I've borrowed and slightly adapted the Sorting Hat's song from an entry by godrics_gopher in a 2008 competition on the leaky cauldron dot org. It was originally crafted for the Deathly Hallows year, but I believe it fits with Hermione's description in the Half Blood Prince of 'advising us all to unite in the face of our enemies'.
I've also created a sixth-year schedule that works based on the little information we really have about the Half Blood Prince lesson times. Basically each 'core' subject except Herbology has 4 hours a week, Herbology has 3 because there aren't enough hours in the week and with Leo not doing it I didn't stress too much about fitting it in whilst all the other electives have 2 and are paired with free periods for students not doing those lessons. Astronomy is the only one-hour lesson, but that's only in there because I read that it can be taken on as a N.E.W.T.
They still couldn't find Harry as the students of Hogwarts made their way over to the carriages that would take them from Hogsmeade Station up to the castle, nor could they find him once they arrived and were shepherded into the Great Hall after being subjected to all sorts of checks that Leo would rather forget outside the castle by Filch. The Gryffindor sixth years were all sat closer to the staff table, though most of the discussion that was taking place was quickly shifted to Harry being missing once everyone but him had sat themselves down. The conspiracy theories didn't have long to do the rounds however as the doors to the Great Hall opened, and in came the two dozen or so eleven-year-olds in their standard, Houseless Hogwarts uniforms walking in the middle of the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor tables. They came to a stop before the staff table, nervously waiting as Professor McGonagall picked up the stool and placed it in front of them, the Sorting Hat sat atop it.
This was the best bit of the opening feast, Leo thought, as he waited eagerly for the Hat to begin its song. He didn't need to wait for long as the enchanted garment opened as if it had a mouth and began.
"Again we're gathered here beneath, this great enchanted ceiling. There's thunder, lightning, heavy rain, that none of us are feeling. My task this year, as years before, to choose your rightful place. To help you conquer and endure, the tasks you're soon to face. The Hogwarts founders, long ago, put me to this task. Though now I think it may have been, somewhat unwise to ask.
I fear this may be the last time, I can so frankly speak. For there are those among us all, that hope for our defeat. And so, before I sort you, my other task is clear. To say the words our founders four and I feel you must hear. Ravenclaw's have shown us, any problem can be solved. While Slytherin's have long defined, the advantage of resolve. Gryffindor's know well that fear, is nought to be afraid of. And Hufflepuff's know just as well, what true kindness is made of.
A thousand years these houses stood on these few strengths alone. But great minds and hats think alike, weakness is what we've shown. The unity of our four houses, hangs just by a tether. True greatness, power and victory, we can only achieve, together."
The hat became motionless once more after it stated its final words, and the applause from the students was even more staggered and muted than it had been the year before as they all tried to digest the heavy words. Leo looked around at his friends with a worried look, though Anna was the one to comment.
"What did it mean, that it fears this might be the last time?" She whispered.
Leo gulped. "It means that there's no more sitting on the fences." He explained. "The winds have shifted, and the war is coming for all of us one way or another."
"It's almost crying out for unity, begging us." Hermione added. "You heard the bit about weakness? It's saying that the divides in our world need to be stopped before it's too late."
Ron gulped. "I'm not cosying up to Goyle, no matter what the hat says." He said causing a nervous laugh around the table, though none more enthusiastically than Lavender Brown.
They quietened down however as the sorting began, with Professor McGonagall calling out for Alice Abernathy. One by one the first years were quickly sorted, with Leo clapping every Gryffindor as usual. Finally James Tuckett was sorted into Hufflepuff. Once Professor McGonagall had removed the stool, Professor Dumbledore stood up behind his podium as usual, though Leo's eyes were firmly directed onto the blackening hand of the Headmaster as he began his opening speech. "I for one, am as hungry as most of you will no doubt be after your journeys, so for now I will simply ask you, to dig in!"
The Headmaster held his sole normal hand out, and the middle of the House tables were suddenly filled with a wide range of food and the air was filled with the delicious smell. Leo had eaten well with Professor Slughorn and so he hadn't rushed into load his plate up like the others around him. He noticed Hermione also wasn't overly focused on eating as she kept glancing over to the doorway, though Ron at her side didn't have that problem as he shovelled in whatever he could.
"How can you even think of eating when Harry's missing?" She hissed at him.
Ron looked offended. "I'm 'ungry." He said, swallowing a mouthful of mashed potato. "Harry will be fine."
"Urgh." Hermione grumbled, angrily stabbing a carrot chunk.
Harry, still dressed as he had been at lunch, ended up walking in with Professor Snape twenty minutes after the food appeared, and he quickly skulked over towards them forcing himself in between Ron and Hermione. Ron was the first to speak. "Where've you…" He began before noticing Harry's bloody face. "Blimey! What've you done to your face?"
"Why? What's wrong with it?" Harry asked as he grabbed a spoon to inspect himself.
"You're covered in blood!" Hermione exclaimed quietly. "Come here…" She grabbed her wand and pointed it at Harry. "Tergeo." And his face cleaned.
