"Pettigrew, Peter."
Peter nervously made his way through the crowd and up to the stool. He could see Remus turn around and give his a small smile of luck from the Gryffindor table. Boy did Peter wish that he could join him. The hat fell over his eyes and the hall was blocked from view.
"Ah, Young Pettigrew." Peter almost gasped in shock as the hat spoke to him. It seemed to be rummaging through his brain, picking out all the nessicary information. It seemed to become helplessly muddled.
Before long it began muttering things, probably to itself, "Pureblood, but... Halfblood. Squib mother of course... Er... Hufflepuff? Perhaps, but... Slytherin could also fit?... No, doesn't seem like a very strong leader. Potential to be intelligent enough for Ravenclaw, but, alas, not quite up to the standards set..." the hat trailed of and Peter became increasingly more nervous, it had not taken this long for the others? Why could the hat just have yelled out his house like some others. The waiting was insane.
"Prephaps, you would belong in Hufflepuff... but... perhaps we could give Gryffindor a try? You do have great potential... if the right friends are made..." By now Peter was beginning to bear whispers from the hall outside the hat. It very obviously was not meant to take this long. Finally, the hat stopped muttering and spoke directly to him again. "Very confusing mind you have there, young man. You have so many possibilities that lay ahead f you. I have come to the conclusion that you will fit best and achieve more in the house of..." The brim opened up and it shouted,
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Peter slowly stood up as the hall once more came into view, everyone was staring at him and the whisperes hadn't stopped. McGonagall nudged him towards the Gryffindor table and began to clap, starting the table off again, though not as enthusiastic as with the others. He took a seat next to Remus.
"Why is everyone staring at me?"
Remus leaned closer to him and whispered: "Your sorting took more than 5 minutes!" Peter just looked at him confusedly. Remus sighed and said: "It's a very rare occurrence that wizards named a Hat stall. It means that your personality doesn't fit as smothly into a certain house as everyone one else. Most people only take a few minuets. There are those like-"
He was cut of a the Gryffindor table erupted into cheers for "Potter, James" who, from the looks of their reaction and his face, had been sorted straight away. The noise dies down and Remus continued.
"There are those like Potter who fit so well into a certain house that it only takes a few seconds. Then there are those like me who take a bit longer because they have potential for two houses. Being a hat staller generally means that you have strong attributes for all the houses and so the hat struggles on finding the perfect or strongest one to place you in." Peter stared at him. "Wow, how did you know all that?"
Remus gingerly picked up a chicken drumstick from one of the silver plates in the middle of the table and shrugged. "I did a lot of research because my dad doesn't tell me much." Peter, took something fro one of the plates nearest himself which had filled itself with food.
"Huh," he said, taking a bite. "I couldn't, me and my mum live in a muggle village with no access to research facilities in general, not in the slightest wizard knowledge." He didn't notice the weird stare Remus gave him. "Perhaps I should visit the library in my free time."