Sorting Ceremony
All students followed Professor McGonagall to the Great Hall, a huge room with tables that seemed kilometers long and full of chairs under them.
Everybody gathered in front of a very odd and old looking hat, also known as the infamous sorting hat, the one some students dreamed of, like James, but some others feared, like Sirius.
“Now, i will call your names, one by one, and you’ll be coming up here, sit in this chair and i will proceed to put the sorting hat on each of you, then, the hat will decide which house you should be put in.” McGonagall explained, with a loud and clear voice to make herself heard across the entire room.
“Sirius Black” Was one of the first names called to get sorted, to say he was anxious, didn’t even begin to cover his feelings about the situation in the slightest. Sirius was praying to everything he could that he would be put in Slytherin, what would come after if he wasn’t would be terrible. “I do hear your thoughts loud and clear kid, the best house for you, with no doubts, is Griffindor!” The sorting hat said and Sirius petrified, for a moment, he forgot how to breathe, out of instinct he went to his now new seat at the Gryffindor table, not the one he was supposed to be, this was bad, really bad, he couldn’t even think straight, he started feeling numb and then he just stared at the same point for the longest time.
Names were called, one after another, some of them Sirius has heard before, some of them are totally new, he doesn’t pay much attention to them, that’s until the professor says one new but familiar name.
“Remus Lupin” The name had been called and that one boy from the train, the one with the warm smile and old looking gown got up and walked towards the hat. He sat on the chair the sorting hat seemed to have an easy pick this time because he simply said “Gryffindor”.
With that and a surprised smile, the boy went back to his seat, everyone in the hall clapping.
“James Potter” Was the next familiar name called, the hat never had it easier. “I don’t think there was much need for this apart from the formality, welcome to Gryffindor young Potter.”
The table was filled with happy looks and greetings.
Sirius was getting more and more anxious, Peter was called shortly after James and also sorted in the same house. After that, some more names where called, until the list was over, the boys he had meet on the train were making some sort of small talk, but he didn’t really pay attention, the only thing that snapped him out of his trance was everyone getting up, but not because of that, but because after some moments, he was the only one that was still seating, and he felt someone touch his shoulder, fuck, he thought, they already know? They will take him home to be punished, they are gonna… “All good mate?” Ah, that guy with his warm smile. “Yes.” Sirius said back and started to get up and follow everyone. “Good, you looked like you had seen a ghost, let’s go before we get in trouble.” Remus answered. ‘Yeah don’t worry about that, I am already in so much trouble when my parents find out’ Sirius thought to himself.
After everyone was assigned a house, food appeared on the tables, it was never ending food, each time someone grabbed something from the main plate, another pice replaced it, so the table was full at all times, not leaving a possibility of anyone going hungry. When they were done eating, each house master asked for a moment of attention from the first year students, then proceeded to present the prefect of the house for the school year. All the older students started to go to their respective dorms, while the first years and the prefect stayed together in a group.
“Okay hello everybody, my name is Andy, i am this years Gryffindor prefect, all of you can follow me up to our tower, where you’ll find your dorms, dorms are for four people each, you are allowed to pick your roomates, if you don’t choose four people to stay with or nobody to stay with, no worries, the rest of the room will be assigned by the house master, now, let’s go to the tower.”
This was just perfect for Sirius, his mind was racing. ‘Rooms of four? ¿Really? Now not only I have to worry about being put in the wrong house, I have to share! Perfect, right what i imagined.
“So.” A voice behind Sirius made him snap out of his thoughts. “Would you guys like to share a dorm, given that we, at least, already talked to each other?” It was James talking, he should have known, the boy is always talking.
“Who is ‘we’ exactly?” An anxious looking Peter asked.
“Well my good old friend, ‘we’ would mean you, one; Remus, two; Sirius, three; and last but most important, me, four. That would give us a complete dorm.” James answered in a sarcastic tone.
“Fine by me.” Remus said, Sirius shrugged and nodded, making the other boys understand he agreed, or at least he would follow along with theri plan.
“Perfect for me.” Peter finished the conversation, the four boys just followed the group of first years leaded by Andy, to the Gryffindor tower, they had to be a bit careful with the stairs, every couple of minutes they change directions so it’s really easy to get lost, good luck to Sirius and any student who gets disorientated easily.
After around fifteen minutes, they make it to the door of the tower, if you can call it a door, because it’s actually a portrait that apart from terrible singing abilities, asks you for a password to get inside, Andy told everybody to pay attention and try to not forget the password of the year ‘dugite’. And with that the door opened and everybody was let inside.
“Now please be respectful of everyone here, this is the staircase that will get you to each dorm, you may go now. If you ever need something come to me. Have a good fist night at Hogwarts.” Andy said their goodbyes for the night while pointing to a spiral staircase. And all the first years started to go find their dorm for the next years.
The four boys, decided to get the dorm at the top of the staircase, maybe because it was further away from the older students or maybe because it was one of the last ones empty and they didn’t really want to walk back down again, so there they settled, the room waited one minute and then asked a question.
‘Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, James Potter and Peter Pettigrew, is that correct?’
“Yes.” The boys responded at the same time.
‘Is this the room all of you together decide to live in for the next school year.’
“Yes.” They answered again.
‘Very well, then enjoy your stay, and don’t cause too much mischief.’