Chapter -39 So, Slytherin it is then?

Chapter -39.

"I really doubt that pen is broken, and it definitely won't make a mistake; it's older than I am!"  

The Sorting Hat seemed to mumble something that didn't quite make sense, almost like a mix of an old man trying to figure out a smartphone.  

"Whether I'm or not doesn't really matter; what's important is that I'm here now," Dudley said, trying to keep his cool.  

"That makes sense," the Sorting Hat nodded.  

"So, which house will I be sorted into? Hufflepuff?" Dudley asked, already bracing himself for the answer.  

'Hurry up and sort me into Hufflepuff; I'm starving!'  

After a moment, the Sorting Hat seemed to have a little revelation: "Actually, I take that back; you're quite ambitious and capable, and you really like to be prepared before diving into things. What's that term again? Oh right, preventing problems before they pop up; you remind me of someone."  

"Can you read my thoughts?" Dudley felt a little flutter in his chest; he had done a few rounds of 'meditation' to keep his mind safe before stepping up.  

"Nope, I can only pick up on your traits," the Sorting Hat replied.  

"Traits?"  

A whirlwind of thoughts raced through Dudley's mind.  

"Yes, hold on a second; your thoughts are like a jar of sesame seeds that spilled everywhere—so chaotic it's giving me a headache! Totally different from those simple-minded little wizards."  

Dudley definitely wasn't as simple-minded as the average wizard.  

"Sorting Hat, you said you couldn't read minds?"  

The Sorting Hat shot back, "I'm just a hat; no need to make a fuss over me!"  

"Usually, I should follow what you little wizards want, but my consciousness is shaped by the thoughts of the four founders of the school."  

At this point, the Sorting Hat's tone shifted a bit, slowing down and dropping in pitch.  

Even though it was still the same Sorting Hat, Dudley felt like it had a different vibe.  

Maybe it was just his imagination.  

Or perhaps it had a split personality?  

"You're very much like that person," the Sorting Hat emphasized again.  

"Strong-willed and not one to follow the rules. But if you could just calm those chaotic thoughts in your head! Now! Right now! The hat is about to explode!"  

The first part was still trying to be mysterious, but the second part sounded pretty urgent, snapping back to its usual tone.  

Dudley didn't like anyone prying into his thoughts, even if it was just a hat. So he started recalling everything he had learned over the years, from the Pythagorean theorem to the differences between boys and girls.  

'Dxsinx=cosx, cosx=-sinx, tanx=sec²x'  

'When several particles interact, their individual characteristics blend into an overall property, making it impossible to describe each one separately.'  

Seeing Dudley wasn't about to stop, the Sorting Hat sighed,  

"Okay, okay, I won't look."  

The sea of chaotic knowledge nearly overwhelmed its consciousness.  

It swore it had never encountered a little wizard like this in a thousand years.  

Where did he learn all this?  

By now, quite a bit of time had passed since Dudley put on the hat. Even though most people were focused on Harry, they started to notice Dudley's unusual delay; he had been wearing the Sorting Hat longer than Harry.  

"Maybe when you came here, you heard a lot of negative things about this place, but sometimes what you hear isn't the whole truth. A thousand years can change a lot; I hope you can see beyond the surface."  

Suddenly, the Sorting Hat shouted,  

"Then... Slytherin!"  

Almost immediately after the Sorting Hat shouted, Dudley heard a notification in his ears.  

"Task completed, welcome to Slytherin House, task reward: Data Magic Eye LV0."  

Before Dudley could check out his new rewards, the Sorting Hat chimed in again.  

"The consciousness of Salazar hopes you can tidy up that place; the current Slytherin is a total mess... like a big cesspool."  

The Sorting Hat's words made Dudley's expression change for the first time.  

Salazar, full name Salazar Slytherin, was the founder of Slytherin House at Hogwarts.  

Slytherin wants me to clean up the house he started? At first, it seemed a bit ridiculous, but thinking it over, it made sense. The Sorting Hat was influenced by the thoughts of the four founders; after all, there are magical photos that can chat with the dead, so a hat with the consciousness of the founders isn't too strange.  

It might not be scientific, but it's definitely magical.  

'Then'  

A bold idea popped into Dudley's mind.  

Before he could get ready to act on it, he heard the Sorting Hat shout, "Hey, I'm just a hat, an ordinary magical hat, only holding onto their thoughts at the time, and I don't have all the knowledge."  

"What a pity," Dudley said, looking a bit disappointed.  

Then he remembered something; Slytherin had split from Gryffindor over student recruitment issues. He had opposed Muggle-born wizards attending Hogwarts, and Dudley himself was, technically speaking, a Muggle-born wizard.  

That is, neither of his parents were wizards, and he had suddenly discovered his magical talent, coming from the Muggle world as a little wizard.  

"Slytherin is Slytherin, but I am me. I carry his consciousness, but I am not Slytherin."  

That made a lot of sense; in short, it was very magical.  

"Now go to the Slytherin long table, right now!"  

A large hand came down from above, pulling the Sorting Hat off Dudley's head and interrupting the conversation between the boy and the hat. A middle-aged man with black hair, a black robe, and a serious expression said coldly to Dudley.  

Notably, the man had greasy, shoulder-length black hair.  

Dudley had been on the stool for too long, and the head of Slytherin house couldn't take it anymore.  

Snape yanked Dudley hard, but he didn't budge an inch.  

His lips moved slightly, about to say something sharp, but he paused, as if remembering something, and the words changed to something else.  

"What are you still dawdling for? Do I need to ask you to move? Mr. Dursley."  

A suppressed laugh erupted from the Gryffindor table; they always enjoyed it when a Slytherin made a fool of themselves.  

Although they found it a bit odd that Professor Snape was acting differently today, that thought quickly faded, as it was Snape, who was famously protective of his own house.  

Logically, when a new student is sorted into their house, even if they aren't as celebrated as Harry, they would at least get some applause. However, Dudley received no cheers upon arriving at Slytherin House, not even a single welcome.  

Even the seat next to Dudley automatically cleared a small space.  

The lack of welcome and the rejection were very clear.

Tl/N: If you want to read more [upto Ten chapters] while supporting me, you can join me on patreon.com/EmptyThoughts ;Thanks.

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Note : Guys, some power stones will be really helpful.

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Upcoming chapters :-

40. I'm going to teach him a lesson.

41. Oops, offended a Malfoy.

42. Bully, Dudley dursley?