Changes

Chapter Four

Remus Lupin

The ride across the lake had been quieter than the train everyone was awed by the castle and nervous about what came once inside the castle, the sorting ceremony was something he'd asked his parents about when he'd learned he was actually coming here, his father had been Ravenclaw and thought Remus was excited to learn he couldn't be near that many others with curious minds that sought to solve mysteries because that was all Remus was and intended to stay a mystery. He's planned to keep his head down and avoid making friends, focus on learning as much as he can, but then he'd shared a compartment with James, Sirius and Peter. They were like a sledgehammer to his plan. Sirius and James had charmed the pants off of him and then Peter chiselled away the rest of the wall with his look of being out of his own depths playing on Remus's own feeling of inadequacy and pity. 

Remus climbed from the boat thankfully a lot more gracefully than Peter who was only saved from going into the drink, but James' quick reflexes in catching the boy's robes and yanking him forward which one could argue was worse considering he face-planted into the stone steps, but at least he wasn't wet they then followed Hagrid up the stairs to two large double doors that swung open revealing a sterned face woman in emerald green robes. 

"Got the firs' years for ya, Professor McGonagall," Hagrid informed her and Remus remembered her name from the letter, she was deputy headmistress.

"Thank you, Hagrid, I have them from here." McGonagall shooed the giant man, Hagrid helped open the giant entrance hall door and then left. Remus stayed close to his three new friends, Peter was sweating and rubbing his hands together nervously, but James and Sirius waltzed into the entrance hall like they already owned it, their confidence was calming in its own way. Professor McGonagall led them all into a room off to the side of the great hall where they could hear the roaring chatter of a crowd muffled by the giant doors.

"Welcome to Hogwarts. The start-of-term feast will begin soon, but before you may be seated, you must be sorted into your house. There is no overstating the importance of this ceremony, as for the entirety of your time here your house will be like your family, you will take classes with your housemate, you will share rooms in your house dormitory and spend most of your free time in your house dormitory. Your triumphs will win you house points and any mischief-making will lose you house points." Professor McGonagall's sharp eyes trained on their group with those last words, "At the end of the year, the house with the most points will win the house cup, a great honour. The Four Houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin, I hope each of you will be a credit to your houses." Professor McGonagall looked them all over from Sirius half unbuttoned shirt to Severus's greasy-looking hair.

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in front of the rest of the school in a few moments. I suggest you smarten yourselves up while you're waiting, I shall return for you please wait quietly." Professor McGonagall informed then left.

"Oh for some fireworks right now." Sirius grinned at James who grinned back.

"You heard the woman smarten up lads," James ordered loosening his tie and then messing up Sirius's hair. Who did the same to him? or tried to?

"How does it still look good?" Peter questioned.

"Family owns Sleekeazy's Hair Potions and Scalp Treatment. I use it every day, trust me you don't want to see this hair without it." James shuddered.

"We're going to because we'll be in the same dorm so we'll see your bedhead." Sirius pointed out grinning confidently as he fixed his hair so it was more styled messy, his just tie draped around him rather than tied.

"So does anyone know anything about this sorting ceremony?" Peter asked.

"It's a box this miniature version of the house animal symbols and one of them will bite you deciding your house by your smell," James said matter of factly before Remus could say anything and a few first years looked over worriedly, Peter looked like he might cry.