"Thanks." Harry said as he rubbed his hand over his face. "How's my nose looking?"
"Normal… why shouldn't it?" Hermione stated worriedly. "Harry, what happened? We've been terrified!"
"I'll tell you later." Harry said bluntly.
"But…"
"Not now, Hermione." Harry snapped, quickly ending the discussion as he looked around at the rest of their section of the table listening in intently. He went to grab some dinner but as he reached out it disappeared and was replaced by puddings. Leo went for a slice of cheesecake and tucked in, still listening in to the conversation opposite him.
"You missed the sorting, anyway." Hermione seemed to have recovered from her rebuke to tell him.
Harry had grabbed a larger than usual piece of treacle tart and dug his spoon in. "Hat say anything interesting?"
Leo nodded. "Another warning. Went all in on telling us the war will hit us soon and wants us to unite in the face of it for victory."
Harry nodded, unsurprised. "Dumbledore mention Voldemort yet?"
Leo flinched again at the name as Hermione shook her head. "Not yet, but he always saves his proper speech for after the feast."
Leo tried drowning them out as they began to speak about Hagrid being late as he finished his dessert. He zoned back in as Fay nudged him in the side, and Professor Dumbledore was on his feet again. "Look at his hand." Fay whispered, finally voicing the obvious as Leo stared once again at the blackened, dead looking appendage.
She wasn't the only one that had voiced her concern, and The Headmaster seemed to know what was being whispered about as he shook his purple and gold sleeve over the injury. "Nothing to worry about." He explained. "Now… to our new students, welcome! To our old students, welcome back!" He gave the usual announcements that came with the start of the year feast, by explaining the areas that were out of bounds and telling them that Filch had a list of banned items, including everything from Fred and George's shop which rankled with Leo a bit. The most contentious bit of news followed the Quidditch announcement however, when Professor Slughorn was announced as the new Potions master. Most people were shocked at that, but more were surprised when Professor Snape was announced as the Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor. Harry sat there glumly staring at the place where his treacle tart had been, not making a sound having already known.
"Snape of all people teaching us to defend the Dark Arts when there's a war going on." Anna groaned. "We're doomed."
Harry looked up. "At least he'll be gone by the end of the year."
"How do you mean?" Leo asked him.
Shrugging, Harry continued. "The job's jinxed isn't it. No one's lasted more than a year since the sixties. Quirrell died, Lockhart lost his memory, Lupin resigned, Moody was locked in a trunk all year, Umbridge went mad from the Centaurs…" He held his goblet up. "Here's to another death, we're a bit overdue."
"Harry!" Hermione scolded, though she couldn't add more as Dumbledore cleared his throat, silencing the room.
"Now." The Headmaster continued. "As everyone in this hall knows, Lord Voldemort and his followers are once more at large and gaining in strength. I cannot emphasize strongly enough how dangerous the present situation is, and how much care each of us at Hogwarts must take to ensure that we remain safe. The castle's magical fortifications have been strengthened over the summer, we are protected in new and more powerful ways, but we must still guard scrupulously against carelessness on the part of any student or member of staff. I urge you, therefore, to abide by any security restrictions that your teachers might impose on you however irksome you might find them, in particular the rule that you are not to be out of bed after hours. I implore you, should you notice anything strange or suspicious within or outside the castle, to report it to a member of staff immediately. I trust you to conduct yourselves, always, with the utmost regard for your own and others' safety." He left the students hanging over his words for a moment before letting a smile show. "But now, your beds await, as warm and comfortable as you could possibly wish, and I know that your top priority is to be well rested for your lessons tomorrow. Let us therefore say goodnight. Pip pip!"
The students all made their way to their Common Rooms in a bit of a hurry, and with Hermione helping the first years to the Gryffindor Common Room it wasn't until later that Harry explained the altercation on the train with Malfoy.
"He's surely just boasting for Parkinson." Leo suggested after Harry had finished his tale. "Her family are as dark as you can imagine too, he's just showing off for her in the hope that she'll slip him a bit extra…"
"Gross." Hermione interrupted as she grimaced at the thought. "But Leo's right. Voldemort wouldn't give Malfoy of all people a mission of importance Harry…"
"Do you think that of anyone, I might actually know more about what he would do?" Harry scowled.
Ron stood up and began to face the window. "Do you really think that Malfoy's taken the mark Harry?" He asked coldly. "Like, 100% believe it?"
Harry nodded without a hint of hesitation. "I do, it all makes sense."
"Then I believe you." Ron stated, causing all of Leo, Hermione and even Ginny to look at him in surprise. "I don't know why You-Know-Who would be daft enough to let that prat into his little club, but if it means I get an excuse to pummel him I'm all for it."
"Ron..." Hermione tried to reason, but Ron was fuelled up on anger over the events of the last year.
"They murdered Dad, Hermione." Ron stated bluntly. "They can all get ploughed by a Graphorn for all I care, Malfoy included." He turned to Harry. "What do we do?"
"Keep a close eye on him." Harry explained. "If he does anything out of the ordinary, we need to know."
