The Blond Boy's Threat

"Who's Weasley?"

A smile curled at the blond boy's lips, while the other two tall, fat boys seemed to be guarding him.

"The redhead who was walking with you."

"Ron? Yeah, that's right. We just met on the train."

The little boat slowly drifted away from the shore. As Luan answered him, his eyes curiously peered into the water.

He had not noticed that no one was rowing, there was no sail, and yet the boat quietly moved forward on its own.

"Have you seen enough? I'm talking to you!"

The blond boy's voice came again, abruptly pulling Luan's thoughts back to the boat.

"What did you say? Isn't this amazing?"

"What an ignorant fool. Are you a Muggle-born wizard?" The blond boy at the bow looked at Luan with disdain.

"That's right."

"I see. No wonder you're making such a fuss over a little boat."

The blond boy's gaze grew increasingly impatient. "I just said that you'd better stay away from Harry Potter and Ron Weasley from now on."

Luan turned to stare at the blond boy. He did not know what conflict Harry and Ron had with him, but he had no intention of getting involved in any of it.

He had finally gotten the chance to learn magic. He did not want to waste his time bickering with children his own age.

"Listen, classmate, you—"

Just as Luan was about to state his position, the blond boy interrupted him again.

"Classmate? What a joke. A Muggle like you thinks you can get into Slytherin?"

On the train, Luan had already learned that Slytherin was one of Hogwarts' Houses. He did not know why the other boy was so certain he would end up in Slytherin, but that had nothing to do with him. He only wanted to make his stance clear.

"Then, kid—"

"Boy, I don't think you understand the situation."

The moment Luan spoke, the blond boy's face turned cold. He shot a look at the tall, fat boys on either side of him.

Having received the signal, the two boys grinned nastily and each reached out a hand to grab Luan.

The boat was extremely cramped, making it easy enough for the two tall, fat boys to catch him.

But Luan was not about to sit still. Seeing that all three of them had to cling tightly to the sides of the boat to keep their balance, he suddenly leaned backward.

The two boys had barely touched the hem of Luan's clothes before the violently rocking boat scared them into pulling their hands back.

"What are you doing? We'll fall in!" The blond boy clutched the side of the boat and glared at Luan.

"I just wanted you to listen properly. Oh, and I forgot to tell you—I grew up by the sea."

Luan smiled at the three boys and gave them his first warning.

Luan was not lying. The sea lay southwest of Xilin Town, and ever since he was seven or eight, he had played in it with children his own age.

Keeping his balance on a rocking boat was easy for him.

"What are you two doing? Just get him under control already." Seemingly unable to bear Luan's mockery any longer, the blond boy snarled out an order.

But before he could finish speaking, Luan rocked the boat again. Ripples spread outward from beneath it, layer after layer.

"We've reached the deepest part of the Black Lake! Don't rock the boat, or you'll fall in!"

Hagrid's voice carried over from ahead.

Seeing the fear in the eyes of the three boys opposite him, Luan stopped deliberately rocking the boat.

"You'd better not get sorted into Slytherin. I heard you have a pet that violates school rules."

The blond boy's voice still trembled as he spoke. The boat had rocked so violently just now that, if he had not held on tightly, he might have been flung into the water.

Seeing that the three had settled down, Luan paid no attention to the hostile looks from the three eleven-year-olds. Still, he remembered the name Slytherin.

After they came ashore, Hagrid led everyone to the castle's main entrance.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

A huge fist knocked three times on the castle's wooden door, and then a witch in emerald-green robes emerged from within.

Beneath the familiar five-cell bar, Professor McGonagall looked sternly at all the Young Wizards.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I'll take them from here."

Everyone followed Professor McGonagall forward, up the stone steps and into a small room.

A low murmur of voices came from the door on the right. Luan guessed that the older students were outside.

Professor McGonagall began speaking to all the Young Wizards: the Sorting, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Slytherin, the House Cup.

As she spoke, Luan noticed that Professor McGonagall looked at him with great surprise, as though she were trying to recall something important.

"All right, please remain quiet while you wait."

After giving her instructions, McGonagall came to the back of the line and looked at Mu En.

"I'm very sorry, Mr. Scarlett. I only learned yesterday that you went to Diagon Alley by yourself."

"Oh, Professor, there's no need for that. I'm actually very grateful that you gave me the chance to come to Hogwarts."

As Mu En spoke, he hurriedly waved his hands. He had never felt that McGonagall owed him anything.

Seeing the dense wounds covering Mu En's hands, a flicker of surprise and pity appeared in McGonagall's eyes.

She took out her wand and lightly ran it over Mu En's hands, murmuring an incantation. Then, all the wounds miraculously healed.

"All right. Stay here and wait for the Sorting."

After giving the instruction, McGonagall left. However, the young wizards did not obediently quiet down. Instead, cries of surprise rang out.

More than twenty pearly white, translucent figures had emerged from the walls.

"They're the school ghosts!" someone in the crowd shouted.

Mu En also looked curiously at the ghosts. He noticed that their clothes were the same as those worn by the people he had seen in Xilin Town.

Just as he was about to speak with one of the plump ghosts, Professor McGonagall returned.

"The Sorting is beginning. Follow me."

Following the crowd out at a slow pace, Mu En discovered that he had arrived somewhere magical.

A Great Hall with no ceiling!

More than a thousand candles floated in midair, lighting the entire Great Hall brightly. All sorts of tableware had been laid out on four long tables, and seated beside them were the older students.

Each of these students had a bar above their heads, though the longest only had three segments.

At the far end of the aisle stood a long table, behind which sat what were presumably the school's professors.

Mu En noticed that the professors' bars were similar to McGonagall's. The shortest had three segments, while the highest had five and a half.

However, two of them were especially unusual.

The white-bearded headmaster seated in the center—Mu En had already learned his name from Harry's Chocolate Frog Cards.

Dumbledore. There was no bar above his head at all!

He remembered that the card described him as the universally acknowledged greatest wizard of the age, but where was his bar?

Could he not be a wizard? That was obviously impossible!

The other unusual professor was a young man with a purple turban wrapped around his head.

There were actually two bars above his head!

One had three segments.

The other was translucent and impossible to make out clearly.

While Mu En was examining everyone, the battered old hat Professor McGonagall had brought out suddenly began to sing.

After listening to the strange song, Mu En applauded along with everyone else. Then, the new students began to be called up.

"Hannah Abbott!"

The singing hat paused only briefly before calling out Hufflepuff.

The older students at every long table warmly welcomed the new students assigned to their House, and Mu En gradually found himself swept up by their enthusiasm.

Hermione was assigned to Gryffindor.

Neville was assigned to Gryffindor.

They were the two friends Mu En had just met. Then, he saw the Blond Boy who had been on the same boat as him step forward.

"Slytherin."

Sure enough, Slytherin. Mu En felt that the Sorting Hat had cheated.

Then it was Harry's turn. So far, he had taken the Sorting Hat the longest to decide. In the end, he too was assigned to Gryffindor.

However, Harry seemed to be treated differently from everyone else. When his name was called, everyone turned to look at him.

And when he was assigned to Gryffindor, the cheers and applause he received were louder than anyone else's.

As he waited anxiously, Mu En's name was finally called.

"Mu En Scarlett."

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