The Wolf of Change
Chapter 5 - Sorted
The nervous first years filtered into the Great Hall, faces on all sides turning to peer at them, some with interest, some remembering the embarrassment and pitying, others seeing them as a source of amusement.
Friendship groups huddled together in the centre of the large aisle, loners attaching themselves to already formed groups. Eventually, after much shuffling and encouraging, the new Head of Lower School, Professor McGonagall, got one hundred first years into the aisle and made her way to her new seat next to the Headmaster.
This was the first time the pupils had seen the inside of Hogwarts, and for most, the first time any of them had seen Dumbledore. In the glow of the thousands of hovering candles, the old wizard's hair shone gold, his glasses twinkled with his eyes. Everything in the Hall gleamed gold, promising warmth and acceptance. And yet, despite the splendour on parade, there sat in front of the queue of new students a tattered old hat, ripped and patched, on a wobbly stool.
McGonagall stood up next to the smiling headmaster and unrolled a large piece of parchment. "Atchester, Henry." The boy detached himself from his clique and walked shakily to the stool. McGonagall lifted the hat and he sat down. The hat was placed on Henry's head, and slid down over his eyes. Then, a very astonishing thing happened, and all the first years jumped, especially Henry. The hat was alive! A large rip and two creases above it gave the old piece of leather a face, a face which now seemed to be whispering something in Henry's ear. Try as they might, however, no one else could hear the Sorting Hat's secret whispers. Finally, it 'looked' up. "HUFFLEPUFF!"
The Hufflepuff table cheered, and Henry practically ran to the safety of the crowds, sliding onto the bench with a red glow on his cheeks.
"Avery, Martin."
The terrified boy stepped forwards, his normally tense muscles wobbling as he trembled. The Hat again spoke to him, before announcing "SYTHERIN!" Deep cheers reverberated out from the table in the farthest corner.
"Baggwort, Helen."
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
"Black, Jennifer."
Remus turned to Sirius. "That a relation of yours?"
"No. I just have a common name." Sirius grinned.
"Black, Sirius."
"Good luck, Si!" James whispered, as his friend cast a mock-scared glance over his shoulder...but Remus noticed the paling in Sirius' skin.
As before, the Hat bent over Sirius' head, obscuring his eyes and murmuring no one knew what into his ears. When it straightened, the lower half of Sirius' face looked slightly worried and puzzled. "GRYFFINDOR!"
Still frowning, Sirius removed the hat and placed it on the stool. He walked to the cheering Gryffindor table in a daze and barely acknowledged the pats on the back and promises that he was in the best house.
His friends, slightly puzzled by his silence, began to worry about what the Hat would say to them, and what house it would put them in.
Soon, Charles Cookson was the first Ravenclaw of the evening, and Horace Crabbe and Bartemius Crouch were sorted into Slytherin.
Sephine pushed through the crowd to stand near James and Martin. "Slytherin are doing well tonight." Her voice was grim, as was the answering nod from James.
Lily, all innocence, queried, "Why is that so bad?"
"You'll find out soon enough if you're not in Slytherin." Martin replied.
Remus clarified this for the confused girl. "Slytherin are often associated with the Dark Arts. Practically all witches and wizards who've gone evil have been in Slytherin. They're known for being power hungry and unscrupulous in their methods."
Lily frowned. "Well then why aren't they split between houses? Surely the influence of others would help them?"
But before anyone could answer her, McGonagall called, "Evans, Lillian."
Lily paled, but Sephine smiled encouragingly, "You'll be okay!"
"What if I'm in Slyth--"
"Miss Evans?"
"You won't be!"
Lily cast a final doubting glance over her shoulder before making her way tentatively up the steps. Her friends watched as the Hat bent over her worried green eyes and spoke to her, but when it stopped, Lily looked more puzzled than worried. "GRYFFINDOR!" The Hat called.
Sirius was amongst the loudest cheerers on the Gryffindor bench, and Lily seemed quite daunted by the huge noise in the room. But she made her way quietly to the bench, a shy smile on her pink cheeks.
All too soon - Remus felt - it would be his turn to be Sorted. He tried to hide his worry, but he couldn't help but fret that the wolf would be the one that determined his house. He didn't want his other identity to separate him from his friends, or to place him with those who could corrupt easily.
"Lupin, Remus." He jumped, and James smiled.
"C'mon, Rem! You'll be okay!"
Remus nodded and made his way to the front of the diminishing crowd of first years. He looked up at the Hat, held aloft in McGonagall's hand, and the three steps seemed to be three hundred as he dragged his feet up them one by one. He sat carefully on the rickety old seat, and found himself facing a Hall full of mostly strangers, all looking up eagerly, awaiting the Hat's decision. As the weight of the Sorting Hat fell on his head, and the smell of old leather filled the air, Remus felt the Hat twitch and become 'alive'.
