"No, I'm not!" Harry fired back bravely. "You are twisting the truth so you can be mean with it! Women are not beneath men! Men and women are just different!"
Luna smiled at him gratefully.
Draco was clearly fumbling for ground here—there is not much ground to stand on when you are being hateful!—but he finally came up with, "Well, at least I don't eat with Slytherin Hats! I hate Slytherins!"
Ronald began to cry into his oatmeal.
"I don't hate Slytherin Hats!" Harry declared boldly. "I think they should become Gryffindor Hats; but that is because I love them! Besides, the Lord ate with sinners all the time!"
"Thank you, Harry," Ronald whispered tearfully.
"Well—well—you should just become a Ravenclaw Hat, like me," Draco sputtered blusteringly. "We really are the best Hat."
"I think you mean, 'We really are the most hateful hat,'" Harry corrected cleverly; and then he jumped up onto the table; and he got down on his knees; and he raised his hands to the ceiling of the Great Hall; and he bellowed, "Dear Lord, I have made my decision! I am a GRYFFINDOR HAT!"
Author's Note: Blessings!
Matthew 7:1 – Judge not, that ye not be judged.
Chapter 7: Wheat And Chaff!
Author's Note: Hello, friends! Phew, this chapter took longer to write than I'd thought it would. There is so much to be done here at Fort Parsons, some days, I don't think I'll ever get caught up. But now that the little ones are sound asleep, I'm finally getting around to putting the finishing touches on this little chapter. I apologize for the delay!
Now, there have been quite a few questions and comments coming in; and I thought I should take time to address a few; since I don't have time to reply individually. First of all, to all the mommies who have expressed their appreciation of this little story of mine: thank you! Your support keeps me writing. Remember, though—the glory is not mine; it is the work of a greater cause. And the people who call me names: a Bible-believing Christian is like a big, ugly monster who lives under a bridge; and wanting everyone to do the right thing and go to heaven makes one a so-called "bigot", hmmm? Well, that's this modern world for you! And finally, to the people who say that I am "spreading hate"—take a look at some of the comments posted here; saying that I am a terrible writer and a terrible mother whose children will hate her one day. Who is it who is spreading hate here? Because I don't think it's me!
The Great Hall burst into applause as a red and yellow baseball cap with a lion embroidered on the front appeared on Harry's head. He hopped deftly off the table and landed on his little feet. He could feel the love of the Lord surging through him; and he knew he had made the right decision.
He was even more sure of his decision when Hermione dashed across the cafeteria to give him a big, spontaneous hug. She too was sporting a red and yellow baseball cap; although her cap had a kitten on it instead of a lion.
"I'm so happy, Harry!" she cried gladly, delicate tears streaming down her face. "When I saw you eating with that family, I was so scared. I thought you might become a Slytherin."
"Never worry about that," Harry declared boldly and bravely. "I am a Gryffindor, now and forever."
"Well chosen," Dumbledore declared approvingly as he took long, energetic strides to cross the crowded, noisy room. "Welcome to the Gryffindor Hat, Harry!"
Harry beamed happily. Truly, he had been blessed! As he sat down to finish his breakfast; and he was still glowing from joy; he sat back next to Ronald.
"Will you still be my friend, even though you are a different Hat?" Ronald asked timidly.
"Of course!" Harry declared generously; and he began to eat his eggs. He had expected his eggs to be cold by now—what with all the hullabaloo—but lo and behold, they were still piping hot. He would not pretend that what Ronald believed about worshipping the dead; but he could still offer the young boy friendship in the spirit of Matthew 2:16-17.
"Thank you, Harry," Ronald uttered happily. He may have been sporting a green and black hat with a snake on it; which testified to his Slytherin beliefs; but he could recognize Harry's pure-hearted godliness, generosity, humility, and innocent goodness. He looked around at his siblings, all of them wearing hats identical to his; and he wondered why none of them were like that.
"Attention, students," Reverend Dumbledore announced authoritatively as he hopped onto the stage; and he held the microphone by his mouth.
