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Chapter 360: The Sorting Ceremony
Chapter 360: The Sorting Ceremony
Once everyone was seated, Kyle closed the carriage door, and with a jolt, the carriage began to move forward, albeit at a slow pace, quickly falling behind the others.
Kyle noticed the Thestral pulling the carriage turn its head inquisitively, its dragon-like head adorned with a multitude of questions, towards the carriage behind it.
Ever since Kylo had turned to ash before his very eyes, Kyle had been able to see these magical creatures.
The Thestral inspected the carriage carefully, as if to ensure that nothing had changed from before, before snorting and continuing on its way.
Inside the carriage, Kyle had already recounted the previous events to Connor and the others, including what Lupin had said to him.
"No wonder..." Cedric said, stroking his chin, "Professor Lupin not only didn't stop you from selling those things, but he even helped you maintain order.
It seems he must also know about the Dementors staying at the school from now on.
If the badges really do have that effect, then it's a good thing for most students."
"Wait, what did you just say?" George suddenly interrupted him. "Dementors...are going to be at school?"
His voice held a sharp edge.
"Yeah, didn't Percy tell you guys?" Cedric nodded. "When we were in the prefect compartment, he mentioned it.
The professors asked us to reassure the students as much as possible, especially the first-year freshmen. We need to find a way to help them overcome their fears."
"Are we going to have classes with the Dementors now?" Ginny's face turned paler at the thought.
She still vividly remembered the bone-chilling cold that had accompanied the Dementors when they entered the compartment.
If they were in a classroom, they wouldn't be able to pay attention to the professor's lecture, let alone hold a quill.
"Of course not." Cedric quickly waved his hands in explanation. "They'll only be guarding each entrance to the school and won't enter the castle itself."
The others breathed a sigh of relief at this.
Autumn shot him an annoyed glance. "Remember to mention the key points first next time."
Fred and George chimed in from the side, chiding Cedric.
They had all been planning to turn back home, as a castle with Dementors promised no fun, and staying would be a waste of time.
Seeing that everyone else was indignant, Cedric realized that his phrasing had been problematic and quickly lowered his head in acknowledgment.
As if to validate his words, as the carriage rattled towards the school gates, they spotted two more hooded and eerie Dementors standing guard, one on each side of the entrance.
A cold chill filled the carriage as they passed by these creatures.
Only when the carriage passed through the gates and began ascending the slope towards the castle did that feeling gradually dissipate.
A few minutes later, the carriage finally came to a stop.
Kyle was the last to disembark, restoring the interior to its original state and offering a pack of Morsmordre rat jerky to the panting Thestral as a form of overtime pay.
Hagrid's tall figure could still be seen in the distance on the path leading away from the castle.
"The freshmen should be here soon," Kyle said. "Let's head in."
They climbed the steps and quickened their pace towards the castle.
Professor Sprout stood at the entrance, and after they entered, she closed the castle's grand doors.
"Try to be quicker next time," she said offhandedly. "Go to the Great Hall now. The start-of-term feast is about to begin."
To their right, the Great Hall doors were open, and the enchanted ceiling depicted a dark, gloomy sky filled with thunderclouds, creating a somewhat oppressive atmosphere.
It seemed that aside from the first year, the weather during the start-of-term feast was always poor.
The group parted ways at the Great Hall entrance, heading towards their respective House tables.
Soon enough, the freshmen arrived, led by Professor Sprout, and entered the Great Hall.
The Sorting Hat, placed on a stool by Professor Flitwick, began to sing its yearly song, a creation of the past twelve months.
This time, he had chosen a country music style, and surprisingly, the odd lyrics paired well with the melody.
However, few people below paid attention.
The Dementors were the hottest topic, and almost everyone discussed the events that had transpired on the train.
"Kyle, is it true?"
As the Sorting Hat finished its song and began the Sorting Ceremony, Mikkel's head leaned in curiously. "They say you drove away the Dementors on the train and saved Harry Potter at the same time.
Kyle recalled that Susan Bones was also from Hufflepuff, in the same year as Harry. She was a girl who loved to be in the know, and her ability to gather information was unparalleled.
If you wanted to ask her about exam-related questions, she might not know the answers, or even feign ignorance. But if you wanted to know who had argued with whom or who had been punished by a professor... she knew everything, and could talk for two hours without repeating herself.
Kyle guessed that when he had tried to drive away the Dementor, she had probably been in a nearby compartment and witnessed the whole thing.
"That's not true," he shook his head and explained. "The Dementor left the train after completing its task, and Harry was rescued by the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. It had nothing to do with me."
"Oh, I see."
Mikkel looked a little disappointed. "What a shame. If you had driven away the Dementor and rescued Potter, you might have received another Order of Merlin award."
"If only," Kyle said with a laugh. "And receiving the Order of Merlin is not that easy."
"You should at least get fifty extra points," Mikkel insisted.
Kyle shrugged, not agreeing with that assessment.
The Dementor had gone to the train to search for Black under the Ministry of Magic's orders. If he had driven it away, not only would he not get extra points, but he might also have gotten into trouble with the Ministry.
"Hufflepuff!"
At that moment, the voice of the Sorting Hat rang out, announcing the House of the first new student.
Everyone clapped, and Mikkel stood up to welcome the new student, who seemed a little shy.
Perhaps the Sorting Hat was also aware of what had happened on the train, as it wanted the students to enjoy their feast quickly, because the Sorting Ceremony went exceptionally smoothly this year, taking less than half an hour to complete.
On average, each student took around twenty seconds, making the process highly efficient.
When the last student was sorted into Ravenclaw, Professor Flitwick took the Sorting Hat and the stool and left the Great Hall from the side.
Then, Dumbledore stood up.
"Welcome!"
He beamed at the students, his beard glinting in the candlelight. "Welcome back to Hogwarts for another year! I have a few things to tell you, one of which is very important, so I think it's better to say it while you're still awake..."
Dumbledore cleared his throat and continued, "Our school currently has a few Dementors as guests. They are here on official business from the Ministry of Magic, and I'm sure you are all aware of this since they searched the Hogwarts Express.
I must make it clear that no one is allowed to leave school without permission while they are here. Any tricks, schemes, or disguises will not work on the Dementors..."
As Dumbledore spoke, the Great Hall fell into an eerie silence. Many students thought of the two Dementors standing guard at the school gates when they had arrived.
According to Dumbledore, they would remain there until Black was captured.
Some students, remembering their experience on the train, suddenly felt anxious.
"Let's move on to a happier topic."
After addressing the issue of the Dementors, Dumbledore's expression softened, and he smiled again. "First, we have Professor Lupin, who has kindly agreed to fill the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher..."
"And Rubeus Hagrid, who will be taking over from Professor Kettleburn, becoming your new Care of Magical Creatures teacher..."
Due to the presence of the Dementors, everyone was feeling worried, and their response to Dumbledore's introduction of the two new professors was lukewarm, with only polite clapping.
For most students, these subjects weren't considered very important, especially Defense Against the Dark Arts... The professor changed every year, and it didn't matter who taught it as long as they followed the textbook.
Fortunately, Hufflepuff and Gryffindor's applause was enthusiastic, warming up the atmosphere a little.
"Hagrid has always wanted to be a professor..." Cedric said happily, clapping his hands. "And now he's made it!"
"Yes," Kyle agreed with a smile.
He looked towards the staff table and saw Hagrid wiping his eyes with his napkin.
(End of Chapter)
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