AN: This idea popped into my head and I had to write it. If I do decide to continue it, it probably won't be until I'm done with Lost and Found, and if you look at the author's notes for chapter 11 of L&F you'll know that won't be for a very long time. This was brought on when I remembered that Ron said all the wizards who had gone really bad had been in Slytherin, and everyone thought that Sirius was Voldemorte's right hand. So that meant that Sirius had to have been in Slytherin.
And I am disproportionately proud of my Sorting Hat Song. ^_^
Scattered to the Four Winds (1/?)
"We're going to Hogwarts! We're going to Hogwarts!" Peter repeated over and over again, bouncing in place with excitement. James laughed at his antics and Sirius and Remus just smiled, or in Sirius' case smirked.
The four of them had met in Elementary Wizarding School and had become quick friends. James and Sirius had a tendency to get their friends in trouble. But Remus and Peter had almost as good a knack at getting them all out of it.
And here they were, finally. Platform 9 and 3/2, ready for their first year at the most fabled school of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Parents said their good-byes and told them all the necessities like 'be good' and 'stay out of trouble' and to 'be careful' and most of all to 'have fun'. They at least planned to listen to the last one, if nothing else. Familiars and trunks were hauled aboard, an empty compartment was claimed and the four friends settled in for the long ride.
"What do you guys think it'll be like?" Sirius asked, slouching back in his seat and putting his hands behind his head.
"I've heard it's huge!" Peter squeaked out excitedly. "And every meal there is like a feast!"
"The castle itself is over a thousand years old, and the library has one of the best collections of spellbooks in the wizarding world." Remus put in. Sirius snorted.
"Of course," he said, rolling his eyes. "The first thing Peter thinks about is food and you're probably already imagining yourself surrounded by all those books, right Remus?" The dark haired boy shook his head. They were so predictable.
"And I'll bet you'll want to find every secret passage in the entire school, right Sirius?" Remus asked.
"Secret passages?" Sirius said, immediately interested. "You hear that James?" he didn't get so much as a grunt from their fourth member, who sat in his seat and stared darkly out the window. "James? Earth to Jamie?" Sirius said, waving a hand in front of the other boy's face.
"What?" James snapped.
"You're not still mad that they won't let you bring your broom, are you?" Remus asked, frowning at the bespecalled boy.
"It's not fair!" he complained loudly. "How am I going to get on the Quidditch team if I don't have a broom?" he asked, pouting.
"The entire world does not revolve around Quidditch, James," Remus pointed out lightly.
"Well it should," he grumbled, crossing his arms. Sirius laughed at him and patted him on the head, which just made James frown even more.
"What do you guys know about the houses?" Peter asked timidly.
"Well, there are four of them," Sirius said. "But that's about all I know." He admitted after a long pause. Remus groaned and hid his face in his hands.
"Don't you pay attention to anything?" he asked Sirius, exasperated. This only prompted Sirius to smile at him. "There are four houses, each named after one of the founders. Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Gryffindor and Slytherin. Each house holds different traits in higher esteem than the others."
"What he means," James broke in at the bewildered expression on Peter's face. "Is that if you're really smart, then you'd get put in Ravenclaw. Really brave, Gryffindor. Hard workers go in Hufflepuff and all the mean people go in Slytherin."
"You mean cunning," Sirius put in. James looked at him confusion. "All the cunning people are put in Slytherin. My mum was one when she was at school," he explained and James cringed.
"Sorry, Sirius, I forgot." But Sirius just shrugged.
"I hope we're all in the same house, I don't know what I'd do if I had to be by myself," Peter said.
"Of course we'll all be in the same house Pete, don't worry about it," James said. "We're all best friends, how could we not be in the same house?" Remus looked like he was about to object but then decided to stay quite.
They talked about many things, Quidditch, how horrid their new teachers were going to be, what classes they were looking forward to the most. James and Sirius had just gotten into a debate about whether the Cuddly Canons or the Wimbourne Wasps were a worse Quidditch team when the door to their compartment opened and small black blur ran inside, slamming the door shut again behind it.
The blur resolved itself into a small twig of a boy with short black hair and a very frightened expression on his face. He held a finger to his lip, panting heavily and rested with his back against the door.
"Severus! Oh, Severus…where are you?" a voice called out in the corridor. It held the singing mocking quality or a bully looking for his prey. The frightened boy looked at the four of them and pressed his finger harder against his lips, silently pleading with them to be quiet.
"So," James said loudly and everyone in the compartment jumped. "I still say the Canons would lose against the Wasps any day of the week." Remus smiled at him knowingly. A silent compartment would be much more suspicious than one full of noisy first years. Sirius apparently caught on to this too and he and James were soon continuing their previous argument. James nudged Remus to scoot over and they both made room for the newcomer to sit down. As soon as he was seated, the boy pulled his legs up onto the seat and hugged them to his chest.
"Thanks," he said quietly once he was sure that whoever was looking for him was gone.
"No problem," Sirius said with a shrug.
"I'm assuming your name is Severus?" Remus asked. The boy nodded.
