Amidst the lively chaos of young wizards darting to and fro in the narrow train aisle, Anton showcased his agility, deftly sidestepping past three disgruntled children. As he maneuvered through the bustling crowd, he finally reached Ron's compartment.
"Merlin's beard, Anton, where on earth have you been?" Ron greeted him with a mixture of relief and curiosity, cradling what appeared to be an unconscious rat in his hands.
Raising an eyebrow, Anton surveyed the disarray within the compartment, as if a scuffle had recently taken place.
Having delved into numerous Harry Potter fan fictions, particularly those featuring professors, Anton struggled to recall the specific events unfolding in this scenario. However, reflecting on the trio of departing children—a platinum blonde-haired child leading the way, flanked by two burly companions—he deduced that Harry had encountered Draco Malfoy.
Extending a friendly hand to help Harry Potter to his feet, Anton beamed with warmth and enthusiasm. "Hello, I'm Anthony Weasley, Ron's cousin. You can call me Anton," he introduced himself with a welcoming smile.
"Harry Potter," Harry responded with a bright smile, his eyes lighting up with anticipation at the prospect of making new friends on the train.
In a swift turn of events, Hermione approached with a child in tow, pointing an accusatory finger at Anton. "It's him, Neville. He ate your toad and left it like this. I saw everything!" Her words spilled out in a rapid rush, akin to a machine gun firing accusations.
"Eating toads?" Harry recoiled in alarm, his expression registering shock and apprehension as he distanced himself from Anton.
Anton's lips curled into a mischievous grin, his amusement evident as he turned towards Hermione with a playful glint in his eye. "It was delicious!" he remarked, his smile revealed a row of gleaming white teeth, catching the sunlight like a predator's gleaming fangs, triggering Hermione to scream as she hastily fled the scene once more.
Neville stared at Anton in disbelief, his expression a mix of confusion and disbelief. "You actually ate my toad? That's..." he trailed off, at a loss for words at the unexpected turn of events.
Anton let out a resigned sigh, a hint of exasperation tinting his tone. "Do you believe her as well? That was a chocolate frog, not your toad. It was all a misunderstanding," he clarified, hoping to set the record straight. "You can speak with the conductor who was recently near the train whistle. They should be able to help you get your toad back."
A look of realization dawned in Neville's widened eyes as understanding flooded his features. "Thank you!" he exclaimed gratefully before hastily making his way out of the compartment.
As the train announcement sounded once more, urging the young wizards to change into their school robes promptly, Anton waved his wand. The suitcase levitated down, and the scattered items on the floor returned to their place on the table.
Having mastered the Levitation Charm, Anton had grown accustomed to accomplishing tasks without physically exerting himself. His laziness knew no bounds.
His own suitcase floated before him, opening to reveal his school robes neatly arranged on top.
"Hurry up and change," Anton urged, tossing his coat aside and donning the wizard's robe bearing the Hogwarts crest.
But he noticed Harry and Ron gazing at him with wide eyes.
"What's the matter?" Anton inquired, his brow furrowing in confusion as he reached up to touch his own face, feeling a sense of suspicion creeping in.
"Nonverbal magic!" Harry exclaimed, his voice filled with amazement at the sight before him.
"I just realized I didn't hear you cast a spell!" Ron murmured in disbelief, his astonishment mirroring that of Harry.
Anton, unfazed by their astonishment, offered a nonchalant explanation. "The Levitation Charm is in our first-year textbooks. It's really easy. You can check it out when you get the chance," he reassured them, opting to downplay his magical abilities for the moment. Glancing out the compartment door, he observed the train gradually coming to a halt.
Night had descended, casting a dark hue over the small platform, with a narrow path extending beyond its borders.
A towering figure, standing at 2.6 meters tall, awaited with a lantern.
A faint but genuine smile tugged at the corners of Anton's mouth, a sense of anticipation and excitement twinkling in his eyes.
'Hogwarts, here we come,' he thought with a sense of eagerness and wonder.
Led by Hagrid, the first-year students proceeded to the lake, where they embarked on a boat ride. Following a series of meandering paths, imbued with a sense of anticipation for the Sorting Ceremony, they eventually arrived at the Great Hall on the castle's first floor.
Positioned before the grand doors of the Great Hall, they awaited the start of the Sorting Ceremony.
Ghosts floated by, among them Fiennes, who playfully tossed and caught his head, winking at Anton.
