The Sorting Hat Couldn't Decide Your Future

The sudden howl startled everyone in the Great Hall!

Professor McGonagall shuddered and instinctively backed away several steps. The other professors looked horrified, their faces filled with disbelief.

Professor Snape and Headmaster Dumbledore rose to their feet in shock at the same time.

Professor Quirrell, possessed by Voldemort, stared fixedly at Chu Yang.

In Hogwarts' nearly thousand-year history, nothing like this had ever happened!

What had happened to the Sorting Hat? Why had it let out such a miserable scream?

The Sorting Hat was nothing special after all. Chu Yang, the culprit, was no longer as nervous as before. Calmly removing the hat, he grabbed the mouth formed by its folds and pinched it shut, abruptly cutting off its cries.

Not only that, but with a threatening look, he made this intelligent hat instantly learn to keep its mouth shut.

Careless talk could get someone killed... no, get a hat killed!

"I'm putting you back on my head now. Behave yourself, understand?"

The Sorting Hat nodded frantically. Chu Yang smiled in satisfaction and placed it back on his head.

"Cough, cough. I haven't been sleeping well lately, so I lost my composure just now..."

"Yes, very good. I can see the potential within you."

The Sorting Hat trembled slightly as it spouted nonsense. "You have the courage to stake everything on a single throw, an endless thirst for knowledge, and sufficient loyalty to your friends. More importantly, you will stop at nothing to achieve your goals—uh, no, I mean, you understand how to protect yourself and assess the situation."

"Slytherin!"

Though they had no idea what was going on, the Slytherin students still broke into applause. They did not yet know that Chu Yang came from a Muggle family.

The other three were all pretty good... why did it have to choose Slytherin of all places?

I was planning to spend the rest of my school years peacefully!

Chu Yang smacked his lips and said unhappily, "Did you get it wrong?"

The Sorting Hat jolted. "Was it wrong?"

Chu Yang nodded. "I think it was."

The Sorting Hat said shakily, "Then it must have been wrong. I'll sort you again—"

Before it could finish, Professor McGonagall lifted the Sorting Hat off his head.

Professor McGonagall looked at Chu Yang with a complicated expression. "The Sorting Hat can't decide your future. After the feast, Headmaster Dumbledore intends to speak with you personally. Go take a seat first!"

The air in the entire hall seemed to freeze at that moment. The students' mouths hung open. Even the graduating upperclassmen had never witnessed anything like this!

What did she mean, the Sorting Hat couldn't decide his future?

Not just the students—even the professors were whispering to one another behind the staff table, discussing Chu Yang with astonished expressions. They had never seen anything so absurd.

Chu Yang scratched his head. "Then where should I sit?"

Professor McGonagall had a headache as well. Helplessly, she said, "Sit wherever you like."

Chu Yang thought for a moment, then plopped down at the Hufflepuff House table, startling the Hufflepuff students. But while they were surprised, they still warmly welcomed him.

Chu Yang had chosen to sit here mainly because he wanted to repay Professor Sprout for her care. Though he did not know where he would ultimately be assigned, he had to show some appreciation.

After the brief disturbance, the Sorting Ceremony continued. Following Chu Yang, the other new students gradually returned to normal, and the Sorting Hat showed no further signs of being half-asleep.

Chu Yang ate this meal very uncomfortably. The blazing stares from every direction made him feel as if he were sitting beneath a spotlight.

Whether teachers or students, their curiosity about Chu Yang faintly surpassed even their curiosity about Harry Potter.

Fortunately, the ghosts' appearance helped draw away most of the attention.

From the walls, statues, and dining tables, the ghosts of the castle came drifting in from all directions. The ghosts emerging from the food in particular made Chu Yang feel physically ill just looking at them.

The new students, who had never seen anything like this before, fell into chaos again.

The more timid girls began screaming one after another.

As part of the entrance ceremony.

The teachers and upperclassmen watched the scene with relish. Even Dumbledore was smiling.

"Ghosts, there really are ghosts!" Ron shouted as he tugged at Harry's robes. "Fred was right! There really are ghosts in the school."

Harry nervously clutched his robes, frightened of the ghosts while also afraid Ron would yank his clothes right off.

Hermione, usually the calmest and most composed of the trio, had gone pale. Her fingers tightly kneaded her robes as she helplessly looked toward Chu Yang at the neighboring table.

Chu Yang made a gesture telling her to relax.

The translucent ghosts stood in stark contrast to the warm colors of the living. In Chu Yang's eyes, this was the boundary between life and death.

The ghosts in the world of Harry Potter were more like earthbound spirits.

Some of them had willingly chosen to become ghosts. According to Nearly Headless Nick, they only needed to pay some kind of exorbitant price.

As for what that price was, only those who had become ghosts knew.

Besides them, some people had become ghosts in a daze after dying accidentally at school.

Moaning Myrtle, for example. She had been killed by the Basilisk's petrification magic, then became the earthbound spirit of the second-floor bathroom.

Both were ghosts, but they were worlds apart, especially the latter kind.

In Chu Yang's view, it might have something to do with Hogwarts.

This castle, which had existed for nearly a thousand years, possessed countless secrets. Perhaps it could not be regarded as a mere dead object.

The student records registered upon enrollment might also be some kind of contract made with this ancient castle. Under certain special circumstances, it could be activated, causing dead students to continue existing as ghosts.

Of course, these were only Chu Yang's guesses. Still, he thought optimistically, If I become a ghost after I die, the first thing I'll do is tear Hogwarts down. There's no way I'm staying here for the rest of my life.

Hogwarts' food seemed to receive a pretty good response from the new students.

But for Chu Yang, it was merely passable.

After all, Britain was famously a culinary wasteland.

And with that morbidly playful ghost constantly taking his own head off, what little appetite Chu Yang had left dropped straight to zero.

After the feast ended, the new students, who should have gone straight back to their dormitories to rest, were instead led by Professor McGonagall to a lounge beside the Great Hall.

Professor McGonagall began checking whether the new students were carrying wands, hoping to determine whether Malfoy's ordeal had been caused by someone.

After fifteen minutes of inspection, the result took Professor McGonagall by surprise.

Not a single new student had a wand on them.

In other words, the possibility that Malfoy's ordeal had been caused by someone could largely be ruled out.

"This matter must be reported to Headmaster Dumbledore as soon as possible!" A rare look of gravity appeared on Professor McGonagall's stern face.