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〃Hi； Colin；〃 said Harry warily。
〃Harry； guess what？ Guess what； Harry？ My brother's starting！ My brother Dennis！〃
〃Er…good；〃 said Harry。
〃He's really excited！〃 said Colin； practically bouncing up and down in his seat。 〃I just hope he's in Gryffindor！ Keep your fingers crossed； eh； Harry？〃
〃Er…yeah； all right；〃 said Harry。 He turned back to Hermione； Ron； and Nearly Headless Nick。 〃Brothers and sisters usually go in the same Houses； don't they？〃 he said。 He was judging by the Weasleys； all seven of whom had been put into Gryffindor。
〃Oh no； not necessarily；〃 said Hermione。 〃Parvati Patil's twin's in Ravenclaw； and they're identical。 You'd think they'd be together； wouldn't you？〃
Harry looked up at the staff table。 There seemed to be rather more empty seats there than usual。 Hagrid； of course； was still fighting his way across the lake with the first years； Professor McGonagall was presumably supervising the drying of the entrance hall floor； but there was another empty chair too； and Harry couldn't think who else was missing。
〃Where's the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher？〃 said Hermione； who was also looking up at the teachers。
They had never yet had a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher who had lasted more than three terms。 Harry's favorite by far had been Professor Lupin； who had resigned last year。 He looked up and down the staff table。 There was definitely no new face there。
〃Maybe they couldn't get anyone！〃 said Hermione； looking anxious。
Harry scanned the table more carefully。 Tiny little Professor Flitwick； the Charms teacher； was sitting on a large pile of cushions beside Professor Sprout； the Herbology teacher； whose hat was askew over her flyaway gray hair。 She was talking to Professor Sinistra of the Astronomy department。 On Professor Sinistra's other side was the sallow…faced； hook…nosed； greasy…haired Potions master； Snape…Harry's least favorite person at Hogwarts。 Harry's loathing of Snape was matched only by Snape's hatred of him； a hatred which had； if possible； intensified last year； when Harry had helped Sirius escape right under Snape's overlarge nose…Snape and Sirius had been enemies since their own school days。
On Snape's other side was an empty seat； which Harry guessed was Professor McGonagall's。 Next to it； and in the very center of the table； sat Professor Dumbledore； the headmaster； his sweeping silver hair and beard shining in the candlelight； his magnificent deep green robes embroidered with many stars and moons。 The tips of Dumbledore's long； thin fingers were together and he was resting his chin upon them； staring up at the ceiling through his half…moon spectacles as though lost in thought。 Harry glanced up at the ceiling too。 It was enchanted to look like the sky outside； and he had never seen it look this stormy。 Black and purple clouds were swirling across it； and as another thunderclap sounded outside； a fork of lightning flashed across it。
〃Oh hurry up；〃 Ron moaned； beside Harry； 〃I could eat a hippogriff。〃
The words were no sooner out of his mouth than the doors of the Great Hall opened and silence fell。 Professor McGonagall was leading a long line of first years up to the top of the Hall。 If Harry； Ron； and Hermione were wet； it was nothing to how these first years looked。 They appeared to have swum across the lake rather than sailed。 All of them were shivering with a bination of cold and nerves as they filed along the staff table and came to a halt in a line facing the rest of the school…all of them except the smallest of the lot； a boy with mousy hair； who was wrapped in what Harry recognized as Hagrid's moleskin overcoat。 The coat was so big for him that it hooked as though he were draped in a furry black circus tent。 His small face protruded from over the collar； looking almost painfully excited。 When he had lined up with his terrified…looking peers； he caught Colin Creevey's eye； gave a double thumbs…up； and mouthed； I fell in the lake！ He looked positively delighted about it。
