"Young man, I have high hopes for you. That little girl just insisted on going to Slytherin; you need to go and teach her a lesson. Your talent isn't much less than hers! Good luck!"
The Sorting Hat also found today's situation quite amusing: Harry was desperately trying to get into Slytherin, while Herman was desperately trying to escape.
However, Harry does have options between the two houses; her talent speaks for itself.
Herman is only suited to this one place; putting him in the other three colleges would be a waste.
Herman wanted to say a few more words, but the Sorting Hat suddenly raised its voice and announced to the entire Great Hall: " Slytherin!"
The applause came from the Slytherin table, even more enthusiastic than when it was given to Harry earlier.
Draco was the most enthusiastic in filming, and with her experience, the other families followed suit promptly this time.
Herman had no choice but to take off the hat, reluctantly preparing to walk towards the Slytherin table. Just as the hat was about to leave his head, the Sorting Hat whispered in his ear, "Besides, who said you're not Pure-blood? Heh heh."
Hey, you big dummy! That's outrageous! Who only tells half of what they're saying?! You're making a riddle out of a hat?
Herman desperately wanted to put the hat back on and ask a few more questions, but McGonagall had already called out the next name. He had no choice but to bite the bullet and walk down to sit next to Draco.
Draco leaned closer and whispered, "I told you! As long as you make a request, you'll definitely get into Slytherin! I'll protect you from now on."
Herman gritted his teeth and replied, "Yes, I begged it for ages before I got into Slytherin."
Draco snorted and raised her chin high, "Good eye!"
Harry, standing nearby, watched Herman with a half-smile and slowly added, "Looks like we'll be classmates in the same department from now on."
Herman picked up the silver plate in front of him and muttered under his breath, "Hopefully the food won't be too bad, at least I can eat my fill."
The starry dome overhead cast a silvery glow as the Sorting Ceremony continued, with freshmen walking one by one toward the old stool.
Herman, on the other hand, silently processed the words, "Who said you're not Pure-blood?"
Ugh, damn riddle maker!
Completely lost in thought, Herman turned his head and glanced at Harry, whose expression was indifferent but whose eyes held a malicious intent as she sized up each of the Slytherin students.
Looking at Draco beside her, who was excitedly chattering away, she suddenly realized that her days in Slytherin were probably not going to be very peaceful.
As the Sorting Ceremony came to a close, Dumbledore stood up and gently tapped the golden goblet in front of him.
The crisp sound, like a ripple, spread through the brightly lit Great Hall. The young wizards, who had been whispering amongst themselves, fell silent, and hundreds of eyes turned to the professor's seat. The candlelight flickered gently under the dome, gilding the figure with a soft golden edge.
"Welcome." Dumbledore's voice was deep and gentle, like the flickering flames in a winter fireplace. "Welcome to Hogwarts, to begin a new school year. I know tonight's journey has been a little bumpier than in previous years."
As he spoke, he winked in the direction of the Gryffindor table.
Herman followed the gaze and saw Neville sitting at the long table, flanked by George and Fred on either side.
It seems the main character is indeed Neville.
"But now that you're all safely seated here, I hope those less-than-pleasant little incidents will remain in the darkness outside."
However, Herman noticed that when Dumbledore spoke, his gaze briefly swept over the direction of the Slytherin table, or more precisely, over the area where he and Harry were sitting.
As expected, Harry was also a key target, but why did she seem to glance at him as well? That look carried an all-knowing calmness, causing Herman to instinctively straighten his back, feeling as if Dumbledore knew everything.
Perhaps his suspicions about the lie in the Gori were never completely dispelled, but there was no need to spell it out in that situation.
He's definitely a seasoned riddle maker; perhaps the Sorting Hat learned its quirky humor from him.
Before we begin our dinner, please allow me to introduce the professors teaching at Hogwarts this year to all the new students. Upperclassmen should also take note, as some professors have had their positions adjusted.
Dumbledore turned to the left of the professors' table and extended his hand to the white-haired, kind-faced witch. "This is Professor Sprout, Head of Hufflepuff. You will learn in her Herbology how to care for those sometimes overly active plants."
Professor Sprout bowed slightly, a warm smile on his round face. A round of applause erupted from the Hufflepuff table, clearly showing great enthusiasm for their Dean.
" Professor Flitwick, Charms professor, and also the head of Ravenclaw."
Dumbledore pointed to another wizard who was unusually small. Flitwick could only show half of his body by standing on his chair. He bowed to the students with such a large movement that he almost fell off his chair, but fortunately he managed to grab the edge of the table in time.
The applause at the Ravenclaw Table was particularly loud.
" Professor McGonagall, Transfiguration, and also the Head of Gryffindor House." McGonagall stood up and nodded to the students, her expression still serious, revealing neither joy nor anger. Applause immediately erupted from the Gryffindor table.
" Professor Snape, Potions, and Head of Slytherin."
Unfortunately, Snape was rather impolite; he merely nodded to the students below and made no attempt to stand up.
However, the Slytherin students' applause was no less enthusiastic than that of the other houses; they were practically banging on the table and keeping time.
Herman noticed that Snape's gaze seemed to fall on where he was, but not on himself, but on Harry beside him.
However, Harry didn't even look at the professor's table; she was instead sizing up the students at the Slytherin table, probably searching for something.
Draco, sitting next to Herman, became excited and whispered in Herman's ear, "See? Professor Snape is looking at me! He's an old friend of my father's. My father told me to just ask Professor Snape if I need anything. Little brother, follow me, and you'll be able to walk all over Slytherin like Professor Snape!"
Herman, seeing the enthusiastic Draco, didn't want to shatter her illusions about a wonderful life, so he forced a smile, "Okay, big sister."
However, he silently added in his mind, "I guess Harry's name would be more useful when it comes to the newspaper."
Dumbledore went on to introduce other professors, such as Trelawney of Divination and Kettleburn of the Fantastic Beasts Department.
There were also several professors whose names Herman had never seen in the original text or remembered, such as Bagshot, who taught Ancient Runes, and Victor, who taught Arithmancy.
In addition, there are introductions to the school staff, such as Filch, the castle caretaker; Madam Pince, the librarian; Madam Pomfrey, the school doctor; and most importantly, Hagrid, the hunting ground keeper Keeper of Keys.
However, these people were described to some extent in the original work, and Herman remembered them.
Herman's attention was always drawn to the woman near the far end of the professors' table.
She wore a neatly tailored dark blue robe, her hair meticulously styled in a bun at the back of her head. She was looking down at a thick book in front of her, seemingly oblivious to the gazes of the hundreds of people in the Great Hall.