Harry Potter Oneshots

The Story of the Sorting of Sirius Black

The room was dark.

The boy was crying.

These are the first two things you have to know.

The room was dark. The boy was crying. And the only things he knew other than those were yelling. Sometimes screaming, sometimes the calm, almost collected yelling that doesn't seem like it, but really is, and other times the loud nitpicky-ing that lies in between.

He wanted out.

These are the memories he has of home.

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"Black, Sirius." Minerva McGonagall's voice boomed throughout the Great Hall, as if amplified with the Sonorus charm, yet it somehow wasn't. When he walked up the stool in front of her, these were the thoughts flying through his brain. She was an impressive woman. It wasn't the crazed yelling of his mother, it was... more soothing. Sirius couldn't believe it. There was yelling, but it wasn't angry. How can someone yell and not be mad, disappointed?

Sirius looked back at the line of scared first years behind him. He only recognized a few faces: Severus Snape, Nymphadora Tonks, and the other two he met on the train, the rumpled dirty blonde figure that was known as Remus Lupin and the boisterous black-haired boy who proclaimed himself to be James Potter. James and Remus seemed nice. He wanted to be around them.

"Quick, Sirius, think," he whispered to himself, walking up to the stool as slowly as possible, "what house will they be in?"

He knew that, with James' confident disposition, he would definitely be a Gryffindor. He was sure that Remus was a shy type, and would most likely be put in Ravenclaw. Nymphadora had already been boasting about how she really wanted to be a Hufflepuff. Any house would have a friend for him, he knew, any house but Slytherin.

But his mother would yell.

And then it was too late. He couldn't prolong his thoughts, because he was at the stool. McGonagall, seeing him dilly-dallying and wanting to speed the process, pushed him, almost roughly onto the stool and sat the Sorting Hat onto his head.

You have so much potential for Slytherin. A mind full of rage and ambition can take you to great heights, whispered the hat into his ear.

NO!

Hmm? No Slytherin? But your family would be so proud! The hat proclaimed this as loudly as a hat talking to someone silently could. He seemed to take great pride in keeping families together.

Please...

But then where would I put you? The hat sounded lost, and that was something, Sirius knew, the hat shouldn't be asking him.

Can... Can you show me? What I could be if I went into Slytherin?

The hat considered for what felt like hours to the young boy. Yes.

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Sirius was suddenly pulled into a vision.

Another dark room.

A boy crying.

A familiar scene. One that he knew more than anything. Yet it was different.

A boy with greasy black hair and a hooked nose kicked Sirius' crying form.

"Black, get your whiny arse to class. Professor Slughorn will not be pleased if you stay here longer."

"Snape, just... Would it really be terrible to... Just leave me here... I'll be fine, I'm sure..."

Severus Snape kicked Sirius again, harder, "Get UP."

But Sirius only cried harder.

"J-j-j-James doesn't even want to talk to me. I don't want to go to potions. I want to be resorted."

But Severus was relentless, kicking harder this time. Halfway through the kick, just before Sirius was hit, the vision changed.

This vision is an older version of Sirius, most likely in fourth year. He was holding the house cup with Severus, grinning. The entire house crowded around them, hollering, because they had very obviously won. Suddenly, Sirius leaned over and kissed Severus... And Severus slapped him, but playfully because of the lightened mood.

And then the vision changed yet again. It was them in seventh year. Severus and Sirius were sitting in their dormitory, taking sips from a bottle of veritaserum.

"Sev... Do you... Love me?"

Severus Snape shook his head coldly. "I have been telling you for years, Sirius. I am in love with Lily. I always have been. I will never love you."

And Sirius' eyes brim with tears, his body shaking. "I love you... But you're my only friend. Please..."

And Severus slapped him. And the vision ended.

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Now conscious again, Sirius Black opened his eleven-year-old eyes to the Great Hall, filled with people looking expectantly at him. He looked at the hourglass next to him, counting down the time until he was a hatstall. Barely a minute had passed.

Sorting Hat, why would you propose to put me in Slytherin if you knew a fate like this awaited me?

The Hat chuckled, as much as a hat can silently chuckle, and responded. I wanted to know. After Hogwarts, the Slytherin path would award you much fame and you would not ever find love, but your family would be proud. And that's more than you've ever had.

Sirius nodded, But Hat, there are still three other places for me. How do you know which is the right one?

The Hat's presence became calm and thoughtful, I have known where to put students for hundreds of years. Trust me, I know the place for you.

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"GRYFFINDOR!"