by Tara de Barbarac
And so another year at Hogwarts begins in the usual form. Granted, this reporter has only seen three but they have all seemed to follow roughly in the same vein; a Sorting, a feast, and some form of disturbance.
This year as the Great Hall filled with professors – both old and new – and returning students, all interest was on waiting for the new crop of first years to arrive and be Sorted. Who would be sent where? Would families be divided? Would there be any surprises?
As to that third question, it was no surprise when Jeeves decided to interrupt the poor Sorting Hat’s song with his own ‘lyrics’ – insulting in turn the Hat, our professors, those folk-hero students who risked their safety last year as the Thornberries, and the professors once more.
But it was certainly unexpected that the Hat would give as good as it got, informing the poltergeist that his “breath [reeked] of fish”.
It does, by the way, and I would not recommend getting close enough to check. Just take my word for it.
The rest of the Sorting passed in somewhat regular manner; with nine Hufflepuffs, fourteen Ravenclaws (we may need a bigger dorm!), nine Slytherins, and (despite what the ruckus coming from their table might have suggested) only ten Gryffindors. In fact, many sitting at the Gryffindor table seemed to have forgotten to pack their manners. Remembralls all round, I think.
First came the shouts of someone this reporter later recognised as Barry Bumble in the middle of the Sorting Hat’s song, who then shouted once more before the headmistress’ speech. Bumble, along with George Macauley, Loki Reeder, and Jack Fitzgerald, then took it upon themselves to ‘encourage’ the Hat to Sort each student into their House of Gryffindor.
Naturally, the Hat had its own ideas but the cacophony was enough for the headmistress to once again demand silence during the process.
Professor Fischer’s speech covered the usual topics: the Forest, the Lake and boathouse, the Astronomy Tower, curfew, use of magic on other students, and the fact that Macauley and Bumble seemed to be in trouble once more.
Reliable sources confirm that they were the students responsible for Gryffindor beginning the year with negative House Points once more (possibly a new school record given that the Feast had not even finished at the time) and that new Head Girl, Saffron Foxclaw, was to determine their detention. In the meantime, they were sent to bed without dinner.
Dinner flew by – literally if you were a Hufflepuff – as Fitzgerald was also given detention from his new Head of House, Professor Ellison, for throwing drumsticks at the Badgers. It appears he will be missing out on the school’s Hallowe’en party. Unfortunate, really, given how much fun said party is.
In addition to Professor Ellison’s appointment, Professor Daisy Wibault has gone from temporary to permanent Hufflepuff Head of House as Professor Norma is still away, and Professor Owsley has taken over as Slytherin’s head from Professor Gothly.
So with the year off to such an enthusiastic start, we can only wonder what it will bring.
