Chapter Text
"I'm sure you'll make plenty of friends Petey!"
Ms Pettigrew assured Peter in a final hug.
"what if they don't like me, mum?"
he insecurely asked her, with tears beading in his little 11-year-old eyes
"if they don't like you, then they're simply not the right people. a true friend will be there for you no matter what, and will like you unconditionally"
Peter shuddered in the way little kids do when they breathe in after a big cry and nodded.
He gave his parents a final hug and goodbye and stepped into the train.
He walked through the train trying to find a carriage to sit in, but every carriage was full of people who glared him down as he walked past.
finally, he found one that didn't sound too noisy.
He took a deep breath, stood up straight, and knocked on the door.
"ehm- come on in?"
a voice sounded from inside.
He opened the door and was surprised to see three other boys his age.
"Hey, you're a Pettigrew right?" A tanned boy with glasses asked him.
"oh yeah, I am! I'm sorry, but I don't really recognise you?"
the boy simply smiled at him and reassured him,
"I think I've seen you at some wizarding parties, I'm James Potter!" Peter slightly relaxed at this introduction, he was grateful to know at least one person on this train.
The rest of it came pretty easily to him, he introduced himself to the other boys (one of which was awfully distant and seemed kind of grumpy, the other was overly excited and couldn't stop talking about how he was going to play quidditch, and couldn't wait for his little brother to join the school as well.)
James and the excited black-haired boy called Sirius immediately seemed to be very close.
they had the same interests and they both had the same thrilled energy to them. When they laughed at each other's jokes it felt like fireworks were bouncing off the walls, and Peter couldn't help but feel a little jealous of them.
The sorting ceremony went past rather quickly; your name gets called, you put on the hat, it gives you your house then people cheer, done.
But when Peter's name got called, he froze.
"Peter?"
He felt the eyes of all the others on him.
''Pete?"
He tried to take a step forward, but his legs only started shaking.
''Peter?''
He looked around him and everything was
blurred.
''PETER?''
He tried to breathe.
''PETER?!''
hands touched his shoulders and shook him,
and suddenly the world started moving again.
It was too bright. Too colourful.
He felt sick.
"Pete you need to move" someone whispered to him.
He looked around him but he couldn't make out any faces.
"Uhm yeah- yeah I'm going"
He looked forward sticking his eyes to the chair he was supposed to sit in. He took a breath trying to fight the tears coming up and started walking.
Not looking at the eyes he could feel tracing his body. Just walking.
The teacher that was holding the hat looked at him with comforting eyes. "you're here, good job. Now sit down Mr Pettigrew"
The hat smelled old and musty, but it was somehow comforting. The way he could feel it digging through his thoughts, analysing him.
"you're a special one," the hat said with humour in his voice.
"you're very anxious, but I think when you overcome your fears and doubts you are a very brave boy."
Peter hoped this was true "your future is going to be heavily decided by this, I would put you in Slytherin"
oh please no Peter thought to himself.
"no? well, I also see that you are very determined. especially to prove someone wrong. I think you'll make a fine-" here it came, the moment that could make or break his entire future.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
from that moment he could only hear wild cheering, and people clapping.
He sat down at the table and looked around him, everyone was smiling at cheering at whoever came to join them. And for the first time in his life, he didn't feel lonely. He was meant to be here. This was home.
----------
"what do you mean you want to take divination next semester?"
Sirius looked at him with one eyebrow lifted, blinking profusely.
"I like divination?''
James and Remus took a look at each other, and immediately started laughing "what did you do to our Petey?" James barked out with laughter.
Peter slouched down into the armchair he was sitting in and gave them angrily looks "it might be useful you know? being aware of your future might be helpful?"
James and Remus just laughed harder at this,
"Okay, you know what?! I'm being responsible for us, there's a war coming you know? And Remus you should really stop rolling on the floor it could be useful for you too, seeing that your furry little problem is hard to predict"
Peter absolutely hated divination but seeing that his friends found it so funny that he wanted to take it he obviously couldn't admit that.
The true reason that he wanted to try divination was that he had an eye on Sybill Trelawney. She was known for being kind of loopy, always telling people what they should or shouldn't do because she had visions.
Did they ever speak?
No.
But had they made eye contact once?
Maybe? he wasn't sure, she was probably looking at something behind him.
But she was certainly taking divination next semester, so he would maybe get the chance to speak to her sometime if he took it as well.