Chapter 3 - Welcomes and Warnings
Later Barney, Thomas and Arlo had rejoined Theo and Gwen in the compartment and when the conductor announced they were nearly there and the train started to slow they changed into their robes, ready for the feast.
"I can't believe she did that to that poor girl's cat," Gwen fumed after being told about what had happened in the dining car.
"I hope someone tortures her," added Arlo still seething at what he had seen.
As the Hogwarts Express pulled to a stop in Hogsmeade station the platform descended into chaos as excited children clambered onto the platform. As usual Hagrid was there, towering above everyone else, to usher the first years down to the boats for their journey across the lake while the rest of the students were to take carriages.
Barney and his friends held back for a second waiting for the rush to die down before they exited the train. As they stood in the corridor looking out the window at the platform they saw Professor Grim pass by with her bag in hand. Every student seemed to be keeping out her way, allowing her to walk freely along the platform through the crowds. Clearly word had spread fast through the train of the incident in the dining car and no one wanted to cross paths with her.
Barney finally stepped off the train and there in the distance, silhouetted by the setting sun, he could see Hogwarts Castle, looking as magical as ever.
They took the magically drawn carriages (rumour had it that they were in fact pulled by an invisible creature) up to the castle gates before disembarking and heading inside ready for the Great Feast. Once inside the Great Hall Barney said goodbye to his friends and headed over to the Slytherin table.
"Over here Barney!" Everard Crane, a fellow sixth year Slytherin, shouted across the hall to him. "I've saved you a seat."
As Barney sat down next to him he thought back to his first year when none of the Slytherins wanted him to be in their house, let alone sit next to them. But things had changed a lot since then.
Everyone chatted amongst themselves as the rest of the students and teachers arrived before finally Madame Hooch entered and led the first years down the middle of the hall with all eyes on them and stopped them in front of a stool. On the stool was the rather worn and battered Sorting Hat.
The room fell silent as everyone waited before the Sorting Hat let out a splutter to clear it's throat and it began to sing:
Welcome, welcome to one and all,
To the warmth and merriment of this Great Hall.
Hogwarts School will help you become,
Great Witches and Wizards and then some.
It will teach you spells and potions galore,
Knowledge that you will treasure forever more.
And here before me you all wait,
But soon you will find out your fate.
As those who came before you have done so,
Into the four Hogwarts' houses you must go.
Now it is my job for me to see.
But which house will it be?
Gryffindor or Slytherin might suit you,
Or Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw it could be too.
Playing fair is what Hufflepuff are known for,
Whereas helping others is classic Gryffindor.
Those with knowledge might be a Ravenclaw,
But Slytherin are ambitious and always want more.
Now finally before I make my decision,
I have had a terrible vision.
Please forgive me as I don't mean to scare,
But dark times are coming beware, beware!
Those last words echoed through the Great Hall. Though everyone in there had already been silent listening to the hat sing, now there was a different sort of silence. A stunned and in shock silence as Professors McGonagall and Sinistra rushed over to the sorting hat. Professor Sinistra picked up the hat and hurriedly took it out of the hall as McGonagall turned to face the students.
"Who did this?" she bellowed. "Who bewitched the Sorting Hat to say that? Whoever it was you will be in immense trouble!"
Her face was full of fury as she spoke but still there was a stunned silence in the hall. Even the rest of the teachers looked on in shock.
Professor McGonagall turned and departed the hall the same way Sinistra had gone while Professors Featherstone and Sprout quickly headed over to the rather anxious first years to reassure them everything was alright. Soon there were murmurs around the hall as students discussed what they had just heard.
"What do you think the hat saw?" Genevieve Burns, a fellow sixth year Slytherin who was sat across from Barney said.
"What do you think it means? Are we in danger?" another student asked and Barney himself was wondering just that.
After a few minutes Professor McGonagall re-entered the Great Hall with Professor Sinistra close behind, carrying the sorting hat. Once more silence fell on the hall as everyone watched Sinistra place the hat back on the stool where a bunch of now terrified first years still stood waiting.
"The sorting ceremony will now begin," Professor McGonagall announced and said no more as she walked behind the teacher's table and took her seat.
Professor Sinistra stood beside the Sorting Hat and magically produced a roll of parchment that she began to unravel.
