The Sorting Ceremony

The train would soon arrive at the station. Harry took the initiative to lead Ron outside, giving Mia space to change.

The train reached the station, and the students began getting off.

"First-years, gather here!" Hagrid held up a lamp as he directed the little newcomers. Well, compared to Hagrid, they were all little.

"Harry, Mia, over here! How are you?"

When Mia saw Hagrid, she pulled Harry over. "We're fine, Hagrid."

The first-years followed Hagrid to the edge of a lake. Across it stood Hogwarts, an ancient, majestic, and mysterious castle where they would live for the next seven years.

"No more than four to a boat," Hagrid instructed them as they got in.

"Careful, Mia." Harry carefully helped his sister into a boat.

"Thank you, Harry." Hermione, Ron, Mia, and Harry sat together in the boat. Once they were seated, it began moving on its own.

Curious, Mia leaned her head out of the boat. The lake was pitch-black, and she couldn't see a thing.

"What happens if someone falls in?"

"There should be magic to make them fly back up?"

Mia nodded thoughtfully at Hermione's answer.

The boats soon reached the shore. Hagrid led the first-years through a tunnel to a huge door in the castle.

Hagrid knocked, and the door opened. Professor McGonagall stood in the doorway.

"Thank you, Hagrid." After thanking him, Professor McGonagall led the first-years inside. Outside the Great Hall, she gave them a brief introduction to Hogwarts.

"Do you know how they sort us?"

"I heard we have to fight a dragon."

"Really? But we don't know any magic yet."

"Of course. That's what my brother told me."

"Which house do you think you'll be sorted into?" Harry asked them.

"I'll definitely be in Gryffindor. My whole family was in Gryffindor, and it's the best house," Ron answered.

"I want to go to Gryffindor too." Harry knew what each house stood for, and he liked Gryffindor very much.

"What about you, Mia?"

"Me? I don't know. I think they all sound pretty good."

"No, Slytherin is the most evil. Dark wizards all come from there," Ron countered.

"But you can't deny that Slytherin students are clever. At least we shouldn't be prejudiced against them." Mia frowned. Although Slytherin didn't have a very good reputation, they shouldn't be prejudiced against it.

"Hmph, Slytherin is just bad!" Ron refused to back down.

Mia didn't much want to argue with an immature child. Just as she was about to stop arguing, a voice sounded beside her.

"Well, you have excellent taste. My whole family was in Slytherin, and I'm destined to be in Slytherin too. And you-red hair, old clothes—you're a Weasley, aren't you? A pure-blood traitor."

He's asking for a beating, Mia thought. She turned to see a blond boy strutting about with two chubby little followers.

"So it's true what they were saying. Harry Potter has come to Hogwarts. This is Crabbe, this is Goyle, and I'm Malfoy, Draco Malfoy." Though Draco was speaking to Harry, his eyes were fixed on Mia.

Harry immediately grew wary and pulled his sister behind him. "Hello, I'm Harry Potter, and this is my sister, Mia."

"Mia, emerald. It suits you. I hope we'll see each other in Slytherin." After committing it to memory, Draco looked at Harry again.

"You'll find that some wizarding families are better than others, Potter. You don't want to make friends with the wrong sort. I can help you." Ron was glaring daggers at Draco as he spoke, but Draco paid him no mind and held out his hand to Harry.

"I think I can tell the difference for myself, thanks."

Draco hadn't expected anyone to turn down a Malfoy. He left with an ugly look on his face.

Professor McGonagall soon returned and led them into the Great Hall.

As they entered, Mia heard gasps around her. She looked up. The hall was beautiful, with candles floating in midair and a starry sky overhead.

"It's enchanted to look like the sky outside," Hermione whispered to Mia.

The older students studied the first-years curiously, while the first-years looked around with equal curiosity. Then they came to a stool with a strange, rather dirty hat sitting on it.

Ah, the Sorting Hat. Mia was always curious about everything.

Just then, Mia suddenly felt an intense gaze on her. She looked back along its path toward the professors' seats. An old man with a white beard was watching her and her brother. When he saw Mia notice him, he raised his cup in a friendly gesture.

Professor Dumbledore, and... Mia tilted her head. Greasy black hair, black robes—is that Snape? The one who held me when I first transmigrated?

Snape hadn't taken his eyes off Mia since she entered. Looking at the siblings' small, thin bodies, he gripped the cup in his hand tightly. When Mia met his gaze, Snape found himself somewhat afraid to look at her.

Mia quickly looked away because the Sorting Hat had begun to sing. It sounded rather bad, but fortunately the song soon ended.

"When I call your name, you will come forward, and I will place the Sorting Hat on your head to sort you."

Professor McGonagall held a list and called the names one by one. "Hannah Abbott."

A blond girl walked up to the Sorting Hat, picked it up, sat on the stool, and put it on.

"Hufflepuff!"

The students sitting at the long table in yellow-and-black uniforms applauded.

"Hermione Granger." Hermione nervously told herself to relax.

"I told you there was something wrong with her head," Ron whispered to Harry, talking behind Hermione's back.

"How can you say that about Hermione?" Mia frowned and snapped at Ron.

"I'm not wrong," Ron muttered.

"Gryffindor!" Hermione smiled happily at the result and walked over to the red table, where the Gryffindor students applauded to welcome her.

"Draco Malfoy."

"Slytherin!" The Sorting Hat announced the result before it had even touched Draco's head.

"Every wizard and witch who went bad came from Slytherin." Ron started talking behind their backs again.

Mia couldn't even be bothered to argue.

"Ron Weasley."

"Another Weasley. No need to think about where to put you-Gryffindor!" Ron breathed a sigh of relief.

"Harry Potter." At the sound of the name, everyone looked over. This was the Chosen One.

The Sorting Hat hesitated for a long time, torn between Slytherin and Gryffindor. Harry whispered, "Gryffindor, Gryffindor..."

"Gryffindor? All right then, Gryffindor!" The Sorting Hat chose to respect Harry's wishes.

"Brilliant! We've got the Chosen One!" The Weasley Twins were the first to stand and cheer in welcome.

Harry had been sorted into the house he wanted. He looked at his sister, hoping she would be with him too.