𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗣𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗢𝗡𝗘𝗥 𝗢𝗙 𝗔𝗭𝗞𝗔𝗕𝗔𝗡 [𝚎𝚍𝚒𝚝𝚎𝚍]

Chapter Twenty Four: Indirect Fraternization

‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ ･⋆✵⋆･ ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾

The Entrance Hall was as it always is. Mind bogglingly majestic and jam packed with students hurrying to the Great Hall to have their share of the enchanting feast that was guaranteed to await them.

The boys finally made it to the Gryffindor table after being jostled and poked in a lot of uncomfortable places by complete strangers.

The multicolored house emblems that swayed slightly to a nonexistent breeze and the many floating candles dotting the Hall resided in all their glory but the gold plates and goblets were still empty when the boys took their seats.

It took a few more minutes for everyone to settle down then Professor McGonagall climbed onto the platform with the Sorting Hat. And the Great Hall fell into perfect quite.

McGonagall cleared her throat more elegantly than Sirius had ever seen anyone else do before and started calling out names off her long roll of parchment.

Pale and nervous looking kids separated from the huddled queue of new witches and wizards and walked to the front one by one to be sorted. Sirius cringed at the thought that he might have looked this pale and sweaty for his sorting.

Sirius wasn't paying much attention to the names or who they belonged to (thanks to James' perpetual whines of there being no food on the table) until McGonagall called, "Black, Regulus."

Unlike those sorted before him, Regulus walked up to the Hat confidently and with his head held high, the true image of an ideal Black.

"He looks a lot like you." whispered Remus from next to Sirius.

The Sorting Hat had barely left Professor McGonagall's hand and rested on Regulus' head when it announced him a Slytherin.

"That is where the similarities stop." Sirius said but regretted it right away because he knew it wasn't Regulus' fault he was like this. He just didn't have good guides.

Nonetheless, Regulus took off the Hat and walked to the Slytherin table with a self-satisfied smug smirk.

He probably couldn't wait to write to Mother and let her know he's become the son she can be proud of, Sirius couldn't help but think as he watched his brother.

And Bellatrix hugged Regulus when he sat next to her while she gave Sirius a grin that he thought was supposed to make him feel jealous that he wasn't at that table.

Fat chance.

Dumbledore clapped once loudly when Filch had run off with the Hat and the stool; and the plates, trays and goblets all filled up.

"Praise be to the Lord." said James before he grabbed a drumstick off the plate closest to him and tore through it like an animal.

Even though Sirius had stuffed himself full of cauldron cakes and pumpkin pasties on the train, the sight of the feast made him feel hungry again. He ate more than he had eaten in the past six weeks and felt like he might actually get sick. But he also knew he'd regret it if he stopped eating now.

"Though it is a big betrayal to my adventurous side," said Dumbledore with a smile, getting to his feet once the dessert plates were clean, "it is my duty to inform you that the Forbidden Forest is . . . forbidden. Magic in the corridors is prohibited. So are fanged frisbees and dungbombs. For those of you who don't know about the Whomping Willow, I would have to remind you not to go anywhere near it to find out firsthand what it does if you want to reach your eighteenth birthdays with all you limbs still attached." he said and got a laugh.