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Summary: A look into the first year of James Potter and his friends.
"First years, follow me!" A large, hairy man called. "Come on over here, first years!"
"Who's that?" Peter asked.
"My name is Hagrid, keeper of keys and grounds at Hogwarts. I'm going to take you across the lake to school." Hagrid smiled gently. "First years, come along. By the way, nice hair, boys."
He led them to the edge of the lake where a dozen little boats sat waiting.
"All right, no more than four to a boat, go on in." Hagrid waved the first years along.
Sirius, James, Remus, and Peter all climbed in a boat and soon set off for Hogwarts. The fog cleared soon after, and they received their first glimpse of Hogwarts.
The many towers glittered against the night sky, as all the well-lit windows twinkled warmly. The students watched as their home for the next seven years loomed closer and closer. None of them had seen anything like it, and were in awe.
"Wow." Sirius grinned. "It's so huge!"
"It's beautiful!" One girl in another boat exclaimed.
There were murmurs of appreciation from the first years that continued until they reached the opposite shore. Hagrid led them up to the castle and opened the giant doors leading in.
"Yeah, I'm gonna like this place." James said as they walked up the steps toward the great hall.
Professor McGonnegal, a tall, slim woman smiled as the group of eleven-year-olds trudged up the stairs, all talking excitedly.
"First years, I am Professor McGonnegal, Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts. When I open these doors, you will file in and walk straight to the front. The sorting hat will call your name, and you will go and be sorted. You may be put into any of these four houses, Hufflepuff, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, or Gryffindor. These houses will become like your family over the next seven years. Good behavior will earn points for those houses, while bad behavior will result in the loss of points." McGonnegal explained, then caught site of the boys, "Good heavens, what happened to you three?"
"He started it." All three boys pointed to each other, making the rest of the students laugh.
"Oh for goodness sake." McGonnegal waved her wand, returning the boys to normal and opened the doors, leading in the group of first years.
The Sorting Hat began its song as soon as all the new students had reached the end of the Great Hall, much to their surprise.
I may be old and wrinkled
But I've got brains, you see
With magic I've been sprinkled,
So listen close to me.
Into my head, the founders four
Poured Knowledge by the pound
You could be made for Gryffindor,
Where strength and courage abound
In Slytherin, where you might fit,
If you have ambition that's strong
Or in Hufflepuff, they never quit
The honest and loyal belong
Or in the intelligent Ravenclaw
It's sure to test your smarts,
Either way, these houses all
I'll make sure you fit the part
I may not look so brainy,
But age grows wisdom within
The first years are tired of waiting,
Let the sorting now begin!
"Creative." James nodded after the hat had finished singing and the applause had died down.
"Very nice." Sirius grinned.
One girl was called up, and quickly put into Ravenclaw before they called Sirius's name. James grinned, gave Remus, Sirius, and Peter a thumbs-up, walked up to the stool, and put the hat on.
"James Potter, I knew you and Sirius Black would be a problem. Well, a Potter's a Potter, you know where you belong, and you fit the bill for a Gryffindor. There's nowhere else. Though I do rather pity your house head, you are going to be a handful." The hat said.
"Yeah, that's what the doctors told my mum and dad when I was born." James grinned. "So Hat, how's it going?"
"Hmm, smarts mouth, eh?" The Hat asked. "Well, a Potter is a Potter. Gryffindor!"
The Gryffindor tabled erupted into cheers as James went and sat down, giving and thumbs up to the other three boys. Several kids later, Gryffindor had grown by three girls, one of whom was the red head that had threatened to hex James in Diagon Alley. Finally, it was Remus's turn.
"Ah, so you're the one that Dumbledore's told all the staff about." The Hat said thoughtfully. "You've got the brains for Ravenclaw, but I say, you've got more courage than most boys your age, and a penchant for the dark arts, be wary there son, but you're a good kid. Perhaps you can keep a certain pair of troublemakers under control."
"But Sirius isn't even a Gryffindor yet." Remus replied.
"Gryffindor!" The hat shouted, not replying to Remus's thought.
