Even after removing the hat, Cassandra's eyes still brimmed with disbelief.
What the hell was wrong with this school? The people were bad enough, but even a bloody hat had to mess with her!
At first, the Sorting Hat had sounded so reasonable she'd almost believed Hufflepuff was within reach – she'd even started smiling.
Then it shouted Slytherin instead.
Are you insane?!
Suppressing her fury, Cassandra slammed the hat down and stormed off. Passing Wayne, she shot him an inscrutable look that left him utterly baffled.
Why did she seem displeased about Slytherin? Shouldn't that be the perfect house for her temperament?
From afar, the Slytherin table erupted in enthusiastic applause, welcoming their stunning new addition.
After Ilvermorny came Uagadou.
With just over a hundred students, their sorting progressed faster.
Roughly a third were sorted into Hufflepuff, while Slytherin received the fewest.
By all accounts, Uagadou was actually the least bloodline-conscious school of all.
There, tribal customs prevailed. Many wizards returned to their hometowns after graduation to become witch doctors, holding considerable status. They could marry seven or eight wives, completely disregarding the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy, and coexisted harmoniously with Muggles.
As for the influx of "new classmates," the badgers had generally welcomed them.
Their dining hall experiences over the past few days had also led them to acknowledge the capabilities of Uagadou's students.
Next came the students from Koldovstoretz.
Out of over a hundred, a full fifty were sorted into Gryffindor—truly a warrior nation, born with reckless courage.
At the head table, Katerina was thoroughly pleased with the outcome.
"In Mother Russia, the British wizard we admire most is Gryffindor. His bravery and deeds often make us feel he could be a valiant Russian himself."
Most of the professors wore stiff expressions. Was this praise for Gryffindor, or an insult to them?
Dumbledore, however, didn't seem bothered and continued smiling as he applauded.
Then came Durmstrang. The Slytherin students erupted in celebration—every Durmstrang student was pure-blooded, and most were sorted into Slytherin. When Krum took his seat, their cheers nearly blew the roof off.
Malfoy leaned over to speak to Krum, his grin brighter than if he'd just beaten Harry in a fight.
"I bet Malfoy's sucking up to him," Ron said sharply. "But I'm sure Krum's not that kind of person."
Then came the sting of reality. Whatever Malfoy said made Krum smile warmly and pat him on the shoulder.
Suddenly, all eyes were drawn to the aisle between the tables, which had become a runway. Fleur strode forward like a proud white swan towards the Sorting Hat.
The next moment, she did something that shattered countless boys' hearts—and nearly made Hermione and Cho flip the table.
As she passed Wayne, the half-Veela suddenly embraced him, pressing a light kiss to his forehead. "I hope I get sorted into Hufflepuff," she whispered.
Only then did she continue forward, sitting on the stool and donning the hat.
A lively voice echoed in Fleur's mind.
"Well, well, isn't this odd? Another young lady who wants to go to Hufflepuff?"
"Let me see... Ah, just as I thought—Lawrence's influence again. No, no, Ravenclaw is where you belong. So—"
"Wait a minute!"
Fleur hurriedly called out in her mind, and the Sorting Hat paused. "Trust me, I've been doing this job for a thousand years and never made a mistake. You'll definitely like it there."
"Of course I trust you, Sorting Hat. Wayne praised you as the most discerning hat, which is why he was sorted into Hufflepuff," Fleur said sweetly, coaxing the Sorting Hat into a beaming smile... well, if it had one.
Finally, the young girl revealed her true intentions: "Then can you sort me into Hufflepuff? I've admired Lady Helga Hufflepuff since I was a child and dreamed of joining Hufflepuff House."
"You can't fool the great Sorting Hat. Is it Helga you admire? You're just lusting after Lawrence!"
Fleur still didn't give up: "I can give you beautiful feathers and gemstones to make you even more handsome."
"Really?" the Sorting Hat said cheerfully. "Remember your words!"
"Of course. The Delacour family always keeps its promises." Fleur couldn't help but smile. Thankfully, Wayne had told her how he'd tempted the hat back then—otherwise, she'd never have managed it.
"Alright then... Ravenclaw!"
The Sorting Hat announced loudly. The two had been conversing for nearly five minutes, and as the hat finally made its decision, applause broke out.
It was already past nine, and there were still many students waiting behind her.
Fleur was stunned: "Didn't we already agree? Why Ravenclaw?"
"Accepting gifts doesn't mean I agreed to your request," the Sorting Hat said merrily. "Hurry along now, don't hold up the other students."
The Sorting Hat was in high spirits today. Sorting so many young witches and wizards at once was a level of busyness it had never experienced before.
