Chapter Title: Sorting through Confusion

Author: Sam

Story: Harry Potter and Dumbledore's Army: 08 / ?

Chapter Setting: Wednesday, September 1, 1995: Hogwarts Dining Hall

Chapter Summary: This Sorting is unlike any Harry has ever attended before.

Feedback: Please? I love comments.

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Harry frowned as Professor Minerva McGonagall slipped into the room and went to speak to Professor Dumbledore rather than lead the new students in. Next to Dumbledore, the small, squat Dolores Umbridge from Harry's trial listened intently to whatever McGonagall said. Finally, Dumbledore nodded and McGonagall moved off to speak quietly to Madame Pomfrey, the extremely capable school healer.

A surge of fear shot through Harry. What had happened? Had someone gotten hurt? Had the first years been attacked? He turned to Hermione and Ron but both watched the clear space in front of the main table, so Harry sighed and turned back.

McGonagall moved to the cleared area and placed the traditional stool there. She faced the great doors as they swung open and two lines of students nervously marched down the center aisle, an occasional muffled sneeze punctuated their steps.

Once again, Harry turned to frown at his friends who looked just as puzzled as he felt. Neville gulped, Adam's apple bobbing.

Finally, when the first years and transfers were lined up before the raised teachers' table, McGonagall placed the ragged Sorting Hat on the stool and stepped back. It began to sing. The song sounded a warning unlike the songs of previous years Harry had heard. When it fell silent, McGonagall stepped forward, a long parchment in one hand. She lifted the Hat and called, without looking at the scroll, "Depati, Dmitri."

Extremely wet, though without the blanket, the tall teenager of Indian descent strode forward, covering a sneeze in one elbow.

Harry looked at the others. "Maybe the transfers are sorted first?" he asked then looked back up at the drenched boy.

Dmitri sat on the stool and McGonagall carefully placed the hat on his head. A few seconds passed. Suddenly the hat called out a name just as Dmitri sneezed loudly. Eyes watering, he looked apologetically up at the startled Professor while the hat, in a rather affronted, choked voice, repeated "Hufflepuff!"

Rather than hurrying to join his new house, Dmitri stood and turned to greet Madame Pomfrey, who led him from the room.

Harry and Hermione exchanged looks.

McGonagall opened the list and read off "Ambercrombie, Euan."

A small first year student hurried over to slip onto the stool, fear evident in his young face. The hat seemed to still be offended by having its first announcement covered with a sneeze because it spoke again in that same strangled tone. "Hufflepuff!"

The Hufflepuff table, having recovered from the shock of the ill transfer student, applauded and welcomed the boy into their midst.

Three more students were sorted into Hufflepuff and confused whispers began among the tables of the remaining three classes. McGonagall had a sour look on her face as she placed the hat on "Dunraven, Amanda."

The hat called out "Hufflepuff!"

Neville applauded but looked disappointed that his cousin hadn't gotten Gryffindor.

Harry looked over to Professor Dumbledore to see his reaction, but the headmaster didn't meet his eyes. Rather, Dumbledore leaned down to listen to some comment Umbridge made next to him. Frowning, Harry turned his attention back to the hat and the next boy it sorted, unbelievably again into Hufflepuff.

"Oh, I cannot believe this," Hermione whispered. "It calls for equality then purposefully sorts everyone into the same House? That won't sit well."

Ron looked surprised. "It can do that? I mean ignore where everyone's supposed to go and put them all in Hufflepuff?"

With a frown, Neville glanced to the slowly filling table of yellow and black clad students. "Apparently it can," he whispered as another girl was sorted to Hufflepuff . . . and still no one for any other house.

The second transfer student stepped forward as Professor McGonagall called, "Kurose, Ayune." And, yet again, Hufflepuff was the answer. Whispers began to range over the professors' table as well as those of the students.

Half the students had been sorted, all into the one House, when McGonagall cleared her throat and said "Malfoy, Emiliana."

A grin spread across Draco Malfoy's pinched face as his cousin smiled and practically bounced over to the stool. She sat neatly, smoothing her skirt, and turned her smile up to McGonagall as the professor lowered the hat onto Emily's pale blonde braids. Without pause, practically before the hat lowered, it screamed out "Hufflepuff!"

