Law of Sevenfold

by Twinz of Trouble

DH spoilers. Set right after Deathly Hallows' epilogue. Snape didn't die but has refused to be head of Slytherin. When a child born to control death brings back some of those dead from the last war more deaths occur. Please r&r.

5

Chapter One: "The Sorting"

The Great Hall of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was slowly filling up as all of the second through seventh years entered through the doors to take their places at their House Tables. The tables were all covered with the hangings of the school colours. The teachers all sat, dressed in their best robes, at the long Staff Table at the front of the Hall, waiting for the first years to be sorted out through the houses.

Suddenly, the two large double doors at the far end of the Hall opened up and the tall frame of Professor Minerva McGonagall led the first years up to the front. McGonagall was both the Headmistress of the school and the head of Gryffindor house and had been conducting the sorting every year since she had first been appointed to a teaching post at the school.

She told the first years to stop near the staff table, then she placed a small, three-legged wooden stool on the ground and placed an old, battered, abused brown pointed hat on top of the stool. The hat had obviously seen better days.

The first year students stood, clustered in a small tight group, at the front of the Hall, near the small raised platform on which the Staff Table stood. Most of them were looking up at the teachers and other staff with worried looks on their faces. They all seemed to be either nervous to the point of collapse or radiating over confidence.

The older students chattered away at the tables, catching up on all that had happened to their friends over the summer. They all fell silent as the hat opened its wide, mouth-like brim. One first year girl shouted, "IT'S ALIVE!" before fainting.

The Sorting Hat then started its song:

For centuries I've stood

For Sorting out the best.

Your quick wit under robe's hood

Or brute strength will be the test.

The founders four uptook the best

To teach them all they knew.

The brave, well-witted and the rest

I'm still here to sort out you.

Now the song of time is sung

The Dark Lord is defeated,

The side of light has won

Let their anthem be repeated.

For almost twenty years it seemed

An uneasy peace would show

Until our power reconvened

To keep evil's forces hidden low.

When a source of power meets power,

A death controlling child's born

Her powers force all evil to cower,

To defeat a soul's been torn.

Now we're even still protected

That child's here; still unite within!

Now I have told you, I have said

Let this year's sorting now begin.

There was a burst of applause in the hall as the hat finished its song, but the applause was punctuated by loud whispers.

"Who's the child?"

"Student or teacher you think?"

"Is there a child?"

"What power met power?"

"What did it all mean you think?"

The students continued chatting away until McGonagall officially started the sorting, calling out "Samuel Adams!"

A young boy bounded up towards the stool. He had long black hair and wide black eyes. His pale skin seemed to glow and his face could have been considered handsome save for the long, hooked nose. The Sorting Hat had no sooner touched his head than it yelled, "GRYFFINDOR!"

He hopped off the stool and headed towards the scarlet and gold clad table on his left. The sorting continued without incident for a while, even sorting Matilda Hoppins, the girl who had fainted to Gryffindor, causing McGonagall to give a small, sad sounding sigh. McGonagall paused again, halfway down the list before calling, "Albus Potter!"

Albus walked up towards the stool, smiling at his brother's yelling. James was sitting at the Gryffindor table yelling at his brother to "Hurry up! I'm hungry!" Albus put the hat on his head and sat on the stool. After a moment's thought the hat called out "Slytherin!"

Albus looked at James and smiled at him as he walked towards the table on his right. He was worried James would hate him now, but James smiled back just as big.

The Sorting continued with Rose Weasley going to Ravenclaw and finally Austin Zealot to Slytherin.

McGonagall then took the hat and stool out of the room as one of the other teachers, Professor Jones of Muggle Studies, stood and brushed her long purple dyed hair back. "Well," she said, "that went well. Umm. I guess now it's time to dig in!" She sat down as McGonagall swept back up to the staff table and all five tables were unexpectedly filled with food of every kind.