Chapter Five – Sorting
A/N: The plot thickens! Oh, my. Anyway, my thanks to Child-of-the-Dawn, Asfaloth, Filodea, feMHC, Isis Malfoy, and Minerva of Tortall for cheering me on and encouraging me. Without their help, I wouldn't have gotten this far.
The note burst into flames, leaving a pile of ashes in front of Albus' plate. He raised a silver eyebrow. "Interesting."
Tracey straightened and stared up at him, surprised by his relative calm. On his other side, Minerva straightened as well, but she was not surprised. She merely gazed steadily at Albus until he looked at her. "Albus, you can't afford to take this lightly. Not with everything else that is going on."
He nodded. "I am not taking this lightly, Minerva, trust me."
She sighed and turned back to her meal. She _did_ trust him, and that was her problem.
Not long afterwards, the staff began leaving, one by one, until Albus, Minerva, Tracey, and Sarai were the only ones left. "Father?"
Albus looked at his daughter calmly. "Yes, Tracey?"
"That isn't the first threatening note you've received, is it?" Tracey asked quietly, looking very young to Minerva.
He sighed and shook his head. "No, and no one has followed through on any of the previous notes."
"That doesn't mean this one won't be an exception," Minerva lectured, eyeing the ashes with distaste.
He turned to Minerva and she froze as his bright blue gaze locked with, and held, her dark green one. "I have no intention of dropping dead within the next year, Minerva."
"That doesn't mean whoever wrote the note won't try to help you along, Uncle," Sarai volunteered quietly.
"Uncle?" Tracey asked, confused. "Am I missing something here?"
Sarai smiled across the other two at Tracey. "My mother's name is Artemis Kettleburn. She's older than Aunt Min by four years."
"That clears up why you call Professor McGonagall your aunt, but what about Father?" Tracey asked, staring intently at the newest member of the staff.
Minerva sighed and picked up the explanation. "Father and Albus met while they both attended Hogwarts. They became friends and Albus agreed to be the godfather to my siblings and I."
Tracey nodded. "How many brothers and sisters do you have, Professor?"
"I have two brothers and two sisters," Minerva replied. "Sarai has three brothers and two sisters."
"Oh." Tracey looked back down at her plate. She pushed her food around with her fork for a few moments before sighing and pushing the plate away. "I might as well go to my rooms. I haven't eaten a bite since the note came. Goodnight."
She stood and left. For some reason, Albus did not hurry to escort her. "Albus?"
His face was grave when he looked down at his Deputy. "I'm fine, Minerva."
She raised a skeptical eyebrow. "I don't believe you."
Neither noticed that Sarai had slipped away.
He chuckled without mirth. "You know me far too well, Minerva."
She shrugged and sipped at her pumpkin juice. "Only because I've known you for as long as I can remember."
He covered the hand on the arm of her chair with his own. "You're holding something back, Minerva. What is it?"
She withdrew her hand and stood up. "It's late, we should--"
"Minerva," his quiet voice stopped her in her tracks. "You're avoiding the question. Why?"
"I can't tell you, Albus," she answered softly, her back to him. "Good night."
"Good night."
* * *
Tracey continued to improve, but not as quickly as before. One only had to know of her relationship to the headmaster to understand why. Minerva was similarly distracted, although years of experience helped her to concentrate on the tasks at hand. Albus was not aware that his staff had mutually agreed to keep an eye out for possible attacks upon him. He only knew that he was rarely alone anymore. If Tracey wasn't with him, some member of the staff or another was. Minerva, Sarai, and Severus were his most constant companions after Tracey, although the others did their part.
At dinner one night, Sarai asked the question that Tracey had been asked many times already: "Miss Cooper, what House were you in?"
Tracey sighed. "I still can't remember. I'm working on it, though."
Sarai nodded and went back to her meal.
"I would imagine you were a Gryffindor like your father," Severus commented snidely.
"Professor?" He didn't look up, but his eyes slid her direction. "Stuff it."
Eyebrows rose up and down the table. That was the rudest Tracey had been to Severus ever since she'd arrived the month before. She calmly resumed eating. Severus showed no signs of having heard Tracey. Minerva and Sarai exchanged significant looks. Albus smiled behind his beard and continued to eat.
