Hogwarts Reorganisation under Headmistress McGonagall
Upon rebuilding the school and successfully avoiding Ministry financial assistance, thereby preventing the obligation of Ministry interference, Minerva set out to deliberately and aggressively counter-act the bigoted policies of the Ministry of Magic.
Sorting
Sorting now occurs at the beginning of a student's Fifth year.
All First Year students are placed in Hufflepuff House under Pomona Sprout, Head of Hufflepuff House and Herbology Professor.
All Second Year students are placed in Ravenclaw House under Filius Flitwick, Head of Ravenclaw House, Deputy Headmaster, and Charms Professor.
All Third Year students are placed in Gryffindor House under Remus Lupin, Head of Gryffindor House and Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor. Albus believed that the death of Voldemort would eliminate the curse on the job, so it is expected that Professor Lupin will hold this job as long as he elects to do so.
All Fourth Year students are placed in Slytherin House under Severus Snape, Head of Slytherin House and Potions Master.
In this way, each student obtains the benefit of learning the strengths inherent in each House, as well as has an opportunity to build and develop friendships among his/her own peer groups without House divides separating them. It is Minerva's hope that by the time these students are Sorted into their final House, where the last three years of their education will help them hone their most innate strengths and prepare them for adulthood, that the friendships they made during the four preceding years will continue to sustain them against the prejudice which once divided Hogwarts and the wizarding world at-large.
As the school year 2000-2001 was the first year of this program, it is to be well imagined what the students thought of this plan - particularly the third and fourth year Gryffindor and Slytherins, who believed themselves to already be 'sorted' and therefore wholly in the 'wrong' House. Snape and Lupin have had their hands full this year, putting out the various 'little fires' - and NOT so 'little' fires - created by this lingering rivalry. It will take a full six years before all students in Hogwarts have known nothing but this 'new' system. Until then, such disgruntlement is to be expected.
In the case of some Heads of House, longer-term dissatisfaction would not be surprising.
Prefects are not chosen until after the Sorting when it is known which House the various students will be sorted into - Sixth and Seventh year Prefects manage the slack of the train and meal-duties on the first day, until the Fifth year Prefects have been selected and can join in the efforts.
Quidditch
With this somewhat elaborate sorting program, Minerva also has vastly expanded the Quidditch program at the school. She recognises what Albus seemed to ignore - a strong sports program brings in revenue to the school - an important factor if she wishes to remain independent of the Ministry.
Minerva has hired designated Quidditch Coaches for each of the four House Teams. These Coaches answer to Hooch, who continues to teach First-Year flying lessons and over-see the entire Quidditch Program. Only Fifth through Seventh Year students are permitted to be on their House team, as they are the only ones truly Sorted into that House.
The Lower School students, that is, the first through fourth years, are allowed to participate in Quidditch, having an entire set of four teams for themselves. These Junior Teams are Mixed-House teams. Try-outs are held by the four House Coaches, not Quidditch Captains, and students are selected for positions based on their aptitude for the role, and then divided equally among the four teams so that there are an equal number of first, second, third, and fourth year students on each team.
Each House Coach is in charge of one Junior Team in addition to his or her House Team.
Once assigned to a Junior Team, the player remains on that team until he/she is Sorted into a House in fifth year. At the start of each new Year, the Junior Teams are rotated to a new Coach, adding new players from Tryouts, but previous players remain on their assigned Teams. In this way, by Fifth year, each student has had the benefit of Coaching instruction from each of the designated House Coaches.
This broad-spectrum of experience is Minerva's acknowledgment that, for some students, Quidditch is just as viable a career path as any of the more 'academic' pursuits, and it is therefore the responsibility of Hogwarts to provide as much preparation as possible, just as they do for any other career path.
Hogwarts Quidditch games are now more broadly 'advertised' in the Sports section of the paper, spectators are encouraged to come to the games, buy tickets and concessions, etc., and particularly strong players are often highlighted as a means by which to build interest. This year the revenue from these sales and efforts has barely kept up with the additional expense of salary for the additional staff, but Minerva is hopeful that it will continue to gain in popularity and therefore in revenue.
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