The Sorting and the Beginning of the Stars

Within Hogwarts' Great Hall, the sight of thousands of faces watching the new students, the floating candles, and the awe-inspiring ceiling momentarily made Lin Yanqing forget his troubles with Snape.

Like the other first-years, he held his breath, watching the dirty, patched-up old wizard hat placed on a four-legged stool.

Then, the hat stirred, a wide slit opening like a mouth, and it began to sing this year's Sorting Hat song.

As usual, the lyrics spoke of the traits of the four houses and the importance of unity. Lin Yanqing listened to the familiar melody, his heart filled with emotion, while most of the new students around him wore expressions of nervousness or curiosity.

When the song ended, thunderous applause filled the hall. The Sorting Hat bowed to each of the four dining tables before becoming still.

Professor McGonagall stepped forward, holding a roll of parchment. "Whoever I call, they will put on the hat and sit on the stool," she said. "And await their Sorting."

"Amelia Burns!"

A little girl with two golden braids stumbled out of the line, put on the hat, which covered her eyes. She sat down. A moment's pause—

"Hufflepuff!" the hat shouted.

Students at the table to the right applauded and cheered for Amelia, welcoming her to sit with them.

Names were called one by one, and the line slowly shortened. Lin Yanqing could feel Snape's breathing beside him lighten, a tension mixed with extreme desire and fear of rejection.

Finally—

"Lily Evans!"

Lily took a deep breath and walked forward, putting on the hat. The hat had barely touched her thick red hair before it shrieked, "Gryffindor!"

Lin Yanqing saw Snape's shoulders slump almost imperceptibly for a moment. The Gryffindor table erupted in the loudest cheers, with James Potter and Sirius Black banging on the table. Lily ran towards them happily, her face beaming.

Next, near his position—

"Severus Snape!"

Snape walked forward with stiff steps, his face paler than usual. He put on the hat, its brim covering most of his face.

Time seemed to stretch. Lin Yanqing could clearly feel the surging thoughts from the other end through their contract—a thirst for knowledge, a pursuit of power, a strong desire to escape the mire of the past, and a yearning for Slytherin's green, which symbolized pure-blood and power... Among them, there seemed to be a hint of disappointment that Lily had been sorted into Gryffindor.

"Slytherin!" the hat finally shouted loudly.

Snape almost immediately pulled the hat off his head, his steps carrying a sense of relief yet also a more desperate resolve as he walked towards the Slytherin table. A polite, but not overly enthusiastic, round of applause came from that direction. Several elegantly dressed older students glanced at him indifferently, showing no particular reaction. Lin Yanqing noticed that one boy with pale blonde hair and an arrogant demeanor (clearly Lucius Malfoy, sitting in a prominent position as a prefect) merely swept a cold glance at Snape before looking away.

Lin Yanqing understood, just as he had expected.

Soon, it was his turn.

"Lin Yanqing!"

He walked forward and sat on the stool. Professor McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat on his head. The hat was large, directly blocking his vision; he could only see the darkness inside.

"Hmm..." a faint voice sounded in his ear. "Very interesting. A powerful, ancient Eastern bloodline... Hmm, very special, very special... A thirst for knowledge, a pursuit of truth, sufficient curiosity, and quite intelligent... Ravenclaw would suit you well..."

Lin Yanqing breathed a sigh of relief; it was as he had anticipated.

"But... wait..." the Sorting Hat's voice took on a hint of confusion. "What is this? Such a strong soul bond? Connecting to... oh, a little Slytherin? Full of ambition and... pain. What a rare combination. Do you wish to go to Slytherin? Perhaps it could bring you closer to your... 'connector'?"

"No! Please go to Ravenclaw!" Lin Yanqing shouted urgently in his mind. What a joke, to be in Slytherin and face Snape every day? He feared he wouldn't survive first year, let alone complete those "sweet pet" missions.

"A wise choice." The hat seemed to chuckle lightly. "Forcing proximity might be counterproductive. Maintaining an appropriate distance might allow wisdom to resolve the deadlock. Your essence belongs to wisdom and knowledge. Therefore, it is best to go to... Ravenclaw!"

The hat loudly proclaimed the last three words.

Lin Yanqing took off the hat, returned it to Professor McGonagall, and walked towards the Ravenclaw table, where the cheers were equally enthusiastic. The blue and bronze decorations were elegant and wise, and the older students kindly made room for him. As he sat down, he subconsciously glanced at the Slytherin table and met a pair of cold, dark eyes.

