Chapter -38 Are you really a wizard?

Chapter -38.

"Hermione, do you have any idea how they'll sort us into our house?" 

As soon as Professor McGonagall wrapped up her instructions and left, Harry was bursting with curiosity. 

He felt like he didn't have Dudley's knack for potions or Hermione's talent for picking up spells on her own. And he definitely wasn't like Ron or Neville, who had grown up in the wizarding world. So far, he had only managed to read a few books and couldn't even cast half a spell. 

Unfortunately, Hermione didn't have the answers he was hoping for. She shook her head and said, a bit reluctantly, "I'm not sure. I've looked through a bunch of books, and they only mention that Hogwarts has a sorting ceremony, but there aren't any details about what it actually involves." 

Harry then turned to Neville and Ron. 

"My grandma wouldn't tell me anything," Neville said, looking even more anxious than Harry, his face long. "I think I might not pass; a few years back, everyone thought I was a bit of a dud." 

"It's probably some kind of test. Fred said it would be super tough, like fighting trolls, but I think he was just joking," Ron said, trying to sound calm, but he was just as tense as Neville. 

"Don't worry, Harry." 

Dudley gave his cousin a reassuring pat on the shoulder, trying to lighten the mood. "If we don't pass, we can always go to Smelting School." 

Hearing that made Harry's eyes brighten, and his earlier nerves started to fade. 

As long as he could study with Dudley, he didn't mind where they ended up. 

While they chatted, a group of pale, ghostly figures floated out from the walls, startling the little wizards in front of them, who screamed in surprise. 

It was a bunch of ghosts! 

Dudley was pretty fascinated by the idea of ghosts, but this wasn't exactly the best time to dive into that topic. 

Just then, Professor McGonagall returned. 

"Now, please line up in a single file and follow me." 

Dudley was taken aback by the grandeur of the Hogwarts dining hall, especially the thousands of floating candles and the ceiling that looked like the night sky. 

The candles were enchanted to stay lit, which was a good thing; otherwise, the cost of all those candles would be outrageous! 

Dudley couldn't help but marvel at how handy magic was. 

In the center of the hall stood a four-legged stool with a pointed wizard hat perched on top. It was a black, worn-out hat with patches. 

The Sorting Hat! 

The brim of the hat opened wide like a mouth and began to sing. 

"You might belong in Gryffindor, where bravery lies deep in your heart; their courage, spirit, and generosity make Gryffindor shine; You might belong in Hufflepuff, where honesty and loyalty reign; Hufflepuff students are steadfast and sincere, unafraid of hard work; If you're clever, you might go to wise old Ravenclaw, where the wise and knowledgeable always find their kind; Or perhaps you'll be in Slytherin, where you might make true friends, but the cunning and sly will stop at nothing to achieve their goals." 

The first three houses got a lot of praise, especially Gryffindor, which had more compliments than the other three combined. But when it came to Slytherin, the tone shifted to something more mocking. 

It was pretty clear what was going on. 

Dudley wasn't too concerned about why the Sorting Hat seemed to pick on Slytherin; maybe it was just Slytherin's own reputation. 

He was more curious about which house he would end up in and whether the hat would reveal any of his secrets. 

Given Dudley's magical talent, he figured he'd probably be sorted into Hufflepuff, which was often seen as the house for the average. But with his top student qualities, there was also a chance he could end up in Ravenclaw. 

"Ding!"  

At that moment, a cheerful notification chimed in Dudley's ears.  

"Join any Hogwarts house, rewards depend on the specific house." It seemed like the rewards varied for each house.  

Meanwhile, Professor McGonagall pulled out a parchment and read the first name.  

"Hannah Abbott!"  

She was a girl with golden pigtails.  

After a few seconds, the Sorting Hat declared, "Hufflepuff!" and just like that, she was sorted.  

Then came Susan Bones, Justin Finch-Fletchley, and one by one, names were called by Professor McGonagall. Dudley only caught the names of the first few and realized the list wasn't in alphabetical order.  

After all, the first name started with A, then H, then A again, and back to H; it couldn't possibly be alphabetical.  

Ron and Neville were sorted into Gryffindor, and, as expected, Malfoy ended up in Slytherin.  

"Where do you want to go, Hermione?" Dudley asked the girl standing next to him.  

"Gryffindor or Ravenclaw," Hermione replied, looking a bit torn. "I've been thinking about these two houses for ages. Ravenclaw has its own library, and the study vibe is really nice. But both Headmaster Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall graduated from Gryffindor, and a lot of famous wizards did too."  

"And you, Dudley?"  

"Any house is fine with me."  

Dudley shrugged, feeling pretty sure he'd end up in Hufflepuff.  

He even started to think about when he could sneak out for a midnight snack since 

Hufflepuff's common room was closest to the kitchen.  

When Hermione's name was called, she dashed up, and the Sorting Hat quickly declared Gryffindor.  

Even though Hermione was a top student, she was naturally a Gryffindor.  

Being smart and studious didn't automatically mean she belonged in Ravenclaw.  

Soon, only Harry and Dudley were left to be sorted.  

Harry was called second to last.  

"Don't be nervous, Harry. No matter which house we end up in, we'll always be brothers," Dudley whispered to him before he went up.  

Not long after, the Sorting Hat's loud voice rang out: "Gryffindor!"  

"We have Potter!"  

Cheers erupted throughout the dining hall, and everyone in Gryffindor celebrated joyfully. The expressions of the other three houses noticeably dropped, and Dudley even caught Malfoy in Slytherin muttering angrily about something.  

So when Dudley stepped onto the stage, aside from Hermione and Harry, no one else really noticed him.  

Everyone was focused on Harry.  

The Sorting Hat was gently placed on Dudley's head.  

He felt a surprised voice echoing above him.  

"Oh~~~~"  

The sound lingered for a while.  

"Are you really a wizard?" 

a sudden question fell into his ears.

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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Upcoming chapters :-

39.So, Slytherin it is then?

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

41. Oops, offended a Malfoy.