Chapter 2, A new hat
Everyone was sat comfortably in the Great Hall; after the battle it had been rebuilt with some new features, for example or the windows were replaced with stained glass windows of house emblems that moved around and stone sculptures of a lion, snake, eagle and badger stood in each corner on the largest window there was also a stained glass window of the Hogwarts crest that also moved.
The first years however were lining up just outside about to be sorted. The sorting hat however had been severely burned in the battle and was therefore out of action in the headmistress' office although it still gives out handy advice in the form of a song at the start of the year. So because of this a new system was implemented; four hats sat on separate stools but these were no ordinary hats. One had a roaring lion on, (it had been given freely to the school by a Miss Luna Lovegood who had originally suggested the idea) another had a green serpent coiled around, another a badger and finally a majestic eagle about to take flight. Each student would step up to the hats and place each one on their head until they were accepted by one of the houses.
The deputy head, Professor Phillip Jacks stood just behind the stools and began to call the names.
"Alms, David" he shouted in his soft gentle voice and David came and sat underneath each hat until a soft hiss echoed around the hall, "Slytherin!" called Professor Jacks and a cheer went up from the Slytherin table, He then continued to call the names.
Teddy looked around anxiously from the Hufflepuff table to try and find his cousins Rose and Albus in the queue of first years but unfortunately he could not see them as he was at the farthest end of the hall but he could quite clearly see Victoire over on the Gryffindor table on the other side of the hall. After a while he heard Jacks call "Potter, Albus" and instantly there was whispering all throughout the hall, doubtless everyone had heard the tale of how Harry Potter had defeated he who must not be named and of course everyone had heard of Albus Dumbledore, but few people knew the origin of his middle name, Severus.
Albus sat awkwardly under all the hats until there was a rumbling roar that shook the hall and Phillip Jacks called "Gryffindor!" Albus ran with a beaming look on his face over to the cheering table and immediately began chatting with his new housemates, a few minutes later Professor Jacks was nearing the end of the list and he called out tediously "Weasley, Rose" and so Rose nervously crept up to the hats and placed each one on her head and when she reached the deep blue Ravenclaw hat a screeching caw rang through the hall and Jacks again called "Ravenclaw!" this did not surprise Teddy as he knew she had inherited her mother's brains.
Just then Professor McGonagall rose from her seat and called out "May I have your attention please. The sorting hat will sing his song now and then we shall feast but before that let us take time as is tradition to remember those who fought for us." The hall fell into a solemn silence, after a minute the crumpled and singed hat began to croak…
"Now here's a song from me to you,
of greenest grass and sky's so blue,
Hogwarts school, a magical place
who knows what challenges you may face?
Full of ghouls and magic and ghosts,
some of bone and some of stone
the forest hides in its leaves.
Beware, beware you might not leave
for stone lies alone forgotten and buried
for all we know there could be many.
So do not fear for you are here in Hogwarts
the safest place of all
for among these hallowed halls.
Many a thing can happen."
A round of applause echoed throughout the hall and McGonagall clapped her hands together twice and suddenly the tables were filled with the most delicious food anyone had ever seen, the look on the first years faces was a beautiful look of amazement and awe. "Tuck in!" called Professor McGonagall and everyone began to shovel food onto their plates.