The King Lost His Throne

"Isn't she going to miss the Sorting Ceremony?"

"Probably not?"

Amid such discussion, Professor McGonagall's voice rang out.

"Quiet. No one will miss the Sorting Ceremony. She will merely be a little late. Our school nurse will treat her injuries soon enough."

As she spoke, Professor McGonagall's gaze swept over everyone. The hushed murmurs scattered completely, like shadows fleeing from sunlight.

"Despite a few unexpected incidents, welcome to Hogwarts. The start-of-term feast will begin shortly, but before that, we will begin your Sorting Ceremony."

Andrew clearly noticed that the expressions of several people around him suddenly grew solemn.

But like the older students on the train, Professor McGonagall coldly and mercilessly ignored the inquisitive looks from below. After introducing the names of the four Houses and reminding everyone to love one another within their House, she left them where they stood—or, in Professor McGonagall's words, she hoped they would maintain their best bearing before the Sorting.

Like evening self-study after the homeroom teacher had left, once they confirmed that Professor McGonagall was gone, the first-years began chattering again.

However, no one had the spare energy to care about the girl who had left—many of them did not even know her.

Even Andrew was somewhat worried. He did not know the exact details of the Sorting, but considering how much trouble he had caused the headmaster so far, there was still a chance he could be sorted into Slytherin.

Even with his limited understanding of Slytherin, he could imagine how chaotic that would be—unless he claimed to be the descendant of a pure-blood Dark wizard who had been stranded outside the Wizarding World...

That could work... I just need to flesh out the backstory properly. Otherwise, if someone sees through it, I won't be able to survive in the House. I probably can't piggyback off the Dark Lord's reputation. I'll say my grandfather was a wizard who followed Grindelwald back then, then fled and went into hiding in England... In short, I just need to hint at it vaguely and evasively...

Andrew had read up on it, anyway. There was currently no magical test for so-called pure-blood status. As long as his story was convincing enough, he would not have to worry about being exposed.

Just as he was mentally refining his fabricated identity for self-preservation, cries of surprise rose from the front of the first-year line.

A group of ghosts came drifting through the walls, naturally terrifying the first-years.

After listening for a few moments and confirming that there was nothing of value in what they were saying, Andrew returned to pondering his Slytherin survival plan. By the time it was mostly complete, Professor McGonagall had returned.

"Form a single line and follow me."

After a brief commotion, the line took shape. Then a group of nervous little quails followed Professor McGonagall into the entrance hall on trembling legs.

When everyone turned their eyes on the first-years, even Andrew felt his heart race.

But panic was useless. The Sorting proceeded at neither a faster nor slower pace.

Once the first-years had settled into place, a rather ugly hat was placed on a four-legged stool. (The Sorting Hat, right. It would be used for the Sorting. Andrew felt slightly more confident.) Then the hat began singing a rather unpleasant song.

Andrew noticed that Professor McGonagall was holding a parchment, watching the Sorting Hat while also glancing toward the doorway from the corner of her eye. (Right, someone still had not arrived.)

Yet even after the hat finished its song, there was still no movement at the door.

Professor McGonagall's expression did not change. After one final look toward the entrance, she took the parchment and strode over to the stool.

"Whenever I call your name, come here, put on the Sorting Hat, and be sorted."

She picked up the parchment, her gaze pausing slightly before she called out a name.

"Susan Bones!"

After freezing for a moment, a little girl stumbled out of the line and went over to put on the hat.

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

The Sorting Hat made its decision almost immediately. Amid the welcome from the Hufflepuffs, Susan jogged over and became the first to sit beside the specially cleared area.

"Terry Boot!"

Another name was called.

He was sorted into Ravenclaw.

The Sorting continued in an orderly fashion, but the anxiety of the waiting students did not lessen in the slightest.

"Justin Finch-Fletchley!"

The moment that name was called, the doors at the entrance suddenly opened.

Andrew turned with everyone else and saw an enormous figure—it was Hagrid.

Professor McGonagall gestured for Justin to continue. While he put on the hat, she hurried over and soon returned with the injured girl to the first-year line. ("Hufflepuff!" the hat called.) Only then did she return to the Sorting Hat.

The Sorting resumed.

There were fewer and fewer students left, but Andrew had already determined that he would probably be among the last batch to be called.

"Harry Potter!"

That name brought life back to the increasingly dull Sorting Ceremony. More interestingly, Harry's Sorting took a very long time.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

The Sorting Hat finally made its decision. Almost everyone turned to look at Harry as he walked toward the Gryffindor table.

After that, Andrew's name was finally called as well.

"Andrew Taylor."

Andrew quickly walked over to the Sorting Hat. As he sat down on the chair, he placed the hat on his head.

"What are you afraid of?"

A tiny voice muttered, "Oh, oh, heavens, heavens! That story... so it was you!"

Almost at the same moment, the Sorting Hat shouted, "RAVENCLAW!"

It had announced his House before he had even settled the hat properly on his head.

He immediately took it off—what he feared most was having his mind read!

"Be gentler with a beautiful old hat..."

The hat, which should theoretically have fallen silent and waited for the next student, suddenly spoke. The slit that served as its mouth stretched into a grin. "I know many things, but I tell no one."

"Go on. You will be an excellent Ravenclaw!"

Its muttering was not loud, but it still made Professor McGonagall fix her eyes on Andrew. Fortunately, everyone's attention was focused on Harry Potter at the moment. Aside from Professor McGonagall, no one noticed the exchange.

At that moment, the Weasley redhead at the Gryffindor table was still happily shouting that they had Potter. Andrew calmed down slightly as he walked toward the Ravenclaw table, thinking over what had just happened.

It really can read minds...

Judging by how some people took especially long, it probably can't make a decision based on just a few basic thoughts, so it needs to read more to judge.

So it only read what I was most afraid of...

There is good news, then. Since the reading took such a short time, I don't need to worry about other things being exposed.

But...

I hope it has the integrity it claims to have...

On his first day in the castle, Andrew had already exposed something that should not have been exposed. Slightly despondent, he hoped that a hat would truly keep secrets as it claimed.