AN: It has been way too long since I updated anything at all, but life has generally gotten in the way. I don't have a beta right now, so if there are any mistakes they are all me. Anyway, enjoy!
A few minutes later, Professor McGonagall returned and led them into the Great Hall. Katie looked around in wonder. Years of her parents descriptions and fond memories had prepared her for this, but it was still the most amazing place she had ever seen. Even Psyche was impressed by the Great Hall with its enchanted ceiling.
Candles floated over four long tables lined with golden dishes. Hundreds of students sat at the tables, various ghosts randomly dispersed amongst them. At the front of the hall was another table. At the very center of this table, an old man with a long, silvery beard and crooked nose sat. With him were a sallow faced man in black robes, who looked at the first years with a sneer on his face; a frumpy looking witch with flyaway hair; an extremely small wizard, seated on several cushions; a short, fat toady woman in a horrible cardigan with a small bow on top of her head, and a number of others. Katie wondered where Professor McGonagall was, for certainly she should be among the teachers.
Then Professor McGonagall strode back into the hall carrying an extremely old hat. This could only be the sorting hat, Katie realized with a start.
She glanced around. The older students were all watching quietly as Professor McGonagall placed the ragged old hat on a stool. When she had stepped back, the Sorting Hat burst into song:
In times of old when I was new
And Hogwarts barely started
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 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 just the same."
These differences caused little strife
When first they came to light,
For each of the four founders had
A House in which they might
Take only those they wanted, so,
For instance, Slytherin
Took only pure-blood 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,
Had 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 clash of friend on friend
And at last there came a morning
When old Slytherin departed
And though 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 once were 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.
After the song had ended, the school broke out in applause and whispers. However, when Professor McGonagall was ready to begin the sorting, the whisper stopped. Briefly, Katie wondered if the hat had done something unusual this year. However the thought was broken by Professor McGonagall, who called out, "Abercrombie, Euan."
The small boy from the boat stumbled forward and put the hat on his head. A moment later, it cried out, "GRYFFINDOR!" The Gryffindors clapped loudly as Euan joined their table.
Katie glanced around at her fellow first years nervously as more of them were sorted. Davies, Kelly was sent to Ravenclaw, while Kerins, Michael was sorted into Slytherin. Katie felt more and more nervous as the names approached the P's. Then after Paine, Irma was sorted into Hufflepuff, Professor McGonagall called out, "Prickit, Katie."
Katie stumbled up to the Sorting Hat, quickly sat down, and crammed the hat onto her head. Then a voice said, "Well you've certainly got a love of learning in this head out yours. You belong in..."
"RAVENCLAW!"
The Ravenclaws cheered as she ran over to their table. Kelly Davies greeted her happily. Katie returned the greeting before looking for Olivia among the first years still waiting to be sorted. Then after Selwin, James went to Slytherin, Professor McGonagall called out, "Tellura, Psyche."
The golden-haired girl walked gracefully up to the hat and put it on. The sorting hat took forever to decide, but eventually sent her to Hufflepuff. Psyche looked furious as she marched over to the Hufflepuff table.
Finally, it was Olivia's turn. She hurried up to the hat, which quickly sorted her into Ravenclaw. She ran over to the empty seat next to Katie, smiling brightly. After Olivia, Zeller, Rose was sorted into Hufflepuff and the sorting was over. Professor McGonagall took the Sorting Hat and the stool into another room and returned to her seat.
After that, the Headmaster, Professor Dumbledore stood up. "To our newcomers," he said in a ringing voice, "welcome! To our old hands—welcome back! There is a time for speech making, but this is not it. Tuck in!"
Everyone cheered as the headmaster sat down and food appeared on the plates in front of them. Katie and Olivia cheerfully filled their plates. The older students sitting nearby greeted the first years. A strange girl, who introduced herself as Luna Lovegood warned them to watch out for wrackspurts.
"What's a wrackspurt?" Olivia asked Katie nervously.
"I don't know. I could owl my mum," Katie replied.
"Don't bother, they don't exist. Luna's a bit strange. A lot of what she says isn't true," a pretty Indian girl a few seats down said, "I'm Padma Patil, a prefect by the way. Welcome to Ravenclaw." Padma smiled at them.
"Oh, thanks," Olivia replied, looking relieved.
A silvery ghost drifted over to the first years. She introduced herself as the Grey Lady, the Ravenclaw ghost. Olivia panicked a bit, but calmed after both Kelly and Katie assured her that ghosts were fairly normal in the wizarding world.
"Classes start tomorrow," Kelly said anxiously, "I hope they aren't too hard. My mum would kill me if I failed a class. She'll be proud that I got into Ravenclaw though. Both of my parents were."
"My mum was in Gryffindor and my dad was in Hufflepuff. They always said that I was smart enough to get into Ravenclaw though," Katie replied with a grin.
"My parents don't even know what the Hogwarts houses are. They're muggles," Olivia mumbled.
"It's nothing to be ashamed of. My dad is muggle born," Kelly replied cheerfully.
After the feast, Professor Dumbledore stood once more. "Well, now that we are all digesting another magnificent feast, I beg a few moments of your attention for the usual start-of-term notices," said Dumbledore, "First years ought to know that the forest in the grounds is out of bound to students—and a few of our older students ought to know by now too.
