The Sorting Ceremony

The small boat carried the new students across the Black Lake, shimmering under the moonlight. Hogwarts Castle loomed larger and larger before them, finally docking at a place resembling an underground pier. They climbed a stone staircase and gathered before the castle's massive oak doors.

The doors were open, and Professor McGonagall, with a stern expression and a emerald green robe, stood at the entrance. Her sharp gaze swept over the group of nervous new students.

Seeing her, Silas naturally raised his hand in greeting, his tone casual, "Hi! Professor McGonagall!"

Professor McGonagall's gaze lingered on him for a moment, her eyes complex (containing a mix of emotions like "You again," "Don't cause trouble," "Hope you follow the rules"), but her expression remained serious. She didn't respond to Silas's greeting but turned to Hagrid and said professionally, "Thank you, Hagrid. I'll take it from here."

Hagrid smiled kindly, waved goodbye to the new students, and turned to leave.

Professor McGonagall led the new students into the entrance hall. The marble floor, the soaring ceiling, the torches burning on the walls – everything amazed the new students. She briefly introduced the four houses, emphasized the importance of house points, and informed them about the upcoming Sorting Ceremony.

Next, they lined up and entered the magnificent Great Hall. Thousands of candles floated in the air, illuminating four long house tables and the staff table. The star-studded magical ceiling was breathtaking. Professor McGonagall placed a four-legged stool in front of the new students, and on it sat a worn, patched pointed wizard's hat – the Sorting Hat.

The Great Hall was silent. Then, a slit at the edge of the hat opened like a mouth and began to sing. Its song... well, it was full of "personality," with a peculiar tune and lyrics mainly boasting about its intelligence and its achievements in sorting.

Silas stood in line, listening to the "wonderful" song, and couldn't help but whisper to Hermione beside him, "This is awful... Has this hat not been tuned in centuries?"

Hermione was too nervous to pay attention to his complaint, just clenching her fists tightly.

Silas glanced at the parchment list in Professor McGonagall's hand and suddenly noticed something. He nudged Hermione with his elbow, "It's quite a coincidence, you're G (Granger), and I'm J (Jyril). You're right in front of me."

Hermione blinked, then realized the list was arranged alphabetically by last name. Granger was indeed before Cyril. She nodded, too nervous to speak.

Silas, meanwhile, began to ponder which house he should go to. He muttered softly, "Hmm... I want to go to Hufflepuff..."

Hearing his mumbling, Hermione momentarily broke free from her nervousness and asked in a confused whisper, "Hufflepuff? That house... I heard it's known for being mediocre? The books say they value diligence and loyalty more..."

Silas glanced at her and said in a "you're too young" tone, "Who told you that? Prejudice! Newt Scamander, the famous magizoologist who wrote Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, graduated from Hufflepuff! Mediocre? He saved New York!"

He paused and then revealed the most truthful (and most in character) reason: "But the main reason I want to go... is because their common room and dorms are close to the kitchens. It's convenient to find food in the middle of the night."

Hermione: "..." She found herself defeated by Silas's logic once again.

Then, Professor McGonagall began calling out names for sorting.

"Hannah Abbott." "Hufflepuff!"

"Susan Bones." "Hufflepuff!"

"Terry Boot." "Ravenclaw!"

"Mandy Brocklehurst." "Ravenclaw!"

"Lavender Brown." "Gryffindor!"

"Millicent Bagnold." "Slytherin!"

Ten minutes passed.

Professor McGonagall's voice echoed through the hall as she called the next name:

"Hermione Granger!"

Hermione took a deep breath and nervously walked forward. The Sorting Hat's adventure had officially begun. Silas, watching with great interest, prepared to see how the old hat would evaluate his status as an "unofficial student."

Hermione nervously sat on the stool, and Professor McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat on her head. The hat had barely touched her bushy hair before it shrieked, "Gryffindor!"

The Gryffindor table erupted in thunderous applause and cheers. Hermione, her face flushed red, ran towards the scarlet and gold table, a mix of excitement and relief. Percy Weasley proudly stood up to shake her hand.

Professor McGonagall looked at the list and called the next name, her voice still steady, but with a subtle pause: "Silas Cyril."

All eyes turned towards him. Many older students, especially those from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, were familiar with this name and the figure in the distinctive deep blue robes and red cloak – for the past four years, he had been the castle's "legendary unofficial resident."

Silas did not walk over obediently like the other new students. A mischievous smile played on his lips. Under everyone's gaze, he raised his hands and elegantly drew a perfect circle in front of him!

"Crackles—"

Golden sparks erupted, and a stable portal instantly opened at his feet. He stepped into it, and his figure vanished. The next second, right beside the stool, another portal opened. Silas emerged from it as if rising from the ground, calm and collected, even symbolically dusting off non-existent dust from his robes.

The entire Great Hall fell silent, with only gasps of astonishment filling the air. Even the professors at the staff table looked surprised (except for Dumbledore, who was smiling and stroking his beard). The new students were utterly dumbfounded.

Silas ignored all the stares, picked up the worn Sorting Hat as if it were his own, and casually placed it on his head.

The hat was large, almost covering his eyes. He spoke to the hat in his mind: 'Hat bro, can we negotiate? I want to go to Hufflepuff. It's close to the kitchens, the food is good, and the atmosphere is relaxed, perfect for a lazy person like me.'

The Sorting Hat twitched on his head, and a faint voice sounded directly in his mind, with a hint of slyness and teasing: 'Oh! Kid, your space magic is really something! You haven't been living here for four years for nothing! You called me bro, so what else is there to say? Just for that, I'll definitely sort you into the most suitable house, no slacking!'

A sense of foreboding rose in Silas's heart: 'Wait, most suitable? I said Hufflepuff...'

The Sorting Hat interrupted him, its voice filled with the certainty of "I'm doing this for your own good": 'Hufflepuff? No, no, no! Although loyalty and gentleness are good qualities, your core is your thirst for knowledge! Your immense desire to explore unknown magical realms! Your intelligence that transcends the ordinary! The vast, unique magical knowledge within you, your dedication to studying magic (even if it manifests as laziness and complaints)! Ravenclaw! Without a doubt, you belong in Ravenclaw! That is where your wisdom will find its home!'

Silas: '... I @#￥%...'

He almost blurted out a curse word but managed to hold it back, only roaring in his mind: 'You old hat, you're not playing fair! I said I wanted to go to Hufflepuff!'

The Sorting Hat ignored his protests and, with all its might (or rather, with great enthusiasm), shouted its decision to the entire Great Hall:

"Ravenclaw!"

"Oh, you..." Silas cursed under his breath, reluctantly took off the hat, and placed it heavily back on the stool, his face etched with the frustration of a failed plan.

However, in stark contrast to his dejection, the blue and bronze long table of Ravenclaw erupted in unprecedented, thunderous applause and cheers! Many older Ravenclaw students – those who had long been familiar with Silas over the past four years, or had heard of his "deeds" (such as sneaking out at night, practicing magic, and various bizarre actions) – stood up, warmly welcoming this junior/unofficial big shot, whom they already considered "one of their own," to join their house.

Silas looked at the enthusiastic long table, then glanced at Dumbledore's seemingly all-knowing smile at the staff table, and Professor McGonagall's expression beside him, a mixture of helplessness and "just accept it." Finally, he could only sigh and trudge towards the Ravenclaw table.

Well, the kitchen dream was shattered. From now on, he'd have to open a portal to get midnight snacks. This Sorting Hat definitely did it on purpose!