The Sorting – a get well soon fic for my beta (and Head Guru of the MbD cult) -  Ghost-writer.

A/N:  Set in Harry's first year in case you couldn't guess.  

As was usually the case after the doors of the Great Hall shut behind the last of the students at the end of the Welcoming feast, the staff began chatting animatedly.

"You owe me a Sickle Xiomara!"  Rose Sprout proclaimed with a smile, gently poking her friend in the arm.  "I told you he would be sorted into Gryffindor.  Slytherin my sweet petunia patch."

"Yeah well, the hat took it's sweet time deciding so obviously it wasn't quite so obvious as you thought."  Came the retort quickly followed by the Quidditch mistress's tongue poking out at her colleague.

"I have to say though, can't help but be a little jealous."  Said Fillius Flitwick refilling their wine glasses with an adept Wingardium Leviosa.  "It would be quite something to be able to say you were Mr Potter's Head of House eh Minerva?"  They all looked toward the center of the table where, next to the empty seat that Dumbledore had already vacated, sat the Gryffindor Head of House.  Well perhaps 'sat' wasn't quite right, collapsed over the table was probably a little more accurate.  Her head was resting against the wood, her fists balled next to it.

"Min?"  Asked Rose leaning forward to get a better look at this rather peculiar sight.  The only response she got was the steady pounding of fists against the table.

"I believe," Severus piped up from the other end of the table.  "That Minerva has taken the time to think over the consequences of being placed in charge of our esteemed new pupil."  There was definitely a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Do you have any idea how much trouble his father and their friends caused – how much stress?"  The muffled voice sighed.  "If the young Mr Potter is anything like as adventurous as them, added to the fact that he's ….well the boy-who-lived.  I swear I'm not going to sleep a wink for the next seven years."  The next sound was far closer to a growl.

"Oh."  Fillius said.  "Now that you  mention it….."

"You got any of that homebrew left Hagrid?"  Xiomara asked Raising her voice to get the Groundskeeper's attention from where he was in deep discussion with Quirrel.  Severus on the other hand seemed to be trying to smother his laughter.  Rose sent him a stern look before shifting up her chair so that she could place a comforting hand on the other woman's back.  In the mean time the homebrew seemed to have appeared from somewhere as Xi was pouring twice the healthy measure into a goblet and handing it to Min, who totally uncharacteristically downed it without a word in a feat that had even Snape raising an eyebrow in admiration.

"Now, now honey,"  Rose started encouragingly.  "I'm sure it's going to just fine.  He looks far too sweet to be any trouble at all."  Little did she know just how wrong she could be.