Chapter 3
Albus’ head felt fit to explode. He had never seen his father look as he did now. Even more befuddling was why his father was at Hogwarts. Had Hagrid or Professor McGonagall called him after Albus had gone missing on the boats? That didn’t make much sense. Harry had always been the caring and understanding parent; his mother was usually the one who did the telling off. He hung his head in shame as he walked up the pathway created by the gap between the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables. Albus lifted his head and looked at Hagrid; if possible, the look on his face made him feel even sicker. The kindly man now had a stare placed upon Albus that would make brave men cower in fright. Professor McGonagall, who Albus had known from a very young age, had her lips pursed tighter than Albus had ever seen them. Even James and his Weasley cousins glared at him from the Gryffindor table. The first-years had reached the front of the hall where a three-legged stool sat with a parched and frayed hat on top. A rip near the brim of the Sorting Hat opened, and it began to sing.
It’s been a thousand years since I was newly sewn
And sat upon the head of a sorcerer well known.
He and his fellows started this very school,
Soon they left, but they were not fools.
They left me here to put you in your place,
I judge you by your head, and not merely your face!
You might be put in Gryffindor, where glory is your friend
Gryffindors are brave and true; they need not make amends.
In Hufflepuff, you will find those just and loyal,
They are kings in their own respect, despite not being royal.
In Ravenclaw, a brain is what you’ll need,
If you’ve an ample mind, there you can take the lead.
Finally, there’s Slytherin, where cunning finds its way,
On the brink of greatness, they’ll assure you won’t stray.
Of these houses four, one shall be yours,
I decide, you do not, but don’t get in a rage,
For I haven’t made a mistake in so many an age.
Don’t be scared, don’t even worry,
The Sorting Hat will guide you; I’m not in a hurry!
The whole hall applauded, excluding Albus and Rose. The expressions of their friends and relatives had not changed. Professor Parvati Patil pulled a long roll of parchment out of her robes and said, in her tinkling voice, “Now, when I call your name, you will come up and sit on this stool. The Sorting Hat will be placed on your head, and you will be sorted into your houses.” She peered down at the list and called, “Aaron, Robert!” A stocky boy with a mop of black hair walked up to the stool and sat down. Professor Patil placed the hat on his head. It remained still for a few minutes. Robert Aaron was sweating now.
The Sorting Hat finally screeched, “RAVENCLAW!” The table to Albus’ right burst into applause as a grinning Robert Aaron walked up to the Ravenclaw and sat next to Tiffany Chang, who shook his hand vigorously.
Professor Patil continued, “Anthony, Lucian!”
“Hmm… I see. Well then, better be…HUFFLEPUFF!” Lucian practically skipped to the Hufflepuff table to Albus’ left. He looked quite happy to be in the most ordinary house of them all. Albus was holding his breath. He knew Jason would be called next. He’d better be in Gryffindor, he thought. I hope I didn’t risk my seat at Hogwarts for a Slytherin. He hated himself for thinking it, but it was true.
“Asterope, Jason!” Jason gently pushed Albus aside as he shuffled up to the three-legged stool and sat down. The hat had barely touched his head when it yelled:
“GRYFFINDOR!” Albus cheered with the rest of the Gryffindors as Jason assumed his seat next to the rest of the Weasleys and James, all of them clapping along with Professor McGonagall, Albus’ father, and Hagrid, who still looked livid. However, Albus cared less now. One down, three to go, he thought.
After Amy Creevey, Stephanie Drummonds, Jonathon Elmont, and Harvey Fornax were sorted into Gryffindor, Professor Patil called, “Longbottom, Alice!” Albus could see Professor Longbottom lean forward in his seat, giving the stool his rapt attention. The quiet girl walked gracefully to the stool and sat on it, crossing her legs. The hat was placed on her head. It took a very long time to sort Alice. It was hard for Albus to judge what houses the Sorting Hat was deciding between, not knowing too much about Alice’s personality, but he knew Gryffindor was definitely one of the options. The hat finally reopened its “mouth.”
