Chapter 33. Hufflepuff!
"'Hermione Granger.'"
Wearing his spectacles, Albus Dumbledore looked at the list in his hand and called out loudly.
"I'm going…"
Hermione whispered to Duncan, her hands nervously clutching the hem of her robes, her voice trembling.
She took two deep breaths, crossed the crowd, and walked up to Dumbledore.
Under his smiling gaze, she sat down on the stool.
Duncan watched the Sorting Hat's great mouth keep opening and closing, twisting this way and that on top of Hermione's head.
Hermione must have told the Sorting Hat all her thoughts.
Now the Hat seemed to be hesitating too, wondering where it ought to put her…
When everyone was growing impatient, the Sorting Hat finally made up its mind.
It opened its mouth and shouted, "Gryffindor!"
"Brilliant, I knew Hermione would be Gryffindor!"
Fred and George cheered loudly.
If not for the people sitting beside them holding them back, they would have leapt onto the table and danced a tap dance in delight.
Fred and George's excitement left the other Gryffindor students rather baffled.
They had never heard the name Hermione Granger before, and did not know why these two pranksters were so thrilled.
But Gryffindors love a lively atmosphere most of all.
Since the mood had been set, they began to cheer along as well.
"Thank you."
Hermione politely put the Sorting Hat back on the stool, her cheeks red as she ran to Gryffindor.
It was obvious she was very satisfied with the result.
Duncan was not surprised.
Although Hermione looked like a top student on the surface, she shared the important qualities of the other Gryffindors—courage, a sense of justice, and a rebellious spirit.
When she went wild, she was rather frightening too.
The next few Sortings went much faster.
Especially Draco Malfoy—almost as soon as the Hat touched his head, it called out "Slytherin."
Whether it disliked Malfoy's dirty hair, or whether he simply fit that house, who could say.
Neville Longbottom, as agreed, went to Hufflepuff.
After he sat down, he stared at Duncan with pleading eyes.
He was afraid Duncan would trick him and then go to some other house, leaving him alone in this unfamiliar one.
"'Duncan Scamander.'"
Dumbledore looked at the last remaining student and, smiling, read out his name.
Duncan stepped forward and nodded to Dumbledore with a smile.
Dumbledore had often come to his home to see Newt in the past; they knew each other reasonably well.
"Duncan…"
Just as his backside touched the stool, Dumbledore said in a very low voice.
"What is it, Professor?"
Duncan's brow moved, and he replied in the same tone.
"Did Newt not entrust his case to you to bring to school?" Dumbledore asked, sounding out his meaning.
"If you don't have a case like his, it won't be easy for you to see the magical creatures you love at Hogwarts."
"Ah, Grandad wouldn't agree.
He said you wouldn't allow it," Duncan sighed at length, looking very downcast.
"Is that so?"
Dumbledore smiled, his deep eyes resting on Duncan.
"Mhm!"
Duncan nodded vigorously.
He was telling Dumbledore the truth and not deceiving him.
Newt truly had not wanted to hand over his own case to Duncan—he had made a new one for him instead.
"Oi, oi, oi!"
The Sorting Hat opened wide with anger.
"It's my working hours right now.
Could you show a hardworking magical hat some respect and find another time and place to sit down and have your little chat?"
"Sorry."
Duncan and Dumbledore apologised at the same time and fell silent.
Satisfied, the Sorting Hat wriggled on Duncan's head.
It hummed thoughtfully and sank into a long contemplation.
"A brave heart… willing to take risks… cherishes friendship… then you should go…"
"I want Hufflepuff!
I want Hufflepuff!"
Duncan kept chanting in his mind.
The Sorting Hat's train of thought was cut off.
Annoyed, it said, "From the qualities I see, you clearly fit Gryffindor better!"
"I want Hufflepuff!
I want Hufflepuff!"
Duncan turned a deaf ear and just kept repeating himself.
Back and forth for several rounds, the Sorting Hat's head buzzed as if a hundred bees were circling around it.
"All right, all right, stop shouting."
The Hat conceded defeat and bellowed, unwillingly, "Hufflepuff!"
Before the last syllable had fallen, the Hufflepuff table erupted in thunderous cheers.
"Wonderful, we have another Scamander!"
Several students sitting farther away even stood up to get a look at the grandson of their legendary alumnus, Newt Scamander.
At the Gryffindor table, Fred and George shouted in dissatisfaction, yelling that there was some shady dealing at work and that the Hat had put Duncan in the wrong house—at which the Sorting Hat's gloomy expression grew even darker, though no one could really see it.
"Thank you."
Duncan removed the Hat, stood up, and set it back on the stool, politely offering his thanks.
The Sorting Hat did not seem very appreciative.
It twisted with all its might, trying to turn to the other side so it would not have to look at Duncan again.
Duncan shrugged, turned to wave to everyone, and went to sit at the Hufflepuff table in the seat Neville had specially saved for him.
"I thought you weren't coming…"
Neville said, still a little shaken.
"The Sorting Hat tried to stop me.
It wanted to put me in Gryffindor, but it failed," Duncan said.
"You've made a wise decision.
Welcome to Hufflepuff!"
A girl's voice came from Duncan's right.
Duncan turned and saw a lovely girl with two golden plaits and a beaming smile on her face.
"Hello, I'm Hannah Abbott, also a new Hufflepuff."
Hannah held out her hand to Duncan with easy confidence.
"Hogwarts' famous Hatstall queen—Hannah Abbott?"
A peculiar thought flashed through Duncan's mind.
He shook hands with Hannah amicably and said, "Hello, I'm Duncan Scamander."
"I know you," Hannah said with a smile.
"You're as famous in Hufflepuff as the legendary Saviour, Harry Potter.
Mm… maybe just a tiny bit less.
Anyway, they've been worrying up front about whether you'd come to Hufflepuff.
It had them all in a state.
Good thing you did.
Oh—what on earth did you lot experience on the train?"
"Harry Potter?"
Hannah's words reminded Duncan that, from boarding the train until now, he still hadn't seen the boy with glasses and a lightning scar on his forehead.
His eyes swept toward the Gryffindor table, and he answered casually, "It seems some sort of magical creature got onto the train.
Too bad I didn't see clearly.
I only saw a black shadow flash past, then blacked out."
"Really?
How frightening.
I'm glad you weren't hurt."
A trace of disappointment crossed Hannah's face.
Following Duncan's gaze, she looked as well and asked curiously, "Who are you looking for?
Your friends?"
"No," Duncan said.
"I'm looking for the legendary figure you just mentioned, Harry Potter."
"Eh?"
Hannah's eyes widened in surprise.
"Harry Potter didn't come with you?
He hasn't shown up at all.
We all thought he was in that carriage where the incident happened.
Some people say there are those who don't want him to come to Hogwarts and deliberately attacked that carriage."
"Nice imagination…"
Duncan thought to himself.
"But where has Harry Potter actually gone?"
His eyes shifted to the Headmaster on the dais, who was giving the start-of-term address.
Your successor has gone missing, and you're not worried at all?
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