Renouncing Magic's Child

Through the gates... what was fast becoming a gale.

"Is it really safe for them to travel by boat if the weather is that bad?" Mrs Granger asked her husband quietly.

Leaning against the window ... magnificent marble staircase.

Harry smiled despite himself. He really did love Hogwarts.

"Blimey," ... ARRGH!"

"What happened?" Molly asked. She hated these books. She felt like something bad could happen at any minute.

A large, red, water-filled balloon ... into his socks.

Poppy was not pleased. No wonder so many of the children caught a cold that first night back.

People all around them shrieked ... "Peeves, come down here at ONCE!"

"That won't work," Sirius said with a chuckle. Peeves was a law onto himself.

Professor McGonagall ... the neck to stop herself from falling.

Mrs Granger narrowed her eyes.

"Ouch - sorry, Miss Granger -"

Mrs Granger's eyes softened slightly. It had been accidental and she had apologised.

"That's all right, Professor!" ... "Already wet, aren't they? Little squirts! Wheeeeeeeeee!"

Minerva sighed. She really hated having to try and control Peeves. It was practically impossible.

And he aimed another bomb ... "I'm warning you, Peeves -"

"Is there anything to be done about him?" Mr Granger asked.

"He responds well to explanation," Sirius said. "If you tell him why something is unkind, he tends to stop doing it. He is there to encourage the children to have fun. Not to be a bully."

"That would never work," Minerva argued.

"Have you tried?" Sirius asked, raising an eyebrow. "One year, he attacked some firsties, scared them half to death and James explained that there were better ways to have fun and it worked. For a while at least. He likes reaction. He'll settle for negative reactions, but what he really wants is laughter. Give him a good way to get laughter and you've hit a gold mine."

Peeves stuck out his tongue ... "Into the Great Hall, come on!"

"I mean he's part of the castle's magic," Sirius continued. "I can't picture Hogwarts being a bully."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione slipped ... his sopping hair off his face.

The Weasleys all rolled their eyes. That was the Weasley temper for you.

The Great Hall looked its usual splendid self ... his partially severed neck.

"Gotta love Nick," George said.

"Good evening," ...  hurry up with the Sorting. I'm starving. "

"Ronald, that was very rude!" Mrs Weasley complained.

The Sorting of the new students ... present at one since his own.

"There's a first time for everything," Sirius said with a chuckle.

He was quite looking forward to it... Harry was something of a hero.

Sirius narrowed his eyes at the mention of Harry's little stalker.

"Hi, Colin," ... Keep your fingers crossed, eh, Harry?"

That made several people smile.

"Er - yeah, all right," ... put into Gryffindor.

"Not always," Sirius said. "Just look at me."

"Oh no, not necessarily," ... You'd think they'd be together, wouldn't you?"

Fred and the two Georges rolled their eyes. "Just because twins look the same, doesn't mean their personalities are the same."

Harry looked up at the staff table... and Harry couldn't think who else was missing.

"The new defense teacher," several people said, making a guess.

"Where's the new Defense ... who had resigned last year.

"Thank you, Harry," Remus said softly.

He looked up and down the staff table... couldn't get anyone!" said Hermione, looking anxious.

"Unlikely," Severus said. Somehow Albus had always filled that vacancy, even if it was at the very last minute.

Harry scanned the table ... Harry's least favorite person at Hogwarts.

Draco pouted. He thought he was Harry's least favourite person at Hogwarts.

Harry's loathing of Snape ... enemies since their own school days.

Sirius and Severus exchanged looks, blushing lightly. They were not enemies any longer. Not if the heavy flirting they'd engaged in the night before over a glass or two of Ogden's finest was anything to go by.

On Snape's other side ... many stars and moons.

Lucius coughed to cover his laughter. Albus Dumbledore was an atrocious dresser.

The tips of Dumbledore's long ... a fork of lightning flashed across it.

Albus wondered what his older self was thinking.

"Oh hurry up," ... first years looked.

"Had to give them all a pepper up potion before the sorting," Poppy said.

"I'm surprised no one thought to use a drying charm on them," Narcissa tutted.

They appeared to have swum ... Hagrid's moleskin overcoat.

"Must have fallen in," young Hagrid said.

The coat was so big ... He looked positively delighted about it.

Several people looked like they thought the boy was mad.

Professor McGonagall ... the hat broke into song:

Everyone leaned forward. The sorting hat's songs were always worth a listen.

A thousand years or more ago... Thus Hogwarts School began.

"Does he ever repeat a song?" Dean asked.

"No. Never," Hermione said. "It's in..."

"Hogwarts: A History," Ron and Harry chimed together.

Now each of these four founders... Prized far beyond the rest;

The lions all cheered.

For Ravenclaw... Most worthy of admission;

The cheers from the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs were slightly quieter.

And power-hungry Slytherin... great ambition.

The snakes remained silent.

While still alive they did divide ... So I could choose instead!

"It really is impressive magic," Filius said to his younger self.

Now slip me snug about your ears ... And tell where you belong!

"The problem is where you belong in first year," Harry said, "might not be true by seventh year. We all change so much growing up. But also, if you force people to only interact with people like themselves, they don't grow. Their opinions aren't tested. Their values don't evolve. They just stagnate. Sort us by all means, but there really should be more done to encourage inter-house unity."

The teachers all looked thoughtful.

"How would you do that?" Pomona asked.

"Inter-house common rooms," Harry suggested. "There's probably lots more you could do but that's all I have right now."

The Great Hall rang with applause ... clapping along with everyone else.

No one said anything. They'd explained this already.

"Sings a different one every year," ... all year making up the next one. "

"Boring?" Albus asked. "The sorting hat plays pranks on Fawkes on a regular basis."

Professor McGonagall ... "RAVENCLAW!" shouted the hat.

The Ravens cheered loudly.

Stewart Ackerley took off the hat ... join the Ravenclaw table too.

The girls all giggled as Harry turned bright red.

"Baddock, Malcolm!" ... hissed Malcolm Baddock as he sat down.

Mrs Weasley stared daggers at the twins.

"Branstone, Eleanor!" ... "HUFFLEPUFF!"

The puffs all cheered for the two new members of their house.

"Creevey, Dennis!" ... "GRYFFINDOR!" the hat shouted.

The gryffindors cheered.

Hagrid clapped along with the Gryffindors ...  pushed me back in the boat!"

The four Grangers exchanged a look. Magic really was amazing.

"Cool!" ... giant squid, Dennis!"

"Most likely," Remus said.

"Wow!" ... Know who he is, Dennis?"

Sirius rolled his eyes. Harry probably hated that.

Harry looked away ... massaging his stomach.

Mrs Weasley tutted loudly.

"It is sort of ridiculous that the trolley on the train doesn't actually have sandwiches or a cooked lunch," Hermione said. "Most of the students haven't had a proper meal since breakfast."

"Most parents send them with a packed lunch," Narcissa said.

"But the school letters do not instruct it," Hermione countered, "so at least all the muggleborn first years, know nothing about it."

"Now, Ron, the Sorting's ... "Course it is, if you're dead," snapped Ron.

"RONALD!" Mrs Weasley screeched.

"I do hope this year's batch ... last three years in a row.

Draco and the other slytherins all rolled their eyes.

"Pritchard, Graham!" ... carried them away.

All this talk of food  and the feast was making several Weasleys hungry.

"About time," ... expectantly at his golden plate.

Hermione rolled her eyes.

Professor Dumbledore ... filled magically before their eyes.

Everyone grinned. There really was nothing better than the start of school feast.