Chasing Dreams (A Harry Potter Marauder fanfiction)

The Sorting

James threw a chocolate frog to Sirius, who caught it expertly and ripped it open. "I got some guy.. Grindelwald?" He muttered to himself. Remus and Skye shared a look, rolling their eyes. They were setting up the common room for the New Year's Eve, and everyone else was down at dinner. "Who needs dinner?" James had asked, upending their whole stash of sweets. "We have this."
Sirius danced across the floor to the Christmas music his new miniature gramophone was playing. Skye was hanging decorations over the fire, humming along. Remus and Peter were hanging things up with magic, and James was standing on a chair, singing loudly. "James, you've got the most ungodly voice." Skye told him, laughing. "I think it's brilliant." He said haughtily. "We should start a band!" He said excitedly, spinning so quickly he fell off the chair and crashed to the floor. "No." Remus said immediately. "No. No. Definitely not." Skye said, shaking her head. "Prongs, you wanted to start a band in first year." Sirius laughed. "Oh dear." Skye laughed. "We weren't friends in first year.." Remus slightly thoughtfully all of a sudden. "Oh yeah.. But we sat near each other at the feast, didn't we?" Skye asked. "Yeah we did! I remember that." Peter exclaimed excitedly. "Remember the sorting? That was so scary." Skye said thoughtfully. "I thought it was fun." James said, because things like that never bothered him. "Of course you did James! You swaggered up to the seat and swaggered back down again." "Oh yeah, I remember that too!" Sirius examined. "And I remember my mad cousin, Bellatrix, laughing at me." He added bitterly. "Oh yeah.." The five of them spent the next half hour decorating the common room, eating sweets, and remembering the sorting ceremony in first year.
*Flashback to first year*
The tight lipped teacher, Professor McGonagal, lead the line of first years to the front of the Great Hall. Pulling open a scroll, she glanced up at the patched and faded hat that sat on the stool nearby. Skye was standing beside the girl she had met on the train, Lily Evans, who switched between conversation with Skye and with her black haired friend, Snape. A hush came over the hall as Professor McGonagal called the first name. Skye looked around her, her heart fluttering. A few more names were called before "Black, Sirius." A tall, dark haired boy smirked and headed up to the stool, looking confidently around at everyone, although Skye noticed the shadow of doubt behind his chiseled features. The hat seemed to mutter thoughtfully for a short few minutes before opening and shouting its verdict. "Gryffindor!" It screamed. The hall was a mixture of clapping from the long red and gold table and mutters from the other tables. Sirius Black, in Gryffindor? Or, more to the point, any Black at all, not in Slytherin? There was a loud, harsh, cackling laugh from the Slytherin table, and every first year turned to look at a seventh year girl, who had long, dark curly hair and eyes that were almost black, Bellatrix Lestrange. She leaned over the table, showing her white teeth, them threw back her head and laughed at what she considered to be the misfortune of her younger cousin. A few names later, and "Evans, Lily" was called. "Good luck." Skye whispered to her new friend as Lily walked slowly up towards the stool, her eyes on the floor. The hat was placed on her head for a few minutes, and it seemed to be concentrating very hard. Finally it opened its brim and shouted. "Gryffindor!" Lily's smile was broad and beautiful as she made her way to the clapping table. Her black haired friend, Severus Snape, seemed suddenly downcast, his eyes on the floor. The sorting continued and finally another name was called. "Lupin, Remus." The shy looking boy, his eyes on the floor, sat down, his face pale. The hat touched his head and sat for a moment before calling, again, "Gryffindor!" The red and gold table erupted into cheering once again. Minutes later, a small, chubby boy by the name of Peter Pettigrew was called. He sat awkwardly on the stool until it screamed its answer. "Gryffindor!" The boy smiled and made his way to the table. Professor McGonagal continued to call out names before she got to another boy. "Potter, James." The dark haired boy strode confidently up to the stool and seemed to be waiting eagerly for the stool to be put on his head. It had only just covered his messy head when it called "Gryffindor!" James grinned broadly, jumping off the stool and hurrying to take a seat at the Gryffindor table. More names were called before it was Skye's turn. "Turner, Skye." The Professor called out. Her heart beat quickened as she stepped slowly up to the stool and sat down. Every eye was on her as she hat was placed on her long blonde hair. "Ah!" It cried, making her jump. "Turner.. Don't think you can hide from me." It told her, and Skye's eyes widened, though she had nothing to hide from a hat. "A lot of courage, I see. A bit of a talent for trouble.. And something of a fiery temper, despite the cold exterior. Although a strong need to prove yourself could put you in Slytherin, the rest of your inner, deeper, desires mean you don't belong there. I know just what to do with you then. Gryffindor!" It shouted the last bit to everyone. Skye's smile was huge and happy as she walked down the steps. Tripping down the last one, she headed for the Gryffindor table- her new home for seven years.
*End of Flashback*
"Oh yeah, I remember falling down the last steps on the way to the Gryffindor table!" Skye laughed as she hung up the final decoration. "The sorting was so fun!" James remembered. "Yeah.. Hey! Merlin, dinner is over in five minutes! C'mon, let's get the party sorted." Skye said as she ran upstairs to change.