The Sorting Ceremony

"When I call your name, come forward, put on the Sorting Hat, sit on the stool, and await your sorting!"

Professor McGonagall held a parchment list and addressed the young witches and wizards lined up in a long queue.

As soon as she finished speaking, all the first-years let out breaths of relief.

Seeing the little wizards' expressions, all the Hogwarts staff and students from second through seventh year could not help but laugh.

This was the once-a-year entertainment!

"Hannah Abbott!"

Professor McGonagall called out the first name. It was Li Wei's first friend in the Wizarding World, the famed Iron-Capped Prince!

The little girl jumped in surprise, her two golden pigtails swaying as she stumbled forward and put on the Sorting Hat, which nearly covered half her face.

"Hufflepuff!"

A moment later, the Sorting Hat announced loudly!

Applause immediately erupted from the Hufflepuff table in welcome!

Li Wei, too, finally felt at ease!

"Susan Bones!"

Professor McGonagall called up another young witch.

"Hufflepuff!"

Another Hufflepuff. Those who had once heard Li Wei's analysis could not help recalling his words.

As the common folk, the backbone that kept the Wizarding World running, Hufflepuff made up half the wizard population.

Seeing this scene, quite a few people secretly began to wonder what role they would play in the Wizarding World in the future.

The Sorting proceeded quickly. Arranged by the initials of their names, it soon came to Hermione Granger, who stood ahead of Li Wei.

Before stepping forward, however, the little witch turned back and shot Li Wei a resentful glare.

Li Wei looked utterly innocent, as if he had no idea what had happened.

He watched Miss Know-It-All climb the steps, put on the Sorting Hat, and sit on the stool, his heart filled with anticipation.

Li Wei wanted to see whether, under his influence, Hermione Granger would still be sorted into Gryffindor as she had in the original timeline, or head toward her other possibility—Ravenclaw.

Once the Sorting Hat was placed on her head, the surroundings immediately fell silent. Everyone quietly waited for Hermione Granger's result.

After several long minutes, the grimy Sorting Hat finally spat out a name loudly:

"Gryffindor!"

The little girl removed the hat, smiled at Li Wei, and ran toward the Gryffindor table.

Li Wei could not help feeling a little disappointed. So nothing had changed after all?

A person's sorting was influenced by their character, bloodline, background, likes, and dislikes. Li Wei recalled Hermione's behavior in the original work.

Only then did he realize that although Hermione's study habits and thirst for knowledge resembled those of a Ravenclaw,

in terms of personality and how she handled things, she was a true Gryffindor—brave without being reckless, always standing by justice!

Failing to meaningfully influence Hermione's sorting left Li Wei neither happy nor sad. He merely wished the little girl well in his heart.

But at that moment, he also made up his mind. He would definitely interfere with and alter the plot of the original work, making everything unfold according to the will of a transmigrator like himself.

Otherwise, would he not have come to this wonderful magical world for nothing, despite being a transmigrator bound to a MOD cheat?!

Interfering with the plot, making up for regrets, seizing benefits, and dealing with villains would be the recurring goals of his magical journey.

"Rivi Keens!"

Holding the list, Professor McGonagall called Lee Wickens's name and watched the approaching boy with expectation in her eyes.

Over the past month, although she had never appeared before Li Wei, she had exchanged letters with Boss Tom every few days.

Li Wei's performance working in Diagon Alley during the holidays, including getting the Leaky Cauldron into the Daily Prophet, had made Professor McGonagall grow even fonder of this sensible, intelligent child.

Little Li Wei absolutely had to be sorted into Gryffindor!

Professor McGonagall, a Gryffindor graduate herself, hoped so fervently in her heart.

Under Professor McGonagall's expectant gaze, Li Wei approached the Sorting Hat, then waved his wand to her astonishment.

"Scourgify!"

A pale white glow instantly enveloped the Sorting Hat, which had been passed down for thousands of years. A moan that sounded both painful and comfortable came from its mouth:

"Oh~"

"Sorry, Professor McGonagall, but this hat was simply too dirty!"

Li Wei gave Professor McGonagall a slight bow and spoke with an embarrassed expression.

"You really are a little troublemaker!"

Professor McGonagall said helplessly, her cat-like eyes wide. Suddenly, she no longer hoped Li Wei would be sorted into Gryffindor.

As the effects of Scourgify faded, the Sorting Hat became much cleaner. Its gash-like mouth would not stop talking.

"By my Four Founders! Little wizard, I must thank you!"

"After all these years, people only remember this old hat when it is time for sorting. They never think to help me clean up!"

"As everyone knows, quite obviously, I do not have hands!"

"That one spell made me feel so much better!

Thank you, Mr. Lee Wickens. I will remember your name for a hundred years—if I am still doing the sorting in a hundred years!"