Hermione shook her head, rising to her feet. "This is absurd." She claimed. "He's underaged, what could possibly be so important at Hogwarts that a sixteen-year-old needs to take the Dark Mark?" She looked around, not getting an answer. "I thought as much. I'll see you all in the morning." And with that she stormed off up to her dormitory.
"She'll come around." Ginny insisted at the look of disappointment on Harry and Ron's faces. "As will you." She was looking at a yawning Leo then.
Holding his hands up in a surrender, Leo recovered from his yawn and said. "I'm not saying it's impossible, and neither is Hermione. I just can't see Malfoy being so important to You-Know-Who that he's been given a secret mission that nobody else knows about." He also stood up. "I'm happy to be proved wrong though." He added, before starting to make his own way up to bed. "Night, guys." He parted with, turning away from whatever conspiratorial whisperings would follow between Harry and the two Weasley's, eager to get some sleep.
Breakfast the next morning had the added excitement of Professor McGonagall clearing all of the sixth-year students for their N.E.W.T classes. She went to those that wished to continue with Ancient Runes first as that had been scheduled in first period before going round the rest of the Gryffindors, clearing the majority for their classes before coming to Leo. "Mr MacDonald." The Deputy Headmistress said, finding the right page in her notes. "Charms, yes. Defence Against the Dark Arts, yes. History of Magic, yes. Muggle Studies, yes. Transfiguration, a fine performance getting an Outstanding." She was ticking off all the classes Leo had applied for. "You are good to continue with all of those classes. And you still wish to take up the Magical Law class?"
"If I can Professor." Leo nodded. "Our talk last year was inspiring, and if I can make a difference through the system then I have to try."
Professor McGonagall smiled. "Quite right. Well there are three students including yourself that have expressed an interest, and so Professor Marchbanks has agreed to come into Hogwarts on two afternoons a week to teach you. As a former Wizengamot resident she is uniquely qualified for such a role." She tapped her wand to an empty schedule sheet and handed it to Leo. "There you are Mr MacDonald. Now, Mr Potter…"
Ron was sat opposite Leo and took the moment before his own schedules to look at Leo's sheet. "Magical Law… why would you want to start brand new classes? The ones we've been doing for years are bad enough."
Hermione tutted from beside him. "Just because you can't fathom extra work Ronald doesn't mean everybody thinks similarly." She turned to Leo. "I think it's a really brave choice. You'll have to share your learnings with me, I tried to owl Professor McGonagall in the summer to see if I could add it to my schedule but seven subjects are the most we are allowed to take at N.E.W.T. level and I couldn't bring myself to drop Ancient Runes."
"Breathe, Hermione." Ron laughed.
"It's not just the class though, Ron, do you not see?" Hermione asked him. "Leo is setting himself up for a career in politics."
Leo nodded, turning to the red-head to explain. "The system is corrupt with pure-blood bias at the very top, not to mention we've just got rid of the most useless Minister for Magic we've likely ever had who wasted a whole year of war preparation because he was scared. I can slot into the system seamlessly given my newly discovered parentage and use that broken system to try and change things for the better." He grumbled at being forced to use his paternal family name, but every marathon had to start somewhere.
"I know you don't appreciate having to use a family you feel like you can barely relate to." Hermione stated putting her hand atop Leo's as Professor McGonagall moved to Ron. "But if a name like Black can be exploited to do a bit of good for the world, then that's worth it, is it not?"
"It is, I just want it to be based on merit." Leo sighed. "And maybe eventually I can make that happen."
Ron's schedule was the last to be sorted, and the Weasley was already grinning at the thought of a free period. "One now, one after break and one after lunch!" He expressed his joy as those not doing Ancient Runes made their way back to the Common Room.
"Enjoy it while it lasts." Leo chuckled. "We thought last year was hard, we'll be drowning in homework by the end of the week…"
Ron shrugged. "Perhaps, but for now I can get an extra half hours kip before Snape tries to curse me later, I think I'll make the most of it…"
Leo laughed at that as he found an armchair in the Common Room and looked at his timetable again. There was a nice gap on Monday afternoons where most of his classmates would be taking Potions, but Professor Snape and Professor Vector before that free period didn't give him a feeling of total joy. Friday's also looked awful with no free periods, although on Wednesdays he was finished by lunchtime. Overall he wasn't too unhappy with the timetable, and he settled in to read the paper relaxed, doing as Ron would and enjoying his free time before the work piled in.
Reviews:
SkepticPrinceArthur: Slughorn will know he can get more use out of a Black than he can a MacDonald! But Leo not taking potions will lessen that to an extent… of course Slughorn has other ways to collect students… I see you joined the discord! As I say it's quiet but I'm always happy to help out with brainstorming ideas.
Lightningscar: Anna was around snogging Wayne Hopkins somewhere! Slughorn is old yes, there's a chance, albeit a slim one, that he shared a few years at school with Albus Dumbledore! He expected Snape to be the DADA teacher given where he was in the summer and Sirius not being shy to share that kind of information, but I included the other part with Malfoy here… he's more on the Hermione side of that fence.