"Congratulations on picking your Hats," he continued kindly. "I am sure you have all chosen wisely."
Harry hmmed to himself. He knew that the Reverend meant well; but was it really doing the members of the other Hats much good to tell them that everything was the same when it wasn't? Wouldn't they all be happier if they knew to read the Bible and take it seriously? Dumbledore thought he was making everyone happy; and perhaps he was in the short run; but in the long run, Harry worried that he was doing more harm than good.
Harry did not say anything; because he was new to the flock and didn't feel confident in his connection with the Lord. But sometimes, it takes newcomers to point out the flaws we don't see in our own communities.
The reverend clapped his hands against each other once; and then he spoke enthusiastically, "Now, you will be sharing most of your classes with other members of your Hat; so it would be good for you to get to know them now. Ravenclaw Hats, please gather around Mr. Moody. Hufflepuff Hats, please gather around Mr. Sprout. Slytherin Hats, please gather around Mr. Finnegan. And Gryffindor Hats, please gather around Mr. Snape."
Now, at the beginning of the breakfast meal, Harry had noticed, a tall, mysterious-looking man with long dark hair and gaunt, enigmatic features. He was dressed stylishly in a crisp, black suit; and his tie made a shock of red in the otherwise totally black outfit. The dark hair on his pale chest was neatly trimmed but still noticeably thick; and he wore elegant, black leather shoes on both of his feet. It was now that he noticed that, on the table that this man was sitting at, was a placard that said on it, "Mr. Snape."
Harry followed the other brave young children wearing Gryffindor Hats.
Author's Note: Blessings!
Matthew 2:16-17 - And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners? When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, "They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
Chapter 8: Refreshing Honesty?
Author's Note: Hello, friends! Things have finally calmed down a bit here at Fort Parsons; and I am so excited to share with you all another new chapter. One thing I would like to talk about, though; many people have been calling me a "misogynist". That means "woman-hater". Friends: I do not hate women! I am a woman! Now, what is it I have done to have people calling me this? Well, apparently, it is saying that women are loving and nurturing and good. Right—how hateful! I'm just a big old mean bigot, huh? Wait—wrong! That is not a bigoted thing to say at all!
Now; it is certainly true that what is written in the Bible about women was used as an excuse to actually be hateful to women. And that is terrible. And there are some people out there who think all women are stupid or "less than men". Friends: this is not what I believe at all! I believe that women have special gifts that are no less than men. In fact, I think that; if womanly virtues were respected more; the world would be a much better place to live! And any of those so-called Christians who hate women and think women are stupid and worth less than men and that God doesn't respect us; well, they will all get a very serious talking-to from a certain housewife ;)
Now; does that sound misogynistic to you?
Harry Potter walked nervously over to the table of Mr. Snape. The other little ones wearing red and yellow hats did the same. Mr. Snape silently stood up; and he motioned with his head for the boys and girls to follow him; and he sauntered out of the Great Hall.
He led them into a small classroom w
ith a few desks in it. He silently motioned for the little ones to sit down at the desks. They did. He stood up at the blackboard in front of them.
"Welcome to Hogwarts School of Prayer and Miracles," greeted the older but still handsome in a dignified, rugged way amicably.
The little ones all sat in respectful attention.
"So you have all chosen the Gryffindor Hat?" Mr. Snape queried; and he raised his eyebrow.
"Yes, Mr. Snape," chorused all the students together.
"Well," Mr. Snape said; and he drew his tall, strapping form up to its full, impressive height, "I would like to say that your choosing will make you happy; or that your lives will be easy; but I will not lie. There are dark forces in the world; and they do not like Christians. And when I say Christians; I mean Gryffindor Hats. They love the Hufflepuff Hats; because the Hufflepuff Hats believe everything these people say and slap the label "Christian" onto that philosophy; and so the Hufflepuff Hats make it easier. The Ravenclaw Hats, these people claim not to like; but then they pretend that the Ravenclaw Hats' extremism applies to all Christians; so the Ravenclaw Hats help them."