“Well, if you’re sure. Better be…SLYTHERIN!” Albus gagged. Whatever feeling of illness he had had before, it was nothing to what he felt now. He could hear Rose sobbing behind him. He turned around, looking to see Frank’s reaction. He just stared ahead, no expression on his face. Albus looked up at the high table. Professor Longbottom had the exact same expression as Frank. Nobody was clapping. Alice didn’t look sad at all. She didn’t by any means look happy, but she looked indifferent, almost oblivious to her surroundings. The Slytherins were also indifferent. They didn’t even acknowledge her presence at the table. The Longbottoms were perennial Gryffindors, similar to the Weasleys. No one could remember a Longbottom who hadn’t been in Gryffindor. Even Professor Patil, who was a very good friend with the Longbottoms, was startled by the Sorting; she was co-head of Gryffindor house along with Alice’s father. What chilled Albus even more than Alice being sorted into Slytherin was when the Sorting Hat had said, “If you’re sure…” That made it sound like Alice had asked to be put in Slytherin. Albus shook the idea out of his mind. That was a completely ridiculous idea.
“Longbottom, Frank!”
“GRYFFINDOR!” yelled the hat, and Frank walked over to the Gryffindor table still with that same blank look on his face.
Professor Patil regained her composure and continued calling names. After several minutes of quickly calling names, she stopped for the briefest of moments. Then she called, “Malfoy, Scorpius!” The pale faced boy with blonde hair walked up to the stool.
“SLYTHERIN!” Like Jason, the Sorting Hat showed no hesitation. Malfoy, unlike Alice, received a standing ovation from the Slytherins. Even more worrisome to Albus was the fact that Alice was clapping as well. Rose was still sobbing earnestly. What was wrong with Alice today? She hadn’t seemed herself ever since the adventure in the Old Hall.
Albus was pondering what could possibly wrong with Alice when Professor Patil announced to the hall: “Potter, Albus!” The hall burst into whispering and muttering, just as it had exactly 25 years ago when the man at the high table to the right of the Headmistress walked up to the middle of the Great Hall, ready to be sorted. Not Slytherin, not Slytherin, he had wished. And so his son wished: Not Slytherin, not Slytherin.
A little voice whispered in is ear, “Hmm, not Slytherin, eh? Very like your father you are, but not in spirit. Oh yes, you are brave, but not like he was. You are very clever, quite adept at wand work, I can see. Ravenclaw seems the place for you”Hufflepuff would also be a nice place for you, judging by your undeniable moral fiber”Slytherin would not be such a bad place, either. I can see cunning in here, as well as the wish to stand out from the rest. Yes, Slytherin might not be a bad place…yes, Slytherin seems to be the place… ”
“NO!” yelled Albus out loud. If he had everyone’s attention before, it was nothing to the attention he was getting now. He looked into the crowd of remaining first years and saw Rose still sniffling. He couldn’t bear the thought of being sorted into Slytherin. Please, not Slytherin. Albus kept repeating this mantra in his head.
“Oh well, if you’re sure. Your father wished the same, and looked how he turned out! Yes, that seems like a good place for you… GRYFFINDOR!” Albus let a grin spread across his face in spite of himself. As he walked to the table on the far left, he turned his head and looked behind him. His father was clapping with James, Frank, and all of the Weasleys. He walked over to the Gryffindor table and sat next to Frank, who was smiling at Albus, but only briefly. Jason moved from his previous spot at the table to a seat next to Albus and clapped him on the back.
“Well done there, mate,” he said jovially. Albus nodded. The rest of the students were sorted unceremoniously into Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin, but none in Gryffindor. Soon, Rose was the only student left. Before Professor Patil even called her, she was on her way up to the Sorting Hat. The Sorting Hat was placed on her head. She jumped when she heard the squeaky voice whisper in her ear. The Sorting Hat sat still for fifteen minutes. Rose’s face was screwed up in concentration.
“What’s taking so long?” asked Jason worriedly.
“I dunno, why won’t the stupid Hat put her in Gryffindor?” Albus had heard from Teddy’s letters that all of his Weasley cousins and James had been placed into Gryffindor as soon as the brown hat had touched their heads. Rose was easily as brave and cheeky as the others; what was taking so long? Another ten minutes passed. The Sorting Hat sighed. Albus gripped the bench in anticipation.
