Chapter Three
Lasting Friendships
He climbed down onto the dark platform, leaving the safety of the train and his books behind. A Giant of a man was standing there to great them, holding up a lantern overhead. "Firs'-years! Over here! This way now. C'mon, Firs'-years follow me!" The youngest students began to mill towards the Giant. He took a deep breath and followed.
For the last seven years of his life, Remus Lupin had been kept far from social interaction of any kind. He was desperately excited of allowing these measures to end. He might even make friends.
They started down a steep slope along a winding path that had been worn down over the many years it had clearly been used.
The Giant announced that they would soon see Hogwarts and as they rounded a corner, audible gasps sounded from the group. Standing high on a cliff was a castle with many gleaming windows who's light shone through the night and reflected, shimmering, in the flat black lake that stretched before them. It's many turrets and towers were silhouetted against the waning moon. "No more'n four to a boat!"
Remus darted forwards, clambering into the nearest wooden vessel, fearful he would be left behind. A chubby boy with pale blue eyes was already seated. The boy grinned at Remus and he smiled back weakly, whilst running a nervous finger over a large pearlescent scar on his wrist.
A skinny, pasty skinned boy with lank black hair and a hooked nose followed Remus onto the boat, holding out a hand to a pretty red head.
"It looks so beautiful, just like you said it would," said the girl, clearly addressing the boy who'd helped her on board.
"Would I lie to you, Lily?"
She giggled and Remus bit his lip, envious of their obvious friendship.
The boats began their progression across the lake, moving silently. It was a fantastic experience, slowly edging towards the ancient school and, as they neared the cliff face and the moon disappeared from view, Remus felt his entire body relax. He knew that here, he would belong.
They entered a cave in the wall of a cliff and continued sailing for only a little bit longer, the dock now visible in the flickering torchlight that came from the brackets at the walls. They stood, holding their robes around them. The ghostly torch light cast shadows across their scared faces. The Giant raised a massive hand and pounded on a door.
It creaked open to reveal a stern looking witch with square spectacles. Her hair was dark brown and hidden under a large red trimmed wizards hat. "Ah, good, they're here." And she turned her face upon the first years and smiled. "Hagrid," she said, looking back up into the face of the Giant. "Could you please get this door oiled at some point this year?"
"O' course, Professor McGonagall," he said, bowing slightly.
"I dare say I'll see you at the feast. Follow me, please," said Professor McGonagall, beckoning the new students forwards.
They all shuffled forwards nervously, following her through a long corridor which opened up into a cavernous Entrance Hall. To their left was a great sweeping marble staircase and opposite it stood two oak doors, the heavy locks clearly suggesting the front doors. McGonagall stopped halfway across the hall and turned to face the scared eleven-year-olds. "The doors behind me enter into the Great Hall. Meals are served here three times a day. Upon special dates, we hold feasts and festivities and everyone is encouraged to join in. When you pass through these doors, you will be Sorted into your House. Hogwarts is home to four Houses; Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin. Whilst you are here, you should treat your House mates at your family. Each and every student has the ability to win House Points through good deeds and outstanding progress or homework whilst any rule breaking will lead to the loss of them. At the end of the year, the House with the most points wins the House cup." She clasped her hands together at this and stared around the students' faces. "Now, if you'd follow me in single file."
Somehow, although he wasn't sure exactly how he's managed it, Remus ended up at the front of the progression, unable to stop stroking his scar. Every head followed them as they made their way through a sea of black robes towards the long table with Teachers that faced the other students.
They were lined in front of this table and a very short man, the polar opposite of Hagrid, who had apparently followed them into the Hall, settled an ancient hat down on a stool in front of them.
An unnatural hush spread across the room. The new students all stared blankly at the hat whilst the older students waited with baited breath. And then the hat burst into song.
"Around one thousand years ago
Did begin the future wizards' fate,
For came together did the founders four
To make the next generations great.
They sought out any youngster,
Who showed magical talent
And to their Castle of Hogwarts,
Did they bring the compliant.
A true leader, brave Gryffindor,
Most chivalrous was he,
He'd draw his sword against anyone,
To ensure our school's safety.
Completely fair and kind natured
Was loyal Hufflepuff the just,
Each student she would treat the same,
For in friendship she would trust.
Well-learned Ravenclaw,
Whose wit and wisdom did surpass,
Would take the smart and the eager
So that brilliance she could impart.
And cunning Slytherin,
A wizard of great ambition,
Did only take those he saw as pure,
Thus began the Sorting tradition.
Each year our new students
Place me upon their head
My decision will turn their colours,
Yellow, Blue, Green or Red.
I do quarter every year and yet
Lasting friendships you still bond,
So slip me around you ears, young one
And I'll place you where you belong."
The Hall burst into applause. It sounded like a bomb going off. Professor McGonagall got to her feet, a roll of parchment in hand and began to call the students forwards one by one. "Andrews, Catherine." A round faced girl with a head of brunette curls paled under a dusting of freckles and stumbled forwards towards the hat, trembling from head to shine-shoed toe. The hat sat atop of her curls, only flattening them until the hat only just covered her ears.
