Chapter 4 – Hogwarts: School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
"Firs' years, over here, come on" Sirius, James and Remus heard the voice and could quite clearly see the person it was attached to over the crowd of students. A giant of a man, with small beetle black eyes and a fierce black beard was calling for all the first years. James knew he was going like this man, he had been told about Hagrid the gamekeeper at Hogwarts, he was a nice man who liked deadly monsters and hated the caretaker and his cat. Definitely his kind of person.
"Hey Hagrid!" He called up to the giant, who looked down searching for the voice. "Oh no' another Potter" he grumbled but obviously looked pleased. He got them to the edge of a lake and told them to get into a boat, with no more than four to a boat. James, Sirius and Remus got into a boat and were joined by Lily, who looked livid.
"My friends boat was full," She muttered and then said that if they tried to speak to her again after the incident on the train, they would regret it. "Fine, we won't talk to you" Sirius said but both Remus and James saw the mischievous glint in his eyes. "Man I'm excited, my stomach is jumping around like crazy," Lily chose to ignore this but Sirius saw she looked a little sick at the mention of her humiliation, and Sirius of course used this to his advantage. "Lily, what's wrong you look a little..." he paused "green" he said with an innocent look on his face. Lily snapped and pushed Sirius who pretended to lose his balance, and then really did as Lily pushed him again. Sirius put his arms onto the side of the boat and was grabbed by Remus and James, but far from using their support to pull himself up, he pulled them into the lake. All three of them were shaking with laughter as Hagrid pulled them back into their own boat one by one. "That," James said, the huge grin on his face growing bigger by the second "was brilliant" Remus nodded vigorously and Sirius was laughing uncontrollably. "Keep rowing or we wont get there!" Lily said looking concerned; they were a little behind. "Oh shut up, no one asked you to join us," Sirius said angrily, but he grabbed his oar and started rowing. When they finally got to land, a stern looking witch whose hair was in a tight bun greeted the first years and told Hagrid that she could take it from there. The three boys all shouted goodbye, not caring that the witch was glaring at them.
"Well now that you three have decided to grow up," the witch started but was cut short by Sirius, wearing his number one, most innocent looking face with a hint of cuteness. "We were only saying goodbye, he got us out of the lake" At this, James grinned and Remus looked a tad concerned. Some of the first year girls giggled and whispered, most of the comments containing the word cute. The witch looked like she was going to say something, then decide against it.
"I am professor Mcgonagall, I teach transfiguration here at the school. Now if you'll kindly follow me, the sorting ceremony is about to begin," She gave a quick speech about the houses and how they were important, and then led them into the great hall. The first thing James noticed was the roof that looked like it simply opened up to the sky, and the floating candles. James saw four house tables and the students looking at a hat on a stool. He looked at it to and began to get extremely nervous. He asked Sirius if he knew what they were going have to do, but Sirius was scowling at a girl on the Slytherin table who looked a lot like him. "That's Bellatrix, James," Sirius explained. Sirius had told him about her, describing her as a nasty vicious girl who believed in everything his parents believed in, she was his cousin. Just as Sirius turned to the hat it burst open and sang:
"I'm the Hogwart's sorting hat I'll tell you where you are at If you are brave and defend the needy And you never think to be greedy You belong with the courageous at heart In that Gryffindor lark If you are friendly and loyal And unafraid of toil Then in Helga's house of hard work Hufflepuff will not accept birks Or maybe you are keen of mind Knowledge is important to your kind Then in Ravenclaw you belong To join the rest of your throng But if you are sly and cunning And from the other houses running Then in Slytherin of the snake Lies in your wake All the houses are great Your house decides your fate The houses are not there to win So let the sorting begin"
Professor Mcgonagall then began to call names off of the list of first years. When Sirius was sorted a lot of people clapped and he gave a mock bow. He was sorted into Gryffindor. Lily Evans was also sorted into Gryffindor (Remus and James groaned at this) Remus, a small boy with mousy hair called Peter Pettigrew, and a boy with a clever face and a huge grin called Frank Longbottom were all sorted into Gryffindor as well. When it was James turn to be sorted a few people clapped as well, both he and Sirius had pulled several tricks during the train ride. He put the hat on his head and heard a small voice in his ear.
