Harry Potter Returns to Hogwarts

Chapter 5- A Passing of Sorts

Hermione sat nervously in her usual place at the staff table trying hard not to fidget. She silently admonished herself for being so nervous. "It's just Harry and Ginny. They've been friends of yours almost all your life. And Ron's your husband, for Merlin's sake. Just relax." Try as she may, however, she could not stop her stomach from giving an uneasy lurch when the Head Girl seated Harry, Ginny, and Ron at their places at the Gryffindor table.

After only a few more minutes, with the Great Hall filled with returning students and the main walkway clogged with nervous first-years, Professor McGonagall nodded to Hermione. She rose silently and walked to the edge of the dais where the stool and the Sorting Hat sat waiting.

The Sorting Hat sang its usual song, an ode to the original founder of Hogwarts, and then went silent. Hermione unrolled the parchment with the list of new students to be sorted and began calling out names. The next few minutes passed uneventfully as the next generation of wizards and witches were divided into their new homes. Ron and Harry watched all of this with only mild interest until Hermione proclaimed, "Lily Potter!"

A mop of bright red hair bounced forward from the knot of remaining students and emerged attached firmly to the head of Harry and Ginny's daughter. Lily made her way to the dais but instead of nervously crawling onto the stool, as the others had done, she skipped straight up to Hermione, grinning mischievously. "Good evening, Professor," she giggled.

"Good evening, Miss Potter," Hermione replied, trying hard not to smile too broadly.

Lily then hopped onto the stool and waved enthusiastically at her parents, still beaming. Ginny returned the greeting by discreetly waggling her fingers. Harry could only bury his face in his hands and sigh while a ripple of laughter passed through the hall. Hermione had to turn away from the students to hide her smile while Ron poked Harry in the ribs teasingly.

Hermione finally placed the Sorting Hat on Lily's head and awaited its pronouncement. After just a second, however, Hermione and the rest of the room received a most unexpected response from the ancient hat. It chuckled...out loud. "Oh, my dear, you must be a Potter. There's only one place for you. GRYFFINDOR!"

Cheers erupted form the table where the three grown friends sat. Harry clapped as Lily bounded from the stool to join her new Gryffindor family. He stole a glance at Ginny, who was still fighting the giggles. Shaking his head and glad his daughter's sorting was over Harry retuned his attention to the rest of the ceremony.

At last, only one student remained. Arthur stood alone in front of the stool, waiting to be called. As Hermione drew breath to announce him, a sharp rap on the dais floor stopped her short.

"I'll do this one, Professor, if you don't mind," McGonagall said. She rose from her seat and hobbled slowly around the staff table to the stool. When she finally reached Hermione, she merely stated, "One last sorting, for sake of old times." Hermione smiled and quietly returned to her place at the table. McGonagall turned to Arthur, looking stern as always, and announced his name, "Arthur Weasley!"

Arthur stepped up to the stool and sat down. The sorting hat was placed on his head and quickly returned the verdict. "GRYFFINDOR!" Arthur smiled to himself and walked calmly to the Gryffindor table, in direct and purposeful contrast to his rather exuberant cousin. Harry and Ron looked at each other and smiled. Both knew the fun between their two children was only beginning.

Once the Sorting Hat and stool had been removed, Professor McGonagall announced the beginning of the feast. The next hour was given over to the usual delicious Hogwarts food. Harry, Ron, and Ginny stuffed themselves on a wide variety of culinary delights. A few of the Gryffindors worked up the courage to talk to Harry and Ron and the two happily chatted with the students about their days at the school. Soon enough, the plates were magically wiped clean and everyone's attention was drawn back to the staff table. Professor McGonagall got to her feet slowly, almost painfully. The remaining whispers quickly died away as the Headmistress surveyed the tables.

" I am old," she began, her voice a hoarse croak in her throat. "Too old to be allowed. I am therefore announcing my retirement as Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, effective immediately."

A wave of excited whispering rolled through the hall as students looked to each other for the answer to the obvious question. Who would be replacing her? McGonagall silenced them with a dismissive wave. "I would not leave the school that I have spent over 60 years at in incapable hands. I am very proud to announce that the newest Head of Hogwarts will be none other than Professor Hermione Weasley."

