Disclaimer: I own none of the following except the plot.

"Whoa, this place is huge."

"I swear I saw something weird in that lake!"

"What's happening now?"

The first years were crowded around a gigantic door, waiting. Some knew that they were about to be sorted. Others only knew that the next day they were going to become utterly, hopelessly lost.

Peter fell into the latter category, only differing in that he was sweating. And blushing. And stuttering. Yes, Peter was in fact talking. And although he was obviously extremely nervous, he managed to hold a conversation with his three new friends. Because he knew that he was better off than someone else. And in comforting that someone else, he was persistently reminding himself that at least he wasn't in that someone else's position.

"Well, maybe they're not sorting us now," Peter hopefully supplied.

"I know they are. Mum told me that they would as soon as we got to the castle," Sirius replied, his mouth contorted in apprehension, dread showing through his eyes.

"Sirius," Peter asked, "Why are you so worried about the sorting?"

Sirius bit his lip. "I need to be in Slytherin."

"What do you mean?" Peter asked uncomprehendingly.

"My whole family was in Slytherin. To them, that's everything. I don't want to find out what they'll do to me if I don't get in." Sirius quickly inhaled and opened his eyes wide as a new thought occurred to him: "What if I'm in Gryffindor?"

Remus tried to comfort his friend. "Sirius, it will turn out how it turns out. You can't escape it."

James had heard of the Blacks. He knew everything wouldn't be okay if Sirius wasn't in their house. So he didn't say it would. He didn't want to lie. He simply put a firm reassuring hand on Sirius' shoulder. When Sirius looked up at him, James didn't smile, instead he held Sirius' gaze until Sirius offered a slow, grave smile

Remus smiled in return. He knew about fate and its inevitability, but he wasn't about to tell his friends how. Not yet. Not yet.

Peter offered a small smile, seemingly understanding. However, Peter was anything but comprehending. No, he thought to himself, they're wrong. They must be. There are always choices, aren't there?

At that moment, the red head from the train walked by the four boys. James broke out of Sirius' gaze, to yell at her, "Hey! What's your name?"

The red head turned on her heal to face James. "Lily."

"Well, I'm James."

"Yea, I saw you on the train." Lily pursed her lips. "Acting quite immature."

"Hey!" James yelled in retort. "I was not being immature. You are so full of—"

"That will be quite enough!"

James turned to see an older woman wearing green robes and a black pointed hat. Her face was lined with the early formations of wrinkles. At the moment she was pursing her lips and giving James a rather stern glare. He shot an accusing glance at Lily. She returned his gesture with a smirk. James scowled and looked at the ground.

"Not immature…" Lily muttered to herself. "Well then, I wonder why he got so riled up when I told him he was."

The older woman then looked up at the crown of first years and quickly stated, "I am Professor McGonagall. You will be following me to be sorted." She then turned around and opened both of the grand doors behind her. She led the first years into the Great Hall, between four long tables, paying no attention to their awed faces and audible intakes of breath.

James' eyes shown and his face formed an open-mouth smile as he watched the excitement in the Great Hall. Remus, however, was completely entranced by the ceiling. It appeared to be the night sky. He watched as the candles floated above the student's heads in the midst of the swirling ceiling. Sirius simply eyed the old black hat sitting on a stool. Peter's eyes darted around the Great Hall, trying to take it all in. A slow smile spread across his face. Then his eyes came to rest on the old black hat. His smile disappeared.

Suddenly the hat started to move. A sort of mouth and eyes were formed out of the black material and the hat began to sing:

Four noble houses unalike,

Not unbeknownst by me.

Listen closely to my song,

And you shall surely see.

If deep with in your mind I find

Intelligence to the highest degree

And a potent yearning to know

Then Ravenclaw you should be

If your moral convictions reign,

With bravery in 'n out of war,

And valor for a prize or none,

Then you belong in Gryffindor,

If you're kind while composed,

And as a friend you will be true,

If ever loyal 'til all has ended,

Then in Hufflepuff I place you.

Or if you are ambitious,

Ever devious to achieve.

If you place yourself above all else,

Then Slytherin, save I misperceive.

So don't be alarmed in anyway

As I'm placed upon your head,

For you will do the greatest things

In the house to which you will be wed.

Professor McGonagall had opened the scroll and was now reading off of it. "Ackers, Devin."

A small girl emerged from the crowd. She nervously walked to the stool and sat down. Professor McGonagall placed the hat on his head.

"Hmm… HUFFLEPUFF!"

The Hufflepuff table cheered.

"Ashford, Jeffery."

"SLYTHERIN!"

Sirius Black clasped his hands together and squeezed as hard as he could.

"Bath, Madison."

"GRYFFENDOR!"

At the mention of his family's house's rival, Sirius' eyes opened wide in fear.

"Black, Sirius."

"Hmm…" the hat said out loud.

Please, Sirius thought, put me in Slytherin.

"Another Black…"

Slytherin, Slytherin, Slytherin.

"Oh I've seen many of them, but you… you're a…"

Not Gryffindor, not Gryffindor.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"What? I can't be in—"

"Sirius Black!" Professor McGonagall said sharply. "Get off the stool and sit at your house table!"

Sirius reluctantly got off the stool and walked down the stairs to the Gryffindor table. He knew his parents would not be pleased at all.

"Bowne, Aubrianna."

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Cudney, Lorin."

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Dillingham, Bradley."

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Evans, Lily."

James Potter turned at the mention of Lily's name. He glared at her as he thought of being reprimanded on his first day by Professor McGonagall. It was too bad that Lily was pretty, because James decided that he did not like her. At all.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Sirius groaned as Lily hoped off the stool and almost skipped towards the table that he was being forced to sit at.

"Lamport, Charlene."

"SLYTHERIN!"

"Lupin, Remus."

Remus took a deep breath and walked towards the stool. He closed his eyes and cleared his mind as Professor McGonagall placed the hat on his head."

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Remus smiled and walked towards Sirius. Sirius gave a huge smile back.

Peter stood among the mass of first years. He knew that he needed to be in Gryffindor. He needed to be with his friends. He waited through "Morgan, Rea", "Ockley, Burt", and "Pennant, China" until finally…

"Pettigrew, Peter."

You could put me wherever, but, please, I'd… I'd rather be with my friends…

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Peter jumped off his stool and practically ran towards the Gryffindor table.

"Potter, James."

James sat on the stool. Professor McGonagall had not even put the hat fully onto James' head when it yelled...

"GRYFFINDOR!"

James smiled so hard that his cheeks hurt. He walked over to join his friends at the Gryffindor table.

Author's note: I hope you enjoyed this! You know what I'm going to say… review! The more you review the more I write. I think that's fair. I also want to remind you that if every one of you decides to leave the reviewing to someone else, no one will review, and I won't write! So review!