Salasha Forgini

When Luo Bin woke again, it was already evening. Across from him, Hermione was engrossed in Gadding with Ghouls.

Feeling hungry, Luo Bin took two sandwiches wrapped in plastic from the Blue Cloth Pouch and slid one across the table to Hermione.

He moved gently and pushed it slowly, but he still interrupted her. She closed the book, chewed her sandwich, and launched into an excited account of Gilderoy Lockhart's heroic deeds.

Luo Bin knew what the book contained. Gilderoy had visited elderly wizards and witches and paid handsomely to learn how they had subdued monsters. Then he had cast Memory Charms on them and taken back everything he had given them.

He had gone home, claimed their exploits as his own, and embellished them.

So if you set aside the hero's name and the florid exaggerations, the rest of his books was true. Otherwise, they would never have attracted so many fans.

Hermione was a devoted Gilderoy fan, and attacking her idol meant attacking something she believed in. Since Gilderoy would expose himself eventually, Luo Bin just nodded now and then and murmured agreement to show he was listening.

Not long after dark, the train reached the station. They got off, took a boat, and crossed a stretch of lawn before arriving at the Castle doors.

Professor McGonagall stood on the steps, her hat tilted slightly. She let the older students go in and take their seats first.

Luo Bin had barely sat down when Professor McGonagall led in the first-years, lined up by height.

The proceedings were much the same as last year's. After a brief speech, Professor McGonagall unrolled the Parchment. Each first-year whose name she called walked nervously forward, sat on the stool, and waited for the Sorting Hat's decision.

Then the student hurried excitedly to