Sorting Things Out (After the Flaw: Oligarchy, Chapter 7)
Title: Sorting Things Out (After the Flaw: Oligarchy, Chapter 7)
Author: kanedax
Spoilers: Previous Chapters
Rating: PG-13 for minor language
Summary: The Sorting of the Weasleys commences
Notes: Wow. Enough new names for you? Sorry about that. Hopefully it smooths out later. Thanks to sopaltenbassfor the Sorting Hat's Song!
I own these characters. The others belong to JK Rowling.
When I Learn to Fly / Previous Chapters / Four Houses
"The Hogwarts Express has arrived, Headmaster," announced the portly, mustachioed man from the portrait. "Hagrid is collecting the first years, and the rest of the students will be here in roughly ten minutes."
"Thank you, Hengist," Tiberius Ogden replied to the portrait of Hengist of Woodcroft, which connected Hogsmeade Station to the staff room of Hogwarts.
"As always," said Hengist, doffing his hat to reveal a large bald patch before once again removing himself from the frame to watch the progress of the incoming students miles away.
"Is there any other business before we adjourn to the Great Hall?" Ogden asked, returning his attention to the relaxed group of professors surrounding him. "Cyril, any new items on the prohibited list?"
"Not yet," said Cyril Lares, a squint-eyed old wizard leaning against the staff room wall. "I expect it to expand once we get our first whiff of Weasley Wheezes' new line, though."
"As always," Ogden said to the caretaker with a sigh. He turned to the youngest wizard of the group, currently seated between Professors Bosh and Vector. "Andrew, any other questions?"
"No, sir, Professor," said Andrew Reyburn, the school's new Muggle Studies professor.
"It's Tiberius now, Andrew," said Ogden with a smile. "You're not our student anymore, first names are completely acceptable."
"Yes, sir," Andrew said with a faint flush.
"Don't worry," Neville Longbottom, seated on the couch with his wife, said with a chuckle. "Took me years to get past it."
"If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask," Tiberius continued. "You spent seven years here, but there are plenty of secrets on these grounds that are known only to the professors. Everyone else, if Andrew has any questions, do not hesitate to answer."
"Try our best, Tiberius," said Aurora Sinistra as Kinnell Bosh gave a good-natured pat on the shoulder to the overwhelmed Reyburn.
"Professors Allentide, Bosh, Longbottom, and Tonks," Ogden continued to the Heads of House, "timetables will be available in my office at six tomorrow morning for each of your Houses, along with the calendar for Quidditch tryouts. Jana, I've given the Hufflepuffs a longer period than the other Houses since you have fewer returning players, correct?"
"Four positions open, yes," said Allentide. "And I'm off to greet the first years. See you all at the Sorting."
"Excellent," Tiberius nodded as Jana stood and left the room, her long, gray-streaked braid trailing behind her. "Well, if that's all, then I'll just finish by saying welcome back, everyone, and good luck with the school year!"
"Thank you, sir," the professors all said as they got to their feet and exited the staff room.
"Thank God," Uriela Longbottom moaned as the group walked down staircase towards the Great Hall. "I've been looking forward to the shepherd's pie all summer."
"Me, too," said Neville. "The house elves always outdo themselves. I really need to ask what herbs they use..."
"I doubt they'd tell you," said Andromeda Tonks, the Potions professor, from Neville's other side. "It goes beyond a trade secret for them, doesn't it?"
"I suppose you're right," Neville said with a chuckle. "I just--"
"Professor Longbottom?"
"Yes?" Neville and Uriella said in unison, both turning around to see Reyburn, a tall, gangly black-haired young man, trotting towards them.
"Oh, of course, I should have known," said Uri jokingly she realized Andrew's attention was fully on her husband.
"What can I help you with, Andrew?" asked Neville. "Lose your way already?"
"What?" Andrew stammered, the joke lost on him. "No, I'm not-- I just wondering if you remembered me."
"Of course I remember you," Neville grinned. "We were just in the staff room together, weren't we?"
"Um..."
"Forget it," said Uri, poking Neville with her elbow. "He usually gets like this at the beginning of the year."
"I meant if you remember me from when I was a student," Reyburn continued. "You started during my fourth year."
"I do, yes," said Neville. "And if I recall, I only had you in my classes for two years before you dropped."
"That's right..."
"Got a 'P' on your O.W.L., didn't you?"
"A 'T', actually," Andrew said with a shrug. "Some people have it, some people don't, and most don't need it either way, I guess."
"Ouch," Bosh, a tall wizard with a salt-and-pepper-streaked ponytail, chuckled from behind them. "I'd never let some smart-aleck kid talk about my subject that way, Neville."
"Usefulness or uselessness of my class aside," Neville said firmly as the other professors laughed, "yes, Andrew, I do remember you."
"Wow," Andrew said with a big, embarrassed grin. "Excellent... Its just... I just wanted to say how much of an honor it is to work with you, sir. I mean, I was a Muggle-born, I didn't know that much about... but I've studied the Second War and..."
"And now he's star-struck," Bosh rolled his eyes jokingly. "Adorable."
Andrew Reyburn was practically shaking with excitement as the group entered the Great Hall. "I just didn't realize how vital, how important, how... how cool it was that I was that I was being taught by the Neville Longbottom."
"Andrew, you started school the year after the Battle of Hogwarts," Neville said evenly as they made their way between the empty House tables. "You went to school with Harry, Hermione, and Ron. I figured you would have had this out of your system by now."
"Well, like I said, I'm a Muggle-born," Andrew stammered. "And I was Hufflepuff. I only saw them across the Hall at mealtime and during Quidditch matches. They probably didn't even know I existed. And its not like I really understood the importance, anyway. Professor Binns didn't even touch on the Second War in my years with him. At least, I don't think he did..."
