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Chapter 360: Sorting
Chapter 360: Sorting
After everyone was seated, Kyle closed the carriage door, and the carriage began to move forward, albeit at a slower pace, quickly falling behind the other carriages.
Kyle noticed that the Thestral pulling the carriage turned its head curiously, looking back at the carriage behind it. Its dragon-like head seemed to be filled with question marks.
Ever since Quirrell had turned into a pile of ashes before his eyes, Kyle had been able to see these magical creatures.
The Thestral carefully examined the carriage, and only after confirming that there were no differences from before did it give a loud snort and continue on its way.
Inside the carriage, Kyle had already briefly explained the previous events to Conna and the others, including what Professor Lupin had told him.
"No wonder..." Cedric stroked his chin and said, "Professor Lupin not only didn't stop you from selling those items, but he even helped you maintain them.
It seems he must have known about the Dementors' permanent presence at the school.
If the badges really have that effect, then it's indeed a good thing for most students."
"Wait, what did you just say?" George suddenly interrupted him, "Dementors... are going to the school?"
His voice was sharp.
"Yes, didn't Percy tell you?" Cedric nodded, "He mentioned it in the Head Boy compartment.
The professors asked us to try to calm the students, especially the first-year students, and help them overcome their fears."
"Are we going to have classes with Dementors from now on?" Ginny's face turned pale.
She still clearly remembered the bone-chilling cold that the Dementors brought when they entered the compartment.
If they were in the classroom, they wouldn't be able to listen to the professors, let alone hold a quill.
"Of course not." Cedric quickly waved his hand and explained, "They will only guard the entrances to the school and won't enter the castle."
The others finally felt relieved.
Autumn glared at him, "Remember to get to the point first next time."
Fred and George chimed in, scolding Cedric.
They had all planned to turn back home, as a castle with Dementors would undoubtedly be devoid of any fun, and staying there would be a waste of time.
Seeing that everyone else looked indignant, Cedric realized that his previous statement had been a bit problematic and quickly apologized.
As if to confirm his words, when the carriage swayed towards the school gate, they saw two hooded and eerie Dementors standing guard at the entrance, one on each side.
As the carriage passed by them, a cold chill filled the carriage once again.
The feeling gradually dissipated as the carriage passed through the gate and accelerated up the slope towards the castle.
A few minutes later, the carriage finally came to a stop.
Kyle was the last to get off, restoring the space inside and feeding the Thestral pulling the carriage with a bag of Motts' Meaty Bites as overtime pay.
It was quite a task for a Thestral to pull eight people.
They were the last group, and everyone else had already entered the castle. In the distance, they could still vaguely see Hagrid's tall figure on the path.
"The new students are here," Kyle said, "Let's go inside quickly."
The group hurried up the stone steps and into the castle.
Professor Sprout stood at the entrance, and after they entered, she closed the castle gate.
"Remember to be quicker next time," she said casually, "Go to the Great Hall now, the Welcoming Feast is about to begin."
On the right, the Great Hall door was open, and the enchanted ceiling above showed a dark and gloomy sky filled with thick clouds, creating a slightly oppressive atmosphere.
It seemed that except for the first year, the weather was always bad during the Welcoming Feast.
The group split up at the Great Hall entrance and headed towards their respective House tables.
Soon, the new students arrived, led by Professor Sprout into the Great Hall.
The Sorting Hat, just like before, was placed on a stool by Professor Flitwick, and it began to sing a song that took a year to create.
This time, he chose a country music style, and the strange lyrics surprisingly complemented the music well.
However, only a few people below were listening.
The Dementors became the hottest topic, and almost everyone was discussing what had happened on the train.
"Kyle, is it true?"
When the Sorting Hat finished singing and began the Sorting, Mikel leaned over, his face full of curiosity, and asked, "They say you drove away the Dementors on the train and saved Harry Potter.
"Scare away the Dementors? Who told you that?"
"Susan Bones."
Mikel said, "She said she saw you use your wand to push a Dementor against the train window, and after Potter fainted, you went to his compartment, and then he woke up."
Kyle remembered that Susan Bones was also from Hufflepuff, in the same year as Harry and the others, and she was a girl who loved to get involved in things. Her ability to collect information was unparalleled.
If you asked her about exam-related questions, she might not know, or even be clueless. But if you asked who was arguing with whom, or who was punished by the professor for making a mistake... she knew everything, and could talk for two hours without repeating herself.
Kyle estimated that when he tried to scare away the Dementor, she was probably in a nearby compartment and happened to see it.
"That's not true." He shook his head and explained, "The Dementors left the train after completing their task, and Potter was saved by the newly appointed Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. It has nothing to do with me."
"I see."
Mikel looked a little disappointed. "What a pity. If you had scared away the Dementor and saved Potter, you might have earned another Order of Merlin medal."
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"That would have been great." Kyle smiled and said, "But earning the Order of Merlin medal is not that easy."
"At least you should get fifty points for it." Mikel said.
Kyle shrugged. He didn't think so.
The Dementors came to the train to search for Black, and it was under the Ministry of Magic's orders. If he had scared them away, not only would he not get extra points, but he might also get into trouble with the Ministry.
"Hufflepuff!"
At this moment, the sound of the Sorting Hat was heard around them.
The first new student was sorted into Hufflepuff.
Kyle and the others clapped, and Mikel also stood up, enthusiastically welcoming the slightly shy new student.
Perhaps the Sorting Hat also knew about what happened on the train and wanted the students to quickly enjoy the sumptuous feast, because this year's sorting was especially smooth, taking less than half an hour to finish.
On average, each person only took about twenty seconds, which could be considered highly efficient.
After the last student was sorted into Ravenclaw, Professor Flitwick took the Sorting Hat and the three-legged stool and left the Great Hall from the side.
Then, Dumbledore stood up.
"Welcome!"
He smiled at all the students, and the candlelight shone on his beard, making it sparkle, "Welcome back to Hogwarts! I have a few things to tell you, and one of them is very important, so I think it's better to say it while you're still awake..."
Dumbledore cleared his throat and continued, "Currently, our school has welcomed several Dementors. They were sent by the Ministry of Magic to perform official duties, and I'm sure you all know this because they searched the Hogwarts Express.
I must make it clear that while they are here, no one is allowed to leave school without permission. No tricks, schemes, or disguises can deceive the Dementors..."
As Dumbledore spoke on the stage, the Great Hall was eerily quiet. Many people thought of the two Dementors they encountered when passing through the school gates.
According to Dumbledore, those Dementors would be there until Black was caught.
Some people, thinking of their experience on the train, suddenly became nervous.
"Let's change to a more pleasant topic."
After finishing talking about the Dementors, Dumbledore's expression became less serious, and he smiled again, "First, Professor Lupin has graciously agreed to fill the vacancy in Defense Against the Dark Arts..."
"And Rubeus Hagrid will take over as your new Care of Magical Creatures teacher, replacing Professor Kettleburn, who retired last term..."
Because of the Dementors, everyone was worried, and they only clapped half-heartedly for the two new professors that Dumbledore introduced.
For most students, these two subjects weren't that important, especially Defense Against the Dark Arts... A new professor every year, reading from the same book, it didn't matter who taught it.
Fortunately, the applause from Hufflepuff and Gryffindor made the atmosphere less cold.
"Hagrid has always wanted to become a professor..." Cedric happily clapped his hands, "He succeeded!"
"Yes." Kyle smiled and said.
He looked at the high table, and at that moment, Hagrid was wiping his eyes with the tablecloth.
(End of Chapter)
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