Chapter Six: The Cost of Being a Black
I remember the day when I was sorted into Gryffindor. Never had the Great Hall been so quiet. Hundreds upon hundreds of eyes stared at me and I could only walk with my head down. But just before I reached the table I held my head up high. I was not going to let the whole school bring me down just because I didn't look up to their expectations. They wanted me to be a Slytherin but my heart never belonged there. My heart didn't belong with the family of pureblood maniacs where if I didn't have their same views I was a blood traitor.
One thing I know for sure is that I would've never imagined that in my first day the whole school would turn their backs on me. Gryffindors because I didn't belong there, or so they thought. Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs agreed with the Gryffindors. Then there were the Slytherins... the ones that would've welcomed me due to my last name but turned their backs on me and whispered behind my backs how I was a blood traitor. That night however, was the worst night of my life as I heard my roommates speak about me...
All the Gryffindor first years completely ignored my presence in the dorms as they chatted animatedly about Quidditch. I understood exactly what they were hinting and went to bed. After about an hour I pretended to have fallen asleep and they came to check. When they made sure I was asleep I felt my heart fall after all the hopes of befriending this kids dissolved.
"What is that Black kid doing in Gryffindor?" asked a boy with untidy black hair, I recognized as James Potter.
"I don't know but I don't want to be friends with him," said another boy, I didn't quite remember his name. He was short and kind of chubby. "He comes from a family of dark wizards! He belongs in Slytherin!"
Those were the last words I ever wanted to hear anyone say. That I belonged in Slytherin. That was not part of me. The sorting hat didn't even try to put me into Slytherin. It never actually said anything in reference to other houses.
"Ah," said the Hat. "The first boy from the Black family I sort somewhere else but Slytherin. Yes, yes... you're brave and intelligent... ooh and a disregard for the rules I see..."
The hat fell silence for a few seconds before shouting, "GRYFFINDOR!"
The hat knew where I belonged. I knew where I belonged. But they didn't want me there.
The next day was not for me. My mother was not very pleased about my sorting and wanted the whole school to know how I was a blood traitor and an insolent little prat...
On my way to the table I could feel all eyes on me. I held my head up high as I sat at the edge near the teacher's table. I slowly ate my breakfast as everybody chatted animatedly with their friends and the ones near me just whispered among themselves as though I was blind and deaf. I mean how stupid could this people be that they didn't even realize I was not my family! I had their last name but I didn't choose that!
I rolled my eyes and played with my food when the owls arrived to deliver the mail. I had no idea my parents would know what house I'd been placed in right away but apparently they did know 'cause there was a scarlet envelope coming my way. I saw everyone from the other tables standing up to look at me as the letter fell next to me. I stared at it and shrugged it off; what was the point in opening it if I was going to have to hear what my dear old mum had to say, anyway? After a couple of seconds of smoking the letter exploded and I stared ahead as though nothing was wrong, flinching every time my mother would scream words as though rubbing them in.
"SIRIUS BLACK! HOW DARE YOU STAIN OUR FAMILY BY BEING SORTED INTO GRYFFINDOR YOU INSOLENT PRAT! BLOOD TRAITOR! THIS IS THE LAST TIME I WILL TOLERATE SUCH A STUPIDITY FROM YOUR PART! YOU BELONG IN SLYTHERIN! BUT OF COURSE YOUR ALMIGHTY TRAITOROUS LITTLE SELF MUST HAVE TALKED THAT OLD CURSED HAD INTO PUTTING YOU IN GRYFFINDOR! I HOPE THE WHOLE SCHOOL KNOWS WHAT A BLOOD TRAITOR YOU ARE–"
"You already said that part, Mother," I said, louder than I thought.
"ONE MORE WRONGDOING FROM YOUR PART, SIRIUS, AND I'LL GO THERE AND SLAP YOU PERSONALLY!"
"Oh, I'm trembling with fear," I said sarcastically, people nearby were rolling around on the floor laughing. Did I care? No. My mum was just a very kind person who was staritng to be blinded by malice that will go away soon... I certainly hope the sarcasm was noticed.
I stood up and waited for my first class sitting at the very back and waiting peacefully for the day to be over.
It would be two months before I heard from my mother again... two months before I made friends at the place where I though I would never be accepted. Two months into term when I had gotten my first detention and the next morning was not pretty...
I was scribbling notes madly as I tried to finish my transfiguration paper in time when the Great Hall doors opened and I heard my mother.
"SIRIUS BLACK!" she shrieked. I flinched when I heard her and was even afraid of looking at her as she made her way toward me. I looked up at Dumbledore who had stood up and was looking at my mother. The other teachers watched interestedly as my mother grabbed me by the shoulder and turned me around to face her.
"Why did you get detention?" she yelled. I was fighting the urge to laugh. My mother knew I was a troublemaker and still felt the need to ask why had I gotten detention.
"Because I got in trouble?" I asked innocently, with my dear heart melting smile. My mother glared at me as the students pretended to cough trying to cover up their laughter. The probably knew they would be hexed in the spot if they made a sound that sounded remotely like laughing.
"You little blood traitor! D'you have any idea had mad you father is? Why d'you do such things just to upset me and your father? What is wrong with you? First, you get sorted into Gryffindor–"
"And proud of it, Mother," anger was getting the best of me. I couldn't just find a reason why my own mother would be such an ingrate. "I don't have the same views as you and Dad! I'm different! I could give a bloody hell if you don't approve that I don't think of muggles, half-bloods, and muggle-borns as inferiors! I am who am I because that is what I want to be!" I was standing up to my mother and I felt proud. I had the courage to stand up to my mother and she couldn't do anything about because as much as she would've like to hurt me, Dumbledore was there for me even if nobody else was.
"How DARE you!" she yelled, raising her hand and making for slapping me but I never felt it. I had closed my eyes and the seconds melted away and I never felt my mothers hand on my face 'cause it had been held back. James Potter had grabbed my mothers had and was glaring at her.
"You will not touch a hair on Sirius head or you'll have to deal with the whole of Gryffindor House," he said. "And I truly doubt you'd like that."
"Who the bloody hell are you to be telling me what to do?" said Mum, snatching her hand away.
"I'm James Potter, ma'am," he said coolly. "Sirius' friend." I smiled. I had a friend.
That was probably one of the best days of my life. After that it was James, Remus, myself and Peter the four most popular boy in Gryffindor House and we would later become popular school wide. We were the pranksters, the brains and the brave students of Gryffindor House. We were the Magical Mischief Makers. The Marauders. Brothers.
Disclaimer: I live in a basement...
A/N: I'm so sorry it took me so long to write this tiny little piece I call a chapter. I know I said it would be longer but I had to take a few things out for later chapters. Also, I couldn't think of anything else because I've been busy finishing the first five chapters of a fic I'm going to post when I get to chapter ten on this one. Is a Sirius (AU) fic, it's called White Rose and you can read what it is about in my profile. I will update on or before Wednesday so stay tuned. R&R!