"We've all nodded off in our time in Binns's class," said Aurora. "We don't even try to have him at staff meetings, he's so set in his ways of educating the students."
"It was a fascinating subject eventually," said Andrew, doing his best to maneuver himself beside Neville as they found their way to the High Table. "I read all about the War and the Horcruxes and everything after I left school. And, yeah, I'm just... I'm just proud to be working beside you, Professor."
"Well, I'm touched," said Neville, his face turning a slight shade of pink. "But, Andrew?"
"Yes, Professor?" Andrew replied, sitting up alertly.
"You're in the wrong seat."
"Wha?"
"You're in the wrong seat," Neville repeated as someone cleared their throat behind them. Andrew turned around to see a large, fair-haired hulk of a man standing behind him, arms crossed and heavy brow creased.
"Oh!" Andrew exclaimed, nearly falling out of the chair. "I'm sorry, I didn't..."
"Is not a problem," the muscular man replied in a tone that suggested that it might be a problem. "Ve assign seats. Muggle Studies on de udder side of de table."
"Right, right, right," Andrew stammered pulling himself to his feet. "Right, then... I'll just... Go... over..."
"I think you have yourself a fan, Neville," said Uriella as the blonde man took his seat and Andrew scampered to the other end of the table, sitting himself between Septima and Skryer.
"Yeah, I suppose," Neville said with a sigh. "Now I know how Harry felt about..." he trailed off awkwardly, trying not to think of Colin and Dennis Creevey. Instead he cleared his throat turned to the man sitting on his other side. "You really scared him there, Bjorn."
"I did not mean to," Bjorn Forseti, Hogwarts's Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, replied in his heavy Scandinavian accent.
"Of course you didn't mean to," said Andromeda, who had situated herself between Bjorn and the Headmaster's seat. "But you must admit you're a touch intimidating. They scare easy around you."
"He vas in my seat," said Bjorn, as if that was all the explanation he needed. Neville and Uriela laughed silently at the simple response as the massive doors opened and the second- through seventh-years began to pour their way into the Great Hall. Among the first to enter was James Potter, pursuing his friends Chase Quentin and Nicholas Hopkirk at a near sprint. Practically bowling over a pair of small second-years, the three Gryffindors wrestled for domination of the prime seat at the Gryffindor table: right in front of the largest golden tray, where, five years of experience had taught the boys, the biggest goose at the table would be landing soon after the Sorting was completed. James seemed to have clear dominance over his pals, but the sudden appearance of Nancy Sprague caused him to jerk into a nonchalant, totally mature pose. His attention diverted, James ran his hand calmly through his bright red hair, and Chase found the upper hand. The other Gryffindor Beater let loose a triumphant yell, slamming his hand down hard on the plate in front of him, signaling the end of the match.
As James and Nick sat dejectedly on either side of their victorious friend, Neville watched more students enter the Great Hall, including Rose Weasley, who was chatting animatedly with her best friend, Kayla Macmillan. The two, who Neville was sure were chatting with each other throughout the entire journey from Kings Cross, split as they reached the tables, and Kayla joined her fellow Ravenclaws, who swarmed her to catch up on the events of their respective summers. Kayla was easily the most popular student in her year, but Neville thought that Hannah and Ernie would be proud to know that it never went to her head. Neville recognized a bit of her father in Kayla's social networking, which she approached with a joy and a diligence that matched her thirst for learning. Both were traits that any professor loved to see in their students, and Neville was grateful to see both Kayla and Rose carried such a similar disposition. That's probably why they're such close friends in the first place, he thought.
For her part, Rose's circle of friends wasn't nearly as large as Kayla's, but she seemed just fine with that. Unlike Kayla, who was an only child born to two only children, Rose made it a point to keep close to her classmate cousins. She looked up to the High Table and gave Neville and Uri a cheerful wave before sitting down between her cousins Albus Potter and Fabian Weasley, a newly-minted prefect's badge shining on the latter's breast.
The more things change, Neville thought as Fabian adjusted his badge with a sense of pride reminiscent of the way his father had looked in Neville's first year.
"Except smaller," Neville said out loud. "I don't remember Percy ever looking that young."
"What's that?" Uri asked, cocking her eyebrow.
"Nothing, nothing," Neville said with a shake of his head. "Just Old Man Longbottom lurking in the shadows, I guess."
"Happens a lot, dear," said Uri, patting her husband's hand as the door beside the High Table opened.
The more things stay the same, Neville finished his thought as Hagrid, looking as he ever did, lumbered his way in from outside. "Hullo there, Neville, Uri," Hagrid rumbled boisterously as he passed along the front of the table towards his extra-large, extra fortified chair at the far end. As soon as he seated himself, the large doors swung open, allowing the murmuring students their first look at the new recruits.
With Professor Allentide striding briskly in the lead, carrying the three-legged stool before her, the first years began to move hesitantly between the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables. Mouths dropped in unison, the students getting their first look at the Great Hall, star-lit enchanted ceiling, and the hundreds of candles floating below the arches. Through the throng of small bodies, Neville saw Matilda Weasley shoot a nervous glance to her cousin, Gideon Weasley. Gideon, for his part, was too busy looking for his brother to notice Matilda's discomfort. He wasn't alone in his search, as many others scanned for friendly faces, including Hugo Weasley and Lily Potter, who smiled with relief as Rose and Albus waved to them from the Gryffindor table.
