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I'm Not Ashamed, You're Entertained

Once outside the massive stone castle, it was all Bellatrix could do not to gape at the hundreds of turrets and towers that seemed to jut out of the castle at odd angles. This was nothing like Black Manor. Everything was cold and stone and grey, and yet seemed to exude a strange warmth, as if millions of tiny lights were shimmering, floating just out of view. She looked over at Severus, Rosier and Rodolphus, who all seemed to be looking up at Hogwarts castle in awe.

"Pretty amazing, isn't it," said Rodolphus, pulling his moist cloak still tighter around himself. Severus and Rosier did the same.

"It's bloody c-c-cold though, i-isn't it," said Rosier through chattering teeth. He looked over at Bellatrix, whose dark hair was dancing around her face in the high winds. "How can you not be cold in only your school robes?"

Bellatrix glanced down at him, snapped out of the trance that the sight of Hogwarts had induced. There were so many possibilities, so many opportunities for power and knowledge…

"Hmm? Oh, I'm never cold," stated Bellatrix, even pushing up the sleeves of her black robes to illustrate this.

Rodolphus snorted imperceptibly: "depends on what you mean by cold," he said, elbowing Bellatrix playfully. She looked up at him, smiling and regarding Rodolphus as if he were a particularly interesting speck of dirt. He could swear he saw her wink.

"Wonder what they're keeping us outside for. I imagine we're waiting for someone…the Sorting thing…it normally happens indoors right? They aren't going to just let us freeze out here…"

The truth was, Severus Snape wouldn't have minded freezing out here, if it meant being able to stand around with Bellatrix, Rodolphus and Rosier. They didn't make fun of him, or taunt him about his hair, which was lank no matter what he did to it, or his second hand robes. They treated him like an equal. A Half Blood equal, which was more than he could say for his family, especially his father. If he wasn't being treated badly for being half Muggle, he was being treated even worse for being half wizard. He had a sneaking suspicion that kicks and bruises could hurt more than any curse hurled at him.

Little did he know, it would be within the walls of Hogwarts that he would be proven wrong, by the very girl currently standing next to him, who surveying Hogwarts castle and the tall witch in green tartan who had just appeared at the huge door of the castle, with a sort of wide eyed, childlike amazement.

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Within minutes, all of the new first years were lined up in the Great Hall between the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables. The tall witch in green tartan had introduced herself as Professor McGonagall, the Transfiguration teacher and Head of Gryffindor house. Bellatrix took an immediate dislike to her, whispering to Severus that she seemed like she had a Bowtruckle stuck somewhere painful. Rodolphus sniggered: "She looks like she's got a kilt on her head," whereas Rosier just laughed feebly, painfully aware of his own Scottish accent.

Professor McGonagall shot Bellatrix and Rodolphus, as well as the other first years who were talking nervously the sort of look that scorches, before continuing what seemed like a thoroughly rehearsed speech.

"The Sorting will commence momentarily. When I call your name, you will step forward and sit on this stool." She gestured to a worn wooden stool with an incredibly old patched hat placed in full view of every single student sitting in the Great Hall, directly in front of the staff table. It seemed to Evan Rosier and Severus Snape that they were doing all they could to ensure that the first years were humiliated as much as possible.

"Once you have sat down, I shall place the Sorting Hat on your head. Once it has decided upon your house, you will go join them at your respective table. Is that clear?"

"No," whispered Bellatrix to Severus: "I'm still wondering why you haven't taken the skirt off your head and the Bowtruckle out of your--"

"Albee, Eric!"

The hat pursed the rip above its brim as if it were a mouth. Bellatrix was sure that if it could have, it would have paced, trying to make a decision.

"Merlin!" mumbled Rosier. "If every first year takes this long, we'll be here til midnight. And I'm so hungry!"

"Ravenclaw!"

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Within ten minutes of the first Sorting, "Black, Bellatrix!" echoed through the Great Hall and Bellatrix moved through the group of first years, up to the stool. She surveyed the room with a critical gaze, eyes narrowing angrily as she looked over at the Ravenclaw table. Andromeda waved at her, smiling broadly. Not all the Blacks had been sorted into Slytherin, as she'd told Severus just an hour ago. But Ravenclaw was better than Gryffindor, of course. Even so, when Cygnus Black had gotten the news of his first born daughter's sorting results, he had pulled Bellatrix aside, and told her that under no circumstances was she to accept any house but Slytherin.

She smirked slightly at the though, smiling widely at Professor McGonagall who turned toward her holding the Sorting Hat. At least she wouldn't be disappointing her father any time soon.

Another Black, hmm? But you don't really seem the Ravenclaw type like your sister, do you?

Obviously not.

No, certainly not. You certainly seem cunning enough…you like to hurt people, don't you, Bellatrix?

What's it to you? You're just a hat? Besides, you know I'm supposed to be in Slytherin! Hurry up already!

You know, you'd do very well in Gryffindor. All that bravery, that fierce loyalty? Definitely Gryffindor material.

You're a hat. If you play games with me, I'll hex you.

Oh, all right. I'll put you where you want to be. You'll go far, did you know that? I may be a hat, but I know potential when I see it. Do the world a favour though, Ms Black? Use your influence for good?

Shut up. I'll use my influence how I want to.

Spoken like a true Slytherin.

Obviously.

"Slytherin!"

