HP: What, You've Never Seen a Symbiote at Hogwarts?

Late?

After confirming once more that the number of new students was correct, Professor McGonagall calmly shifted her gaze to everyone, no longer dwelling on Tiger's words, and began explaining the precautions.

When she mentioned the Sorting, Hermione's face immediately paled several shades, and the other students seemed to think of something as well, nervously swallowing.

Ridiculous rumors about battling dragons, centaurs, trolls, and other creatures began to spread quietly through the crowd.

"Ladies and gentlemen."

"The Sorting Ceremony will begin shortly. You have a few minutes to tidy your appearance."

"Please remember."

"All the teachers and students of the school are watching you..."

Upon hearing this, the new students hurriedly straightened their disheveled wizard robes—the journey had indeed left them looking rather bedraggled.

"Tiger, what did you mean just now?"

"Why did you say we were late?"

Hermione curiously moved closer to Tiger. Harry and Ron were right behind them, and hearing Hermione's question, they couldn't help but prick up their ears.

"We really are late..." Tiger glanced regretfully at Professor McGonagall.

"If I'd come twenty years earlier, I definitely would've introduced this professor to my brother. No one could refuse such a breathtakingly beautiful woman..."

Tiger's voice wasn't particularly loud.

But Professor McGonagall heard every word crystal clear. Her stern, cold eyes turned toward Tiger.

"Mr. Shelby, I'm deeply honored by your praise, but I think right now, you should pay more attention to your own appearance."

"You too..."

Her penetrating, sharp gaze swept over Hermione and the others.

The students standing around Tiger immediately tensed up, but only Tiger smiled brightly and performed a mock hat-tipping bow.

Professor McGonagall raised an eyebrow slightly, and the corners of her stern, dignified mouth relaxed by a few imperceptible degrees...

The somewhat noisy sounds of tidying gradually subsided.

Under Professor McGonagall's commanding gaze, the new students consciously formed a neat line. As Professor McGonagall turned around, the great doors blocking everyone's path slowly opened...

"Bloody hell..."

Seeing the candles floating in mid-air and the starry sky that seemed within reach, the little wizards from Muggle families couldn't help but exclaim in wonder.

"I read about this in books..."

Hermione chattered endlessly about passages from textbooks, cross-referencing them with the scene before her.

Unfortunately, no one around her could spare attention for her, and Ron's eye-rolling was particularly dramatic.

"Harry, that girl's brain is definitely not normal. What kind of decent person memorizes entire textbooks..."

Harry inconspicuously glanced at Tiger, then tugged at Ron's sleeve, signaling him to stop talking.

The Shelbys' style of handling things was extremely well-known.

If Ron didn't want his teeth to disappear.

Fortunately, Tiger was currently entranced by the magnificence of the enchanted ceiling. Never mind Ron—he wasn't even paying attention to what Professor McGonagall standing beside The Sorting Hat was saying.

It wasn't until The Sorting Hat's hoarse, eerie song began that Tiger gradually snapped back to attention.

What the bloody hell was that racket?

But oddly enough, after listening for a while, Tiger found himself getting into it.

"Someone else should sing this song..." Even after the song ended, Tiger still felt unsatisfied.

"Now then, Hannah Abbott..."

The Sorting officially began. Students whose names were called went up one after another. Hermione's face was somewhat pale, and even her hands and feet began to turn cold.

"Tiger... you..."

"Which house... do you want to go to..."

Seeing Hermione's cautious manner, Tiger snorted and stuffed Gunpowder into her arms.

Probably because of Gunpowder's company, her nervous emotions gradually calmed down.

"I don't give a damn."

"Venom would rather go to Hufflepuff—Neville said it's close to the kitchens..."

"How can you not care!"

Hearing Tiger's words, Hermione seemed quite anxious. She tugged at Tiger's wizard robes and whispered timidly:

"Then wouldn't we be separated?"

Tiger's mouth twitched.

In an adult's perception, separation was normal.

