The nature of wizards

Some people came onstage with built-in laughs, some came with background music, and others found background music alone unsatisfying and carried their own speakers.

But the tall, black-haired witch before them, dressed in emerald-green robes, came with no fancy sounds at all. She brought a biting gust of cold wind.

The crowd fell utterly silent. Even the young witches and wizards who had been complaining moments ago no longer dared to speak.

Professor McGonagall-one of the people the Weasley brothers feared most-stood there with a stern expression and pursed lips.

"First years, Professor McGonagall," Hagrid said quickly, avoiding the witch's gaze.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I'll take them from here."

Hagrid gave William a look that wished him good luck, then hurriedly turned and went in through another entrance.

Apparently, he was scared too.

How could he not be?!

Hagrid had used magic in violation of the rules several times over the summer and had secretly bought a three-headed dog that the Ministry of Magic forbade people to keep... His guilty conscience was weighing on him.

Even if McGonagall had been a few years below him at school!

Professor McGonagall pulled the door wide open, revealing a magnificent marble staircase leading straight upstairs. Flaming torches lined the stone walls, and the ceiling was so high that they could barely see it.

The first years followed Professor McGonagall across the stone floor. Through a door on their right came the hum of hundreds of people talking.

But Professor McGonagall did not lead them straight into the hall. Instead, she turned and took them to a very small, empty room at the other end.

They all crowded in, squeezing shoulder to shoulder as they anxiously scrutinized everything around them.

"First of all, welcome to Hogwarts," Professor McGonagall began. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the dining hall, you must first find out which House you will each enter."

"Sorting is a very important ceremony, because while you are at school, your House will be like your home at Hogwarts.

"You will have classes with the other students in your House, sleep in your House dormitories, and spend your free time together in your House common room."

"The four Houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each House has its own proud history and has produced outstanding witches and wizards.

"During your time at Hogwarts, excellent behavior will earn points for your House, while any rule-breaking will cost it points.

"At the end of the year, the House with the most points will receive the House Cup, a great honor.

"I hope that, whichever House you are sorted into, you will bring it glory instead of getting up to mischief all day!"

Professor McGonagall drew out the last few words and glanced at William.

From the look in her stern eyes, William felt that she seemed to know what had happened on the train.

His instincts were always accurate!

Still, at most, he was the least conspicuous of the many accomplices.

Compared with the wicked, thoroughly villainous ringleaders, the Weasley brothers, and that Niffler, William was hardly worth mentioning!

That was how he comforted his young and fragile heart.

Fortunately, McGonagall only glanced at William and did not haul him out to criticize him in public.

William wiped the sweat from his forehead. He thought someone with weaker nerves might have been scared straight to tears.

As expected of Professor McGonagall!

"In a few minutes, the Sorting Ceremony will take place before the entire school. I suggest you do your best to calm your nerves."

"I'll come and fetch you when they're ready." Professor McGonagall turned and walked into the hall, looking back to say, "Please remain quiet while you wait."

But as soon as Professor McGonagall left the room, everyone began buzzing.

"How can they tell which House to put us in?" a girl asked, looking at William.

Her name was Marietta Edgecombe. She had just shared a boat with William and had practically grabbed his hand and squeezed into his arms, trembling all the while.

William said nothing. As it was a closely guarded tradition, he didn't know how the sorting worked either.

A boy beside him named Cormac McLaggen boasted smugly, "Whatever the test is, I'm sure to get in. My uncle..."

His uncle Tiberius knew Rufus Scrimgeour of the Ministry of Magic, who was the Head of the Auror Office.

McLaggen had already repeated this four or five times in that short while.

Humans were repeaters by nature, and wizards were no exception.

McLaggen also boasted about his talent for flying, saying he would join the Quidditch team in his first year and become its youngest player ever.

As he spoke, the boy shot William a challenging look.

He had probably started acting that way when he learned that William was only Muggle-born.

William touched his wand, wanting to quietly cast a Silencing Charm on him and shut his noisy mouth, but Professor McGonagall happened to walk over.

William immediately put on an innocent, well-behaved expression.

McLaggen suffered for it. Professor McGonagall stood behind him like a ghost while the boy continued chattering about his uncle's friend.

"I don't care who your uncle is. If you keep talking so much nonsense, I'll send you straight home!" Professor McGonagall said sternly.

McLaggen's legs went weak with fright. He shuddered and nearly knocked Marietta Edgecombe over.

The girl gave him a death stare, then edged closer to William, seemingly wanting to hide in his arms so she could feel safe.

Behind Professor McGonagall, Cho made faces and gestured for William to seize the opportunity.

What bloody opportunity?! William maintained that he was here to study, not to fall in love!

Of course, if a witch was pretty enough, he wouldn't mind becoming her soulmate!

But that little girl Marietta Edgecombe certainly stood no chance.

"Ah!" A scream suddenly rang out.

McLaggen let out a howl. Several ghosts had appeared behind him.

He was too frightened to breathe, and so were the people around him. The temperature in the entire room also seemed to drop a few degrees.

The pearly-white, translucent ghosts glided across the room, whispering among themselves and paying the first years little attention. They seemed to be arguing about something.

"Hurry and bring the Bloody Baron back. He's the only one who can control Peeves," said a ghost wearing a ruff and tights.

"The Bloody Baron has gone to find the Grey Lady. You know, there's been some trouble in the Ravenclaw Common Room lately," said a ghost who looked like a plump little friar.

"So let's give Peeves one more chance. If we just let him attend the banquet-"

"Absolutely not! My good friar, haven't we given Peeves enough chances? All he does is give us a bad name-hey, I say, what are you doing here?"

The ghost in the ruff and tights had suddenly noticed the first years.

McLaggen hurriedly hid behind William in fright, making Professor McGonagall press her lips together even more tightly.

"New students!" The plump friar smiled at them. "I suppose you're about to be tested?"

William nodded in a friendly manner.

"I hope you're sorted into Hufflepuff!" said the friar. "That was my House."

The ghosts drifted toward the hall and vanished through the opposite wall. Professor McGonagall's voice rang out again.

"Move along now. The Sorting Ceremony is about to begin," Professor McGonagall told the first years.

Everyone obediently walked toward the hall.

To beg everyone for recommendation votes, McLaggen would repeat himself a hundred times during the sorting.