Disclaimer: I do not own any of the usual characters, they all belong to JKR.

Chapter Two: The Sorting Hat

The door opened to reveal a middle-aged witch who like rather stern. "Thank you Hagrid, I'll take them from here. You may go to the feast."

"Righ' Professor. I'll be off then." Hagrid walked away.

The Professor lead them to a room and told them to wait a minute, then went out.

"Does anyone know how we get sorted?" Peter asked nervously.

"Nope," Sirius said. "My parents said it'd be excrut... excrusi... very, very, very painful." He paused. "They were joking... I think."

James broke in. "My parents just said I'd be surprised."

"Yeah," Remus contributed. "My mum wouldn't tell me either."

Just then the people around them gasped. A party of ghosts had just burst through the far wall. They appeared to be arguing.

"Merlin! Every year!" A fat ghost said to a ghost floating beside him.

"You'd think Peeves would get the hint by now," the other ghost replied, shaking his transparent head as they all disappeared through the far wall without appearing to notice the first years.

James and Sirius sniggered at the reactions around them.

The stern faced witch came back.

"I'm Professor McGonagall. In a couple of minutes you will go through those doors and join the other students in the Great Hall. However, first you must be sorted into your Houses. These houses are like your family. Triumphs will earn points, while rule-breaking will lose points." She said this last while staring suspiciously hard at James and Sirius, who stopped their sniggering to look back innocently. She glared, then continued. "Follow me."

She lead them through a set of doors and down an isle between tables full of staring students. When she stopped, they all looked curiously at the stool in front of the Head Table. A dirty hat lay on it.

Suddenly it cleared its throat and began to sing.

"Welcome to the school of Hogwarts

You'll be here seven years

For all the time you'll be here

Those around you will be your peers

You'll live in one of four Houses

Which sort you into I will do

Stick me on your head I'll say

Which House you belong to

There's Gryffindor with the Lion,

Where bravery and courage reign

Or Hufflepuff with the Badger

Whose loyalty keeps you sane

Or yet Ravenclaw's Eagle

Whose intelligence exceeds the rest

Slytherin with the Snake

Thinks ambition and cunning are the best

I look into your head

Your talents I will see

When you're ready stick me on

I'll tell you where you ought to be!"

The whole school burst into applause.

"Try on the Hat?" Sirius shouted. "I'll kill my brother! He was going on about riding a dragon!"

The students stared for a moment before bursting into laughter, causing Sirius, ever the clown, to take a bow. A red haired girl standing behind the four boys sniffed disdainfully.

Professor McGonagall glared then pulled out a scroll. "When I call your name come up here and place the Hat on your head. Black, Sirius!"

Sirius sauntered up to the stool and picked up the Hat, placing it on his head. It only paused for a moment before screaming out, "GRYFFINDOR!"

Sirius strode over to the table on the right where the clapping and cheering was the loudest.

"Boggle, Sarah!"

A nervous looking girl crept up to the Hat. The Hat seemed to take a while before finally announcing her as, "HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Castle, Steven!" became a Ravenclaw, along with "Danhout, Ranulf!"

"Evans, Lily!" called the red haired girl to the Hat. James whispered to Remus, "Hope she's a Hufflepuff." Remus snorted, trying to contain laughter, earning him and James yet another glare from Professor McGonagall.

"GRYFFINDOR!" the Hat shouted finally.

"Damn!" James whispered.

A few other students were sorted before:

"Lupin, Remus!"

Remus walked up to the Hat and sat down, carefully putting the Hat on his head.

Hmm... so you're the one I was told about... let's see... not Slytherin... despite your secret you'll do no good there... hmm... you're intelligence is good for Ravenclaw, yet you've already made a friend in Gryffindor... yes, I think you'll do well there. Very well, better be "GRYFFINDOR!"

Remus heard the Hat shout the last word to the whole Hall, and he stood up shakily pulling the Hat off his head before moving to the Gryffindor table to sit beside Sirius. Sirius promptly shook his hand madly saying, "Knew you could do it! Well done!"

"Malfoy, Lucius!"

