You know the deal...I am NOT, I repeat NOT, JK Rowling, nor do I own
anything she has already claimed as her own...
duh
Harry, Ron and Hermione walked to the Gryffindor table, or rather pushed and shoved their way to an empty set of seats. When they sat, all three whooshed a large sigh of relief. They might still be soaking wet from the downpour that had traveled north with them all afternoon, but the flood of bodies into the Great Hall had already created a surge of heat. Suddenly, silence fell upon the mass of students as Dumbledore rose gravely.
"I am pleased to see you all back at Hogwarts once again. Before the First Years are sorted, please let me ask you not to incite them to fear. Do not let stories grow out of proportion. The world faces a difficult situation, but hope will bind us together.
"Fear will tear us apart."
As he sat, Professor McGonagall led in a line of eleven-year-olds waiting to be sorted. With each passing year, Harry noticed, they seemed to grow shorter. Silently, they lined up at the foot of the high table, and the sorting hat burst into song.
"Do you hear the people sing Lost in the valley of the night It is the music of a people Who are climbing to the light For the wretched of the earth There is a flame that never dies Even the darkest night will end And the sun will rise
"They will live again in freedom They will walk behind the ploughshare They will put away the sword Their chain will be broken And all men will have their reward"
By now every adult in the hallway had stood up and joined in. Everyone was strangely harmonious, as though it were impossible to be out of tune.
"Will you join in our crusade Who will be strong and stand with me Somewhere beyond the barricade Is there a world you long to see Do you hear the people sing? Say, do you hear the distant drums? It is the future that they bring When tomorrow comes Tomorrow comes!
"Will you join in our crusade Who will be strong and stand with me Somewhere beyond the barricade Is there a world you long to see Do you hear the people sing? Say, do you hear the distant drums? It is the future that they bring When tomorrow comes Tomorrow comes!"
No one clapped, but sat stunned. Snape had quickly finished and sat down, before too many people realized he had stood in the first place. Then came a drawling voice from the Slytherin table, echoing in the silence.
"What is this, some sort of 'good guy recruiting party?' "
All eyes turned to stare at Draco Malfoy. McGonagall, however, turned back to her list and ignored him.
"Ansely, Jonathon," snapped the formidable transfigurations professor.
Once the sorting had finally ended, and every First Year had taken his or her seat, Dumbledore stood once again.
"First, I would like to introduce the new members of our staff. Professor Connolly - Defense Against the Dark Arts."
The woman sitting next to Snape stood only for a moment, then sat back down. She had thick, brown hair she had pulled quickly to the back of her head; several pieces were coming out, but she didn't seem to care. She was on the tall side, and muscularly built. Harry perceived her to be a bit eccentric.
"And the new teacher of Muggle Studies - Fritz Schulman, formerly of Germany's Magical Muggle Ambassadors Program."
The man on the other side of Professor Connolly stood and gave a slight inclination of his head before sitting back down. He was middle-aged, well- groomed with a toothbrush moustache. He gave off a definite aura of impeccability in contrast to the eccentric Professor Connolly. Once the applause had died down, the German smiled charismatically at the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. She smiled broadly back, but Snape looked on with a look of disgust, though Harry wasn't sure where it was directed.
duh
Harry, Ron and Hermione walked to the Gryffindor table, or rather pushed and shoved their way to an empty set of seats. When they sat, all three whooshed a large sigh of relief. They might still be soaking wet from the downpour that had traveled north with them all afternoon, but the flood of bodies into the Great Hall had already created a surge of heat. Suddenly, silence fell upon the mass of students as Dumbledore rose gravely.
"I am pleased to see you all back at Hogwarts once again. Before the First Years are sorted, please let me ask you not to incite them to fear. Do not let stories grow out of proportion. The world faces a difficult situation, but hope will bind us together.
"Fear will tear us apart."
As he sat, Professor McGonagall led in a line of eleven-year-olds waiting to be sorted. With each passing year, Harry noticed, they seemed to grow shorter. Silently, they lined up at the foot of the high table, and the sorting hat burst into song.
"Do you hear the people sing Lost in the valley of the night It is the music of a people Who are climbing to the light For the wretched of the earth There is a flame that never dies Even the darkest night will end And the sun will rise
"They will live again in freedom They will walk behind the ploughshare They will put away the sword Their chain will be broken And all men will have their reward"
By now every adult in the hallway had stood up and joined in. Everyone was strangely harmonious, as though it were impossible to be out of tune.
"Will you join in our crusade Who will be strong and stand with me Somewhere beyond the barricade Is there a world you long to see Do you hear the people sing? Say, do you hear the distant drums? It is the future that they bring When tomorrow comes Tomorrow comes!
"Will you join in our crusade Who will be strong and stand with me Somewhere beyond the barricade Is there a world you long to see Do you hear the people sing? Say, do you hear the distant drums? It is the future that they bring When tomorrow comes Tomorrow comes!"
No one clapped, but sat stunned. Snape had quickly finished and sat down, before too many people realized he had stood in the first place. Then came a drawling voice from the Slytherin table, echoing in the silence.
"What is this, some sort of 'good guy recruiting party?' "
All eyes turned to stare at Draco Malfoy. McGonagall, however, turned back to her list and ignored him.
"Ansely, Jonathon," snapped the formidable transfigurations professor.
Once the sorting had finally ended, and every First Year had taken his or her seat, Dumbledore stood once again.
"First, I would like to introduce the new members of our staff. Professor Connolly - Defense Against the Dark Arts."
The woman sitting next to Snape stood only for a moment, then sat back down. She had thick, brown hair she had pulled quickly to the back of her head; several pieces were coming out, but she didn't seem to care. She was on the tall side, and muscularly built. Harry perceived her to be a bit eccentric.
"And the new teacher of Muggle Studies - Fritz Schulman, formerly of Germany's Magical Muggle Ambassadors Program."
The man on the other side of Professor Connolly stood and gave a slight inclination of his head before sitting back down. He was middle-aged, well- groomed with a toothbrush moustache. He gave off a definite aura of impeccability in contrast to the eccentric Professor Connolly. Once the applause had died down, the German smiled charismatically at the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. She smiled broadly back, but Snape looked on with a look of disgust, though Harry wasn't sure where it was directed.