He jumped again, and clung to the sides of the stool as a deep, throaty, but not unkind, voice filled his head. "Ahhh...you are lucky to be here...yes, this is the first I've met of your kind in a long time, and so young! That shows great bravery and stamina...but the presence...it is strong..." Remus tensed. It was going to shout out Slytherin any minute! "But you keep it under great control...again, very strong, full of courage. But you're wise, too wise for your age, and have a mischievous streak...perhaps Ravenclaw? But no...that bravery cannot be ignored! It must be encouraged... GRYFFINDOR!" The shout was directed to the Hall, but it still seemed awfully loud to Remus' sensitive ears. He glanced around as he took the Hat off...how could no one else have heard what it was saying?
Then, however, the cheers of the Gryffindor table, and Lily and Sirius' whoops met his ears. He looked at them in shock, then grinned and made his way across to them before sliding onto the bench next to Sirius. "Phew...!"
Sirius laughed, "Remus, there was no need to look so worried! You were the colour of Dumbledore's beard! Honestly, as if they'd put you in Slytherin!"
Remus frowned. "I never said I--"
"Well that's the worst they can do to you, so it figures that that's what you were so worried about. Hey, who the hell is that? He looks like a hunk of granite!"
Not needing to squint, Remus saw what Sirius meant. The boy had very angular features - but not in the same way as Charlie had. He lacked the smile creases and striking appearance that softened Charlie's face, but his nose looked as though it had been broken several times, and his dirty blonde hair was greasier than a floor mop. "I think that he's called Trurn Mahbism."
"Looks like a nasty piece of work."
"SLYTHERIN!"
"Is a nasty piece of work..."
The boys sniggered at their little joke as Peter Pettigrew stumbled up to the Hat. As before, it was placed on his head and talked to him. To Remus, now without tension, as having been already Sorted, the Hat seemed to take a lot longer with Peter. When it called out "GYFFINDOR!" Peter leapt from the stool and began to flee towards the table, only to be met with laughter, and McGonagall calling him back. He'd forgotten to take the Hat off.
"Well done, Peter!" Sirius stood up and clapped with the rest of the Hall as the bright pink Peter made his way back to the bench.
When the Hall subsided, McGonagall lifted her parchment once more. "Potter, James."
"Go James, it's your birthday!" Sirius whispered, miming like a cheerleader. Lily tried to contain her giggle.
After it's conference with him, the Hat announced, "GRYFFINDOR!" and James, grinning from ear to ear, and not making Peter's mistake, strutted over to the Gryffindor table. "As if there was any doubt..."
Sirius snorted. "Yeah, James. But damnit, I've lost my bet with those guys at The Leaky Cauldron now! I was sure it would be Hufflepuff!"
They all tried to restrain their laughter as the Hall went silent again, but the silence only seemed to make it harder.
"Rosier, Luke."
A mean-looking boy stepped up to the Hat, and got Sorted very quickly into Slytherin. And not long after, it was Martin's turn. Sirius insisted that it was only because the others were rooting for him so hard that Sirius had 'lost another bet'.
By the time the end of the alphabet approached, and only three students remained standing in a cluster in the aisle, Gryffindor and Slytherin were dominating the Sorting. Ravenclaw still only had one new first year, and it was evident from the teachers' faces, that the Sorting Hat had never divided houses so definitely before.
"Winters, Sephine."
Sephine arched an eyebrow and straightened her tie, stepping confidently up to the stool. Almost as soon as it was placed on her head, the Hat jumped and shouted out "RAVENCLAW!" Practically the whole Hall cheered, even if some of it was mocking (the Slytherins), and Sephine laughed along with it, as she bowed to the Ravenclaw table, before joining Charlie.
That only left 'Wilkes, Johnathan' "SLYTHERIN!" and 'Woodward, Anne' "HUFFLEPUFF!" before the Headmaster stood up, his earlier expression of disquiet now masked.
The Hall sat in raptured silence, all gazing up at Dumbledore in awe and admiration. "Tonight, I'm sure you will all agree, has been a highly unusual Sorting. Never have I, nor any member of staff, I'm sure, ever witnessed such an uneven spreading of the four virtues. Although we seem to be lacking on the 'wise front' this year, have no worries, Ravenclaw, The Hat will always make up the differences another year. But for now, let us get to know our new friends over a banquet - " The wizard clapped his hands once, and the golden crockery blossomed in an instant, with plates and goblets alike overflowing with a delicious selection of foods. That night, stomachs were bigger than eyes, as more and more tantalising meals presented themselves. The first years felt like they were in heaven.
