After Limbo
Chapter Three
When they reached Hogwarts, The students could see four flying horses flying through the air pulling a carriage coming in to land at Hogwarts.
"It's happening" Harry breathed. Hermione squeezed his hand. She trusted him to make the right decisions.
"Well there's something you don't see every day" Neville said, pointing to the Black Lake. A large ship emerged from under the water and approached too.
After that, the students filed into the Great Hall and decided to watch the sorting. The hat began with its song.
"In times of old when I was new
And Hogwarts barely started
The Founders of our noble school
Thought never to be parted:
United by a common goal,
They had the selfsame yearning
To make the world's best magic school
And pass along their learning.
"Together we will build and teach!"
The Four good friends decided
And never did they dream that they
Might someday be divided,
For were there such friends anywhere
As Slytherin and Gryffindor?
Unless it was the second pair
Of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw?
So how could it have gone so wrong?
How could such friendships fail?
Why, I was there and so can tell
The whole sad, sorry tale.
Said Slytherin, "We'll teach just those
Whose ancestry is purest."
Said Ravenclaw, "We'll teach those whose
Intelligence is surest."
Said Gryffindor, "We'll teach all those
With brave deeds to their name,"
Said Hufflepuff, "I'll teach the lot,
And treat them just the same."
These differences caused little strife
When first they came to light,
For each of the four founders had
A House in which they might
Take only those they wanted, so,
For instance, Slytherin
Took only pure-blood wizards
Of great cunning, just like him,
And only those of sharpest mind
Were taught by Ravenclaw
While the bravest and the boldest
Went to daring Gryffindor,
Good Hufflepuff, she took the rest,
And taught them all she knew,
Thus the Houses and their founders
Retained friendships firm and true.
So Hogwarts worked in harmony
For several happy years,
But the discord crept among us
Feeding on our faults and fears.
The Houses that, like pillars four,
Had once held up our school,
Now turned upon each other and,
Divided, sought to rule.
And for a while it seemed the school
Must meet an early end,
What with dueling and with fighting
And the clash of friend on friend
And at last there came a morning
When old Slytherin departed
And though the fighting then died out
He left us quite downhearted.
And never since the founders four
Were whittled down to three
Have the Houses been united
And they once were meant to be.
And now the Sorting Hat is here
And you all know the score:
I sort you into Houses
Because that is what I'm for,
But this year I'll go further,
Listen closely to my song:
Though condemned I am to split you
Still I worry that it's wrong,
Though I must fulfill my duty
And must quarter every year
Still I wonder whether sorting
May not bring the end I fear.
Oh, know the perils, read the signs,
The warning history shows,
For our Hogwarts is in danger
From external, deadly foes
And we must unite inside her
Or we'll crumble from within
I have told you, I have warned you..
Let the sorting now begin"
The hall was silent, thinking of what the hat said. It sounded Ominous. The first years came forward and were sorted into their houses. Dumbledore stood.
"Now we're all settled in and sorted, I'd like to make an announcement. This castle will not only be your home this year but home to some very special guests as well. You see Hogwarts has been choosen..." A man ran up the aisle limping in a comical way, he whispered something to Dumbledore and left in the same fashion. Harry clenched his fist, but knew that he couldn't oust Crouch Jr. Not yet. He needed to be in that tournament. "So Hogwarts has been choosen to host a legendary event. The Tri-Wizard tournament. Now for those of you who do not know, the tri-wizard tournament brings together three schools for a series of magical contests. From each school a single contestant is selected to compete. Now let me be clear, if choosen you stand alone. And trust me when I say these contests are not for the faint hearted, but more of that later. For now please join me in welcoming the lovely ladies of the Beauxbatons Academy of magic and their headmistress Madam Maxime"
A group of girls dressed in blue danced up the aisle and released butterflies into the air. They bowed and everyone applauded.
"Blimey, that's one big woman" Lee Jordan whispered, eyeing the headmistress.
"And now our friends from the north, please greet the proud sons of Durmstrang and the high master Igor Karkaroff". A series of older boys walked up the aisle brandishing staffs, twirling them around and periodically stabbing them into the ground with a spark effect.
"Blimey it's him, Viktor Krum! The boys breathe some fire" Ron whispered, but no one was paying him any attention. Word had traveled that Ron had attacked Harry and everyone refused to sit with him. Ginny leveled him with a glare and he glared back. Everyone ate the scrumptious feast, before Dumbledore stood again.
"Your attention please! I would like to say a few words. Eternal glory, that is what awaits the student who wins the tri-wizard tournament. But to do this that student must survive three tasks. Three extremely dangerous tasks"
"Wicked" Fred and George said together.
"For this reason the ministry has seen fit to impose a new rule. To explain all this we have the head of the department of international magic cooperation Mister Bartimus Crouch" Dumbledore announced. Barty stood.
"After much deliberation the ministry has concluded that for their own safety no student under the age of seventeen shall be allowed to put forth their name for the tri-wizard tournament. This decision is final"
The crowd is unsettled, people were booing.
"That's rubbish! You don't know what you're doing!" George shouted. Harry hid a smile.
"Silence!" Dumbledore cast magic over a box which melded into a goblet containing a blue flame. " The goblet of fire. Anyone wishing to submit themselves for the tournament merely write their name upon a piece of parchment and throw it in the flame before this hour on Thursday night. Do not do so lightly, if choosen there's no turning back. As from this moment the tri-wizard tournament has begun"
