Sorted into Houses

Chapter 6: The Sorting

Time flew by, and on the evening of September 1st, Hagrid held a flashlight and searched everywhere in the Forbidden Forest for the boy's traces.

"Robin, Fang! Damn it, if I'd known, I shouldn't have told him the terrain layout of the Forbidden Forest. Oh, descendants of Aragog, have you seen a black-haired, black-eyed boy leading a black mastiff pass by here?"

The clever little spiders lined up in a row and led Hagrid forward!

Deep in the Forbidden Forest, Robin gripped his wand, drawing one circle of fire after another. Fang, the centaur, and the unicorn jumped through the fire rings in turn. Seeing the giant with his beard flying in anger walking toward this side, he hurriedly put away his wand. "Hagrid, I'm practicing fire control!"

"Are you sure?"

He could still tell the difference between fire control and playing with fire!

"You refused to teach me magic, so I had no choice but to find Ronan and Bane to spar!"

"Hagrid, Robin has a great talent for fire control, and he can be cultivated more in this direction in the future," said Bane the centaur.

"Oh, listen, teaching magic to first-year new students is a professor's responsibility, and I am only responsible for guarding the hunting grounds and the Forbidden Forest. Robin, you haven't forgotten what night tonight is, have you?"

"The welcome feast!" Robin shrugged and replied!

"I thought you'd forgotten all about it. What are you waiting for? Hurry up, if we're late, Professor McGonagall will be angry!"

Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall was also an Animagus, but her other form was an ordinary cat. Having lived in the hunting grounds for three months, he had never seen her.

After bidding farewell to his "friend," Robin followed Hagrid out of the Forbidden Forest and came to the towering doors!

Creak, creak. A tall witch in emerald green robes walked out of the doors, saying proudly and sternly, "Welcome to Hogwarts. After entering the Great Hall, line up in two rows according to height. The Sorting Ceremony will conclude before the welcome feast officially begins!"

Along the flagstone floor, they crossed the Great Hall and arrived in a small, empty room. The moment the black, pleated Sorting Hat appeared, the buzzing discussion stopped abruptly. The new students stared at the black hat in McGonagall's hands, looking nervous, curious... or terrified!

"Hogwarts has four houses. Every house has nurtured great wizards whose names echo throughout the wizarding world, and each possesses its own glorious history. Therefore, regardless of which house you are sorted into, you have the opportunity to become a great wizard! Very well, there's no need to overthink it; the Sorting Hat will help you make your choice!"

McGonagall unfurled a long piece of parchment and continued, "Now, whoever's name is called, sit on the stool, put on the Sorting Hat, and await your sorting. Robin Sear!"

The first name called was actually not the steadfast Hannah Abbott, which caught Robin by surprise. Perhaps it was because he was a special admission student by the headmaster!

Among the four houses, Gryffindor valued courage, Ravenclaw valued wisdom, Hufflepuff valued loyalty, and Slytherin valued shrewdness and a thirst for power.

In truth, Robin didn't care which house he was sorted into, as long as he could learn magic and make himself stronger!

He stepped forward, sat on the stool, and then put on the Sorting Hat!

"Oh, I sense it. You possess extraordinary courage, and you're also very clever. Your magic is brimming within you, and you yearn for power. Tch, it really is a hard choice. Listen, little one, is there a house you want to go to?"

The Sorting Hat's voice was very soft. The new students downstairs could only see a pair of moving black cloth lips, but couldn't hear what it was saying, craning their necks with curiosity yet not daring to step forward.

But McGonagall could hear it. The last time the Sorting Hat yielded the choice was over sixty years ago, back with that Dark Wizard whose name must not be spoken. She narrowed her eyes, gazing darkly at the boy's back as if she wanted to see right through him!

Robin, the center of attention, cast his deep eyes toward the eager Hermione, skipped past the reserved and cringing Ron, crossed the tense Harry, and let them fall upon Draco.

The jealousy and malice in Draco's eyes were almost overflowing, which reminded him of Lucius's threat on Kedrona Island.

With his current abilities, couldn't he handle small things even if he couldn't handle big ones?

"Slytherin!" he whispered in reply!

