"Black,Sirius " The calm voice of the deputy headmistress ,professor Minerva Mcgonagall, rang clearly in the silent hall and cut through the thoughts of the Heir of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. He gulped and started to move as James nudged him. He took a deep breath and nodded at the professor before sitting on the stool.
He caught the gaze of his cousins and 6th year Andromeda smiled at him as the 7th year Bellatrix grinned and shot him a thumbs up. He wasn't able to look towards Narcissa before the sorting hat was placed on his head and it slipped in front of his eyes.
well well,another Black,eh?hoping to go to Slytherin like the rest of your kin,aren't you?
Well,yes. I mean there isn't anywhere else i could go even if i wanted to.
Are you sure about that? Because i know somewhere else you can go
What do you mean,sir?
I mean that you do no fit in with the house of Salazar Slytherin. You're a little too noble for that,I'm afraid
NO! You do not understand. I can't go anywhere other than Slytherin. My parents will kill me
Oh,but you do want to go to Gryffindor,don't you? You said it yourself on the train that you might break tradition
Am i not good enough for Slytherin?
No,that's not it. Rather you're too noble for Slytherin. Also,it seems you are too daring to go to Slytherin. Don't get me wrong boy,Slytherin is a very great house,but you will definitely fit in better with the lions. The Slytherins value subtlety and,as I said before,you are too daring
Unbeknownst to Sirius,the hat had been on his head for a little bit too long and now there were whispers going around the great hall.
"Please,everyone knows that he'll end up in Slytherin. That's where they all go." Whispered a 5th year hufflepuff to his muggle born friend.
"Why is it taking so long,do you reckon the hat's enjoying a chat with the Heir Black? I've met him once and I know he's nice to talk to." Heiress Fawley asked her older brother.
At the Slytherin table,4th year Narcissa Black ignored the not so discreet whispers and glanced towards her older sisters in silent question. Andromeda looked just as confused as Narcissa felt as she shrugged. Though both the sisters noticed the way Bellatrix grimaced and muttered a curse under her breath,like she knew what was going to happen. And she probably did,Sirius was her favourite person in the entire family, after all. Second only to her uncle and godfather,Alphard Black. She knew everything about him.
Heir James Potter grinned from where he was standing next to an eleven year old Thomas Nott. well well,Sirius. It looks like you might break tradition after all
But Sirius,blissfully unaware of the growing whispers in the great hall,continued his conversation with the thousand year old sorting hat.
Well,Uncle Alphard did always say that i was different than the rest of my cousins
Oh yes,Alphard Black. A great child,that one. Pity he didn't wish to be seen in anything but green. The boy had a mind that could rival Rowena Ravenclaw herself
Wait,if uncle Al can request to be in Slytherin,then why can't I?
Because he would have flourished in both the houses of the fair Lady Rowena and the shrewd Lord Salazar. You on the other hand,will only find the path to greatness in either Gryffindor or Ravenclaw.
Well,if I have to choose between those two,I think I would like to go with Ravenclaw. Mother would definitely be less mad
Don't lie to me boy, I know you want to go to Gryffindor because you know that's where Heir Potter will go. Besides, the ravens like to learn for knowledge,you only learn for power. A slytherin trait,but not enough to warrant you going there.
Alright fiiiine. I'll go to the house of the lions.
Good boy. Well then,better be GRYFFINDOR.
The last part was shouted out loud and effectively stopped all the whispers in the great hall. James Potter looked like he might faint from happiness. Everyone else looked like they might faint from surprise.
Sirius nervously took off the sorting hat and looked around the great hall. everyone was deathly quiet,even the professors were shocked into silence,though it looked like Slughorn was a tad bit disappointed as well.
Sirius was sure that if he looked to everyone's face individually,James would be the only one who would be grinning. He may be a Gryffindor now,but he had grown up as a Slytherin and all his instincts told him to not look towards the Slytherin table.
A Black in Gryffindor! It was unheard of!
Suddenly,a clap was heard.
Everyone's head whipped around to see who was clapping and Sirius ignored his instincts to look as well. There,sitting on the Slytherin table looking every inch the regal pureblood she was brought up to be,sat Bellatrix Cruella Black.
No one could believe it. A Black clapping for the future lord Black getting sorted into Gryffindor.
Another clap joined the first and once again everyone looked towards the person who was clapping. James Potter stood there in the line of first years,Hazel eyes sparkling with happiness.
"I had not known that our esteemed school had lost the ability to clap" the sharp and drawling voice of the oldest Black cousin broke everyone out of their haze and they started hastily clapping.
Then the Gryffindors seemed to finally realise that The heir Black was in their house and they started whooping and cheering. Sirius grinned thankfully and Bellatrix made a shooing motion with her hand.
Sirius stood up from the stool and handed the sorting hat to the transfiguration professor,then ran towards the table of the lions. Though not before exchanging a grin with his new best friend James Potter.
That night,Bellatrix's soon to be brother in law,Rabastan Lestrange, pulled her aside for a private conversation.
"What was that about,Bella?" He asked. He did not sound accusing,just genuinely curious.
Bellatrix didn't need to ask him what he was talking about. " He's a Black,Stan. And so am I. And rule number one of being a Black is to always protect your own".
Then Andromeda called her and she left,leaving Rabastan to muse about her words.
Twenty five years later,when Bellatrix is switching between silently crying and laughing hysterically, as well as downing vodka like water,Rudolphus Lestrange asks his younger brother a question.
"What is this all about,Stan?" He asks,not quite accusingly,but genuinely curious.
Rabastan did not need to ask him what he was talking about. " He was a Black,Rod. And so was she. Rule number one of being a Black is to protect your own. She is merely sad because she broke that rule and now thinks she isn't worthy of being a Black anymore. You know how much she took pride of her maiden name."
And then Rabastan left,leaving Rudolphus to muse about his words,the same way Rabastan had done all those years ago.
And well,if Bellatrix cried herself to sleep that night as she mourned her young favourite cousin,then nobody needed to know that Rabastan was right there with her,providing comfort.