Sorting Ceremony

"It was only Incendio. I'm no different from you when I cast other spells!"

Linley shook his head as he spoke.

Fred and George merely nodded, not pressing the matter further.

Talent for a particular kind of magical power often came from one's bloodline, and that involved personal privacy. Fred and George had no intention of prying into someone else's secrets.

Before long, the lengthy journey passed amid the three boys' studies. As the sun set, the train began to slow.

"We will arrive at Hogwarts in five minutes. Please leave your luggage on the train. It will be delivered to the school for you."

The announcement echoed through the compartment.

The Weasley twins immediately closed the notebooks on the table and each drew out a wand.

"Accio robes!"

"Accio robes!"

The two cast the Summoning Charm at the same time, calling their robes from the pile of luggage in the corner of the compartment.

The Weasley twins turned around, and their robes slipped neatly onto them.

Linley also closed A Beginner's Guide to Ancient Runes, then took his robes from his backpack and used the Levitation Charm to guide them onto himself.

"Linley, your backpack has an Undetectable Extension Charm on it, doesn't it?"

Only then did Fred notice that Linley had no luggage apart from the backpack in his hands, and he asked curiously.

Linley nodded.

At that moment, the train came to a stop, and the young wizards shoved and jostled their way toward the doors.

The Weasley twins pulled Linley along as they squeezed toward the exit.

Soon, the three left the train and stepped down onto a small, dark platform. The biting cold made the Weasley twins shiver.

Not far away, a lantern swung back and forth above the young wizards' heads, while a tall figure shouted, "First-years! First-years, this way!"

He was a huge man with a thick beard and a moleskin coat. His extraordinary size made him stand out sharply among the young wizards.

Yes, this towering gentleman was Hogwarts' Keeper of Keys and Grounds, Rubeus Hagrid.

"Go on, then. See you in the castle's Great Hall!"

Fred patted Linley on the shoulder with a grin.

After bidding farewell to the Weasley twins, Linley headed toward Hagrid.

"I'm Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts. Stay close!"

Hagrid said in his rough voice.

The young wizards followed Hagrid down a steep, narrow path. Everything around them was pitch-black, and the starlight above was not enough to illuminate the road.

Seeing this, Linley lightly flicked his wand. Amid the young wizards' startled cries, a small flame rose from thin air and hovered steadily overhead, lighting the way before them.

Hagrid, holding a dim oil lamp, froze for a moment before praising him. "Beautiful Incendio! What's your name, young wizard?"

Linley gave Hagrid an elegant bow. "Linley Roll, Mr. Hagrid!"

Hagrid gave Linley's shoulder a heavy pat of encouragement. The terrifying force nearly made Linley stumble.

Since Hagrid had been some distance away from Linley just now, he only assumed Linley had spoken the incantation quietly. He did not know Linley had used Silent Spellcasting; otherwise, he would never have been so calm.

At the end of the narrow path lay a black lake. On the hillside across the lake stood a majestic, ancient castle, its towers rising high as window after window glimmered beneath the faint starlight.

Rows upon rows of little boats were moored along the lakeshore, all meant to carry the new students.

"No more than four to a boat!" Hagrid shouted, pointing at the boats.

At his words, the young wizards immediately crowded toward the boats.

Linley remained where he was. Only after the other young wizards had boarded did he extinguish the flame in the air and share a boat with Hagrid, who had also been left behind.

The little boats glided across the mirror-like lake toward the towering castle.

When the foremost boats approached a cliff face, Hagrid shouted, "Heads down!"

In truth, aside from Hagrid himself, no one else would hit the cliff even if they did not duck.

Before long, the young wizards arrived at the castle, and Linley rejoined the group of first-years.

Hagrid stepped forward and pounded the castle's oak door three times with his enormous fist.

The door opened, revealing a stern-looking witch in emerald-green robes.

"The first-years are all here, Professor McGonagall," Hagrid said.

"Thank you, Hagrid!" Professor McGonagall nodded, pulling the door fully open to let the young wizards inside.

Professor McGonagall led them across the castle's stone floor until they finally reached an empty room.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," Professor McGonagall said. "The start-of-term feast is about to begin, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you must be sorted into your respective Houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony, because during your time at school, your House will be like your family at Hogwarts. You will attend classes with the other students in your House, live in your House dormitory, and spend your free time in your House common room."

"The four Houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each House has its own glorious history and has produced outstanding wizards. During your time at Hogwarts, good performance will earn points for your House, while any rule-breaking will cost your House points. At the end of the year, the House with the highest score will receive the House Cup, a great honor. I hope that no matter which House you are sorted into, you will bring honor to it."

After finishing her welcome speech, Professor McGonagall led everyone through the entrance hall and then through a set of double doors into the Great Hall.

The world's highest city, Litang—the Great Hall!

Linley silently thought as he moved to the back of the group.

At this moment, young wizards from every year of the four Houses were already seated around four long tables. Thousands of candles floated above them, while countless stars twinkled across the velvet-black ceiling, making the Great Hall appear even more magnificent and splendid.

Professor McGonagall stepped forward and placed a pointed wizard's hat on a four-legged stool.

The hat was patched, worn thin, and filthy, like a piece of rubbish freshly dug out of a trash heap.

This was naturally the Sorting Hat that would decide every young wizard's House. It began to wriggle about in the Great Hall as if no one else were there, and the large slit resembling a mouth let out a dreadful song.

The Sorting Ceremony had begun!