Chapter 267: The Sorting Hat's New Song

The carriage creaked and swayed along the road. They passed the gate leading to the school grounds. There seemed to be something on the high stone pillars on both sides. Not far away, the towering towers of Hogwarts Castle were vaguely visible under the night sky, and fiery red light shone through the windows.

The carriage stopped with a clatter. Harry glanced at the pitch-black grounds and suddenly remembered what had caught his attention: Hagrid's hut had no lights on.

The students crowded into the entrance hall. The students in the Great Hall were talking happily, exchanging news from the summer vacation, and examining each other's new hairstyles and clothes. Harry couldn't help but notice: whenever he walked by, people always showed surprised expressions, and many people saluted or applauded him. He smiled embarrassedly, trying to pretend to be calm and composed.

Harry and Luo En walked toward the Gryffindor table. The crowd made way for them, revealing the two empty seats in the very center of the long table—Neville and Hermione were sitting next to the empty seats, near the end of the teacher's table; while Ivy and Ginny were sitting near the entrance hall.

"What are you guys doing?" After Harry sat down, he looked around. The Weasley twins happened to be sitting in the position diagonally opposite him, and directly opposite was Nearly Headless Nick.

"Prefects should always sit in a very important position in the middle," Ivy said. "And Gryffindor House has someone even more important than a Prefect."

"If it's just occupying a seat, then do as you please," Harry shrugged and cast his gaze toward the teacher's table.

Snape was sitting in the golden high-backed chair in the very center of the teacher's table, wearing a pitch-black, shiny robe with white buttons, without a hat, letting his greasy hair hang down. Snape turned slightly to the side, elegantly chatting with an old man wearing black square-framed glasses beside him. That person was wearing a decent navy blue suit with a red striped tie. His silver hair was combed flat against his scalp, his beard was shaved clean, and a faint, almost non-existent smile hung on the corners of his mouth on his slightly protruding chin.

"Who is this?" Harry frowned. "If he is the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, he doesn't need to sit next to the Headmaster, right?"

"Wait a bit," Luo En said indifferently. "The old bat will introduce him sooner or later."

"Why do you call Professor Snape an old bat?" Ivy asked.

"What's that? Neville even calls Dumbledore an old bee," Luo En supported his chin, facing the entrance hall. Harry also followed his gaze. Professor McGonagall was carrying a stool, and on the stool was the dirty and broken Sorting Hat.

The nervous new first-year students, together with all the other teachers and students in the school, waited for the Sorting Hat's action, and then it started to sing loudly.

"A few years ago I met a genius, I once wanted to sort him into Slytherin, because I saw his noble bloodline and lofty ideals; I also wanted to sort him into Ravenclaw, because the light of reason flashed in his eyes; I considered sorting him into Gryffindor, because of his unparalleled courage and adventurous tendencies; or perhaps I could let him enter Hufflepuff, because he is humble, polite, diligent, and strong!

A genius is sitting beside you, and the Sorting Hat is right before your eyes. I will sort you into four houses. This is my duty, and also my advice: if the four houses are too united, then it's better not to sort houses at all!"

While it continued to introduce the characteristics of the houses to the children, Hermione leaned over and said: "He changed the tune, this is a bit wrong: he wouldn't be flattering Harry too, right?"

"Before you continue to worry about these things, I must remind you," Luo En pointed at the table. "Don't assume the gender of the Sorting Hat."

"I'm not joking with you!" Hermione said somewhat angrily. "If the Sorting Hat has some abnormalities, it must be because it thinks Hogwarts is in danger!"

"If it gave a warning, then it is," Nearly Headless Nick said. "But now, perhaps it just occasionally wants to change a tune, right? The Sorting Hat also reads newspapers."

"I think the newspaper has a problem, but I haven't found where the problem is yet," Harry didn't brush it off. His heart had indeed always had a trace of unease. "In short, I will be careful."

From Euan Abercrombie to Rose Zeller, the long sorting queue took quite a while to finish, and Luo En's stomach was already growling.

"Welcome new students, welcome back students," Snape stood up and read in a expressionless tone. "Now I announce the banquet begins."

The students applauded politely. The applause from Slytherin lasted a bit longer, but it stopped quickly. The sound of knives and forks colliding began to ring in the Great Hall.

"Do you think the Sorting Hat will give a warning?" Hermione said to Nick.