Trailing three steps behind the group, whispering excitedly to each other, were Fred Weasley and Evan Dursley. The two boys had met through what Uri affectionately called Weasley Academy, the home school program tossed together by Ron, Verity, and various other family and friends. To the absolute befuddlement of their fathers, Fred and Evan became fast friends, and George, Dudley, Verity, and Susan soon found themselves frequently getting together for dinner or Watch Me simply to give their only sons ample Hang Out Time. Harry had joked that his aunt applauded the friendship her grandson had developed, as it would cause Vernon Dursley to absolutely barrelroll in his grave.
The room fell completely silent as Jana carried the stool to the front of the Hall. The Sorting Hat, even more decrepit in the twenty years since it (and Neville) had been set aflame by Voldemort, was perched atop it. Moments later, the frayed tear opened, and the Hat began to sing:
Welcome to Hogwarts,
All you who are young
Today a new part
Of your life is begun
The first step's quite simple
Just step forward, young lad
Have a seat on the stool
And put me on your head
I am the Sorting Hat, you see
Sorting students is my mission
I see all your thoughts, dreams, and fears
Yes, even your ambitions
Perhaps you're made for Gryffindor
Where they're brave and strong and just
Or maybe Hufflepuff's for you
If loyalty's your yearning
Still maybe you're a Slytherin
For which shrewd cunning's a must
Or Ravenclaw's is where you'll do
Your best, and brightest learning
Each house has virtues, yes it does
Alone they're good, but united, better
So all students should unite because
Our world, it needs the latter
We are to face a new struggle
New foes disturb the peace
We must unite, wizard and muggle
To set the world at ease
Once more dredge up your courage
Once more take up your wands
Defeat cruel ones who ravage
What innocence lies in your hands
But for now, step up, be sorted
Then deal with other matters
I'll sort until I'm thwarted
And my body lies in tatters
Neville and Uri gave each other an uncomfortable look as most of the students burst into applause.
"A little foreboding, wasn't it?" Uri asked as some of the other students whispered nervously to each other.
"A bit, yeah," Neville replied. "He hasn't broken that tone out since the year after the war ended."
"But there's nothing," Uri said. "I mean, there's no danger. Is there?"
Neville could only shake his head in response, although he could tell from the look on Professor Ogden's face that the Longbottoms weren't the only ones with concerns. However, their conversation was forced to a close as Jana stepped up beside the stool, a roll of parchment clasped in her hand.
"When I call your name," she announced to the first years as she opened the parchment, "you will step up to the stool and place the Sorting Hat on your head. The Hat will then sort you into your new House. Anderson, Rachel!"
A blond-haired girl gave a little squeak as her name was called, and stumbled her way up to the Sorting Hat. After looking nervously at Professor Allentide, who gave her a reassuring nod, she carefully picked up the Hat, seated herself on the stool, and placed the Hat on her head. The room sat in silence for a few moments before the Hat announced:
"RAVENCLAW!"
The Ravenclaw table, swathed in blue and bronze, erupted into applause as Rachel pulled the Hat from her head and ran to her new House, obviously grateful to be away from the spotlight. "Asad, Ayan!" Jana announced as the Ravenclaw table quickly calmed down. A small Somali girl now approached the Hat and placed it on her head.
"RAVENCLAW!"
Once again, the bronze and blue exploded as they were joined by their second new recruit.
"Borgin, Maxen!"
"SLYTHERIN!"
"Borgin, Vaughn!"
"SLYTHERIN!"
As the twin boys made their way to the green-clad table, Neville once again noticed a definitively split House. It had been this way ever since the Second War. Half of the students sat at one end of the table, made up exclusively of families that followed the pureblood mantra established centuries ago. Their stance, however, wasn't as universally loved by their fellow Slytherins as it had once been, and the Hat had begun placing more and more half-bloods, and the occasional Muggle-born, into Salazar's old house. This second group, along with students whose families had been deemed blood traitors by pureblood hardcores, were seated at the opposite end of the table, Scorpius Malfoy the most notable among them. This left quite a large gap between the two groups, which forced the new first-years to sit in the middle, their social standing in the House to be determined within the coming months.
"Bunker, Drystan!" Jana continued.
"HUFFLEPUFF!" the Hat announced as the good-looking young boy ran to the yellow and black. Following him, "Buggs, Selena" became the third new Ravenclaw girl. "Byrne, Regina" joined the Borgin twins at the Slytherin table. "Davies, Trevor," who bore a striking resemblance to his father, became the first new Gryffindor of the evening, and "Dawson, Jessica," became a Hufflepuff soon after.
"Dursley, Evan!"
Neville sat up straighter as the straw-haired blonde boy, carrying his mother's looks and his father's stocky build, approached the chair. Which way would this go? Nevile wondered. Susan Bones, along with most of her family, had been sorted into Hufflepuff, and Dudley had come from a notoriously anti-wizard Muggle family. Evan seemed to have some skill and some intelligence, from what Neville had heard from the Academy, and there was that bloodline he shared with Lily Evans...
The Hat seemed to ponder Evan's fate for a longer period than the other students so far. After what Neville was sure felt like an eternity to Evan, the Hat announced:
"RAVENCLAW!"
The Ravenclaw table burst into applause as Evan ran down to join his new House. Neville noticed, however, that not everyone was pleased with the decision: Fred Weasley, knowing that his best friend wouldn't be joining the Weasleys at the Gryffindor table, kicked the air in frustration.
Stacy Fleetwood joined the Slytherins just as Evan seated himself amongst the young Ravenclaw girls, followed quickly to the greens by Diana Harper. "Hopkirk, Kyle," became the second Ravenclaw boy at a quickly filling table, "Law, Catherine" became the first new Gryffindor girl, and Tilly Loxias joined the Slytherins.
"Maynard, Hermione!"
