The doors to the Hogwarts Great Hall quietly opened.
Professor Minerva McGonagall led the young wizards inside. Almost every one of them could not help clenching their palms as they entered the Great Hall.
Because the Great Hall was packed with people.
The students from Hogwarts's other years had all gathered there.
The older students wore wizarding robes and pointed hats, sitting in the places assigned to their respective houses.
The students quietly sized up the new arrivals entering the Great Hall, as though they could see their own former, bewildered and nervous selves in them.
Every Hogwarts student had walked this path before.
The new students did not dare look back at the older students. They could only glance around the entire Great Hall, and soon, the decorations caught their attention.
The ceiling of the Great Hall...
Was a beautiful night sky.
Beneath that night sky, rows of lit candles floated in midair. Countless candles reflected the fire basins, illuminating the ancient and elegant hall together.
Every sight was a masterpiece of magic.
Just as the young wizards were becoming entranced, Professor McGonagall stopped beside a tall stool at the front.
On the tall stool...
Rested an old wizard's hat.
This was where the Sorting Ceremony for the new students would be held.
Professor McGonagall stood straight. She glanced at a list in her hand before putting it away, then said softly, "Before our Sorting Ceremony begins... Professor Dumbledore would like to say a few words to everyone."
"..."
The young wizards looked past the tall stool holding the battered wizard's hat. Behind it was the most conspicuous spot in the entire Hogwarts Great Hall.
That area consisted of a special semicircle of seats. Hogwarts's faculty members sat in their places, sizing up the new students who were about to undergo the Sorting Ceremony.
And among them...
Sat an old man with a head of white hair.
The Hogwarts Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore.
No introduction was necessary. Every new student present who had even the slightest contact with wizarding society had surely heard of Albus Dumbledore.
At Professor McGonagall's words, Dumbledore, seated in the middle, slowly rose and said calmly and gently, "I have a few simple notices about the start of term to announce. First-year students, pay attention..."
"..."
The first-year students immediately listened intently.
Seeing their expressions, Dumbledore began explaining the rules. "This school strictly forbids any student from entering the Dark Forest. It is the school's Forbidden Forest..."
"..."
The first-year students immediately committed this to memory.
Vinson Wright had probably already guessed what Dumbledore was going to say next. It was all meaningless drivel, nothing more than a warning for the new students.
In fact...
That drivel was hardly useful.
Instead, it would only arouse the curiosity of certain people.
For example, the Weasley twins, Fred Weasley and George Weasley, both blinked, clearly plotting something.
"...And our caretaker, Mr. Filch..."
When Dumbledore reached this point, he raised a hand toward the elderly man standing beside a small door. "Mr. Filch asked me to remind you that the corridor on the right side of the third floor is also off-limits. If you do not want to die horribly, do not go there. Thank you..."
"..."
Vinson felt like yawning.
The twins were still blinking.
Through Dumbledore's speech, every new student present received the information they wanted. The timid ones had already memorized the places forbidden by the school, while the bold ones had already begun planning a grand castle adventure for the next day...
"The Sorting begins now."
Professor McGonagall pulled the young wizards' attention back with a single sentence. Holding a list, she softly explained, "When I call your name, come to the front. I will place the Sorting Hat on your head, and then determine which house you will join..."
"..."
The young wizards immediately grew nervous again.
"Cedric Diggory!"
Professor McGonagall called the first name.
"..."
Cedric nervously clenched his hand.
Vinson Wright gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder and said, "Don't worry, Cedric. I'll come find you soon..."
"Mm!"
Cedric nodded seriously. His clenched hand slowly opened as he lifted his leg and walked toward the Sorting Hat, sitting steadily on the tall stool beneath everyone's watchful eyes.
When Professor McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat on Cedric's head, a strange voice suddenly shouted from the hat!
"Hufflepuff!"
"..."
A smile instantly appeared on Cedric's face.
He and Vinson Wright had both said that they would enter Hufflepuff. Now he had truly been sorted into the house he wanted!
As Cedric, the first student to complete the Sorting Ceremony, took his seat at Hufflepuff's table, thunderous applause filled the Great Hall like a tidal wave!
"Maurice Flint!"
Professor McGonagall's voice echoed again!
A boy who looked somewhat familiar to Vinson walked up. The boy sat on the tall stool with a nervous expression, enduring the ordeal as though he were suffering through some kind of torture...
"Slytherin!"
Only when the Sorting Hat was placed on his head and loudly called out Slytherin did the boy named Maurice Flint finally let out a sigh of relief.
"..."
A group of Slytherin students applauded with cold expressions.
Vinson Wright finally realized why Maurice Flint had looked familiar. He had dealt with the little fellow on the train that morning...
No wonder his mental pressure had been so great...
If he had not been sorted into Slytherin, he probably would have been beaten when he got home, right?
Just as Vinson Wright committed Maurice Flint's name to memory, Professor McGonagall suddenly called his name without warning!
"Vinson Wright!"
"...Here!"
Vinson Wright replied calmly.
This was one of the habits he had carried over from his previous life. In his world, every child who grew up receiving an education developed this habit.
Vinson straightened his robes slightly.
At that moment, Vinson looked more serious than any other new student.
However.
To everyone else, this scene looked like an expression of excessive fear.
Clearly.
It could also be excessive caution.
Under everyone's gaze, the cold-faced, gray-haired boy walked step by step to the Sorting Hat and asked in a deep voice, "Professor McGonagall, is the Sorting Ceremony really safe?"
"Mr. Wright?"
Professor Minerva McGonagall held the Sorting Hat and looked somewhat puzzled. Then, as though she had remembered something, she suddenly smiled. "Don't worry. There's no danger at all. You only need to put the Sorting Hat on your head..."
All this time...
There had always been people who liked to use the Sorting Ceremony to scare young wizards.
In fact, the Sorting Ceremony was extremely simple. All one had to do was put on the Sorting Hat.
"Really? I don't quite believe you..."
Vinson Wright furrowed his brow and continued in a deep voice, "Professor McGonagall, may I inspect it? Mr. Crouch told me that Hogwarts's Sorting Ceremony is very dangerous..."
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