AN: I'm on a roll with updating! xD I just wish I had more reviews. However, I only have a half chapter written after this.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters in it. There is dialogue from The Prince's Tale chapter in this, and I don't own that either.
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That night, Sirius was mulling over what Peter Pettigrew had told him. What did he mean? Weren't all families in the same House together? He knew all the Weasleys were in Gryffindor, and that the Lovegoods preferred Ravenclaw. Nobody really liked Hufflepuff.
Peter had said one of his cousins was in Slytherin. Did that mean…?
He looked at his bedroom wall, eyes dragging over the Quidditch team posters and the Hogwarts letter that were plastered to the wall. They fell on the green and silver Slytherin poster that sat just next to the letter. His nostrils flared in disgust.
Wait, what?
No, no... he needed to be in Slytherin. If he weren't, all of his money would be gone. He would have no home to call his own. Nobody would want him. What if he got to school and it turned out he didn't have magical powers at all? What if he were a Squib? What if he were Sorted into Hufflepuff? What if everyone hated him?
Don't think like that, Sirius, he told himself. You'll be really popular. Especially with girls. Okay? Okay. Good. Besides, you've already done magic. Accio!
He took a deep breath, pulling the covers up further over his head so that they covered his nose. Trying to shrug the sinking feeling in his stomach off as something he had eaten earlier, he fell into an uncomfortable sleep that provided plenty of nightmares.
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"Siriuuuuuuus! We're going to King's Cross today! Hurry up and wake up! Sirius! Come on!"
Sirius groaned and pulled the blanket up over his head. "Too early," he mumbled.
"King's Cross! You're going to be on the train! Get up! Up, up, up!"
He reluctantly sat up, rubbing his eyes. "I know, Regulus. I'm going to be on the train today. I'm going to be at Hogwarts today. I'm going to be Sorted today..."
"Yeah!" Regulus blurted excitedly, "Slytherin!"
Sirius' eyes flickered from his brother's ruddy face to the poster on the wall. "Yeah."
"Did you know that our cousins are coming over before we leave? Bellatrix and Narcissa and Andromeda!"
His eyes widened in shock, mouth nearly falling open. What? They were coming over? He immediately thought of Bellatrix, whose nasty smile he could barely tolerate anymore, and then Narcissa, who at fourteen was hormonal and cruel, her crush on Lucius Malfoy growing larger every day. But he was reminded on Andromeda, the nicest relative he had (other than Regulus of course). She was to be seventeen in five months, a major point in every witch or wizard's life.
"Andromeda?" he repeated blankly.
Regulus nodded, grin stretching from one ear to the other. "Uh huh! And Bella and Cissy!"
Sirius' feet fell on the floor, and he yawn hugely. "Okay, okay," he mumbled. "Okay... I'm up... go away, Reg."
The boy nodded eagerly and spun out of the room, hurrying downstairs to wait for his brother and cousins.
Sirius suppressed another yawn and rose from the covers, lazily throwing off his pajamas and replacing them with the dull gray clothes he always had to wear around Muggles. They were dreadfully boring, but then again Sirius never really had any clothing that was interesting.
He ran a hand through his hair and checked it in the mirror, winking at himself for good measure. He checked his luggage since his mother had been nagging him to do so for a month. She was right; he hadn't packed enough underpants.
Once that was all taken care of, Sirius made sure to close and lock the door before bounding down the stairs three at a time. His excitement to see Andromeda was more prominent than his dread to see Bellatrix.
Turns out, they weren't there yet. Walburga hurried over to Sirius, who was just about to sit on the old couch in the living room, and brushed some dirt off of his shoulders.
"Mother," he muttered embarrassedly, pushing her hands off. "Please."
"You'll make a fine Slytherin," she told him seriously. "I'll be waiting for your first letter home, Sirius Orion Black."
He tried not to look uncomfortable. Slytherin was all he'd ever dreamed about, but Peter Pettigrew's words were still gnawing in the back of his mind.
"Yes, of course, Mother," he answered automatically. "I'm very thrilled."
She looked him over, seeming rather proud of the fact that she was about to receive news of him being Sorted into Slytherin.
"Alright, Sirius," she said, "I'll go make sure Kreacher has prepared breakfast."
He nodded, keeping his expression neutral. "They're coming now, though?"
"Yes, of course, of course," she answered dismissively, already on her way to the kitchen, her back turned to him.
Sirius plopped down on the couch, stretching his arms out and yawning again. "Merlin..." he muttered under his breath, still nervous and excited about the day. Today was the day everything was decided, everything.
"Sirius!"
Regulus zoomed into the room and crashed right next to his brother, laughing harder than his usual energetic self laughed.
