The Spellfull Sixties

Chapter Four: The Samsonite suitcase

 The Great Hall of Hogwarts, as grand as its name suggested, was filled to the brim with students ordained in the house colours of red, blue, green and yellow. They sat in separate rows on benches that all pointed towards the Professors table, which was, as usual, bustling with utter anticipation and excitement. Though one seat , to the right of a very suspicious looking Professor Slughorn, was empty. On the other side of him was a brown haired, distinguished woman, who watched over the Gryffindor students with her nose tip pointed to the enchanted sky. "Minerva", breathed Slughorn after a taking another look to his left . The woman cast him a slight bit of attention, "Is it true that Albus said that. Does he think-", he cocked his head to the man in the centre of the table, "Does he think that he'll be going soon". 

"Ask him yer'self", she returned formally, "I am not to be blamed for the spreadin' of terrible roumours and such". 

It was Headmaster Armando Dippet who hunched in the centre of the Professors table and found himself the subject of a few conversations. Far past his prime, the man seemed to wilt before their eyes, sinking further and further into the neck of his robes. Before the table and the wilting man stood a podium ordained with a newt wrapped around the stand, and in front of that was a small wooden stool upon which a crooked, miserable hat writhed. Fabian and Gideon glared at it, contorting their faces. The pair of them looked like they were in pain. "What are you two doing?". Arthur Weasley, a large cheeked boy, wrinkled his nose at them, trying to work out what in Merlins name they were up too.

Fabian hushed Arthur to silence, making his gaze on the hat more intent. "-We're trying to make sure that Molly gets into Gryffindor", explain Gideon, as though it was logical. He then smiled a little at the stupid expression on his brother's face.

"Molly?". Arthur had heard of her before. "She's joining this year?". 

"Mhm", nodded Fabian, finally giving up his staring. Though this was mostly prompted by Professor Flitwick giving him a rather confused look. He had thought that the boy had been staring at him and his new, rather silly-looking, haircut. "You'll love her- She's just like us- but- well...a girl I s'pose". 

Arthur, upon this idea was expecting this Molly to be an exact copy of the twins ; speckled-faced and spikey-haired. Yet as the doors to the Great Hall opened he came to find that this wasn't true. "There she is". Headed by a suave looking Deputy Headmaster Albus Dumbledore with a scroll in tow were the First years. They were all starry-eyed and appeared as though they were shrinking at the attention which flooded then. Many of their eyes glanced up towards the enchanted ceiling , and some of them mentioned the floating candles. Others whispered about relatives or houses that they admired and wished to join. "Right at the back". Molly however waved, seeming less introverted than the rest of the first years. She had shiny ginger hair and very pretty brown eyes. Her face was soft and round, not having harsh features like the twins, nestled at the base into the neck of her large robes. 

Andromeda stayed close beside Molly, hoping to act as more of a shadow. Though she did find herself looking to the front of the gaggle of First Years. Between two heads she could just about make out the Professors table. She recognised Slughorn, who her Uncle had mentioned. He was head of Slytherin house . Alphard had also mentioned that he would likely take a liking to her on account of her name. Hagrid had also made his way to the table, and the Professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts Mrs Saoirise Macmillan, who she recalled from one of their Aunt's garden parties, sat rather miserably to his right. They were soon obscured by Albus Dumbledore who her Uncle had told her about also. He didn't much fancy him. She didn't know why.

Once reaching a stool upon which the sorting hat sat, the students paused. Dumbledore turned to them. He raised the scroll up into the air, allowing it to tumble down to the ground. Then after a moment the young first years gasped as he released it, allowing the object to float in mid-air. "Now- I will call your names one by one, and you will come and sit . The sorting hat will be placed then on your heads, and you will join your houses once they are allocated to you".