The Story of Sirius Black

Sirius wasn’t an average boy, ever. The moment he was born, he was added to the list of students to enter Hogwarts at the fit age of eleven. Hogwarts, the school of witchcraft and wizardry, the school that was unknown to most of the world. Only a small population knew that places like Hogwarts existed over the globe, and that they were special places to teach the young of magical folk. Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang, schools of magic to teach those born to it, were placed around the Earth, and each pupil had his or her name added to the list of future students when they were born.


Each school had its own founders, and its own area from where it’d get its students. Hogwarts was founded by four people, long ago, who decided that they had an extraordinary talent, and sought out children to train. Searching long and hard, selecting few, and moving to the next village, they found that not everyone could learn this talent. The few they selected had a feel about them, something not-of-this-world. Each teacher chose and taught students who had traits they agreed with. Godric Gryffindor chose children who were brave, while Rowena Ravenclaw chose children who had a knack for knowledge. Helga Hufflepuff chose students who were honest and loyal, and Salazar Slytherin chose those who were ambitious and power-hungry.


When they founded the school, they believed in unity and teaching students, but later, they came to argue about how they should select the students, and if they should select mudbloods or not. Salazar Slytherin was very adamant about not letting children born with magical talent but born to unmagical parents in. Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff agreed that all the students with magical abilities should be taught. This rift caused rivalry between the houses and the teachers were worried. They soon wondered how the students would be placed in the right houses after they were gone, and Gryffindor had a wonderful idea.


He pulled an old, worn hat off his head, and told the other founders that they’d find a way to enchant it, so it could choose for them, year after year, and choose rightly. So they thought, and worked, and worried, hoping they’d get their task done before it was their time to go. Years passed, and the first students they had became teachers for the new ones, and then they, too, graduated from Hogwarts, to take their place in the ever-growing wizarding community. The quarrel between Slytherin and Gryffindor, however, grew more and more obvious, and their houses less and less supporting of each other, until no one but the four founders could remember when the houses once stood fast together, when the Gryffindor house and the Slytherin house didn’t fight at every possible moment.


At last the time came when the enchantment for the hat was set, and they placed it on a stool, and worked for a little while. When they were done, they placed a test for the hat. New students, the fresh pick of the year, were lined up in front of the stool. Each had been interviewed by a Founder before they were taken to this room, and each had a house picked for them, without their knowing. The Founders wanted to see if the hat chose the same students as they did, if it messed up at all, or if the spell needed tweaking.


Once the hat was placed on a students head, its brim opened, but no sound came out. It was as if it was talking to itself, but the results of the talking could be seen on the students face. Once it decided what house to put the child in, however, it shouted, loud as needed to be heard, the houses name. Triumphantly, Gryffindor took the hat and stool, placing them in his office. Not a single person had the Sorting-Hat misplaced, and it would last as long as the school was here. They no longer had to worry who would put the students where.


Soon after the problem was addressed, Slytherin left the school, and set out on his own. He told his students that he’d not be coming back, but that his heir would, and was gone. Years passed, and no word of Slytherin did the other founders receive, but began drifting apart. After Gryffindor left the school, for he was the last founder to leave, the Sorting-Hat made a song for each new batch of students. The song was about how the school was founded, what traits each founder valued, and what might have befallen the founders.


Sirius drifted back to focus, his eyes wandering aimlessly over the terrain as the train sped past. It was his turn to go to Hogwarts, and he’d been taught the history of it, along with spells he’d need to know, and some he wouldn’t. His nose curled at that thought, the hexes he’d been taught. His whole family had been placed in Slytherin, and he was expected to do the same.[i] Oh, what mother would think if I got placed in Gryffindor! She’d have a fit![/i] His history lessons were biased, on behalf of Slytherin, and Sirius was told stories of him, how he was so great. Sirius thought he was an idiot. Stuck up, snobbish, and an idiot. [i]A great, big idiot, who left before he should’ve, and made a “Chamber of Secrets.” Right. Like he was smart enough to make a room inside the school without the others knowing[/i], Sirius thought, coldly.


The train was coming to a stop, and Sirius stood up, slowly stretching his muscles. They were stiff from not moving for the time he was on the train. He cracked his neck as the announcement was made that they were at Hogwarts, and moved to push his way toward the front. Having Black blood did have some advantages, as he was able to do thing like that, moving to the front, and anyone who challenged him was quickly informed of what blood ran in his veins.


*“Firs’ years! Firs’ years over here! Hurry up!” The head of a gigantic man, taller than anyone Sirius had ever seen, and definitely wider, appeared over the crowd of students. “Firs’ years, follow me! Any more firs’ years? Mind yer step now!” He started off through the crowd and led them down a steep, slippery slope. Moving quicker now that the crowd was gone, the giant called over his shoulder. “Yeh’ll git yer firs’ sight o’Hogwarts in a sec, jus’ round this bend here.”


The narrow path opened up to the edge of a great black lake, and a loud “Ooooh!” was heard in appreciation. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.


