A/N: HUGE THANK YOU TO SISSY for being the 35TH REVIEWER!!!!!!! Thanks to everyone that has reviewed thus far. Read my other story PLEASE!! I only have one review so far. L It is called The Marauders Minus One. It is Lily and James first year- Harry's fifth without Peter Pettigrew. PLEASE REVIEW THIS CHAPTER!!!!!!!!!!
Chapter 12, The Sorting
The kids had no lessons that Monday because the rest of the students would be arriving that night. They played chess and exploding snap a lot though. Professor McGonagall came in about six and gave them each schedules for their summer courses, Ginny had finally spilled the beans to Harry about the Weasleys' lessons. They had to continue all of their lessons except Occlumency and Legilimency, which all of the kids passed with flying colors.
Fred and George got a portkey to their new house that they shared in Hogsmeade. Then at seven, the two remaining couples headed down to the Great Hall five minutes before everybody else. As they started filing in, Neville came bounding over.
"Harry, guess what? I brewed several potions over the summer because Gran was ill and I didn't screw up once!" Neville shouted excitedly. "On the train I managed to put Malfoy in the full body bind as well! It's this new wand, like Ollivander said, it's the wand that chooses the wizard and I'm loads better with this one!" he continued ecstatically.
"That's great Neville." Harry said enthusiastically while noticing the drastic change in Neville Longbottom's features. He no longer was pudgy, but very muscular and his thin, lank hair had thickened and grown wavy over the summer. He had, in fact, grown quite handsome. He also had a terrific tan. (A/N-Harry IS NOT gay, I am merely commenting on the fact that Neville is no longer invisible to the opposite sex.)
Next Harry saw the one person he hated above all others at Hogwarts, Draco Malfoy. This Malfoy was different however. This Malfoy's hair was no longer immaculate, no longer combed to perfection. This Malfoy's eyes didn't dance with the cold, dark hatred that the old Malfoy had. Of course, this Malfoy had had to stay with his father in Azkaban until they escaped because his mother couldn't be bothered. This Malfoy was one that had spent a month and a half in the dreaded Azkaban Prison.
Harry just sat there staring at his archenemy. He couldn't believe how different Malfoy could be.
"What're you staring at, Potter?" Malfoy demanded, his trademark sneer returning full force.
"Shut it Malfoy. You're not looking too good today, what's wrong, you have too much contact with a 'mudblood'" Harry retorted angrily.
Just then a line of petrified-looking first years walked into the Great Hall, every one of them staring apprehensively at the rest of the student body. At that moment, Harry let out a very audible gasp, for at the end of the line was a kid that lived in his neighborhood, Mark Evans.
Then McGonagall placed the old frayed and tattered Sorting Hat of the three legged stool and the hat burst into song.
A thousand years or more ago,
When I was newly sewn,
There lived four wizards of renoun,
Whose names are still well known,
Bold Gryffindor from wild moor,
Fair Ravenclaw from glen,
Sweet Hufflepuff from valley broad,
Shrewd Slytherin from fen,
They shared a wish, a hope, a dream,
They hatched a daring plan,
To educate young sorcerers,
Thus Hogwarts School began,
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 just 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 all the same."
These differences caused little strife
When first they came to light,
For each the four founders had
A House in which they might
Take only those they wanted, so,
For instance, Slytherin
Took only pureblood 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 then 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 thought 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
As they were once 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.
(A/N: I couldn't think of a song so I mixed and matched the songs from books 4 and 5. Hope you liked it.)
The hat fell silent and an awed silence fell upon the hall. The hat had now given advice two years running, what was going on? But, as always, everyone broke into applause after about 15 seconds of stunned silence. Then Professor McGonagall started reading names off her scroll.
"Abbot, Henry." McGonagall barked as a small blond boy sprinted up to the stool and jammed the hat on his head eagerly.
"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat shouted after 30 seconds of deliberation. Harry and his friends burst into applause along with Hannah Abbot of Hufflepuff, though she looked slightly hurt that her brother got into Gryffindor.
"Brawley, Ariel." McGonagall shouted as the applause subsided. An Irish girl with amazing dark auburn hair nervously walked to the stool. She placed the hat on her head and waited for an entire minute before----
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
The Hufflepuffs clapped madly.
"Evans, Mark" McGonagall yelled. A small child, couldn't be more than four and a half feet tall, with vibrant auburn hair rushed up extremely nervously. He, having come from a muggle family, had the same fears that Harry had had in his first year. Everyone held their breath as the hat took a minute and a half to decide for the small boy.
Finally, "GRYFFINDOR!"
The entire table burst into a roaring applause for the small boy, who Harry beckoned over. The small boy, relieved that someone like him lived in his neighborhood, darted towards Harry.
"Hi Harry, I didn't know you went here, I thought you went to St. Brutus'." Mark said nervously.
"That is what my aunt and uncle want people to think, they hate magic." Harry answered kindly before introducing his friends to the frightened child. Finally they looked back up at the sorting.
"Malfoy, Rose" McGonagall shouted. (a/n I know, I know Malfoy's an only child, but I need this kid)
Rose was a tall child with bleach blond hair like her Dracos' but her eyes danced with a very different light, hers was warm and ecstatic, not cold and dark. She had definitely avoided Azkaban somehow because her eyes were alive with laughter. She jammed the large hat onto her head and waited. And waited. And waited. Finally….
"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat shouted to everyone's amazement and disbelief. Everyone had assumed that the girl would be instantly put into Slytherin with her evil brother, though her brother didn't look so evil today, just very sad.
"Paller, Hilary"
"RAVENCLAW!"
"Reitz, Paige"
"GRYFFINDOR!"
"Saren, Cortni"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
"Tenry, Glen"
"SLYTHERIN!"
"Vander, Emily"
"SLYTHERIN!"
"Walen, Carrie.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
"Zancer, Alison"
"RAVENCLAW!"
The sorting ended with a resounding applause through the hall before Dumbledore rose to make his speech. Then all conversation came to a screeching halt.