"Ah, damn," Uri whispered to Neville as the girl approached the stool. "We forgot to make our bet this year, didn't we?"
"Thank God we didn't," Neville whispered back as Hermione Maynard joined the Gryffindors. "I'd owe you money. I didn't think we'd make it this far without one of the three."
It had become a repetitive social phenomenon since Neville had joined the staff of Hogwarts. Just like what happened after wars of old, you began to see a great influx of children named after the great heroes of the previous generation. And sure enough, Hermione Maynard had a twin brother named Ron who became a Gryffindor. They were followed by the Slytherin Harry McManus and, after "Monroe, Michael" and "Newton, Andrea" joined the Slytherins and the Ravenclaws respectively, Harry Norley became a Hufflepuff.
"Potter, Lily!"
The room grew silent as Lily, her mother's red hair hanging in pigtails, approached the Hat. Although both of her brothers had joined Gryffindor, Neville could see in the eyes of the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws (along with the half-blood section of Slytherin) that they'd love nothing more than to see the youngest child of The Chosen One join their table.
But, as Neville knew even before the Sorting Hat made its quick prediction, the question was never in doubt.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
The yellows and the blues groaned in frustration as Lily ran quickly to a howling Gryffindor table. "As if they thought they had a chance," Uri whispered to Neville. Albus gave her a big hug as his sister sat down beside him, also receiving a pat on the back from Fabian and a pigtail tug from James, who quickly ran back to his seat after giving his congratulations.
"Roberts, Tom!"
The Gryffindor applause died quickly, replaced by quiet mumbling as a dark-haired boy stepped forward.
"Ah, poor kid," Uri said quietly, shaking her head. "Why can't they just... God..."
The boy seemed to notice the sharp change in the atmosphere of the room: his hands were visibly shaking as he picked up the Hat and placed it over his head. The applause from the Ravenclaw table as their House was announced was far more subdued than with any of their previous additions, and Scarlet Scamander (Hufflepuff), Lycoris Selwyn (Slytherin), and Gopal Singh (Hufflepuff) all passed through the Sorting before Jana eventually had to stop reading. She cleared her throat loudly over the constant whispering, and stared sternly out over the students until the hum finally silenced.
"Su Li!" she said, noticably more loudly and clearly than before, the note of displeasure ringing in her voice at the behavior of the students.
"HUFFLEPUFF!" the Hat said, his voice surprisingly showing a similar level of frustration as the Deputy Headmistress as the thin Chinese girl left the stool.
The students seemed to be getting themselves under control, and by the time Ella Todd, Hermione Toots ("Another one," Uri chuckled), and Aiden Towler all joined the Hufflepuffs, the Great Hall had regained its air of nervous anticipation. There were only six first-years left, after all, and somehow all four Tables knew what family most of them belonged to.
Sure enough, when Jana called Fred Weasley to the front, the Hall reached another level of silence. With four Weasleys remaining, surely there was a chance that one of them would break the streak. They couldn't all be Gryffindors, after all, even if the red and gold table was considerably less populated than the others.
The House held their breath as Fred pulled the hat over his red hair. The silence stretched as the Hat debated its choices. Finally:
"RAVENCLAW!"
"Holy--!" Uri exclaimed as the Ravenclaws erupted into the loudest cheers of the night so far. Hagrid roared with surprised laughter from the end of the table as he saw the look of shock on the faces of Fred's cousins. The Weasley streak, which stretched as far back as anyone could remember, had been broken, and all Fred could do was give a half-hearted shrug of apology as he joined the Ravenclaw table, laughing and fist-tapping Evan Dursley as he was mobbed by his new Housemates.
"Weasley, Gideon!" Jana boomed over the boisterous Ravenclaws.
"So what do you think?" Uri whispered to Neville as Gideon, who looked as much like his brother as he did their father, approached the stool.
"Who knows?" Neville said helplessly. "Two Gryffindor spots left for the boys, but still one Ravenclaw and one Hufflepuff. Now that Fred's a Ravenclaw, I don't know what to think."
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Neville couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief as Gideon joined his House. It would be odd, after all, to have no Weasleys at all this year, even if black was white, white was black, and all physical laws of nature ceased to exist.
"Weasley, Hugo!"
Hugo Weasley approached the Hat, staring at it as if it had suddenly become a ferocious beast capable of anything. Very slowly, he set picked the hat up, sat down on the stool, and held it in his lap for a few moments before reluctantly placing it on his head.
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
"No!" Rose Weasley's cry of dismay was barely heard over the applause of the Hufflepuffs. Her baby brother, still sitting on the stool, looked around in confusion, the Sorting Hat still pulled down over his eyes. After maybe ten seconds, Jana approached the chair and lifted the Hat from his head. "Please join your House, Mr. Weasley," she said, pointing to the Hufflepuff table, who were all beckoning him to sit with them. Hugo pushed himself off the stool, the shock still living on his face as he made his way over. Although the table was directly opposite Gryffindors, the seats had been filled so Hugo was forced to sit at the opposite end than his sister, dejectedly plopping himself between Aiden Towler and Harry Norley.
When Matilda, the final Weasley, was called, her name had to be announced twice, as she was focusing entirely on the situation developing at the Gryffindor table. When she, John Worple, and Shannon Young were announced as Gryffindors, closing the Sorting for the year, they couldn't have been any less recognized by their new House.
"I am glad ve did not Sort at Durmstrang," said Bjorn Forseti to the Longbottoms as the Weasleys, the Potters, and other Gryffindors surrounded Rose Weasley's tear-streaked face and Hugo Weasley numbly accept the greetings from his new Hufflepuff Housemates. "For just this reason I am glad."