Fleur wanted to say more, but Professor McGonagall had already lifted the hat off her head. Sullen, she could only walk back to the Beauxbatons table.
One by one, the students went up to be sorted. Finally, Beauxbatons was done, leaving only Mahoutokoro.
Of the six schools, Mahoutokoro had the fewest students, with fewer than a hundred in attendance.
Everyone was curious about the colours of their uniforms. Many had looked it up and knew that at Mahoutokoro, age meant nothing—only when one's robes turned a certain colour could they receive the corresponding education.
Such upper-years were absolutely no pushovers.
Dozens of students passed by in a flash until it was Sakura's turn. The nervous girl placed the hat on her head.
"Where does that Lawrence lad keep finding all these young ladies?" the Sorting Hat grumbled. "If Godric had even one per cent of his skill, he wouldn't have died without an heir."
Sakura's cheeks flushed slightly. "Y-you've got it wrong. Wayne and I aren't like that."
"I know, I know. He's practically overwhelmed as it is, but it's only a matter of time." The Sorting Hat saw right through her. Sakura hadn't put up any mental defences, and her tangled emotions were laid bare before it.
"Then... can you sort me into Hufflepuff?"
Unable to argue with the hat, Sakura changed the subject, asking hopefully.
Love me, love my dog—her favourable impression of Wayne had subconsciously biased her toward Hufflepuff among Hogwarts' four houses.
"No, young lady, you're a Gryffindor through and through," the Sorting Hat refused immediately, announcing its verdict.
Though a little disappointed, Sakura accepted the outcome.
Wayne blinked rapidly from below, wondering why the Sorting Hat slowed down whenever it came to these girls.
Still, it was just as well that none of them got sorted into Hufflepuff. The dagger-like glares from behind him hadn't let up all evening, leaving him sweating buckets.
Wayne knew perfectly well that if any of them became temporary students of a house, they'd gain access to its common room. If things really turned violent, he'd have nowhere to hide.
Nice one, Old Hat.
Wayne silently thanked the Sorting Hat for its assistance.
"Tomoyo, you must come to Gryffindor with me," Sakura pleaded tearfully, clutching Tomoyo's hand.
The young lady nodded gently: "Of course. Wherever Sakura goes, I'll follow."
"Tomoyo Daidouji!"
Professor McGonagall called Tomoyo's name – the last student of the evening.
Tomoyo put on the hat and cleared her mind peacefully.
"Most unusual temperament. Your cleverness suits Ravenclaw, yet your bloodline aligns perfectly with Slytherin's requirements. Quite the dilemma."
"Want to accompany your friend?"
"Excellent! Such loyalty to friendship deeply moves this old hat. You belong in..."
"Hufflepuff!"
While Tomoyo still looked slightly bewildered, the Hufflepuff table erupted in appropriately enthusiastic applause.
Wayne also sent her an approving glance. If it was Tomoyo joining them, no problem there.
I'll always support Daidouji!
Cho, Hermione and the other girls watched with complicated expressions as the gentle young lady went to join Sakura, a sudden sense of crisis blooming in their hearts.
Initially, they'd only been wary of Sakura... but why was it Tomoyo who ended up in Hufflepuff?
Was she gathering intelligence for Sakura?
Even Sakura herself stared at her friend in disbelief.
Why did she suddenly feel so betrayed?
As they each nursed their private thoughts, Professor McGonagall had already removed the Sorting Hat and stool from the Great Hall. Dumbledore rose to his feet:
"Rest well tonight. Tomorrow morning, your course selection forms will appear with breakfast. Choose whichever subjects please you – Hogwarts' professors won't disappoint..."
With that, the two-and-a-half-hour sorting ceremony finally concluded.
Students rose and filed out of the Great Hall. Madame Maxime addressed Dumbledore with concern: "Dumbledore, you must pay special attention to the Abraxan horses. They're tremendously strong and particular about their diet – only pure malt whisky will do. I worry your Care of Magical Creatures professor..."
"Set your mind at ease, Professor Maxime," Dumbledore smiled. "Hagrid will care for them splendidly. He's quite experienced with large magical creatures."
"Isn't that right, Hagrid?" Dumbledore turned to the half-giant.
From the moment Maxime appeared, Hagrid's eyes had been practically glued to her throughout the feast. At Dumbledore's prompt, he immediately thumped his chest so vigorously it made Snape's teeth ache.
"Absolutely, Madame Maxime! I've done me research on bovine an' equine magical creatures. Those Abraxans'll be fattened up proper!"
Maxime observed Hagrid's massive frame and seemed somewhat reassured, offering a polite slight bow before exiting the hall.
Hagrid stared after her retreating figure, utterly lovestruck.
Dumbledore had to call his name several times before he snapped out of it.