Hmmm? There's talent, a lot of talent here, you could do well in Ravenclaw. But you're a good friend so maybe Hufflepuff? Never Slytherin for this one he's too noble, although he has cunning. I want to go into Gryffindor, James thought. Of course you're going to Gryffindor you're brave more than anything.
"GRYFFINDOR!" The hat shouted. James took off the hat and walked over to the Gryffindor table, which now had acquired both Sirius Black and James Potter, and was cheering very noisily. Now that he had been sorted he saw that the boy with the hooked nose and greasy dark hair was just about to be sorted. Severus Snape was sorted into Slytherin along with Crabbe and Goyle and were talking animatedly with Lucius Malfoy, a seventh year Slytherin with sleek white-blonde hair. Sirius looked so happy not to be in Slytherin, he was grinning madly when James had been sorted into Gryffindor with him and Remus. But they were soon looking at the empty tables, incredibly hungry. Dumbledore, an old man with a beard approaching his waist and long white hair, stood up. He had been sitting in the middle chair at the staff table and was obviously the headmaster. "I have a few notices," Dumbledore began, and Sirius groaned loudly. Dumbledore chuckled and said, "But maybe now is not the time, so tuck in!"
Sirius, Remus and James were amazed as so much food appeared in front of them, vast platefuls of seemingly everything (including for a strange reason mint humbugs). There looked as if there was enough food to support a small country on the plates, which seemed to be refilling them. "Well, it looks like they have enough food for Sirius if we cut down on our eating Remus" James said, Remus sniggered but Sirius took no notice. After the food and then the puddings ("Fireberry Ice-cream, James!" said a delighted Sirius) Dumbledore warned them not to go near the Forbidden forest, introduced the new potions teacher, Professor Firada, and told them to go to bed. A Gryffindor prefect name Arthur Weasley led them to their dormitory. James fell asleep instantly, along with Remus and Sirius. They were all looking forward to the next day.
"Firs' years, over here, come on" Sirius, James and Remus heard the voice and could quite clearly see the person it was attached to over the crowd of students. A giant of a man, with small beetle black eyes and a fierce black beard was calling for all the first years. James knew he was going like this man, he had been told about Hagrid the gamekeeper at Hogwarts, he was a nice man who liked deadly monsters and hated the caretaker and his cat. Definitely his kind of person.
"Hey Hagrid!" He called up to the giant, who looked down searching for the voice. "Oh no' another Potter" he grumbled but obviously looked pleased. He got them to the edge of a lake and told them to get into a boat, with no more than four to a boat. James, Sirius and Remus got into a boat and were joined by Lily, who looked livid.
"My friends boat was full," She muttered and then said that if they tried to speak to her again after the incident on the train, they would regret it. "Fine, we won't talk to you" Sirius said but both Remus and James saw the mischievous glint in his eyes. "Man I'm excited, my stomach is jumping around like crazy," Lily chose to ignore this but Sirius saw she looked a little sick at the mention of her humiliation, and Sirius of course used this to his advantage. "Lily, what's wrong you look a little..." he paused "green" he said with an innocent look on his face. Lily snapped and pushed Sirius who pretended to lose his balance, and then really did as Lily pushed him again. Sirius put his arms onto the side of the boat and was grabbed by Remus and James, but far from using their support to pull himself up, he pulled them into the lake. All three of them were shaking with laughter as Hagrid pulled them back into their own boat one by one. "That," James said, the huge grin on his face growing bigger by the second "was brilliant" Remus nodded vigorously and Sirius was laughing uncontrollably. "Keep rowing or we wont get there!" Lily said looking concerned; they were a little behind. "Oh shut up, no one asked you to join us," Sirius said angrily, but he grabbed his oar and started rowing. When they finally got to land, a stern looking witch whose hair was in a tight bun greeted the first years and told Hagrid that she could take it from there. The three boys all shouted goodbye, not caring that the witch was glaring at them.