* * *
Tracey knew the basics of regular chess, but had never learned the finer points of the game. Recently, however, she'd decided it was time to learn and had spent many evenings either watching Minerva and Albus play or playing against one or the other. Tonight, she'd declined to play, preferring to brood as the other two played. Minerva often found the younger witch's presence distracting because she tended to chatter, but not tonight. She'd rarely said a word since she'd come in and sat down.
After Minerva's queen had dragged Albus' remaining bishop off the board, Albus spoke. "Tracey, is something wrong?"
She sighed and shook her head. "No, Father." She drummed her fingers on the arm of her chair, making it difficult for Minerva to concentrate. Minerva was on the verge of asking her to stop when she sat up and spoke again. "Actually, yes."
Albus glanced at Minerva, amused, before turning to Tracey. "And what _is_ wrong, Tracey?"
"I can't keep lying about not knowing which House I was in, Father," Tracey told him, playing with a lock of auburn hair. "The others will suspect something if I don't have an answer for them soon."
Albus leaned back in his chair as Minerva deliberated on her next move. "So, what do you propose to do, Tracey?"
Blue eyes met blue. "Let me put on the Sorting Hat, Father. I know everyone can't see me be Sorted, but at least you and Professor McGonagall can."
Albus sighed. "Tracey, are you sure of this? You know the song the Sorting Hat sang last year."
Tracey nodded. "Father, I _should_ have been Sorted years ago, but I wasn't. The staff, and students, will expect me to eventually remember. It is necessary."
Albus looked at his Deputy. "Minerva, a Sorting requires two witnesses."
She nodded in response to the unasked question. "I will act as the second witness."
"Very well." Albus led them into his office. A wave of his wand and a familiar stool appeared in front of his desk. "Tracey, have a seat." She sat, still playing with the lock of auburn hair. "Minerva?"
She pulled her wand from her pocket and transfigured the pale blue robes Tracey was wearing into the robes first year students typically wore before they were Sorted. Albus moved to stand in front of Tracey, holding the Sorting Hat in both hands. After a few moments of silence, the Sorting Hat spoke:
_Usually, I Sort students but once a year
To every rule, there is an exception
Belated though this Sorting may be,
I shall place you in the House best for you
Whether it shall be
Courageous, noble Gryffindor,
Wise, intelligent Ravenclaw,
Ambitious, cunning Slytherin,
Or patient, loyal Hufflepuff,
Is to be determined by you._
Minerva could only watch as Albus' eyes locked with his daughter's. "Are you ready, Tracey?"
"Ready, Father," Tracey replied.
Albus carefully placed the hat on his daughter's head. After a few minutes' worth of waiting that seemed to last an eternity, the Sorting Hat said one word: "Gryffindor."
Tears of joy were spilling down Tracey's cheeks when Albus removed the hat. "Oh, Father, I hoped it would be Gryffindor."
Albus smiled and returned his daughter's hug, tears trickling down his face and into his beard. "Congratulations, Tracey."
"Thank you, Father." Tracey was smiling in spite of her tears when she pulled away, hardly aware that Minerva had transfigured her robes back to what they had been. Tracey turned to the Deputy Headmistress. "Thank you, too, Professor."
"Why?" Minerva asked, startled.
"Just for being here," Tracey replied, and then hugged Minerva.
After a few shocked moments, Minerva returned the hug, fighting back the tears that suddenly threatened to fall down her cheeks. In less than two months, the young woman had managed to worm her way into Minerva's heart as the daughter she'd never had. "You're welcome, Miss Cooper."
Tracey pulled away and, favoring both with a last dazzling smile, she left for her rooms. "She loves you like a mother, Minerva."
Minerva turned away from him, trying desperately to control her emotions. Finally, she managed to speak. "She already has a mother, Albus."
"Not in this universe, Minerva." She shivered when his hand touched her shoulder, but did not turn around.
"It's late, I must go." She hurried for the door.
"Minerva." His quiet voice stopped her once more. He moved in front of her and tilted her chin up so his blue eyes bored into her green ones. "Why are you avoiding me?"
She struggled to find her voice. "I--I really must go,
Albus."
"Very well." He stepped aside. Breathing a sigh of relief, she hurried from his
office. Albus looked at the red and gold bird beside his office door once it
had closed. "I don't think I will ever understand women, Fawkes."
