novelcrest Chapter 19: The Girl from the Year Appears
Chapter 19: The Girl from the Year Appears
Just then, a commotion arose in the distance.
"The students have arrived!"
The professors took their seats, their gazes all fixed on the entrance to the auditorium. Meanwhile, the students already seated at the long tables inside gradually quieted down, focusing their expectant eyes on the auditorium doors, awaiting the arrival of their incoming freshmen.
With a bang.
The hall doors slowly opened, and Professor McGonagall led a group of young wizards in.
Professor McGonagall led the first-year students to the middle of the faculty and student tables, where they lined up facing all the upperclassmen, with the teachers behind them.
The candlelight flickered, and hundreds of faces watching them resembled pale lanterns. Ghosts, too, mingled among the students, gleaming with a hazy silver light.
Under all the expectant gazes, Professor McGonagall gently placed a four-cornered stool in front of the new students and then put a worn-out wizard's hat on the stool.
All eyes then turned to the hat.
The entire auditorium was completely silent; you could hear a pin drop.
To the astonishment of the young wizards, the hat twisted, revealing a wide slit that seemed to open like a mouth singing:
You might think I'm not pretty.
But never judge a book by its cover.
If you can find a more beautiful hat than mine
I can eat myself.
...
You may belong to Gryffindor.
...
You may belong to Hufflepuff.
...
Perhaps it will go to Ravenclaw of Wisdom.
...
Maybe you'll go to Slytherin.
...
Come, put me on! Don't be afraid!
Don't panic!
In my hands
You are absolutely safe.
Because I am a thinking magic hat!
After the song ended, the entire audience erupted in applause, and the Sorting Hat proudly bowed to each of the four student houses' long tables.
This is one of the few opportunities it has in a year to show itself to everyone, so it cherishes it.
Hearing the familiar song, Sean felt a little dazed, thinking back to how he had gone through the same thing back then.
At that time, he was always afraid that the Sorting Hat would read his thoughts about time travel.
So I was especially nervous when I put on the Sorting Hat.
But it seems the Sorting Hat didn't have that ability; just a few seconds later, it assigned him to the House he was supposed to go to—Hufflepuff.
He didn't come to his senses until he sat down at the Hufflepuff Headmaster's table and breathed a sigh of relief.
In the blink of an eye, more than a decade has passed quietly.
At that moment, Professor McGonagall took a few steps forward, holding a roll of parchment in her hand.
"Whoever I call by name, put on your hat, sit on your stool, and await Sorting." Professor McGonagall's authoritative voice echoed in everyone's ears; Sean guessed she had used an amplification charm.
"Hannah Abbott!"
Sean craned his neck, wanting to see what this little girl, who appeared in various fan fiction novels, actually looked like.
A little girl with rosy cheeks and two golden braids stumbled out from the middle of the line. She put on a hat, and the wide Sorting Hat covered her eyes. Her two short legs dangled from the stool, swaying nervously as if she were swinging on a swing.
After a brief pause—
"Hufflepuff!" the hat shouted.
yes!
Their college scored the first point.
A thunderous applause erupted from the table to the right, cheering and applauding Hannah.
Back when Shaun was in school, there were even upperclassmen from Slytherin who would bet on which house the first freshman would be assigned to, with the stakes usually being... doing the other person's homework?
Sean was also a little unsure.
"Susan Bornes!"
Sean had no idea that the second person on the list would be his future Shawn Girl, so his eyes widened even more.
I don't have much of an impression of Susan, except that when she grew up, she had a 36E bust, which is unusual for most people.
Sure enough, a little girl with a full head of blonde hair and a round face walked out. Her school uniform seemed to be under too much pressure, appearing unusually tight and swaying with her steps.
She shyly met the curious gazes from below the stage, standing in front of the chair with her hands clasped tightly together, her eyes sparkling with nervousness and anticipation.
Although Europeans and Americans develop earlier, Sean was still quite surprised to see such a large size at the age of ten.
This is what talent is—something many people pursue their whole lives, something many people have from a young age. And as they grow older, the gap between the two only widens. Sean can no longer imagine what Susan will look like after graduation.
"Hufflepuff!" the hat called out again.
Susan quickly ran to sit down next to Hannah, feeling a burning gaze fixed on her from the teachers' seats.
Yes!
They added another point to Hufflepuff.
"Terry Boot!"
"Mandy Broglie!"
"..."
The Sorting Hat's speed varies; sometimes it shouts out the house's name the moment a young wizard puts it on, while other times it needs to think before making a decision.
However, Sean didn't find it strange.
It is only right to give careful consideration to such a major event that will determine a wizard's future.