Chapter 5 - Sorted
The nervous first years filtered into the Great Hall, faces on all sides turning to peer at them, some with interest, some remembering the embarrassment and pitying, others seeing them as a source of amusement.
Friendship groups huddled together in the centre of the large aisle, loners attaching themselves to already formed groups. Eventually, after much shuffling and encouraging, the new Head of Lower School, Professor McGonagall, got one hundred first years into the aisle and made her way to her new seat next to the Headmaster.
This was the first time the pupils had seen the inside of Hogwarts, and for most, the first time any of them had seen Dumbledore. In the glow of the thousands of hovering candles, the old wizard's hair shone gold, his glasses twinkled with his eyes. Everything in the Hall gleamed gold, promising warmth and acceptance. And yet, despite the splendour on parade, there sat in front of the queue of new students a tattered old hat, ripped and patched, on a wobbly stool.
McGonagall stood up next to the smiling headmaster and unrolled a large piece of parchment. "Atchester, Henry." The boy detached himself from his clique and walked shakily to the stool. McGonagall lifted the hat and he sat down. The hat was placed on Henry's head, and slid down over his eyes. Then, a very astonishing thing happened, and all the first years jumped, especially Henry. The hat was alive! A large rip and two creases above it gave the old piece of leather a face, a face which now seemed to be whispering something in Henry's ear. Try as they might, however, no one else could hear the Sorting Hat's secret whispers. Finally, it 'looked' up. "HUFFLEPUFF!"
The Hufflepuff table cheered, and Henry practically ran to the safety of the crowds, sliding onto the bench with a red glow on his cheeks.
"Avery, Martin."
The terrified boy stepped forwards, his normally tense muscles wobbling as he trembled. The Hat again spoke to him, before announcing "SYTHERIN!" Deep cheers reverberated out from the table in the farthest corner.
"Baggwort, Helen."
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
"Black, Jennifer."
Remus turned to Sirius. "That a relation of yours?"
"No. I just have a common name." Sirius grinned.
"Black, Sirius."
"Good luck, Si!" James whispered, as his friend cast a mock-scared glance over his shoulder...but Remus noticed the paling in Sirius' skin.
As before, the Hat bent over Sirius' head, obscuring his eyes and murmuring no one knew what into his ears. When it straightened, the lower half of Sirius' face looked slightly worried and puzzled. "GRYFFINDOR!"
Still frowning, Sirius removed the hat and placed it on the stool. He walked to the cheering Gryffindor table in a daze and barely acknowledged the pats on the back and promises that he was in the best house.
His friends, slightly puzzled by his silence, began to worry about what the Hat would say to them, and what house it would put them in.
Soon, Charles Cookson was the first Ravenclaw of the evening, and Horace Crabbe and Bartemius Crouch were sorted into Slytherin.
Sephine pushed through the crowd to stand near James and Martin. "Slytherin are doing well tonight." Her voice was grim, as was the answering nod from James.
Lily, all innocence, queried, "Why is that so bad?"
"You'll find out soon enough if you're not in Slytherin." Martin replied.
Remus clarified this for the confused girl. "Slytherin are often associated with the Dark Arts. Practically all witches and wizards who've gone evil have been in Slytherin. They're known for being power hungry and unscrupulous in their methods."
Lily frowned. "Well then why aren't they split between houses? Surely the influence of others would help them?"
But before anyone could answer her, McGonagall called, "Evans, Lillian."
Lily paled, but Sephine smiled encouragingly, "You'll be okay!"
"What if I'm in Slyth--"
"Miss Evans?"
"You won't be!"
Lily cast a final doubting glance over her shoulder before making her way tentatively up the steps. Her friends watched as the Hat bent over her worried green eyes and spoke to her, but when it stopped, Lily looked more puzzled than worried. "GRYFFINDOR!" The Hat called.
Sirius was amongst the loudest cheerers on the Gryffindor bench, and Lily seemed quite daunted by the huge noise in the room. But she made her way quietly to the bench, a shy smile on her pink cheeks.
All too soon - Remus felt - it would be his turn to be Sorted. He tried to hide his worry, but he couldn't help but fret that the wolf would be the one that determined his house. He didn't want his other identity to separate him from his friends, or to place him with those who could corrupt easily.
"Lupin, Remus." He jumped, and James smiled.
"C'mon, Rem! You'll be okay!"
Remus nodded and made his way to the front of the diminishing crowd of first years. He looked up at the Hat, held aloft in McGonagall's hand, and the three steps seemed to be three hundred as he dragged his feet up them one by one. He sat carefully on the rickety old seat, and found himself facing a Hall full of mostly strangers, all looking up eagerly, awaiting the Hat's decision. As the weight of the Sorting Hat fell on his head, and the smell of old leather filled the air, Remus felt the Hat twitch and become 'alive'.