"Mr. Filch, our caretaker, has asked me, for what he tells me is the four hundred and sixty-second time, to remind that magic is not permitted in corridors between classes, nor are a number of other things, all of which can be checked on the extensive list now fastened to Mr. Filch's office door.
"We have had two changes in staffing this year. We are very pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank, who will be taking Care of Magical Creatures lessons; we are also delighted to introduce Professor Umbridge, our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."
There was a round of polite applause. The Dumbledore continued on, "Tryouts for the House Quidditch teams will take place on the-"
He broke off looking at Professor Umbidge. She was not much taller standing than sitting so no one understood why the headmaster had stopped talking until she said, "Hem hem," and it became clear that she wanted to make a speech.
Dumbledore looked surprised only for a minute, and then he sat down to listen. However, the other teachers had more trouble hiding their surprise, Professor McGonagall was frowning, and Katie wondered if it was normal for new teachers to make a speech.
"Thank you, Headmaster," Professor Umbridge simpered, "for those kind words of welcome."
She had a high pitched, breathy voiced that made the hairs on the back of Katie's neck stand up. She gave another little cough and continued, "Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say!" She smiled, revealing pointed teeth. "And to see such happy little faces looking back at me!"
Katie looked around, wondering why this woman was treating all of them like they were five or six, instead of Hogwarts students.
"I am very much looking forward to getting to know you all, and I'm sure we'll be very good friends."
Professor Umbridge cleared her throat again and continued in a more businesslike tone.
"The ministry of magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance. The rare gifts with which you have been born may come to nothing if not nurtured and honed by careful instruction. The ancient skills unique to the
Wizarding community must be passed down through the generations lest we lose them forever. The treasure trove of magical knowledge amassed by our ancestors must be guarded, replenished and polished by those who have been called to the noble profession of teaching."
Professor Umbridge paused and gave a small bow to the other staff members, none of whom bowed back.
"Every headmaster and headmistress of Hogwarts has brought something new to the weighty task of governing this historic school, and that is as it should be, for without progress there will be stagnation and decay. There again, progress for progress' sake must be discouraged, for our tried and tested traditions often require no tinkering. A balance, then, between the old and the new. Between permanence and change, between tradition and innovation..."
Katie found herself tuning out the words, which were entirely dull. She turned to Olivia and Kelly and said, "Well you can tell what her classes will be like."
Olivia giggled and replied, "I think the hardest part will be staying awake."
"And I was actually looking forward to Defense Against the Dark Arts, you know," Kelly said with a grin, "But this woman is a joke. Did you hear her earlier? She wants to be our friend."
They all laughed and looked around. None of the other students were paying any attention to Umbridge either. Many were talking amongst themselves as she, Olivia, and Kelly were doing. Others were practically falling asleep at the tables. A few of the prefects seemed to still be listening, though on closer examination, they were only pretending to listen. However, when she looked up at the teacher's table, she noticed that all of the other teachers were watching and listening to everything the woman was saying. She felt a little guilty and started listening again.
"...wherever we find practices that need to be prohibited."
She sat down. Dumbledore clapped, and the staff followed his lead. A few students joined in, but most had not realized it was over yet. Professor Dumbledore then stood up once more.
"Thank you very much, Professor Umbridge, that was most illuminating," he said bowing to her. "Now—as I was saying, Quidditch tryouts will be held on the second week of term. And now, to bed," he finished.
Padma Patil then stood up with a boy who introduced himself as Anthony Goldstein. The two prefects told the first years to follow them. They headed out into the entrance hall and up the marble staircase. Padma and Anthony led them up to a tower on the eastern side of the school. They went up a spiral staircase for what seemed like forever, until they came to a plain wooden door with a bronze knocker in the shape of an eagle. Padma reached up and knocked. A musical, female voice came from the knocker and asked, "Where would you find a bezoar?"
Anthony smiled and said, "This is the entrance to our common room. It will ask a different question every time. You must answer the question to get past the door, so if you can't answer it, you'll have to wait until someone comes along who can."
"What do you all think the answer is?" Padma asked them.
"My mum said that bezoars are found in a goat's stomach and will cure most poisons," a small boy volunteered. He smiled when the door opened up.
"Oh no," Olivia said, "I will never be able to get in on my own."
"Don't worry so much, you'll learn these things in no time," Kelly replied.
They looked around the common room. It was beautiful and airy with graceful arched windows. There was blue and bronze silk covering the walls. The ceiling was domed with stars painted on it, which were echoed on the plush midnight blue carpet. There were plenty of tables, chairs, and bookcases, and in a niche on the far wall, a marble statue of Rowena Ravenclaw.
Padma led the girls through one door, while Anthony led the boys through another. Olivia, Kelly, Katie, and two other girls followed Padma up a spiral staircase to a door on the right. In the room behind it, there were five four poster beds draped in dark blue velvet with pale blue comforters. Their trunks were already in the room. After a small argument over who got which bed, they all changed into their nightclothes and went to sleep.
Please review! Tell me if you liked it, if it completely sucked, and constructive criticism is always welcome.