Sporadic applause rippled through the room and pure horror crossed Draco's features. Emily stood, still smiling, and began on her way to join all the other new students. Silence descended though when Dumbledore rose to his feet and lifted his hands. Emily froze directly in front of Slytherin table.

"That will be quite enough." Dumbledore said clearly. "You've had your little amusement, Peeves, now leave the Great Hall, please."

The short fat poltergeist in the fez flew out of the hat with a loud delighted cackle. Shock coursed over the room as Peeves swooped past a series of candles, knocking them over and giggling wildly as Professor Vector sprang forward to catch the dropping missiles with a flick of her wand. The doors flew open and Peeves soared out, doors slamming behind him.

Silence fell and everyone turned to Dumbledore for instruction. He smiled and calmly said, "as much as I admire Hufflepuff house, I believe a proper Sorting is in order. If you would call back our newest students, Professor McGonagall . . ."

McGonagall coughed lightly and turned. "All of those sorted today please return to the front. Hurry now."

Hermione leaned forward with a fierce frown. "I think Peeves is getting out of control. Interrupting the Sorting is . . . well . . . iwrong/i." She glared back to the doors as if the poltergeist could feel her animosity through the solid wood.

Ron groaned, stomach growling quite audibly. "We've gotta go through the entire Sorting again?"

Turning her glare on Ron, Hermione hissed "well, we don't want iPeeves/i to sort them do we?"

"No," he agreed reluctantly eyeing the number of students re-gathering in front of the teachers' table once more.

McGonagall cleared her throat and the hall fell silent. Lifting her scroll she called "Ambercrombie . . ."

The first year boy hurried over before she'd finished speaking and slipped onto the stool. This time the hat called "Gryffindor" and, relieved, the entire Hall erupted into applause for the flustered boy. McGonagall proceeded; the Sorting went along well with all four Houses getting a fair share of students this time. At the name "Depati, Dmitri," the Transfiguration Professor merely sighed and muttered "hospital wing." She then read "Dunraven, Amanda."

Manda strode forward confidently once more, throwing a smile towards the back of the room where Jonathan Dunraven stood next to the aged, rumpled figure of Argus Filch, the school's caretaker. Sitting on the stool, Manda calmly nodded when the hat screamed "Slytherin!"

Neville groaned and buried his face in his hands. "I knew she'd get in trouble . . ." he moaned.

Surprised, Harry glanced back and saw Jonathan merely nod once in silent acceptance of his daughter's new assignment. Harry looked towards the front table where he caught sight of Severus Snape smiling in a rather smug way and making a comment to Professor Sinistra next to him. Feeling uneasy, Harry looked back to the group of new students. He politely applauded as a boy legitimately got sorted into Hufflepuff, but the look on Draco Malfoy's face as Manda slid into the seat next to him was almost priceless. For some reason Harry didn't understand, the Slytherin prefect flushed and hurriedly started talking to Pansy Parkinson, as if in self-defense. Manda merely smiled at the pair beside her.

Sitting forward eagerly, Harry watched as "Kurose, Ayune," once more took the stool. He hoped she'd go to Gryffindor. It would give him a chance to talk to the Japanese transfer student; he wanted to know just how things were different in the island nation school. Unfortunately, as if to mock the eagerly waiting Gryffindors, Ayune sat neatly under the hat while it screamed "Hufflepuff!" in a rather certain tone.

"Well," Harry sighed, "two more transfer students to go. We're bound to get Seth."

Hermione gave him an unreadable expression.

Soon it became Emily Malfoy's turn and she smiled as Draco's look turned confident once more. He looked positive of the result of this Sorting's outcome. As the hat sank onto those pale braids, Draco mouthed the word "Slytherin," and the hat came back, loud and clear, with "Hufflepuff!"

Stunned whispers scattered across the room at a Malfoy going to any House but Slytherin. Ernie Macmillian, the Hufflepuff prefect, nervously led the applause greeting the transfer student as she brightly smiled and plunked down in an empty seat at the Hufflepuff table.

Harry felt a bubble of delight. He might not know the small girl, but Draco was certainly unhappy about the sorting. Harry grinned at Hermione who nodded back as if she'd known that was coming.