When I Learn to Fly / Previous Chapters / Four Houses
Author: kanedax
Spoilers: Previous Chapters
Rating: PG-13 for minor language
Summary: The Sorting of the Weasleys commences
Notes: Wow. Enough new names for you? Sorry about that. Hopefully it smooths out later. Thanks to sopaltenbassfor the Sorting Hat's Song!
I own these characters. The others belong to JK Rowling.
When I Learn to Fly / Previous Chapters / Four Houses
"The Hogwarts Express has arrived, Headmaster," announced the portly, mustachioed man from the portrait. "Hagrid is collecting the first years, and the rest of the students will be here in roughly ten minutes."
"Thank you, Hengist," Tiberius Ogden replied to the portrait of Hengist of Woodcroft, which connected Hogsmeade Station to the staff room of Hogwarts.
"As always," said Hengist, doffing his hat to reveal a large bald patch before once again removing himself from the frame to watch the progress of the incoming students miles away.
"Is there any other business before we adjourn to the Great Hall?" Ogden asked, returning his attention to the relaxed group of professors surrounding him. "Cyril, any new items on the prohibited list?"
"Not yet," said Cyril Lares, a squint-eyed old wizard leaning against the staff room wall. "I expect it to expand once we get our first whiff of Weasley Wheezes' new line, though."
"As always," Ogden said to the caretaker with a sigh. He turned to the youngest wizard of the group, currently seated between Professors Bosh and Vector. "Andrew, any other questions?"
"No, sir, Professor," said Andrew Reyburn, the school's new Muggle Studies professor.
"It's Tiberius now, Andrew," said Ogden with a smile. "You're not our student anymore, first names are completely acceptable."
"Yes, sir," Andrew said with a faint flush.
"Don't worry," Neville Longbottom, seated on the couch with his wife, said with a chuckle. "Took me years to get past it."
"If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask," Tiberius continued. "You spent seven years here, but there are plenty of secrets on these grounds that are known only to the professors. Everyone else, if Andrew has any questions, do not hesitate to answer."
"Try our best, Tiberius," said Aurora Sinistra as Kinnell Bosh gave a good-natured pat on the shoulder to the overwhelmed Reyburn.
"Professors Allentide, Bosh, Longbottom, and Tonks," Ogden continued to the Heads of House, "timetables will be available in my office at six tomorrow morning for each of your Houses, along with the calendar for Quidditch tryouts. Jana, I've given the Hufflepuffs a longer period than the other Houses since you have fewer returning players, correct?"
"Four positions open, yes," said Allentide. "And I'm off to greet the first years. See you all at the Sorting."
"Excellent," Tiberius nodded as Jana stood and left the room, her long, gray-streaked braid trailing behind her. "Well, if that's all, then I'll just finish by saying welcome back, everyone, and good luck with the school year!"
"Thank you, sir," the professors all said as they got to their feet and exited the staff room.
"Thank God," Uriela Longbottom moaned as the group walked down staircase towards the Great Hall. "I've been looking forward to the shepherd's pie all summer."
"Me, too," said Neville. "The house elves always outdo themselves. I really need to ask what herbs they use..."
"I doubt they'd tell you," said Andromeda Tonks, the Potions professor, from Neville's other side. "It goes beyond a trade secret for them, doesn't it?"
"I suppose you're right," Neville said with a chuckle. "I just--"
"Professor Longbottom?"
"Yes?" Neville and Uriella said in unison, both turning around to see Reyburn, a tall, gangly black-haired young man, trotting towards them.
"Oh, of course, I should have known," said Uri jokingly she realized Andrew's attention was fully on her husband.
"What can I help you with, Andrew?" asked Neville. "Lose your way already?"
"What?" Andrew stammered, the joke lost on him. "No, I'm not-- I just wondering if you remembered me."
"Of course I remember you," Neville grinned. "We were just in the staff room together, weren't we?"
"Um..."
"Forget it," said Uri, poking Neville with her elbow. "He usually gets like this at the beginning of the year."
"I meant if you remember me from when I was a student," Reyburn continued. "You started during my fourth year."
"I do, yes," said Neville. "And if I recall, I only had you in my classes for two years before you dropped."
"That's right..."
"Got a 'P' on your O.W.L., didn't you?"
"A 'T', actually," Andrew said with a shrug. "Some people have it, some people don't, and most don't need it either way, I guess."
"Ouch," Bosh, a tall wizard with a salt-and-pepper-streaked ponytail, chuckled from behind them. "I'd never let some smart-aleck kid talk about my subject that way, Neville."
"Usefulness or uselessness of my class aside," Neville said firmly as the other professors laughed, "yes, Andrew, I do remember you."
"Wow," Andrew said with a big, embarrassed grin. "Excellent... Its just... I just wanted to say how much of an honor it is to work with you, sir. I mean, I was a Muggle-born, I didn't know that much about... but I've studied the Second War and..."
"And now he's star-struck," Bosh rolled his eyes jokingly. "Adorable."
Andrew Reyburn was practically shaking with excitement as the group entered the Great Hall. "I just didn't realize how vital, how important, how... how cool it was that I was that I was being taught by the Neville Longbottom."
"Andrew, you started school the year after the Battle of Hogwarts," Neville said evenly as they made their way between the empty House tables. "You went to school with Harry, Hermione, and Ron. I figured you would have had this out of your system by now."
"Well, like I said, I'm a Muggle-born," Andrew stammered. "And I was Hufflepuff. I only saw them across the Hall at mealtime and during Quidditch matches. They probably didn't even know I existed. And its not like I really understood the importance, anyway. Professor Binns didn't even touch on the Second War in my years with him. At least, I don't think he did..."
