Author's Note:
We're back with chapter three and this time it's Peter's turn! Sorry that the update came a little late, but we were too busy yesterday to post. Normally, we try to update every five days, although that might not work out every time. Just know, we're very passionate about this story and we'll try our best to keep up with the schedule!
Happy reading!
The Hatstall
The loud pounding on an old door was the first thing Peter Pettigrew heard as he came to a halt next to Remus. They stood under the towering castle and he felt his mouth gape open, his eyes growing ever larger whilst he took in the vast castle walls illuminated by the light of the moon.
The door creaked open in front of them and a witch with a pointy hat jutted her head out. "There you finally are! We don't have much time, hurry inside, all of you." She motioned impatiently for the first years to come inside.
Peter found himself wedged between two other students, as he quickly moved forward, but once he looked around, he couldn't believe what he was seeing!
He stood in the middle of a large entrance hall; the ceiling stretched out far above his head. At the other end of the massive room there was a beautiful, wide marble staircase leading upwards, which seemed a little eerie to him, since it was completely empty of students.
"If you will all please follow me, I am Professor Minerva McGonagall, the Transfiguration teacher at Hogwarts," the tall witch introduced herself quickly, already walking with a fast pace across the hall.
Peter stumbled after the others and soon enough, all of the first years followed after Professor McGonagall, who led them all into a rather small room to the left of the Entrance Hall.
The new students chattered excitedly around him and once again Peter found himself in between kids at least a head taller than him. He heard Professor McGonagall clear her throat at the front, but he could barely blink over the shoulder of a blonde girl.
"I welcome you all to Hogwarts!" McGonagall said, "Yet, since our Gamekeeper, Ogg, brought you here late, I am forced to rush this speech a little." She swallowed meaningfully. "At our school of witchcraft and wizardry all first year students are to attend the Sorting, which will be held at the start-of-term feast in a few minutes time, every one of you will be sorted into one of the four houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw or Slytherin."
The students began to mumble amongst themselves at the mention of being sorted into different houses, and Peter felt a rather large lump grow inside of his own throat as he remembered the time his mum had mentioned the houses when she'd told him a bit about her own school time. But now that he was actually here, it felt a lot more terrifying.
Professor McGonagall looked sternly at the whispering first years, effectively silencing them before continuing her explanation.
"The houses are all renowned for different aspects and abilities, and all of you will find a home in which ever house you will be a part of. You will always have your housemates to help you with your studies or other matters you choose to discuss with them.
"Your behaviour will also be of importance at this school, in case you try any rule-breaking or other reckless deeds, house points will be taken." A few laughs erupted from the other side of the room, only dying down as Professor McGonagall continued talking forcefully.
"But if you instead focus on your classes and study hard, you will be rewarded for your work by earning house points. If your house has the most points at the end of the school year, you will have the great honour of winning the House Cup!
"Now, we don't have much time, all of you better clean yourselves up." McGonagall glanced at a few girls standing in the front row. "You will be sorted shortly, in front of the rest of the school," she said, before disappearing into the Entrance Hall.
Nervousness spread in Peter's stomach again as he tried to get the crinkles out of the cuffs of his robes. Remus shuffled next to him, also checking the material of his uniform for any stains or loose threads.
Many students were now trying to look presentable, not wanting to appear as scared and uncomfortable as they surely felt. Everyone was anxious for the return of Professor McGonagall, which happened only a few minutes later.
This time, McGonagall walked them to the towering double door, which clearly held the remainder of students behind its walls. Peter gulped heavily, feeling his hands start to shake from the fear that he felt.
He took a deep shaky breath as the door was opened.
A mixture of laughter and loud chatter met his ears, as Professor McGonagall led the group of frightened first years into the vast space of the Great Hall in a single-file-line. Peter looked around shyly. Many pairs of eyes were staring at their group, all of them coming from four long tables which filled the large space. Hundreds of floating candles gave the room a wonderful warm light, while the magical ceiling resembled that of smoky grey clouds.
His gaze traveled to the front, where a horizontally placed table could be seen. All of the teachers were sitting there and he could clearly see a silver-haired man seated in the middle, Peter had no doubt, he could be no other than Albus Dumbledore himself!
