Disclaimer: I own nothing :(
A/N Sorry that this is a bit later than promised; it took me ages, AGES I tell you! Please bear with me if the Sorting Hat Song is a bit crummy, I've tried to write it as best as I can, taking quite a bit from the Sorting Hat's song in Harry's first year. I'm going to try updating daily for the while, though that might change when the holidays have finished.
Chapter 4: The Sorting
The door was opened by a stern-looking woman.
'The firs' years, Professor McGonagall.' Hagrid informed her, and made his way towards somewhere beyond the oak doors.
'Thank you, Hagrid.' Professor McGonagall told the retreating figure. She then turned to the first years. 'Follow me.' She opened the oak door wider, so that the new students could get through.
James looked around. The entrance hall was big enough to fit an entire house in it!
'Woah! Look at the marble staircase! Plush or what?' Sirius commented, whispering to James, who nodded back.
McGonagall led them to a small chamber which was empty and off the hall, where they crowded together closely and peered around nervously.
Professor McGonagall began to speak. 'Welcome to Hogwarts,' she told them. '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 points. 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 all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting.'
She eyed Peter, who was a mess; and others in the crowd. Sirius and Remus helped him to tidy himself up whilst James nervously tried to flatten his hair.
'I wonder what sort of ceremony they have planned.' Sirius murmured to Remus, Peter and James.
'Hey, maybe they take a sample of your blood and test it to see what house you're meant to be in.' James suggested, laughing.
'Ssh!' the red haired girl they'd met earlier told them.
'Sorry.' Peter mumbled. He obviously didn't like others being angry with him.
Sirius and James just laughed, and carried on thinking up ideas.
'Hey, maybe, maybe,' Sirius gasped, 'maybe they put a wand to your head and it glows the colour of the house you're going to be in!'
'Maybe,' James interrupted, 'they put a hat on your head and it shouts out the name of the house you're going to be in.' they looked at each other. 'Nah.'
The room fell silent as Professor McGonagall re-entered the chamber. 'Form a line and follow me.'
James, Sirius, Remus and Peter all got behind one another and joined the line that they were forming. They walked through the chamber doors, through the hall and into the Great Hall.
James had never seen such a spectacular place. Candles were floating mid-air, and the Great Hall looked like it had no ceiling – just the sky could be seen. Remus saw James looking at it and said, 'It's bewitched to look like the sky. I read it somewhere.' He explained.
'Cool.' James remarked. He looked around the rest of the hall. There were five long, wooden tables, one which held the staff, he presumed, and students were sat at the other four.
Professor McGonagall led them up to the staff table, and they came to a halt in front of the other students. There was also what looked like ghosts, silvery in appearance, dotted here and there among the crowd. James was looking around the crowd, intrigued by the amount of students, when Sirius nudged him in the side.
'What?' he whispered irritably. Sirius nodded towards the hat that Professor McGonagall had just placed on a stool. They burst into silent, mini-hysterics, but after a few looks from the other first years, sobered up. Everybody else was looking at the hat expectantly, so they decided to look at it too, wandering what would happen. Then suddenly, a rip near the rim of the hat opened and burst into song:
I am the Sorting Hat
I have a look inside
Whoever puts me on
Will find the house they will be in
In which house they'll find their pride.
Four houses will they be divided in
Of which I will decide
Which one, for each individual
And not once have I lied
Hufflepuff, the honest ones
Are unafraid of toil
Also they are trustworthy
Also they are loyal
Or maybe in Gryffindor,
where their nerve, daring,
and chivalry set them apart
Gryffindor
Is where dwell the brave at heart
Or maybe in Ravenclaw, if you've a steady mind
If you have wit and learning
You'll be one of their kind
Last but not least Slytherin,
Where the cunning lie
Sometimes their dirty deeds
Really make you sigh
So put me on! Have no fear!
All I do is make things clear
Though I have none; you're in safe hands
So welcome young first years!
Sirius smiled at James and mouthed, 'Good guess.' to him. James nodded back to show that he'd understood, while the rest of the hall applauded and cheered for the Sorting Hat's song. James and Sirius joined in, after realising they had been the only ones not clapping.
Professor McGonagall stepped forward and produced a long scroll, which she began to read off. 'Arnolds, Victoria.'
A girl with blonde hair and a pale complexion stepped out of the line and put the hat on her head, sitting down on the stool. Just as she sat down, it screamed out: 'RAVENCLAW!'
The table on the left cheered, and Victoria Arnolds walked, relieved, to the table. A few more people were called up, and when Sirius' turn came, he had worked himself into a state.
'Black, Sirius.' McGonagall called, and he made his way to the hat. He perched on the stool, and rammed the hat on his head.
'Temper, temper!' the Sorting Hat warned him. 'Now, let's have a look at you. Hmm, you seem to have a thirst to prove yourself, and lots of cunning. Maybe Slytherin will be good for you…'
'No! Not Slytherin!' Sirius pleaded the hat. 'Please not Slytherin!' he grasped the edge of the stool.
'Not Slytherin? Well, if you're sure, then I'd better put you in GRYFFINDOR!' it shouted the last word, and Sirius took the hat off and walked shakily to the cheering table on the far left. He saw his cousin Andromeda cheering loudly and smiling, and he smiled back at sat next to her. She whispered in his ear, 'Well done. Breaking the family tradition.' he laughed.
'Thanks.' He whispered back.
More people were called to the hat, and suddenly it was Remus' turn.
'Lupin, Remus.' McGonagall called out.
Remus stepped up and put the hat on his head.