But can a hat really determine a wizard's future path in life?
Sean expressed skepticism about this.
This seems to be a stereotype, labeling a young wizard who hasn't yet figured out his life path with a label that can never be washed away, which seems a bit too arbitrary.
However, the world of magic is always wondrous, and this tradition has continued for thousands of years. Even if there are objections, it wasn't raised by a professor who had only been on the job for a day.
A person's ideas can only be realized when he or she has a certain status or ability.
"Hermione Granger!"
Professor McGonagall's voice brought Sean back to reality.
His second "Xiao Girl" is about to make a dazzling debut.
A little girl with thick, long brown hair emerged from the line, almost running to the stool, and hurriedly put her hat on her head.
"Gryffindor!"
After greeting his second Shaw Girl with his gaze, Shawn stopped paying attention to the Sorting Ceremony. He looked around, trying to find something fun to distract himself.
But... looking around, nothing particularly interesting seemed to be happening. Everyone was focused on the Sorting Ceremony, except for one person—Snape.
Snape stared blankly at one of the new students, a strange look occasionally flashing in his eyes.
Sean followed his gaze and saw a little boy with faint, lightning-shaped scars on his head.
Without a doubt, he is the very famous one—
"Harry Potter!"
When Professor McGonagall called out the name, a buzzing, hissing sound like tiny flames suddenly filled the auditorium.
The students in the audience whispered among themselves.
"Potter, is Professor McGonagall calling Potter?"
"Did I hear that right?"
"Is it Harry Potter?"
The auditorium was packed with people, all standing up and craning their necks to see what the legendary savior looked like.
This also includes Snape, whom Sean has been watching closely.
His body leaned slightly forward, and his hands, hidden under the table, had been clenched into fists.
Sean was very curious about his mental state at this moment.
Do you hope Harry Potter will be sorted into Slytherin, the house he oversees? Or will he go to Gryffindor like his mother, Lily?
If Sean can beat Snape, he might actually interview him afterwards.
Perhaps ten seconds passed, perhaps ten minutes passed, but under the watchful eyes of everyone who held their breath, the Sorting Hat finally called out the name of the house.
"Gryffindor!"
The Gryffindor table erupted in a roar powerful enough to overturn the entire Great Hall, and some mischievous little lions even glared provocatively at the students at the Slytherin table.
Harry Potter also breathed a sigh of relief.
He was thankfully not assigned to Slytherin.
His legs trembled slightly as he walked towards the Gryffindor table. Percy, the prefect, stood up and shook his hand firmly, while the Weasley brothers, always eager for drama, shouted, "We have Potter! We have Potter!"
And in the following list, there were no more people Sean was worth paying attention to.
After the last young wizard was assigned to a house, Professor McGonagall rolled up the parchment, took the Sorting Hat, and left.
Meanwhile, Professor Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, former professor of Transfiguration, former professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts, recipient of the Order of Merlin First Class, founder and Keeper of the Secrets of the Order of the Phoenix, president of the International Confederation of Wizards, chief wizard of Wizengamor, and hailed as the greatest wizard of our time, was preparing to deliver his important speech.
"Welcome!" said Dumbledore.
"Welcome everyone to Hogwarts for the start of the new school year! Before the banquet begins, I'd like to say a few words."
Everyone in the hall strained their ears, eager to see what life guidance this great wizard could offer them.
Of course, Sean is one of the people in this group.
He hurriedly took out his notebook to write down Dumbledore's quotes so he could use them when he became the headmaster.
But just as he was twisting the pen cap, he heard Dumbledore utter four words in an extremely rapid tone.
"Idiot! Crybaby! Trash! Twist!"
Before anyone could react, Dumbledore added, "Thank you, everyone!" and then sat back down in his seat.
Everyone applauded and cheered, including Sean.
He felt he benefited greatly.
Take his school days in his previous life as an example. Leaders always liked to bring speeches that they didn't write themselves and passionately preach to the students below.
Does it really work? If so.
You asked him if it really worked. He said if it did.
Does it actually work? If so.
Sean later realized that some leaders might not care who their audience was; they just wanted their image of responsibility to remain in the cameras and be posted on the relevant public accounts, becoming the most insignificant entry on their list of achievements.
Such leaders are there to please those above them, while a headmaster like Dumbledore takes full account of the feelings of the students below.
The senses are usually transformed gradually through the way we handle many small things and details.
Headmaster Dumbledore indeed gave his successor a vivid and concise lesson.
He will remember this lesson.
Greatness needs no further explanation.
As Sean applauded enthusiastically, his previously empty tableware was suddenly filled with a pile of delicious food...