"Well now that you three have decided to grow up," the witch started but was cut short by Sirius, wearing his number one, most innocent looking face with a hint of cuteness. "We were only saying goodbye, he got us out of the lake" At this, James grinned and Remus looked a tad concerned. Some of the first year girls giggled and whispered, most of the comments containing the word cute. The witch looked like she was going to say something, then decide against it.
"I am professor Mcgonagall, I teach transfiguration here at the school. Now if you'll kindly follow me, the sorting ceremony is about to begin," She gave a quick speech about the houses and how they were important, and then led them into the great hall. The first thing James noticed was the roof that looked like it simply opened up to the sky, and the floating candles. James saw four house tables and the students looking at a hat on a stool. He looked at it to and began to get extremely nervous. He asked Sirius if he knew what they were going have to do, but Sirius was scowling at a girl on the Slytherin table who looked a lot like him. "That's Bellatrix, James," Sirius explained. Sirius had told him about her, describing her as a nasty vicious girl who believed in everything his parents believed in, she was his cousin. Just as Sirius turned to the hat it burst open and sang:
"I'm the Hogwart's sorting hat I'll tell you where you are at If you are brave and defend the needy And you never think to be greedy You belong with the courageous at heart In that Gryffindor lark If you are friendly and loyal And unafraid of toil Then in Helga's house of hard work Hufflepuff will not accept birks Or maybe you are keen of mind Knowledge is important to your kind Then in Ravenclaw you belong To join the rest of your throng But if you are sly and cunning And from the other houses running Then in Slytherin of the snake Lies in your wake All the houses are great Your house decides your fate The houses are not there to win So let the sorting begin"
Professor Mcgonagall then began to call names off of the list of first years. When Sirius was sorted a lot of people clapped and he gave a mock bow. He was sorted into Gryffindor. Lily Evans was also sorted into Gryffindor (Remus and James groaned at this) Remus, a small boy with mousy hair called Peter Pettigrew, and a boy with a clever face and a huge grin called Frank Longbottom were all sorted into Gryffindor as well. When it was James turn to be sorted a few people clapped as well, both he and Sirius had pulled several tricks during the train ride. He put the hat on his head and heard a small voice in his ear.
Hmmm? There's talent, a lot of talent here, you could do well in Ravenclaw. But you're a good friend so maybe Hufflepuff? Never Slytherin for this one he's too noble, although he has cunning. I want to go into Gryffindor, James thought. Of course you're going to Gryffindor you're brave more than anything.
"GRYFFINDOR!" The hat shouted. James took off the hat and walked over to the Gryffindor table, which now had acquired both Sirius Black and James Potter, and was cheering very noisily. Now that he had been sorted he saw that the boy with the hooked nose and greasy dark hair was just about to be sorted. Severus Snape was sorted into Slytherin along with Crabbe and Goyle and were talking animatedly with Lucius Malfoy, a seventh year Slytherin with sleek white-blonde hair. Sirius looked so happy not to be in Slytherin, he was grinning madly when James had been sorted into Gryffindor with him and Remus. But they were soon looking at the empty tables, incredibly hungry. Dumbledore, an old man with a beard approaching his waist and long white hair, stood up. He had been sitting in the middle chair at the staff table and was obviously the headmaster. "I have a few notices," Dumbledore began, and Sirius groaned loudly. Dumbledore chuckled and said, "But maybe now is not the time, so tuck in!"
Sirius, Remus and James were amazed as so much food appeared in front of them, vast platefuls of seemingly everything (including for a strange reason mint humbugs). There looked as if there was enough food to support a small country on the plates, which seemed to be refilling them. "Well, it looks like they have enough food for Sirius if we cut down on our eating Remus" James said, Remus sniggered but Sirius took no notice. After the food and then the puddings ("Fireberry Ice-cream, James!" said a delighted Sirius) Dumbledore warned them not to go near the Forbidden forest, introduced the new potions teacher, Professor Firada, and told them to go to bed. A Gryffindor prefect name Arthur Weasley led them to their dormitory. James fell asleep instantly, along with Remus and Sirius. They were all looking forward to the next day.