'Hmm, tricky. Quiet, yet seems to be chivalrous.' the Sorting Hat noted.
'That's me.' Remus thought.
'I think you would do best in GRYFFINDOR!' it shouted, and the table Sirius had gone to erupted in cheers once again.
Many more people were called up to the Hat; Dean Mohr, who became the first Slytherin boy, and Ana Nott, who became a Hufflepuff, and finally it was Peter's turn.
'Pettigrew, Peter.' Was called out, and the boy tripped before he got to the stool. James helped him up before everyone started laughing, and then resumed to his place in the line.
Meanwhile, Peter managed to get a grip on himself, and got to the stool without any further embarrassment. He slipped the hat on shyly, and waited to se what would happen.
'Where to put, where to put?' the Sorting Hat asked.
'I dunno.' Peter whispered nervously.
'Hufflepuff? Or Gryffindor? It's a tough decision, but my instincts tell me I should put you in GRYFFINDOR!'
The Gryffindor table cheered again, and Peter made his way shyly to the table.
'Potter, James.'
James walked up confidently to the chair, sat down, and put the hat on. It barely touched his head before the Hat called, 'GRYFFINDOR!'
The Gryffindors had to stand up once again and cheer to welcome James into their house. James strode over and took a seat on the other side of Peter.
'Mr Predictable.' Sirius coughed, laughing.
Finally, the Sorting was over, as 'Young, Sarah' became a Hufflepuff.
The whole hall went quiet as Dumbledore rose from his seat and greeted the students. 'Welcome to another year at Hogwarts!' he beamed at them. 'There is no doubt that you are as hungry as I am, so I say: tuck in.'
Food appeared on the tables, making Peter gasp with glee, and many students cheer. The Gryffindors – including James, Sirius, Remus and Peter – all reached for the many types of food before them, and tucked in.
'So, what are everyone's stories?' Andromeda, Sirius' cousin, asked the first years.
'Er, I'm a pure blood; family's been in Gryffindor for donkey's yonks.' James explained quickly. Andromeda laughed.
'I know about you, James!' she exclaimed. 'It's kind of hard not to know your story when all Sirius does is go on about you when he visits me!'
James and Sirius laughed with Andromeda, and then she decided to ask the others. 'What about you? You've been a bit quiet.' She said, looking at Remus inquisitively.
'Oh,' Remus started, 'I'm half-blood, but my mum and dad were in Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, so they'll be surprised.' He gave a weak smile. 'That's about it.'
'And you?' Andromeda asked, looking at Peter, who hadn't been paying attention to the conversation, munching bits from the food mountain on his plate.
'Huh?' he said, halfway through a chicken drumstick.
Andromeda smiled. 'What's your story? How did you come to Hogwarts?'
Peter's eyes widened. 'Well,' he started, and paused for a while, thinking of a way to phrase his words. 'My parents thought I was a squib, but I got a letter from Hogwarts and so I couldn't be one.' he said quickly, eyeing his food.
'Is that it?' Andromeda asked disbelievingly. Peter nodded, and returned to his food eating.
After everyone had finished their main course, along came the deserts.
'So many to choose from…' Sirius sighed, almost drooling.
'You always were the one for deserts.' Andromeda laughed, shaking her head.
'How do I choose? How do I choose?' Sirius said, with a slight hint of panic in his voice.
'How 'bout,' James started, 'you close your eyes and then point at a random space and see which one you get? That's what I did.' he suggested, and indicated to his own plate, which had a slice of chocolate gateaux resting on it.
'Good idea!' Sirius exclaimed, and closed his eyes, reaching his arm out to point. He swung his arm around, and pointed unknowingly to an ice cream sundae. He opened his eyes, saw what he had chosen and laughed.
'Ice cream sundae it is!' he exclaimed, and transported it to his plate.
After everyone had finished their deserts, Dumbledore arose yet again.
'Now that you are fed and watered, I have a few notices for you:
First years should note that the forest at Hogwarts is out of bounds, as should everyone else.
'Also, there has been a new instalment to Hogwarts grounds; the Whomping Willow. Nobody should approach it, unless they wish to be injured heavily, or worse, die.
'On a lighter note, we have a new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher: Mrs Hunt. Let us give her a warm welcome.' He clapped softly, and Mrs Hunt was given a warm welcome by the rest of the school.
'Now, I suppose you are all tired, and you all need a good night's sleep before your first day of Hogwarts, so farewell for today, and sleep well.' Dumbledore said, dismissing them.
James, Sirius, Remus and Peter had no idea where to go in the bustle, but luckily for them, a prefect was shouting over the crowd, 'First year Gryffindors, follow me!'
They scurried over to the prefect, and followed him with a group of first year girls – including Lily, James noted – up the large, marble staircase.
They stopped at a portrait of a very fat woman in a pink silk dress.
'Password?' she asked.
Lily gasped. 'The pictures move and talk, it's like magic!' she exclaimed.
'It is magic.' James told her, annoyed. 'What do you expect them to do anyway, stay still?'
Lily nodded.
'Oh.'
'Password?' the fat lady asked again.
'Aureus Leo.' The prefect told her. The portrait smiled, and opened up to reveal a hole in which the first year Gryffindors and the prefect climbed through, to reveal a room on the other side.
'Welcome,' he said, 'to the Gryffindor tower.'
A/N Sorry, it was a bit later than I promised. The next chapter won't be up for a while either, because I'm going to be out in the next couple of days, but I can tell you that stuff to do with Remus and the Whomping Willow will be in it :D.