"He''s not there," said Harry as Chris, Ginny, Colin, Neville, Hermione and Ron sat down on the Gryffindor table at Great Hall.
"He can''t have left," said Ron, sounding slightly anxious scanning the staff table as well for Hagrid.
"Of course he hasn''t," said Harry firmly.
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"You don''t think he''s . . . hurt, or anything, do you?" said Hermione uneasily.
"Of course not. Relax Hermione." Chris said. "I think, he''s not back yet. You know — from his mission — the thing he was doing over the summer for Dumbledore."
"Yeah . . . yeah, that''ll be it," said Ron, sounding reassured.
"Who''s that?" Hermione pointed at the staff table.
Chris finally turned to check the staff table. Professor Dumbledore was sitting in his high-backed golden chair at the centre of the long staff table, wearing deep-purple robes scattered with silvery stars and a matching hat. Dumbledore''s head was inclined toward the woman sitting next to him, who was talking into his ear. She was rather squat with a broad, flabby face, as little neck, and a very wide, slack mouth. Her eyes were large, round, and slightly bulging, with short, curly, mouse-brown hair in which she had placed a horrible pink Alice band that matched the fluffy pink cardigan she wore over her robes.
"It''s that Umbridge woman!" Harry said suddenly.
"Who?" Hermione and Ginny spat together, looking terrified.
"Who?" Chris asked quietly, eyes still fixed at woman and Dumbledore.
"She was at my hearing, she works for Fudge!" Harry replied looking surprised.
"Are you ok, Hermione?" Ron asked.
Chris looked at Hermione and saw her pale face. Ginny was looking angry.
"You alright, Hermione?" Chris said firmly and Hermione looked up at her. Chris gave Hermione a warning look and Hermione controlled herself.
"Yea... I''m fine... Just hungry." Hermione said with a small voice.
"Me too," Ginny said glaring at Chris.
Harry and Ron looked at each other but before they could ask anything the doors from the entrance hall opened. A long line of scared-looking first years entered, led by Professor McGonagall, who was carrying a stool on which sat an ancient wizard''s hat, heavily patched and darned with a wide rip near the frayed brim.
Every year the sorting hat had sung different songs but Chris never paid any attention to it, not even when she was one of the first years.
So this year her plan was the same, however this year the song intrigued her.
The rip near the hat''s brim opened wide like a mouth and the Sorting Hat burst into song:
In times of old when I was new
And Hogwarts barely started
The founders of our noble school
Thought never to be parted:
United by a common goal,
They had the selfsame yearning,
To make the world''s best magic school
And pass along their learning.
"Together we will build and teach!"
The four good friends decided
And never did they dream that they
Might someday be divided,
For were there such friends anywhere
As Slytherin and Gryffindor?
Unless it was the second pair
Of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw?
So how could it have gone so wrong?
How could such friendships fail?
Why I was there and so can tell
The whole sad, sorry tale.
Said Slytherin, "We''ll teach just those
Whose ancestry is purest."
Said Ravenclaw, "We''ll teach those whose
Intelligence is surest."
Said Gryffindor, "We''ll teach all those
With brave deeds to their name."
Said Hufflepuff, "I''ll teach the lot,
And treat them just the same."
These differences caused little strife
When first they came to light,
For each of the four founders had
A House in which they might
Take only those they wanted, so,
For instance, Slytherin
Took only pure-blood wizards
Of great cunning, just like him,
And only those of sharpest mind
Were taught by Ravenclaw
While the bravest and the boldest
Went to daring Gryffindor.
Good Hufflepuff, she took the rest,
And taught them all she knew,
Thus the Houses and their founders
Retained friendships firm and true.
So Hogwarts worked in harmony
For several happy years,
But then discord crept among us
Feeding on our faults and fears.
The Houses that, like pillars four,
Had once held up our school,
Now turned upon each other and,
Divided, sought to rule.
And for a while, it seemed the school
Must meet an early end,
What with duelling and with fighting
And the clash of friend on friend
And at last, there came a morning
When old Slytherin departed
And though the fighting then died out
He left us quite downhearted.
And never since the founders four
Were whittled down to three
Have the Houses been united
As they once were meant to be.
And now the Sorting Hat is here
And you all know the score:
I sort you into Houses
Because that is what I''m for,
But this year I''ll go further,
Listen closely to my song:
Though condemned I am to split you
Still, I worry that it''s wrong,
Though I must fulfil my duty
And must quarter every year
Still, I wonder whether Sorting
May not bring the end I fear.
Oh, know the perils, read the signs,
The warning history shows,
For our, Hogwarts is in danger
From external, deadly foes
And we must unite inside her
Or we''ll crumble from within.
I have told you, I have warned you. . . .
Let the Sorting now begin.
"Wow,"
Chris was the first to start clapping after the song ended.
"Branched out a bit this year, hasn''t it?" said Ron, his eyebrows raised.
"About time," Ginny said.
"But the song was cool," Colin said. "You know we should get along with all other houses."
"Fat chance," Harry muttered glancing at the Slytherin table.
"You know, the problem isn''t one way," Chris said to Harry.
"Huh?" Harry looked at her.
"I mean Slytherins are pretty mean, I get it but what do you think the Gryffindors will do if a Slytherin comes here and sit in the Gryffindor table?" Chris said seriously. "Will they welcome him wholeheartedly? No. Because there''s only one house who tries to make peace with others, Hufflepuff. We all are mean otherwise. Slytherins have their pure-blood-mania, Ravenclaws thinks they''re too smart for this and the rest of us, Gryffindors, we''re simply show-offs. We like to prove ourselves and we don''t know when to quit, even when it''s the right thing to do."
"Whoa.," Neville mumbled.
Chris caught all of them by surprise, actually, she caught herself by surprise as well. She didn''t think she had this much in her mind. The words she said, were kind of something she realized after hearing the sorting hat.
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To be continued...