Snape was staring at him from afar, his expression complex. Besides the usual wariness and disgust, there seemed to be a hint of... inquiry? Clearly, the Sorting Hat's hesitation earlier, and its final shout of "Ravenclaw," had not escaped his notice. He was likely wondering if Lin Yanqing hadn't been sorted into Slytherin because of him? Or perhaps this newcomer from the East had other secrets that even the Sorting Hat needed to ponder? This thought made Lin Yanqing feel helpless.

The sorting interlude quickly passed. After the last student (a small boy named Peter Pettigrew, sorted into Gryffindor) was sorted, Professor Dumbledore stood up. He smiled broadly at all the students, spreading his arms as if nothing made him happier than seeing them all gathered together.

"Welcome!" he said. "Welcome everyone to Hogwarts to begin a new school year! Before the feast begins, I have a few words to say. And they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you all!"

He sat down again. Everyone applauded and cheered. Some older Ravenclaw students beside Lin Yanqing chuckled, discussing the Headmaster's annual "quirks."

Then, golden plates and goblets instantly filled with food and drinks. Roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops, lamb chops, sausages, bacon, steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, chips, Yorkshire puddings, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup, and even mint humbugs! A dazzling array, with a tantalizing aroma.

After a tense day, Lin Yanqing also felt ravenous and began to eat heartily. The Ravenclaw students beside him quickly started chatting, their topics ranging from the day's sorting to the upcoming classes, and then to some interesting tidbits from the wizarding world. Lin Yanqing's gentle personality and his outwardly mysterious Eastern appearance made it easy for him to blend in, at least on the surface.

However, he could always feel the presence of the soul bond, and from the other end, emanating from the Slytherin table, came a sense of incompatible loneliness and coldness. Snape didn't seem to interact much with those around him, merely eating in silence.

After the feast, the prefects led the first-years of their respective houses back to the common rooms. The Ravenclaw common room was located in a high tower on the west side of the castle, its entrance a door without a handle, only an ancient eagle-shaped bronze knocker.

"To enter the common room, you must answer a question posed by the knocker," the prefect explained to the first-years, and he knocked on the door.

The eagle-shaped knocker asked in a musical voice, "What has no voice but can tell a thousand stories?"

The prefect turned to the first-years. "Does anyone know?"

A girl with thick brown hair immediately raised her hand. "Is it 'silence'? Or... is it 'memory'?"

The knocker remained silent.

Lin Yanqing thought for a moment, combining his experiences of transmigration and contracts, and said, "Is it 'stories'? Or... 'thoughts'?"

The eagle-shaped knocker let out a pleasant sound. "'Thoughts' is a close answer, but not precise enough. The answer I am looking for is 'secrets'." The door slowly opened.

"An incorrect answer will not prevent you from entering," the prefect added with a smile, "but it will encourage you to think more deeply. Welcome to Ravenclaw, the home of wisdom and curiosity."

The common room was a spacious circular room, with elegant arched windows on the walls, draped with blue and bronze silk. The ceiling was a dome, painted with stars, and the deep blue carpet was also adorned with stars. The room contained bookshelves, tables, and chairs, exuding a tranquil and scholarly atmosphere.

The prefect explained the directions to the boys' and girls' dormitories and some basic rules. When Lin Yanqing finally lay down on his four-poster bed, draped with deep blue velvet curtains, a wave of exhaustion washed over him.

"Host, you did great today! You successfully enrolled and even got into the house that suits you best! (??????)?" System Cub appeared at the opportune moment. "However, the initial favorability from your bonded partner is still -50. It's a long road ahead! Cub suggests you can start with areas he's interested in!"

"Potions?" Lin Yanqing replied in his mind.

"Bingo! Correct! (≧?≦)?" The System popped up a scattering flower emoji. "New quest issued: [Bridge of Knowledge]"

[Quest Description: Within three days, share a piece of information related to Potions that Severus Snape might be interested in, or provide a basic potion ingredient.]

[Quest Reward: Potion Ingredients (random rarity) x3, Gold Galleons x5.]

[Failure Penalty: Randomly lock one mastered spell (e.g., Levitation Charm) for 24 hours. (????)]

Here we go again. Lin Yanqing sighed, looking at the quest description. Share information? Provide ingredients? In Snape's eyes, this would likely be seen as having ulterior motives, right?

But he had no other choice. He closed his eyes, sensing the other end of the soul bond, the soul that had already returned to the Slytherin underground dormitory, still filled with wariness and distance.

Life at Hogwarts officially began, in this strange, forced connection. And his first goal was to find a way to approach the future infamous Potions Master and find an entry point in his area of expertise that wouldn't be met with dislike.

This was undoubtedly a huge challenge.