Chapter 10: The Sorting Hat

When the carriage quieted down, Harry touched his scar again lightly. Perhaps, this scar made some kind of connection between him and Voldemort.

Zhang Qiu seemed to be a bit self-blaming because she almost caused trouble, and her interest was not as high. Luo En was introducing Quidditch to Harry intermittently, and Harry, his mind was mainly on his parents and Voldemort, and he didn't have much interest in understanding this "most popular sport in the Wizarding World" for the time being.

After getting off the train, Haige prepared to take the children to the boat. He saw Zhang Qiu in the crowd at a glance and asked curiously why she didn't take the second-year train. Zhang Qiu just smiled and said she remembered the time wrong.

After this conversation, the first-year children all knew that there was a second-year senior sister, and they chattered and asked her what the sorting ceremony was like.

The tests Zhang Qiu improvised were quickly proven to be fake, because as soon as they entered the Great Hall, the tattered Sorting Hat sang out its duties loudly.

Then, a witch in emerald robes pointed for the children to line up. Harry heard that this was Deputy Headmistress Professor McGonagall. McGonagall took out a long list and began to read the students' names in order.

"Abdullah Abbas!"

A boy walked to the front of the stage. Harry was a bit surprised, not expecting Hogwarts to accept Arabs too.

The Sorting Hat stayed on his head for a few seconds, then shouted "Slytherin."

"Truly interesting." Harry thought, "It seems that which house to go to depends entirely on the hat's mood. No wonder Zhang Qiu said you can go wherever you want."

"Hannah Abbott!"

Another little girl was sorted into Hufflepuff by the hat.

Harry waited patiently. Not long after, he heard McGonagall shout "Hermione Granger." For some reason, he looked at her a few more times subconsciously.

Harry's pupils shrank abruptly. The characteristics of this girl were undoubtedly very distinct, hair so fluffy that even the hat couldn't cover it, and two big front teeth, looking like a squirrel at first glance. But the girl's appearance was not the key he cared about, but he found that Zhang Qiu's prophecy had been confirmed again by side evidence.

Luo En will become a prefect in the fifth grade, he thought. Several of his brothers have also been prefects. Wei Silai is indeed a famous family. Although they don't seem to live very well, the connections of the nobles are still playing a role. Or, looking at this contradictory family, the magic world might not be using a market economy.

In such thoughts, McGonagall called Harry's name. When this name was read out in front of everyone, it caused quite a commotion.

"Oh child, you are truly a difficult student." The hat whispered as soon as it touched his head, "Slytherin is fine, Gryffindor is fine."

Harry remembered that Zhang Qiu was in Ravenclaw, he whispered: "Is Ravenclaw okay?"

"Barely okay." The hat said, "But you won't be happy if you go there. I suggest Slytherin or Gryffindor, or Sly..."

"Then Gryffindor it is." Harry remembered that Malfoy had been sorted into Slytherin before.

After sitting at the Gryffindor table, Harry waited quietly for the end of the sorting ceremony. Soon, Luo En was also sorted into Gryffindor. He greeted his brothers and finally sat down beside Harry.

When everyone was sorted, Headmaster Deng Buliduo stood up and said a few words of welcome, finally adding a sentence of nonsensical gibberish.

Then, food automatically appeared on the empty plates in front of them. Harry cut a piece of beef, tender and juicy. The food here was almost as delicious as Downton's. But at Hogwarts, he could eat to his heart's content without worrying about etiquette, which made him feel very comfortable.

Harry ate while participating in the lively conversation of the children, and he felt that this was truly comfortable.

"My father is a Muggle, he didn't know the truth until before marriage, he must have been very surprised, and unhappy."

"How about you, Neville?" In the laughter, someone asked this.

Harry looked at the boy, he didn't seem to have said much.

"Grandma once said, dining is a once-in-a-lifetime encounter, every meal is worth cherishing." After saying this, he continued to eat his pudding slowly.

"It seems, Neville's closest person is his grandma." Harry saw that the conversation was a bit cold, so he took the topic. "Oh right, you see, that teacher wearing a turban, I saw him during the summer vacation, his name is Quirrell."

"Is that so, another new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" One of the Wei Silai twins leaned over, "How many Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers have we changed in one grade after another?"

"Is it useful? It's just changing the soup without changing the medicine." The other one took over, "If we continue like this, we will change to Snape, Quirrell changes to Snape changes to Peeves, and then no one will change, and the face is not wanted."

"Do Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers change often?" Harry asked.

"Almost once a year, sometimes less than half a year." Percy said, "It is said that this is a cursed position."

Before Harry could ask too much about the curse, he found that dinner was basically coming to an end, and Deng Buliduo stood up again.

"Aha, since we have all eaten and drunk our fill, I will say a few more words. I now want to issue a few school opening notices.