The blonde haired boy that Remus had punched walked smugly forward as if he owned the place. Remus noticed he had a large bruise appearing over his eye. The Hat barely touched his head before screaming, "SLYTHERIN!"

"Olkwood, Ted!" became a Ravenclaw then, "Pettigrew, Peter!"

There seemed to be an abnormally large pause where Peter seemed to be arguing with the Hat before the Hat finally declared him "GRYFFINDOR!"

Peter sank into a seat beside Remus, wiping his forehead. "Whew!" he exclaimed. "The Hat wanted to put me in Hufflepuff! I refused. I told him that if I didn't get Gryffindor I was going home."

Sirius grinned. "You mean you can influence the Hat? I didn't know you could do that!"

A red-head opposite him said, "It's never been done before as far as I know. By the way, I'm Arthur Weasley, Head Boy. Just ask if you have any questions."

"Potter, James!"

James sauntered forward and picked up the Hat, looking at it for a moment. Placing it on his head he sat down. There was a pause then, "GRYFFINDOR!"

James ran over to sit with them. Sirius pumped his hand saying, "Well done! I knew we all could do it!"

As the Sorting finished and Professor McGonagall walked off with the Hat and stool, the Headmaster stood up.

"Welcome to Hogwarts! Just a few start of term notices to announce! Firstly, students should note that the Forbidden Forest is just that: forbidden. Secondly, Quidditch tryouts for second years and above are this Friday. Any student wishing to tryout should see Madam Hooch before then. Now, let the feast begin!"

Food appeared on the golden plates and, suddenly ravenous, Remus dug in.

As Remus ate he looked interestedly around the Hall. Next to him he noticed James and Sirius were eating at ten times the rate anyone else was.

Sirius saw him staring. "Wha'?" he asked with his mouth full of chicken pie. "'M a g'owing bo'!"

Remus looked at Peter who just shrugged and carried on eating. Remus decided to follow his example.

When everyone had eaten as much as they could - except for James and Sirius, who Remus thought could probably eat forever - the food disappeared from their plates.

As the Headmaster stood up the students fell silent.

"Now that you are all fed and watered, it's time to go to bed. Off you go!"

James, Sirius, Remus and Peter walked out of the Great Hall after Arthur Weasley. A tap on Remus' arm made him stop.

"Mr Lupin?" Professor McGonagall was behind him. "Could you come with me please?"

Sirius, James and Peter made as though to come too.

"You three go with Mr Weasley. I'll bring Mr Lupin up to the Common Room later." The professor walked off leaving Remus to smile reassuringly at his friends then hurry to catch up.

Professor McGonagall glanced at him as he walked beside her. "Don't worry Mr Lupin," she said, looking at his nervous facial expression. "I'm taking you to see Madam Pomfrey. She wants to explain a few things."

This, if it was meant to be reassuring, didn't do anything except make him more nervous, but by this time they'd arrived at a set of doors.

Professor McGonagall pushed the doors open and lead him inside. Remus looked around and realised this was a hospital.

"Poppy! I've brought him!" the professor called to a door at the far end of the room.

Another witch came through and seemed to examine him with her eyes.

"You're Remus Lupin?" At Remus' nod she carried on, "I'm Madam Pomfrey the school nurse. I'm the one who'll put you together again after any accidents. I'm also the one you'll be dealing with each month. I'll expect you here on the afternoon of the full moon around 4pm, before the sun goes down. A building has been built in Hogsmeade for your use with a tunnel leading there. The entrance is guarded by a violent tree called a Whomping Willow. I'll take you down there while all the students are having their evening meal in the Great Hall. I'll come to collect you in the morning after the transformation and bring you back here to heal any injuries. You must be on time every month, is that clear? Good."

After this speech Madam Pomfrey walked back into her office.

Remus just stared after her until Professor McGonagall pulled him from his thoughts to lead him back to the dormitories in Gryffindor Tower.

He walked upstairs and found James, Sirius and Peter already asleep. That was good. They would've had awkward questions he didn't want to answer. Now he had all night to come up with a decent excuse.

No one would ever find out he was monster.

Please review and let me know if this story is any good. I love anyone who does!