Disclaimer - i do now own the harry potter characters. jkr does.
As we walked into the castle i couldn't help but marvel at its beauty. We walked into a huge entrence hall with huge stone steps leading to differant levels of the school. Beside the stairs the was a hall way which i guess lead to the dungens and the Slytherin common room. Draco always told me stories of his times at Hogwarts. I couldn't help but wish with all my might i'd get sorted into Slytherin. I knew if i didn't then mother and father would not be happy. To the right of the entrence hall was huge doubledoors leading into the great hall. I started to follow behind Draco as everyone made their way into the great hall.
But before I could Professor Mcgonagall stoped me and toled me that Professor Dumbledore wanted to do my sorting after the feast. I nodded and made my way into the great hall. It was beautiful. The ceilling was bewitched to look like the night sky. I made my way to the Slytherin table and took my seat beside Draco. I looked up at the table in front where all the teachers sat at and noticed a teacher with long black greecy looking hair and a big crooked nose staring at me as if he had seen a ghost or something. He suddenly noticed what he was doing and looked away at once then started talking to the teacher next to him.
"what did Mcgonagall want?" Draco asked
"Doumbledore wants to do my sorting in his office after the feast" i amswered still watching the teacherstable.
"why doesnt he just do it here with everyone else?" Draco asked sounding a bit annoyed
"i dont know. hey draco whos that teacher with the black greasy looking hair?" i asked still watching him
"oh thats professor Snape. you'v heard Mother and Father talking about him im sure" he replyed. I remember them talking about him once mayb twice but i never got to meet him. mum and dad always sent me away while they had company. I never asked them why or argued with them about it. I tried that once and got punished for it. Father always believed that kids should do what their parents told them to and shouldnt argue, when they did they got punished. Mother didnt like the way dad punished us but didnt argue with him either. We were punished quit a bit when we were younger but as we grew we came to learn it was more often then not best to just do a dad said. so thats what we did.
"he teaches potions right?" i asked
"hmm? oh yea" he replyed not really paying attion. before i could say any thing else the doors opened as professor Mcgonagall made her way in with the first years. The buzz of talk in the Great Hall faded away. The first-years lined up in front of the staff table facing the rest of the students, and Professor McGonagall placed the stool carefully in
front of them, then stood back. The whole school waited with bated breath. Then the rip near the hat's brim opened wide like
a mouth and 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 some day 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, Til 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, 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, 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, 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,
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 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.
"does it sing like that every year?" i asked Draco as the sorting hat finished its song and became motionless again and applause broke out.
"yeah it does. its always different though" he answered back. But Professor McGonagall, who was waiting to read out the list of first-years' names, was giving the whispering students the sort of look that scorches. I really didnt want to get on her bad side. With a last frowning look that swept the four house tables, Professor McGonagall lowered her eyes to her long piece of parchment and called out the first name.
"Abercrombie, Euan."
The terrified-looking boy stumbled forwards and put the Hat on his head; it was only prevented from falling right down to his shoulders by his very prominent ears. The Hat considered for a moment, then the rip near the brim opened again and shouted:
"Gryffindor!"
"psh" I heard Draco huff from beside me. i couldnt help but chukle a little. He really hated Gryffindor.
Slowly, the long line of first-years thinned. Finally, "Zeller, Rose" was
Sorted into Hufflepuff, and Professor McGonagall picked up the Hat and stool and marched them away as Professor Dumbledore rose to his feet.
"To our newcomers," said Dumbledore in a ringing voice, his arms stretched wide and a beaming smile on his lips, "welcome! To our old hands - welcome back! There is a time for speechmaking, but this is not it. Tuck in!"
There was an appreciative laugh and an outbreak of applause as Dumbledore sat down neatly and threw his long beard over his shoulder so as to keep it out of the way of his plate - the food had appeared out of nowhere, so that the five long tables were groaning under joints and pies and dishes of vegetables, bread and sauces and flagons of pumpkin juice.
"wow" i whispered. I hadnt noticed how hungry i was until now. I could hear my stomach growling.
"well sis dig in" Draco said smiling at my reaction.
I filled my plate with some chicken, mash potatos, corn, bread, and some sauce. Everything was quit except the clinks from everyones forks and knives. When all the students had finished eating and the noise level in the Hall was starting to creep upwards again, Dumbledore got to his feet once more. Talking ceased immediately as all turned to lace the Headmaster.
"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-bounds to students - and a few of our older students ought to know by now, too. Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me, for what he tells me is the four-hundred-and-sixty second time, to remind you all 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 but fairly unenthusiastic applause.
"wait doesnt she work for the ministry? i whispered to Draco who just shrugged.
Dumbledore continued, "Tryouts for the house Quidditch teams will take place on the -"
He broke off, looking enquiringly at Professor Umbridge. As she was not much taller standing than sitting, there was a moment when nobody understood why Dumbledore had stopped talking, but then Professor Umbridge cleared her throat, "Hem, hem," and it became clear that she had got to her feet and was intending to make a speech. Dumbledore only looked taken aback for a moment, then he sat down smartly and looked alertly
at Professor Umbridge as though he desired nothing better than to listen to her talk. Other members of staff were not as adept at hiding their surprise.
"Thank you, Headmaster," Professor Umbridge simpered, "for those kind words of welcome. Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say!" She smiled, revealing very pointed teeth. "And to see such happy little faces looking up at me!"
As i looked around i could see that none of the students looked happy.
"I am very much looking forward to getting to know you all and I'm sure we'll be very good friends!" Everyone exchanged looks at this; some of them were barely concealing grins. Professor Umbridge cleared her throat again ("hem, hem"), but when she continued, some of the breathiness had vanished from her voice. She sounded much more businesslike and now her words had a dull learned-by-heart sound to them.
"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 were 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 the generations lest we lose them for ever. 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. 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's sake must be discouraged, for our
tried and tested traditions often require no tinkering. A balance, then, between old and new, between permanence and change, between tradition and innovation because some changes will be for the better, while others will come, in the fullness of time, to be recognized as errors of judgment. Meanwhile, some old habits will be retained, and rightly so, whereas others, outmoded and outworn, must be abandoned. Let us move forward, then, into
a new era of openness, effectiveness and accountability, intent on preserving what ought to be preserved, perfecting what needs to be perfected, and pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited."
Dumbledore claped and a few others followed.
"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 two weeks after start of term. And with that i bid you all good night."
"i guess ill see you soon" i told Draco as i got up to find professor Mcgonagall.
"you better hope you get sorted into Slytherin or father will be furious" Draco replied.
"tell me about it. ill see ya" i said as i made my way out of the great hall.
A/N - PLEASE R/R :)