Year 1:- Chapter 2
Meanwhile as this was going on James had gotten to his feet and was helping Peter and the other girl up. The girl didn't look at all happy as she pushed past them. Her short blonde hair tied in a ponytail swung back and fore as she ran off ahead.
James and Peter followed, forgetting about the others. They managed to catch up with the rest of the group and followed the girl into a small boat. Their minds completely on what was about to happen they forgot to say that there were others.
The large man then called
"Okay everybody in, and here we go."
They were off, across a lake in a small boat. Peter didn't like the boat and felt rather sick whilst James loved it. Half away across they saw a large castle. They could see many windows all flashing yellow from the lights.
James was awestruck whilst Peter gob-smacked. Neither said anything as they watched in awe as the castle drew closer to them.
Before either knew it they were docking onto a small area. The man led them all up a path and towards large doors. He knocked three times and then stood aside. James and Peter were standing close together so close in fact that it almost looked like they were holding hands.
A young woman opened up the doors and stared down at the group of youngsters. James looked up into her face and instantly thought of some great pranks for her.
"I'll take them from here Hagrid."
Peter watched as the large man left them with this woman.
"Follow me please."
All the first years walked forward into the large hallway and then turned left away from all the noise, James guessed the rest of the school were gathered in the other room.
"Welcome to Hogwarts, the start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory and spend free time in your house common room."
"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule-breaking will lose house points."
James turned towards Peter and showed a large grin. Peter watched slightly nervous but was glad the other boy was accepting him.
"At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honour. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours."
"The sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting. I shall return when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly"
She looked straight at James, Peter and the blonde girl who were all covered in mud. James looked at himself and just laughed.
"Hey Pete, I think she was talking about us look we're covered in mud."
Peter looked down at himself and smiled
"Thank Merlin my father isn't here he'd give me a lecture about being proper and smart."
The two laughed. The blonde girl just stared at them with a mild look of outrage. Before they knew it the woman was back.
"Everybody line up please, come on and follow me."
They walked into the hall. James gasped when he saw the roof mimicking the outside sky. They walked towards the front of the large room.
Peter just stared at all the people. He looked around and realised that once again he would be on display to the world. He was just glad there was no one from the Daily Prophet present as he wasn't dressed at his best.
The lady stood up in front of everybody and placed a ratty hat onto a stool. She unrolled a large piece of parchment and then looked at the hat.
James noticed that everyone was staring at the hat and to the horror of both boys the slit at the bottom began to move
"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
For once I belonged to a founder of this school
I watched for years as they sorted people into houses
A flaw was found though in their way
How to sort once they were away
It twas Gryffindor who held the plan
Removed me from his head and gave me brains
Gryffindor wished for me to place
The Bravest into his house
Bold in their ways
Made them true Gryffindors
Ravenclaw was wise in ways
Wished to teach the smart
If they had power in their brains
Ravenclaw was their true calling
Slytherin was different from the other founders
Purity of blood was held highest
Those of cunning and ambition
Were Slytherin at heart
Now Hufflepuff was caring
Wished to teach all
Decided those who didn't fit the rest
Were truly Hufflepuff
Now there's nothing hidden in your head
The sorting Hat can't see
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be."
James knew that his mouth was hanging open and Peter's eyes were bulging. The hat had sung, it had told them the history of the school.
Thunderous clapping interrupted their thoughts. Then the woman stepped forward and called out the names of people.
"Appleton, John"
A small boy stepped forward shaking like a leaf and sat on the stool pulling the hat over his head. A few minutes later the hat shouted "HUFFLEPUFF" Next to be called was Avery who became a Slytherin. Then
"Black, Sirius"
James and Peter looked at each other eyes open. They had left the others behind they had forgotten them and they were not at the sorting.
"Black, Sirius!!"
James stepped forward shaking, he heard the woman mumble "about time"
James looked at the old man sitting at the head of the table.
"Professor Dumbledore, my name is James Potter and we umm… well we had an accident,"
Peter stood forward and continued to speak
"I'm Peter Pettigrew, what happened was a girl fell and sort of knocked us all down, and James landed on me that's why I'm covered in mud."
