The Sorting of Little Slytherin Harry, Old Dumbledore Panics

The moment they entered the Hogwarts Great Hall, they saw students seated neatly at four long tables, all watching the new students of the year with curious eyes.

Looking farther up, they could see the teachers filling the staff table. Lyon could roughly guess the identities of some of them.

The short one was Professor Flitwick, and that elderly cat... ah, no, that stern-looking female professor with glasses was Professor McGonagall.

However, the two people at the other end of the staff table drew Lyon's attention the most.

The dull-witted wizard wrapped in a turban was Quirrell... and Professor Voldemort behind Quirrell's turban.

Beside Quirrell, Professor Snape surveyed the new students with sharp eyes. His gaze lingered on Harry for a long while before resting briefly on Lyon as well.

At the far end of the raised platform sat Dumbledore, his white beard flowing beneath his glasses as a shrewd gleam flashed through his eyes. "All right, the Sorting Ceremony will now begin!"

With that, Professor McGonagall flickered out of sight and somehow produced a shabby old hat.

This was the Sorting Hat.

The Sorting Hat's brim and crown split apart, and it began singing a little tune it had made up.

When Lyon had read the original novel, he had not felt much about it. But hearing it now, he had to admit the tune was strangely catchy.

After the hat finished singing, Professor McGonagall began calling names.

"Hannah Abbott!"

A little girl in the line let out an "Oh," then stepped forward and nervously put on the hat.

"SLYTHERIN!"

After a moment of silence, the hat actually spoke. Its brim and crown parted into a mouth, and its voice echoed throughout the Great Hall.

Cheers erupted from the Slytherin table.

"Lyon, I'm a little scared."

Hermione tugged at Lyon's robe from beside him. She had been somewhat nervous ever since getting off the train, probably because of the Sorting Ceremony.

"What are you scared of?"

Hermione hesitated for a moment. "I'm scared I'll be sorted into one of the other three houses."

Lyon gently patted little Hermione's back. "Don't be nervous. Which house do you want to go to?"

"Slytherin."

Little Hermione answered without hesitation.

Lyon raised an eyebrow.

No, according to the original story, Hermione should have gone to Gryffindor. Even with his involvement, Ravenclaw would have been more likely.

Why did Hermione specifically want to go to Slytherin?

From his interactions with her, he had not sensed any particular ambition in little Hermione.

Putting everything else aside, he could probably guess why.

Hermione wanted to go to Slytherin because Lyon was going to Slytherin.

But he really did not have any other thoughts about Hermione... he simply found little Hermione rather cute and very likable.

"Ahem... don't worry. Follow your heart."

"No matter which house we're sorted into, we'll still be good friends, right?"

Lyon habitually rubbed Hermione's head. At his words, a nearly imperceptible disappointment flashed through her eyes.

Just... good friends?

"Next, Neville Longbottom!"

Professor McGonagall called another name in the distance. Lyon pinched little Hermione's cheek and turned back toward the Sorting Ceremony.

Neville had already stepped forward and put on the hat. The Sorting Hat remained silent for a long time.

The crowd gradually quieted. Neville's Sorting really was taking a little too long.

After a long while, the Sorting Hat's mouth finally opened.

"SLYTHERIN!"

As soon as the words fell, cheers rose from the Slytherin table, celebrating another new student joining them.

Meanwhile, Lyon stood frozen below the platform.

Shouldn't Neville have gone to Gryffindor?

Even Hufflepuff would have made more sense, right?

Why had he been sorted into Slytherin?

Could it have been because what Lyon said on the train had changed Neville's mind?

Then Professor McGonagall called out another name.

"Seamus Finnigan."

"SLYTHERIN!"

"Dean Thomas!"

"SLYTHERIN!"

Lyon frowned. What was going on?

Why were there so many Slytherins?

He suddenly remembered what he had said when refuting Ron on the train.

That Slytherin had produced the greatest number of great wizards.

Could it really have been because of that one sentence?

"Harry Potter!"

At last, Harry's name was called.

After Professor McGonagall said those words, Lyon saw Dumbledore's previously relaxed demeanor vanish. His eyes sharpened as he stared at Harry.

