HOGWARTS - HARRY

"This is very important. It represents how you will spend your time at school in the future. You will meet different friends in different houses."

"The houses are Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. After the Sorting Hat places you in a house, remember one thing..."

Professor McGonagall's sharp gaze swept across the young wizards.

"You will represent the honor of your house. Your words and actions will determine whether your house wins the House Cup at the end of the year."

Her eyes met Dylan's.

Dylan smiled innocently, exuding a harmless charm.

A fleeting smile appeared in Professor McGonagall's eyes, but she quickly concealed it.

"The Sorting Ceremony will begin shortly. It will be held in front of the entire school, so prepare yourselves."

She turned and left.

As soon as she was gone, the first-years broke into excited chatter.

Suddenly, a scream erupted from the crowd.

"Ah! A ghost!"

Silence fell instantly.

Dylan looked up and saw a dozen ghosts floating through the walls.

They observed the new students curiously. Some drifted closer, striking up conversations, while others simply hovered nearby. The first-years, however, trembled at their presence.

"I wonder if resurrecting a corpse would scare these ghosts?" Dylan mused.

At that moment, one ghost drifted too close, stopping right in front of him.

"Oh~ I sense a strange aura!"

The ghost peered into Dylan's eyes.

Its expression changed in an instant. Eyes wide with terror, it let out a sharp scream and darted away.

The other ghosts, startled, exchanged glances before hurriedly following.

Neville, standing beside Dylan, nearly jumped out of his skin. He clutched his toad tightly.

Dylan glanced at the creature—Leif was rolling its eyes, kicking its legs weakly.

"…Neville, the ghost is gone."

"Gone? No, I don't dare look!"

Neville squinted, unwilling to open his eyes.

Dylan shook his head.

Just then, Professor McGonagall returned.

"Alright, first-years, the ceremony is about to begin. Form a single line and follow me."

Her authoritative voice snapped everyone to attention.

Neville hesitantly opened his eyes, but Dylan was already moving, taking his place in the queue.

Under Professor McGonagall's lead, they entered the Great Hall.

Hundreds of students and teachers watched them with various expressions.

Dylan ignored them, his eyes lifting toward the ceiling.

"A sea of stars… Magic is fascinating."

The enchanted ceiling displayed a moving night sky—not a mere projection but something that felt real.

At the front of the hall, Dumbledore stood and addressed the new students.

He outlined Hogwarts' rules—most notably, the Forbidden Forest was off-limits, along with certain restricted areas of the castle.

When his speech ended, Professor McGonagall stepped forward and unrolled a parchment.

"When your name is called, step forward. I will place the Sorting Hat on your head, and it will determine your house."

The first name she called was Hermione.

Dylan's gaze immediately landed on her, eyes brightening slightly.

There was no denying Hermione was beautiful.

But he felt nothing.

He had three goals at Hogwarts:Understand magic.Learn magic.Make a fortune with magic!Everything else could wait.

Even if Voldemort returned, Dylan would hit him with the Imperius Curse and send him flying.

"If he ruins the market, how will I make money?"

Even the Death Eaters wasted time on nonsense.

"Maybe I should recruit some Death Eaters later and put them to work for me."

His thoughts were interrupted when Professor McGonagall called his name.

"Dylan Hawkwood!"

He snapped back to reality and stepped forward.

Sitting on the stool, he felt the Sorting Hat settle on his head.

"Oh my! What a sharp mind you have! You know quite a few spells already!"

The hat's voice echoed in his mind.

"Ravenclaw, perhaps?"

Dylan smirked.

"If I join Gryffindor, can I borrow the sword stuck inside you? I've been experimenting with magical weapon control."

The hat let out a dramatic gasp.

"What?! Why are you studying such advanced magic already?"

It hesitated before adding, "Wait—how do you know about the Sword of Gryffindor? That's not something a first-year should be aware of!"

"Maybe because I tried to learn Legilimency."

"Oh my... I must exclaim again! You are a most peculiar wizard. Are you from a pure-blood family?"

"No, I'm just a regular Muggle-born."

"I'm sorry, little wizard, but the sword can only be drawn by a true Gryffindor in need. I cannot simply give it to you."

"Besides," the hat huffed, "having it lodged inside me is already uncomfortable—it feels like someone's shoving a stick down my throat!"

"Can't relate." Dylan smirked. "But you sure do talk a lot."

"Oh! That sharp tongue! You'd fit right into Slytherin!"

The hat practically shouted.

"You've accumulated significant magical knowledge. Slytherin's elite education would suit you well!"

"I hate elite education."

"Ravenclaw, then?"

"Do the four houses all have unique inheritances?"

"You know about that too?!"

"In that case, Ravenclaw is my choice."

Ravenclaw's heritage would offer him vast magical knowledge.

"Well, then—"

The Sorting Hat suddenly raised its voice.

"Gryffindor!"

Dylan froze.

"What?! How can you decide my house so casually?"

"Oh my! A first-year dares to covet the inheritance of all four houses? You are too bold! You belong in Gryffindor!"

End of Chapter

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