Chapter 3 – The Sorting Ceremony
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There was a swish of material as every head in the Great Hall turned to face the new students. Remus could almost smell the anxiety of his comrades as they were shepherded towards the smallest, and only empty table. He suddenly felt too much in awe of his surroundings to be nervous.
At the front of the hall was one long table where the teachers sat. Four other tables seemed to be dedicated to the different houses. The walls were decked out in the colours of all four houses, and flames suspended above the heads of students and teachers alike lit the room easily. As he looked up further, Remus saw only open sky where a ceiling should have been. The night was fine but chilly, and the stars glittered coldly in the clear night sky. He looked down at Sirius who stood next to him, and found the other boy gazing at his face, colour in his cheeks, a smile on his lips and stars in his eyes. Remus looked back up at the sky, and felt his heart soar.
When the young werewolf came out of his reverie, an old, floppy black wizard's hat was sitting on a stool in the middle of the hall, singing. The first years around him looked either outraged or gob smacked. Remus could have laughed. But he remembered the Sorting Hat's words to the end of his days.
I may not be that much to see,
But I am the Sorting Hat,
I can tell where you should be
And much, much more at that!
Perhaps in Ravenclaw you'll come to live,
Where if you're smart they've much to give,
They prize their learning above the rest
If seeking knowledge that's where you're best.
If wealth and power is what you desire
In Slytherin your thirst you'll sate,
Gain and profit they inspire
Their ambition indeed is great.
In Hufflepuff they are good and true
Hard work they do not fear,
So if honesty is dear to you
Your place is truly here.
Brave of heart is Gryffindor,
Fear they seem not to know
So if you love good honour
Here's where you should go.
So come and put me on your head
And I'll tell you where to go.
For I'm Hogwarts Sorting Hat,
And I'm smarter than you'll ever know.
Remus sucked in his breath. So that was what they had to do? Put this hat on? He wondered how much it could see, and all his fear came rushing back. Would it tell everyone? Could it tell? He swallowed hard. Someone took his hand and squeezed encouragingly, and he turned to see Sirius, looking almost as nervous as he felt. He managed a smile, and hoped these boys never found out why he was so damn scared.
McGonogall rose stiffly and walked to stand beside the hat on its stool. She began reading out names from a scroll she held open before her.
"Abbot, David!" became a Hufflepuff. Next came
"Avery, Jacob!" she placed the hat on his dark head, and after a moment…
"Slytherin!" it yelled for the entire hall to hear. Jacob ran off to the Slytherin table, looking relieved.
"Black, Sirius!" called McGonogall. Remus gave Sirius' hand one last squeeze, and watched him go with apprehension. A moment later the hat roared
"Gryffindor!"
Sirius was greeted enthusiastically at the Gryffindor table; the first Gryffindor of the year. As soon as he was seated he turned and grinned at Remus. He still looked apprehensive though.
The next Gryffindor was a pretty redheaded girl called Lily Evans. Remus saw James looking at her, and smiled inwardly. He lost count of the names to follow, and the next one to claim his attention was his own. He walked towards McGonogall with flushed cheeks and a painfully racing heart. He was really nervous.
He reached the stool and sat down, and felt the hat placed on his head, where it slipped down over his eyes.
So, said a little voice in his ear, a lycanthrope. No, don't worry, it said quickly when a band of fear closed around the little werewolf's heart I wont tell. You're a nice lad, Remus Lupin. There's more to you than meets the eye. And I don't just mean that you're a werewolf. You have hidden depths. May they be appreciated in time. I like you, hat. Thought Remus. The feeling is mutual. Now there's a good deal of mischief in you, and chivalry to, so…
"Gryffindor!"
Remus jumped up and placed the hat back on the stool, and strode happily over to join Sirius at the Gryffindor table, to loud and boisterous applause.
When little Peter was called up to the front he showed no sign of fear, but for his white face and clenched fist. He looked as surprised as everyone else when the hat yelled its verdict.
"Gryffindor!"
Remus had a feeling that Peter Pettigrew had hidden depths too.
James joined them almost immediately, and they all felt exceedingly relieved to have not been separated.
The last name to catch their attention was Snape, Severus, a Slytherin. He was an unhappy looking boy, with black hair and sallow skin. Remus felt sorry for him, but no one else seemed to.
"Evil git," muttered the older boy next to Remus, "his family are always in Slytherin. Nasty lot, all of them. Into the Dark Arts."
The only other Gryffindor boys in their year were Frank Longbottom and Arran Patil. They were both nice, cheerful lads, and it looked like everyone was going to get along really well.
When the Sorting was over, Dumbledore stood up, and, after a few precise, benign and decidedly odd words, warning of places out of bounds, he pronounced the feast open.
Gold and silver platters, plates and bowls seemed to melt out of the air on the tables before them, loaded with all kinds of wonderful food. Jugs of pumpkin juice also appeared, alongside heavy goblets and fine cutlery. The boys tucked in eagerly, hungry after their ordeal.
When everyone had eaten their fill, prefects lead the first years of their house to their common rooms, and showed them their dormitories. The boys found themselves in a room with six four-poster beds. Their trunks were there already, and they fell gratefully into their beds, and were asleep almost instantly.
I have friends, thought Remus to himself before the night claimed him. Real friends.