Many professors at the staff table looked expectant. They all wanted to see which house the famous Harry Potter would enter.

Only Professor Snape looked somewhat grim, probably because he had discovered that Harry did not resemble Lily.

The people around them also began whispering. Harry Potter's reputation as the Savior was simply too great.

In fact, because Harry Potter was attending Hogwarts, many pure-blood wizarding families had chosen to send their children to Hogwarts this year.

Harry stepped forward and put on the hat. Seeing the determination in Harry's eyes, Lyon knew that Harry's Sorting would not be peaceful.

On the train, Harry had already been persuaded by Lyon. No, more accurately, he had brainwashed himself into becoming a steadfast little Slytherin.

Lyon's gaze wandered to Snape in the distance, and he clicked his tongue inwardly.

Once the Sorting Hat was placed on Harry's head, the Great Hall fell silent.

Several minutes passed, but the Sorting Hat still had not announced a house as quickly as it had for the others.

Students from all four houses began whispering among themselves.

Lyon glanced at Dumbledore and found him staring this way with complete focus.

After a long while, the Sorting Hat spoke.

"Slyth—"

"Cough! Cough!"

Just as the Sorting Hat began to speak, Dumbledore's eyes widened in the distance, and he coughed twice.

The Sorting Hat's words stopped abruptly. Seeing everyone in the hall looking at him, Dumbledore chuckled softly.

"My apologies. Please forgive an old man's physical ailments."

Dumbledore looked calm, but inside, a thousand galloping horses were racing through his mind.

The Sorting Hat had actually wanted to put Harry in Slytherin?

That should not have happened.

For once, he felt a little panicked. His perfect plan had suddenly been interrupted.

What exactly was going on?

Dumbledore quickly swept his gaze over everyone, unable to make sense of it. In the end, his eyes slowly settled on Lyon.

He had an instinctive feeling that this matter was connected to Lyon.

At that moment, the Sorting Hat atop Harry's head spoke again, and old Dumbledore's brow relaxed.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Thank goodness. The plan had not been disrupted.

But the hall was clearly somewhat silent.

The Sorting Hat had seemed about to send Harry to Slytherin just now, hadn't it?

Then their Headmaster Dumbledore had coughed, the Sorting Hat had gone quiet for a while, and Harry had been sent to Gryffindor?

"Headmaster Dumbledore! The Sorting Hat clearly wanted to put Harry in Slytherin House just now!"

An outburst of dissatisfaction erupted from the Slytherin table, but Professor Snape quickly suppressed it with a dark expression.

"Quiet. That was merely a slip of the Sorting Hat's tongue."

Lyon instinctively glanced at Snape.

Snape's expression shifted unpredictably. He looked toward Lyon, and his gaze quickly settled on him.

Lyon fearlessly held Snape's gaze for a long while. Snape was the first to look away.

At the Gryffindor table, meanwhile, thunderous applause broke out.

"We've got Potter! We've got Potter!"

Several older students cried out in delight, and Harry soon removed the hat.

"Ron Weasley."

"GRYFFINDOR."

"Draco Malfoy."

"SLYTHERIN."

It seemed that an especially large number of students had been sorted into Slytherin this year.

After Draco, more than a dozen students in a row were sent to Slytherin.

"Hermione Granger."

Little Hermione was still nervous before she went up. Lyon gave her a reassuring look.

Ron sat at the Gryffindor table, glaring at Hermione before turning an unfriendly gaze toward Lyon beside her.

"SLYTHERIN!"

She really had been sorted into Slytherin?

Sure enough, it was evil Slytherin.

"Leon Shelby!"

Lyon was next.

The people around them began whispering. They had long heard that the godfather of the Razor Gang had come to Hogwarts, and many had dismissed it as nothing more than a rumor.

But now that they truly saw him—dressed in well-fitted black wizarding robes, healthy in build, with the contours of muscles faintly visible beneath the fabric—

Well-dressed and capable. That was everyone's first impression.

(Author's note: Brothers, if this book can barely keep me alive, I'll keep writing until it is finished. But life is hard. I bought a cup of instant noodles today and felt a little pained. These two chapters were written while I was at work. I hope everyone can send a few free gifts in support. Thank you.)