So he didn't quite grasp this kind of inseparable friendship between little kids like Hermione.

To him, being sorted into houses was no different from being assigned to different classes—it just meant attending lessons in other common rooms, not never seeing each other again.

"You can come find me anytime if you have trouble."

Tiger kindly ruffled Hermione's hair. Seeing Tiger's expression, Hermione inexplicably became furious.

What was wrong with this git!

What did that patronizing look mean!

"Hermione Granger!"

Just as she was about to say something, Professor McGonagall called her name.

Hermione glared angrily at Tiger, then quickly stepped onto the platform and sat nervously on the high stool.

"Gryffindor!"

Amid enthusiastic applause, Hermione looked back three times with each step as she made her way to The Gryffindor table. While thanking those around her for their welcome, she also kept her eyes fixed on Tiger's back.

When only a handful of students remained in the new student queue, Professor McGonagall looked at her parchment and turned her gaze to Tiger, whose expression was clearly becoming impatient.

"Tiger Shelby."

Walking with The Shelbys' characteristic swagger that brooked no interference, Tiger sat boldly on the high stool.

The pure-blood and half-blood students below also cast curious glances.

The Shelbys' spellcasting abilities were famously peculiar in the wizarding world—practically Squibs who weren't Squibs.

The moment the hat covered Tiger's head, Venom, who had been lazily dozing, suddenly jolted awake.

"Oh... let me see..."

The Sorting Hat's drowsy voice came to an abrupt halt.

Insane and viscous malice seemed to gush forth from the cracks of an abyss, twisted and utterly wild.

Every fleeting emotional fluctuation was saturated with contempt and cruelty toward life. Every emerging malicious thought seemed ready to drag one into that bottomless, writhing darkness.

The Sorting Hat visibly began to tremble. Tiger beneath the brim was undoubtedly the perfect fusion of madness and evil—his very existence was for destruction and annihilation...

"Merlin God Virgin Mary Jesus!" The Sorting Hat screamed incoherently.

"Azkaban!"

"Take him to Azkaban immediately!"

"Nurmengard will do too!"

"Otherwise it'll be too late!"

"Dumbledore! Right now!"

"For the sake of... mmph mmph!"

Before it could finish speaking, dark, hideous tentacles suddenly materialized, binding The Sorting Hat tightly. They were just waiting for Tiger's command to tear the ancient artifact in half...

The students below all stared with horrified, wide eyes.

Although Dumbledore had briefed her about Tiger's situation, Professor McGonagall was still startled and instinctively gripped her wand.

"Bloody hell!"

"Venom, tear that son of a bitch's throat out!"

"I'll make it sing in pig arses from now on!"

Tiger covered his ears, his face livid, continuously spewing profanity so filthy it appalled Professor McGonagall.

Even now, Tiger's mind still echoed with banshee-like shrieks.

"Tiger!"

"Calm down!"

"The Sorting Hat means no harm."

Dumbledore's steady voice rang out just in time.

As if sensing immense threat, Venom's tentacles released The Sorting Hat before the words even finished, taking a defensive stance behind Tiger.

"Ah... bloody hell..."

"That was clearly aggressive behavior!"

Tiger patted his still-ringing ears and looked furiously at Dumbledore.

"If that wasn't malicious, then what the hell is malicious?"

"Taking a dump in my ears?"

"Damn it, I'll show it what 'no bloody malice' means right now!"

While cursing, Venom's tentacles lifted The Sorting Hat and opened its brim, positioning it strategically behind Tiger's backside.

The enraged Tiger also began untying his wizard robes, planning to deliver something substantial in front of the entire school.

"Help! Dumbledore!"

"HELP!!!"

The Sorting Hat's screams were enough to make anyone wet themselves.

The students below fell silent as death. Even the usually dignified and elegant Professor McGonagall helplessly shook her head.

She knew The Shelbys had fiery tempers.

But she hadn't expected them to be this explosive.

~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~ 

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