"Now first years when I call your name please come up, sit on the stall and place the hat on your head. Once the hat has made it's decision you will then join your respective house table." Sinistra took a brief pause before continuing. "Alton, Nicholas."
A small boy with long blond hair stepped up to be sorted. Usually the sorting ceremony was filled with excitement but there was a tinge of trepidation in the air after the hat's words of warning. As one by one the first years were sorted and joined their new houses there wasn't the usual hollering and cheering as in previous years. This year it was much more muted. Everyone was still wondering what the hat was trying to warn them about.
Slowly the empty seats at the Slytherin table filled up. And though there were no new muggle-borns joining the house this year (Barney was still the only one in Slytherin) he was glad to see there were more half-bloods arrivals than pure bloods this year for the first time ever.
Once the last student had been sorted into Gryffindor, Professor Sinistra rolled the parchment back up and removed the Sorting Hat and stool and placed them to one side as Professor McGonagall, who still looked furious, made her way to address everyone.
"Good evening students," she said rather solemnly. "And welcome to another year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. To those that have not met me yet I am Professor McGonagall, headmistress. And as much pleasure as I take in seeing you all here today I severely hope I don't have to end up seeing any of you in my office."
There was a stilted laughter which eased the tension a little and Barney thought to how many times he'd ended up in the headmistress' office.
"As well as our many new first years we have some more new arrivals with us," she continued. "Firstly as some of you may have heard, Professor Flitwick was involved in an incident in The Leaky Cauldron only a few days ago. It would seem, under the influence of honey ale might I add, that after a heated debate about the merits of the Tarantallegra charm, he challenged a stranger to a duel. Needless to say Professor Flitwick lost when the stranger cast a rather impressive shrinking charm on him. Now Professor Flitwick not being the tallest professor anyway was unfortunately reduced to the size of a mouse."
This comment got a more raucous laugh from the hall
"All efforts so far to reverse the charm have proven ineffective and the stranger disappeared before he could reverse it himself so unfortunately Professor Flitwick can do nothing but wait patiently to grow back to his normal size. But that said I am pleased to welcome a ... er capable Charms teacher in the shape of Professor Pomperduke, who was able to come on board at such short notice."
A small round of applause started as a very tall man stood up at the teacher's table, who looked barely old enough to be a teacher. He had very long and curly strawberry blond hair that he had to keep moving out of his eyes so he could see. Pomperduke rather nervously waved to the students before quickly sitting back down again. McGonagall seemed to roll her eyes before she continued with her speech.
"And we are also welcoming a new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. So please give a warm welcome to Professor Grim."
The welcome was nothing but warm as Grim stood and seemed to sneer at everyone as if she didn't want to be there and had better things to be doing with her time. The was no clapping for her. Only grumbles and whispered moans though Professor Grim didn't seem to care.
Professor McGonagall quickly continued as Grim sat back down.
"And for those that are wondering Professor McDougall is still in a coma in St Mungos and I'm sure you'll all join me in continuing to wish him a speedy recovery."
There was some clapping from students and teachers as they remember the fate of the last Dark Arts teacher.
"As well as our two new teachers I'm also excited to be welcoming our guests from across the ocean."
As she spoke the doors to the Great Hall burst open and in walked a rather handsome young man in his thirties, who had short brown hair parted in the middle and deep blue eyes that seemed to twinkle. Followed closely behind him were four new students.
"Please give a warm Hogwarts welcome to our friends from Ilvermorny - Professor Night and students Conrad Lynch, Ottomaya Bay, Velyan Dagon and Viola Dagon."
There was a rapturous round of applause as the five new arrivals made their way up towards Professor McGonagall who shook hands with Night.
"Wait did she say Dagon?" Everard asked as he looked around at his fellow Slytherins.
"Yes I think she did," another Slytherin replied.
"Who are the Dagons?" Barney asked feeling a little slow on the uptake despite everyone else on the table around him seeming rather excited by the name.
"Dagon are only one of the most wealthy and powerful wizarding families in the whole of America," Everard replied as he enthusiastically clapped their arrival and everyone started to stand and clap even louder.
Finally when the applause had died down and everyone had taken their seats again McGonagall began to speak again as the new arrivals stood by her side.
"These four students are here on exchange with Ilvermorny receiving Martha, Lola, Eustice and Julian from our own sixth year. But we are getting the bonus of Professor Night, a very accomplished wizard who will be taking Potion classes and Defence Against the Dark Arts along with Professors Slughorn and Grim respectively."
