Chapter Twelve
Harry and his friends climbed off the train, helping each other with their trunks. The first wave of carriages were filled quickly by students wanting to get out of the rain.
"Here. First years over here!" a voice called but it wasn't Hagrid's, it was Professor Grubbly-Plank who had taken over the lessons last year.
"Wait up." Harry said to his friends.
"Do you think Hagrid is OK?" Pansy asked.
Harry shrugged, walking against the flow of students to get to Professor Grubbly-Plank.
"You're not a first year Mr Potter." she said sharply.
"Yeah, I… I know that strangely." Harry said, "I was wondering where Hagrid is?"
Professor Grubbly-Plank sighed, gathering up a few lost, wandering, first years, "He's not here."
"So where is he?" Harry asked, trying not to get annoyed at her when she was clearly ignoring the question.
She looked him in the eye, "Mr Potter, I do not know where Hagrid is. Now we are both standing here in the rain for far longer than we need to be, getting wet. Stop asking me all these questions and get to your carriage."
Harry huffed loudly and stomped away.
"Well?" Draco asked.
Harry just shook his head, "She either didn't know or didn't say. Come on, we're going to get soaked out here."
They walked closer to the carriages and Harry stopped in his tracks again, he'd forgotten just how ghostly Thestrals were in real life. He's seen them at the end of the last term but the summer seemed to have lasted a life time.
"Harry come on!" Neville called.
Harry walked over and jumped up into the carriage, "Sorry. It's just, it's the Thestrals, they pull the carriages and I'd forgotten just how weird they looked."
"It must be difficult, to see them, considering who you lost..." Daphne said quietly.
Harry nodded and stared out of the window as they made their way to school. He hopped out and held the door open for the others. Luna was standing nearby, stroking one of the Thestrals.
"You can see them too?" he asked as they walked into the castle.
Luna nodded, "Oh yes. Ever since I came to school I've been able to see them."
Harry wanted to ask more but was swept along with the crowd into the hall. He sat next to Draco as normal, although they were all slightly further along the table now that half of them were Prefects.
Harry scanned the top table; Hagrid wasn't there, which didn't come as much of a shock but there was also a small woman that looked a little like a toad dressed in pink with a large bow in her hair. Harry's eyes widened in shock.
"She was at my trial." Harry said quietly, so that no one around them could hear.
"Are you sure?" Daphne whispered.
Harry nodded, "Yeah. I'm sure I'm sure."
He was about to say more when the double doors opened again, letting in a steam of scared, wet first years lined up along the front of the hall. Professor McGonagall walked smartly over and placed the sorting hat and it's three legged stool in front before stepping back. The rip that formed the sorting hat's mouth opened and the room fell silent.
"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, so I can tell
The whole sad, sorry tale.
Said Slytherin, "We'll teach just those
Whose ancestry's 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
Maintained 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 duelling 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 fulfil 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."
Harry clapped along with the other students as the hat gave a small bow to each of the house tables before growing still again.
Harry gave his friends a small smile, "Well, looks like the sorting hat knows that things are coming."
Draco nodded.
"It's definitely branched out a bit hasn't it?" Pansy whispered.
"I think it has before." Daphne whispered, "I remember reading something about it feeling honour bound to say something, warn people when if fears the school will come under attack."
Professor McGonagall cleared her throat and stepped forward, holding up the long list of names.
"Abercrombie, Euan."
Harry watched a terrified young boy step forward and be sorted into Gryffindor. Harry clapped with every sorting, even more so when they became a Slytherin, until finally 'Zeller, Rose' became a Hufflepuff and Professor McGonagall put the stool away.
He could feel himself growing more and more hungry, so was rather glad when the last student was sorted and sitting among her new house mates and Dumbledore stepped forward.
Harry wasn't sure how he felt seeing Dumbledore, considering how he had been treated over the summer but Harry couldn't deny that there was something very soothingly and comforting about having the Professor there.
"To our newcomers, welcome." Dumbledore said, his arms opened wide, "To our old hands, welcome back! There is a time for speech making, but this is not is. Tuck in!"
There was a round of applause as Dumbledore sat down and the golden plates before them all filled with food.
Harry happily filled his plate with lasagne, chips and garlic bread before tucking in. He was always hungry the first day back. The train journey seemed to quickly use up all the food he had for lunch.