Harry frowned confusedly. After the Reverend's acceptance of all the Hats; he wondered why Mr. Snape was addressing things so directly. He found Mr. Snape's honesty refreshing; but he also wondered—was the honesty also combined with the hate for others that he had seen in Draco's Hat? He thought the other Hats were wrong; but he did not want Mr. Snape to hate them for being wrong! He wanted to help them!
"And then, of course, is the Slytherin Hats. The Slytherin Hats will tell you we are all on the same side because they agree with Gryffindor Hats on some things. But do not be fooled! Their leader is working with…..Voldemort!"
A shocked, horrified gasp echoed throughout the classroom. Harry slapped his hands over his mouth in an attempt to contain his horror; but he was still shocked. His new friend not only worshipped a goddess; but he was also now in cahoots with Voldemort?! The little ones all gasped again; this time, they were even more horrified. From the back of the room, a clean-cut, respectably dressed young boy raised his hand.
"But what about the Constitution?" Dean Thomas questioned articulately. "Doesn't he care about the First Amendment?"
Mr. Snape shook his head sadly. "I'm afraid not. And Voldemort is working through him and using them all. Before long: all our freedoms will be gone."
Dean Thomas raised his hand again; and queried coherently, "But why does Voldemort hate Christians so much?"
"No one knows," Mr. Snape responded tentatively. "However—he is on the move; and he is gaining power; and we Gryffindor Hats may be the only ones capable of stopping him."
Harry was nervous; but he clenched his fist determinedly. He was scared, but he was ready to face this evil!
Author's Note: Blessings!
Chapter 9: A Letter At Dinner!
Author's Note: Hello, friends! I apologize for how long it took to get this chapter out; but—I have good news! Starting tonight, I will be taking a beginning writer's course at the local community college! Through all the hate from Evolutionists, Feminists, and Romanists, there has been some legitimate criticism of my writing skills. My mother did her best; and she certainly did teach me a lot; but grammar was not her area of expertise. It's taken some convincing—the hubby wasn't sure I'd have time to get everything done if I start taking this class—but I've written up a schedule; and I think we can make it work =)
One week into the school year, Harry was slowly, gradually starting to get used to the everyday routines at Hogwarts School of Prayer and Miracles. There was breakfast in the Great Hall every morning; and then there was a prayer session led by the Reverend (the Slytherins went off to have their own "prayer sessions" in their own way; and the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws prayed with the Gryffindors; but the Hufflepuffs complained about the Reverend quoting the Bible; and the Ravenclaws complained that the Reverend didn't seem to really hate sinners; he just hated sin). After the prayer session; the little ones all went to their classes—there were regular math and English classes, of course—although they were of a higher caliber than one would find in a Public School—and then there were Bible Studies and Christian History.
After that was lunch in the Great Hall. After lunch were more classes about American History; and Constitutional Law; and Missionary Training. After these classes was dinner in the Great Hall; after which the students had free time.
It was just such a dinner that Harry was eating now. He was sitting with his new friends: Hermione, Ronald, and Dean Thomas.
"This food certainly is delicious!" Harry observed gratefully; and he was savoring a bite of perfectly roasted chicken.
"It really is," Dean Thomas concurred intelligently. He was dressed quite respectably today; and he was wearing a button-up shirt and clean blue jeans; and his hair was neatly combed.
Hermione nodded in agreement; and the yellow bow she had tied her hair back with bounced up and down.
Ronald grinned widely but remained silent as he shoved another handful of deep fried brussel sprouts into his little mouth. Ronald ate breakfast and lunch with his family; but he was eating more and more dinners with these Gryffindor friends of his. It never ceased to amaze him just how nice they were to him, even though he wore a different hat. A little unconditional friendship can really go a long way in a person's heart!
It was then that a bunch of beautiful people with wings wearing glowing white robes swooped in through the Great Hall's huge windows. Yellow halos hovered over their heads; and they wore brown leather satchels around their shoulders. They gracefully reached into their satchels and gloriously flung envelopes down to the students below.