Freshmen should pay special attention: entering the woods on the playground is strictly prohibited. Senior students should also keep this in mind. Our caretaker Mr. Filch wants me to remind you that using magic in the corridors during class breaks is not allowed. Quidditch trials will be held in the second week, students who want to represent their house to participate, please sign up with Madam Hooch."

"Finally, I must warn you, those who don't want to die miserably, do not go to the corridor on the third floor on the right side this year!"

"Die miserably?" Harry muttered, "I thought we were here to go to school."

Luo En couldn't help laughing when he heard this, but not many students around were laughing, which made him feel a bit embarrassed.

Fortunately, as soon as the school song started, not many people cared about that little laughter.

When Harry started to feel a bit sleepy, he finally found his dormitory under the leadership of the prefect. Harry looked around and found that he happened to be roommates with Luo En. Among the other roommates, the cool boy named Neville happened to be among them, and then there were two others he wasn't very familiar with.

"Hello, Harry." Neville stepped forward and said, "I am Neville Longbottom."

"Hello." Harry smiled and wanted to shake hands with him.

"I want to tell you," Neville didn't shake hands, but held his shoulder and said seriously, "I also have a blood feud with Voldemort. You defeated him ten years ago, and if he dares to appear in this world again, I want to personally drive him back to hell!"

Speaking of this, Harry was a bit unhappy. He always felt that it should be some spell of his parents before they died that defeated Voldemort, but people always attributed this credit to him. Moreover, he hoped more that he could be an ordinary student, learning and making friends normally in the Wizarding World, instead of everyone linking him with Voldemort.

What made him even more uncomfortable was that Voldemort's soul said "with this scar, you are like my son" before dissipating. Originally he didn't take it seriously, but everyone in the Wizarding World had to emphasize his relationship with Voldemort, which made him feel disgusted for no reason.

"Think whatever you want." Harry didn't take the conversation, but started making his bed on his own.

Neville frowned, and the two didn't speak again. Luo En didn't want to participate in this topic, but looking at Harry's face, he felt it wasn't appropriate to continue joking.

However, Luo En didn't have much ability to be alone quietly. He didn't want to read textbooks, and the only extracurricular book was an old "The Tales of Beedle the Bard." He just flipped through it twice and felt bored with the plot he could almost recite backward.

Just right, he found Harry leaning against the bed, reading a book that didn't look like a textbook.

"Hi, Harry." Luo En said, "What are you reading?"

"A Muggle novel." Harry said a bit embarrassedly, "I was worried it would be boring on the train so I brought it."

"Can you lend it to me to see?" Luo En said, "Uh, as an exchange, I can show you the wizard's storybook."

"Good idea." Harry suddenly became interested, "I have never seen a wizard's novel."

Luo En blushed a bit, and the book he handed over was just a fairy tale.

"How the Steel Was Tempered?" Luo En opened the page, "Is it a Muggle alchemy book? Too magical, is this person named Paul an alchemist? Fullmetal Alchemist?"

"Uh, you'll know when you read it slowly." Harry explained awkwardly, and also opened the Tales of Beedle the Bard in his hand.

"Once upon a time, there was a kind old wizard who always generously and wisely used his magic to help his neighbors. He didn't tell others where his power came from, but lied that his potions, spells, and antidotes all jumped out of a small cauldron ready-made. He called this pot his lucky pot. People from many kilometers around came to him when they had trouble, and the old wizard was always very happy to stir his cauldron and solve the problem..."

Harry finished reading this short story called "The Wizard and the Hopping Pot" with great interest. He flipped another page and started reading "The Fountain of Fair Fortune," then "The Warlock's Hairy Heart," then "Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump," and finally "The Tale of the Three Brothers."

When this thin book was flipped to the end, a trace of shallow sleepiness surged into Harry's brain. He looked at the schedule, and had to go to Transfiguration class early tomorrow morning. So Harry pulled the bed curtain and prepared to sleep.

That night, he had a strange dream: he was brewing potion with a cauldron, hoping to cure a poor woman. But his potion failed, the woman's husband was very sad, he kept turning a stone, wanting to summon his deceased wife—but what appeared were three fierce and gloomy men. In the sound of snake hissing, Harry discovered in horror that one of them was Voldemort. Harry pushed his son anxiously (he never thought about why he would have a son), shouting "Run Potter, run."

But his silly eldest son just wouldn't run, instead holding the cauldron tightly. The cauldron suddenly grew legs and flew away with the young man—then, a green light flashed, and Harry was scared awake, covered in sweat, unable to stop shaking.

Harry recalled the content of the dream, telling himself it must be because he read too bizarre bedtime stories. Then, he turned over and fell asleep again, completely not caring about this strange dream. ===== CHAPTER 11 =====