"We've all nodded off in our time in Binns's class," said Aurora. "We don't even try to have him at staff meetings, he's so set in his ways of educating the students."
"It was a fascinating subject eventually," said Andrew, doing his best to maneuver himself beside Neville as they found their way to the High Table. "I read all about the War and the Horcruxes and everything after I left school. And, yeah, I'm just... I'm just proud to be working beside you, Professor."
"Well, I'm touched," said Neville, his face turning a slight shade of pink. "But, Andrew?"
"Yes, Professor?" Andrew replied, sitting up alertly.
"You're in the wrong seat."
"Wha?"
"You're in the wrong seat," Neville repeated as someone cleared their throat behind them. Andrew turned around to see a large, fair-haired hulk of a man standing behind him, arms crossed and heavy brow creased.
"Oh!" Andrew exclaimed, nearly falling out of the chair. "I'm sorry, I didn't..."
"Is not a problem," the muscular man replied in a tone that suggested that it might be a problem. "Ve assign seats. Muggle Studies on de udder side of de table."
"Right, right, right," Andrew stammered pulling himself to his feet. "Right, then... I'll just... Go... over..."
"I think you have yourself a fan, Neville," said Uriella as the blonde man took his seat and Andrew scampered to the other end of the table, sitting himself between Septima and Skryer.
"Yeah, I suppose," Neville said with a sigh. "Now I know how Harry felt about..." he trailed off awkwardly, trying not to think of Colin and Dennis Creevey. Instead he cleared his throat turned to the man sitting on his other side. "You really scared him there, Bjorn."
"I did not mean to," Bjorn Forseti, Hogwarts's Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, replied in his heavy Scandinavian accent.
"Of course you didn't mean to," said Andromeda, who had situated herself between Bjorn and the Headmaster's seat. "But you must admit you're a touch intimidating. They scare easy around you."
"He vas in my seat," said Bjorn, as if that was all the explanation he needed. Neville and Uriela laughed silently at the simple response as the massive doors opened and the second- through seventh-years began to pour their way into the Great Hall. Among the first to enter was James Potter, pursuing his friends Chase Quentin and Nicholas Hopkirk at a near sprint. Practically bowling over a pair of small second-years, the three Gryffindors wrestled for domination of the prime seat at the Gryffindor table: right in front of the largest golden tray, where, five years of experience had taught the boys, the biggest goose at the table would be landing soon after the Sorting was completed. James seemed to have clear dominance over his pals, but the sudden appearance of Nancy Sprague caused him to jerk into a nonchalant, totally mature pose. His attention diverted, James ran his hand calmly through his bright red hair, and Chase found the upper hand. The other Gryffindor Beater let loose a triumphant yell, slamming his hand down hard on the plate in front of him, signaling the end of the match.
As James and Nick sat dejectedly on either side of their victorious friend, Neville watched more students enter the Great Hall, including Rose Weasley, who was chatting animatedly with her best friend, Kayla Macmillan. The two, who Neville was sure were chatting with each other throughout the entire journey from Kings Cross, split as they reached the tables, and Kayla joined her fellow Ravenclaws, who swarmed her to catch up on the events of their respective summers. Kayla was easily the most popular student in her year, but Neville thought that Hannah and Ernie would be proud to know that it never went to her head. Neville recognized a bit of her father in Kayla's social networking, which she approached with a joy and a diligence that matched her thirst for learning. Both were traits that any professor loved to see in their students, and Neville was grateful to see both Kayla and Rose carried such a similar disposition. That's probably why they're such close friends in the first place, he thought.
For her part, Rose's circle of friends wasn't nearly as large as Kayla's, but she seemed just fine with that. Unlike Kayla, who was an only child born to two only children, Rose made it a point to keep close to her classmate cousins. She looked up to the High Table and gave Neville and Uri a cheerful wave before sitting down between her cousins Albus Potter and Fabian Weasley, a newly-minted prefect's badge shining on the latter's breast.
The more things change, Neville thought as Fabian adjusted his badge with a sense of pride reminiscent of the way his father had looked in Neville's first year.
"Except smaller," Neville said out loud. "I don't remember Percy ever looking that young."
"What's that?" Uri asked, cocking her eyebrow.
"Nothing, nothing," Neville said with a shake of his head. "Just Old Man Longbottom lurking in the shadows, I guess."
"Happens a lot, dear," said Uri, patting her husband's hand as the door beside the High Table opened.
The more things stay the same, Neville finished his thought as Hagrid, looking as he ever did, lumbered his way in from outside. "Hullo there, Neville, Uri," Hagrid rumbled boisterously as he passed along the front of the table towards his extra-large, extra fortified chair at the far end. As soon as he seated himself, the large doors swung open, allowing the murmuring students their first look at the new recruits.
With Professor Allentide striding briskly in the lead, carrying the three-legged stool before her, the first years began to move hesitantly between the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables. Mouths dropped in unison, the students getting their first look at the Great Hall, star-lit enchanted ceiling, and the hundreds of candles floating below the arches. Through the throng of small bodies, Neville saw Matilda Weasley shoot a nervous glance to her cousin, Gideon Weasley. Gideon, for his part, was too busy looking for his brother to notice Matilda's discomfort. He wasn't alone in his search, as many others scanned for friendly faces, including Hugo Weasley and Lily Potter, who smiled with relief as Rose and Albus waved to them from the Gryffindor table.
