Karmit gave Hermione a long look.
He had to admit: compared to other children her age, Hermione's thinking was far more mature.
In the original timeline, she'd never had the chance to ask such questions. Now that opportunity appeared, and she went straight for what would determine her future path.
Karmit began calmly, "Hogwarts has four Houses — that much you know.
But in my opinion, the differences between them aren't as vast as people claim. Each House simply has its own characteristics."
"Slytherin.
Gryffindor.
Ravenclaw.
And Hufflepuff."
He continued, "Hufflepuff has the largest number of students.
In the wizarding world, people like to say all the ordinary students end up in Hufflepuff.
"But that doesn't mean Hufflepuffs are the weakest. On the contrary—ordinary means no extreme strengths, but also no glaring weaknesses.
They're stable, dependable, and because of that, Hufflepuff is the most united House.
Most Hogwarts students come from there."
Hermione listened intently.
Karmit went on, "Next is Ravenclaw.
Ravenclaw values intelligence and knowledge.
Its founder, Rowena Ravenclaw, was known as the most intelligent witch in magical history — the most intelligent, with no second place.
"So Ravenclaws are scholars.
They learn for the sake of learning.
Because of that, Ravenclaw has the highest number of female students."
Hermione's eyes lit up instantly.
The moment she heard the description, she felt it — Ravenclaw suited her perfectly.
She loved knowledge. She was confident in her intellect. This… this was clearly her ideal place.
Karmit continued, "Now for Gryffindor and Slytherin.
Gryffindor is known for courage.
Students with bravery — or recklessness — go there.
And although Hufflepuff produces the most wizards overall, Gryffindor produces the most wizards who stand at the top."
"Many famous witches and wizards come from Gryffindor.
But… perhaps because they have too much courage, Gryffindors also tend to be impulsive, noisy, and have trouble sitting still long enough to actually study."
"Oh — those two redheads you saw earlier? The older one is a Gryffindor prefect."
Harry's expression immediately showed faint disgust.
Karmit hid a smile. He caught every subtle change on Harry's face.
"Then… is Gryffindor the strongest House?" Harry asked.
Before Karmit could answer, Draco jumped in, "Of course not. Slytherin is the strongest!"
Karmit chuckled softly.
"Houses aren't about strength or weakness. Any House can produce great wizards — it depends on the wizard themselves.
"But yes… Slytherin is the most unique House. And also the most infamous."
He continued, "That reputation goes back to its founder, Salazar Slytherin, who believed magical learning should be restricted to pure-bloods.
So many assume Slytherin only recruits pure-blood families.
"But personally, I don't think Slytherin cares about blood. It cares about ambition and potential."
Harry blinked. "Ambition?"
"Yes," Karmit said. "If you want unmatched power — that's ambition.
If you want unimaginable wealth — also ambition."
"Slytherin prizes strength. They value results more than methods.
Most dark wizards come from Slytherin, because dark magic offers overwhelming power."
"But despite their bad reputation, there's a saying in the wizarding world: A Slytherin's foundation is stronger than anyone else's.
So if you're seeking power, Slytherin really is the best choice."
Draco puffed up proudly. "My parents were both Slytherins.
They're some of the strongest wizards in the magical world! Many of the people I know — extremely powerful ones — were Slytherins too!"
Harry fell silent, clearly thinking deeply.
Karmit could see it. The seed had been planted.
Whether Harry would eventually become the Slytherin version of the 'Savior'… would depend on fate.
Up until now, the only wizard Harry had really spoken with — aside from them — was Hagrid.
Hagrid adored Dumbledore, disliked pure-blood politics, and had no love for Slytherin. So naturally, Hagrid would have filled Harry's head with praise for Gryffindor.
Dumbledore wanted Harry in Gryffindor — that much was obvious.
But now…
Karmit had inserted his own influence.
A counterweight.
He wasn't sure it would work — after all, conspiracy theories about Dumbledore's "grand plan" ran deep in wizarding circles.
If even half were true, then Dumbledore's manipulations reached terrifying levels.
Still — the seed was there.
Later events would decide whether it sprouted.
Hermione spoke again, "So… we can't choose our House? What if someone doesn't fit the House they're placed into? Or wants to switch later?"
Karmit shook his head.
"There's no switching Houses in Hogwarts. And no, you can't choose — the school chooses you.
But… during Sorting, if you have a strong desire for a particular House, someone might take your preference into account."
He smiled quietly.
Two seeds planted — Harry's and Hermione's.
He was curious to see whether he could twist the future famous trio into a completely different shape.
If he could drag the 'Boy Who Lived' into Slytherin…
What would Dumbledore do then?
Of course, Karmit wasn't overly confident — Dumbledore's rumored planning stretched across decades.
But that didn't matter.
He wasn't here to change history.
He was here to step into the story — and take advantage of it.
Karmit's gaze swept across Hermione, Harry, and Draco.
The future trio… reshaped.
As for everyone else?
Merely pieces on the chessboard.
__________
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