Entrance Banquet, Mini Recital

Until the students were all seated at the long tables in the Great Hall, everyone was still excitedly discussing that flying car.

In such an atmosphere, the new song that the Sorting Hat had meticulously prepared this year went completely unappreciated, which made it very unhappy.

At the Ravenclaw table, Scott sat together with his roommates.

Eddie was still very excited, shouting, "Did you see that? The car crashed into the Whomping Willow! Oh! Poor Potter and Weasley, I wonder if they'll be smashed into meat pies by that grumpy tree and turned into a sandwich along with that poor car..."

"Hey!" sitting opposite him, Penelope couldn't help but glare fiercely at Eddie to cut him off. "Shut up, Eddie! They'll be fine! If you had paid attention, Professor Snape has already gone to deal with it!"

Eddie shrugged. "Is that so? Then let us pray to Merlin for Potter and Weasley, hoping they won't be boiled in a cauldron by an angry Professor Snape, or turned into potion ingredients? Perhaps the ingredients for our next Potions class will be the 'Savior's' fingernails..."

Just then, Professor McGonagall led this year's first-years into the Great Hall, and Scott coughed, signaling Eddie to quickly shut his nonsense-spewing mouth.

Professor McGonagall walked to the front of the staff table, picked up the grumpy Sorting Hat from the stool, and the Sorting Ceremony began.

Scott turned his head and happened to see Harry Potter and Ron Weasley standing at the entrance of the Great Hall, looking disheveled and peeking inside while dragging their luggage.

They didn't notice at all that Professor Snape, dressed in black robes, was standing behind them with a dark expression.

And so, they were quickly led away by the sneering Professor Snape.

Eddie, who was always very sensitive to such things, also saw this scene. He covered his mouth and trembled all over, afraid he would laugh out loud.

The Sorting Ceremony continued, and Scott joined his classmates in applauding warmly to welcome every young wizard sorted into Ravenclaw.

When the Sorting Ceremony ended, a sumptuous feast immediately appeared on the long tables. Everyone began to eat and drink to their heart's content.

Scott noticed again that Professor Snape had re-entered the Great Hall, and shortly after, Headmaster Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall left with him.

"Will they be okay? Will they be expelled from school?"

A faint voice sounded beside Scott.

It was Milton Graves, who had smooth, light brown hair and was a very delicate and artistic boy at heart.

Scott sighed inwardly; it had been three years, and he still hadn't adapted to this roommate's style of speaking.

"Of course they'll be fine, Milton. That's the 'Savior' we're talking about; there will always be some small privileges." Roger, sitting on the other side, replied nonchalantly.

"Well, I hope they are both alright." Milton looked melancholically at the starry sky on the ceiling of the Great Hall. "Whether it's Potter and Weasley, or that poor Whomping Willow. What Eddie said just now was too terrible."

Eddie's expression looked like he was constipated. "Oh, Milton, I thought you would know... everything I said just now was just a joke."

"Is that so?"

Milton's clear, mint-green eyes stared at Eddie.

"Yes, of course, I love talking nonsense!"

Eddie conceded immediately, and after Milton looked away, he began to gnaw on a chicken leg indignantly.

Scott and Roger both curled their lips in secret amusement. Although neither of them was good at dealing with Milton, who would burst into tears at the drop of a hat, seeing Eddie get shut down still made them happy.

Besides, Scott had always wanted to call Milton "the Lin Daiyu of England," but since no one here understood the joke, he could only label Milton as "Daiyu" in his mind.

"By the way, I have some good news I want to tell you all." Milton gently put down his knife and fork; he always ate very little.

Scott and the others stopped eating and turned to look at him.

"Actually, I plan to wait until we return to the dormitory to announce this news properly." Milton smiled shyly. "I feel like it will have more of a sense of ritual."

"Alright."

The three of them nodded without objection.

Although Eddie was annoyed by Milton's behavior of keeping them in suspense, he didn't press for details.

Countless similar experiences in the past told him that it was useless to try to make Milton change his mind at this point. Milton was a romantic, and a "sense of ritual" was very important to him.

Scott actually guessed what the good news Milton wanted to announce was.

He noticed that at the Hufflepuff table nearby, seventh-year Gideon Crumb was looking at Milton with an encouraging expression.

And according to the news Eddie had spread in the past, Gideon Crumb had become the bagpiper for the famous wizarding world singing group "The Weird Sisters" last school year.

Sure enough, when they had all eaten their fill and returned to the dormitory, Milton immediately and solemnly announced the "good news."

He, Milton Graves, had successfully joined "The Weird Sisters" as a reserve cellist and was planning to officially take the stage one day in the future.

Hearing this news, Scott and Roger applauded warmly to congratulate Milton, but Eddie asked curiously, "Milton, isn't classical music what you like? I remember you're a member of the Hogwarts Classical Music Club? How could you join a rock band?"

"Oh, perhaps you wouldn't understand, Eddie."

Milton sighed faintly, and the warm atmosphere in the dormitory instantly became subtle.

Milton sat on his bed, reached out to gently stroke the blue flannel curtains on his bed frame, and said with a touch of intoxication: "Music is a feeling... a form of expression... of course I know the difference between classical music and rock music, but Eddie, as long as it is beautiful music, I will fall in love with it... you know... I am trying to combine classical music with rock music... I am planning..."

Eddie already regretted it. Milton was rambling on about his wild ideas for music, while he frowned, not understanding a word of it, so he frequently sent desperate looks for help to Scott and Roger.

"Oh, excuse me, I need to go to the bathroom."

Scott picked up his basket containing toiletries and a change of clothes, walked quickly to the dormitory door, opened it, and turned back to look at Milton with an encouraging gaze.

"Milton, I didn't expect Eddie to start getting interested in music too. I think you should let him experience more of the charm of music."

"Perhaps he will fall in love with music just like you later on." Roger cleverly followed behind Scott with his own basket.

"Yes, I will!"

Milton said with some excitement, his mint-green eyes sparkling.

"Then, see you later."

Scott and Roger left the dormitory under Eddie's desperate gaze.

"Oh, poor Eddie! I hope he can achieve something under Milton's tutelage!"

On the way to the bathroom, Roger clutched his chest and exclaimed dramatically. Scott laughed out loud along with him.

However, they couldn't laugh for long—when they returned to the dormitory after their showers, Milton's "music lesson" was still ongoing.

Perhaps encouraged, Milton appeared extremely enthusiastic, as if he wanted to pour out all his love for music at once.

At this moment, Eddie sat on the edge of his bed, his eyes vacant, his expression dazed, mechanically repeating the act of counting his ten fingers.

Scott felt he couldn't fall asleep in such an atmosphere tonight, so he suggested to Milton: "Milton, the knowledge you're talking about is too profound; perhaps you could give us a more intuitive experience? I know you must have had many brilliant inspirations again! Play them for us, let us enjoy them properly."

As Scott spoke, he could feel the resentful gaze Eddie was casting his way.

But this suggestion was still warmly welcomed by both Roger and Eddie.

Although Milton was a bit hesitant, under everyone's enthusiastic encouragement, he still took out his cello.

A mini cello recital began.