Chapter Twelve: In the Great Hall

The carriage ride seemed to take no time at all and before Douglas knew it he was back in the Great Hall. Once there, he suddenly realised how hungry he was but that would have to wait until after the sorting of the new students which included Harry and his friends. As he sat there and waited he noticed a woman dressed in a pink cardigan sitting at the staff table and assumed she was the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. Snape, as usual, had a sour look on his face as he looked down the table at the woman who had taken the job he had been wanting for many years now.

It was then that Professor McGonagall led in the new first year students to be sorted into their houses. Douglas looked up and down the hall for his brother but he could not see him anywhere. He simply sat there staring into space as the sorting was happening. It was then that the students were able to begin the Feast.

When it was over, Dumbledore stood up to give out the start of term notices. It was when Dumbledore introduced the new Defence teacher as Professor Umbridge, when he realised who she was. Her name was Dolores Umbridge and worked as Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge.

But then there was the sound of a woman clearing her throat in preparation to speak, but more than that, to dare to interrupt the Headmaster of Hogwarts as he gave out the important notices everyone needed to hear.

'Hem, hem,' Umbridge cleared her throat to make everyone in the hall give her their attention. She then stood up and moved around the staff table to stand in front of the entire hall to speak to them all.

'Thank you, Headmaster, for your kind words of welcome,' she said in a high, girlish voice while the rest of the professors were fuming at the sheer nerve of her.

Then just as she was about to speak, every single light in the Great Hall was extinguished leaving them all in total darkness before a few screams echoed around the hall.

Dumbledore lit his wand before waving it to make all the candles light up once more.

Nothing happened.

This made the students even more afraid.

Then a flash of lightening and a clap of thunder had everybody staring up at the enchanted ceiling while the Lost Quartet finally made their appearances by the time they were all facing the front of the hall as the lights came back on again.

Dumbledore could not help smiling at them as he saw them and said,

'Everybody, there is no cause for alarm. It was merely our new students arriving slightly late that caused our rather marvellous ceiling to act in such a manner.'

Harry then handed the Headmaster a piece of parchment which he looked at briefly before handing it Professor McGonagall.

'As you can see, we have four new students who have to be sorted –' began Dumbledore but was cut off by Umbridge.

'Excuse me, Headmaster, but I believe I was about to speak before I was somewhat rudely interrupted,' she said.

'You're one to talk, aren't you?' said Harry coldly, 'Nothing gives you the right to interrupt the Headmaster the way you did a few moments ago!'

Umbridge seethed before saying, 'Do you know who I am?'

'No,' said Ron, 'but we know what you are.'

'How dare you!' screeched Umbridge, 'Detention, all four of you!'

'No,' said Hermione coldly, 'only students can be given detention and that's only when term has officially begun.'

Umbridge made to open her mouth again but Harry raised his hand to silence her before saying,

'My friend is quite right, we have not been sorted and therefore we are not officially students, and you will be silent. Nobody in this hall cares about anything you might have to say. You are a Ministry stooge and nothing more. Meanwhile, this is Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts, Order of Merlin, First Class, the true Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, the true Chairman of the International Confederation of Wizards and Supreme Mugwump. You will treat him with the respect he deserves, Ministry Stooge Umbridge, and you will know your place, Lower Being …'

Umbridge seethed again but remained silent and did not retake her seat.

'Now, we shall sort our new students into their houses, if you will, Minerva?' said Dumbledore.

Professor McGonagall unrolled the parchment, read the four names upon it and her jaw dropped before turning to face Dumbledore, who gave her a nod to continue.

'Granger, Hermione!' she called.

Ron gave her hand a squeeze before she took her place on the stool as Professor McGonagall placed the sorting hat on her head.

The hat was on her head for less than five seconds when it shouted, 'GRYFFINDOR!'

The Gryffindors all cheered but Hermione did not go and take her seat at the Gryffindor table. Instead, she re-took her place by Ron's side and took his hand.

'Weasley, Ginevra!' called Professor McGonagall next.

There were a few whispers in the Great Hall as Ginny tried on the hat.

As with Hermione the hat was on her head for less than five seconds before it bellowed, 'GRYFFINDOR!'

For the second time the Gryffindors all cheered loudly and as with Hermione, Ginny re-took her place beside her husband and took his hand.

Professor McGonagall then read out the next name, 'Potter-Black, Harry!'

There were a few whispers as Harry then stepped forward and took his turn with the sorting hat, and less than five seconds later it bellowed, 'GRYFFINDOR!'

For a third time the Gryffindors cheered but again the newest Gryffindor did not take their place at the Gryffindor table, Harry stood next to his wife and waited for Ron to be sorted.

Professor McGonagall then read the final name off of the parchment aloud.

'Weasley-Flamel, Ronald!'

As with Harry, there were a few whispers as Ron took his turn with the sorting hat and five seconds later it bellowed, 'GRYFFINDOR!'

The Gryffindors roared in delight as the fourth and final newbie gave them a clean sweep, and this time, the four of them took their places at the Gryffindor table.

'Wait a minute!' screeched Umbridge, 'these are the three children who went missing seven years ago and declared dead by the Ministry of Magic!'

'Sorry to disappoint you all but we're not dead,' said Harry as he helped himself to Treacle Tart and started eating along with the rest of his friends.

The feast recommenced before everyone had eaten their fill and Dumbledore finished giving out the start of term notices before dismissing everyone to their beds.

Once they had been led to Gryffindor tower by Neville and Hannah, Harry and Ron gave Ginny and Hermione kisses before going up to the boy's dormitory. Inside, they found Douglas having an argument with a sandy haired Irish boy named Seamus Finnigan.

'Is there a reason why you are shouting at my brother?' asked Harry menacingly.

'He's mad, that's why!' said Seamus.

'My brother may be an arsehole, but he's not mad,' said Harry.

'Thanks for the vote of confidence, dear brother,' said Douglas.

'No problem, Dougie, now, Seamus, unless you want your arse kicked I suggest you go to bed, understand?' said Harry.

Seamus made a grumbling noise before going to the bathroom to change. Harry and Ron then got ready for bed before Seamus re-emerged.

'By the way, guys, our girlfriends will be coming in here to sleep with us, and this will be happening each and every night. Tell on us, don't tell on us, we don't give a fuck, all right?' said Ron.

Meanwhile, in the girl's dormitory, Hermione and Ginny were getting ready for bed as two of the other girls were talking.

'Do you think he's telling the truth about You-Know-Who?' asked the Indian girl they knew was called Parvati Patil.

'Who knows, but then how did Krum die?' replied the blond girl called Lavender Brown.

'The Ministry says it was an accident,' said Parvati.

'Not to mention all the stuff in the Prophet about Douglas,' said Lavender.

'You think he's making it all up?' asked Parvati.

'I wouldn't put it passed him,' said Lavender.

Hermione and Ginny had heard enough and were finally ready to go and join their husbands in their beds so they walked out of the bathroom.

'Excuse us if we don't want to listen to you two idiots gossiping about things you know nothing,' said Hermione.

'What would you know about it, Granger?' asked Lavender cattily.

'Plenty, now we're off to be with our boyfriends, goodnight!' said Hermione as she and Ginny left the dormitory without looking back and went up to join Ron and Harry in the boy's dormitory.

Ginny and Hermione knocked before being invited inside before they went to their respective husband's bed and joined them before going to sleep in their arms.