Irina Lowell

Irina Lowell

Linley instinctively released his magic, using it to sense the snowy-white figure in the distance.

Wait, she did not seem to be a Half-Veela, but a normal human witch?!

The feedback from his magic made Linley's expression grow even stranger.

Unlike Fleur, the silver-haired girl did not give off an enchanting feeling. Instead, she carried a cool, refreshing aura that made one feel exceptionally comfortable in the summer heat.

Just then, the silver-haired girl looked over, allowing Linley to see her face clearly.

The observant Linley noticed that her hair was not purely silver. It was more like the white of snowflakes, while the tips seemed to carry an almost transparent icy blue shade. From afar, it looked as though her hair had been highlighted.

That unusual hair color reminded him of himself. After all, Linley's own hair was primarily black, gradually fading into a flame-like dark red at the tips.

Furthermore, the girl's eyes seemed unusual as well. Unlike the blue eyes of most English women, they were neither a deep blue nor the light blue of Professor Green's eyes. They were an icy blue, like frozen ice.

As Linley released his magic to probe her, the closer his magic got to her, the more clearly it sensed the increasingly active Ice elemental magic in the surroundings.

Linley was certain that the girl's unusual appearance stemmed from her bloodline. Could it be that she, too, possessed a powerful affinity for a certain element, much like his own?!

Linley pondered this.

"Mate, what are you thinking about?! The Hogwarts Express is about to leave!"

"If you don't get on, you'll have to ride a Flying Broomstick to Hogwarts yourself!"

At that moment, Fred and George chimed in together, dragging Linley into the carriage.

The compartment still held just the Weasley twins and Linley, but this journey was different from last year's.

Having made a fortune selling Improved Stink Pellets, the Weasley twins now had enough money to buy the magical snacks pushed around by the train attendant. This time, they refused to let Linley treat them and proactively spent three Galleons on a huge pile of snacks to share with him.

"We owe what we have today to you, Linley!"

"How could we possibly let you treat us again?!"

Fred and George said with cheeky grins. Linley did not turn down their goodwill, and the three of them tucked in together.

Of course, they did not eat until they were full. They still needed to save enough room for the delicious feast at the welcoming banquet.

That evening, the train arrived at its destination. After changing into their wizard robes, the three made their way through the compartments ahead, preparing to disembark.

As they passed the compartment occupied by Savior Harry, Linley saw not only the original trio of Harry, Ron, and Hermione, but also the silver-haired girl he had seen earlier.

She seemed to be someone who had not existed in the original story!

Linley thought to himself.

Since Linley was already a second-year student, he no longer needed to cross Black Lake by boat. Instead, he followed the larger group onto carriages pulled by Thestrals toward Hogwarts Castle.

When he reached the Thestral carriages, Linley realized that he could see the Thestrals pulling them.

There was not a scrap of flesh on their bodies. Their black hides clung tightly to their skeletons, every bone clearly visible.

Their heads resembled dragon heads, and their pupil-less eyes were white, staring unblinkingly ahead.

Wings sprouted from the raised areas between their shoulder blades—large, black, leathery wings that looked as though they belonged to enormous bats.

Linley was not surprised that he could see the Thestrals. After all, he had slain the dark wizard Cassirachi alongside Professor Green. Naturally, he had witnessed death.

However, Linley did not make a fuss about it. He pretended not to see the Thestrals and entered the carriage with the Weasley twins.

After arriving at Hogwarts Castle, the three separated. Linley followed the young wizards of Slytherin House to the Slytherin table in the Great Hall, where they waited.

Before long, Professor McGonagall led the new students into the Great Hall. The Sorting Hat sat on a four-legged stool, just as it had the previous year.

Soon, the Sorting Ceremony began.

The Sorting Hat twisted its wrinkled body again, as though dancing some seductive, passionate dance, while its gaping mouth sang a song as grating as glass being scraped.

When the song ended, Professor McGonagall finally stepped forward, holding a roll of parchment listing this year's new students.

"Hannah Abbott!"

As Professor McGonagall's voice fell, a rosy-cheeked little girl with two golden braids stumbled out of the line. She put on the hat, which covered her eyes completely.

"Hufflepuff!" the Sorting Hat shouted.

"Susan Bones!"

"Hufflepuff!"

"Terry Boot!"

"Ravenclaw!"

The Sorting Ceremony proceeded in an orderly fashion. When the first letter of a young wizard's surname reached G, Professor McGonagall called loudly, "Hermione Granger!"

Little Hermione practically ran to the stool and placed the Sorting Hat on her head.

The Sorting Hat rested on her head for a while, seemingly considering whether to place her in Ravenclaw or Gryffindor. In the end, it announced loudly, "Gryffindor!"

After a while, Professor McGonagall called, "Neville Longbottom!"

That was the Gryffindor Sword Saint!

Linley looked over. Under his watchful gaze, the Sorting Hat placed Neville in Gryffindor.

Just as Linley watched Neville walk toward the Gryffindor table, he heard Professor McGonagall call out a name he had never heard before: "Irina Lowell!"

By alphabetical order of their surnames, both Longbottom and Lowell began with L and O. However, Longbottom's third letter was N, which came before Lowell's W. Thus, Neville went up first, and Irina Lowell came immediately after him.

Linley was somewhat surprised to see the silver-haired girl from earlier step forward, sit on the stool, and put on the Sorting Hat.

So the silver-haired girl's name was Irina Lowell!

Linley silently committed the name to memory.

Irina Lowell's Sorting process did not seem ordinary. Just like Linley's had been last year, it took a full two and a half minutes before the Sorting Hat finally gave its result.

"Gryffindor!"

Irina opened her eyes, her beautiful icy-blue pupils flickering slightly. Amid the thunderous applause from the Gryffindor table, she walked over.

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