Professor McGonagall quickly moved to the front, putting a four-legged stool onto the stone flooring followed by an old wizard's hat which seemed to have been patched many times already.
Peter eyed the hat with a strange look, wondering what they would have to do with it.
A startled gasp left his mouth as the hat suddenly started to sing through a large rip at the front.
Hear, hear! Listen close!
I've something you've been looking for.
Engross your minds in my old tale and you will find your place.
I shall not fail!
From far and wide they came to be, to build a school of wizardry.
First came Godric Gryffindor, with colours red and gold. His house showed utmost bravery, a real sight to behold!
Next came Helga Hufflepuff, the most kind of heart, her students had both patience and were loyal from the start.
Dear Ravenclaw was third to come, the words of wisdom too much for some. Her pupils equally studious and clever, had power without measure.
Last to step in, was ambitious Slytherin. His house of green and silver was also to consider. Students though cunning and shrewd, were never ones for gratitude!
Now it's time to make my choice, so come up here and hear my voice!
I will find a house for you to make you feel at home and may it make your time at Hogwarts the best you've ever known!
The Great Hall erupted into cheers and claps after the hat had finished its song. Only quieting down, when Professor McGonagall pulled a long roll of parchment from her robes, moving closer to the old wizard's hat, which was once again silent.
Peter swallowed thickly, desperately trying to keep his shaking, sweaty hands steady as the tall witch began to speak.
"Please come up here when I call your name, and I will place the Sorting Hat upon your head."
"Ackerley, Laura!" McGonagall's voice rang loudly throughout the whole hall, immediately stopping any last attempt of chatter from the other students.
A small girl with wildly curled hair slowly stepped forward, making her way to the stool with beet-red cheeks. Peter watched curiously as she sat down and McGonagall placed the tattered old hat onto her head.
"HUFFLEPUFF!" the Hat shouted immediately and loud applause and whistles already came from the long table on the very left of the magnificent hall.
The girl hurriedly moved to the large group of Hufflepuffs. The Fat Friar, one of the ghosts that his mum had told him about, also happily greeted the first year with a ghostly smile.
"Black, Sirius!" Minerva McGonagall read aloud, once again silencing the noisy hall.
Immediately, a raven-haired boy stumbled to the front, his eyes wide, but a determined expression on his face. Right as the hat was positioned onto his head, a fuss came from the right side of the hall, were the Slytherin students were seated.
"I remember him from the boats, he and his friend took the longest to come out of the forest," Remus suddenly whispered from behind Peter, causing the boy to jump a little in fright.
Peter glanced at Remus shortly, nodding in agreement before he heard the Sorting Hat's voice bellow:
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Sirius Black grinned widely at the front of the hall, then quickly walked past the Slytherin table, before taking a seat at the cheering table of the Gryffindors.
Peter breathed in shakily, his hands turning into tight fists in his pockets.
"Evans, Lily!" Professor McGonagall called once more, silencing the boisterous Gryffindors.
The witch, Remus and him had seen with the pale boy she had called 'Sev', stumbledto the front.
As McGonagall placed the hat onto the girl's head, the whole school was once again very quiet, hundreds of students waiting anxiously for the answer.
"GRYFFINDOR!" The Hat bellowed, only seconds after touching Lily's head.
At the decision, the Gryffindor table erupted in cheerful hollering, but the girl didn't seem very pleased with the answer, as she handed back the Hat. Her steps were fast and she only offered a sad smile in their direction, presumably having spotted the boy she was friends with. A sudden thought crossed Peter's mind then and his stomach dropped with dread, prompting him to look away quickly.
What if the same happened to him?
"Remus, do you think we will be in the same house?" The words rushed from his mouth before he could stop himself. He couldn't help it really, when he thought about making new acquaintances, a nauseous feeling overcame him. Even if he didn't know Remus all that well, he had been surprisingly nice during their long train ride from London and he'd been hoping to stay with the only one he'd had the courage to talk to.
"I haven't got a clue, but I guess you also have a say in which house you'll be put in, at least that's what my dad told me," the boy said, but his gaze was glued to the marvelous ceiling, seemingly distracted.
