saudade • harry potter⁴ [UNEDITED/ON HOLD]

𝐱𝐢𝐯. the ministry's tinkering

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      𝐍𝐘𝐗 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐍 could pass for somebody's maiden aunt: 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. Then she turned her face to take a sip from her goblet and Nyx saw a pallid, toadlike face and a pair of prominent, pouchy eyes. Harry seemed to recognize the woman. 

"It's that Umbridge woman!" 

"Who?" said Nyx. 

"She was at my hearing, she works for Fudge!" 

"Nice cardigan," said Ron, smirking. 

"She works for Fudge?" Hermione repeated, frowning. "What on earth is she doing here, then?"

"Dunno..." 

Hermione scanned the staff table, her eyes narrowed. 

"No," she muttered, "no, surely not..."

It did not take long for Nyx to catch onto what Hermione was thinking. Nyx looked at the staff table, examining each subject's professors and came to the same conclusion. It made sense, after all, no one wanted to take the post, Dumbledore was having trouble finding a replacement, and Fudge likely wanted to keep an eye on the school (and Dumbledore). Yes, this woman, Umbridge, was likely their new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor.  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 hat, heavily patched and darned with a wide rip near the frayed brim. 

The buzzing 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 from 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 like he was trembling. 

The whole school waited with bated breath. Then 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
Though 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 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 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 to, 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 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 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, I know the perils, read the signs,
The warning history shows,
For our Hogwarts is in danger
For 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.