Leah Riddle: Riddle me This (Book 2)

Chapter 17

We entered the Great Hall and I sat down, anxious to eat. 

 "Well I can't wait to see who's in Slytherin; bet you Leon will be," Draco smirked.

 "If he is, then it will be a nasty next three years for him, won't it?" I asked and he laughed, putting his arm around me.

 "Hey guys," Blaise said, sitting down with Pansy not far behind.

 "Hey," I smiled and Pansy leaned forward.

 "Look at that toad looking teacher in the pink," she muttered, and I let my eyes wander over to the staff table. I looked at Severus first and moved my eyes down the line where I saw Grubbily Plank, Flitwick, McGonagall, Dumbledore, and then after Dumbledore was in fact a toad like woman in pink. She was looking at all of us with a sugar coated smile and beady eyes. I narrowed my eyes at her and turned back to Pansy.

 "Okay, what about her?" I asked.

 "She is bound to cause trouble," she said and I bit my lip.

 "Well, I'll just cause her trouble, too," I shrugged. McGonagall stood up and walked out of the Great Hall to get the first years. She was gone for about five minutes, and then the doors open to reveal the first years walking in nervously. They lined up against the wall and McGonagall set the sorting hat on the stool where it started singing.

"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 the 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 and 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."