Only The Good Die Young

The Sorting Hat

The dark night was obscured by the lanterns hanging in the station. One particular lantern was swaying over the large group of kids, and from that direction came a deep voice.

"Firs' years, this way! Firs' years!"

The swaying lantern illuminated the face of the person holding it, or rather the giant holding it. The man was towering over the other students. He had a very large and shaggy head, and baggy clothes from what Sirius could see from the light.

The three of them, Sirius, James, and Remus, followed the other first years to the giant, though many stayed far away; this giant looked strong and intimidating.

"Hello firs' years, I'm Rubeus Hagrid, and I'm Hogwarts Gamekeeper. As firs' years, as m'sure some of yer know, yer will ride across the lake in the boats before the sorting ceremony," Hagrid explained.

Sirius had heard, but he wasn't excited. He shivered and shared a look with James.

The first years followed Hagrid to the shore of the lake where many boats waited to be boarded. Hagrid took his own boat while Sirius, James, and Remus shared a boat along with a small girl who smiled at them once but didn't try to make conversation. None of them really felt like talking anyway. They were minutes from arriving at Hogwarts for the first time ever.

There was a wind that blew over the lake and soon Sirius's back hurt from shivering so much.

They rounded a rock and Hogwarts was finally visible. There it was, just like Sirius imagined. Big, so very big, with towers and passages and lights shining through the many windows. There was a reflection on the lake and the lights shivered as the boats glided over them. Sirius watched Remus reach out a hand towards the lake as if to catch the light. The boat hit a wave and shook violently, and Remus nearly fell out. He gave a strangled cry as he tried to catch his balance, and James's quick hand grabbed onto Remus's oversized jumper just in time.

Remus was gasping for air when he sat up. "Thanks, James."

James nodded and looked back towards the castle. He too was awed by the sight.

Ten cold minutes passed before the boats reached the bank. They all hurriedly stumbled out of their boats and onto the grassy shore. There were willow trees lining the bank and a stone pathway led through them.

"Follow me," Hagrid said. They walked through the path and across a vegetable garden. There was a grand entrance with two large doors. Hagrid led them through, then halted once every kid was inside and the door closed with a bang.

"Yer will wait here for Professor McGonagall," he instructed them. "Good luck."

Hagrid left into a side corridor and the group of first years went silent. Sirius could hear the muffled sound of hundreds of voices coming from the right.

Sirius was starting to feel sick as he thought about the sorting. He didn't want to be in Slytherin like the rest of his family, but he couldn't even imagine what his mother would say if he weren't. He decided it was easier to let fate unravel itself without Sirius dwelling on it. What was going to happen was going to happen, and Sirius's wants weren't going to influence it. If he were a Slytherin, he were a Slytherin and he had no power over the decision. Yet his stomach still felt like it was being squeezed and he was beginning to feel hot under his collar.

A tall woman wearing emerald robes entered the Corridor they were standing in. She looked very stern and proper. Sirius stood up taller and lifted his chin.

"In a moment, I will take you into the great hall to be sorted into your houses. While you are at Hogwarts, your house will be like your family. You will share classes and dorms. Now the houses are Slytherin," ─ Sirius's stomach gave a jolt─ "Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw. Once sorted you will go and sit at your house table.