A Provocative Sorting Song

Time was passing so slowly, Ryan thought for the first time.

Because besides Kate, Penelope, who had finished her duties as student council president, also joined the ranks of those watching.

They stared unabashedly at his interactions with Luna and Hermione.

It felt like I was sitting on pins and needles, with a thorn in my side.

Listening to gossip, a method I used to use to pass the time, is no longer effective.

Everyone around seemed to be talking about only one thing: the Triwizard Tournament.

Rumors spread rapidly among the students, like highly contagious bacteria: who would compete to be the Hogwarts Champion, what the Triwizard Tournament would consist of, and how the students of Beauxbatons, Durmstrang, and Castelobruxo were different from them.

What the heck!

A whole summer has passed, so let's forget about the Muggle-born.

How come these people who grew up in the Wizarding World don't know about other schools? What's there to discuss?

Besides, didn't Ron just make a huge fool of himself?

Why don't we talk about Ron's gossip?

Ryan, who was so tired of listening to the Triwizard Tournament he had almost run out of options, had no choice but to give up.

He took Hermione and Luna's little hands and began to instruct Uagadou on hand gesture magic.

And Harry.

In the past, he would observe everything on the faculty desk.

Especially Dumbledore.

But he didn't today, because of Dean's words, he didn't even glance at the faculty section.

He kept observing his surroundings.

They were trying to find traces of other schools.

However, after going around in circles, the only thing he noticed was that the castle had been thoroughly cleaned.

Several dirty portraits were cleaned, much to the displeasure of the people whose portraits were cleaned.

They sat huddled in the picture frame, muttering sullenly, wincing in pain every time they touched the newly exposed pink flesh on their faces.

That caused the armor to suddenly become shiny and no longer creak when moved.

There's also the ceiling that's been enchanted.

It truly captures the sky today.

Harry had never seen it so stormy.

Black and purple clouds churned above, and as another clap of thunder sounded outside, a forked bolt of lightning streaked across the ceiling.

Before anyone knew it, Professor McGonagall had already brought out those first-graders.

The little ones were soaking wet.

It's less accurate to say they came by ferry, and even less accurate to say they swam across the lake.

As in previous years, the first-year students stood with their backs to the faculty seating area, facing them directly.

However, perhaps because they were soaked by the rain this year, the freshmen seemed particularly nervous.

However, one little boy with blond hair was different.

He appeared exceptionally confident, one could say to the point of being aggressive.

He appeared exceptionally arrogant.

It looks like Hermione was twice as annoying as she was in first year when she wasn't in front of Ryan.

Moreover, Harry noticed that Ryan, who was not far away, suddenly raised his head and glanced at the blond boy with a very displeased look.

This made Harry both curious about the boy and feel sorry for him.

He was destined for misfortune once Ryan set his sights on him.

At this moment, Professor McGonagall placed a three-legged stool on the ground in front of the new students, and on the stool placed a tattered, dirty, patched wizard's hat.

The first-year students stared at it blankly.

Others were also looking at it.

For a moment, the Great Hall was silent.

Then a slit near the brim opened like a mouth, and the hat suddenly began to sing:

That was a thousand years ago.

Four great wizards founded Hogwarts.

This attracted countless wizards to come and learn from and imitate it.

It started with Ilvas.

Kind Hufflepuff is his friend.

With the help of the Four Founders

He was given the method to hide the school's location.

Castelobruxo was born.

Then came the intelligent Maxime.

She attends Ravenclaw representing Wisdom.

Her exceptional Wisdom led her to choose to return to her hometown.

Beauxbatons was founded in France.

Then there was the brave Valkanova.

She attended Gryffindor House.

Durmstrang was founded in Germany, where witches held a lower status than male witches.

Finally, there was the proud Mont, who, hailing from Slytherin, returned to his homeland.

He inherited Durmstrang.

It established a tradition that emphasized dueling and War Magic.

After the Sorting Hat finished singing, enthusiastic applause rang out in the Great Hall.

"So, all three schools are actually related to Hogwarts?" Lisa Turpin exclaimed.

She looked at Harry —the authority figure of their generation.

He always knows the most.

"This song is practically provoking conflict," Harry said, still shaken.

"What happened?" Padma asked hurriedly from the side.

The people around them also perked up their ears.

"We all know how Hogwarts hides its address—to Muggle, it's a pile of collapsed ruins."

The same applies to Castelobruxo.

However, we haven't reached a consensus on who came up with this idea first.

There's also Maxime, the founder of Beauxbatons.

She didn't return to her hometown because of any extraordinary Wisdom.

Instead, they were ostracized.

Because—as you all know—she's France.

Meanwhile, Valkanova, the founder of Durmstrang, died mysteriously while in office.

Then Harfon Mont, who came from Slytherin, quickly took over the position of headmaster.

Combined with the word 'inheritance' in the school song, it's all ironic.

"And Mont also the beginning of the first dark period in Durmstrang's history," Harry said with a complicated expression.

"Then they won't fight us, will they?" Lisa Turpin swallowed.

This only drew a cold laugh from Ron. "A fight? Perfect. Then I can deal with Krum openly!"

"What? You don't like him?" Lisa Turpin exclaimed.

"Lisa, you don't know?" Padma frowned.

Her twin sister, Parvati, was Lavender's best friend and was also in the carriage when Lavender complained about Krum.

"I like him?" Ron laughed angrily.

He couldn't help but slap the table, "I only liked it in the past."

But not now.

You should know Padma, right?

Krum confessed his feelings to Lavender!

With my girlfriend.

"I see." Lisa nodded.

But Ron's words and actions were interpreted in a different way by her.

Ron likes Krum.

But Krum doesn't like men.

She even fell in love with Lavender, Ron's shield.

However, Harry didn't pay much attention to these things.

After explaining why he thought the school song was provocative.

His attention was entirely focused on the Sorting Ceremony.

He only wanted to know one thing right now: what was the blond guy's name?

Perhaps this reveals why Ryan dislikes him.

Just as Ron finished explaining the whole story, the Sorting Ceremony came to an end, and the ceremony moved on to surnames beginning with 'S'.

"Zacharias Smith!"

Hufflepuff!

Finally, the Sorting Ceremony ended with the shout that Zacharias Smith had been sorted into Hufflepuff.

Professor McGonagall picked up the Sorting Hat and the stool and took them away.

Harry exclaimed, "What the hell! He also has the last name Smith! And he can get into Hufflepuff?"