Chapter 8: The Sorting Ceremony
Chapter 8: The Sorting Ceremony
" Hannah Abbott!" Professor Mcgonagall called out the first name.
Sure enough, this must be the Hannah Abbott from all those fanfictions from his past life, Liam thought to himself. But it made sense that she would be the first to be sorted, given the alphabetical order by last name.
A small girl with rosy cheeks and two golden braids stumbled out of the line and put on the Sorting Hat.
Liam remembered that in the end, Hannah Abbott became the owner of the Leaky Cauldron and married Neville. Looking at this somewhat clumsy little girl, a sense of excitement at being part of history welled up inside him.
Hannah sat down on the stool, and before long, the Sorting Hat called out in a drawn-out tone, "Hufflepuff—!"
The people at the table on the right clapped and cheered, welcoming her to their table. The Fat Friar, seated beside the long tables, also waved at her with a smile.
"Susan Bones."
"Hufflepuff—!" Susan quickly ran over and sat down next to Hannah.
The sorting continued, and Liam noticed that the hat changed its tone for each name. It seemed that a hat's life was rather monotonous, and he felt a bit sorry for it.
Before his own name was called, Liam started to speculate which house he would be sorted into.
Due to his bloodline, Slytherin was definitely out of the question. As for Ravenclaw, Liam, being a bit of a slacker, doubted they would want him. So, the possible houses were Gryffindor and Hufflepuff.
Both houses had a great atmosphere, but after seeing Hermione sorted into Gryffindor, Liam found himself leaning towards Gryffindor. After all, having a super smart friend around was better than knowing no one at all.
Finally, after Neville returned the hat to Professor Mcgonagall, Liam's name was called out.
He put on the hat, which, since the founding of Hogwarts in 993 AD, had probably never been washed.
Interacting with the hat was a novel experience, even for someone who had lived two lifetimes.
Once the hat was on his head, Liam heard a faint voice say, "While I think your thoughts about me are a bit impolite, I appreciate your concern. However, a hat's life isn't as boring as you imagine. I can sense your kindness and courage, so I've made my decision."
Before Liam could react, the faint voice turned into a loud shout: "Gryffindor."
Liam took off the hat and placed it carefully on the stool, despite its dirt, rips, and patches. This hat, more than any part of the grand castle, represented Hogwarts because it contained the wisdom of the four founders, making it a symbol of the school's spirit.
After bowing to the professors, Liam walked over to the Gryffindor table and sat down next to Neville.
Soon, Harry Potter was also sorted into Gryffindor, just as in the story, and everyone at the table stood up to cheer and clap.
Once Professor Mcgonagall had returned the Sorting Hat, Dumbledore rose from his golden chair at the center of the staff table. With a beaming smile, he looked at the students and spread his arms wide, as if nothing made him happier than seeing them all gathered together. "Welcome!" he said. "Welcome to Hogwarts for the start of a new school year! Before we begin the feast, I have a few words to say: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!"
He sat back down, and everyone applauded and cheered. Liam looked across at Hermione and asked, "What did the headmaster mean by that?"
Hermione replied, a bit puzzled, "I haven't seen that in any of the books. It might be some special greeting in the wizarding world."
Neville interrupted them, "Let's not worry about that for now. Let's eat. Aren't you hungry?"
Liam saw that the previously empty plates were now piled high with all sorts of food. He took some boiled potatoes, young peas, and tomato sauce to go with his chicken, following his usual dinner habits. Even after living in England for ten years, Liam still wasn't used to eating a lot of meat at night. Fortunately, his adoptive father was also of Chinese descent, so their meals at home had a bit of a Chinese touch.
By the time everyone was nearly finished eating, the remaining food vanished from the plates, leaving them as clean as they were when they were first set. A little while later, puddings appeared, and there were all sorts of ice cream flavors available.
With the help of the desserts, everyone chatted smoothly. Liam and Hermione kept asking the prefect, Percy, about academic matters. The lively atmosphere continued until the desserts disappeared.
As the last dessert vanished, the various utensils also disappeared, leaving the tables as clean as they had been when first laid out.
The Great Hall fell silent again, and Professor Dumbledore stood up. "Everyone, I believe you are all well-fed and satisfied. Now, I have a few important announcements to make.
"First, I must remind the first-year students that the forest on the school grounds is strictly off-limits to all students. I hope our older students will remember this as well."
Dumbledore's bright gaze swept over the Weasley Twins.
"Second, Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to remind everyone not to cast spells in the corridors between classes."
"Quidditch tryouts will be held in the second week of this term. Any students interested in joining their house team should contact Madam Hooch."
"Lastly, I must warn you that anyone who does not wish to suffer an unfortunate and painful death should avoid the corridor on the right side of the fourth floor."
A few first-years chuckled at this, but most remained silent. Most students knew that Dumbledore, as the headmaster, never lied about safety matters.
Liam knew this was related to the Philosopher's Stone at the end of the term. However, this had nothing to do with him. These things were for Harry and Voldemort, and he, an outsider, would do his best to stay out of it.
Although the Philosopher's Stone was incredibly valuable and could be exchanged for many good things at the Multiverse General Store, the thought of Dumbledore always watching it made Liam abandon any bold ideas. He certainly didn't want to be seen as an enemy by the most powerful White Wizard.
Dumbledore paused, allowing everyone to absorb the information, then announced, "All right, everyone. Before we go to bed, let's sing the school song!" Almost all the teachers looked a bit stiff at this.
Dumbledore lightly tapped his wand, and a long golden ribbon floated out, twisting and coiling in the air above the table, forming lines of text.
"Everyone choose your favorite tune", Dumbledore said. "Ready, sing!"
Liam felt a bit awkward but still sang the entire song in the tune he remembered from the movie.
When Dumbledore declared that it was time to go to bed, the Hogwarts opening ceremony was officially over.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
