Sorting Hat: Azkaban!!

This year's new student intake was as calm as ever. If there was anything different, it was that two people on the staff bench were particularly unsettled.

One of them was Quirrell, his head wrapped in a thick mass of bandages. Ever since that day at the Leaky Cauldron, the back of his skull would ache terribly from time to time, as if something inside was roaring in fury.

As for the other, naturally, it was Snape.

He felt the urge to pull out his wand and disrupt the Sorting ceremony at every moment. For this reason, Dumbledore had specially placed his seat right beside himself.

"Severus, don't be impulsive. It's just a name that sounds similar. Once you truly interact with him, you'll see he's a good child."

"I understand, Headmaster Dumbledore."

Perhaps because he was too agitated, he couldn't even be bothered to pay attention to Quirrell, who seemed to have some issue on the other side. Instead, he focused all his attention on the child who was about to step up next.

"Next up... Tom Riddle." When McGonagall read out this name, she stood frozen in place for a few seconds.

It wasn't until Tom sat down on the Four-legged Stool and called out to her a few times that McGonagall snapped back to reality.

At the same time, she turned back and shot Dumbledore a fierce glare.

He was the one who recorded the enrollment list. He knew there was such a special new student among them but didn't warn her, just waiting for her to discover it herself and get a shock.

What an old rascal!

It wasn't just McGonagall. Many of the other older professors present also wore subtle expressions similar to hers.

Coming back to her senses, McGonagall immediately pressed the Sorting Hat down onto his head.

"Here it comes, here it comes!" Tom swallowed hard.

The thrilling step of putting on the hat first and sorting later had begun!

He wondered which house he would be assigned to.

The moment the Sorting Hat touched the tips of his hair, it was as if Merlin had given it a fierce poke with his giant magic wand. The hat screeched at the top of its voice:

"Azkaban!"

Silence—

The entire Great Hall fell quiet in that instant.

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A few seconds later, a string of question marks lit up from both the student tables and the staff table.

Only a few young witches and wizards from the Muggle world looked baffled. "Azkaban... which house is that?"

At the same time, Tom's heart gave a lurch.

"Sorting Hat? Are you serious?"

Meanwhile, McGonagall thought the Sorting Hat was broken. She pulled out her wand, intending to cast a repair charm on it.

"Sorry, sorry. I just sensed something else and got it wrong."

"I thought so..." Tom let out a long sigh of relief.

Based on his observations of the previous Sorting ceremony, the Sorting Hat didn't examine a wizard's complete memories. Instead, it caught the fleeting thoughts that flashed through a wizard's mind.

As long as a person was thinking, thoughts would keep darting through their head. The Sorting Hat captured those scattered thoughts to judge a person and analyze where they should go.

"You should go to... Slytherin!"

"?" Tom was dumbfounded again.

Bang!

A chair toppled over on the staff bench. A certain greasy-haired man couldn't help but stand up, but Dumbledore used magic to forcibly press him back down, even using magic to right the chair.

Seeing McGonagall about to lift the Sorting Hat off, Tom reached out and pressed the hat firmly onto his head.

"Why? How could I go to Slytherin? I'm not pure-blood, and I came from the Muggle world. What qualifies me for Slytherin?" Tom roared inwardly.

"Young wizard, please don't question this hat's professionalism. This hat has been sorting professionally for 998 years and has never made a single mistake. Every child has applauded the results."

Tom continued to argue: "No, no, no. Let's have a chat for two Galleons. I think I'm more suited for Ravenclaw. How about letting me go to the Eagle House?"

The Sorting Hat didn't want to discuss such trivial matters, but Tom's strength seemed a bit too much. McGonagall tried to remove the hat but found she couldn't budge it.

"Fine, then I'll talk with you... First of all, you are very unsuited for Ravenclaw. Although you are clever, your ambition is far too great. That single-minded academic atmosphere doesn't suit you."

"In that case..." Tom thought for a moment, then continued: "What about Gryffindor? Look how fit I am. If trouble arises, I'd definitely be the first lion to bravely charge to the front."

"I can indeed sense your courage. You do have Gryffindor traits, but your mind is too complicated. I'm worried you might deceive those little lions."

Normally, the Sorting Hat would consider a young wizard's first preference. But besides taking care of the one being sorted, it also had to look after those who had already been sorted.

Gryffindor had courage, that was one thing. But there was a reason they were often called foolish lions by the Snake House. Sometimes, Gryffindors were indeed a bit too straightforward in their actions.

"Lying? How could I possibly be that kind of wizard?" Tom muttered, a little guilty, pursing his lips.

"Really?"

"Well then... let me go to Hufflepuff, how about that?" Tom still wouldn't give up, trying to negotiate one more time.

"Oh~ Merlin, are you trying to destroy Hufflepuff? Leave those peaceful little badgers alone!"

"Damn it!" Tom couldn't help but curse.

Being rejected by all three houses he wanted to join—that was just too much!

"Don't feel ashamed for being a natural Slytherin. Rather, feel proud!"

The Sorting Hat couldn't help recalling the past; he had forgotten when he last encountered a young wizard who fit Slytherin's traits so perfectly.

"If only you were Salazar's descendant. If it were you, perhaps the Slytherin family could still continue."

"Damn it!" Seeing that there was really no hope, Tom cursed once more, tossed the hat back onto the stool, and walked toward the Slytherin table.

Normally, every house would applaud and welcome the new wizards joining them, but Tom's earlier performance had truly baffled everyone, leaving the Great Hall silent until now.

Perhaps to look out for Tom, to keep the other pureblood wizards from bullying this unknown-blood wizard from the Muggle world, and to help Tom integrate more easily into the snake house, the Sorting Hat simply shouted to remind the students below:

"Slytherin, Tom Riddle is a natural Slytherin!"

Applause—!!

A burst of enthusiastic clapping erupted from the Slytherin side. Even the seventh-year veterans had never heard the Sorting Hat give any student such high praise as "a natural Slytherin."

Tom couldn't help but pause mid-step, turning back to slant a glance at the Sorting Hat: "Do I need to thank you?"

"No need to thank me. It's what I ought to do."

Tom's sorting was over, and it was time for the others.

When it was Harry's turn, the Sorting Hat originally wanted to send him to Gryffindor, but Harry insisted on going to Slytherin to follow Tom.

Fortunately, as the Boy Who Lived who had vanquished the Dark Lord, Harry's identity was widely accepted by the purebloods, so entering Slytherin wouldn't mean he'd be bullied. Thus, the Sorting Hat agreed to his request.