"Severus Snape," he said and gave them something that only approximated a smile.
"I'm Remus Lupin." "James Potter." "Sirius Black." "Peter Pettigrew." They introduced themselves.
"Nice to meet you," Severus said, his smile a little more genuine this time. They continued talking about anything and everything, sometimes pausing to ask Severus his opinion. And sooner than they expected, the Express pulled to a stop and they all got off the train.
"Firs' Years this way!" a loud voice boomed and all five of the boys stared in amazement at the huge man standing on the platform. They were lead down to a bunch of boats not that far away. "Only four to a boat!" the man yelled. And Severus disappeared into the crowd, not wanting to impose on the four boys as they all got into the same boat.
There was much Ooing and Ahing as the brightly-lit castle that was Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy came into view. The boats pulled ashore on the opposite side of the lake and the first years were all herded up many stone staircases and into the castle.
A young but stern-looking witch met them in the front hall.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," she said to them. "In a few moments you will be brought into the Great Hall and you will be sorted, so I suggest that you freshen yourselves up."
"Sorted?" Peter whimpered. "What does she mean by that?" he asked.
"It's probably how we get put in the different houses," Remus said thoughtfully.
"Well I'm as ready as I'll ever be, let get on with it," Sirius said, lifting his arms above his head and stretching like a cat. James crossed his arms and tapped his foot impatiently.
"Come on already." He said, staring at the large doors in front of them. The witch soon came back and told them to follow her.
They entered the Great Hall and looked around in awe, it was all so amazing that most of them ran into each other when they came to a stop in front of a three-legged stool with a battered old hat on it. And to their further amazement, a seam opened near the brim of the hat, and it started to sing.
Welcome, all, to Hogwarts.
It's the finest place to be
To fill your little brains
With witchcraft and wizardy.
I am the Sorting Hat.
And I will put you in your place.
I hope it will be fun
And put a smile on your face.
Of Hogwarts houses there are four
Which you already know by name
But this is what you're here for
So I'll repeat them just the same.
Slytherin's for those with guts
And so is Gryffindor
But while Slytherins are sneaking in
Gryffindor's breakdown the door.
To Ravenclaw's the fleet of mind
Flock like a murder of crows
But Hufflepuffs are the one who know
The fruits that loyalty sows.
So come on up, one at a time
And try me on for size
Think you know what house you'll be?
Then you may be surprised.
The stern faced witch introduced herself and Professor McGonagall and told them to come forward and put the hat on when their name was called. She then took out a long roll of parchment and started reading off names. Avery, Joshua, was first and the Sorting hat quickly called out "SLYTHERIN!" and then,
"Black, Sirius!" Sirius took a deep breath and James, Remus and Peter patted him on the back and gave his thumbs up as he walked up and put on the hat.
'My, aren't you a lively one?' a voice said in his head. He was startled so badly that he nearly fell off the stool. 'Hmm… you're very quick whited and brave too, but I think you love of mischief and cunning plans wins out over those.' I want to be with my friend! Sirius thought. 'Are they anything like you?' Yes. 'Then you'll all do well in "SLYTHERIN!"
Sirius yanked the hat off of his head and looked at it in confusion for several seconds before putting it on the stool and walking over to the Slytherin table. Casting a worried look to his friends.
After a while "Lupin, Remus!" was called up. Again there were pats on the back and thumbs up as he took his turn.
'Well hello Wolfling, I've never had one of your kind here before. You are very brave for being here.' Remus stiffened, but the hat just laughed. 'But you also have a voracious mind,' it said. Please put me with my friends, Remus asked. "I would, but you would never fit in Slytherin. No, a mind like yours would be bored to tears in anything but "RAVENCLAW!"
He, like Sirius, took of the hat and stared at it for a moment before getting up and giving the clapping Ravenclaw table a halfhearted smile.
When "Pettigrew, Peter!" was called, the other three boys were all so nervous that they couldn't give their friend much support. As soon as Peter put on the hat he started thinking, please with my friends, please with my friends. 'Now you're a loyal one, aren't you?' the hat said. Yes, yes so please put me with my friends, he thought desperately. 'Hard worker too I'll be. Sorry but Slytherin and Ravenclaw are not for you; you'd do best in "HUFFLEPUFF!" Peter was devastated when he took of the hat, and walked slowly over to the Hufflepuff table.
"Potter, James!" was called right after Peter had left and James walked up and put on the hat with a determined expression on his face. You are going to put me with one of my friends or so help me… he started. 'Ooh, you've got a temper. But like I've told your friends, I'm sorry but the house you're most suited for is, "GRYFFINDOR!"
"What?" James shouted out loud. He ripped off the hat and nearly threw it at the stool before stomping over to the Gryffindor table.
Soon the sorting Ceremony was over. Sirius was so preoccupied that he didn't even notice when the boy from the train, Severus, was sorted into Slytherin and sat down next to him. Even when Severus cowered behind the taller boy to avoid the stare of blond third year farther up the table.
The four friends looked at each other from across the large expanse of the Great Hall. All thinking the same thing:
What now?