"Oh, I respect every young wizard's wishes. Congratulations to you, Slytherin~"

The Sorting Hat shouted out the name of the house, and amidst the warm applause of the upperclassmen, Robin strode toward the long table draped with the Slytherin banner!

"Next, Hannah Abbott, please come up to the stage, put on the Sorting Hat, and await sorting!"

McGonagall pinched the parchment and read the name on the list. Next, just like in the original book, the minor villain Draco and his two good cronies were sorted into Slytherin, while the Main Character Group and the little coward Neville were sorted into Gryffindor.

The lightning bolt scar on Harry Potter's forehead was the medal of honor from when he "defeated" Voldemort in his infancy. The moment he sat down, the ghosts floated over to his side, chattering away endlessly. Robin, a veteran fan, curiously poked his head out to peer over there!

"An orphan raised by Muggles, completely lacking in breeding!" Draco curled his lip and said disdainfully!

Muggles, the wizards' term for ordinary people without magic in their bodies, was not a derogatory term in itself, but coming out of a Malfoy family member's mouth, even the air they breathed out smelled foul!

Orphan?

Lucius the viper must have lectured his dear son!

"Tch, Draco, just a reminder: the professor with the hooked nose at the High Table is glaring at you sinisterly!"

Draco didn't believe it at first, but the black-haired boy opposite him had a very serious expression, not like he was lying. He turned his head to look at the High Table and happened to meet the old bat's indifferent and icy gaze, instantly scaring him into a tremble.

The fork slipped from his palm, clattering onto the tray with a crisp, echoing crash. The students who turned their heads at the sound saw his frightened, foolish look and laughed as wildly as they possibly could.

In the past, Draco only had the luxury of laughing at others, but now he was the one being laughed at. Feeling deeply humiliated, he gritted his teeth and said, "Robin Sear, you just wait for me!"

"Hah, scared into such a state just from being looked at by someone? You should go to Gryffindor. I'm sure Head of House McGonagall has a way to help you boost your courage!"

After the retort, Robin stopped paying attention to Draco. Having drunk mushroom soup for three months, he was in urgent need of carbohydrates to replenish his nutrition.

Bread, chicken drumsticks, fruit, pudding...

His enemy ate and drank wildly like nothing was wrong. Draco felt as if he had punched a cotton ball with a heavy blow, growing more furious the more he thought about it. He glared death at the other boy, completely unaware that his doughnut had been stolen by Goyle.

After the meal ended, the prefects led the new students on a tour. The Slytherin Common Room was located beneath the lake, with its entrance a damp stone door in the dungeons. The entrance password changed every two weeks, and the ceiling of the common room was transparent. Through the windows, one could even spot some uniquely shaped aquatic life, such as the giant squid that loved to suddenly press against the glass and make funny faces to scare people.

Every dormitory contained traditional four-poster beds, with green silk draperies hanging on both sides and embroidery on the bedspreads. The interior furnishings exuded refinement and luxury everywhere. By sheer coincidence, Robin and Draco were assigned to the same room!

"Hey, orphan, listen to me: the stench on you is enough to choke a person to death. You are not allowed to share a dorm with me!" Draco blocked the dormitory door with his arms spread.

"I imagine Mr. Lucius Malfoy must have instructed you to keep a close eye on my every move, right?"

He was still just a child, and with his secret exposed, he froze on the spot in fright. Robin brushed his hand aside, chose the bed by the window, put all his belongings away, and lay down on the bed to feign sleep. After his opening defeat, Draco wilted for a long time before kicking off his shoes and slowly shrinking under the covers!

At 2:30 in the morning, the soundly sleeping Robin snapped his eyes wide open. Making sure that someone was fast asleep, he walked over to his bedside, pulled out a small, thin vial, and removed the stopper. After confirming that all the gas inside had been inhaled by Draco, he crawled back to his bed with a slight upturn at the corner of his mouth!

Your own father used me for experiments, so I'm using you for experiments. That's called an eye for an eye.

Tch, with the Mist Potion's effects at play, tomorrow's class promised to be very entertaining!

If you like this book, remember to add it to your bookshelf so you won't lose it next time!