“No more’n four to a boat!” the giant called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Sirius got into a boat, and was quickly followed by a boy who had dark black hair and glasses, one who had light brown hair and the last boy had black hair to his shoulders, and it fell in greasy locks around his face. Sirius looked at the other boats in time to see a pudgy boy struggle into one and fall on his face. The giant shouted to everyone, “Everyone in? Right then—Forward!”


The little fleet of boats moved across the lake all at once, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle. It towered over them as they traveled nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood. “Heads down!” yelled the Giant, as the first boats reached the cliff; they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbor, where they clambered out onto the rocks and pebbles.


They then clambered up a passageway in the rock after the giants’ lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle. They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front door. The man raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*


The door swung open at once. A tall, black haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face, and looked like she shouldn’t be crossed.


“The firs’ years, Professor McGonagall,” said the giant.


“Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here.”


She pulled the door wide. The entrance hall walls were lit with flaming torches, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors.


They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor, and they were led into a small, empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, standing rather closer together than they would usually have done, peering about nervously.


“Welcome to Hogwarts,” said Professor McGonagall. “The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory and spend free time in your house common room.


The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history, and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.
“The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting.


“I shall return when we are ready for you,” said Professor McGonagall. “Please wait quietly.”
She left the chamber and the crowd started talking.


Sirius kept silent, and noticed that a few others did as well. The boy with the light brown hair looked pale, and his eyes darted around the room, while the boy with the black hair just stood there, his attention kept by something on the floor.


Minutes later, Professor McGonagall arrived. “Move along now,” she said sharply. “The Sorting Ceremony’s about to start. Form a line and follow me.”


They walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through the double doors into the Great Hall.


The Great Hall was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. Professor McGonagall led the first years up here, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Sirius glanced up at the ceiling, and saw it was velvety black dotted with stars. He remembered that it was bewitched to look like the sky outside, and tried to see where walls ended and ceiling began.


Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard’s hat. The hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. This was the Sorting Hat.


Everyone in the hall was staring at the hat, and Sirius knew what was about to happen. For a few seconds, there was a complete silence, then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth, and the hat began to sing:




“One thousand years or more ago,

When I was newly sewn,

There lived four wizards of renown,

Whose names are still well known.

Bold Gryffindor, from wild moor,

Fair Ravenclaw, from glen,

Sweet Hufflepuff, from valley broad,

Shrewd Slytherin from fen.

United by a common goal,

They had the selfsame yearning,

To make the world’s best magic school

And pass along their learning.

“Together we will build and teach!”

The four good friends decided

And never did they dream that they

Might someday be divided.

But each of these four founders

Formed their own house, for each

Did value different virtues

In the ones they had to teach.

Said Slytherin, “We’ll teach those

Whose ancestry is purest,”

Said Ravenclaw, “We’ll teach those whose

Intelligence is surest,”

Said Gryffindor, “We’ll teach all those

With brave deeds to their name,”

Said Hufflepuff, “I’ll teach the lot,

And treat them all the same.”

And while still alive they did divide

Their favorites from the throng,

Yet how to pick the worthy ones

When they were dead and gone?

‘Twas Gryffindor who found the way,

He whipped me off his head

The founders put some brains in me

So I could choose instead!

So Hogwarts worked in harmony

For several happy years,

But then discord crept among us

Feeding on our faults and fears.

The Houses that, like pillars four,

Had once held up our school,

Now turned upon each other and,

Divided, sought to rule.

And at last there came a morning

When old Slytherin departed

And though the fighting then died out

He left us quite downhearted.

And now the Sorting Hat is here

And you all know the score:

I sort you into Houses

Because that is what I’m for.

You might belong in Gryffindor

Where dwell the brave at heart,

Their daring, nerve, and chivalry

Set Gryffindors apart.

You might belong in Hufflepuff

Where they are just and loyal,

Those patient Hufflepuffs are true

And unafraid of toil.

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw

If you’ve a ready mind,

Where those of wit and learning,

Will always find their kind.

Or perhaps in Slytherin

You’ll make your real friends,

Those cunning folk use any means

To achieve their ends.

There’s nothing hidden in your head

The Sorting Hat can’t see

So try me on and I will tell you

Where you out to be!”




((*From here down I used the Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling. In some places, I basically just copied.))




The new students looked around, confused. All they had to do was try on this hat? Some of them had heard horror stories about how they had to do something magical, to show they belonged, and that if they couldn’t, they’d be sent home. Many worried themselves sick, thinking that they’d never be able to get a spell to work properly, and they’d be sent home in shame, but it looked like they worried for nothing. Many had looks of relief on their faces, and more regained the color they’d lost since they had stepped from the chamber-room they were left to wait in.


Sirius looked at them with disbelief. How they were stupid enough to believe that they had to wrestle a troll, or do a magic trick to be accepted was beyond him. He’d heard it straight from his mother, and hadn’t worried except about what house the hat was going to put him in. Slytherin didn’t seem too comfortable, but Gryffindor… Gryffindor is where I belong, not in stupid Slytherin. Mum would have a fit, though. I’d never hear the end of it, how everyone was placed in Slytherin, and I’d never be able to point out that not everyone was placed in Slytherin, only the ones we talk to now were. She’d send me a howler. Yell at me for getting into the best house, what a scene that’d be.