"Yeah!" James cheered and high-fived his friend as Lupin sat down.
"James Potter." McGonnegal called.
Sirius laughed and went up to the stool.
"Put me in Slytherin, Hat, I dare you to." Sirius mock threatened.
"Ah, I was wondering when you'd show up, Mr. Black." The hat replied. "Not like everyone else in your family? The black sheep, shall we say? Or the reverse of that, really, you're the white sheep…hmm, brains for Ravenclaw, loyalty fit for a Hufflepuff, courage and strength galore, but no ambition at all. You must be a Slytherin."
"Are you serious?" Sirius asked. "But you just sad I had no ambition."
"So I can't have a bit of fun now and then?" The Hat replied, and then shouted. "Better be Gryffindor!"
"Yes!" Sirius exclaimed, running over to the cheering Gryffindor table to join Remus and James and Peter.
"Was there any doubt?" James grinned, laughing. "Remember the muggle-born who threatened to hex us?"
"Yeah." Sirius nodded.
"She's here too." James sighed. "Let's go make…peace."
"Make peace?" Sirius asked. "What's peace?"
"Shh! Dumbledore's gonna speak!" Remus whispered.
"Welcome to the start of a new term. Our old Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Dodd, has quit to become a full-time grandmother, so we have a new teacher, Professor Brown. I know you will all enjoy his lessons just as much, if not more. Students are reminded to not practice magic in the corridors and to stay out of the forest. Quidditch tryouts will be next week; first years are not allowed to play. Mr. Filch reminds you to remember to use trashcans, but you are very tidy students, so without further ado, welcome to Hogwarts!"
With a wave of his hand, food appeared on the table and the students dug in.
"This is great. Free food, as much as you can eat." Sirius grinned through a mouthful of chicken.
"Are you the one Molly told me about?" An older boy asked, sitting next to James.
"Yeah." James nodded. "She said maybe you could practice with me after the season."
"Be glad to. From your build, I'd say a Chaser. But maybe a Seeker for a few years yet. Keep your nose clean, maybe I'll put in a good word with next years captain for you. Robert Pennington's my name, you are?"
"James Potter." James replied. "That would be great. So…anybody know anything about Brown? What's your advice on teachers?"
"Okay, well, Minnie-that would be Professor McGonnegal, we just call her Minnie when we're talking about her and she can't hear-is great if you're a good student. Flitwick is just fine, Binns is boring, just sleep through his class and read a little, you'll do fine."
"Is he that bad?" Sirius asked through mouthfuls of food.
"He died and went on teaching. He didn't even realize he had bloody croaked. He is the most boring teacher ever." Robert shook his head. "Let's see. Professor Sprout is nice, and really easy to get off subject, she really knows some fascinating stories. Slughorn, or Sluggy, just do your homework and brew your potions decently, you'll have no problem. He'll really love you if he believes you to be an exceptional potion brewer or charismatic or…well, rich and well connected. Brown, we've heard he's strictly by Ministry approved curriculums only. I mean, so traditional."
"Ministry approved curriculums? They have those? And Dumbledore is letting them apply it here?" Remus looked shocked.
"It was either that or no teacher at all." Robert explained. "I heard Brown's big on the discipline, so keep well behaved in there. Sluggy and Sprout both like and appreciate funny, harmless jokes or practical jokes. The others don't particularly care for them, and Flitwick, well, he'd probably help you pull a few off."
"How'd you know we're planning on being trouble?" Sirius asked.
"Because you tried to pull a switch on the Sorting Hat, and we all saw your hair colors when we got off the train." Robert shrugged and turned to the boy sitting across from them. "This is Frank Longbottom, one of our beaters. He's a sixth year. These are our troublemaking firsties."
"Good, good for you boys." Frank smiled. "Do me a favor…get McGonnegal, just once. She's caught everyone who's ever tried to prank her good…I think you boys have the ability to pull it off and not get caught. Think you can do it?'
"We know we can." James grinned and winked at Sirius. "They'll never know what hit them."