Professor McGonagall now placed a three…legged stool on the ground before the first years and； on top of it； an extremely old； dirty patched wizard's hat。 The first years stared at it。 So did everyone else。 For a moment； there was silence。 Then a long tear near the brim opened wide like a mouth； and the hat broke into song：
A thousand years or more ago；
When I was newly sewn；
There lived four wizards of renown；
Whose names are still well known：
Bold Gryffindor； from wild moor；
Fair Ravenclaw； from glen；
Sweet Hufflepuff； from valley broad；
Shrewd Slytherin； from fin。
They shared a wish； a hope； a dream；
They hatched a daring plan
To educate young sorcerers
Thus Hogwarts School began。
Now each of these four founders
Formed their own house； for each
Did value different virtues
In the ones they had to teach。
By Gryffindor； the bravest were
Prized far beyond the rest；
For Ravenclaw； the cleverest
Would always be the best；
For Hufflepuff； hard workers were
Most worthy of admission；
And power…hungry Slytherin
Loved those of great ambition。
While still alive they did divide
Their favorites from the throng；
Yet how to pick the worthy ones
When they were dead and gone？
'Twas Gryffindor who found the way；
He whipped me off his head
The founders put some brains in me
So I could choose instead！
Now slip me snug about your ears；
I've never yet been wrong；
I'll have a look inside your mind
And tell where you belong！
The Great Hall rang with applause as the Sorting Hat finished。
〃That's not the song it sang when it Sorted us；〃 said Harry； clapping along with everyone else。
〃Sings a different one every year；〃 said Ron。 〃It's got to be a pretty boring life； hasn't it； being a hat？ I suppose it spends all year making up the next one。〃
Professor McGonagall was now unrolling a large scroll of parchment。
〃When I call out your name； you will put on the hat and sit on the stool；〃 she told the first years。 〃When the hat announces your House； you will go and sit at the appropriate table。
〃Ackerley； Stewart！〃
A boy walked forward； visibly trembling from head to foot； picked up the Sorting Hat； put it on； and sat down on the stool。
〃RAVENCLAW！〃 shouted the hat。
Stewart Ackerley took off the hat and hurried into a seat at the Ravenclaw table； where everyone was applauding him。 Harry caught a glimpse of Cho； the Ravenclaw Seeker； cheering Stewart Ackerley as he sat down。 For a fleeting second； Harry had a strange desire to join the Ravenclaw table too。
〃Baddock； Malcolm！〃
〃SLYTHERIN！〃
The table on the other side of the hall erupted with cheers； Harry could see Malfoy clapping as Baddock joined the Slytherins。 Harry wondered whether Baddock knew that Slytherin House had turned out more Dark witches and wizards than any other。 Fred and George hissed Malcolm Baddock as he sat down。
〃Branstone； Eleanor！〃
〃HUFFLEPUFF！〃
〃Cauldwell； Owen！〃
〃HUFFLEPUFF！〃
〃Creevey； Dennis！〃
Tiny Dennis Creevey staggered forward； tripping over Hagrid's moleskin； just as Hagrid himself sidled into the Hall through a door behind the teachers' table。 About twice as tall as a normal man； and at least three times as broad； Hagrid； with his long； wild； tangled black hair and beard； looked slightly alarming…a misleading impression； for Harry； Ron； and Hermione knew Hagrid to possess a very kind nature。 He winked at them as he sat down at the end of the staff table and watched Dennis Creevey putting on the Sorting Hat。 The rip at the brim opened wide
〃GRYFFINDOR！〃 the hat shouted。
Hagrid clapped along with the Gryffindors as Dennis Creevey； beaming widely； took off the hat； placed it back on the stool； and hurried over to join his brother。
〃Colin； I fell in！〃 he said shrilly； throwing himself into an empty seat。 〃It was brilliant！ And something in the water grabbed me and pushed me back in the boat！〃
〃Cool！〃 said Colin； just as excitedly。 〃It was probably the giant squid； Dennis！〃
〃Wow！〃 said Dennis； as though nobody in their wildest dreams could hope for more than being thr