The former Hogwarts graduates shared a silent agreement to keep the details of the Sorting Ceremony, preserving the air of mystery and anticipation surrounding the Sorting Ceremony for the next generation of wizards.
"Fred and George mentioned we might have to duel a troll!" Ron's voice quivered anxiously, his words sending a shiver of apprehension down Harry's spine.
Various tales circulated among the group—some spoke of confronting a dragon, others of escaping from menacing scarecrow fields, and a few even mentioned drinking a ghastly, bubbling green potion...
Each parent possessed a repertoire of stories designed to instill fear in their children, and when shared, even the haughty Draco paled.
"Don't listen to them; it's just a wizard's hat," Anton reassured Draco kindly, trying to alleviate the young wizard's growing unease.
"After you put it on, the hat decides if you're good at magic. If it thinks you're not, it might actually twist your head off." Anton explained matter-of-factly, his tone betraying a sense of nonchalance that contrasted with Draco's growing anxiety.
"Twist my head off?" Draco recoiled in horror, his eyes wide with fear as he processed the grim possibility.
"It's fine; I saw a ghost without a head, perfectly fine and functioning," Anton remarked casually, attempting to lighten the somber mood with a touch of humor.
Draco swallowed nervously, resolving that if the hat truly posed a threat, he wouldn't risk wearing it.
Harry and Ron regarded them with a sense of bewilderment. Despite feeling apprehensive themselves, witnessing Draco's trembling visage inexplicably reassured them.
Until...
A weathered wizard hat was placed upon a stool!
The young wizards, who had just absorbed Anton's words, breathed a collective sigh of relief.
The wizard hat, imbued with magic, animatedly opened its mouth and began to sing:
"You may not think I'm pretty, but don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find a smarter hat than me."
The young wizards gazed at the moving mouth in bewilderment, questioning if Anton's earlier statements had been a lie.
Were they mistaken in presuming the hat would twist heads off or consume them?
Who would be the first to step forward and face the unknown fate?
A tall, black-haired witch clad in an emerald green robe retrieved the parchment, her commanding presence filling the room as she called out in a clear voice, "Hannah Abbott!"
A young girl with a rosy cheeks and blonde pig tails hesitantly emerged from the lineup, donning the hat that obscured her eyes as she took her seat.
Though her expression remained hidden, her trembling form betrayed her fear. "Hufflepuff!" the hat announced.
Applause and cheers erupted from the right-hand table as Hannah Abbott, overwhelmed with emotion, let out the loudest scream in Hogwarts history.
She hurriedly removed the hat, panting as if she had narrowly escaped a dire fate.
Witnessing her elation, the senior Hufflepuff students at the long table amplified their applause.
Subsequently, the anxious young wizards approached the stage to undergo the sorting.
Seamus Finnigan, gripped with fear, clutched Harry Potter's sleeve tightly. Professor McGonagall repeated his name thrice before he leaped up in a startle.
Placing the hat upon his head, Seamus experienced a nerve-wracking moment as the hat deliberated for nearly a minute before placing him in Gryffindor.
"It's another one of his tricks!" Hermione remarked with a hint of exasperation, rolling her eyes as she confidently strode forward to the front of the room. With unwavering certainty, she declared, "Gryffindor."
The proud young witch was met with approving nods from the Gryffindor students as she made her way to join the long table of her House, the familiar red and gold colors welcoming her with open arms.
As Harry, Ron, and Draco collectively breathed a sigh of relief, the tension that had filled the air dissipated. It became evident that the Sorting Ceremony was more about personal preference than predetermined outcomes.
"You're bound for Gryffindor, you insufferable Weasley!" Draco declared vehemently, his voice filled with disdain.
Anton offered a faint smile and approached the Sorting Hat, ready to embrace whatever outcome awaited him.
The Sorting Hat wasted no time in its decision, swiftly announcing, "Slytherin!"
Draco stood frozen in disbelief, his usual composure shattered by the unexpected outcome. Harry and Ron mirrored his astonishment as they processed the surprising turn of events.
At the Gryffindor table, the Weasley twins, poised to offer their applause, exchanged puzzled and bewildered glances as they witnessed the unexpected turn of events.
"A Weasley sorted in Slytherin?" George mused aloud, his tone a mix of surprise and curiosity as he glanced at his brother.
Fred's eyes gleamed with amusement as a chuckle escaped his lips. "How remarkable! I can't wait to write to Dad. We have a Slytherin in the family now. And Dad's gonna lose his Gobstones!" he remarked with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.
(It's a Harry Potter Idiom)