The Beginning Of An Era {A Marauders' Fanfiction}

Chapter 4: "The Sorting Hat"

"The Sorting Hat"

While they were in the boats, James Potter and Sirius Black tried to search the giant squid, spreading the gossip to all the first years. Of course, most of them were scared, and they all tried to get into Hagrid's boat because they thought it was safer. James and Sirius were laughing and imitating a squid, while Remus just rolled his eyes and Peter looked at them like they were the coolest kids in the world.

As soon as they got to the shore, they all left the boats and followed Hagrid to the castle. Now that they were closer to it, the castle looked bigger, and they all noticed how many classrooms and stairs were in there. They all climbed a few stairs and stood in front of a big door, which James presumed was the door to enter to the Hall, where the selection was going to take place. As soon as they all arrived there, they all remained silent. A tall and old woman with a green dress stood in front of them, with a piece of parchment in her hands.

"Good evening, I am professor McGonagall and I am the head of the Gryffindor house. I welcome you all to Hogwarts. Now, when this doors open, you are going to go in where the selection will take place. Get ready please." She said, and walked away.

Sirius was very nervous. He noticed his hands were shaking, and tried to stop it because he didn't want anyone to see him like that. But looking around, he noticed they were all shaking, and some of them were sweating. He took a deep breath and started walking.

The doors opened and they all went inside. Remus noticed there were four tables in the Hall, and he knew that those tables were for the four houses; Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. They all looked around and noticed that all the students from other years were staring at them. They stood in front of the teachers' table, and for the first time in their lives, they saw Professor Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts. He was an old man with white hair and long white beard, and he was looking at them with a big smile on his face, a smile that made Sirius shiver because no one had ever smiled at him like that in his whole life. It was a smile that made them all to feel at home, so many of them forgot about that fear they had and were ready to listen in which house they were going to be for the next seven years.

"Good evening, and welcome to a brand new year at Hogwarts. My name is Albus Dumbledore, and I am, as you know, the headmaster of Hogwarts. I wish to remind you, once more, that the forest is strictly forbidden, as so is the first corridor on the fifth floor for reasons I am not going to mention. I would also like to welcome the first years, and to wish them luck in the sorting, which is about to begin" He said.

Dumbledore smiled once more and sat on his chair. Then, professor McGonagall stood up, and with that piece of parchment in her right hand, walked to the center of the Hall. In there, they saw an old and dirty hat, which happened to be the sorting hat.

All the room remained silent, and before anyone could say anything else, the sorting hat started singing.

Oh you may not think I'm pretty,

But don't judge on what you see,

I'll eat myself if you can find

A smarter hat than me.

You can keep your bowlers black,

Your top hats sleek and tall,

For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat

And I can cap them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head

The Sorting Hat can't see,