He crooned a low note as the Headmaster stroked his crest. The portraits of past Headmistresses on the walls giggled while the Headmasters nodded their agreement.
* * *
About a week before the students were due to arrive, Poppy again brought up the subject of Tracey's House. "Miss Cooper, have you remembered which House you were in yet?"
Tracey pretended to think for a moment, and then realization dawned. "Yes, I have actually."
She and Poppy stared at each other, determined not to give in. Sylvia decided the question when she asked, "And? Which House?"
Tracey smiled. "Gryffindor."
"Just as I thought," Severus murmured before taking a sip of his pumpkin juice. No sooner had he set it on the table than it rose into the air and dumped the rest of the juice on Severus' head.
Everyone stared at him, and then looked at Tracey. She was calmly eating, but the corners of her mouth kept twitching as if she was fighting back a smile. One by one, others fought back smiles of their own. Xiomara was the only one who didn't bother to hide her amusement, even as Severus rose and made as dignified an exit as he could while pumpkin juice was dripping off the end of his rather large nose. Xiomara followed shortly, presumably to help Severus clean up. Minerva shook her head and continued to eat.
* * *
As September first drew near, Tracey behaved rather oddly. She seemed to be of two minds about it. She both wanted it to arrive and dreaded its arrival. Albus would have appreciated his deputy's help in handling his daughter, but she kept her distance. It was as if she didn't _want_ to be a mother to Tracey. He sighed and shook his head.
When September first arrived, all of the teachers put on their finest robes and generally looked their best. Tracey spent hours preparing for the Feast, with some help from Minerva. "You must make every effort to look older, Miss Cooper, not younger."
Tracey sighed and rolled her eyes. "I know, Professor. Whenever I went shopping for clothes in the other universe, I spent ages finding clothes that would fit properly and not make me look like a little kid." She turned back to her reflection in the mirror. "There are times when I wouldn't mind being a little taller." She stood on tiptoe. "At least five feet."
Minerva placed her hands on the younger woman's shoulders and exerted enough pressure to make her stand flat-footed. "Unfortunately, you aren't, so make do with what you have."
Tracey rolled her eyes and let Minerva help her into her dress. "You sound like my mother." Minerva paused for a moment in the act of zipping up Tracey's dress, but the smaller woman didn't notice it. "She always told me that being short gave me an advantage with the men."
"Oh?" Minerva raised an eyebrow as Tracey smoothed the beige dress over her hips. "And what advantage would that be?"
Tracey's blue eyes were twinkling impishly as Minerva helped her slip on the deep crimson outer robe she'd chosen for the occasion, gold embroidery glinting at the ends of her sleeves and along the hem. "That I can marry a short man or a tall man."
Minerva's eyebrow rose higher. "And how is this an advantage?"
Tracey adjusted the outer robe one last time and turned to Minerva. "Men don't like having a woman tower over them, so short men tend to marry short women. Whereas tall men don't mind a woman who's shorter than them, so they can marry a short woman _or_ a tall woman."
Minerva smiled and watched as Tracey slipped her feet into a pair of beige pumps. "That's one way of looking at the situation."
Tracey laughed. "I suppose. She also used to say that good things came in small packages."
"Indeed?" Minerva studied the young woman closely as Tracey twirled around the room a few times to make her dress and outer robe flare out.
"Yeah," Tracey's eyes were dancing with mirth when she stopped and looked up at Minerva, "like dynamite and engagement rings."
"What's dynamite?" Minerva asked as Tracey sat down at her vanity.
"It's a Muggle invention that blows things up," Tracey explained as Minerva began brushing the younger woman's hair.
"Oh." Minerva set the brush aside and began to style the thick auburn locks.
* * *
Harry was silent during the train ride up to Hogwarts. His summer hadn't been that great, but it hadn't been too bad, either. He'd spent the first four weeks at the Dursleys, and then gone to the Burrow in time for his birthday. He'd spent most of his time brooding, but Ginny usually managed to pull him out of his funk. Ron and Hermione had tried, but it was Ginny who succeeded. Harry sighed and slumped in his seat.
"Harry? Are you all right?" Ginny's voice drew him from his thoughts.
"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied, forcing a smile.
The others looked at him skeptically, but knew better than to pressure him.
