Ascend the Ladder Competition - Prompt: The Sorting Ceremony

Sirius couldn't help but gape at the ceiling of the Great Hall, his head turning in all directions, trying to take it all in until he met the eyes of his cousin Bellatrix, at the Slytherin table.

She shot him a disapproving look and he turned his attention in front of him instead, trying to behave like he knew he should. Instead he spotted the sandy hair of Remus, the boy he met on the train. He went to move forward, but his cousin Narcissa had a grip of his arm and pulled him back.

"When I call your name, you will step forward and place the hat on your head. When it calls your house, you will join your fellow students," the stern Professor standing in front of them said, her eyes moving down to the parchment in her hands.

"Narcissa Black," she began.

"I'll see you in Slytherin, dear cousin," she said, squeezing his arm before moving forward.

"Yeah," he muttered, as he watched her walk to the stool. It was only a few seconds before it called out Slytherin.

"Surprise surprise," came a whisper near him, but Sirius ignored it as he watched her slide off the stool and head towards her sisters who were seated at the Slytherin table.

"Sirius Black," the Professor called next and Sirius slowly moved forwards towards the stool, ignoring the whispers of his fellow first years stating that he would also be put in Slytherin. He reached the stool and sat down.

His eyes met his two friends from the train as the hat was lowered onto his head.

...oOo...

There was a long silence and whispers began about the hat not wanting to sort him at all and that he'd be sent home, but Sirius didn't hear the whispers, too focused on the voice of the hat inside his head as it contemplated its findings and tried to decide where to put him.

Suddenly the hat was removed and Professor McGonagall stared at him in confusion. She, like everyone else, had assumed that the hat would have shouted Slytherin in seconds.

She put the hat to her own head and it immediately called out Gryffindor, so she looked back at the boy.

"It's very indecisive," Sirius whispered, nervous that all eyes were on him. She gave him a smile and placed the hat back down, her gaze shifting to the Slytherin table who were looking quite agitated by the fact that the Black heir hadn't been announced a Slytherin immediately.

She took a step back and waited for the announcement. She had a feeling that Slytherin would be very disappointed in whatever the hat had to say.

...oOo...

"...everything Slytherin wanted," the hat continued where it had left off. "But no, you're smart and quick minded. You would do well to stand for Rowena, but your loyalty. I can see you are loyal to those who deserve it. You know your own mind, you aren't to be led by your family, so Slytherin is out. So that leaves three houses. Three houses that you'd do extremely well in."

"Not Hufflepuff," he thought. He would never live down the shame of ending up in Hufflepuff.

The hat thought hard. "I can sense your bravery. You are stubborn, and reckless, but brave. Your mind is more for adventure than studying."

Sirius briefly thought about his parents anger if he were placed in Gryffindor. They would be even more angry than if he was a Ravenclaw, but he suspected James and Remus from the train would be Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, so either was fine with him.

"Gryffindor," the hat finally roared.

The silence in the hall was overwhelming. The Gryffindors didn't clap, and the Slytherins sat in shock, staring at him. They had expected him to join them.

Sirius couldn't help the grin that crept over his face as he slid from the stool. Slowly the Gryffindors realised what had happened - that they had gotten one over on the Slytherins by the placement of the heir of the Black family and they began clapping for him as he walked over to the table, avoiding looking at the Slytherins.

He grinned at James Potter and Remus Lupin on his way past. Hopefully one of them would be in the house with him.

When each name was called and Gryffindor announced, he cheered the loudest for his new friends.

Okay, so I know the hat doesn't take long to sort, but I think Sirius would have been quite hard as he has a bit of every house in him. Even Slytherin and Hufflepuff (Hufflepuff is all about loyalty after all). Plus he'd be having an internal battle because on one hand he doesn't want to be Slytherin and on the other hand he's worried about his parents reactions should he end up anywhere else.

Review Please :)