Barney had completely forgotten about the exchange scheme which had been announced last term. He had decided not to apply for it himself as he didn't want to give up a whole year of being at Hogwarts, which he enjoyed very much. But he was relieved to know that all his Dark Arts lessons weren't going to be with Professor Grim.
"Professor Sinistra would you please?" McGonagall asked and Sinistra brought the Sorting Hat and the stool back over and placed it in front of her. "As these are four new students to Hogwarts they will each need to be placed into a house."
"I hope we get one of the Dagons," Everard said rather excitedly as there was a new energy around the hall.
"Bay, Ottomaya," Professor McGonagall announced and a girl with long black hair in cornrows rather nervously sat down on the stool and McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat on her head.
"Interesting," the Sorting Hat declared as it began to ponder. "There's so much in you, you could easily go in one of two houses."
The girl looked even more nervous now and no one would have been surprised if she had thrown up right there and then.
"Yes it's so hard to decide for you. But you have great wisdom and skill for a girl of your age. So I shall have to put you in Ravenclaw!"
The girl let out a sigh of relief as the Ravenclaw table stood and applauded and McGonagall removed the hat from her head and motioned for her to go join her new house.
"Dagon, Velyan," McGonagall said next.
A tall, slim boy with red hair that was slicked back took to the stool and the hat was placed on his head.
"My my, definitely some talent here that's for sure," the hat cried out immediately. "Oh yes you're very ambitious. In fact you're probably the most ambitious person I've ever met. There's no other place for you than Slytherin!"
The Slytherin table erupted in a flurry of cheers, everyone seemingly over the moon at their new arrival as Velyan walked over and quickly students made space for him to take a seat at the middle of the table and everyone wanted to be the first to introduce themselves.
"Dagon, Viola," McGonagall said, continuing with the house sorting.
A girl with long red hair, freckles and bright green eyes was next to find out her house.
"Hmmm... another Dagon," the Sorting Hat declared. "But you're very different to your brother that's for sure. No you definitely won't be joining him in Slytherin."
There was a unified sigh of disappointment from the Slytherin table at the Sorting Hat's words.
"Let me see. What's your greatest strength? Loyal to the end? You'll make a fine Hufflepuff!"
Thomas and Tabitha joined the rest of the Hufflepuff table in getting to their feet and cheering loudly for their newest member who seemed relived and overjoyed to be joining them. Soon Viola was being hugged by what seemed like the whole house.
The last exchange student, Conrad Lynch took a seat on the stool after Professor McGonagall had called him name. He was tall and rather well built for his age and had short brown hair, a rather chiselled face with handsome features and glasses. A lot of the girls (and some boys) around the hall were definitely keen to have him in their house.
"Well this one is easy," the hat said at once. "Brave and chivalrous. You're a born Gryffindor!"
There was more clapping and cheering as Conrad joined the Gryffindor house and once again Professor Sinistra removed the Sorting Hat and stool and then showed Professor Night to his seat at the teacher's table.
"Hush now every just a few more announcements," McGonagall said trying to calm the fevered excitement that now filled the room. "First-years should note that the forest in the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of term. Any student wishing to try out should speak to Madam Hooch. And tomorrow special activities have been lined up for each year group to take part in before lessons begin formerly on Monday. Finally..." she said and her tone changed dramatically, "please let me reassure you that pranks that are designed to frighten and scare will not be tolerated. Anyone found to be doing such will be punished."
McGonagall let her last words hang in the air for a few seconds so they really settled in before she clapped her hands and said "let the feast begin."
All the tables magically filled with all sorts of food imaginable and the hungry students started to dig in, loading up their plates with mounds and mounds of delicious things. As Barney was spooning on some mash potato on to his plate he looked across to Velyan Dagon who was sat a few places opposite him and smiled at him when he caught his eye and was relieved that he smiled back. Barney didn't know anything about the Dagon family or what their views were on muggle-borns, but he was hoping he'd be as tolerant as all the other Slytherins now were.
As Barney ate and chatted with his friends around him the words of the Sorting Hat still lingered in the back of his mind. Had the Sorting Hat really been bewitched? Was it just a prank? Or were there really dark times ahead?