Peter swallowed, only somewhat relieved by his answer.
"RAVENCLAW!" The Hat's enthusiastic scream brought him out of his thoughts and he watched a boy with stringy dark hair as he was engulfed by the Ravenclaw students, followed closely by Gwendolyn Gerble, who was sorted into Hufflepuff and a skinny boy named Davey Gudgeon, who joined the house of Gryffindor.
"Lupin, Remus!" Called the stern voice of Minerva McGonagall.
Peter glanced at Remus as he sighed and stepped out from the bunch of first year students, treading consciously to the waiting professor. The other boy shortly turned and gave him a crooked smile, before taking a seat on the stool.
His friend shifted under the Hat, grabbing the brim to keep it from covering his eyes. Peter could barely control his nerves, he felt as if his heart were slowly crawling up his throat.
"GRYFFINDOR!" the tattered old hat yelled loudly, after a few long moments of contemplating its answer. Peter's wide eyes followed Remus as he walked to the Gryffindor table, hoping desperately that he would find himself sorted into the same house.
The Sorting was about halfway done by now, after Marlene McKinnon and Dorcas Meadowes had found their place in Gryffindor, leaving only a few more than a dozen first years still standing in the middle. Peter tried desperately to keep his breathing normal. His heart was beating faster than ever before, he was sure, he would soon be called up to the front!
"Pettigrew, Peter!" The Transfiguration Professor read, lifting her gaze to welcome the next student and he found himself almost unable to move. His eyes darted from left to right in panic, only registering the blurry faces of the others, who were staring at him as he slowly trudged forward from the rest.
"Please take a seat, Mr Pettigrew," said Professor McGonagall, gesturing to the stool Peter had just arrived at.
Burying his hands deeper into his robe pockets, he obliged to her request, sitting down on the wobbly seat.
The professor, like so many times before, put the Sorting Hat upon his head, blocking most of Peter's view over the many students who were eagerly watching him. But the semi-darkness brought little relief, when he couldn't even keep his hands from quivering uncontrollably.
"Ah, another new student!" the Hat spoke quietly, causing Peter's eyes to become wide with fascination and shock. He hadn't been expecting this.
"I see, I see. A very interesting boy you are Peter, unfortunately also a very hard choice for myself to make!"
"No need to worry, I have never failed to find the right place for any student!" the Hat declared quickly, reassuring Peter, just as he'd let that thought come to mind.
"Hmm ... hmm ... in which house shall I put you ..." He gulped, readjusting himself on the uncomfortable chair. The Sorting Hat stayed quiet for a moment and Peter was already thinking of possible routes to escape this horrible situation, when its voice sounded again in his head.
"Oh, oh, wouldn't Slytherin be a delightful choice for you? I can see, you have potential to excel greatly with cunning means ..." The nauseating feeling began to worsen in the pit of his stomach. His eyes involuntarily drifted over to the Gryffindor table, but to his disappointment, he couldn't distinguish Remus from the crowd of students sitting around it.
But I'll be on my own there, Peter thought miserably, for a moment forgetting that the Hat was still placed upon his head. The only friend he'd made so far was in Gryffindor, where the brave found their home. He didn't really know if he was all that courageous, but he was scared of being alone again. He'd have to find new friends and he'd never been especially good at that.
"Afraid?" the Sorting Hat whispered knowingly.
Peter dug his fingernails into the black fabric of his robes. Hesitantly, he lifted his eyes from his lap, squinting at the whole school gathered in front of him. A heavy blanket of silence was draped over the Great Hall. Some students were already turning nervously to their neighbors, speaking quietly to each other.
"H-how long has it been?" No answer came, which made Peter ponder if the Sorting Hat could even tell time properly, but he swiftly pushed that thought to the side, instead focusing his attention on the Slytherin table. Much like the other students, the Slytherins had begun to talk amongst themselves. Yet to his horror, he could also see a few sneers and smirks dotted throughout, making his heart sink immediately as he noticed they were directed at him.
"What if ... I don't want to be in Slytherin?" he asked feebly, his gaze quickly returning to his robes.