“I can’t give you what you what you want, as that is not the place for you. However, I know where you belong… GRYFFINDOR!”
Albus clapped along with the others, but he was definitely spooked. Had Rose asked to be in Slytherin, despite the fact that her entire family was in Gryffindor? Albus wondered whether his friends were going crazy, or he was. Rose asking to be in Slytherin, honestly, he thought, as Rose sat down next to him.
Jason began, “Why did the hat…”
“Shut up and I’ll tell you everything later,” Rose whispered as Professor McGonagall stood up.
“I shall save the formalities for later. For now, let the feast begin!” she finished. Every kind of food imaginable appeared at the four house tables. Albus, forcing himself to forget his interest in Rose’s lengthy sorting , helped himself to kind of food he fancied. Everything from roast beef to shepherds’ pie to Cornish pasties ended up on Albus’ plate. Jason, however, ate everything he could lay his hands on. Rose ate barely anything, merely playing with her food. Not until pudding appeared did Albus and Jason remember what they had been so eager to find out from Rose.
“So,” Jason began, his mouth full of chocolate cake, “Dod dis dollihy os fafer? Du fonna fell dus fhy he fording dat foof do fond?”
“I would, if only I could understand what the hell you’re on about!” she snapped. Jason swallowed.
“Are you going to tell us why the Sorting Hat took so long to sort you?” Jason asked angrily.
“Well…” Rose shifted in her seat.
“Tell us, Rose,” Albus said with finality.
“Fine. I asked to be in a different house.” A whole plate of Yorkshire puddings fell on Jason’s lap.
“What? You can’t be serious,” he blubbered.
“I am serious,” She lowered her voice, “I asked to be put in Slytherin.” Pumpkin juice spilled all over the table. Albus had flinched in shock, tipping over his goblet and spilling the orange liquid all over the table and into all the other food. James had just been reaching for the last oatmeal cookie to go along with his ice cream when it was soaked with juice. He glared at Albus and continued to talk to Fred in whispers.
“I am going to pay for that eventually.” Albus sighed. “Anyway, Rose, why would you want to be in Slytherin?”
“Maybe she has a “thing” for Scorpius Malfoy,” said Jason conversationally. Rose’s eyes flared in anger. Albus shook his head gravely. That had definitely been the wrong thing to say. Rose was clutching her spoon like a machete.
“No,” Rose said, her teeth gritted and her voice quivering. She obviously did not want to tear Jason to pieces with her spoon in front of the Great Hall at her first night at Hogwarts, but Albus knew that in any other situation, Jason would be in the same state as the chocolate pudding in his bowl. “Don’t you think that Alice will be very lonely in Slytherin, to say the least? I tried to give her some company for a bit before I got her re-Sorted.”
“How in the name of Merlin do you intend to get a re-Sort?” asked Albus.
Jason answered, “If the student in question is mentally unstable, as proven by a recognized medical institution, a re-Sort can be administered.”
“Textbook answer,” muttered Rose. Jason looked extremely smug.
“But Alice isn’t mentally unstable, is she?” Albus inquired.
“Well, not usually,” Rose started, “but you could tell by her eyes that she wasn’t thinking normally,”
“Actually, I did. She stumbled all the way down the stairs, didn’t she?” Albus replied. “So what do we do if Alice is loopy?”
“She’s not loopy, Al. And I don’t know what we should do, but I have a book that will surely help in my trunk.”
“Well,” Albus started, “That’s all well and good, but after you got Alice out of Slytherin, how did you intend to get out of Slytherin? You’re not mentally unstable.”
“As far as we know,” added Jason, his mouth full once again.
Rose glared at him again. “Confundus Charm, of course. I’d confound myself and get someone to get me a re-sort” she said casually. Jason snorted.
“Ha! Like that would work, that has to be the most stupid, utterly dim-witted idea I’ve ever heard. And you said you thought you might be sorted in Ravenclaw,” he laughed. Albus elbowed him in the ribs. What was he playing at? After all the trouble they had gone through, it was not a good idea to taunt Rose. Utter doom would be the fate of any person who attempted this, as Albus well knew. More to the fact, Rose believed firmly that Jason was the cause of all the troubles.
