Wilder Mind- A Wolfstar Fanfiction

First Day

A/N:  I don't own the characters. They belong to J.K. Rowling, who doesn't deserve such amazing characters. The title is a Mumford and Sons song, and I am not Mumford or any of his sons.  I'm also American, so forgive me for, well, being American. 

 The three boys that had met on the train sat together in a boat, staring up at the castle with their mouths hanging open. They'd all heard stories of the castle, had their parents describe it to them at length, but none could imagine the beautiful, living painting sprawled out before them. That moment after the boats finally cleared the trees was the first memory made at Hogwarts. The first view of the place they would spend most of the next seven years. Their first looks at their new home.

Once the shock wore off, the boy named Sirius Black spoke up, "See that tower? I think that's where you two are gonna live!" He pointed at the tallest tower, wishing he could live there, have the beautiful view of this lake to greet him each morning. But he knew he was to be sorted into Slytherin, just like every Black before him had been. This also meant that these two boys he'd met and become friends with would hate him. He'd have to befriend the other Slytherins, those children who'd been raised the same as him, who had similar legacies. 

Peter beamed brightly, happy that his new friend believed he would be put into Gryffindor, just as he'd hoped, but James frowned. "What about you? Aren't you going to Gryffindor? I know you've said it's the best house, where else would you want to be?"

"Sure, I think Gryffindor is the best house, but that won't matter. What matters is that I'm a Black. So I'm a Slytherin. Just by default.", Sirius hung his head sadly, wishing that it wasn't true, but knowing that it had to be. There was no other way for a Black to live. Just imagine, Sirius Black, heir to the greatest and most noble house of Black, a Gryffindor. What a scandal that would be. He'd be in all the papers, receive howlers for weeks. It'd take forever for his social image to recover. 

"Well, I don't know exactly what the sorting is, but it's probably a test of some sort, some way to tell who you are. If it takes your family into account, it wouldn't put you in the proper place, and if it doesn't put you where you belong, what's the point at all?", James asked, confused. As Sirius considered, the boat pulled itself onto land, and the boys stepped out, joining the rest of the crowd.

The boys grabbed onto each other's robes, trying not to get separated by the sea of chattering students. "I hope so James. I really do", Sirius whispered near James's ear before he left to join the front of the alphabetized line. 

Sirius looked up that the professor who had crowded them in, dreading the moment when she would call his name. James looked up at her, excited to don the hat, eager for his future, and worried for his new friend. Peter looked at the hat, then back at his new friend, James, who was behind him in line, hoping he would be placed with him. And Remus was afraid. Afraid that Dumbeldore had been wrong, that he wasn't human enough to be sorted, afraid of what would happen if that was true. Afraid of the hat that would determine his future. 

Finally, the professor called out "Sirius Black!", and Sirius made his way to the stool, where he sat down and closed his eyes as the hat was placed on his head. 

"Better be... Gryffindor!!", The hat shouted aloud, receiving cheers from the Gryffindor table, as well as whispers ad strange looks from the Slytherin table. He stared at his feet as he walked down to the table, only looking up to make eye contact with a beaming James Potter. Once he sat down, he avoided looking at the Slytherin table, and looked up to the stage. He was just in time to see a very scrawny boy named Remus Lupin sit down, eyes wide and hands rubbing at his thighs.

"Better be... GRYFFINDOR!"

Remus couldn't help the tears welling up in his eyes as he walked to the Gryffindor table and sat beside the dark-haired boy named Black. He wasn't expelled or exposed to the rest of Hogwarts. He could finally have friends. He could finally be a normal kid.