Professor McGonagall was waiting for them as the first years climbed the steps to the entrance of the castle. As James put a foot on the last stair, a crash of thunder rended the air and the skies, which had been threatening rain all day, opened up on the students. Dismayed shrieks filled the air as the students stampeded towards the door and McGonagall, being no one's fool, got out of their way. As soon as the students were settled, McGonagall introduced herself and explained about the Houses, a speech that James and Sirius as well as the other children of wizarding families mostly ignored in favor of checking out their surrounding and classmates.

Finishing her speech, Professor McGonagall excused herself for a moment to check on something and the students stood around, whispering to one another. More shrieks from the girls filled the air as the House ghosts put in an appearance only to be quickly stifled at the ghosts' cheery greetings and the reappearance of Professor McGonagall. Leading them into the Great Hall, she had them line up in front of the dais where the Sorting Hat sat, awaiting another set of newcomers. Sirius and James shared a grin, watching the other students as the Hat began its song, singing of the history of Hogwarts and the four Houses. Without meaning to, James glanced up at the ceiling and was transfixed, the night sky seemingly opened to the heavens. He flinched into Sirius as a raindrop made a beeline for his head and Sirius shoved him back, hissing, "Watch it, mate."

The shove from Sirius was harder than Sirius had meant it to be and James staggered into the boy next to him. Startled, the boy turned and glared at James, black eyes flashing dangerously, as James apologized in a quiet whisper. Drawing his dignity about him like a cloak, he looked down his hooked nose at James and deliberately snubbed him, turning his back on him. James felt a surge of irrational anger but quelled it as McGonagall called the first student up onto the dais; Avery, Robert.

As Avery pulled the Sorting Hat onto his head, James stared eagerly at the boy. His father's explanations and descriptions were nothing on the real thing at all and James was very interested now. The Hat seemed to whisper something into Avery's ear before shouting out to the room at large, "Slytherin." Applause broke out from the table where the Slytherins ate and Avery, flushing a little, pulled the Hat off his head and went to join his new Housemates.

The dry tones of Professor McGonagall filled the air once more, "Black, Sirius." James felt a change in the air at her words; Sirius had gone rigid for a second before shrugging and strolling up to the dais. Out of the corner of his eye, James saw two girls standing up at the Slytherin table, Bellatrix and Narcissa, to get a better view. The Hat took a long time to sort Sirius and James squirmed a little, wishing he could hear what the Hat was saying to his best friend. Finally, Sirius and the Hat seemed to reach a decision and the Hat stammered out, a trifle huffily, "Sly...Gryffindor."

The Gryffindor table broke out into applause but James' attention was taken up by the absolutely murderous looks on Narcissa's and Bellatrix's faces. Glancing back at his friend, James was not surprised in the least to see Sirius wiggle his fingers in an obvious taunt at his cousins as he strode over to the Gryffindor table, a nasty grin on his face that slipped into a more normal smile once he sat down with his House. Watching the byplay between Sirius and his cousins caused James to miss most of the rest of the Sorting and he was startled when he heard, "Potter, James."

James jerked slightly, once more stumbling into the boy he had bumped earlier. Going red in the ears, he stammered out yet another whispered apology and hurried up to the dais. He had barely put the Hat on when it shouted out, "Gryffindor." and James felt a surge of relief. Jumping off the chair, he placed the Hat back somewhat reverently and joined his Housemates. Lily Evans, the girl he met on the train, slid down so he could sit next to his friend and James flashed her a smile, ruffling his hair self consciously.

As the Sorting ended with Snape, Severus going to Slytherin and Vitrius, Andrew going to Hufflepuff, Dumbledore stood and tapped his glass with a fork, calling the hall to attention. "Before we become befuddled with our excellent feast, I have a few beginning terms notices to mention." He paused and glanced around the room, making eye contact here and there, "First years will note that the aptly named Forbidden Forest is, indeed, forbidden to all students. Also first years are reminded that they are not allowed to own their own personal broomsticks. Finally, Quidditch tryouts are open to all students who wish to participate and the dates and times are listed on the boards in your House dormitories." His blue eyes twinkled as he clapped his hands once, "Let the feast begin."

There was a murmur of awe from the first years as the plates filled magically with food and the students quickly settled down to eating. Conversation was at a minimum until the students had taken the edge of their hunger off but then it started to pick up. The girls had apparently taken a liking to Lily and were including her in their conversations, chattering like magpies already. At one point, they asked the boy sitting in the middle of the group of girls to swap places with Lily so that they could all talk without having to talk over him. With an easy smile, Lupin agreed and introduced himself to James and Sirius. The three boys chatted about this and that for a while but, when desert came, their conversation fell to a screeching halt. Eating steadily through his desert, James was utterly oblivious to the world until Sirius jogged his elbow, "What?"