"It's nothing, buddy!"

Li Wei had not expected his spur-of-the-moment action to earn the Sorting Hat's favor.

In truth, he felt somewhat uneasy as well.

Which house he entered did not really matter. What mattered was the system's existence; he worried that the Sorting Hat might notice it and expose it.

But on second thought, this hat had been sorting students at Hogwarts for hundreds, perhaps thousands, of years.

If it could truly read people's deepest secrets, would that not mean a single hat had known the privacy of every young wizard in England's magical community for millennia?!

Given the arrogance wizards displayed in the original work, such a thing was impossible even to imagine!

So, reassured, he put on the beaming Sorting Hat.

The next second, the Sorting Hat's voice rang out inside his mind:

"Let me see which house suits you best?"

"Hmm... difficult, very difficult!"

"Child, you possess exceptionally fine qualities and are destined to achieve great things. You also have sufficient ambition. How about I sort you into Slytherin?"

"There, you can build connections, gain social experience, learn how to achieve success, how to become shrewder, how to gain benefits, and how to be crowned with glory!"

Upon hearing that, Li Wei hurriedly shook his head. Being sorted into Slytherin was not suitable for his studies at Hogwarts, so he tentatively said in his mind:

"Please, old Sorting Hat, I'm a Muggle-born orphan. If I enter Slytherin, the entire house will probably discriminate against and ostracize me!"

"I'm not afraid of them, but if I want to earn a position where others take me seriously, fighting and killing will be unavoidable."

"If Slytherin wanted to see his house drenched in blood, with students fighting and killing each other every day, then sort me into Slytherin!"

"Maybe before next year comes around, you'll hear from Headmaster Dumbledore that I've been expelled! Or perhaps you should simply send me straight to Azkaban now—that would be even more straightforward!"

As soon as the Sorting Hat heard Li Wei's words, its voice echoed through his mind:

"You little fellow, although I know what you said is unlikely, and I am increasingly convinced that you are suited to Slytherin, there is no helping it. An old hat does not dare take that gamble."

"I will not sort you into Slytherin!

How about Gryffindor?"

"In all these years, you are the first little wizard brave enough to cast a cleaning spell on me!"

"On that basis alone, sorting you into Gryffindor could not be more right!"

Hearing this, Li Wei used a single sentence to reject the Sorting Hat outright:

"But I want to study properly, gain enough knowledge, and explore the mysteries of magic!"

"Oh!" The Sorting Hat responded in understanding. Rather than asking whether Li Wei wanted Hufflepuff, it simply announced loudly:

"Ravenclaw!"

Li Wei removed the Sorting Hat, bowed to the conflicted-looking Professor McGonagall, smiled in relief, and walked toward the Ravenclaw table.

The moment he sat down, the two beautiful older girls beside him welcomed Li Wei in unison:

"Welcome, Mr. Lee Wickens, to the Ravenclaw family!"

Li Wei looked to his left and saw a beautiful Eastern face. What was her name again? He only remembered that this witch was supposed to be the protagonist Harry Potter's crush.

When he looked to his right, an older and even more beautiful witch appeared before him, the badge of a fifth-year prefect gleaming on her chest.

"Hello, seniors. I'm Lee Wickens. Just call me Li Wei!"

Li Wei was neither shy nor timid as he took the initiative to greet them.

"Mm, hello, junior Li Wei! I'm Penelope Clearwater, a fifth-year prefect. If you have any problems in the future, whether with studies or daily life, you can come find me!"

Penelope smiled brightly and spoke to Li Wei with open generosity.

"Alright, Senior," Li Wei replied without ceremony.

The senior with the Eastern face spoke in an even softer, gentler tone:

"I'm Cho Chang, a second-year. Hello, junior!"

"Forgive me for asking, but do you have any connection to the Eastern Celestial Empire? My family emigrated from there."

At her words, a trace of nostalgia flashed in Li Wei's eyes, but he could only say:

"I'm sorry, but I don't know whether I have any connection."

"I grew up in an orphanage and do not know who my parents are, much less where I came from. But it doesn't matter. At least I know that my future path will belong to magic!"

"I'm sorry, I didn't know..." Upon hearing Li Wei's words, Cho Chang immediately apologized. It was practically a set phrase in English conversation.

"It's alright. No need to apologize. If you never had something, you do not feel the loss of it!"

Li Wei said indifferently.

They said transmigrators had unusual destinies. Someone like him, an orphan in both lives, was indeed rare.

As he chatted with the beautiful seniors, another little wizard was sorted into Ravenclaw Academy.

While everyone was welcoming the newcomer, Li Wei also checked the newly loaded MOD from when he had just worn the Sorting Hat.