"Oh, yes," Nick was very happy to have a reason to move his gaze away from the gluttonous Luo En. "I've heard the Sorting Hat's warning several times before. Of course, each time it was much the same: the school is in danger, we must be united, the four houses must fight together against a common enemy, and so on."

"But did you hear what it said this time?" Luo En put down the ribs in his hand. "If the four houses are too united, then it's better not to sort houses at all."

"Yeah, completely reversed, but what is it referring to?" Nick sighed. "You know, every time the Sorting Hat issued a warning in the past, it was because something extraordinary happened in the outside world."

"Isn't this very obvious: everyone has started to worship Harry," Hermione said without thinking. "Perhaps in the Sorting Hat's view, this is not a good thing."

"Why is this not a good thing?" Luo En immediately retorted. "It probably just felt that students need some competition."

"Yeah, that's about it. Everything has to be linked to Harry," Ivy suddenly interrupted. "Harry spends his energy every day fighting Death Eaters, upholding justice..."

"Ivy!" Harry interrupted her, then said with a hint of apology, "Sorry, Hermione, I think your suspicion is not without reason."

"Alright, let's not talk about this," Hermione also seemed a bit unhappy. "I just hope you can really raise your vigilance."

Harry glared at Ivy fiercely. He felt that the thing most needing vigilance was his friends having a quarrel. Besides this, what else was worth being careful about? The steak and kidney pie in front of him?

When the children were about full and sleepy, Snape stood up and let out a very loud cough. The noisy sound in the Great Hall decreased slightly, and finally everyone stopped talking and looked up at the Headmaster.

"I'll announce the precautions. First, the Forbidden Forest in the hunting grounds cannot be entered, because there are terrifying dark creatures inside; secondly, casting spells in the corridors is not allowed during class breaks, this is Mr. Filch's requirement," he said in a calm, even dead-silent tone. "Then, I'll announce the changes in the teaching staff."

"Because Mr. Rubeus Hagrid needs to go on a business trip to the Continent on behalf of Hogwarts, we are honored to invite Mr. Bear Grylls as the professor of Care of Magical Creatures. Please note that this course has been renamed Magical Creatures at his request."

A round of applause rang out in the Great Hall, but there was more whispering. Some well-informed students mentioned that before Grylls started contacting magical creatures, he had worked as an Auror for several years.

"We are also very honored to welcome Professor Arnold Abinson, as our new teacher for Defense Against the Dark Arts. At the same time, he will also represent the Ministry of Magic to conduct a one-year assessment of our school's teaching system. Next, let's invite Sir Arnold to give a brief speech," Snape said, then sat down directly, looking at the old man beside him with his dead fish eyes.

"Thank you, Headmaster," Arnold stood up. "Thank you for this welcome speech."

His voice didn't sound old, but it had a strange sense of stability, making people naturally think of those reliable gentlemen. Harry immediately developed a good impression of him, perhaps because he was wearing meticulous formal wear, or perhaps because his voice was slightly similar to Sir Crowley.

"I must sigh, the feeling of returning to Hogwarts after many years is indeed very pleasant. Once upon a time, I was the same as everyone present, a teenager in the prime of life. Unfortunately, in the blink of an eye, I have entered my seventies," his wording was very elegant. "I don't expect to become a friend of all ages, just trying to convey some of my experiences and lessons as an elder, hoping this will be beneficial to your future growth."

"In addition to teaching the Defense Against the Dark Arts course, I, on behalf of the Ministry of Magic, would like to criticize and suggest some of your school's teaching methods, just like I wanted to do when I was a student. For example, why is it not allowed to cast magic in the corridors during class breaks?" After he finished this sentence, he deliberately paused, and the students immediately understood and applauded.

"Children have precious magical talents, but even more precious are your passion, hot blood, and imagination. When you enter middle age, will you regret not boldly choosing the career you wanted? Will you regret not handing out sincere love letters during your student days?" he said. "And the source of killing imagination is nothing more than rigid, inflexible school rules."

"There is one point I would like to ask Headmaster Snape," he turned his head, politely, unhurriedly said. "If it is not allowed for everyone to enter the Forbidden Forest, why is it not to pull up a fence, but to reiterate this rule every year at the beginning of school?"

"Oh, if you ask this question," Snape answered without standing up at all, "because we are actually encouraging students to sneak in." ===== CHAPTER 268 =====