"You do not want to be in Slytherin? Well, whatever else shall it be?" the Hat spoke thoughtfully, but Peter's eyes had once again shifted over to the table situated on the left of the hall. Oh, how he wished he could be in ... "Gryffindor? A very peculiar choice for you, Peter.
"Yet ... would it be a wrong one ...?" Once again, the old hat went quiet, leaving him to desperately stare at his hands. Peter bit at his nails, a nervous habit he'd taken on, and couldn't bring himself to lift his eyes. He'd already had a pit in his stomach since the moment he'd witnessed the cruel expressions some of the Slytherins had worn. Truthfully, he just wanted to fling the Hat off of his head and run out of the Great Hall as fast as possible.
"... Gryffindor ... but should I not give this boy to old Slytherin instead?" the Sorting Hat muttered - to who, Peter thought, was itself. It was almost as if he could feel the seconds tick by as he waited anxiously for the Hat to speak again, but rather, only silence greeted him.
Professor McGonagall cleared her throat rather loudly from beside him, causing him to peek an unsure glance at the stern witch. The lines on her face seemed to have increased over the past minutes, her eyes resting on the small bunch of first years still huddled in the middle of the hall.
Peter felt another bolt of embarrassment. He was making them all wait even longer than they should have!
"Do you truly desire to be in Gryffindor house, Peter?" He gasped a little as the Sorting Hat spoke again, having almost forgotten its presence. Peter mulled over its question carefully, did he really want to be in Gryffindor? Of course, ... after all, Remus was there, but did he even belong? Really, he didn't know. He didn't even know if he was brave enough to join the house of the bold and courageous! ... Yet he still found himself drawn to it nonetheless.
"Yes- yes, I do," Peter squeaked then, fisting his robes tighter between his clammy fingers. He'd already made his choice.
"Well ... if that is what your heart wishes, there's no other choice but - GRYFFINDOR!" The Hat's words rang loudly through the Great Hall and they were followed by much clapping and whistles from the house of red and gold. The other houses joined in shortly after, many students looking rather stunned, as if astonished he'd been sorted at all.
Professor McGonagall smiled weakly and hurriedly removed the wizard's hat from his head. Peter had to keep himself from running, willing his legs to carry him in a walking pace towards the Gryffindor table.
"That took a while there, Peter." He heard Remus say in a good-natured manner, once he arrived at the table.
"How long was I up there? It felt like an hour!" Peter sighed, sitting down across from Remus, while the Gryffindors still cheered at the other end of the table.
"Yeah, you gave that hat plenty to stall over," his friend answered, giving him a reassuring smile.
"Potter, James!" Came the clear voice of Professor McGonagall through the commotion, catching Peter's attention at once. This time she welcomed Black's friend with glasses to the front of the hall. The old hat was hastily placed onto his unruly hair, falling down over his forehead.
"GRYFFINDOR!" the Sorting Hat screamed only a second later, followed by the usual commotion as James Potter almost stumbled over himself, his feet quickly carrying him to his new housemates.
Peter regarded the boy with a nervous gaze and watched as Remus quickly made space for the grinning new arrival.
James sat down next to Remus and his eyes noticeably darkened as he watched the next four first years, Evan Rosier, Severus Snape, Finnian Stebbins and Shaun Wilkes get sorted into Slytherin House.
"Blimey, am I glad I'll never end up with that greasy-haired git," James muttered, a deep frown finding its way onto his features as his gaze moved almost tauntingly to Lily Evans, who was sat farther down the table with a stony expression. It was obvious the young witch was less than pleased to be sitting next to Black, as her back was turned to the boy in cold resolution.
Peter averted his eyes from her and sent Remus a questioning look, to which his friend only replied with a slight shrug. Both of the young wizards didn't know what exactly had caused such an early dislike between them.
Yet once the last first year had found their place in Ravenclaw, the Great Hall buzzed with a warm atmosphere and all the tables were suddenly decked with all sorts of delicious foods - seemingly having appeared out of thin air. The awkward silence which had hung over their small group soon disappeared and was instead replaced by the clatter of plates as they all threw themselves eagerly over the large number of dishes.
