The Marauders: Year Six #Wattys2017

Hatstalls and Staff Changes

Hatstalls and Staff Changes

The moment that Professor McGonagall produced the hat and put it upon the stool before the Great Hall, the hat had shaken itself awake and opened wide it's brim and begun:

"Welcome to Hogwarts girls and boys
It's time for me to make my annual choice!
For once a year I perform a sorting song,
To split you into the houses where you belong,
'Tis the Tradition of Hogwarts, as long as memory,
My job has been the same for nearly a century!

Seventh year students, next year it'll be off with you -
Into the world to live your lives as we've prepared you to do!
Sixth years have a lot still to learn, yet wiser than they've ever been
This is the year that - like adults, you'll start to seem!
Fifth years have their exams and that means challenges -
Hard work and revising must be done in all of the houses!
Halfway there, dear Year Fours, you're growing up so fast
Please just remember to enjoy the years while they last!
Year Three, you're integrating houses more this year with classes you've elected,
Learn from each other instead of letting the chance go neglected...
Welcome back, my dear little Twos!
So much bigger and brighter - oh my - it's good to see you!

It's hard, as a hat, to watch you all grow -
And nary but hardly ever get to show -
How much I love to see you shine
Learning from this school of mine...
I know it's only once a year that I get taken off the wall,
But I, the Sorting Hat, am so proud of you all.
May you be happy every day that you live -
Whether you are cunning, courteous, courageous, or creative -
Whether we wear the blue Ravenclaw
Yellow Hufflepuff, Green Slytherin, Red Gryffindor -
For today though I split you into houses, do remember to recall
That we are equals -- one and all.

Now I shall sort these new students that were brought
Here to Hogwarts School to be taught
About the witchcraft and wizardry they can do --
Welcome, First Years, I'm pleased to meet you!
Now if you will, please put me on your head...
And we'll get you each properly sorted!"

The Great Hall burst into applause and Professor McGonagall took the scroll out from beneath her arm and stepped forward, lifting the hat up and shaking the scroll out so she could read it. She cleared her throat. "Albright, Francine!"

A moment later -- "HUFFLEPUFF!"

And the sorting had begun.

As the hat deliberated over student after student, the first years climbing the short steps up to the stool and sitting down upon it, Sirius looked over the staff table. They were sitting closer than they normally would've done so that Lily and Remus could sit on the ends and welcome the new students to the table easily, which afforded Sirius a rare, clear view of the staff table (he was so short he usually couldn't see all the staff members over the heads of the likes of Frank Longbottom or about the puffy fireball of hair hair on Meg Johnston). He elbowed James. "Oi. Dumbledore's not here."

James looked across the table in surprise and saw that Sirius was indeed correct - the tall throne-like seat in the center of the staff table, where Albus Dumbledore usually roosted, was indeed empty. "Well bloody hell, where's he gone to then?"

Remus leaned back and murmured over his shoulder, in a low voice, "I told you lot, he went to the States to see Newt Scamander. Professor Veigler said the Scamander's son, Lysander, died over the summer and Dumbledore's gone to help them get through it."

"Well what the actual fuck? What about us?" Sirius asked.

"Shh," said Frank from behind them, "This is the last sorting I'll get to see."