Chapter 7

"Welcome once again for yet another year of schooling. We will begin with the traditional sorting," Dumbledore's voice rang through the hall. Professor McGonagall placed the worn hat upon the stool and allowed the first years in. Then everyone waited to hear the song. It opened at the brim and began to sing:

Today is the day for you youngsters

to start upon your way.

To knowledge and riches,

that only education can play.

However, I have to sort you,

into houses of your own.

At a time when there is dire need

of unity all it's own.

Voldemort has come again,

to kill and to destroy.

The only way to defeat him

is through unity and joy.

Joy will be hard to find,

I kid you not.

Yet unity is what you'll need

to get through this awful lot.

The founders of this school,

knew at one time,

that this school would have to unite

against the danger of a dark lord.

They knew, and yet decided

to sort you into different houses

Nothing can be done,

I have to follow the rules.

So tonight I shall sort you

into the houses each

But as I tell of their differences

I shall show you how to be

united together

but it is your choice to do

as I so eagerly recommend.

You may be placed in Gryffindor

where the brave and loyal dwell

Or you may be placed in Slytherin

where the cunning folks live

Or perhaps even in Ravenclaw

where their brains earn their keep

Or even in Hufflepuff

where the loyal and kind take sleep.

No matter where you're sorted

you'll need all these things

in order to defeat Voldemort,

in order to live past this year

and into the others that lay ahead.

Do as I say or die by your wands,

this is my plea to you.

Begin your ties, start unity

Or I will never sing to you

about these houses so dear and true

For Hogwarts will be destroyed.

It's happiness and love will be gone

and you will all be toys

for the man that uses division

as his loyal friend.

It's your choice. Chose wisely children. Or it will be the end.

They all sat in silence, just staring at the hat. Never before had he said the Dark Lord's name, let alone such a chilling song. Not even last year when it pressed for interhouse unity, as it did again this year. Professor McGonagall walked up and read each student's name and placed the hat upon its head. Yet, instead of the cheering there was dead silence as each student was sorted into their respective houses.

At the end of the sorting, Dumbledore stood up and looked at them all.

"Let us not be disturbed by the Sorting Hat's song. Yet, keep it in mind. Interhouse unity is something that the hat has been pushing for and it is true. As I told you all at the end of the school year that united we can stand, but divided we will fall. Just keep that in mind. Now, enjoy and celebrate with your friends. Tuck in!"

Food appeared upon their plates and the normal roar of students filled the air.

"That was such a scary song!" Ginny exclaimed as she put potatoes on her plate.

"Ishn't ishat geating wooarsa?" Ron asked. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Swallow please," she commanded.

"I said isn't it getting worse?"

"What? The song?" Harry asked him.

"The fear." They nodded.

"They have nothing to fear," Harry mumbled. Ginny placed a hand upon his knee and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Why do you say that?" She asked him.

"Nothing... Forget I said it."

"It's because you have to fight him," Hermione said knowingly. He looked up at her, then realized that it was because he had to fight Voldemort all this time, not because she had any idea what the prophecy was.

"Yeah," he said softly.

"You don't fight alone. Let's restart up the D.A. Come on, we need to. It would promote Interhouse unity too. I'm sure Dumbledore would let us," Ginny suggested.

"Yes, but not under Dumbledore's Army. It would have to be the Defense Army. If word got to Fudge that Dumbledore had allowed the army to start up again under his name then all hell would break loose," Ron said.

"Well, that's what we're going to do. Send out the word. First meeting is thursday," Harry said. They nodded and then dug into their dinners.

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"Now, I know that we usually don't have this meeting right away, but there is something that we need to speak about," Dumbledore addressed the teachers in the teacher's lounge. They all were sitting around in comfortable positions, watching the twinkle in his eye.

"It seems to me that a certain Ms. Weasley and a certain Mr. Potter have gotten together over the summer, which is what we all had wanted of course. However, a certain Mr. Weasley an a certain Ms. Granger have not. Now, according to my sources Ms. Granger has realized her love for Mr. Weasley, but he has not realized it in turn. Thus, Ms. Weasley and Mr. Potter, along with other members, have been trying to give them a certain amount of space as it were. However, I think we as teachers need to step it up a notch. Put them together in partnerships all year long."

"Why do we bloody care about the love lives of four children?" Snape snapped from his seat.

"You may not have an ounce of a heart in your body Severus, but the rest of us do. Those four are like our very own!" Minerva argued.

"Do I have to be a part of this meeting if this is all you're going to talk about?" Severus sneered.

"Come come come, why must you always be so horrible about such things!" Flitwick

"Why must we care at all! I mean really... It's so annoying. Potter Potter Potter Potter... Weasley Weasley Weasley... Granger Granger Granger. It gets sickening!" Severus argued.

"You should let him leave. He's only going to be a prat!" Hooch said to Dumbledore.

"No. He needs to stay and listen to what I have planned out," Dumbledore said simply.

"Perhaps you need a little lesson on the heart, Severus," Minerva said to him.

"Ha ha ha, very funny Minerva."

"No that's an excellent suggestion. Minerva you have a new pupil. I want you to teach Severus to have a heart," Dumbledore said, a twinkle in his eye.

"What!" They exclaimed together.

"You heard me. Now back to my plan..."