Chapter 7: Sorting

"Hufflepuff?" a faint voice said, "Oh, maybe you didn't hear the song I just sang, no worries, I can sing a solo part for you—people there are honest and loyal—" 

Wade: "..."

He faintly sensed something.

The Sorting Hat continued, "Hufflepuff students are resilient and honest—"

Wade: "..."

Alright, I get it, no need to keep singing!

The Sorting Hat: "Not afraid of hard work—"

Wade: "..."

This is a bit much! Your voice is a bit too loud!

The Sorting Hat whispered, "While Hufflepuff never turns away any student longing for Hogwarts, there's a more suitable place for you... hmm—people can find it hard to recognize themselves, can't they?"

Wade hurriedly thought, "I don't want to go to Slytherin!"

"Of course—" the Sorting Hat loudly declared, "Ravenclaw—"

Applause erupted from the second row of tables on the left, sounding quite reserved. Wade sighed inwardly and took off the hat, walking towards the table adorned with blue and silver.

—Rigid Sorting Hat! So what if I'm not honest, loyal, or hardworking? I just like making friends with honest, loyal, and hardworking people, can't I?

Several Ravenclaw students stood up to shake hands with him. The lead boy said, "Welcome to Ravenclaw, I'm the prefect, West Mohr."

Another boy leaned over and said, "Your name is Wade Gray? Then you fit right in our house!"

"What do you mean?" Wade asked.

"Oh, Benson, don't tell that joke." West sighed, as if recalling something.

Benson winked and said, "Because our house ghost is also called Gray—the Gray Lady."

Wade looked at him, slowly saying after a few seconds, "...Oh, so?"

Benson: "..."

West nudged the boy's head back, "I told you, don't try to mimic the Weasley twins, you're not naturally funny."

Benson slumped on the table, seemingly crushed. Wade thought his current expression was rather amusing.

He took a seat and glanced around.

No introductions were needed; in his eyes, everyone's head had a name floating above it (or two). However, almost everyone in Ravenclaw left no impression on Wade, likely because they weren't mentioned in the story. The only exception was a not far-off, very cute-looking black-haired girl diagonally across from him—[Cho Chang], who was observing the new students being sorted, unaware of Wade's gaze.

He also matched the people at the teachers' table with his memory—silver-haired, long-bearded Albus Dumbledore; sallow-faced, greasy-haired Severus Snape; diminutive Filius Flitwick who looked like a three-year-old; scatterbrained Sybill Trelawney; plump Professor Sprout; and Quirinus Quirrell & Tom Riddle, who had a face at the front and another at the back.

Of course, sitting at the Ravenclaw table, Wade was like an invisible person, not drawing the professors' attention at all.

The sorting ceremony continued.

"Michael Corner!"

"Ravenclaw!"

Before Wade, a blond boy named Anthony was sorted into Ravenclaw, enthusiastically greeting everyone. Soon, another boy with long, curly black hair named Michael Corner joined and sat next to Wade. Next came one of a pair of Indian-descended twin sisters, Padma Patil; her sister Parvati Patil was sorted into Gryffindor.

The number of new Ravenclaw entrants wasn't large, just about ten people trickling in, anxiously yet excitedly looking around, until a name suddenly echoed—

"Harry Potter!"

"Potter? Harry Potter?"

"Is it that Harry Potter?"

At the Ravenclaw table, even those who typically ignored new students couldn't help but turn their heads, extending their necks to see the black-haired boy stepping before the Sorting Hat.

As he donned the hat, many held their breath, from Gryffindor to Slytherin, from Headmaster Dumbledore to Filch the caretaker by the doorway; everyone was staring at the dirty hat and the small boy partially obscured beneath it.

The chatter gradually quieted.

Finally—

"Gryffindor!"

The Sorting Hat shouted, and the hall resounded with cheers and applause, the loudest coming from Gryffindor, though almost everyone at Ravenclaw clapped too—an honor not afforded to others during sorting.

"I knew he would be in Gryffindor!" Benson earnestly told West, "Harry Potter obviously belongs in Gryffindor, where else could he go?"

"Shut up, Benson. Two months ago, you said Harry Potter was just a fictional character and didn't actually exist!" West retorted, rolling his eyes.

After the final new student was sorted into Slytherin, Professor McGonagall took the Sorting Hat away, and Dumbledore stood with open arms.

"Welcome!" he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before the feast begins, I wish to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!"

Hearing this classic opening, Wade clapped vigorously.

"What does that mean?" Michael, beside him, asked.

"No idea," Wade replied.

"And you clapped?" Michael raised an eyebrow.

"Such a short speech, isn't it worth clapping?" Wade countered.

Michael thought for a moment and agreed, "You're right!"

Lively applause mingled with cheers, and in the blink of an eye, the once-empty long tables were filled with various foods, like roast beef, lamb chops, chips, and mashed potatoes. Although there were fewer vegetables, the tantalizing aroma was enough to whet anyone's appetite.

Students eagerly indulged themselves after hours of hunger. Once nearly everyone was satisfied, the main courses vanished, and the long tables became laden with desserts. With their bellies filled, students slowed down to savor and made time to chat with those around them.

Naturally, newcomers focused on their background and lineage.

A boy named Stephen said, "I come from a pure-blood family. My mother was also in Ravenclaw, and my father was in Gryffindor. I've read all the school textbooks at home."

"What about you, Wade?" someone asked.

Wade answered frankly, "My parents are both non-magical."

"Then magic must be a completely new field for you, right?" Stephen said with sympathy, "Your studies here will be a bit tougher."

"Yes, I'll work hard," Wade replied with a smile.

"Though I'm half-blood, I believe it doesn't really matter whether one is pure-blood or Muggle-born." Michael adjacent to Wade remarked, "Like in my family, my father is a wizard, but he's not as smart as my mom. She decides everything at home."