Unable to decipher Ye Ting's thoughts, the Sorting Hat couldn't make a decision about him.
It hesitated for quite some time until Professor McGonagall prompted it with words, causing it to surrender.
"Alright, alright, then I'll make an exception this once. You decide where you want to go, Mr. Ye. Which house do you wish to join?"
"Ravenclaw." Ye Ting replied.
"Ravenclaw!" exclaimed the Sorting Hat, leaving another message in his mind: "I'll remember you, child."
Most of the Ravenclaw students were girls, and seeing such a handsome guy sorted into Ravenclaw, they cheered with delight and warmly welcomed Ye Ting.
Ye Ting sat among the girls, politely dealing with their enthusiasm. Most wanted to get to know him, and the older students couldn't wait to go on a romantic date with him, forcing Ye Ting to politely decline them one after another. During this time, he also heard Hermione and Cho Chang complaining about how "shameless" they were.
Others inquired about the origin of his cloak. Ye Ting introduced them to his design and Madam Malkin's shop, sparking admiration and praise as expected.
This was his first time facing so many girls at once. If it were back in his previous life when he was still in university, he would surely be nervous and unable to speak. Nowadays, however, he was already able to handle the situation with ease—of course, university girls were much harder to deal with than the little ladies at Hogwarts.
The last sorting that caused a stir was, of course, Harry Potter.
Everyone wanted to see the Boy Who Lived. When he was sorted into Gryffindor, loud cheers erupted from that side. The Weasley twins shouted loudly, "We've got Potter! We've got Potter!" Even the Gryffindor ghosts welcomed him.
The last three individuals. Lisa Duplin became a new Ravenclaw.
Ron Weasley was sorted into Gryffindor.
Blaise Zabini was sorted into Slytherin.
Albus Dumbledore stood up. He looked at the students with a smile, his arms open wide, as if nothing pleased him more than seeing them all gathered together.
"Welcome!" he said. "Welcome to Hogwarts for the start of the new school year! Before we begin the feast, I'd like to say a few words. And those words are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!"
He sat down again. Everyone applauded and cheered.
But in reality, all the young wizards were utterly confused by his last words.
"What do those words mean?" Hermione furrowed her brow nearby.
"Don't worry about it," Cho Chang answered. "Dumbledore is a great wizard, but a bit eccentric..."
"He's not eccentric," Ye Ting interrupted. "If you read those words backwards in Latin, they say, 'May Merlin protect you.'"
"You know Latin too?" Hermione was so surprised she didn't even notice that her pumpkin pie had fallen to the ground.
"Yes, I started learning Latin the day after I decided to come to Hogwarts," Ye Ting replied while enjoying a plate of roast lamb in front of him. "I also studied Ancient Celtic and Ancient Norman, languages that are historically significant and mythical. I thought learning magic might require them, and it turns out I was right."
"Ancient Celtic and Ancient Norman! I didn't even know what they were!" The girls were amazed by his genius and erudition, especially Hermione. As a fellow straight-A student, she was now truly convinced of Ye Ting's brilliance.
In front of a true prodigy, even a straight-A student would feel inadequate.
Next was the time to eat. Ye Ting thoroughly enjoyed the cuisine at Hogwarts.
While British "dark" cuisine was well-known, the magical world in Britain was completely different from the Muggle world. These delicacies overwhelmed him. Apart from being a bit too sweet, basically every dish earned Ye Ting's praise.
"If I were from Shanghai, I'd like them even more." was Ye Ting's final evaluation, but even Cho Chang didn't understand what he meant.
After everyone had their fill, Dumbledore casually waved his wand, and instantly, all the dishes disappeared.
He stood up, and the dining hall fell silent once again.
"Oh, now that everyone's had their fill of food and drink, I want to say a few more words to you all. At the beginning of the term, I want to remind you of a few important points."
"First-year students, the forest on campus is strictly prohibited for students to enter. Some of our older students should also remember this well."
"Also, Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to remind you not to perform magic in the corridors during breaks."
"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of this term. Anyone interested in joining the house teams, please contact Madam Hooch."
"Lastly, I must inform you all that anyone who does not wish to suffer unexpected, painful, and tragic deaths should avoid entering the corridor on the right side of the fourth floor."
The first-years buzzed with chatter, and Hermione curiously asked Cho Chang questions about everything. But even Cho Chang was confused by the last rule, stating that it was new for this semester.
Only Ye Ting knew that the biggest surprise of this school year would come from that corridor.
However, from the heated discussions among the students, it seemed that legends like "The Seven Mysteries of the School" were quite popular both in the East and the West.
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]