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Bellatrix bounded off the stool, ears ringing with the sound of cheers from the Slytherin table. A tall Slytherin girl moved over on the bench, and Bellatrix accepted the seat with a smile, only turning her head when Andromeda turned to smile at her. She was finally where she belonged, where she'd longed to be since hearing about Hogwarts years ago. The only thing to worry about now was whether Sirius, and her new friends from the train would also be sorted into Slytherin. She didn't have long to wait:

"Black, Sirius!"

She looked over at the front of the Great Hall, where Sirius was making his way slowly up to the stool, grinning toothily at some two friends from the train: a tall, boy with messy black hair and a shorter, mousy haired boy with two long scratches down his cheek. They both gave Sirius a thumbs-up, much to Bellatrix's annoyance.

The Sorting Hat was placed on his head.

"Gryffindor!"

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An hour later, Bellatrix's anger hadn't abated. At all. Severus, Rosier and Rodolphus were forced to endure her disgusted rants about how Sirius was a complete traitor brat who didn't deserve to bear the Black name. None of them disagreed. Both Rosier and Rodolphus had been raised in exactly the same type of household as Bellatrix, and completely agreed. You were nobody if you weren't a Slytherin, and Gryffindor was the worst. Like Rodolphus was saying, "that Muggle-lover Dumbledore was a Gryffindor, apparently, and he failed my dad in his Charms OWL."

Her dark eyes were shining with fire and well-concealed tears, fueled by the fact that she was looking over at the Gryffindor table, watching Sirius talk animatedly with mingled disgust and horror.

"My mam says that the only people worth knowing are Slytherins, or people who are friends with Slytherins," said Rosier, hoping to appeal to Bellatrix, who seemed to be only half listening, eyes still trained on the Gryffindor table.

Rosier and Rodolphus both looked over at Severus, who'd grown quiet and was staring at a goblet of pumpkin juice with rapt attention.

"I'm a Half Blood. I haven't any idea about any of this, remember?"

Bellatrix whipped around, looking at the three boys.

"See, even Severus! You're a Half Blood, but you're in Slytherin! And Sirius is from a Pureblood family, the Pureblood family, and he's sorted into bloody Gryffindor! I could kill him!

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The Great Hall was emptying quickly, Prefects leading the way to the four houses' respective common rooms. Bellatrix ran up to the group of Gryffindors and grabbed Sirius's sleeve, pulling him into a darkened hallway.

"You've gone and landed yourself in Gryffindor! You PRAT!"

"Trixie, it wasn't my fault! I didn't ask to be put anywhere, the hat just…said it! And Mother and Father are going to murder me when they get the news, I don't need you angry at me too!"

"I was looking forward to being at Hogwarts with you, you idiot! Mother and Father told me we'd be in the same house, and carry on the Black family tradition of doing really well in Potions and Charms and – and everything! And now y-y-you're just not g-going to be in Slytherin, and e-e-everthing's ruined! You've gone and ruined everything!"

Sirius looked around in alarm, realizing that Bellatrix was crying loudly and a bit exaggerately, and James and Remus, his new friends from the train, were hovering uncertainly at the mouth of the hallway. It was now or never.

"Listen, Trixie, our family is obsessed with all the wrong things. And I wanted to…get out and see things myself, and then decide, instead of just being thrown into everything! A Pureblood marriage, an honourable job…I'm not even sure I want all that, just because Mother and Father say it's what I should have. I just wanted to see what it was like on the other side. And besides, I didn't ask the Hat for anything! It just…said it."

"You're a traitor, Sirius."

Bellatrix's voice was unwavering, and all traces of tears were gone now. Her eyes flared with an angry red glow from the torch in the bracket next to them. If he was lucky, she wouldn't realize it and set him on fire.

"You're a traitor and an-an idiot, and now you've gone and ruined everything! I hope you have fun with your new traitor friends," Bellatrix spat.

Sirius rolled his eyes. Bellatrix was known to get emotional over things, but his friends were watching, and he didn't want them to get the wrong impression. He was a Gryffindor now, after all. Besides, Bellatrix hadn't meant those tears. That, at least, he was sure of.

"Goodnight, Bellatrix."

"Good luck," she whispered, the malice in her voice so obvious that Sirius took a step back. He watched the hem of her black robe whip out of site and toward the Great Hall. He was sure that she'd be smiling, no sign of tears or sadness or anything but righteous indignation at her traitor cousin.

Remus approached him.

"You alright, mate? She seemed pretty angry. You said she was your cousin, did you?"

Sirius toed the ground with his foot.

"Yeah."

James appeared at Remus's side.

"Well, she seemed a right bit touched in the head if you ask me, didn't she, Remus?"

"A little. She seemed a bit scary, really."

Sirius felt heartened.

"Yeah! Exactly! Anyways, we should get up to the common room, shouldn't we?"

Sirius climbed the stairs two at a time, so that Remus and James had to jog to keep up with him.

He was surprised that Bellatrix hadn't taken a bow after that particular performance.

Author's Note: FINALLY! God, it took forever for me to get this chapter finished. Real life kinda got in the way. Whatever. So here it is. The Sorting was a lot of fun to write. For some reason, I have this idea of the Hat liking to screw around with people who it knows have definite ideas of what house they should be in. I mean, it's a hat. That's like…its only source of fun. In any case, hope you enjoyed. Please, R and R!