"The mail's here," Dean Thomas observed accurately; and he shielded his eyes with his hand as he gazed up in wonder.
Harry propped his chin up on his hand and dreamily watched these magnificent postmen distribute their wares. He did so love to look at angels!
He was surprised when a letter fluttered down to him; and it landed lightly on the table in front of him. He had never gotten a letter before! He smiled innocently at the angel who had delivered it; and the angel waved back.
"Would you look at that," Dean Thomas uttered fluently. "You got a letter, Harry."
With excited hands, Harry broke the seal and took out the parchment that was inside the envelope. He laid it out on the table and saw the familiar slanting tidy handwriting.
Dear Harry—
How are you enjoying your first week at Hogwarts? I hope you are enjoying it a lot! How about you come over for tea this evening after dinner; and you can tell me all about it.
—Hagrid
Harry smiled as he folded the letter and put it back in the envelope. Good old Hagrid!
"What does it say, Harry?" Hermione questioned shyly; and she played with one of her smooth, lovely curls.
"Hagrid wants me to come over for tea," Harry reported excitedly. "Would you all like to join me?"
"I'd love to," Hermione replied sweetly.
"That sounds like fun," Dean Thomas responded eloquently.
"Could I come?" Ronald asked tentatively after he had swallowed his brussel sprouts.
Harry, Hermione, and Dean Thomas exchanged a knowing look; and then Harry answered kindly, "Of course you can."
Ronald smiled gratefully before going back to his brussel sprouts.
When dinner finished, Harry got to his feet; and then he declared boldly, "Let's go!"
Author's Note: Blessings!
Chapter 10: Dangerous Days Are Here!
Author's Note: Hello, friends! Sorry this chapter took so long to post; but—the instructor of my new writing class was kind enough to proof-read it—I didn't take all of his suggestions, but I liked most of them—and I hope the wait was worth it! Oh, another thing—a few good-intentioned (but misguided!) readers have expressed "concern" about my asking my husband's permission to take a class. Friends: it is not long ago that I would have thought the same thing. Culture told me
that wifely submission was demeaning; and I believed it! All I will say is this: read Created To Be His Helpmeet by Debi Pearl. Life- (and marriage ;)) changer!
Hagrid lived in lovely little house on the edge of the Hogwarts campus. The little ones arrived right on time, and the delicious smell of tea and cookies was wafting outside. Smiling in anticipation, they knocked on the door.
Hagrid opened the door and beamed down at them. "Welcome, Harry! I'm so glad you could come—and you brought friends!"
"Indeed I did," Harry said, and gestured to the upstanding young fellow to his left. "This is Dean Thomas, a Gryffindor Hat."
"Pleased to meet you," Dean Thomas said intelligently.
Hagrid smiled at the little one, impressed.
"This is Hermione, another Gryffindor Hat," Harry said, motioning toward the girl to his right.
Hermione smiled shyly and waved. Charmed, Hagrid waved back.
"And this is Ronald," Harry said.
Ronald looked up sheepishly from where he stood behind the trio. He could sense that Hagrid was truly a man of the Lord, in a way that no one in his family—or perhaps the entire Slytherin Hat—was. To be in the presence of such piety was humbling for a little one such as this.
Hagrid noticed the green and black hat, but didn't comment. Instead, with true mercy and compassion, he opened the door wide to all of them. "Glad to meet all of you. Please, come in!"
The four little ones filed in.
The inside of Hagrid's house was tastefully decorated. The curtains were plaid, the walls were wood, and a bear rug covered the floor in front of the fireplace. Mounted above the mantelpiece, in a place of pride for all to see, was a moose's head. The oaken table in the center of the kitchen was set for five, and the kettle on the stove was just starting to sing.
"This is a nice place you have," Harry commented.
"It really is," Dean Thomas said intelligently.
Hagrid grinned with pride. "Thank you! I live by John 15:19, of course, but I do try to keep it tidy."
Hogwarts School Of Prayer And Miracles Page 3