Slytherin

Gemini had no idea that because of him, Hermione—who in the original story had wavered between Ravenclaw and Gryffindor—had firmly chosen Gryffindor this time.

But even if he had known, he would not have cared. As far as he was concerned, it had nothing to do with him.

Cheers erupted from the Gryffindor table, celebrating Hermione's placement in Gryffindor.

Soon, another name was called.

"Gemini Fox."

The cheers came to an abrupt halt, and the Great Hall fell silent. The students at the tables below stared wide-eyed, craning their necks to catch a glimpse of Gemini.

Gemini stepped forward, entering everyone's view.

Then Gemini looked at Snape and broke into a smile. Snape's heart skipped a beat, and an ominous feeling rose within him.

Walking up to the stool, Gemini picked up the Sorting Hat, crossed one leg over the other as he sat on the three-legged stool, and elegantly placed the hat over his head.

No one knew that, one second before picking up the hat, Gemini had completely emptied his mind and entered a state of Legilimency.

Beyond his real memories, Gemini had also wrapped three layers of fabricated memories around them.

All three sets of memories were based on the identity of an orphan, creating three distinct false personalities whose traits corresponded to Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff.

Gryffindor?

He had no intention of going to that troublesome place.

To Gemini's surprise, none of the three layers of memories were touched, nor was there any sign that his Legilimency had been breached.

"Oh? Surprised?"

A tiny voice appeared in his mind. It was the Sorting Hat's voice.

"You needn't be so guarded around me. I can tell that you tread carefully in this world, as if walking on thin ice, wrapping yourself in layer after layer."

"But there is really no need. When it is cold, a warm house is more comforting than putting on two extra layers of clothing. Flames give people warmth they can feel, while emotions give warmth to the heart. Which do you prefer?"

"I could recommend you for a teaching position in the philosophy department at a Muggle university, assuming they do not mind that you are a hat. I suspect you would achieve great things."

Gemini said in his mind.

"Ho ho, I actually think that is a fine suggestion. After all, my only job each year is composing next year's song. I have so much free time that it gets terribly boring."

"This does not seem like the time to discuss that." Gemini continued maintaining his Legilimency. "I am curious—how exactly are you communicating with me?"

"Ha—your cleverness has been pointed in the wrong direction from the very beginning." The Sorting Hat laughed smugly. "I do not read people's memories. My ability is to communicate with their hearts and see their most essential, truest talents and qualities. As you can see, I truly am used to assess talent."

"An impressive ability."

"Thank you for the compliment!" the Sorting Hat continued. "But your Sorting really is a difficult problem. You are resourceful and cunning, content with being ordinary yet unwilling to remain mediocre. So where should I place you? Gryffindor? Slytherin? Ravenclaw? Or Hufflepuff?"

"Perhaps Azkaban?"

"Ha! Now that is a splendid idea!" The Sorting Hat burst out laughing.

"I have a favor to ask. Could you place me in Slytherin?"

"Aha! Slytherin? You certainly possess the talent to enter there, but are you truly sure? There is nothing wrong with going there, of course, but in my view, Ravenclaw and Gryffindor both suit you better than Slytherin."

"Wait, talent? What talent? Wasn't I Muggle-born?" Gemini's mind rippled, and he nearly failed to maintain his Legilimency.

"It seems you do not know..." The Sorting Hat shifted.

"A kind reminder, child: you are at least half-blood."

"There is a Blood Curse within you. It has no effect on you, but if you have a daughter in the future, she will have a short life because of this Blood Curse. The curse comes from the bloodline, targets only females, and is exceptionally vicious... And unfortunately, child, this curse is extremely troublesome. Even Dumbledore cannot help you."

Gemini's good mood from the Sorting vanished at once, but he was not worried. With the Weapon Shop, he did not care about curses at all, especially when this curse had no effect on him whatsoever.

The Great Hall was silent. Gemini's Sorting had taken far longer than anyone else's, but no one grew impatient. Everyone quietly awaited his result.

Finally—

"SLYTHERIN!"

The Sorting Hat's shout resounded throughout the entire Great Hall.

At the Slytherin table, the expressions of the Little Wizards immediately froze. Then deafening cheers erupted from the other three tables.

Gemini stood, removed the Sorting Hat, and turned to look in Snape's direction.

He clearly saw Snape's expressionless face twitch violently several times. Gemini simply looked at him and flashed a brilliant smile.

Then, wearing a gentle smile, he walked toward the Slytherin table.

Clatter—

Just as Gemini reached the Slytherin table, the nearby students immediately shifted away, keeping as far from him as possible.

The reason was simple. More than a dozen Slytherin students had missed the feast tonight and were currently lying in the hospital wing. Before the Sorting Ceremony had begun, the students in the Great Hall had still been discussing it.

The Sorting Ceremony continued. The other students did not take long to be Sorted, and soon Gemini heard a familiar name.

"Harry Potter!"

The Great Hall fell silent once again. After a brief pause—

"GRYFFINDOR!"

The cheers from the Gryffindor table nearly blew the roof off the Great Hall. Compared with the gloomy Slytherin table, the contrast was rather stark.

As the last few students finished being Sorted, the white-bearded old man seated in the center of the staff table rose to his feet.

Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore.

The most respected white wizard, and the headmaster of Hogwarts.

What would he say?

'ONE PIECE really exists?'

Gemini imagined it.

"Welcome!" Dumbledore clapped cheerfully. "Welcome to Hogwarts for the start of a new school year! Before the feast begins, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!"

"Thank you all!"

He sat back down. The students cheered and applauded, while Gemini decided to offer a polite smile in response to Dumbledore's speech.

As Dumbledore took his seat, the empty plates before Gemini instantly filled with all kinds of food.

Roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops, lamb chops, sausages, steaks, roast potatoes...

A typical Western dinner.

Gemini had no intention of insisting on pursuing the foods from his past life while in Britain. Going to great lengths over something to eat seemed a little too fussy.

Of course, the main reason was the regional differences. He had already tried it: differences in ingredients from place to place made the same dishes taste entirely different. It would be better to visit China someday and spend some time living in Chongqing.

No one came to speak to Gemini. Only a few nearby Slytherin students occasionally glanced at him, and Gemini returned their looks with a gentle smile.

Amid the bustle, the feast finally came to an end.

When even the pudding served for dessert vanished from the tables, Dumbledore rose to his feet.

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