"Yeah and Peter landed on me" came a voice from behind.
James sighed and took over again.
"Peter umm…"
He turned to look at the girl and pointed. She looked at him and answered
"Alice, Alice Scott"
"Ok Peter, Alice and I got up rather quickly and caught up with everyone else. Only with everything that happened we forgot to tell the man about the others and well."
James put his right arm on the back of his neck and twisted. He didn't want to finish the sentence.
"We left them behind," came the voice of Peter.
Dumbledore jumped to his feet.
"Tell me who was left behind."
Peter spoke up before James. "Amanda Dixon, Sirius Black, a boy with sandy hair I think, and three other girls."
Another man stood up and scanned the crowd.
"Albus, my Branwen isn't here or her friend Lily Evans,"
"Yes and Remus Lupin is missing along with the young Dunn girl. Hagrid you take Taliesin back across the lake and get the missing students. In the mean time we'll continue with the sorting."
The large man left followed by the man who had spoken up to Dumbledore. Dumbledore then turned to the women
"Minerva please continue."
And so the sorting continued without the missing students.
James went back to stand by Peter. Pretty soon they were up the L's and a boy named Rabastan Lestrange it took only seconds before the hat yelled "SLYTHERIN"
It was at this point that Peter started to squirm with good reason as the next name to be called was in fact
"Pettigrew, Peter"
Peter jumped with nerves; he watched James smile at him as he wobbly made his way up to the stool. He turned to face the school and saw people whispering, and at the Slytherin table they were pointing, he guessed they had worked out he was the minister's boy. He quickly picked up the hat, sat on the stool and pulled the hat over his head, with the hat came total silence.
"Err… Mr Pettigrew, where to put you, tough yes very tough you have ambition yes Slytherin could be good, but what's this err your parents fights let me see. Yes I believe you need to learn to stand up for yourself. You're braver than you think. Now let me see Hufflepuff could be a good choice but alas no, I think there's only one place I can put you. But heed my warning, be careful who you befriend young Peter for some difficult choices will come your way. But enough of that a house is what you want, so it had better be…"
"GRYFFINDOR"
The table to the left erupted with applause as Peter dropped from the stool. He placed the hat back stool and went to the Gryffindor table, being the first new student placed there.
James had watched Peter's sorting closely and knew he would be next. James worried about being placed in a house on his own. When he heard the hat yell Gryffindor James applauded as loud as the Gryffindors. He then listened for the next name.
"Potter, James"
Everyone stepped aside and allowed him access to the front. Following Peter's example he picked up the hat and sat on the stool. Placing the hat on his head darkness folded in on him bringing silence with it.
"A Potter we haven't had one of those in years. Ambitious you are, loyal to friends and quite a good mind to. I can see you will be difficult, but where to place you. It seems you look towards the future and I know what your future involves. I see there is only one thing that you will need. I will place you there, but first I give the same warning to you as I did the boy before. You will have difficult choices to make, you more than any other, be careful who you trust for not everybody is as they seem. Now for the house, well where else but…"
"GRYFFINDOR"
Again the table to the left exploded with applause as James ran over to join his friend. Both smiling, both having forgotten the warning already.
The sorting went on and the blonde girl that Peter had landed on, Alice Scott was called. She moved forward and pulled the hat over her head.
"Let me see if I can find where to put you then. Yes Hufflepuff seems a good choice for you but, there's something here yes it shows that your future will need the encouragement you will get if I place you in…"
"GRYFFINDOR"
The Gryffindor table screamed with delight as Alice joined them she was so far the only new female to become a Gryffindor. She joined the table as they watched Snape became another Slytherin.
Soon they had reached White Jenny who became a Ravenclaw. Then Dumbledore got to his feet.
"We still have more to sort but as they have yet to arrive on with the meal."
He sat down and soon all the plates on the tables filled with food. The two boys looked at each other and dived into the food.
As Peter reached for some chicken he couldn't help but smile, it looked like maybe he would be putting some weight on pretty soon.