The candles flickered in the Great Hall, casting hundreds of pale lantern-like faces upon those gathered. Ghosts mingled among the students, shimmering with a hazy, silvery glow.
Looking up, Ye Ting saw stars twinkling on the velvet black ceiling.
Hermione whispered, "The ceiling's been enchanted to look like the outside sky. I read about it in 'Hogwarts: A History'."
It was hard to believe there was an actual ceiling above, or that the dining hall's roof wasn't open to the sky.
Professor McGonagall gently placed a four-legged stool before the first-year students and set a pointed wizard's hat atop it. The hat was patched, worn, and extremely dirty. Ye Ting knew this was the famous Sorting Hat, and he began to anticipate the classic scene – the hat's annually changing song.
Then, the hat moved. The brim split wide open like a mouth – and the hat began to sing:
Oh you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find,
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head...
...
The song lasted about five minutes, and when the magical hat finished, the hall erupted in applause.
However, Ye Ting found the strange song unappealing. He believed the applause had been somewhat insincere.
The Sorting Hat bowed to each of the four tables before becoming still once more.
It was time for the official Sorting.
Professor McGonagall stepped forward, holding a scroll of parchment.
"When I call your name, put on the hat and sit on the stool, and await your Sorting," she said. "Hannah Abbott!"
A rosy-cheeked girl with two braids of golden hair stumbled forward. Ye Ting remembered from the books that she eventually married Neville.
She put on the hat, which covered her eyes. She sat down, and after a brief pause –
"Hufflepuff!" the hat announced.
The people at the right table applauded and cheered, welcoming Hannah to their table.
"Susan Bones!"
"Hufflepuff!" the hat called again. Susan quickly joined Hannah.
"Terry Boot!"
"Ravenclaw!"
...
"Hermione Granger"
Hermione's name came up soon after. The young girl nearly ran to the stool, then nervously glanced back.
Ye Ting smiled and nodded at her, which eased her tension slightly before she hastily placed the hat on her head.
This time, the Sorting Hat didn't immediately declare a house, hesitating for two or three seconds before reluctantly uttering "Ravenclaw."
It seemed Hermione had engaged in a conversation with it in her mind, successfully persuading it to change its decision.
"Great!" Ye Ting applauded excitedly.
This was not only because Hermione had been sorted into Ravenclaw but also because it indicated that the "plot" was not immutable, and might even suggest that the "destiny" represented by the plot did not exist.
The young wizards at the second left table applauded. Cho Chang and Marietta led Hermione to join her peers.
The Sorting Hat called out many more names, and the crowd steadily dwindled.
When it was Neville's turn, the fat boy ran towards Gryffindor with the hat still on his head, forgetting to take it off, causing quite a laugh.
Finally...
"Ye Ting"
This distinctive name caught the young wizards' attention. Ye Ting confidently stepped out of the crowd and approached the Sorting Hat under everyone's gaze.
Wearing a "Clock Tower" uniform cloak, its sleek design stood out from the dull, old cloaks of the other young wizards. Combined with his outstanding appearance, Ye Ting drew countless gasps and discussions among the young wizards – especially the girls. The boys wanted to know where such a stylish cloak came from, while the girls were more curious about who this handsome person was.
Ye Ting held the Sorting Hat in his hand, feeling its greasy texture and understanding just how dirty it was. The pungent odor made it feel like he was holding a rotten orange, and he longed to throw it away immediately.
Suppressing his disgust, Ye Ting put on the Sorting Hat.
As soon as it touched his head, the Sorting Hat exclaimed loudly, startling the teachers and students of Hogwarts.
"This is strange, for the first time, I can't see a new student's thoughts." The Sorting Hat's comical voice echoed in his mind, "In your mind, I only see a chaotic, ever-changing world. What have you done?"
"I don't know," Ye Ting pretended to answer in his mind, but he realized that his experiences and trials in the time tunnel had not only given him limitless abilities for progress and a talent for time and space but perhaps also a resilient and unfathomable soul.
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]