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Chapter 361: Unchanged Circumstances
Chapter 361: Unchanged Circumstances
The train slowed and eventually came to a halt.
Albert scooped up Tom, now full and drowsy, and stuffed him back into his cage. Then, along with Fred, George, and Lee Jordan, he joined the crowd heading for the door.
They disembarked onto a dark and small platform. Although it wasn't raining this time during their arrival at Hogwarts, the chilly night air prompted Albert to tighten his grip on his robe.
In the darkness, a lamp swayed above the students' heads, and a familiar voice could be heard in the distance. Hagrid was greeting the first-year newcomers; escorting them across the lake was his task.
"Let's go!" Fred urged the group to keep up with the crowd.
The four of them inched their way through the throng, traversing the pitch-black platform before walking a short distance to where hundreds of horseless carriages awaited.
Albert chose an empty carriage, and once they were all aboard, it joined the long line of carriages heading toward Hogwarts Castle.
Along the way, Fred, George, and Lee Jordan resumed their discussion about Harry Potter, but Albert didn't feel like joining in. He leaned against the window, gazing at the distant castle illuminated by lights.
The carriage eventually came to a stop at the stone steps leading to the oak front doors. As Albert alighted and climbed the steps, intending to enter the castle, he spotted Professor McGonagall calling out to him near the oak door.
"Mr. Anderson."
Fred, George, and the others, who had been chatting, paused and looked over curiously.
Professor McGonagall also stopped Katrina and gestured for the two of them to follow her.
She led them into a room next to the Great Hall and closed the wooden door. After ensuring that no one was eavesdropping, she took out two timers from her pocket and handed one each to Albert and Katrina.
"These are Time-Turners," she explained, "Wear them around your necks, and one turn represents one hour. Be warned, though. Using it more than five times, or going back five hours at once, will have adverse effects on your body."
"I understand," Albert nodded, indicating that he knew how to use it.
Katrina, standing beside him, glanced at Albert and agreed that she also comprehended the instructions.
"Good," Professor McGonagall added, "And remember, don't let anyone else know about these, and use them only for academic purposes."
"We promise," Albert and Katrina said in unison.
"Well, off you go to the feast then," said Professor McGonagall as she strode out of the room. "I must go and greet the new students."
Albert tucked the Time-Turner into his pouch and set off with Katrina toward the Great Hall.
Fred, George, and Lee Jordan had already saved a spot for him in the front row, which was highly coveted at the moment as everyone wanted a close-up view of the legendary Harry Potter.
"That must be the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor," Albert remarked as his gaze fell on the teacher seated next to Snape, a young man with a ridiculous scarf wrapped around his head, his face pale, presumably due to nerves.
"Professor Quirrell," Percy stated without hesitation, relaying the information he had just received from Nearly Headless Nick.
"He doesn't seem nearly as reliable as the previous two Defense Against the Dark Arts professors," Albert muttered. "By the way, have they found Professor Smith?"
"Unfortunately, no," Percy replied, clearly having put last year's Professor Smith out of his mind. "They've searched almost every inch of Britain, but he's still nowhere to be found."
"People are saying he might have been murdered," Lee Jordan whispered.
"Being a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher sure is risky," Albert remarked insincerely. "Let's hope this one can make it out safely." He knew that Voldemort had likely already attached himself to the back of Quirrell's head, judging by the ridiculous scarf.
Had Dumbledore not noticed this?
It was hard to say.
If he, Albert, hadn't known about certain things beforehand, he probably wouldn't have noticed it either and would have only found the scarf-wearing professor amusing.
Nonetheless, the thought of Harry Potter, Voldemort, and Dumbledore all attending the feast together evoked a strange sense of humor.
"It's not as bad as you make it sound," Percy reassured him. "While it's true that no Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher has lasted more than a year, many of them didn't encounter any serious accidents either."
"Undeniably, there's something odd about that subject," Albert muttered under his breath. "I have a feeling that Professor Quirrell is bound to run into trouble if he doesn't resign first."
"Don't jinx him," Fred said, covering his face with his hand.
"If anything happens to Professor Quirrell, it'll probably be because of what you just said," George retorted.
"Come on, cut him some slack. It's not easy being the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor," Lee Jordan added, feeling that Professor Quirrell was doomed no matter what.
The Great Hall fell silent as everyone turned their attention to the newly arrived first-years, searching for the legendary Harry Potter among them.
Albert easily spotted him thanks to the information he had. The black-haired, bespectacled boy with a slight build, standing next to the red-haired Weasley, was none other than Harry Potter.
The whispers in the hall ceased, and soon, all was quiet.
Then, the Sorting Hat on the newcomers' heads began to sing:
You may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see.
......
......
For I'm the Thinking Cap, and I
might
Say, each of you I'll try on,
Then you'll be Gryffindor,
Or else Ravenclaw,
Or perhaps you're a Hufflepuff,
Or maybe Slytherin! With a new song and an unexpected bow to each of the four house tables, the Sorting Hat caused Albert's face to twitch. He joined the others in applause.
As the clapping died down, Professor McGonagall began calling out the students' names. The first was a blonde girl named Hannah Abbott, who was sorted into Hufflepuff.
As for the girl who had helped Neville look for his toad, she was indeed Hermione Granger, and as expected, she was sorted into Gryffindor.
"I thought she'd be in Ravenclaw," Lee Jordan murmured.
"The boy who lost his toad is in Gryffindor too," George said, glancing at Albert. He felt that he really shouldn't try to compete with Albert in predictions.
"I thought he'd be in Hufflepuff," Fred turned to Albert and asked, "How did you know he'd be in Gryffindor?"
"Just a guess," Albert replied.
When Professor McGonagall called out, "Draco Malfoy," Fred said with disgust, "This guy will definitely go to Slytherin."
Sure enough, the moment the Sorting Hat touched Malfoy's head, it shouted out, "Slytherin!"
"You know him," Albert asked, though he already knew the answer.
"The Malfoy family, a bunch of unpleasant folks. They look down on wizards born to Muggle parents," George said with a malicious smile. "I'd really like to know what they think they have to look down on you for. I think you could easily despise him."
Albert glanced at Malfoy, who was being welcomed by the Slytherin students, and muttered, "A spoiled brat indulged by his family."
"I like that assessment," Fred said, giving Albert a thumbs-up.
"Harry Potter!"
As Professor McGonagall called out this name, a buzz filled the Great Hall.
"She's calling for Harry Potter?"
"Is that the Harry Potter?"
To get a glimpse of the legendary Harry Potter, people craned their necks, stood up, and stretched to get a better view.
This scene gave Albert a sense of deja vu, as if he were witnessing a celebrity sighting.
In a moment, the Sorting Hat shouted, "Gryffindor!"
The Gryffindor table erupted in the loudest cheer yet.
Percy, sitting in the front row, stood up and shook Harry's hand, exuding a leader's aura.
"See, he's in Gryffindor," Albert said softly.
Fred and George didn't hear him as they were shouting, "We've got Potter! We've got Potter!"
However, Albert noticed Lee Jordan mouthing the words, "Spot on."
He turned his attention back to the head table and looked at Dumbledore, the headmaster, who was slightly raising his goblet, seemingly content that his chosen one hadn't gone astray.
(End of Chapter)
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