The Tale Of The Marauders

The Sorting Ceremony

James, Peter, Remus and Sirius hurried off of the train with their luggage and waited outside for further instructions. Well, some of them. James peered around, looking for something interesting whilst others got off the train. Remus tugged on James' school robes, trying to stop him from trying whatever he was up to. James squirmed out of Remus' grasp and hid in the trees. Sirius later peered around, looking for James, "What kind of sick trick is this, James?" Asked Sirius. Peter just snorted and stood there, whereas Remus hesitated and looked about the place. James was hidden behind Sirius, in the bushes, grinning mischievously. At a certain moment when the teachers were all with other students, Sirius tied up his shoelace and James pounced on Sirius' back. This caused Sirius to topple over and land on his face. "OWWW!" Sirius screeched as heads turned to him and James. Remus hit himself on his forehead and shook his head disapprovingly. "Lighten up," James whispered to Remus. The gamekeeper, Hagrid was leading them to the school and certainly keeping a close eye on James, Peter, Sirius and Remus after that incident.

James didn't feel guilty in the slightest and therefore, he didn't look guilty for his new friend's bleeding nose, bruised body and aching back. All the first years followed Hagrid to tiny, oval wooden boats. James pushed ahead and foolishly tried cannonballing into the boat itself. He ended up screeching from the piercing pain in his bum. Sirius went next as he slipped and slides into the boat behind James. Remus went next and carefully avoided injury whilst entering. Peter took another boat with a few other first years. James hung over the front of the boat and dipped his hand into the freezing ocean below as the boats started rowing themselves. Remus and Sirius looked up at the school, glittering with magnificent lights and tall towers covering the hill across the blue lake. Hagrid told the children that they were now crossing the black lake. "Why is it called the black lake if it's blue?" James asked, with a confused expression falling over his face. "Isn't it obvious?" Suggested Sirius, "The lake was named after me!" James chuckled with Remus and Sirius at the thought. "Nearly there" James muttered to himself repeatedly.

When the boats gently scraped against the grassy hill, everyone took huge steps off of the boats. Hagrid led the first years inside the school. The students stared around, all starry-eyed and in awe. Remus held a firm grip on James' school robes to make sure that James wasn't getting any ideas as soon as they got to the school. It seemed as though Remus had read James' mind by this action. James wasn't looking where he was going, so he had ran into the door and said "I was looking where I was going, I was just inspecting this door... And now my nose is numb." Remus sighed and pulled James in the right direction. Sirius followed along, minding his own business. Hagrid stopped when they reached the tables, "These are your houses," he explained then pointed to his far left, "that's Slytherin House," then pointed to the table left to him, "that's Ravenclaw house," and then he pointed to the table next to him on his right "that's Gryffindor house" and he finally pointed to the table on his far left, "and that's Hufflepuff house." "Now," Hagrid added, "I'll leave the lot of you to Professor McGonagall here." Then Hagrid trailed off, outside the castle.

A wrinkly lady, with ebony black hair tied up tightly in a bun and with a long, sleek and green hat on her head. She wore green robes too, to match her hat. "Right, so you will go up to the stool at the front," insisted McGonagall, pointing to the stool up front, in front of the teachers' table, "and sit, then I will place the sorting hat on your head and you will be sorted into your houses. James made his way up front, following the crowd then stopped and waited. Then the sorting hat sang its song. "Remus Lupin!" McGonagall called out from a long, old and yellowish piece of parchment. "Bet he's getting into Ravenclaw," Sirius whispered to James. "Hmm... Difficult. I'd have to go with... GRYFFINDOR!" The hat shouted. "Alice Fortescue!" McGonagall yelled. A girl with straight, long and dark brown hair stepped up, as her dark eyes twinkled under the bewitched ceiling's stars. "Gryffindor!" The hat called, and said the same with a boy with dark features, yet blue eyes, called Frank Longbottom. Sirius and James couldn't help but laugh at Frank's name until McGonagall shot them a look which made them shut up. "Sirius Black!" McGonagall screamed. Sirius took three deep breaths then swaggered up to the stool and hopped onto it. "Be warned, this one's a troublemaker. I'll put you in Gryffindor!" The hat shouted. Sirius ran to sit next to Remus. "Ugh," Remus moaned, "you're stuck with me... Great..."

James waited what seemed like ages when McGonagall called out his name. James suddenly awoke from his daydream and ran up to the stool, crashing onto it. "Gryffindor!" The hat shouted as James wondered why so many people were getting into Gryffindor. James bounced down the steps and joined Remus and Sirius. "Lily Evans!" McGonagall called out, but James wasn't paying attention. He was busy making up a fabulous handshake with Sirius. Remus was watching a girl with long, wavy, auburn hair and emerald lime coloured eyes get sorted into the same house as he was in. Lily happily sat next to James, hoping to make friends with him. James ignored her for a while until she tapped him on the shoulder and he turned to her, finally. "I'm Lily," the girl said, holding out her hand for James to shake. "I'm James," replied James, shaking Lily's hand gently. They both turned to see the next people get sorted. The last person who got sorted was a tall, bony boy with jet black hair, a dark expression and eyes the colour of his hair. James looked at Sirius as McGonagall called out his name, "Severus Snape!" "Couldn't his mother have come up with a better name?" James laughed. "Hey, he happens to be my friend. Don't be mean to him!" Snapped Lily. James just blinked at her, expressionless. The sorting hat had called out Slytherin for Snape. "Looks like Snivellous got sorted into the house for evil wizards," Sirius teased. "Snvilly the fairy!" James added to Sirius' comment. Lily just rolled her eyes and looked away.