Jason stomped on his foot in retaliation so hard that tears of pain dripped from Albus’ eyes. He wiped them quickly and changed the subject.
“Hey, Rose, did my Dad mention to you that he was coming?” Albus asked quickly.
“No,” she grunted. “I thought he would have told you. I hardly think he’d just show up here for no reason.”
“No, he didn’t mention coming here whatsoever. D’you think Hagrid or McGonagall called him because we were missing?” Albus asked nervously.
“Nope,” said Jason, “Trust me, Al, teachers won’t call your parents just because you’re missing for a couple of minutes. It’s a boarding school, remember? They have plenty of ways to deal with rule breakers like you, me, and Rose - besides calling Mummy and Daddy.”
“Excuse me?” said Rose indignantly. “Al, Frank, Alice, and I were breaking no rules. The only rule-breaker is you, wandering off into the night like that. The only reason we left the platform was because of you. We thought Goyle had Stunned you and left you somewhere.”
“Ha! That’s rich! Goyle Petrify me? No, ma’am, he’d probably hold the wand backwards and Stun himself. You can’t seriously think he’d hurt me?”
“He had a pretty good go on the train this afternoon,” said Albus reasonably.
“No, he certainly didn’t! I had the situation perfectly under control, thank you very much,” said Jason angrily.
Rose laughed. “Yeah ,right! You were trembling from head to toe! If James hadn’t been there to back you up…”
“ARE YOU SAYING I COULDN’T HAVE TAKEN GOYLE MYSELF?” roared Jason. Rose backed away a bit at this new burst of fury from the boy sitting across her.
“Well, Jason, he did almost hex you into oblivi…” Albus couldn’t finish his sentence because Jason had punched him full in the face. Albus’ nose was bleeding profusely. “Dhat dhe delf dif de datter dif du?” whispered Albus. He still liked Jason slightly, but Jason had seemed quite odd ever since the trip in the Old Hall. He did not want to attract any more attention to himself today. Rose no longer looked angry, but extremely frightened. She was more talk than action when it came to arguments, and she was predictably hopeless in a fist fight. She moved Albus away from a still fuming Jason, and gave Albus a napkin which Albus held to his face. What was going on with all their friends? First Alice was sorted into Slytherin, an then Jason suddenly attacked his supposed friends. Something sour was going on, but what exactly was unclear. Was it something that had affected them all? Would he and Rose be the next victims of whatever had influenced Jason and Alice? What if the whole school was in danger?
These morbid thoughts were flushed out of Albus’ head as the plates of food suddenly vanished, and Professor McGonagall stood up. “Well, here we are, on the threshold of a new year: a year, I hope, that will exceed all of your expectations. I have a few things I would like to bring to your attention. There have been a few changes of staffing this year.” She cleared her throat and began again. “Professor Caelum will no longer be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts. Instead, Professor Harry Potter will be taking the post,” Whispers spread across the room. Albus saw James chug his arm in a sign of victory. Despite his nose being broken by his friend and his other friend being sorted into Slytherin, Albus could stop himself from grinning along with Rose. Professor McGonagall cleared her throat again to stifle the whispers.
“The rest of the staff, thankfully, has remained intact. With Professor Potter here, we have decided to start an informal Dueling League, for which sign-up sheets will be distributed later.” Mutters spread across the room again. “Quiet! All right, as I was saying, this Dueling Club will be open to third years and above. Only third years and above, no exceptions.” She stared at Fred and James as she said this. “Tryouts shall be held in October. If you wish to try out for the Quidditch team, contact your Head of House. And our caretaker, Mr. Nocens, reminds me to tell you that all Weasley products will be banned, along with the regular items such as Fanged Frisbees and Ever-Bashing Boomerangs.
“Well, despite the fact that you do not have classes until Monday, I would suggest you get off to bed. Hopefully, this weekend will give our new students, as well as the old, time to reacquaint themselves with the castle. You heard me, off to bed!” She made a shooing motion and all of the students slid out of the benches. The older students crowded the exit, while the first years remained seated for their Prefects to guide them. Victoire and Murray Finnigan stood up and gestured for the first years to follow them to the dormitories. Albus, Rose, and Frank made to follow, but were stopped by Harry, who strode across the room to catch up to the first years.