"Sirius, S-Sirius! Y-you're gonna be at Hogwarts t-today!" he said through a fit of giggles. "Are you excited?"
Rather taken aback by his sudden appearance, Sirius was still trying to wipe the look of shock that had come to his face when Regulus ran onto the couch. He nodded in response.
"Yeah, Reg. Really excited. More than you know. But I'm tired..." he said the last words in a complaining sort of voice, and groaned as Regulus bounced up and down with sheer exhilaration.
"You're gonna go to Hogwarts! I'm so jealous! Will you write me? Tell me everything! Tell me if it's big or if it's small because I'm really excited to go I'm so excited only two more years-!"
"Shut up!" Sirius barked irritably, sounding harsher than he'd hoped. "Just shut up, Regulus!"
The boy dramatically pinched his lips together with his fingers and stayed silent, however he was still bouncing on the seat with joy. Sirius spared him an irritated look, but shook it off and sent his eyes toward the door.
"They're Apparating?" Sirius asked vaguely, turning his gaze to the magnificent fireplace across from them. "Or Floo?"
Regulus shrugged. "Probably Apparating," he guessed. "Narcissa isn't old enough but that doesn't matter I suppose since she's with them."
As if on cue, there were two muffled cracks from outside and Regulus jumped up to look out the peek hole. He grinned and threw his arm up in the air. "Mum, Mum!"
Orion had just been coming down the stairs in his long cloak, a dark azure article that Sirius found looked odd on his father. He smiled at the man but received no return smile, and so Sirius looked rather troubled as he stared at his knees.
"Out of the way, Regulus," Orion said, gently shooing the boy away from the door. He opened it after a peek outside and greeted Druella and Cygnus first. They were all five let in the house.
Sirius saw Bellatrix and they exchanged sneers. Narcissa smiled at him, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. Andromeda, however much she looked like Bellatrix, wore a kind expression, though it was obviously distressed. She shied away from her family, and kept a close eye on Sirius.
"Good morning, dears!" Walburga said in a sickly sweet voice as she emerged from the kitchen. "However are you all?"
Sirius thought that she didn't really care however they were very much at all, but asked them anyway just for the fun of it. They all wore fake smiles and talked about fake things, pleasantries, and Sirius knew it was all for the benefit of them, because who would talk about Voldemort with little Regulus in the room? Even a young first year.
"Now, we're going to be on our way shortly after breakfast. I've had Kreacher prepare it ahead of time, there he is... now, now, come this way into the dining room and we shall eat."
The breakfast wasn't the most exciting of breakfasts that Sirius had consumed. It had consisted of scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast, but Sirius knew that Kreacher had burned his toast knowing that he had not been told not to. He didn't mind, but he made a mental note to clobber the elf when he got home.
He was just finishing his orange juice and having quite a nice conversation with Narcissa about Quidditch before Andromeda lightly touched his shoulder.
"Sirius?"
He put the glass down and turned toward her. "Yeah?"
"Come here for a second."
"Okay," he agreed, not even sparing a thought towards Narcissa. He noticed Andromeda apologizing to her sister for Sirius' rudeness, and he was rather ruffled after that.
"Come on," she said, pulling him by the wrist. Once they were out of the earshot of the others, she gave him a meaningful gaze.
"What is it?" he asked patiently, wiping burnt toast crumbs off his face.
"It's about the Sorting," she murmured, looking even more troubled than she had before.
"What about it?" Sirius asked, stomachs doing little flips. He'd been thinking about it all day.
"Don't be in Slytherin," Andromeda said bluntly. "I'm in Slytherin and I regret it to this day. Please, don't. It's awful."
His eyes widened in shock. For a moment he was too stunned to move or even breathe, but regained his composure in time for a good breath.
Don't be in Slytherin? he thought. But that's all we've ever been told to do! If I.. I mean... I'll be disowned!
Sirius voiced his concerns to his cousin and she nodded.
"Yes. You will be disowned, I'm sure of it. But better be disowned by the family you hate and taken in by someone who cares. I'm serious. D-"
"I'm Sirius-"
"-on't. Don't."
"Sorry."
She sighed. "Really, though. I'm going to be disowned, Sirius. I love Ted Tonks. We're going to be married when we're done with school."
"You're only sixteen!" he exclaimed, and she shushed him.
"Shh, I know, I know- you think I don't know? Listen. It's better to be disowned now, Sirius. You probably will be in the future. If not, you'll end up marrying a distant relative. Do you want to end up engaged to Ursula Black?"
