Hogwarts: What wicked thoughts could a little wizard possibly have?

Chapter 14 Sorting Ceremony

A buzzing voice came from behind a door on the right side of the hall, but Professor McGonagall did not lead them in.

Instead, he stopped, turned around, and swept his stern gaze across the crowd:

Welcome to Hogwarts.

she says.

"In a moment, you will walk into the Great Hall and go through the Sorting Ceremony to decide which house you will be in. This is very important. For the next seven years, your house and school will be your home. You will attend classes, live in the same houses, and eat together with your classmates. I hope you will consider each other as family."

"The school has four houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has a glorious history and has produced outstanding wizards."

Professor McGonagall's gaze lingered on Malfoy for a moment. The spell had already worn off, but Mr. Malfoy's condition was far from good.

His eyes were red and swollen, and his clothes were disheveled, as if he had been ravaged by a troll.

Professor McGonagall paused, then glared sternly at Vaughn:

"I know something bad happened on the train today... but I hope this is the last time! When you enter your respective colleges, your excellent performance will add points to your college, and violations will deduct points. At the end of each academic year, the college with the highest score will receive the College Cup, which is a great honor. I hope everyone will abide by the school rules and bring glory to your college!"

Vaughn looked completely innocent in the face of Professor McGonagall's intense gaze, as if nothing had happened.

The conscientious vice principal's eyes twitched a few times as he continued speaking to the other silent freshmen: "The college selection ceremony is about to begin. I suggest you all tidy yourselves up, because the entire school will be watching you."

After saying that, she turned and left, walking into the hall.

The quiet crowd suddenly gasped in unison.

Draco Malfoy hurriedly combed his hair, tugging at his robes, trying to straighten them.

Harry and Ron scratched each other's hair, while Hermione pursed her lips and tidied her now smooth hair.

The others also hurriedly tidied themselves up.

But not long after, someone screamed. Vaughn looked up and saw a string of more than twenty ghosts crawling out of the wall.

These translucent spirits were whispering among themselves, some with kind expressions, some with indignant faces, and others trying to strike up a conversation with the new students.

The freshmen below held their breath again, and no one dared to utter a sound.

Vaughn was somewhat interested in them.

He used to want to understand how these ghosts were formed when he read novels, but now it's clearly not the right time.

The ghosts drifted away after Professor McGonagall returned. She glanced at the new students again and said:

"Everything is ready. Line up in a single file and follow me!"

The freshmen quickly followed behind her, passing through the open doors of the auditorium. The four long tables on both sides of the path were already filled with upperclassmen, who were looking at them with either curiosity or caution.

Vaughn saw Percy, Fred, and George waving at him and Ron.

Vaughn smiled back, but Ron was too nervous to see him at all.

Just as Vaughn knew, the auditorium ceiling resembled a starry sky, casting a soft, tranquil light downwards.

At the very front of the procession, a worn-out hat sat on a stool and began to sing.

Vaughn remained expressionless, casting a spell to seal his ears, waiting for them to finally stop wriggling. Professor McGonagall then walked to the front of the line, unfolded the parchment in her hand, and only then did he untie it.

"Hannah Abbott!"

Hmm, a familiar name...

One by one, the freshmen stepped forward, put on the sorting cap, and were then announced by it which college they would be assigned to.

Of all the people Vaughn knew, Hermione was the first to go up. The girl ran to the stool, the Sorting Hat covered her head, she pondered for a moment, and then, unsurprisingly, shouted:

"Gryffindor!"

Next up was Harry, also from Gryffindor. The moment the Sorting Hat came out, the entire Gryffindor house erupted in cheers, with everyone banging on the tables.

Vaughn squinted at the teachers' table. Professor Snape, with a stern face, looked increasingly cold. Dumbledore, wearing crescent-shaped glasses, had a sincere and cheerful smile on his deeply lined old face—so far, everything was under his control.

Vaughn smiled as well.

The story of the savior begins at this moment. The strongest forces in the magical world are about to engage in open and covert struggles over the savior, and he is happy to be by their side to observe and explore!

After what seemed like an eternity, we finally reached the letter "W".

Ron was placed first because of the initials of his name. Under everyone's gaze, the guy didn't know what to do with his hands and feet, and almost walked to the Sorting Hat with his feet in the wrong direction.

The tattered hat, the instant it touched Ron's scalp, cried out, "Gryffindor!"

clap clap clap-

Applause erupted at the Gryffindor table, and Percy shouted to those around him, "That's my brother!"

Fred and George whistled and jumped around.

When Professor McGonagall read out "Vaughn Weasley," they slammed their fists on the table.

"Vaughn! Vaughn!"

"Gryffindor! Gryffindor!"

Infected by the twins, the other lion cubs also joined in the commotion with laughter.

Amid cheers, Vaughn, still under Occlumency, walked towards the Sorting Hat, a sigh escaping his lips.

"Sorry, Fred, George!"

Over the years, he had come to a clear understanding of himself: his thirst for knowledge, his pursuit of power, his ambition for authority... there was no way he could be sorted into Gryffindor.

As soon as the Sorting Hat gently touched his head, Vaughn heard a tiny voice say in his ear:

"Hmm—a very, very perfect Occlumency technique. You can't hide it from me. I possess the most advanced knowledge and wisdom of the four giants! Hmm, those who master Occlumency usually have an unknown side and huge secrets."

"You cunning child, it's obvious that two houses are not suitable for you. I'm going to assign you to—"

"Slytherin!"

The joyful atmosphere in Gryffindor came to an abrupt halt amidst the Sorting Hat's loud shouts—Percy, who was leaning forward, froze in place, Fred and George, who were bouncing around in their seats, collapsed headfirst, Hermione covered her mouth in surprise, and Harry and Ron stared wide-eyed.

Even Professor McGonagall, who had heard of Vaughn's name, couldn't help but turn around and look at Dumbledore.

The greatest wizard of the century stared intently at Vaughn's retreating figure.

For a moment, the entire auditorium fell silent.

After a moment, Dumbledore cleared his throat, signaling Professor McGonagall to continue.

Professor McGonagall somewhat flusteredly helped Vaughn remove the Sorting Hat.

The other students gradually came to their senses, staring at Vaughn's iconic Weasley red hair, whispering amongst themselves, their murmurs merging into a noisy buzz.

Vaughn ignored all of that; all he saw was the system panel popping up in front of him:

Main Quest 1: Join Hogwarts (Completed)

[Reward: 1 Talent Point, 50 Magic Scales]

Do you want to claim the reward?