“You three, and you,” he pointed to Jason, “Follow me to the headmaster’s office. Professor McGonagall would like to speak to you. Mr. Potter, what happened to your nose?”
Albus felt very uneasy, as if something was churning inside his stomach. His father had never called him “Mr. Potter” before.
“I fell,” Albus lied. Harry shook his head grimly and promptly fixed it with a wave of his wand. He led them past the rest of the first years and up the packed marble staircase. Harry did not smile or give Albus any of the friendly gestures he usually did. Albus now felt truly ashamed for what he, Rose, Frank, and Alice had done. Jason should have been the only one who got reprimanded; he certainly deserved it more than he the others. Albus silently wondered why Alice wasn’t with them. She was probably with Neville now, and rightly so. Albus would have needed parental support too if it had been him.
Harry took them up five flights of stairs and down a corridor until they reached a winding staircase guarded by gargoyles. “Voses Frigus!” he said to the gargoyle. The gargoyles moved aside allowing Harry to lead the others up the staircase and into the headmistress’s office. “Sit down,” he said and pointed to four hard backed chairs facing the large maple desk. “The Headmistress will be here in a moment.” Many of the instruments that once belonged to Albus Dumbledore were still kept in the room, including an empty perch where Fawkes the phoenix once lived. Many of the old Headmasters depicted in the portraits surrounding the circular study were sleeping, except for the portrait of Albus Dumbledore himself, who winked and smiled at Albus and the others; apparently he sensed that the visit to the office was not one of joy, however, and remained silent.
Ten minutes of pure agony passed. Albus had never seen his father so angry before. Before long, Professor McGonagall arrived and sat down in the high backed chair behind the maple desk. “Please explain to me,” she began calmly, “why you were not on the boats with Hagrid when you left Hogsmeade station.”
Jason made a movement as though he was going to explain the situation, but Rose started before he could. The consternation in her face as she explained how they had flouted one a rule showed in her face. “We, I mean to say, Albus, Frank, Alice and I were following Professor Hagrid off the platform and onto the boats when we realized that Jason wasn’t there. He had gotten into a row with Alexander Goyle, Professor, and we thought Goyle had attacked him and left him somewhere,” She looked at Jason as though she wouldn’t have cared if that did happen, “So we went looking for him. We were at the end of the platform when we saw a bunch of wizards with lit wands walking away from a hill. We thought that might have been Goyle, so we went over there and found this passageway into the hill. Professor, was that room the old Great Hall?”
Professor McGonagall and Harry went pale. “Rose,” Harry began bleakly, “You didn’t touch anything in that room, did you? Or you, Al? Frank?” They all shook their heads. “Mr. Asterope?” Jason nodded, but didn’t look worried at all.
“Professor Potter, please escort Mr. Asterope to the Hospital Wing,” Professor McGonagall said sternly. Harry nodded and took Jason by the wrist down the spiral staircase once again.
“Uh, Professor, what’s going on?” asked Albus.
“Have a biscuit,” she sighed, withdrawing a gold tin from a drawer behind her desk and holding it out. Albus, Rose, and Frank each took one, but didn’t eat them. Professor McGonagall said as she turned around to face the largest portrait behind the chair, “Albus, I think it’s best if you explain it to them.” She sighed again and took a biscuit.
Dumbledore beamed as he began, “That room was, as you, Ms. Weasley, have already guessed, the old Great Hall, which Hagrid recently discovered as he was chasing an escaped Thestral. It was hidden by the first Headmaster of Hogwarts, who wished that all the major relics of the past history of Hogwarts be, quite literally, buried.”
Rose’s eyes were wide with wonder. She loved all magical studies, but history was quite possibly her favorite. “That room, however, was not merely a dining chamber. It was also where the new students were placed into houses. They were not, as is commonly believed, handpicked by the Heads themselves, but rather sorted by, for lack of a better term, attraction.
“The statues in the front of the hall, which I am sure you all saw, were the most primitive way of Sorting students. The students would take it in turn to walk up to the front of the room and touch the statue which they thought best portrayed what they would like become in the future. The statues were imbued with the attributes of the founders themselves. When they came in contact with human skin, the students were cursed irrevocably.”