Chapter 13: The Sorting Ceremony

"Welcome to Hogwarts,"

Professor McGonagall said,

"the Start-of-Term Feast is about to begin, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you must first be sorted into your Houses."

"The Sorting is a very important ceremony, because while you are here, your House will be something like your family within Hogwarts..."

After explaining the four Houses and the House Cup, Professor McGonagall reminded the young wizards as she departed:

"In a few minutes, the Sorting Ceremony will take place before the entire school."

"I suggest you use the waiting time to tidy yourselves up and look presentable."

Her gaze lingered on Wizard Sean for an instant, and that severity vanished for a moment.

It suited him quite well...

"The Sorting Ceremony? Oh no, I heard we have to fight a dragon!"

A dark-haired young wizard shared this with his companion, trembling slightly.

"What?! We have to fight a dragon?!"

The blonde young witch beside him looked as though she were about to cry.

"No! I've only learned Lumos!"

These words quickly sparked an uproar among the young wizards.

"A dragon?! Adult or hatchling?!"

"Anthony, why are you being so precise at a time like this! Even a baby dragon could roast us with one breath!"

"We're doomed!"

The young wizards readily accepted such rumors; it seemed their families had prepared them well for this.

Amidst all the sighs and groans,

Wizard Sean continued reading Magical Theory with great focus.

It was the only book he had brought with him.

Although magic defied logic and obeyed no rules like the conservation of matter,

it had existed for so long that even if wizards were all stupid pigs, they should have deduced some patterns by now.

Among all the books costing two Jin Jin Jialong, this was the one that left the deepest impression on Wizard Sean.

Whether it was Charms, Transfiguration, or Potions, every branch of magic

could find some explanation within its pages.

Wizard Sean believed this might be the most underrated book on the first-year reading list.

He was now on his third read-through, and each time, he gained something new.

[Magic power

is innate to the wizard.

The strength of one's magic depends on the wizard's emotions or mental force,

but most wizards cannot consciously control their magic on their own; thus, spells and wands are required to Making Guide it,

enabling magic to be manipulated intentionally to achieve a purpose.]

Wizard Sean could understand this point.

Harry was a perfect example.

Before learning any magic, he had managed to transport himself from ground level to a chimney and make glass vanish,

but first, this only happened when he was emotionally agitated, and second, he did not know how to control his magic.

However, once equipped with a wand and having mastered spells,

wizards could gain a great degree of control over their magic.

After two months of exploration, Wizard Sean came to agree with a view from his previous life:

that wizards in the world of Harry Potter were essentially bloodline wizards, whose power stemmed from a lineage capable of casting magic.

Wizard Sean continued reading:

[One fact about learning magic is to master as many spells as possible, including many ancient ones; the more magic you know, the more you can accomplish;

another fact is that after mastering a spell, you must practice it continuously; there is obviously a huge difference between proficient casting and clumsy casting;

however, even when you have mastered a spell, you still need sufficient mental strength to unleash its full potential.]

What a concise and clear description.

No wonder the author, Adalbert Waffling, dared to title his book Magical Theory;

just by the name, one could tell its status was similar to books like Theoretical Mathematics or Basic Physics from his previous life.

Those books had deprived Wizard Sean of much happiness, acting much like the Dementors of the magical world.

Read them intensely once, and say goodbye to happiness.

"I'm starting to believe you."

Hermione's face was somewhat pale; the topics discussed by the other young wizards were too terrifying,

and their mutual reinforcement made it seem all too real,

causing Hermione, who was new to the magical world, to feel uneasy.

Looking at Wizard Sean beside her, he seemed to hear nothing, still engrossed in his book.

"Shouldn't we ask Wizard Sean? He doesn't seem afraid at all."

Justin, who was shivering, recalled the equestrian tests once held at Eton College;

perhaps wizards were meant to defeat dragons?

Was this some glorious tradition?

Wizards...

so terrifying.

"Wizard Sean, sorry to disturb you, but..."

Before Justin could finish his plea for help, the doors of the Great Hall swung open with a loud boom.

The Sorting Ceremony had begun.

Wizard Sean pulled his attention away from Magical Theory;

while the Sorting Hat remained on its stool, he began considering which House to aim for.

After all, the Sorting Hat seemed to take a young wizard's preference into account.

Gryffindor?

No, that wouldn't do.

His primary task was to obtain a scholarship;

achieving top marks in all subjects would put him in the same league as Hermione and Percy.

Yet in the original story, both of them faced resistance within Gryffindor itself.

In her first year, Hermione merely performed well in class and pointed out where others went wrong, yet she was ostracized to the point of crying in the bathroom.

Most Gryffindors carried the mindset that "no matter my skill level, I cannot remain subordinate for long";

they were brave adventurers, but they often ended up hurting others.

Just as during the Chamber of Secrets incident, they were swayed by rumors into isolating and shunning Harry.

As for Slytherin,

Wizard Sean had no mind for scheming and infighting; with that time, he could have practiced the Levitation Charm until he could cast it nonverbally.

The remaining options, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, both seemed quite good.

But Wizard Sean leaned more toward Hufflepuff;

free food just two steps from the dormitory?

That was super cool.

Hufflepuff was harmonious, never turning violence inward, but instead uniting against external threats.

Even J.K. Rowling had said she wished all children could be Hufflepuffs.

Just imagine: a warm fireplace, a kitchen right at the doorstep, and a Head of House who might scold you fiercely if you went out to pick fights, yet would secretly slip you a box of coconut ice cream.

Wizard Sean only wanted to shout aloud:

We come from the forest, we hold great love in our hearts, we are loyal to nature, we are just and faithful, we are tough and honest, we fear no hardship—

—we are Hufflepuff!

"Harry Potter!"

In the center of the Great Hall,

the moment Professor McGonagall spoke those words, the noisy atmosphere quieted considerably;

Wizard Sean heard the young wizards around him murmuring, "It's him," "It's really him," "Harry Potter."

Harry ran forward and placed the ragged Sorting Hat upon his head; the entire hall fell silent, awaiting the result.

This wait lasted four or five minutes;

by now, the Sorting Hat song in Wizard Sean's mind had already played through a second time.

"Gryffindor!"

Finally, the result was announced.

The Gryffindors went wild with joy.

"Potter!"

"We've got Potter!"

Even from far away, Wizard Sean could hear the voice.

Soon—

"Wizard Sean Green!"