"This is very important. It determines how you will spend your time at school. You will meet different friends in different houses."
"The houses are divided into Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. After you are sorted into your house by the Sorting Hat, you must remember one thing..."
Professor McGonagall's sharp eyes swept over each young wizard present.
"You will symbolize the honor of your house. Your words and actions will determine whether your house will win the House Cup at the end of the school year."
At this point, Professor McGonagall's eyes happened to meet Dylan's.
Dylan immediately smiled innocently, a harmless smile.
Professor McGonagall's eyes flickered, but it quickly faded.
"The Sorting ceremony will begin soon, and it will be held in front of the entire school, so you can get ready now."
Professor McGonagall turned and left.
Shortly after she left, a group of young wizards began to chatter.
A scream echoed from the crowd: "Ah! There's a ghost!"
A hush fell.
Dylan looked up and saw a dozen ghosts emerging from the wall.
They were curious about the new students.
A few even floated down and chatted non-stop around the nearest young wizards.
The new students, however, shuddered.
"I wonder if the reappearance of the corpse will have any effect on these ghosts?"
he wondered.
Suddenly, a ghost descended from mid-air, landing right next to him.
"Oh! I sense a strange aura!"
The ghost leaned in close to Dylan's face. After meeting his gaze, it glared, as if frightened. With a sharp cry, it flew away.
The surrounding ghosts were startled, glanced at Dylan, and then quickly chased after the ghost.
Neville, standing next to Dylan, was startled by the ghost's scream
and clutched his toad tightly.
Dylan glanced over and saw that Riff was rolling his eyes and kicking his toad legs.
"...Neville, the ghost is gone."
"Gone? No, I don't dare look."
Neville still squinted, not daring to open his eyes.
Dylan shook his head.
Just then, Professor McGonagall returned.
"Alright, young wizards, the ceremony is about to begin. Everyone form a single file and follow me."
Only when Professor McGonagall's commanding voice sounded did Neville's eyes narrow cautiously.
However, Dylan was already ahead.
He hurriedly joined the group.
Led by Professor McGonagall, the first-year students entered the auditorium.
All the teachers and students who had already taken their seats cast various scrutinizing glances at them.
Dylan ignored them, instead tilting his head slightly.
He eagerly looked up at the ceiling.
"A real starry sky... Magic is truly fascinating."
The stars on the ceiling slowly shifted, not at all like the artificial projections of modern technology, but rather like a real sky.
At this moment, Dumbledore stood up and explained the prohibitions of Hogwarts to the new students.
For example, no student was allowed to enter the Black Forest, or any of the forbidden areas within the academy.
When Dumbledore finished speaking,
Professor McGonagall flipped through the parchment scroll in her hand.
"Those whose names are called, please step forward. I will place the Sorting Hat on your head and determine which house you will be assigned to."
The first person called was Hermione. Dylan immediately glanced over, his eyes brightening slightly.
He had to admit, Hermione was truly beautiful.
However, he wasn't impressed.
He had only three goals in coming to school.
First, to understand magic.
Second, to learn magic.
Third, to make a killing with it!
Everything else had to wait!
Even if Voldemort escaped, he'd have to cast the Imperius Curse on him!
Otherwise, how could he make money if Voldemort destroyed the market?
The Death Eaters would have to follow Voldemort around doing useless work.
"I'm planning on recruiting some Death Eaters to work for me later,"
Dylan thought.
Professor McGonagall suddenly called his name.
"Dylan Hawkwood!"
Recovering from his trance, Dylan stepped forward.
He sat down in a chair, and Professor McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat on his head.
"Oh! My goodness, such a brilliant little wizard! You seem to know a lot of spells!"
"Let me see, are you going to Ravenclaw?"
the Sorting Hat's voice echoed in Dylan's mind.
Dylan raised his eyebrows and responded in his mind: "If I go to Gryffindor, can you lend me the Sword of Gryffindor that is stuck in your body? I've been studying how to use magic to control weapons recently."
"What?" The Sorting Hat exclaimed exaggeratedly, "Oh! Why are you starting to study this kind of high-level magic now?"
"No, I mean, how did you know this sword? This is not something a little wizard like you should know!"
"Maybe I tried to learn Legilimency."
"Oh my God... forgive me for exclaiming again. This is the first time I've seen such a weird little wizard like you. Are you from a pure-blood wizard family?"
"No, no, no, you seem to be just an ordinary Muggle little wizard."
"Sorry, little wizard, no matter where you know the Sword of Gryffindor, I can't give it to you unless there is a Gryffindor who can pull it out of my body."
"But I hate this feeling, because it makes me feel forced-do you know the feeling of being poked in the throat with a stick?"
"I don't know." Dylan curled his lips, "but I know you are really a bit nagging."
"Oh my God, you know? You're too Slytherin-speaking! Do you want to go to Slytherin?"
the Sorting Hat yelled.
"You've mastered a lot of magical knowledge. The elite education there might be suitable for you."
"I hate elite education."
"Oh, then Ravenclaw?" the Sorting Hat added.
"Of course, I can also feel a huge courage in your heart. You must have a very lofty ideal. Maybe you can also become a Gryffindor?"
"Do the four major colleges have inheritance?"
"You know it again!"
"In that case, then I want to go to Ravenclaw."
Ravenclaw's inheritance should bring him more magical knowledge.
"Okay, then..." The
Sorting Hat suddenly raised its voice and shouted -
"Gryffindor!"
What?
"How can you decide my sorting so casually!"
"Oh my God, a first-year little wizard dares to set his sights on the inheritance of the four colleges. You are too bold. You can only go to Gryffindor!"
(End of this chapter)