"I wonder where Hagrid is." Harry said towards the end of his meal. He'd just finished his second helping of pudding and it seemed odd that Hagrid still wasn't there.
The hall finished their food and turned to Professor Dumbledore who slowly stood up after the plates were wiped clean.
"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." Dumbledore said calmly, "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, 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 the corridors between classes, nor are a number of other things, all of which can be checked on the extensive list now fastened to Mr Flich's office door."
"How much do you want to bet most of that is Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes?" Harry smirked.
"We have 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 for the time being. We are also delighted to introduce Professor Umbridge, our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher."
There was a small round of applause to the new teachers. Harry took a deep breath and forced himself not to panic that Dumbledore hadn't said how long Hagrid would be gone for, it was clearly going to be a while though if they needed a substitute teacher.
Dumbledore smiled to each of the new Professors before continuing, "Try outs for the house Quidditch teams will take place on the-"
He was interrupted by a small noise from Professor Umbridge. He turned to smile at her, she sat there beaming like a toad that had eaten a very pleasant fly.
"Hem, hem." she made the noise again.
Dumbledore looked a little taken aback; it wasn't normal for a teacher to interrupt him but he nodded to her and stepped down.
"Thank you, Headmaster," Professor Umbridge simpered, the noise grated on the inside of Harry's skull, "for those kind words of welcome. Hem hem. Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say! And to see such happy, little faces looking up at me!"
Harry couldn't help but think that none of the faces 'looking up at her' were very happy; he certainly didn't appreciate being spoken to like a baby and it didn't look like many others did either.
"I'm very much looking forward to getting to know you all and I'm sure we'll be very good friends." Umbridge beamed, "Hem hem." Harry noticed the change in her voice, it was no longer put on and girly but almost threatening, "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 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 turned to the other Professors and gave them all a little bow. None of them looked impressed. Severus stared at her coolly, Professor McGonagall looked positively hawk like, glaring at Umbridge.
Umbridge gave another small 'hem hem' before turning back to the students, "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…"
Harry was finding it difficult to concentrate on what she was saying and being overly full wasn't helping. Several other students also weren't paying attention, some even going as far as to whisper conversations to their friends sitting next to them.
Umbridge however either didn't see this or ignored it, continuing regardless, "Because some changes will be for the better, while others will come, in the fullness of time, to be recognised as errors of judgement. 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." she gave a small bow and sat back down.
Dumbledore clapped politely, encouraging everyone else to join in. Harry clapped his hands twice before shaking his head.
"What a load of rubbish." he muttered.
"Bit darker than that really." Daphne whispered.
Draco nodded but Pansy looked as confused as Harry.
"To sum up," Draco said, "The Ministry is interfering at Hogwarts."
"That's not a good sign." Harry said, frowning, "I mean, Hogwarts has always been separate from the Ministry." it was the only thing that had stopped him getting into serious trouble over the years.
Draco, Pansy and Daphne nodded. Dumbledore had stood up again to finish his speech,
"Thank you for your words, Dolores. As I was saying those wishing to try out for the house Quidditch teams please speak to your team captains. I think that's all, so I suggest you all get a good nights sleep, ready bright and early to enjoy your weekend before classes start Monday morning. Good night all."
"We'll see you in the common room." Draco said, standing up, "We have to help the first years find their way."
He and Pansy walked off towards the end of the table where the four other house Prefects were waiting.
Harry smirked at Daphne, "Shall we take a leisurely stroll to the common room?"
Daphne grabbed his arm and batted her eyelashes, "Well I don't know, won't we get lost without our brave Prefects to show us the way?" she simpered dramatically.
"We can hear you!" Pansy yelled at them, laughing.
Harry grinned and walked quickly with Daphne out the hall and to the Slytherin common room. He waited until Pansy and Draco had finished showing the new students around before saying goodnight and heading to bed.
He wasn't surprised to see a note, laying on his pillow from Hermione asking to meet with her outside, down by the lake, after breakfast tomorrow. Harry knew she would be thinking over what Umbridge had said, just as he was. Could it be Umbridge had already managed to 'prune' Hagrid away and that was why he was gone?
Despite that thought swimming around his head, Harry was quickly asleep once he'd slipped into his warm, soft sheets, with the soft noise of the waves just outside.