Trailing three steps behind the group, whispering excitedly to each other, were Fred Weasley and Evan Dursley. The two boys had met through what Uri affectionately called Weasley Academy, the home school program tossed together by Ron, Verity, and various other family and friends. To the absolute befuddlement of their fathers, Fred and Evan became fast friends, and George, Dudley, Verity, and Susan soon found themselves frequently getting together for dinner or Watch Me simply to give their only sons ample Hang Out Time. Harry had joked that his aunt applauded the friendship her grandson had developed, as it would cause Vernon Dursley to absolutely barrelroll in his grave.
The room fell completely silent as Jana carried the stool to the front of the Hall. The Sorting Hat, even more decrepit in the twenty years since it (and Neville) had been set aflame by Voldemort, was perched atop it. Moments later, the frayed tear opened, and the Hat began to sing:
Welcome to Hogwarts,
All you who are young
Today a new part
Of your life is begun
The first step's quite simple
Just step forward, young lad
Have a seat on the stool
And put me on your head
I am the Sorting Hat, you see
Sorting students is my mission
I see all your thoughts, dreams, and fears
Yes, even your ambitions
Perhaps you're made for Gryffindor
Where they're brave and strong and just
Or maybe Hufflepuff's for you
If loyalty's your yearning
Still maybe you're a Slytherin
For which shrewd cunning's a must
Or Ravenclaw's is where you'll do
Your best, and brightest learning
Each house has virtues, yes it does
Alone they're good, but united, better
So all students should unite because
Our world, it needs the latter
We are to face a new struggle
New foes disturb the peace
We must unite, wizard and muggle
To set the world at ease
Once more dredge up your courage
Once more take up your wands
Defeat cruel ones who ravage
What innocence lies in your hands
But for now, step up, be sorted
Then deal with other matters
I'll sort until I'm thwarted
And my body lies in tatters
Neville and Uri gave each other an uncomfortable look as most of the students burst into applause.
"A little foreboding, wasn't it?" Uri asked as some of the other students whispered nervously to each other.
"A bit, yeah," Neville replied. "He hasn't broken that tone out since the year after the war ended."
"But there's nothing," Uri said. "I mean, there's no danger. Is there?"
Neville could only shake his head in response, although he could tell from the look on Professor Ogden's face that the Longbottoms weren't the only ones with concerns. However, their conversation was forced to a close as Jana stepped up beside the stool, a roll of parchment clasped in her hand.
"When I call your name," she announced to the first years as she opened the parchment, "you will step up to the stool and place the Sorting Hat on your head. The Hat will then sort you into your new House. Anderson, Rachel!"
A blond-haired girl gave a little squeak as her name was called, and stumbled her way up to the Sorting Hat. After looking nervously at Professor Allentide, who gave her a reassuring nod, she carefully picked up the Hat, seated herself on the stool, and placed the Hat on her head. The room sat in silence for a few moments before the Hat announced:
"RAVENCLAW!"
The Ravenclaw table, swathed in blue and bronze, erupted into applause as Rachel pulled the Hat from her head and ran to her new House, obviously grateful to be away from the spotlight. "Asad, Ayan!" Jana announced as the Ravenclaw table quickly calmed down. A small Somali girl now approached the Hat and placed it on her head.
"RAVENCLAW!"
Once again, the bronze and blue exploded as they were joined by their second new recruit.
"Borgin, Maxen!"
"SLYTHERIN!"
"Borgin, Vaughn!"
"SLYTHERIN!"
As the twin boys made their way to the green-clad table, Neville once again noticed a definitively split House. It had been this way ever since the Second War. Half of the students sat at one end of the table, made up exclusively of families that followed the pureblood mantra established centuries ago. Their stance, however, wasn't as universally loved by their fellow Slytherins as it had once been, and the Hat had begun placing more and more half-bloods, and the occasional Muggle-born, into Salazar's old house. This second group, along with students whose families had been deemed blood traitors by pureblood hardcores, were seated at the opposite end of the table, Scorpius Malfoy the most notable among them. This left quite a large gap between the two groups, which forced the new first-years to sit in the middle, their social standing in the House to be determined within the coming months.
"Bunker, Drystan!" Jana continued.
"HUFFLEPUFF!" the Hat announced as the good-looking young boy ran to the yellow and black. Following him, "Buggs, Selena" became the third new Ravenclaw girl. "Byrne, Regina" joined the Borgin twins at the Slytherin table. "Davies, Trevor," who bore a striking resemblance to his father, became the first new Gryffindor of the evening, and "Dawson, Jessica," became a Hufflepuff soon after.
"Dursley, Evan!"
Neville sat up straighter as the straw-haired blonde boy, carrying his mother's looks and his father's stocky build, approached the chair. Which way would this go? Nevile wondered. Susan Bones, along with most of her family, had been sorted into Hufflepuff, and Dudley had come from a notoriously anti-wizard Muggle family. Evan seemed to have some skill and some intelligence, from what Neville had heard from the Academy, and there was that bloodline he shared with Lily Evans...
The Hat seemed to ponder Evan's fate for a longer period than the other students so far. After what Neville was sure felt like an eternity to Evan, the Hat announced:
"RAVENCLAW!"
The Ravenclaw table burst into applause as Evan ran down to join his new House. Neville noticed, however, that not everyone was pleased with the decision: Fred Weasley, knowing that his best friend wouldn't be joining the Weasleys at the Gryffindor table, kicked the air in frustration.
Stacy Fleetwood joined the Slytherins just as Evan seated himself amongst the young Ravenclaw girls, followed quickly to the greens by Diana Harper. "Hopkirk, Kyle," became the second Ravenclaw boy at a quickly filling table, "Law, Catherine" became the first new Gryffindor girl, and Tilly Loxias joined the Slytherins.
"Maynard, Hermione!"
"Ah, damn," Uri whispered to Neville as the girl approached the stool. "We forgot to make our bet this year, didn't we?"
