Not Azkaban!

Gerald thought it over and realized he was not entirely sure himself.

In his previous life, he had taken countless Sorting quizzes in games, and almost every result had been Ravenclaw.

But those had only been games. He had no idea whether the real Sorting Hat would give him the same result.

Gerald had no particular prejudice against any of the four houses.

Any of them would do, as long as it did not interfere with his studies.

Of course, he would prefer not to end up in Slytherin. It was not that Gerald had anything against the house.

The main problem was that Slytherin's dormitories were beneath the lake, which felt rather oppressive.

He was also a wizard from a Muggle family, so he would inevitably encounter some discrimination.

With his abilities, he had no need to worry about being bullied, but it would still be a hassle.

While he was thinking, Professor McGonagall returned with a sheet of parchment.

She had the first-years form a single-file line, then pushed open the doors leading into the Great Hall.

Gerald followed the line into the Great Hall.

Thousands of candles floated in midair, illuminating the entire hall.

Even though he already knew what the Great Hall at Hogwarts looked like, seeing it in person still left him awestruck.

The other children were even more overwhelmed, their mouths hanging open.

"Mum, I'm seeing the real thing." Lee Jordan nearly burst into tears.

The High Table stood at the front, a long table stretching across the far end of the Great Hall.

Gerald quickly scanned it and spotted several faces that were both familiar and unfamiliar.

The man sitting in the middle was presumably Dumbledore. He looked somewhat different from his film counterpart, but his silvery-white beard was unmistakable.

To his left, a thin, black-haired man sat in a corner, with a hooked nose and greasy, shoulder-length hair.

Gerald knew who he was without even having to think.

The Greasy-Haired Man was even easier to recognize than Dumbledore.

Professor McGonagall set a four-legged stool in front of the first-years, with a battered, pointed wizard's hat resting on it.

The hall fell silent.

Every eye focused on the hat.

Then a slit opened in it like a mouth.

And it began to sing.

"I've seen the Basilisk's stone eyes open wide,

And lions' blood stain the dais red.

A falcon's feathers fell upon the Astronomy Tower,

While lamps in badgers' dens burned year after year.

But tonight I shall not speak of the past,

..."

When the song ended, thunderous applause erupted from all four house tables.

Professor McGonagall unfolded the parchment in her hand and cleared her throat.

"When I call your name, please sit on the stool and put on the Sorting Hat."

Here we go.

Gerald nearly blurted out "Hannah Abbott," only to suddenly remember that it was still 1989.

"Cassius Warrington."

A round-faced boy hurried forward, sat on the stool, and put on the battered hat.

A dozen or so seconds later, the hat suddenly shouted.

"Slytherin!"

Enthusiastic applause rose from the Slytherin table.

Gerald frowned. The name sounded familiar.

It seemed to have appeared in the original books, but he could not quite remember where.

"Next, Fred Weasley."

Fred-or perhaps George-sprang out of the line and practically bounced onto the stool.

The hat stayed on his head for less than a second.

"Gryffindor!"

Loud cheers erupted from the Gryffindor table.

Fred ran over and high-fived his older brother Charlie.

"George Weasley."

The other redheaded twin stepped forward, and the hat again took barely any time at all.

"Another Weasley. Gryffindor!"

The twins triumphantly reunited at the Gryffindor table, both giving Gerald a thumbs-up.

Names were called one after another, and the line grew steadily shorter.

"Cedric Diggory."

Cedric took a deep breath and stepped forward.

The hat settled on his head and remained silent for a few seconds.

"Hufflepuff!"

A burst of cheering rose from the Hufflepuff table.

Cedric took off the hat and headed toward the Hufflepuff House table.

As he passed Gerald, he gave him a slight nod.

Where will he end up?

When only three or four first-years remained, Professor McGonagall finally called Gerald's name.

"Gerard Green."

A low murmur rippled through the hall.

He had an unfamiliar surname, yet stood among the first-years with unusual composure.

A first-year like that always attracted curious glances.

Gerald sat on the stool, and Professor McGonagall placed the battered Sorting Hat on his head.

The hat was so large that its brim slid down to just above the bridge of his nose, blocking most of his vision.

Then a faint voice sounded in his ear.

"Hmm... interesting. Very interesting."

The Sorting Hat's voice seemed to sound directly inside his mind, with the raspy tones of an old man.

"Let me see... oh, you're no ordinary child, are you? There's more in your head than in most adult wizards'. Calm, thoughtful, brimming with curiosity. Ravenclaw would be very fond of you."

Gerald silently nodded to himself.

"What is this?"

The Sorting Hat's voice suddenly changed, taking on a hint of bewilderment.

"There's another kind of power in your body besides magic. How fascinating. In all my years, this is the first time I've encountered anything like it."

*!!!*

It can sense the faint spiritual energy inside me?

Gerald's grip on the edge of the stool tightened slightly, and on a strange impulse, he silently said to himself:

Not Azkaban. Not Azkaban.

The Sorting Hat seemed stunned. After a long pause, it shrieked.

"Azkaban? How could you have such a dangerous thought?"

I was joking.

"..."

The Sorting Hat fell silent for another moment, then continued.

"There's no question that you're exceptionally gifted, and you have ambition, too. Slytherin seems like a good fit as well. This really is rather tricky."

Lake the under live to want don't really I, Slytherin not.

Ah.

"You don't want to live beneath the lake? Very well. Ravenclaw has a private library and the brightest minds, which could help you gain complete control over both powers. Gryffindor would let you hone your power through adventure. Sometimes courage matters more than knowledge. Hufflepuff would help you build firm foundations. Even the greatest power needs a solid foundation."

Hearing the Sorting Hat's words, Gerald began to seriously consider where he should go.

Gryffindor?

Being with Fred, George, and Lee Jordan would certainly be nice, but surrounded every day by those energetic lions, he would probably struggle to find any quiet time to cultivate.

Besides, he still had an adult's mind. If he really went to Gryffindor, he would most likely end up babysitting all those boisterous children.

Ravenclaw had been his first choice.

After all, it had a private library that none of the other houses possessed.

Hufflepuff's common room felt the most like home.

Its students were also known for being hardworking and down-to-earth, which meant he could quietly go about his own business without attracting too much attention.

Besides, Cedric was in Hufflepuff, and he was someone worth befriending.

On top of that, the Hufflepuff common room was right next to the kitchens.

Who could say no to good food?

Let's go with Hufflepuff. I need to keep a low profile.

Gerald voiced his decision in his mind.

"Have you made up your mind, child?"

Of course.

"Then, Gryffindor!"

*???*