Beside them Ron groaned "half done . . . hurry up . . ." Hermione glared at him and he took to grumbling under his breath instead.

When McGonagall intoned "Snape, Seth" the room fell immediately silent, stunned by the name. She turned to briefly look at the head table. Harry had been watching the Potions Master for his reaction and was rewarded when he saw a look of anguish cross Snape's face quickly hidden under a mask of polite interest.

Seth ignored the stares and whispers, the surprised then smug looks of the Slytherins, and strode to the stool. Shoulders back, a look of defiance on his face making his resemblance to his father all the more pronounced, Seth sat on the edge of the stool.

McGonagall placed the hat on his head and it took a long moment before intoning "Ravenclaw!" Shock once again crossed over the room while Seth politely handed the hat back then moved past the Gryffindor table to claim his seat with his new House. He winked at Harry as he passed, a wicked grin on his sallow face.

Harry couldn't resist a grin back. As he was still applauding Seth, Harry turned and glanced towards the head table and was surprised to see a thoughtful look on Severus Snape's face as the man stared directly at him. Harry stopped applauding, shifting his eyes to Dumbledore, but the headmaster seemed intent on Umbridge's comment.

The rest of the sorting passed in a blur for Harry, finally ending with "Zeller, Rose" going to Hufflepuff. Not a single transfer student had made Gryffindor House.

Ron groaned. "Finally . . ." he sighed and looked expectantly at Professor Dumbledore as the man bade them eat.

As she cut her chops, Hermione frowned past Harry. Nodding her chin to the head table, she asked "Who's that then?"

Harry looked up, eyes starting at the far left with Professors Vector, Sinistra, and Snape, then traveling across Professor Grubbly-Plank, in Hagrid's normal spot, sitting beside Professor Flitwick. Mildly surprised though he knew he shouldn't be, Harry saw Stephen sitting on Flitwick's other side, next to Professor Sprout. Then came Professor Dumbledore next to the Umbridge woman then the Ancient Runes teacher, Professor Babbling. Madame Pince and Madame Hooch sat talking to each other next to the empty chair of Madame Pomfrey, school healer. Finally, at the far end, before the empty chairs reserved for Filch, Dunraven, and Professor Trelawney, who rarely joined the school for meals, sat a witch with half-closed eyes and sleep-mussed black hair. A jolt tore through Harry upon recognizing her and he whispered "Mary Elizabeth."

Hermione pursed her lips and looked over the long table of staff. She shook her head but let the thought stand unspoken, content for the moment to eat and wait for her answers. She wasn't disappointed.

The meal ended eventually with Dumbledore standing for the announcements he always made at the beginning of term. One of the things he mentioned drew attention to the head table like no other could.

"And this term we are privileged to have several new staff members. First please welcome our new Assistant Professor who will be aiding our current staff with classes and research. Professor James." Dumbledore smiled and turned slightly, but didn't look at the chubby-faced blond with the electric blue eyes.

Stephen stood briefly so the students and other staff might identify him, but he sank back into his chair quickly.

Dumbledore nodded. "And to aid Mr. Filch in his care taking duties, Mr. Dunraven." Dumbledore allowed the students to glance back at the tall scarred man as he continued with a reminder that the list of forbidden items was posted on Filch's office door.

With a smile and a gentle cough, Dumbledore drew the attention of everyone back to the front. "Professor . . . uh . . . Snape will be teaching Magical Theory and aiding Professor Binns with History of Magic classes." He gestured to the sleepy-eyed witch rather than the well-known Potions Professor. Confusion and surprise buzzed around the room and Dumbledore nodded, adding "I am sure you will have no trouble telling our two professors apart."

Finally, he turned and smiled down at the woman directly beside him then looked back at the students. "And last, but certainly not least, please welcome Professor Umbridge who will be taking over Defense Against the Dark Arts classes this term."

He opened his mouth to continue his announcements but a small 'hem hem' interrupted, to the surprise of everyone else: no one interrupted the headmaster. But Dolores Umbridge had, and she stood to make a long repetitive speech about change and restriction.

When the students were finally released to find their beds, conversation rose to an all time high.

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To be continued in Chapter Nine: Monday from Hell