Peter held back at first, only poking the nearest piece of golden-brown chicken with his fork, almost believing it to be an illusion. But his wonder quickly morphed into curiosity as he watched James, who had already wolfed down half his plate by the time Peter put the first piece of chicken into his mouth. He didn't seem at all fazed by the sheer amount of food in front of him and he quickly realised, James must have been used to such a feast.
"You're Remus, right? I'm not very good with names," James laughed a little, pulling his attention away from his plate as he let his fork clatter carelessly onto the table.
Remus perked up at the mention of his name, his mouth full of mashed potatoes. He swallowed politely, before replying with a 'yes'.
James smiled and took a large gulp from his goblet, "Y'know, I'm really excited to finally be here," he started, eyes gleaming. "Hopefully we'll learn some real magic soon, my dad only showed me a few tricks during the summer."
"He showed you magic?" Remus looked surprised. "Isn't that- uh, dangerous?" he mumbled, as he reached up to scratch his nose.
James gaped at him, "Dangerous? Mate, you're a bloody Gryffindor!
"Besides," the boy continued, gaze flickering to Remus' exposed arm, "those scars look pretty wicked. I'd half thought you'd fought a Hippogriff on your way here!"
Peter immediately noticed, as Remus flinched back and hastily pulled the sleeve of his robes over his scars. Something like fear flashed in his eyes for a moment, before he pulled his lip into his mouth, brows furrowing. "You really think so?"
The whisper sounded uncertain at best, but James nodded enthusiastically nonetheless. "'Course I do!" he exclaimed, "I can already picture it in the Prophet: Remus, the Hippogriff Wrangler Extraordinaire!" His hand stretched out into the air in front of him as he spoke, emphasizing his words.
James wiggled his eyebrows and Peter couldn't help but crack up, yet it was quickly drowned out by Remus' snort into his goblet.
"That sounds daft," said Remus with a shake of his head.
"Eh," James grinned, "what title in that paper isn't daft?
"Anyway, since you're going to go toe to toe with lots of creepy critters, you should be able to scare them off." The boy pulled out his wand then, twirling it between his fingers. "I could show you a nifty trick if you want."
Remus squinted at him, but nodded anyway, no doubt just as curious as Peter.
James smiled and scrunched his eyebrows together as he concentrated. With a look of determination, he quickly flicked his wand and to the surprise of the first years sitting near them, bright orange sparks began to fly out of the tip, also causing Peter to jump a little.
He couldn't help but look on, watching James, as he laughed with glee at the success of his attempt. Remus' mouth had also fallen open a bit and he even stretched out a finger, letting the sparks flicker against his skin with large wondrous eyes.
Brilliant, Peter thought, his gaze still admiring James. Even if his mum had ever wanted to teach him some magical trick, he didn't think he would have been able to pull it off as flawlessly as James Potter had managed to do. Maybe he just wasn't as skilled yet, but he hoped that he would learn to be, then he could also impress his housemates with fancy magic. Right now, however, he was perfectly content with watching.
"We aren't supposed to be using magic yet," a high-pitched voice came from the other side of the table, disrupting their moment of wonder and disbelief.
Peter tore his gaze from James' display, eyeing the rather skinny boy. His smile fell from his lips. Davey Gudgeon was sitting two seats down with his brows drawn in disapproval.
Davey scowled at them, "Would you put that out, Potter?"
James rolled his eyes, sniggering at the other boy. "Merlin, don't be so stuck up, we're only having some fun," he muttered, tucking his wand back into his pocket as the last sparks sputtered out.
But before the argument could progress any further, both of the Gryffindor boys were interrupted by Albus Dumbledore, who had got up from his seat at the front of the Great Hall.
"I welcome you all to a new and wonderful year at Hogwarts!" He spoke over the hundreds of students who had all fallen utterly silent.
"As is the custom, there are a few things I would like to inform you about before you all head to your dormitories." Dumbledore cleared his throat meaningfully before continuing his speech. "Firstly, I remind you again that the forest is not to be entered under any circumstances, even if it is considered wise by your housemates.
"Secondly, the willow situated near Hogwarts is also to be steered clear of, unless you wish to suffer an untimely death." Peter swallowed at that statement, knowing he would definitely not be going anywhere near that tree anytime soon.
