll be worth the few lesser Death Eaters who somehow manage to cheat justice."
"My Grandmother talked to Madam Bones over that and came back reassured that those whose guilt has already been properly established won't be allowed another chance to escape their punishments." Neville declared.
"Every accused criminal should be allowed a trial." Dean added. "It's the only way to give innocents a chance to defend themselves. There should be laws about that in the Wizarding World."
"There are such laws, Dean." Neville quickly replied before Ron came up with another stupid rant. "The problem is finding people willing to protest against accused Death Eaters being denied this right."
At this point, the boats arrived at their destination, from where Hagrid took them to Professor McGonagall at the castle doors. "The first years, Professor McGonagall." Hagrid said and then whispered into her ear. "Keep n' eye on that Greengrass girl. She's insinuatin' youngest Messer Weasley's rat is an Animagus."
"You didn't mention him, did you, Hagrid?" Professor McGonagall gravely asked the groundskeeper.
"Not at all, Professor." Hagrid firmly replied while feeling no need to say how close he came.
"Good." She replied and then gave the first years her usual vitriol of how important the sorting was and how the houses they'll be sorted into would be like their families. Having done that, Professor McGonagall made them wait by the Great Hall's entrance door while she joined the rest of the teaching staff. Had she not been informed of the fact Peter Pettigrew was a Rat Animagus, she'd have dismissed Daphne Greengrass's comment as a kid's attempt to get attention but it was too much of a coincidence with Greengrass not having a way to know about Pettigrew.
"Minerva, I must say that I agree with your reasoning that regarding the Weasleys' rat." Dumbledore commented upon hearing his deputy's report. "Honestly, I wasn't even certain it was the same rat after all those years."
"What do we do about that, Albus?" She asked in desperation.
"Recently, Phineas brought me a message from Black claiming to be innocent and asking for a chance to confirm it with Veritaserum, I refused to believe because Black's story included Peter being alive and the real traitor but now I'm inclined to believe." Dumbledore answered and then asked the occupant of a nearby portrait to call for Headmaster Black.
Meanwhile, the first year students saw something that scared most of them. "Eek! A rat!"
"Scabbers!" Ron exclaimed in joy. As soon as Scabbers entered Ron's pocket, the doors opened and the first years entered the Great Hall, where they were amazed by a singing hat and surprised by the fact each one of them would have to put it on to be sorted. Amelia Bones' niece Susan Bones became a Hufflepuff; Draco Malfoy became a Slytherin along with his thugs Crabbe and Goyle; and Neville Longbottom became a Gryffindor. Soon it was Harry Potter's turn.
"Harry Potter?" A student whispered.
"The Harry Potter?" Another one whispered back.
"What do we have here?" The Sorting Hat asked Harry. "You have the qualities for every house but two of them are the most evident: Gryffindor's bravery and Slytherin's ambition. You have a potential for greatness."
"Slytherin is placed with several children with Death Eater parents and I'm not that brave." Harry argued. "Those whose desires to reap the benefits of being my friends won't mind where I'm sorted."
"I love the double irony." The Sorting Hat commented. "GRYFFINDOR!"
The Headmaster and the Professors left relieved sighs upon hearing this. Except, of course, for those who never made a big deal of where Harry would be sorted. Harry then joined his fellow Gryffindors at their table.
End chapter.
Author's Note: I'm not good with accents so, I'm sorry about the quality of Hagrid's lines.