The Sorting Went as Desired

Cypher remembered.

Iris's grandfather was often away from the castle.

She was probably sulking over a quarrel with Professor Fergus and wanted to surprise him...

In any case, Cypher soon put the matter out of his mind.

"What about you?"

Cypher suddenly became curious about Luna's family. Her family was probably similar to Iris's; otherwise, she would not have grown up in the castle and become Iris's best friend.

"Our Potions professor once asked my great-grandfather to teach him for a while."

Cypher stood there dumbfounded. Another hidden powerhouse!

"Edith Arnold!"

Professor Fergus took out a sheet of parchment and began calling names from the list.

Cypher gave up on asking further questions.

He focused entirely on observing the new students.

First, a little boy dashed out from behind him and hurried over to the Sorting Hat, carelessly putting it on.

Sure enough, the instant the Sorting Hat touched his head, it shouted, "Gryffindor!"

Light applause rose from the table where the wizard robes were adorned with red trim.

"Not enthusiastic at all."

Cypher curled his lip.

"Gringdon Black!"

A handsome, cold-faced boy stepped forward. He first bowed to the Deputy Headmaster in thanks, then solemnly placed the Sorting Hat atop his head with both hands.

"Slytherin!"

The Sorting Hat seemed to have hesitated for a moment.

Not a single clap came from the sea of green at the Slytherin table. Cypher now understood just how enthusiastic Gryffindor had been.

A new ruler brought a new court. The headmaster appeared to be a stern, meticulous man, so he presumably disliked flamboyant behavior from wizards.

"Eileen Prince!"

A black-haired girl with a pale, sorrowful face walked forward in tiny steps, her head lowered.

She carefully put on the Sorting Hat and was soon sorted into Slytherin as well.

"You like girls like that? The same hair color as yours?"

Iris stomped hard on Cypher's foot and gave a soft humph without looking back.

Luna beside him immediately pricked up her ears as well.

"No, I just thought of someone."

Cypher hurriedly explained.

Eileen Prince was none other than Severus Snape's mother.

And Severus Snape was a tragically devoted man from the original Harry Potter story.

His mother, Eileen Prince, would also marry a Muggle who constantly beat, cursed, and humiliated her. She too was a tragic figure.

If he got the chance, he could lend her a hand. Her talent for Potions seemed quite high too, but he had to consider Iris's feelings...

While he was lost in thought, the Sorting Hat assigned several more new students.

As the number of students dwindled, Iris and Luna were called up as well.

Only Cypher remained, standing alone at the very front.

"Tom Marvolo Riddle!"

Tom stepped out from the crowd, his tall, well-proportioned figure displaying the most handsome and sunny side of himself possible. It had to be said that he succeeded.

Cypher noticed that quite a few older female students were watching him.

Tom walked unhurriedly toward the Sorting Hat, but Cypher noticed that his hands were clenched tightly at his sides.

The veins on the backs of his hands bulged, and he seemed extremely nervous.

"Slytherin!"

Tom slowly placed the Sorting Hat on his head. Only after hearing its voice and learning that he had been sorted into Slytherin did his body visibly relax.

The Slytherin table also broke its usual pattern and applauded enthusiastically. Unexpectedly, Tom had won over most of the Slytherins during only an afternoon's train ride.

At last, Cypher, standing at the very front of the line, became the final new student to be sorted.

"Cypher Corvin!"

As soon as the words fell, Deputy Headmaster Fergus rolled up the parchment in his hand and tucked it away.

For the final new student, nearly everyone in the Great Hall turned their gaze toward Cypher.

Another handsome little boy, with a faint touch of Eastern charm. Quite a few older girls felt their hearts stir.

Under the pressure of all those gazes, Cypher took a deep breath, raised his head, straightened his chest, and strode forward confidently.

When he reached the Sorting Hat, the old man gave Cypher a slight nod. Cypher froze, then quickly understood. The old man must have learned what had happened in Diagon Alley and remembered him.

Following the example of the previous new students, Cypher bowed respectfully before placing the Sorting Hat on his head.

"Difficult... so difficult... exceptionally difficult. You are the hardest student to sort this year. You are brave; for those you care about, you could give everything. You have ambition too, though it seems to have emerged only recently. You act with prudence. Pity you do not have..., otherwise you could enter any of the four houses. In my view, Gryffindor is the house best suited to you."

Sensing that the Sorting Hat was about to make an unfavorable decision, Cypher hurriedly revealed his thoughts.

"Such unwavering conviction! Very well, I respect your choice. I only guide you; I do not decide for you."

"Ravenclaw!"

Outside, from the moment Cypher put on the Sorting Hat, time had begun to pass second by second.

Gradually, scattered murmurs rose around him.

Before any professor could speak up to reprimand them, the Sorting Hat's voice suddenly rang out, and the hall fell quiet once more.

Cypher took off the Sorting Hat, bowed to it, then walked toward the two girls wearing brilliant smiles.

Once Cypher reached his seat and sat down.

Professor Fergus lightly tapped the stool with his wand, and both the stool and the hat vanished at the same time.

Then he stepped up to the staff table, adjusted his clothes, and only then slowly sat down.

Immediately afterward, the most lavishly dressed old man at the center of the staff table rose to his feet. He was Headmaster Armando Dippet.

As the headmaster rose and spread his arms, the Great Hall, which had previously been lit only by hanging lamps above the staff table, suddenly blazed with light.

Cypher squinted uncomfortably.

"First, let us welcome this year's new students to Hogwarts. Let us congratulate them together!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the headmaster took the lead in applauding. Whether cowed by the headmaster's authority or releasing the cheers they had been holding back until now, the students responded.

In any case, students from every house broke into enthusiastic applause.

When it seemed sufficient, the headmaster raised a hand and pressed it downward.

The applause gradually faded until no one was clapping anymore.

"Next, I will explain this year's disciplinary requirements..."

After more than half an hour of rambling, the headmaster finally concluded his leadership-style speech.

As the headmaster sat down and waved his hand, a crisp chime rang beside everyone's ears.

Cypher, who had been zoning out, jumped in fright and instinctively activated Mage Hand to protect himself. Realizing what he had done, he quickly withdrew it.

Fortunately, no one else noticed his lapse in composure, except Luna and Iris beside him.

They did not ask about it. During their time getting acquainted, they had learned that Cypher would tell them himself.

Huh?

Cypher quickly activated the Mage Hand he had just withdrawn.

He could feel it: faint magical fluctuations were emanating from the table.

He told the two girls what he had sensed, but they said they could not feel anything at all.

"It has always been like this. There is nothing wrong, so stop being so suspicious."

Iris stuck out her tongue and made a face, then personally demonstrated to Cypher how to summon the food he wanted to eat.