"The third or fourth?" Sirius joked in spite of his worries, something in semblance to a grin on his face. Ursula was the name of their great-great-grandmother (she had been married to a headmaster), their great-great aunt, much older cousin and possibly third cousin once removed. There was a chance there were more of them.
"Ninth," Andromeda drawled. "Anyway... Sirius, I just don't want to see you get hurt. Don't let yourself fall into Slytherin."
He nodded, still not understanding entirely what it meant to be in one House or the other. He also vaguely wondered how everyone was Sorted... it couldn't be random, could it? No way, not if it involved being disowned... He wondered what his mother would say if he were in Gryffindor. What about Slytherin? Hufflepuff? What if he was disowned? Would his mother be there for him anymore? Would they let him in the house? Would he have to stay at school for the holidays? Would he have to give up Regulus? Give up his little baby brother?
"Oh my god," Sirius muttered. "I think I'm going to be sick..."
Andromeda looked like she was about to cry- biting her lip, big wet eyes, a little frown and creased forehead. "I'm sorry, Sirius," she whispered. "I'm so sorry..."
He shook his head, afraid that she would start to sob, and gestured for them to go back and finish eating.
"It's okay, Andromeda. Don't worry, I-I'll make the right choice..."
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King's Cross was bustling with activity and people- there were dozens of children ready to get to platform nine and three quarters. Sirius could barely contain his excitement, and he felt foolish for being so much like Regulus. Speaking of his brother, the boy was running around looking at all the Muggles and such, who were going through the station to do their regular Muggle activities. They exchanged several looks and although Sirius was worried they would be separated, he was glad they got to spend time together right now, even if only just a bit.
"Sirius, what's that?" Regulus asked, pointing at a strange Muggle contraption that Sirius had never seen.
The older boy shrugged. "How would I know?"
"Are you ready?" Narcissa asked abruptly, gesturing toward the platform entrance with her hand. "We're about to start going off now, all these Muggles doing weird things are giving me the creeps..."
"Ready!" Regulus cried, emitting Sirius' thoughts and feelings perfectly. He was a bundle of energy and showed exactly how Sirius felt; it was comforting knowing that he didn't have to do it himself. For now.
"Okay, Regulus," Andromeda said, grinning and taking his hand. "Do you want to go with me?"
"Yeah!"
They ran into the wall, and no Muggle seemed to notice at all. Sirius gripped his cart a little tighter; here he was, about to go off to Hogwarts, still not knowing if he would ever see his family in the same way again. He was nervous, no doubt about it, and frightened and scared and feeling lonelier than ever.
But he was really going off.
As he was running, for just a split second, he wondered if he should stop and turn around; it looked like he was going to crash, going to crash, going to crash...
Before he knew it, he had gone through the wall and looked around with amazement; he had seen everything before, but now... now it all meant something! He looked through the crowd, eyes passing a pretty redhead who seemed to be crying about something, over a thin, sallow-faced boy who was already in his robes, over owls and cats and teenagers and children until...
"Regulus! Andromeda!" he called, waving an arm for them. They caught up with each other and grinned together, all three pairs of eyes now searching for the rest of their family. Narcissa arrived shortly after, then Orion and Walburga, and finally, Druella, Cygnus and Bellatrix.
"I'm so jealous!" Regulus said for the hundredth time. He ran his fingers over the new trunks that they each had, filled with everything they needed for a magical time at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
The time came for the children to all board the train. Finally, thought Sirius.
He endured a hug with Regulus- rather, Regulus endured a hug with him. But then he had to hug his parents, and again wondered if this was the last time he would see them in this light- not that he was very fond of them, anyway.
"Good luck, Sirius," Walburga whispered into his ear before pulling away.
He looked over at his aunt, uncle and cousin. Bellatrix's sneer made his skin crawl. Druella didn't look like she felt much of anything at all, and Cygnus merely stood by like a flea to its mammal. Sirius' father, Orion, had collected Regulus from Andromeda and was shaking the girl's hand in a parting gesture.
"You're off," he said, and waved goodbye to the three children, who hurried onto the train without looking back. Narcissa went off to find Lucius Malfoy, and Sirius snorted when she mentioned his name. Now Andromeda and Sirius were left.
"Where should I sit?" he asked hesitantly, looking into the compartments, hardly able to contain his excitement. There were Galleons in his pockets, ready to be spent on delicious candy.
"With other first years, I should think," answered Andromeda, seeming to be looking for her friends. She spotted someone. "Oh, there's Ted... Okay, good luck, Sirius- I saw a girl crying in a compartment up there, go check it out- coming, Teddy-"
She left him alone in the middle of the narrow hall with just a small clue as to where to sit.