There was a minutes silence and then the hat opened its brim wide and shouted, "Gryffindor!"
The Red table at the far end of the hall burst into applause, some standing up to welcome the new girl to their ranks.
"Avery, Michael," called McGonagall as a boy with a mop of dirty blonde hair made his way towards the stole casually. He allowed the hat to fall over his eyes and it instantly screamed, "Slytherin!" The table of green, the opposite end to the Gryffindor table erupted as Avery made his way to the table with as much ease as he'd approached the hat.
Whilst standing in line, Sirius Black watched as his cousin stood to make room for the new arrival, tossing her sheet of hair over her shoulder and trying to catch the eye of a handsome Prefect on the other side of the table. Sirius smirked, ignoring the other students who were being sorted and instead nudged James, indicating Narcissa with a swift nod of his head.
"Family," James whispered.
"Cousin and not the sane one," he mumbled back.
"Black, Sirius."
A look of alarm played across the boys face. The last thing he saw as the hat fell down around his eyes was Narcissa surreptitiously moving down the table a little further to potentially make room for her cousin.
"Ah the latest Black?" said a soft voice in his ear. "I can see great power in you and a thirst for non-conformity. And you're loyal, dear god, you're loyal. I wouldn't dare put you in Slytherin, too much of a self-sacrificial streak," it told him. And then he heard the hat shout, "Gryffindor!" and his insides flipped. Gryffindor?
He pulled the hat off and, in a daze, headed towards the table of red clad school children, all cheering and clapping. He took a seat next to a ghost and awaited for James to be sorted, keeping his fingers crossed. Across the Hall, Narcissa Black looked as though she were about to throw something.
As the Sorting progressed and their numbers dispersed amongst the tables, Remus found that he was mentally tallying the houses each student was heading to; "Hufflepuff, Slytherin, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff."
And then quite suddenly, "Lupin, Remus." He jumped about a mile.
Stumbling towards the chair, he was almost glad when the hat blocked off his vision as it helped him calm his nerves. "Oh, you are very easy to Sort," said the hat in his ear and, almost instantly he was walking towards the Gryffindor table and sitting down next to the boy named Sirius, who thrust a hand under his nose.
Perplexed, Remus held the boys gaze for a while.
The bright grin that caused Sirius' features to gleam like polished silver fell slightly, "What, never shaken anyone's hand before?"
A friendly gesture. Nothing out of the ordinary.
His shoulders physically relaxed and he clasped the other boys hand and shook it. The smile was back in place. "Sorry," he said, as they broke apart. "This whole things a bit nerve-racking."
Sirius nodded in agreement. "Is it weird that I'm more worried now?" he asked. "My whole family has been in Slytherin and that hat has just put me here. My mother is going to hex me until I can't walk straight."
Lupin didn't know whether to laugh or not and settled on a weak grin. The chubby boy he had shared a boat with earlier ambled into the seat beside him. "Hullo," he said. "I hope they hurry up with dinner, I'm starving."
A critical frown appeared on Sirius' face as his gaze swept over the boys physique but before he could say anything, Professor McGonagall had called out, "Potter, James," and his attention snapped to the front of the hall.
The hat barely touched his head before it announced, "Gryffindor!"
Sirius cheered loudly, standing up to welcome his friend. "Having you here makes things better," said Sirius as James sat down next to him.
They continued their whispered conversation until "Zeller, Wayne," became the last Hufflepuff and McGonagall took the hat and its stool out of the heavy doors.
The elderly man who sat in the middle of the teachers' table got to his feet. "Welcome, students, to another year at Hogwarts." He smiled benignly around the room. "I shan't keep you from the feast any longer. Tuck in!" And the golden plates and tureens before them suddenly filled with food and drinks.
"So, Sirius, who's your friend," said James, nodding at Remus.
He looked up from his plate with a start, "Oh, I'm Remus Lupin," he said, his fingers edging towards his scar.
"James Potter." They shook hands.
Remus looked at the chubby boy who was digging in to a jacket potato the size of his fist and said, "We shared the boat across the lake, didn't we?"
Swallowing hard, the boy looked up and blushed. "Y-yes, I'm Peter P-Pettigrew."
James tapped his chin, "I think I've heard that name before. Didn't someone in your family marry an Abbot?"
The boy nodded, "Yes, my mum and dad. My dad was Muggleborn though, so I'm half. But you two, your Black and Potter, so you've got to be Pureblood, right?"
Sirius laughed, "If someone in my family doesn't marry Pure, they get disowned."
"Your family sound crazy," said Remus. A deep flush quickly rose across his cheeks. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything."
Sirius' face was unreadable for the longest time and then he smiled. "Remus, you have no idea just how right you are." And they all laughed together.
As Remus sat and ate his dinner, chatting to Sirius, James and Peter, a wave of happiness quite unlike anything he'd experienced before fell over him and he knew that these three Gryffindor boys would remain his friends for the rest of his life.
