He Ended Up in Slytherin House After All

"Aaron Gaius," Professor McGonagall called out Aaron's full name.

"Haha! It's finally your turn, kid." The Sorting Hat let out a smug laugh.

Aaron spread his hands. "Honestly, I didn't want to be the last one up. The people before me were too outstanding, and that always puts a lot of pressure on whoever comes after."

As he spoke, he lifted down Abei, who had somehow climbed onto his head, and walked up the Steps.

"Professor McGonagall, may I ask one last question?"

"You may. Go ahead!"

"If I use a Cleaning Charm on this hat, it won't hold a grudge and take revenge during the Sorting, will it?"

Professor McGonagall lowered her head to look at the Sorting Hat in her hands and hesitated. "Probably not?"

"Definitely not," the Sorting Hat declared proudly. "I was once Godric Gryffindor's Wizard Hat, imbued with the magic of the four great founders of Hogwarts and possessing the wisdom of all four founders. I would never do something so tasteless."

"Is that so? Then I'm relieved." Aaron nodded in satisfaction before taking out a black Wand.

The Sorting Hat began to tremble. Only then did it realize what Aaron had meant by the first half of his sentence. "What are you doing? I'm warning you, don't do anything reckless! I'm the Sorting Hat. My seniority may be far, far greater than you imagine."

"No matter how senior you are, you're still just a hat. That's hardly something to brag about." Aaron waved his Wand. "Scourgify."

"No!" The Sorting Hat let out a long cry. A puff of white smoke rose from it, and all the dust on its surface was blasted away. Though it still looked utterly tattered, it was at least a hundred times cleaner than before.

"How dare you?" The Sorting Hat put on a fierce expression, but it was all bark and no bite.

"Why wouldn't I dare? You said you wouldn't hold a grudge and take revenge." Aaron explained as if it were only natural, then calmly sat down on the stool.

Aaron's move stunned every student into silence. After all, no one before him had ever dared to do something like that.

The professors at the High Table looked at Aaron in different ways—some approving, some frowning, some caught between laughter and tears—but most of all, they were intrigued.

"Professor McGonagall, you may begin," Aaron said calmly.

"Oh!" Professor McGonagall froze for a moment, then carefully placed the Sorting Hat on Aaron's head.

"Hm?" The moment it settled on Aaron's head, the Sorting Hat's expression turned incomparably shocked. "How is this possible? I thought you were merely seeking attention, but you're even more difficult to place than that one just now. You do not lack courage, you possess unparalleled bearing, a resilient character, a sharp mind, and a powerful thirst for knowledge hidden deep within you. Most importantly, you have extraordinary talent and potential. Over the past thousand years, I have seen countless students. Fewer than ten of them were on your level, and even they only barely reached that line. Never has anyone possessed such powerful Magical Energy at the age of admission. Are you really only eleven?"

"Isn't that obvious?" Aaron said speechlessly. "And don't you think you're talking too much? Just because you haven't seen something doesn't mean it doesn't exist. The Magical World is far bigger than Hogwarts. So, have you made your decision yet?"

"No, you have to give me some time to think! You're too well-rounded. Every House suits you especially well. You... what is your purpose in coming to school? Or rather, what do you desire most?"

"Do you really need to ask so clearly?" Aaron said irritably. He could clearly feel the battered hat probing his thoughts every moment, but before his perfect Cerebral Sealing Technique, it was destined to find no secrets.

"Of course I do," said the Sorting Hat. "Some desire knowledge, some desire power, some desire resources, some desire..."

"I don't care about any of those things. What I desire is true friendship."

"Friendship? That truly is rare. Since it is friendship... SLYTHERIN!"

Once the result was announced, the Slytherin students burst into applause and cheers, while the Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw students all sighed.

They had heard the Sorting Hat's assessment as well. Slytherin House had gained an exceptionally outstanding student.

Just as I thought. Aaron murmured, then picked up Abei and walked toward the Slytherin Long Table. Professor McGonagall put away the list of new students and the Sorting Hat before returning to her seat.

Draco greeted him warmly with his two lackeys, and the prefect also welcomed him enthusiastically.

Aaron even saw Professor Snape at the High Table—the head of Slytherin House—give him a slight nod. It made him feel rather flattered.

"Aaron, I knew you'd be sorted into Slytherin. Only Slytherin is worthy of a genius like you. You didn't see how awful Weasley's expression became just now," Draco said happily.

"Ah, you flatter me." Aaron waved his hand awkwardly. "I've never considered myself any sort of genius. As for Weasley's expression, that has nothing to do with me."

Ding! Ding! Ding!

Professor McGonagall tapped the cup in front of her with a golden spoon. "Everyone, please pay attention."

Dumbledore rose from the main seat. He raised his hands and looked down at the students with a beaming smile. "Now, let the feast begin."

As soon as he finished speaking, the four Long Tables were instantly filled with all kinds of food. In front of Aaron alone were beef, lamb chops, pork chops, potatoes, pudding, pea shoots, carrots, corn, and much more. It could be said that every picky student had been thoroughly catered to.

Abei immediately jumped in front of Aaron, pointing one tiny paw at the chicken leg on a plate while looking at him with intensely longing eyes.

"Er... I know." Aaron smiled and placed the food it wanted in front of it.

At that moment, a grayish-white ghost drifted up from beneath the table and stopped right beside Draco, directly across from Aaron.

It startled Draco so badly that the fork in his hand fell onto his plate.

"Don't worry. He's the Bloody Baron, the ghost of our Slytherin House," an older student said.

That was true enough. Ghosts could not harm the living, and ghosts drifted all over the Great Hall.

But the one beside Draco was genuinely terrifying. He was gaunt and haggard, his robes covered in silver bloodstains. He looked no different from a deranged serial killer.

Sitting across from him while eating put Aaron under considerable pressure. As for Draco Malfoy, who was seated beside him, Aaron could only offer his deepest sympathy.

After more than half an hour of eating, the food and tableware vanished from the tables in an instant, and the tables became clean once more.

Full and satisfied, Aaron sat in his chair and felt as though the pet in his arms had gained two or three pounds.

"All right, it is now time for bed. Before that, let us have one final activity: singing the school song," Dumbledore said excitedly, as though this were the most important part of the entire Sorting ceremony.

"Hogwarts has a school song?" Aaron looked in surprise at a new student beside him, but that student wore the same blank expression, clearly knowing nothing either.

He then shifted his gaze to an older student, whose face was filled with misery. From the senior's expression, Aaron could read both agony and embarrassment.

Dumbledore lightly flicked his Wand, and a golden ribbon floated out of it. Lines of words appeared on the ribbon—the lyrics:

Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hogwarts,

Please teach us knowledge,

Whether we are bald old men,

Or children with scraped knees...

"Everyone, choose your favorite tune," Dumbledore said amiably. "Ready, sing..."

The next moment, an incomparably chaotic noise erupted through the Great Hall. The jumbled melodies combined with the rather unserious lyrics, sounding like demonic music drilling into their ears.

Aaron had the urge to cover his ears, but doing so in public was clearly inappropriate.

In his haste, Aaron placed Abei on top of his head. Its two front paws openly covered its own ears beneath its hat, while its two hind paws pressed against Aaron's ears.

It was discreet and natural. Unless someone looked closely, they truly would not notice.