"Thank God we didn't," Neville whispered back as Hermione Maynard joined the Gryffindors. "I'd owe you money. I didn't think we'd make it this far without one of the three."
It had become a repetitive social phenomenon since Neville had joined the staff of Hogwarts. Just like what happened after wars of old, you began to see a great influx of children named after the great heroes of the previous generation. And sure enough, Hermione Maynard had a twin brother named Ron who became a Gryffindor. They were followed by the Slytherin Harry McManus and, after "Monroe, Michael" and "Newton, Andrea" joined the Slytherins and the Ravenclaws respectively, Harry Norley became a Hufflepuff.
"Potter, Lily!"
The room grew silent as Lily, her mother's red hair hanging in pigtails, approached the Hat. Although both of her brothers had joined Gryffindor, Neville could see in the eyes of the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws (along with the half-blood section of Slytherin) that they'd love nothing more than to see the youngest child of The Chosen One join their table.
But, as Neville knew even before the Sorting Hat made its quick prediction, the question was never in doubt.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
The yellows and the blues groaned in frustration as Lily ran quickly to a howling Gryffindor table. "As if they thought they had a chance," Uri whispered to Neville. Albus gave her a big hug as his sister sat down beside him, also receiving a pat on the back from Fabian and a pigtail tug from James, who quickly ran back to his seat after giving his congratulations.
"Roberts, Tom!"
The Gryffindor applause died quickly, replaced by quiet mumbling as a dark-haired boy stepped forward.
"Ah, poor kid," Uri said quietly, shaking her head. "Why can't they just... God..."
The boy seemed to notice the sharp change in the atmosphere of the room: his hands were visibly shaking as he picked up the Hat and placed it over his head. The applause from the Ravenclaw table as their House was announced was far more subdued than with any of their previous additions, and Scarlet Scamander (Hufflepuff), Lycoris Selwyn (Slytherin), and Gopal Singh (Hufflepuff) all passed through the Sorting before Jana eventually had to stop reading. She cleared her throat loudly over the constant whispering, and stared sternly out over the students until the hum finally silenced.
"Su Li!" she said, noticably more loudly and clearly than before, the note of displeasure ringing in her voice at the behavior of the students.
"HUFFLEPUFF!" the Hat said, his voice surprisingly showing a similar level of frustration as the Deputy Headmistress as the thin Chinese girl left the stool.
The students seemed to be getting themselves under control, and by the time Ella Todd, Hermione Toots ("Another one," Uri chuckled), and Aiden Towler all joined the Hufflepuffs, the Great Hall had regained its air of nervous anticipation. There were only six first-years left, after all, and somehow all four Tables knew what family most of them belonged to.
Sure enough, when Jana called Fred Weasley to the front, the Hall reached another level of silence. With four Weasleys remaining, surely there was a chance that one of them would break the streak. They couldn't all be Gryffindors, after all, even if the red and gold table was considerably less populated than the others.
The House held their breath as Fred pulled the hat over his red hair. The silence stretched as the Hat debated its choices. Finally:
"RAVENCLAW!"
"Holy--!" Uri exclaimed as the Ravenclaws erupted into the loudest cheers of the night so far. Hagrid roared with surprised laughter from the end of the table as he saw the look of shock on the faces of Fred's cousins. The Weasley streak, which stretched as far back as anyone could remember, had been broken, and all Fred could do was give a half-hearted shrug of apology as he joined the Ravenclaw table, laughing and fist-tapping Evan Dursley as he was mobbed by his new Housemates.
"Weasley, Gideon!" Jana boomed over the boisterous Ravenclaws.
"So what do you think?" Uri whispered to Neville as Gideon, who looked as much like his brother as he did their father, approached the stool.
"Who knows?" Neville said helplessly. "Two Gryffindor spots left for the boys, but still one Ravenclaw and one Hufflepuff. Now that Fred's a Ravenclaw, I don't know what to think."
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Neville couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief as Gideon joined his House. It would be odd, after all, to have no Weasleys at all this year, even if black was white, white was black, and all physical laws of nature ceased to exist.
"Weasley, Hugo!"
Hugo Weasley approached the Hat, staring at it as if it had suddenly become a ferocious beast capable of anything. Very slowly, he set picked the hat up, sat down on the stool, and held it in his lap for a few moments before reluctantly placing it on his head.
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
"No!" Rose Weasley's cry of dismay was barely heard over the applause of the Hufflepuffs. Her baby brother, still sitting on the stool, looked around in confusion, the Sorting Hat still pulled down over his eyes. After maybe ten seconds, Jana approached the chair and lifted the Hat from his head. "Please join your House, Mr. Weasley," she said, pointing to the Hufflepuff table, who were all beckoning him to sit with them. Hugo pushed himself off the stool, the shock still living on his face as he made his way over. Although the table was directly opposite Gryffindors, the seats had been filled so Hugo was forced to sit at the opposite end than his sister, dejectedly plopping himself between Aiden Towler and Harry Norley.
When Matilda, the final Weasley, was called, her name had to be announced twice, as she was focusing entirely on the situation developing at the Gryffindor table. When she, John Worple, and Shannon Young were announced as Gryffindors, closing the Sorting for the year, they couldn't have been any less recognized by their new House.
"I am glad ve did not Sort at Durmstrang," said Bjorn Forseti to the Longbottoms as the Weasleys, the Potters, and other Gryffindors surrounded Rose Weasley's tear-streaked face and Hugo Weasley numbly accept the greetings from his new Hufflepuff Housemates. "For just this reason I am glad."
When I Learn to Fly / Previous Chapters / Four Houses