With that crying girl? Why would he want to do that? He was sure that he was more conflicted than anyone else on this train- he could be disowned! She should comfort him, he thought.
"Hello," said a small boy with glasses and charcoal black hair. "Are you a first year too?"
This boy seemed to be just as lost as Sirius was, so he nodded. "Yeah. Just looking for a compartment."
"I saw this pretty girl in one over there," said the boy with glasses. "Why don't we go check it out?"
Sirius groaned internally. "No..." he said slowly. "It's alright... I don't really want to sit with a crying girl..."
He shrugged indifferently. "Okay," and he turned to enter the compartment that had been mentioned twice already. Sirius looked around for a moment longer before giving up and running after the glasses-wearing boy.
"Wait up," he said, "wait... I don't know where else to sit."
He grinned and gestured for them both to enter. They sat down opposite the girl, who was just looking out the window with tears streaming down her pale freckled face. She had flaming red hair and bright emerald eyes that were also red and puffy.
The boy in the glasses seemed to forget her completely as Sirius and him engaged in a wonderful conversation.
"I'm Sirius, by the way," he said suddenly, seeming to remember that they didn't know each others' names. "Sirius Black."
"James Potter," was the answer, and Sirius saw he had a very nerdy grin.
"Well, good to know you, James."
"Pleased to meet you, Sirius."
They chatted for a few minutes longer when suddenly the compartment door opened again. Sirius' attention was broken in half, and so was James'.
The boy who walked in also seemed to be a first year; he was small in build, but ugly and looked uncared for in a way that neither Sirius nor James knew. He sat across from the redhead, a worried expression on his face.
"I don't want to talk to you," she said in a constricted voice.
"Why not?"
"Tuney h-hates me. Because we saw that letter from Dumbledore."
"So what?"
Sirius was intrigued by the conversation; this neglected boy and beautiful little girl? How on earth were they friends? He leaned in to listen as she threw the boy a look of deep dislike. Perhaps they weren't friends, after all?
"So she's my sister!"
"She's only a-"
James and Sirius exchanged a glance; they knew what he had been about to say. The redhead didn't seem to notice.
"But we're going!" he tried again, unable to suppress the exhilaration in his voice. "This is it! We're off to Hogwarts!"
She wiped her eyes and nodded, smiling in spite of herself.
"You'd better be in Slytherin," the boy said, apparently encouraged that she had brightened a little. Sirius felt a cold hand clutch his heart, and moved to interrupt.
"Slytherin?"
Wait, James interrupted?
"Who wants to be in Slytherin? I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?" he asked Sirius as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Not knowing how else to respond, he spoke the truth.
"My whole family have been in Slytherin."
"Blimey," said James, "and I thought you seemed alright!"
Something seemed to click in Sirius' brain at that moment, and he couldn't help but grin.
"Maybe I'll break the tradition. Where are you headed, if you've got the choice?"
James lifted an invisible sword.
"'Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart!' Like my dad."
Sirius wondered if the reason he wanted to go was because of his dad. Did he like his dad? Were you supposed to like your dad? Were you supposed to be like your dad?
He heard the boy who had been talking to the redhead make a small, disparaging noise. James turned on him.
"Got a problem with that?" he asked, obviously offended.
"No," said the boy, though his slight sneer said otherwise. "If you'd rather be brawny than brainy-"
"Where're you hoping to go, seeing as you're neither?" Sirius interjected, taking into account his sallow face, thin arms and ugly nose. Looks were really what eleven-year-olds clung to at first.
James roared with laughter, making Sirius feel rather good about himself; he could really only make Regulus laugh back at home. The girl, however, obviously thought differently. She sat up, rather flushed, and looked from James to Sirius in dislike.
"Come on, Severus," she said to the boy, "let's go find another compartment."
"Oooooo," James and Sirius imitated her lofty voice, and Sirius noticed Severus almost tripping over James' foot as they passed.
"See ya, Snivellis!" Sirius called as the door slammed, and they burst into laughter, looking at each other with newfound respect.
"Did you see her face?" Sirius asked, laughing even harder.
"Did you see his face? He's so ugly!" James said, grinning like the Cheshire cat. "Man, that was great!"
Sirius nodded, overcome with joy that he had already made a friend- and perhaps an enemy or two. He couldn't help but feel sorry for the pair, but quickly shook off that feeling as he and James dove into another conversation about Quidditch. For hours on end they talked, and both discovered they came from wealthy pureblood families, both with enough money to buy their own snacks from the candy trolley. Sirius made sure to get a few extra chocolate frogs to send to Regulus.
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AN: Yeah, so… they're off to Hogwarts. :)