"Thirdly, I would like to notify, that this year a new Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor will be joining our staff. I am truly saddened to say that Professor Loughty had to leave us so suddenly, yet - " the headmaster motioned to the other side of the table with a flourish, "please welcome Professor Nithercott!"
Clapping followed in tow of his words and a rather scrawny old man stood up at the far end. As Peter took in his appearance, he couldn't help but think of a turtle. His head hung low on his thin neck and his shoulders were hunched forward so much, that Peter wondered if he'd lived in a broom cupboard for all his life. His robes only added to his strange presence, they looked ill-fit and unwashed, hanging onto his tortoise-like frame with little conviction. There wasn't much more he could distinguish though, because the professor plopped back into his seat, making his bird's nest of white hair bounce awkwardly.
"At last," Dumbledore addressed the whole student body once more, "the Quidditch Trials will be held in the second week of classes." He paused, letting his gaze drift over the hall for a few moments, "I wish you all a prosperous school year and a goodnight's sleep before classes tomorrow."
"The prefects will accompany the first years to their common rooms to make sure they don't get lost along the way. Now, off to bed, all of you!" The headmaster smiled at the crowd, his eyes twinkling, before he slowly sat back down, having finished his start-of-term notices.
The Gryffindor first years quickly departed the Great Hall, moving up the white marble staircase with groggy feet behind the sixth year prefect, Bernadine Saywell.
Peter walked behind Remus, who was currently debating with James about their favourite Quidditch teams.
"How can you not be a fan of the Mantrose Magpies? They're the best team out there!" James exclaimed disbelievingly, staring wide-eyed at Remus, who just shrugged.
"I never said I wasn't a fan of the Magpies, I'm just not that interested in Quidditch," Remus defended himself quickly, receiving a small huff from James.
"Personally, I think the Ballycastle Bats could beat them if they really tried for once," Sirius Black suddenly piped up from between the bunch of first years, as he materialised next to the duo. At this, Remus and James both turned and the latter choked out a laugh.
"You must be mental! They're a bunch of wankers -"
But Peter lost track of James' voice then, because two giggling girls pushed in front of him. He tripped on his long robes and lost his footing on the smooth stairs. His arms immediately began paddling to keep himself from tumbling backwards, before he quickly shot his hand towards the railing.
He gasped out in relief and hurried after the others. They were already on the next staircase, when he heard Remus call back at him.
"Peter, you all right back there?"
The small boy looked up in surprise and found Remus waiting on the steps. Sirius and James stood farther along, staring at him with curious eyes. His cheeks flushed in embarrassment. He hadn't meant to hold them up!
Remus smiled as he reached him and they both climbed towards the other boys. They all walked on together, though a silence now replaced the lively conversation which had taken place only moments before. Peter could feel James and Sirius look in his direction, as if they didn't really know what to make of him.
"Weren't you that bloke I got sorted after?" James asked eventually, his eyebrow raised.
"I think so," Peter squeaked, but he'd barely got the words out when Sirius interjected.
"Bloody hell! You sure took your time!"
Remus sighed at that, "It wasn't his fault, the Sorting Hat just couldn't decide." He shrugged, before mumbling, "maybe it's got a few stitches loose."
Peter was first to smile at the comment, but the other two fell in soon, their boisterous laughter filling the corridor as the group of first years finally reached the landing. They stopped in front of a painting of a large lady and Bernadine Saywell gave a password, before they all stumbled through the portrait hole, into the Gryffindor common room. It was smaller than Peter had expected, but his eyes immediately fell to the roaring fireplace and the squashy, red armchairs. Everything quickly became irrelevant, as his exhaustion caught up with him.
Luckily though, the four boys quickly found themselves in their dormitory, where they were also joined by Davey Gudgeon. If he hadn't been so tired, Peter would have minded his presence, but ultimately the boy soon left his thoughts as he snuggled himself into his pajamas and pulled the heavy blanket over his body.
When he closed his eyes, he remembered his Sorting and the fact that he now found himself in the mighty house of Gryffindor. He'd landed in the house he'd always dreamed of being in. It felt unreal, yet here he was now, surrounded by people he couldn't help but admire.