He jumped again, and clung to the sides of the stool as a deep, throaty, but not unkind, voice filled his head. "Ahhh...you are lucky to be here...yes, this is the first I've met of your kind in a long time, and so young! That shows great bravery and stamina...but the presence...it is strong..." Remus tensed. It was going to shout out Slytherin any minute! "But you keep it under great control...again, very strong, full of courage. But you're wise, too wise for your age, and have a mischievous streak...perhaps Ravenclaw? But no...that bravery cannot be ignored! It must be encouraged... GRYFFINDOR!" The shout was directed to the Hall, but it still seemed awfully loud to Remus' sensitive ears. He glanced around as he took the Hat off...how could no one else have heard what it was saying?
Then, however, the cheers of the Gryffindor table, and Lily and Sirius' whoops met his ears. He looked at them in shock, then grinned and made his way across to them before sliding onto the bench next to Sirius. "Phew...!"
Sirius laughed, "Remus, there was no need to look so worried! You were the colour of Dumbledore's beard! Honestly, as if they'd put you in Slytherin!"
Remus frowned. "I never said I--"
"Well that's the worst they can do to you, so it figures that that's what you were so worried about. Hey, who the hell is that? He looks like a hunk of granite!"
Not needing to squint, Remus saw what Sirius meant. The boy had very angular features - but not in the same way as Charlie had. He lacked the smile creases and striking appearance that softened Charlie's face, but his nose looked as though it had been broken several times, and his dirty blonde hair was greasier than a floor mop. "I think that he's called Trurn Mahbism."
"Looks like a nasty piece of work."
"SLYTHERIN!"
"Is a nasty piece of work..."
The boys sniggered at their little joke as Peter Pettigrew stumbled up to the Hat. As before, it was placed on his head and talked to him. To Remus, now without tension, as having been already Sorted, the Hat seemed to take a lot longer with Peter. When it called out "GYFFINDOR!" Peter leapt from the stool and began to flee towards the table, only to be met with laughter, and McGonagall calling him back. He'd forgotten to take the Hat off.
"Well done, Peter!" Sirius stood up and clapped with the rest of the Hall as the bright pink Peter made his way back to the bench.
When the Hall subsided, McGonagall lifted her parchment once more. "Potter, James."
"Go James, it's your birthday!" Sirius whispered, miming like a cheerleader. Lily tried to contain her giggle.
After it's conference with him, the Hat announced, "GRYFFINDOR!" and James, grinning from ear to ear, and not making Peter's mistake, strutted over to the Gryffindor table. "As if there was any doubt..."
Sirius snorted. "Yeah, James. But damnit, I've lost my bet with those guys at The Leaky Cauldron now! I was sure it would be Hufflepuff!"
They all tried to restrain their laughter as the Hall went silent again, but the silence only seemed to make it harder.
"Rosier, Luke."
A mean-looking boy stepped up to the Hat, and got Sorted very quickly into Slytherin. And not long after, it was Martin's turn. Sirius insisted that it was only because the others were rooting for him so hard that Sirius had 'lost another bet'.
By the time the end of the alphabet approached, and only three students remained standing in a cluster in the aisle, Gryffindor and Slytherin were dominating the Sorting. Ravenclaw still only had one new first year, and it was evident from the teachers' faces, that the Sorting Hat had never divided houses so definitely before.
"Winters, Sephine."
Sephine arched an eyebrow and straightened her tie, stepping confidently up to the stool. Almost as soon as it was placed on her head, the Hat jumped and shouted out "RAVENCLAW!" Practically the whole Hall cheered, even if some of it was mocking (the Slytherins), and Sephine laughed along with it, as she bowed to the Ravenclaw table, before joining Charlie.
That only left 'Wilkes, Johnathan' "SLYTHERIN!" and 'Woodward, Anne' "HUFFLEPUFF!" before the Headmaster stood up, his earlier expression of disquiet now masked.
The Hall sat in raptured silence, all gazing up at Dumbledore in awe and admiration. "Tonight, I'm sure you will all agree, has been a highly unusual Sorting. Never have I, nor any member of staff, I'm sure, ever witnessed such an uneven spreading of the four virtues. Although we seem to be lacking on the 'wise front' this year, have no worries, Ravenclaw, The Hat will always make up the differences another year. But for now, let us get to know our new friends over a banquet - " The wizard clapped his hands once, and the golden crockery blossomed in an instant, with plates and goblets alike overflowing with a delicious selection of foods. That night, stomachs were bigger than eyes, as more and more tantalising meals presented themselves. The first years felt like they were in heaven.