18

Chapter 18: Retracing the Founder's Path

The train slowed down and stopped with a whistle.

The young wizards pushed and shoved towards the side door and came to a small dark platform.

Ethan, who had just gotten off the train, felt a chill. The Scottish Highlands in September had already entered autumn, and the night temperature had dropped to single digits.

He quickly cast a warming spell on himself, feeling a bit more comfortable.

The warming spell, a practical bit of magic, does exactly what its name suggests. It seems to be in the third-year textbook!

Naturally, he didn't forget Hermione and the others, casting the spell for them in turn.

"Thank... Thank you!"

After Cassandra whispered her thanks, she separated from Ethan and his group and went in another direction.

Like Draco, she also had her own pure-blood friends, or rather followers.

But today, in order to enjoy a compartment alone, she did not stay with them.

Unfortunately, she didn't get her wish. She didn't get a private compartment and instead had to listen to chattering for hours in a full one. It was rather annoying.

Now that she was off the train, she naturally had to return to the pure-blood camp. She was the pride of future Slytherin.

"First-year students, first-year students, come over here, and watch your feet."

A giant over three meters tall, wide and imposing, came over with an oil lamp. Although he looked kind, he still scared many of the first years back.

Half-giant Hagrid.

Ethan was curious about how his parents managed it. Pure-blood giants were taller than Hagrid, at least four meters tall, while normal human men were about 1.78 meters tall. His father seemed particularly small in comparison.

A small horse pulling a big cart?

A toothpick stirring a big vat?

Tsk tsk tsk!

The older students went to one side, and the first years followed Hagrid.

The path was not easy to walk. It was narrow, steep, and slippery. It was pitch black on both sides, with only the light from Hagrid's lantern leading the way.

At the end of the path was a dark lake, and on the hillside on the opposite bank stood a towering castle with sharp spires and windows flickering under the starry sky.

Each boat could hold no more than four people. Ethan, Hermione, Neville, and an unfamiliar young witch got into the same boat.

"Hannah Abbott," she introduced herself. This was the famous Iron Hat Queen.

She is always sorted first in book ,movies ,games and fanfictions.

As they drew closer to the castle, Hermione and Neville grew more and more anxious.

Hermione was so nervous her palms were sweating: "I hope I get sorted into Gryffindor!"

Thanks to Dumbledore's influence and the publicity of numerous wizarding magazines, wizards who didn't know much about the houses often saw Gryffindor as the greatest house.

The same was true for Hermione.

However, she had no idea if she would be sorted into Gryffindor.

"My grandmother wants me to go to Gryffindor. My whole family was in Gryffindor, but I don't know if I can get in."

Neville was also quite discouraged. Courage didn't seem to be a word he could associate with himself.

If he could get into Hufflepuff, it would be great, but his grandmother expected him to be in Gryffindor.

"As for me, I want to go to Hufflepuff."

Hannah Abbott smiled easily. Although her family hadn't told her what the Sorting Ceremony was like, they said she would most likely go to Hufflepuff.

The reason for choosing Hufflepuff was simple.

First of all, most of her family members were Hufflepuffs.

She had grown up hearing Hufflepuff stories and would take over the family tavern in the future.

The Hufflepuff dormitory was closest to the kitchen and had the best relationship with the house elves.

She could also learn a few tricks to add two specialties to the tavern in the future.

"Ethan, what about you?"

The three of them had shared their goals, and Hermione asked curiously since Ethan had remained silent.

As a fellow Muggle-born and someone more talented than her, she wanted to hear Ethan's choice.

"Except for Slytherin, which can't accept Muggle-borns, the other three houses are all fine. Each has its own characteristics."

Slytherin generally accepted pure-bloods, and some talented and ambitious half-bloods. However, Muggle-borns couldn't enter.

Of the remaining three, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were good choices. To be honest, he didn't really want to enter Gryffindor. They were noisy and not as united as Hufflepuff, and the atmosphere was even worse.

Ravenclaw provided better learning opportunities and had its own exclusive library.

As everyone knew, since You Know Who's rise, the Hogwarts library had been curated by Dumbledore and was now a fragmentary collection.

Ravenclaw valued wisdom and had a voracious appetite for knowledge. Their exclusive library wouldn't allow Dumbledore to tamper with it.

"You're saying nothing."

Hermione was exasperated with Ethan's answer.

"For you, Ravenclaw is actually the most suitable. 'Extraordinary wisdom is the greatest treasure of mankind.' That's their slogan."

Ethan tried to change her perspective. To be honest, it was normal for Hermione to go to Gryffindor and be ostracized before becoming friends with Harry and Ronald.

In a school where students liked pranks, wizard chess, Quidditch, but not studying, suddenly a good student who liked to preach would not be welcomed.

Especially a good student who didn't give homework to copy—no one would like that.

"I've thought about Ravenclaw, but I still think Gryffindor is better."

Hermione insisted on her view. The greatest wizards came from Gryffindor, so Gryffindor was naturally the best.

It's similar to the Muggle world. If a school has enough celebrities and is famous enough, it proves that the school is getting better and better.

As they chatted, the boat passed the steep cliffs to the west and the curtains of ivy, finally stopping at a pier.

After landing, they climbed through a tunnel in the rock and arrived at an open, wet meadow under the shadow of the towering castle.

After Hagrid counted the students, he stepped onto a stone staircase, raised his huge fist, and knocked three times on the castle gate.

The gate opened immediately, and Professor McGonagall, who they had met before, walked out slowly.

"Here are the first-year students, Professor McGonagall!"

Hagrid said seriously.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take over from here."

Professor McGonagall replied courteously, then led the young wizards into the thousand-year-old castle of Hogwarts.

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