“That hat is smoking!” Hearing Harry’s exclamation, the teachers and students in the Great Hall all turned their eyes toward the Sorting Hat.
Strands of white smoke were indeed drifting from the grayish-brown hat.
“Oh, Merlin’s beard, has the Sorting Hat finally broken?!” “This is unfair!
Why should future new students get to skip wearing this ragged, dirty old hat?!” “…” The older students were all gloating, occasionally letting out wails of “injustice.” “Who is that junior?
He actually made the Sorting Hat crash!” “Ooh, he looks like a very handsome little brother.
I wonder which house he’ll be sorted into?” The new students who hadn’t been sorted yet were stunned.
If the hat really broke, which house would they be sent to?
Suddenly, a short, chubby young wizard with a buzz cut turned pale and murmured tremulously: “Malfoy, if we can’t be sorted, will we be expelled?” Standing next to him, a thin youth with pale blond hair glanced at him with his grey eyes, his tone mocking: “Crabbe, how could you ask such a stupid question?
Have you forgotten who my father is?” Draco Malfoy—his father, Lucius, was the current head of the House of Malfoy and also a governor of Hogwarts.
The child of a school governor not being able to attend this school?
Malfoy looked at Lucien standing on the platform, his eyes full of interest.
He had originally thought that only Harry Potter, the legendary boy, would be worthy of his notice and qualified to be Draco Malfoy’s friend this year.
He hadn’t expected another such striking figure to appear now.
Lucien Greenwood…
well, I should find an opportunity to make his acquaintance.
But, Greenwood?
Is there such a Pure-blood family…
Professor McGonagall had taught at Hogwarts for decades, and this was the first time she had seen the Sorting Hat behave so abnormally.
She looked back at Dumbledore, wanting to ask how to handle it.
But Dumbledore just stroked his beard, looking at Lucien with a smile on his face.
He had lived for over a century and spent most of his life in this school, having seen and taught countless students.
He had never encountered a young wizard who could make the Sorting Hat take more than ten minutes without producing a result.
And looking at the Sorting Hat’s performance, it was nearly overloaded.
It was truly hard work for this old antique.
Having been informed in advance by McGonagall, Dumbledore already had some understanding of Lucien’s magical talent and was very interested in meeting this “genius.” But before the two had even had a real chat or formal contact, Dumbledore had already seen Lucien’s uniqueness.
The Sorting Hat was a hat that had been used by Godric Gryffindor, infused with the thoughts and wisdom of the four house founders; it was an ancient and intelligent magical object.
It could peer directly into a young wizard’s talents and qualities, picking out the most obvious and purest parts to identify which house’s characteristics they suited, thereby deciding their destination.
However, the length of time and the difficulty Lucien presented surprised and delighted Dumbledore.
Because this showed that Lucien’s qualities were so rich and his talents so outstanding that his characteristics were too numerous and powerful for even the Sorting Hat to make a decision quickly.
Only wizards with distinct characteristics and extraordinary talent can go higher and further.
Dumbledore calculated that after it was over, he should ask the Sorting Hat exactly what talents and qualities this child named Lucien possessed that made it so conflicted.
Just noticing McGonagall’s questioning gaze, Dumbledore simply shook his head at her, indicating there was no need to worry.
And the focus of all these gazes, Lucien, was currently in his Mental World, comforting the Sorting Hat.
“Hat, don’t overthink it.
It’s really not that your ability is lacking; maybe you’re just not in top form today?” A slightly ethereal Sorting Hat was floating wildly around Lucien’s Mental World.
“No!
I will never sort a young wizard into the wrong house!
Absolutely never!” Lucien was somewhat speechless and really wanted to complain about whether the Sorting Hat truly never made mistakes.
For example, that Peter Pettigrew—a traitor, a coward, a filthy rat—was actually sorted into Gryffindor?
But Lucien held back and didn’t provoke the Sorting Hat further, fearing he might completely fry its ability to think.
“Though Muggle-born, your talent is truly the likes of which I have rarely seen in my life as a hat.
And ambition—the ambition to master power.
Slytherin!
No, that’s not right.
Your ambition is more accurately a thirst for knowledge, a pursuit of it.
In the Magical World, knowledge is power.
Ravenclaw!
No, no, no.
You completely lack no courage to explore the unknown—this steadfast and fearless quality.
Gryffindor!” Lucien had stopped responding to the Sorting Hat’s rambling, because…
“There’s still an issue.
Your tireless study, your remarkable patience and effort.
Hufflepuff!” Exactly, the Sorting Hat had once again negated its previous second’s self.
Lucien suspected that if the Sorting Hat could produce a few clones, they would probably start tearing into each other.
This won’t do.
I feel like quite a bit of time has passed.
I haven’t finished today’s reading, and there are still a few Charms left to practice.
I can’t keep wasting time with this hat.
“Ahem, let’s just go with Ravenclaw.” Having listened to the Sorting Hat’s rambling for so long, combined with his memories of the original story, Lucien basically understood all the characteristics of the four houses.
Gryffindor is the house of brave lions, but it’s also a gathering place for reckless fools.
Heaven knows how much trouble would come knocking on my door.
Slytherin is the house of cold vipers.
Although they are a bunch of shrewd egoists, there is no shortage of Pure-blood brats who talk about bloodlines all day.
Lucien could use his wand to teach them that bloodlines are just a fancy, useless decoration in the face of true strength.
But for the same reason as Gryffindor, Lucien wanted to avoid trouble as much as possible.
He needed time—time to study and delve into magic, especially Transfiguration, which he had to master completely within a year.
So that left two suitable choices.
Both Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were relatively low-profile, leaving the stage to the lions and snakes.
Hufflepuff has the largest number of students; they are gentle and inconspicuous badgers.
Most of the students there are kind-hearted, so it should provide a stable daily environment.
But Lucien still leaned toward Ravenclaw.
This group of sharp and wise eagles had long ago built a very competitive nest!
As for Lucien, he loved competition all too much—competing with others, and even more so, pushing himself.
The pioneers ahead, the companions alongside, and the pursuers behind all formed a competitive landscape that Lucien found very pleasing.
The Sorting Hat fell silent.
The silence ended after a dozen or so seconds.
“What you said…
makes sense!” In reality, the Sorting Hat’s mouth ripped open, letting out its loudest proclamation to date.
“Ravenclaw!!!”