Chapter 919: Warning of the Sorting Hat (Patreon)

Looking in the direction she was pointing to, everyone's eyes lit first upon Professor Dumbledore.

Professor Dumbledore was sitting in his high-backed golden chair at the center of the long staff table, wearing deep-purple robes scattered with silvery stars and a matching hat. His head was inclined toward the woman sitting next to him, who was talking into his ear.

They looked very close, and people who didn’t know the reality might think their relationship was really good.

In fact, this woman looked like somebody’s maiden aunt.

She was squat, 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.

At this moment, she turned her face slightly to take a sip from her goblet, and glanced in their direction.

So they saw a pallid, toadlike face and a pair of prominent, pouchy eyes.

"Oh my God, it's her!" Harry recognized her at once, and he was shocked.

"Dolores Umbridge!" Evan added, not surprised at all.

Although a lot of changes had taken place, she still came to Hogwarts as scheduled, and he didn’t know what tricks she would make.

In Evan’s view, Umbridge was much more difficult to deal with than Fudge, and she was good at causing trouble.

"Look at her clothes, nice cardigan!" said Ron, smirking.

"I find it a bit scary; it doesn't suit her," Colin agreed.

"She looks familiar..." Hermione followed, thoughtfully, "Who is she?"

"It's that Umbridge woman!" Harry said. "She was at our hearing Evan and I. She works for Fudge!"

"Oh!" Hermione nodded suddenly, "What on earth is she doing here, then?"

"She's here as a Defence Against the Dark Arts professor," said Evan. "Fudge arranged for her to come. You do understand, don’t you?"

Hermione nodded worriedly. This was not good news, and Harry, Ron, and Colin looked at them curiously.

"Understand what?" Ron asked, "Will this year's Defense Against the Dark Arts class get really bad? Don't worry, I'm ready. In fact, I've never looked forward to this course... "

"Lupin, Sirius, and Mad-Eye taught pretty well!" Harry said, "I hope nothing goes wrong with this woman."

In another week, he certainly wouldn't think so, nor would he worry about Umbridge.

Although Hermione wanted to explain to them what Umbridge’s arrival meant, and let them know the seriousness of the matter, at this moment, Professor Grubbly-Plank walked in through the side door and took the seat that ought to have been Hagrid’s.

That meant that the first years must have crossed the lake and reached the castle, and sure enough, a few seconds later, 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.

The buzz of talk in the Great Hall faded away.

The first years lined up in front of the staff table facing the rest of the students, and Professor McGonagall placed the stool carefully in front of them, then stood back.

The first years’ faces glowed palely in the candlelight. A small boy right in the middle of the row looked as though he was trembling.

The first years were uneasy, waiting for the Sorting Hat to decide where they were going, and even their future destiny.

Evan had always thought that the respective characteristics of the four Hogwarts Houses were too distinctive. When the first years first entered school, they were divided into four different groups, and they were constantly told the stories of the Four Founders and their favorite qualities: Gryffindor’s courage, Ravenclaw’s intelligence, Hufflepuff’s fraternity and loyalty, and Slytherin’s ambition and leadership.

These qualities imperceptibly affected the students of the four Houses and left a deep mark on them.

Obviously, the Hogwarts Sorting system had a considerable impact on students.

Even though a thousand years had passed, everyone still inherited the will of the Four Founders, but was this really good?

The Sorting ceremony had always been a highlight of the new term opening ceremony. The teachers and students of the school waited, holding breath.

In the blink of an eye, 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 dueling 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 fulfill 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….