This year's first-years arrived just as calmly as usual. If anything was different, it was that two people at the High Table seemed especially unsettled.
One of them was Quirrell, whose head was wrapped in a great many bandages. Ever since that day at the Leaky Cauldron, the back of his head had been hurting terribly from time to time, as if something back there were roaring in fury.
The other was, naturally, Snape.
He was constantly tempted to pull out his wand and wreck the welcoming ceremony. That was why Dumbledore had specifically seated him right beside himself.
"Severus, don't be impulsive. Their names are only a little alike. Once you've had a chance to meet him, you'll see that he's a good kid."
"I understand, Headmaster Dumbledore."
Perhaps because he was so worked up, he couldn't even be bothered to pay attention to Quirrell, who seemed to be having some sort of problem on the other side. Instead, he focused all his attention on the child who would soon be coming up.
"The next student is... Tom Riddle." When McGonagall read out the name, she stood there, stunned for several seconds.
Tom had taken his seat on the four-legged stool and called out a few times before McGonagall finally came back to herself.
At the same time, she turned and glared fiercely at Dumbledore.
He had recorded the enrollment list himself. He knew perfectly well there was such a remarkable new student among the first-years, yet he hadn't warned her. He'd just been waiting for her to discover it and get the shock of her life.
What a mischievous old man!
McGonagall wasn't the only one. Many of the older professors present wore similarly complicated expressions.
Coming back to herself, McGonagall immediately lowered the Sorting Hat onto Tom's head.
"Here it comes!" Tom swallowed.
The thrilling moment when the hat was lowered onto his head and his house assigned had begun!
Which house would he end up in?
The instant the Sorting Hat touched the tips of his hair, it seemed as though Merlin had just jabbed it hard with his enormous wand. It let out a shrill scream:
"AZKABAN!"
Silence—
The entire Great Hall fell quiet.
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A few seconds later, a whole string of question marks appeared across the hall, from the students below to the professors above.
Only some of the young wizards from the Muggle world looked completely bewildered. "Azkaban... Which house is that?"
At the same time, Tom's heart gave a thump.
"Sorting Hat? Are you serious?"
Meanwhile, McGonagall thought the Sorting Hat had broken. She took out her wand, ready to cast the Mending Charm on it.
"Sorry, sorry. I just sensed something else and got it wrong."
"I knew it..." Tom let out a long breath of relief.
From what he'd observed of the sorting ceremony, the Sorting Hat didn't examine a wizard's entire memory. Instead, it picked up the thoughts passing through the wizard's mind.
As long as people were thinking, one thought after another would always flash through their minds. The Sorting Hat judged them by catching those scattered thoughts and analyzing which house suited them.
"You belong in... Slytherin!"
"?" Tom was dumbfounded again.
Crash!
A chair toppled over at the High Table. A greasy-haired man couldn't help leaping to his feet, only for Dumbledore to force him back down with magic and set the chair upright again.
Seeing McGonagall about to take off the Sorting Hat, Tom reached up and clamped it firmly onto his head.
"Why? How could I end up in Slytherin? I'm not a Pure-blood wizard, for one thing, and I came from the Muggle world, for another. What makes you think I can go to Slytherin?" Tom roared inwardly.
"Young wizard, please don't question this hat's professional judgment. I've been sorting students for 998 years and have never made a mistake. Every child has applauded the result."
Tom argued back, "No, no. Let's talk it over for two Galleons. I think Ravenclaw suits me better. Why not put me in Ravenclaw?"
The Sorting Hat didn't want to discuss any of this, but Tom seemed to have a surprising amount of strength. McGonagall tried to take off the hat, only to find she couldn't budge it.
"Very well, let's talk it over... First of all, you're completely unsuited to Ravenclaw. You're very clever, but your ambition is far too great. That focused academic atmosphere wouldn't suit you."
"In that case..." Tom thought for a moment, then asked, "What about Gryffindor? Look how strong I am. If trouble comes, I'll be the first brave lion charging straight into the fray."
"I can certainly sense your courage, and you do have Gryffindor qualities. But you're too crafty. I'm worried you'd deceive those little lions."
Under normal circumstances, the Sorting Hat usually considered a young wizard's first choice. But it had to look after the student currently being sorted as well as all the students whose sorting was already finished.
Gryffindors were brave, certainly, but there was a reason Slytherins always called them stupid lions. Sometimes Gryffindors really were a little too direct.
"Deceive them? How could I be that kind of young wizard?" Tom pursed his lips, feeling a little guilty.
"Really?"
"Fine, then... How about Hufflepuff?" Tom still wouldn't give up and decided to try one more time.
"Oh, Merlin! Are you trying to destroy Hufflepuff? Leave those peace-loving little badgers alone!"
"Damn it!" Tom couldn't help swearing.
He'd been rejected by all three houses he wanted. Who had ever heard of such a thing?!
"Don't feel bad about being a natural-born Slytherin. If anything, you should be proud!"
The Sorting Hat couldn't help reminiscing about the past. It couldn't even remember how long it had been since it last encountered a young wizard so perfectly suited to Slytherin.
"If only you were Salazar's descendant. If you were, perhaps the Slytherin family could continue for generations to come."
"Damn it!" Seeing there was no hope at all, Tom swore once more, flung the hat back onto the stool, and headed for the Slytherin table.
Normally, each house applauded to welcome its new students. But after Tom's performance, no one had any idea what to make of him, and the Great Hall remained silent.
Perhaps to spare Tom trouble from the other Pure-blood wizards, since he was an unknown-blood wizard from the Muggle world, and to help him fit in more easily with Serpent House, the Sorting Hat simply bellowed to all the students below:
"Slytherin! Tom Riddle is a natural-born Slytherin!"
Clap, clap, clap—!!
A burst of enthusiastic applause rang out from the Slytherin table. Even the seventh-years had never heard the Sorting Hat give any student such high praise as "a natural-born Slytherin."
Tom's steps faltered. He glanced back at the Sorting Hat. "Should I thank you, too?"
"No need. It's my duty."
Tom's sorting was over. Next came the other students.
When it was Harry's turn, the Sorting Hat had originally planned to send him to Gryffindor. But Harry insisted on going to Slytherin to follow Tom.
Fortunately, as the Chosen One who had defeated the Dark Lord, Harry was widely accepted by the Pure-bloods. He wouldn't be bullied just for joining Slytherin, so the Sorting Hat agreed to his request.
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