Harry leaned forward and pressed his face to the window to try to catch a glimpse of Hogwarts castle. He didn't really expect to, but it was nice to try. When the Hogwarts Express pulled into the Hogsmeade station, Harry was the first to climb off. He took deep breathes of the moist night air.
"Firs' years, this way! Firs' years!" Harry grinned as he looked around.
Towering above the students was, "Hagrid!"
"Hello, Harry!" Hagrid called back. "You three all righ'?"
Harry just waved and turned to join the others. In no time at all, they were seated in a carriage and trundling up to the castle. When the carriage came to a stop at the foot of the front steps, Harry was the first to jump out. He turned to help Ginny, who was then followed by Ron. In his turn, Ron turned back to help Hermione out. The four of them climbed the stone steps together, but Ron and Hermione lingered in the entrance hall to make sure no one was causing problems. Harry and Ginny continued into the Great Hall and found four seats at the Gryffindor table.
Harry looked up at the High Table and blinked. There were two new faces. The one sitting beside McGonagall's empty chair was a tall, slender witch in wine-red robes with toffee-colored skin and dark red hair that was almost brown. The other one was sitting on Dumbledore's other side, speaking quietly with him. She had auburn hair pulled back into a complicated-looking twist, and was wearing deep crimson robes over a beige dress. "Why are there two new staff members?"
"I have no idea," Ginny replied as Ron and Hermione sat down.
"What do you have no idea about, Ginny?" Ron asked, puzzled.
Hermione had already looked up at the High Table. "There're _two_ new staff members, Ron."
Ron followed Hermione's gaze. "I wonder why."
They weren't the only ones wondering about the two new additions to the teaching staff. All over the Great Hall, students were murmuring to each other and asking if anyone had heard of a new subject being offered. The murmurs died away when the doors opened and McGonagall entered, wearing her usual emerald green robes and leading the first years. They lined up in front of the High Table, facing their fellow students, and McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat on a stool in front of them.
Once all the students had been Sorted and McGonagall had taken away the Sorting Hat, Dumbledore stood up to address the students. "Welcome to Hogwarts, first years, and welcome back to the rest of you. There is a time for speeches to be made, but not just yet. Tuck in!"
The food appeared and all the students began to eat. Harry kept silent all through the meal, occasionally glancing up at the High Table. There was something about the auburn-haired witch that was awfully familiar. She talked cheerfully with Dumbledore on one side and Flitwick on the other. The other new professor talked with McGonagall, but pretty much ignored Snape, who sat on her other side. Shaking his head, Harry turned his attention to the selection of desserts that had appeared.
Finally, the last of the food disappeared from the platters, leaving the dishes sparkling. Dumbledore got to his feet once more to address the students. "I have a few announcements to make before we toddle off to bed." He cleared his throat. "First year students should note that the forest at the edge of the grounds is forbidden to all students, and some of our older students would do well to remember themselves." Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny all exchanged grins. "Mr. Filch, our caretaker, has asked me to remind you that magic is not permitted in the corridors between classes, and neither are a number of other items which can be found on a list posted on Mr. Filch's office door. We have two new staff members this year. Professor McBride will be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts--" the witch sitting beside McGonagall stood and dipped her head regally to the polite smattering of applause, "--and Professor Cooper will be assisting Professor McGonagall with Transfiguration--" more polite applause as the other witch stood to acknowledge the applause. Harry was surprised at how short she was. She couldn't possibly be much taller than either of the Creevy brothers. "And finally, all students who wish to try out for their House teams will need to speak with Madam Hooch. Off to bed with you now."
There was a murmur of voices as students got to their feet and started to leave the Great Hall. A gasp stopped everyone in their tracks and all eyes turned to the front of the room. Dumbledore had collapsed into a heap of midnight blue robes in front of his chair. This started a mass panic, but a few bangs from McGonagall's wand restored order. "Prefects, please escort your fellow students to their dormitories. I expect the Head Boy and Girl to see to it that _all_ students reach their dormitories. Go."
The students filed out of the Great Hall. Harry glanced back over his shoulder as he reached the doors and saw Madam Pomfrey tending to Dumbledore. Feeling as if his stomach was full of lead instead of food, Harry allowed himself to be carried along by the tide of students up to Gryffindor Tower.