The Marauders and the Fetch of Hogwarts

The Marauders and the Fetch at Hogwarts
Part Five

The train pulled into the station and the four boys tumbled out of their compartment, eagerly ready for the sorting feast. The candy that they'd snacked on the entire trip (James and Peter had bought more later) was already melting away and the thought of tasty, steaming hot dishes was more than they could stand.

Hagrid was calling out for the first years to follow him, just as he had done the year before and Remus, Peter, Sirius, and James waved congenially at the giant man as they followed the older students toward a group of carriages that had no horses attached to the front of them.

Peter came to a screeching halt and blinked twice. "Those are...aren't they?" he asked numbly.

Sirius and James looked around in confusion but Remus saw them too. "I think so, but how are they tamed?" he asked.

"I don't know but that's just too cool," Peter replied.

"What are you two talking about?" demanded James, knowing he was missing something and not liking it.

Remus gestured to the skeletal winged horses attached to the carriages. "Thestrals are pulling the carriages."

"What's a thestral?" James was confused.

"Winged horse," answered Sirius. "Mum wants one of the Hogwarts thestrals. Only domesticated herd in Great Britain. You two can see them?"

Peter nodded, as did Remus. "How come we can't then?" asked James, still puzzled. The boys started towards the nearest empty carriage.

"Death," explained Sirius, climbing into the carriage. "You had to have seen someone die."

"Who'd you see die, Remus?" asked Peter, climbing in after James, who climbed in after Sirius.

"My grandfather. He had a heart attack when I was nine at his birthday party." Remus grinned at the irony. "Papa said it was ironic, considering Grandpapa always claimed his birthday was cursed. No one believed him until then."

Sirius grimaced. "What about you, Peter?" Sirius asked.

"My Aunt Clothilde. She choked on a snitch. She used to be a Seeker for the Holyhead Harpies." Peter giggled. "For four days."

James slapped his hands over his mouth to keep back a shout of laughter. After a moment he removed his hands and commented, "I could think of worse ways to go." It only elicited a laugh from Peter.

They continued to chatter at each other as the carriages made their way up the long path to Hogwarts and when the vehicle stopped the four of them tumbled out like dice from a cup. Mingling with their fellow students they went into the Great Hall, where Sirius picked seats as close as possible to the teachers' table.

"It's the only time I want to sit this close," he told them as they plopped down, Remus and James sitting across the table from Peter and Sirius. "I want a good first look at our incoming first years."

"That and you want to annoy your brother when he gets sorted," added James.

Sirius grinned broadly. "Added bonus." Remus snickered.

"Who's the new teacher at the table? What's she teach?" A third year Gryffindor pointed toward a witch who sat two chairs down from Professor McGonagall, the Gryffindor house matron and Transfiguration teacher. The newcomer was tiny and perfectly proportioned, like a miniature china doll. Her complexion was like creamy porcelain and her blonde hair was in perfect ringlets. She literally did look like a life-size doll.

"I don't know," answered a fifth year, Jervis Chambers. "There was no talk last year about any of the teachers resigning or leaving for any other reason." Chambers shrugged unconcernedly. "Dumbledore will tell us during announcements no doubt. I just hope she isn't too strict with homework for O.W.L.s."

At about that time, the doors to the room where the first years were being stowed away opened. A fairly large group of terrified young children came in, led by Professor McGonagall, who had gone just a few moments earlier to collect them. She showed them where to line up, got the stool, placed it on the teacher's table platform and placed the ragged Sorting Hat on the stool. She stepped back and the hat suddenly began to squirm and wiggle of its own accord. There was a distinct tearing sound, a mouth formed at the front of the hat and a song burst from its mouth.

"A thousand or more years ago
four magic people planned
and pondered on this small plateau
a structure big and grand.

Lady Hufflepuff stood straight and tall
ready to work her share
while Lord Gryffindor heard bugle calls
to fight in a dragon's lair.
Lady Ravenclaw did apply her keen mind
to help one and all
but sly Lord Slytherin with Mugglekind
was not eager to install.

And so these four great magicians
created a magic place
for their own great ambitions
to teach the magic race.
To each one a patron dorm
and to me taught each characteristic
Within your mind I'm more than warm
and can place you with your fellow mystics.

So sit right down
and don't be alarmed
just set me on your head
for I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
and I've never been misled."

There was a moment of silence and then a few people sniggered and shuffled nervously. "They can't all be gems," the hat retorted to the silence. Laughter burst around the room, including the staff table.

Albus Dumbledore, the white haired headmaster, chuckled loudly and said for all to hear, "That is very true. After 1000 years, one does run out of rhyming words."

"New material is hard to find," the hat agreed with a snap. "Now where's the first of them?"

"Hey!" whispered Peter to James. "Gems sort of rhymes with them!" Everyone around Peter chuckled appreciatively.

"Now he has to rhyme 'find'," sniggered Chambers to Peter.

"Easy," drawled Sirius from beside Peter. "Ah another Slytherin, easy to spot the empty mind!" The Gryffindor table roared with laughter, causing everyone to look at them with a frown.

"A-*hem*," harrumphed Professor McGonagall with a repressive look that quieted down her house in an instant. Sirius and James continued to giggle under their breath, amazingly straight-faced. The disruption put down for the moment, McGonagall held out her parchment and read out the first name. "Agadore, Seline!"

A small brunette with distinctive Latin looks bounced onto the stool and shoved the hat eagerly on her head. The hat didn't hesitate. "GRYFFINDOR!" The table underneath the gold and red banner with the distinctive lion on it roared its approval at having the first student sorted.

The sorting continued with an occasional name that erupted some talk here and there because the last name was well-known or was friends of someone, such as "Horton, Jill" who went to Hufflepuff, "Shimpling, Magenta" who went to Ravenclaw and "Wellbeloved, Iphigenia" who went into Hufflepuff as well. Yet it was the black-haired, arrogant boy right after "Biddle, Jeremy" of Gryffindor House that had Remus and his three friends' undivided attention.

As "Black, Regulus" swaggered to the stool, Sirius muttered low enough that only they heard him, "I'll be laughing my butt off if he goes into Hufflepuff. *Please* let him get into Hufflepuff."

The hat had settled on Regulus' head and promptly shouted without pause, "SLYTHERIN!" Sirius muttered something Remus was pretty sure was not for polite company. Regulus smirked triumphantly at his older brother and took his place at the table beneath the banner of green and silver with a snake coiled on it, ready to strike.

"Why can't my life go my way just once?" moaned Sirius as they finally headed toward the dormitory after a filling feast.

"Just lucky I guess," answered James, not taking Sirius' moaning very seriously.

Remus and Peter remained silent. Remus was thinking about Dumbledore's announcements and the introduction of the new professor. She turned out to be Professor Merope Benbrook. It seemed that the History of Magic class was not being taught by Old Professor Binns, who was being detained from teaching by the Ministry of Magic. There was some concern regarding a dead man teaching children history lessons. Dumbledore had jokingly informed the assembly that he couldn't think of anyone more suited to teach history than someone from the past. The joke had gotten a few appreciative chuckles, including a charming laugh from Professor Benbrook.

Settled into their beds in their dormitory, now labeled Second Year Boys, they continued to chatter at each other in low tones until one by one, Peter, Remus, Sirius and James drifted off to sleep.