When All is Lost One is Found

Chapter 101: Small Confrontation

When All is Lost, One is Found

Author: Rinoaebastel

Chapter 101: Small Confrontation

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and gain no profit from this fanfiction other than writing practice. JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.

AN: This story may contain scenes taken from the Harry Potter movies and books, but it's not exact dialogue, just rewording of dialogue or omission. It is not marked.

September, 1997

Murmurs died when the first student entered the Great Hall and placed his eyes on his figure, but he didn't care. He was glad that the fear of him managed to maintain order in the school for most of the students. The concern wasn't for himself but for the children. If they acted out, the punishments would be beyond unreasonable. He didn't want to send any to the Carrows if he could help it, but some had to go. It would be suspicious if all the detentions were assigned to the other teachers.

Some of the students shook as they stood in line. Most of them behaved like in his classes. As usual, the Gryffindors looked at him with defiance. Especially the ones he knew were loyal to Potter and in his club. But right now, even they were behaving. He wanted some rebellion, but they needed to be more careful. Perhaps that was exactly what they were doing now.

An excited chatter began to rise in the dining room, mainly amongst the newer students. This group would probably be the ones in the most danger, so he had to have faith the older students would help them out. Despite not being muggleborns, their naïveté made them vulnerable.

Hogwarts had somewhat been a refuge for him, the same couldn't be said for the students now.

And he hated that fact.

Many of these kids would be indoctrinated with hate. The Carrows would find any excuse they could to teach their Dark Arts. They would teach the exact way the Dark Lord ordered, and he wouldn't be able to interfere. These children would feel the curses in their bodies instead of seeing it on animals. The master saw fit that this was proper on his Death Eaters and thought it reasonable on children as well. It would both get them to submit to his reign and to find out how tough the children were.

When the doors opened and Minerva guided in the first years, he took a deep breath. Even the hat had been forced to keep its thoughts to itself and praise the schooling and pride in magic.

He intertwined his fingers and watched the sorting ceremony. For once, Slytherin was the favored house, though by no one but the Dark Lord at the moment. Even he felt a sinking feeling when he saw a child sorted into it. They were more drawn to the darkness, but at least there was some light in the dungeons. Not all of them would follow the Dark Lord, and he hoped the ones that had been fooled for a while would wise up to the sheer evil they were involved in.
His Slytherin were cunning and intelligent. He had to have faith in many of them.

The rest of the houses were more resistant because of the rivalry through the years. The hatred for Slytherin grew when he was appointed the new headmaster. The three houses would be safer than Slytherin in some ways, but in more danger when it came to others.

When the last child was sorted, he untangled his fingers and stood. He scanned the students. The atmosphere was tense and suffocating, but he'd been through much harder situations before.