With a jerk of his chin, Sirius indicated the Slytherin table where Narcissa and Bellatrix had just gotten up. Joined by both the boys James and Sirius saw earlier on the train, Bellatrix led the merry foursome over to where James, Sirius, and Remus were sitting. "Well, well," Bellatrix purred quietly with malicious delight as she stopped across the table from Sirius. "If my little cousin hasn't gone and landed himself into goody-two- shoes Gryffindor."

"More like forced the Sorting Hat to put him here." Narcissa added with her own feral grin, "I mean," she shot the blond haired boy a look of wide-eyed innocence, "you heard the Hat start to say Slytherin but my cousin here is now a Gryffindor. Curious, don't you think, Lucius?"

James scooted a little closer to Sirius and felt Remus doing the same. Neither boy were sure what Sirius was going to do but they wanted to be in a position to help him if they could...or stop him from doing something that would get him expelled. Sirius shot both of them a surprised, but grateful, look before turning back to glare at his cousins and their counterparts. "I did no such thing." He ground out, gripping his fists together under the table, "Don't the four of you have anything better to do than try to torment me?"

The blond haired boy grinned and took Narcissa's hand, deliberately dropping a kiss on her palm, watching Sirius' reaction like a hawk. Pleased at Sirius' flinch, he drawled lazily, "It's rather like Muggle baiting, you know. Not challenging, certainly, but not without some satisfaction."

Sirius flushed bright red and made as if to rise from the table. Sharing a quick look, Remus and James grabbed either arm and forced him to remain in his seat. James looked up at Lucius Malfoy and snapped, "Leave us alone."

"Oh, he sure told you, Lucius." The other boy with them sneered down at James, wagging a finger in his face that James seriously had to quell the urge not to bite. "I guess we should leave the two blood traitors here alone."

Lucius turned that ice cold stare on the boy, "Rodolphos, you might want to remove your finger from the Rotter's face before he bites it. Rabid animal, you know." Since Lucius had turned back to see James' reaction, he did not miss it when Remus flinched at his words. Filing that away for future reference, he smiled icily down at the table, "Really, Rotter, you are quite the klutz you know. Severus over there," he indicated the boy James had tripped over twice with an elegant jerk of his chin, "tells me that you bumped, no...what was the word, my dear?"

With a glittering smile, Narcissa slipped a possesive arm about Lucius' waist, the top of her blond head barely coming to his shoulder. With the air of a born tattletale, she replied, "He said smashed, Lucius." The emphasis she put on it made the tale sound entirely worse than what it actually was; Narcissa was a born manipulator, after all.

"Ah, yes, smashed." Lucius turned his gaze back onto James, his features hardening, "He told us that you smashed into him twice and," he paused for greater effect and pronounced each work very distinctly, "you did not even bother to apologize. Shame on you, Rotter. I thought you blood traitors were adept at apologizing. After all, you simply must be adept at something in life."

Now it was Sirius' turn to take a hold of James to keep him from leaping to his feet as James swelled with anger. "I did so apologize!" He snarled back, "And I sure as hell did not 'smash' into anyone. Furthermore..."

What the furthermore was, none of them were to learn that night. Though they had been speaking in low undertones, a Gryffindor prefect had noticed the group of Slytherins hanging around their table and had come to investigate. "What is going on here?"

"Nothing." Bellatrix said and sighed quietly, "Rather, we came over here to talk to my cousin, Sirius, and he got mad at us." She sighed again, seeming to wilt a little, "I mean, Narcissa and I were so hoping that we would end up in the same House as our dearest darling cousin but he was selected for Gryffindor instead. Oh, I just don't know what his mother is going to say."

The prefect glared at Bellatrix, not put off for a second by the concerned elder cousin act Bellatrix was presenting perfectly for him, "Well, if that is all, you will excuse us?" The way he said that, it was more of a demand than a request, "I must take the first years up to the dorms, and that includes your cousin."

"Of course." Bellatrix said with a gooey smile, "Why, we should be getting back to our common room ourselves." With one last glare at Sirius that dropped the temperature in the room considerably, she added, "Sirius, James. We will see you later."

As the four Slytherins swept away, irritably snapping at people that got in their way, Remus looked over at Sirius and James, arching an eyebrow, "I take it that was not a friendly visit?" If he was puzzled when the two boys burst into laughter, Remus did his best not to show it...