"Professor—ain't there anythin' else?"
"Come with me for a moment." Dumbledore led Hagrid to a side chamber, his expression turning slightly more serious:
"Rubeus, what's this about the Blast-Ended Skrewts?"
Hagrid's face immediately became flustered: "P-professor, it ain't me fault! I jus' put the Fire Crabs an' Manticores together, an' well… they got on an' had babies…"
"I swear I didn' force 'em or do any o' them illegal crossbreedin' experiments."
Dumbledore sighed wearily. He'd only thrown out a basic question, yet Hagrid had already confessed everything unprompted.
If this had been the Ministry of Magic interrogating him, he'd be in Azkaban by now.
"Then why did you assign students to care for the Skrewts? That's far too dangerous."
"Not dangerous at all!" Hagrid hurriedly said. "They're jus' adorable lil' things, easy as pie to look after."
"That's for the students to decide, not you."
Dumbledore grew more stern: "Severus has reported several injuries in his classes to me. Though minor, this must be taken seriously."
"Rubeus, last term, your lessons were well-received. Why this sudden change?"
Hagrid stammered as he confessed about Wayne giving him advice previously.
This term, believing himself a fully matured teacher after one year, he hadn't consulted Wayne.
And immediately ran into problems.
Unwilling to be too harsh, Dumbledore simply said, "You should still seek Mr Lawrence's counsel. Regardless, dangerous creatures like Skrewts have no place in classrooms."
"If students from other schools get injured, it would be... problematic."
"I understand," Hagrid said dejectedly. "An' the Skrewts..."
"Newt will be visiting soon." Dumbledore paused. "He'll handle it."
...
In the Hufflepuff dormitory, Wayne paced like an ant on a hot griddle.
Having finally lulled his two roommates to sleep, Fleur's video call came through.
After so long apart, she naturally wanted a pleasant evening with her sweetheart - the suitcase's miniature world being the perfect undisturbed location.
Wayne was about to agree when another page lit up.
It was Cho, her message carrying the same implications as Fleur's.
Now Wayne was truly stuck.
Agreeing to either would upset the other.
His despair deepened when... Hermione and Astoria also contacted him.
"Has that Delacour girl contacted you?" Hermione, no fool, instantly guessed the reason from his momentary stiff smile.
"Of course not." Wayne picked up the communication book, panning it around the wooden cabin.
"See? Just Gardevoir here. Nobody else."
"Then why hesitate?" Hermione's mood improved seeing that Fleur wasn't present.
Cornered, Wayne had a flash of inspiration. His expression turned solemn: "Because I'm researching a powerful new spell."
"At this critical final stage, I can't afford distractions. With you around, how could I possibly focus on studying?"
"Annoying," Hermione said shyly, glancing back to ensure she hadn't woken her sleeping roommates. Then, suspiciously, she added, "You're not lying to me, are you? What kind of magic could possibly be that powerful?"
"Can't tell you now—it's not finished yet. Give me five days," Wayne teased, deliberately keeping her in suspense. "By then, I guarantee you'll be amazed. I'll make it up to you properly."
"Alright then," Hermione replied, recognising his confidence and wisely refraining from pressing further.
If it were true, she certainly wouldn't want to disrupt Wayne's important work.
If it were false... well, if he failed to produce an impressive spell in a few days' time, she could always deal with him then.
After reminding him to rest early and not stay up too late, Hermione ended the call.
The moment the connection severed, Wayne immediately flipped to Cho's page and dialled.
"Cho, my magical research has reached its most critical stage... Yes, four days will definitely be enough. I'll teach you then."
"Astoria... Be good. Women only slow down my magical research. You can be my pillow once I'm done... What? White stockings? Saturday, then. With your encouragement, three days will suffice."
"Fleur, what terrible timing—I just had a breakthrough. Give me one night, and I'll spend tomorrow with you... Really, just one day. There's absolutely no one else. Here, look—"
"..."
Wiping cold sweat from his brow, Wayne exhaled deeply.
At last... he'd survived.
What? You ask why he scheduled five days when there were only four girls?
Wayne knew with his eyes closed that Gabrielle would pester him tomorrow, so he'd reserved an extra day for the little troublemaker.
Truly, his brilliance knew no bounds—he'd devised the perfect excuse in an instant.
Thankfully, the girls were all understanding, allowing him to escape disaster narrowly.
Heart still pounding, Wayne opened his system panel, ready to begin the draw.
Ordinary spells wouldn't fool these sharp-witted young women—he needed something truly spectacular to smooth things over.
After a moment's thought, he walked to the living room, retrieved a copy of Tao Te Ching, and bowed respectfully.
This time, he had to draw the right reward!