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Just as Sherlock had predicted, the hat placed on Harry's head eventually shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!"
The entire process took nearly five minutes, only slightly shorter than Sherlock's.
At this moment, the nearby little lions stared at Sherlock in astonishment.
Was he really that good?
Not only guessing the result but also the process perfectly?
Shouldn't this first-year belong in Ravenclaw?
"You were right!"
Hermione was once again amazed by Sherlock, but her voice was quickly drowned out by thunderous applause and cheers.
Undoubtedly, Harry received the loudest cheers and applause in the entire hall.
The little lions' welcome for Harry was much more enthusiastic than for Sherlock.
It could be said that the moment the Sorting Hat announced Gryffindor, the entire house erupted.
When Harry reached the Gryffindor table, the prefect Percy stood up and shook Harry's hand firmly, reluctant to let go for a long time – long enough that if Harry were a girl, this behavior might be defined as harassment.
The Weasley twins roared even louder:
"We got Potter! We got Potter!"
At this moment, Harry was undoubtedly the protagonist.
However, his gaze turned towards Sherlock.
A feeling of "I've got someone watching my back from now on" welled up inside him, and without a second thought, he sat down right next to Sherlock.
Compared to the sensation Harry caused upon his entrance, the sorting of those after him seemed uneventful.
When only the last two remained, Ron was indeed sorted into Gryffindor along with his brothers – his sorting time comparable to Malfoy's.
The other, named Zabini, was sorted into Slytherin.
The Sorting Ceremony officially concluded.
The final results perfectly matched Sherlock's earlier deductions.
Roughly half the students were sorted into Hufflepuff, with the combined number of first years in the other three houses barely equaling Hufflepuff's.
Indeed, only Hufflepuff forms the backbone of the wizarding world.
The other three houses all have their quirks, more or less – anyway, Sherlock never considered himself normal.
After Professor McGonagall rolled up the parchment with the first years' names and took away the Sorting Hat, the Headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore, stood up.
His appearance was exactly like the picture Harry had once gotten from a Chocolate Frog card – an elderly man wearing glasses.
His blue eyes twinkled brightly, his long, crooked nose looked as if it had been broken more than once, and his silver hair and beard indicated his advanced age.
As for the constantly gleaming half-moon spectacles, they seemed capable of seeing right through people.
"Welcome!"
He beamed at the students, opening his arms wide as if to embrace everyone.
"Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts!
Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words."
ヽ（≧□≦）ノ
At this moment, all the first years couldn't help but recall the dread of enduring long speeches from principals during primary school.
However, this headmaster's next actions greatly exceeded their expectations.
He slowly began to speak:
"And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!"
"Thank you!"
He sat back down after speaking.
His speech at the Hogwarts Opening Ceremony lasted less than five seconds, epitomizing brevity and speed.
Although no one knew what Dumbledore meant, it felt somehow impressive.
Everyone applauded and cheered, not particularly concerned about the meaning.
As long as you don't ramble, we're all good friends.
Most importantly, everyone was starving by now. After Dumbledore finished speaking, the previously empty plates in front of everyone suddenly filled with all sorts of food.
Roast beef, roast chicken, chips, ketchup, peppermint humbugs...
It was a veritable feast of main courses and snacks.
Older students were already accustomed to this, but the first years were stunned by the scene.
My little friends and I were all stunned.JPG (This meme reference might be better described directly for a wider audience: The first years stared, utterly amazed.)
Without needing any prompting, everyone began to tuck in heartily.
"Sherlock, do you think he's – a bit mad?"
Harry asked Sherlock hesitantly.
"Mad?"
Percy overheard Harry and couldn't help muttering:
"He's a genius! Best wizard in the world!
But you're right, he is a bit mad.
Best eat up now... Want some potatoes, Harry?"
Harry accepted the potatoes and looked at Sherlock again.
He saw the latter frowning, seemingly deep in thought.
Sherlock was indeed thinking.
Regarding Dumbledore's seemingly meaningless address, he had already formulated several interpretations in an instant.
First, it expressed a stereotype of the four houses: Hufflepuffs are nitwits, Ravenclaw bookworms just blubber when faced with problems, Slytherins are oddments (or remnants/scum), Gryffindors are brave but tweak (stubborn/twisted).
Second, it could be the negative extremes of the houses' representative traits: Ravenclaw – wisdom – nitwit, Gryffindor – courage – blubber, Slytherin – cunning/ambition – oddment, Hufflepuff – integrity/kindness – tweak.
Finally, it might represent how these four houses view others: Ravenclaws think others are nitwits; Gryffindors think other students are blubbering cowards; Slytherins, proud of their noble bloodline, see others as oddments/waste; Hufflepuffs find the other houses too strong-willed, too tweaked.
But it didn't matter.
He was now at Hogwarts; figuring these things out was only a matter of time.
After a long day, the first years were famished.
Truth be told, the food prepared for the first years at the Hogwarts Opening Ceremony was genuinely good.
It could even be called delicious – especially considering this was a country infamous for its terrible food.
Sherlock wasn't picky about food, but he would eat more when things tasted good.
Harry even more so.
Although the Dursleys hadn't starved him, they had never let him eat his fill.
So he tried a bit of everything on the table.
Once everyone had finished eating, the plates magically became sparkling clean, requiring no manual clearing.
This phenomenon once again amazed the first years.
Seeing that everyone was full and satisfied, Dumbledore stood up for the second time.
Compared to before, his speech this time seemed much more formal.
"The autumn air is crisp, the weather turns cool, and in the blink of an eye, another school year begins.
In this new year, I hope everyone will continue to strive, constantly improve their ideological understanding, diligently study magical theory, continuously strengthen practical exercises, and achieve excellent results by the end of the term.
Older students must be strict with themselves, take the lead in observing school rules and regulations, and serve as role models for the newly enrolled first years.
First years must also closely follow the footsteps of their seniors, strive vigorously, forge ahead bravely, and work together to build Hogwarts into a first-class magical school in Europe and even the world.
Finally, on behalf of the school, I would like to make the following requests to the new students:
First, conscientiously abide by school rules and regulations. Do not perform magic in the corridors between classes, and do not enter the Forbidden Forest or the corridor on the third floor on the right-hand side.
Second, actively participate in school activities. Proactively apply for Quidditch player tryouts to bring glory to your house's sporting endeavors.
Third, strive to enhance collective honor. Now, under the personal direction of the Headmaster, let us all sing the school song together."
The first two points were reasonable enough, but when Dumbledore mentioned singing the school song together, Sherlock noticed that the smiles on the faces of the other teachers, excluding Dumbledore himself, instantly froze.
Something's odd!
(End of Chapter)