Chapter 9: Sorting ceremony

"Forget it, let's go, Luna, we'll be late." After looking back, Wilkes took Luna into a small boat and rowed toward Hogwarts.

On the boat, Wilkes glanced back at the direction where Snape was leaving, and then at Luna who was sitting behind him.

Wilkes wanted to pull Luna into the water, in case if something happens, but he didn't expect something will happen now.

But everything is possible.

"Wilks, who was that person just now? Do you know him? That person seems to be hostile to you?" Luna asked curiously on the boat.

"That person just now? I don't know him, maybe he is one of my admirers. People are afraid of being famous and afraid of being strong. Sometimes people are too good, and they will always attract jealous eyes." Wilkes sighed.

But, suddenly, Wilkes thought of something, and said with a stern face: "Because of me, we will be late together."

"Yeah." Luna couldn't help but shook her head, then her eyes became erratic again, looking at the dark lake.

Luna was more indifferent from outside than Wilkes, and it seemed that no matter what happens, she will be the same.

After Luna's silence, Wilkes's heart also calmed down, looking at an old castle getting close in front of him.

Hogwarts Castle.

...

The annual sorting ceremony of the new students is held in the auditorium, and if you want to reach the auditorium, you just need to go through the entrance hall.

Wilkes took Luna and stood in front of the auditorium.

At this moment, everyone in the auditorium is sitting quietly, and students are whispering with each other from time to time, and the dinner does not seem to have started yet.

Everyone in the auditorium seemed to be waiting for something.

Upon seeing this, Wilkes sighed, his face became calm, and walked forward, Luna was following him, they walked into the auditorium, between the tables of the four houses, and they kept walking toward the sorting ceremony.

That is the direction of the professors' desk.

The auditorium is large, there are hundreds of meters between the entrance and the professors' desk. So, all Hogwarts' students noticed Wilkes and Luna who were late, because they were in the middle of the hall.

"What's the matter, someone is late?"

"It seems to be a new student."

"I don't know which house he will be assigned to. If he is assigned to Slytherin, I'm afraid Professor Snape..."

"Even if he was assigned to Gryffindor, Professor McGonagall would be very angry."

For a while, the auditorium, which was quiet just now, suddenly became a mess of discussions.

Wilkes didn't have stage fright at all. He was in Knockturn alley, and he was still safe after the many dangers and risks he had to face there. So, comparing with now, he was completely indifferent and cold.

However, Wilkes looked back at her while pulling Luna forward, and found that she was still as cute as she used to be, so he was relieved.

After all, she was late because of him, and he used Luna to prevent accidents.

"I will compensate her a little in the future," Wilkes said in his heart.

Furthermore, this is will be an "excuse" to approach Luna with integrity in the future!

As he approached the Sorting Ceremony, Wilkes looked around carefully.

The ceiling of the auditorium looked like the night sky because of the magic, and countless candles were burning and floating.

On the way, Wilkes also noticed Harry Potter, Ron, and Draco who seemed to have recognized him.

However, the latter seemed to see his eyes trying to avoid him.

"What's the matter with him?" Wilkes frowned.

Wilkes recalled what happened at the Ollivander Wand Shop last time. I'm afraid Lucius told him about me and warned him.

Wilkes didn't care for Draco at all. He was just a little spoiled kid, not enough to make Wilkes look at him.

It was Hermione Granger sitting at Gryffindor's table that draws Wilkes' attention.

She has thick brown hair and bright brown eyes.

As soon as the two of them walked to the professor's desk, a witch wearing a wizard's hat with a dark green robe hurried forward, whispering in a low voice:

"Miss Luna Lovegood, and this...Mr. Wilkes, if you will be late again, I must go to you!"

It is the dean of Gryffindor and the wizard who presided over the sorting ceremony, Professor Minerva McGonagall.

"Okay, let's start the sorting ceremony." Then, Professor McGonagall turned his head and said loudly, and hurriedly walked to the stool with the sorting hat.

"Which one of you will come first?" Picking up the Sorting Hat, Professor McGonagall had been waiting long enough, and her eyes focused on Wilkes and Luna who were standing there.

Upon hearing the sound, Wilkes turned his head to look at Luna, and at the same time their eyes met, Luna tilted her head and watched him without saying anything.

"I'll do it first." Wilkes took the lead a few steps forward.

He glanced at Professor McGonagall, then glanced at all the professors sitting at the professor's table, and Dumbledore, who was sitting at chief's stool calmly.