A seemingly endless moment of complete silence enveloped the Great Hall. Ron had just enough time to make eye contact with a distraught Hermione before an earthquake of noise erupted from the Gryffindor table. Shouts, screams, and cheers exploded from the students. The two house prefects were jumping on the table in celebration. Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff soon followed suit with only slightly less enthusiasm. Even the Slytherins, who remained seated, were smiling as they applauded. Hermione could not have been more shocked. It was obvious to Ron, Harry and Ginny that she was fighting very hard to keep from crying.

A podium appeared with a wave of Professor McGonagall's wand at the spot where the sorting stool had been before. She gestured for Hermione to take her place as the noise continued unabated. Hermione stood for several moments at the podium trying unsuccessfully to quiet the students. Tears of relief and joy escaped down her face, despite her best efforts to hold them in. As they stood cheering with the rest of the crowd, Harry noticed Ron wipe a tear of his own from his cheek.

When the din had finally subsided, Hermione took a few sheets of parchment from her robes and laid them out on the podium. Her hands shook visibly as she arranged them. She tried twice to begin speaking, emotion causing her voice to fail. This obvious display of appreciation was greeted by more cheers, mostly from Gryffindor. When Hermione finally found her voice, it shook as badly as her hands had only moments before.

"I have a proper acceptance speech written here that I've been working on since the day I learned from the school governors and Professor McGonagall that I had been selected. I don't mind saying that this is one of the few times in my life that all my homework has not prepared me for the task at hand," she said, nervously. She allowed a tinkle of laughter to make its way through the hall before continuing.

"I was going to bore you all to death tonight with talk of values and commitment and what-not. Instead I'll just say this. I want all of you to continue being the wonderful, hard-working students that you have always been and I will do my level best to be the kind of Head that I've always had the privilege of studying and working under."

"Incidentally," she continued. "Tonight I happen to be celebrating another event, this one of a more personal nature. It has been just a little over 20 years since I sat here for the last time as a student. The three adults sitting at the Gryffindor table tonight," she said, gesturing toward the trio, "are some of my more famous classmates. My husband Ron was quite the Quidditch player in his day. Next to him are none other than Mr. And Mrs. Harry Potter. I'm sure I don't have to tell you anything at all about them. As you leave here this evening, please feel free to introduce yourselves to them. Oh, and one more thing. The new arithmancy professor has been delayed and will not be joining us until tomorrow afternoon. His name is Professor Octavius Wright. All N.E.W.T. students should be very familiar with that name since he is the author of your new Advanced Arithmancy text."

A mild groan came from the hall.

"What?" Hermione asked. "You didn't honestly think I was going to let you off that easy, did you?"

The students were released and began to exit the Great Hall. Many students, from all four houses, stopped by the Gryffindor table to meet Harry, Ron, or Ginny. All three signed more than one autograph that evening. Lily, of course, was absolutely beside herself with pride. Even Arthur could not help hovering near his father and letting each new fan know exactly who the famous Ron Weasley's son was.

Finally, the last of the students trickled out of the Hall and into the castle. Hermione had disappeared during the festivities, presumably to her new office. All three of them were unsure of what to do or where to go until they were approached by a clearly aged and graying Snape.

"Good evening, Mr. And Mrs. Potter, Mr. Weasley," Snape said

"Good evening, Professor," Harry replied, extending his hand. "It's been a long time."

"Yes," Snape replied, taking Harry's hand and shaking it briefly. "I have been asked to inform you that the Headmistress is waiting for you in her office."

"Thank you," Harry said, releasing Snape's hand. "It was good to see you again, Professor." Harry, Ginny, and Ron turned to leave but stopped when Snape spoke again.

"I have decided that this will be my last year of teaching. I suspect your daughter will be most relieved that she will only have to suffer under me for one year."

"Yes, well, I'm sure her first year won't be nearly as eventful as mine was."

"I should say not. Good night, Mr. Potter, Mrs. Potter, Mr. Weasley," Snape concluded as walked slowly away from them, black robes billowing behind him.

"I don't care what you say. He still gives me the collywobbles," Ron said as he watched his former Potions Master walk away.

"Grow up," said Harry and Ginny in unison.