Harry Potter -Blood legacy

"S..."

In truth, no matter how you looked at it, Tony was the purest example of a Slytherin.

Pure-blooded, ambitious, and determined to pursue power.

However, Tony had his reasons for refusing.

He, Tony Lestrange, didn't want a cuckold!

Literally.

Tony considered discussing with the Sorting Hat how to get sorted into Ravenclaw. After all, everyone said the Sorting Hat could be persuaded.

But he hadn't anticipated that the hat wouldn't follow logic. The moment it touched his head, it immediately tried to shout out its decision.

What the hell?!

Tony's reflexes were lightning-fast. Just as the Sorting Hat began to say "Sly—," Tony grabbed the hat and clamped his hands over its mouth.

"Te—mmmph!" The Sorting Hat's voice was muffled.

No one in the hall had ever seen a student stop the Sorting Hat mid-sorting.

It was already peculiar, and while Tony's good looks might have earned him some points, his bizarre behavior was now causing those points to plummet.

The pink hat Tony had been wearing earlier fell to the ground, rolling a few times before stopping. A couple of puffballs tumbled out, as though they had been disoriented.

"Mr. Lestrange!" Professor McGonagall exclaimed.

"Heh, Professor, please allow me a moment to talk with the Sorting Hat," Tony said quickly, coming up with an excuse. "I don't think it really understands me, and I'd like to help it figure out which house I should be in."

Professor McGonagall gave Tony a long look but said nothing. Instead, she folded her arms and waited.

Tony closed his eyes and communicated directly with the Sorting Hat.

"Hey! Kid! Are you going to let go of my mouth or not? I can't announce anything like this," the Sorting Hat grumbled, finally agreeing to talk.

"That's the idea, my dear Mr. Sorting Hat," Tony chuckled. "Now, please, put me in Ravenclaw! I absolutely adore learning!"

"Oh, you enjoy learning, do you?" the Sorting Hat replied. "But isn't your desire to learn purely for the sake of enhancing your power?"

"Of course not!" Tony lied smoothly. "Sure, gaining strength is part of it, but I also want to better understand the world."

"Boy, are you lying to yourself?" the Sorting Hat asked, exasperated.

"Yes! I love lying to myself!" Tony said, feigning righteousness. "It's much better than lying to others!"

"That's...oddly true," the Sorting Hat admitted. "You really do seem to prefer self-deception over deceiving others."

Tony seized the moment to continue persuading the Sorting Hat.

He argued that since he was suited to more than one house, its decision would shape his relationships and his entire future. Thus, it should be extra cautious and not make a hasty choice.

Somehow, Tony managed to turn the responsibility onto the Sorting Hat.

The Sorting Hat hesitated.

"Normally, pure-blood nobles like you prefer Slytherin," it mused.

But even with Tony's arguments, the Sorting Hat struggled to justify placing him in Ravenclaw.

"Oh!" The Sorting Hat's tone suddenly changed, becoming sly. "Is this because of love?"

Tony's face turned red.

"Ho ho ho! Young love! Oh, how it warms my old heart!" The Sorting Hat seemed thoroughly entertained. "Alright, then! I'll make an exception and put you in—"

"Wait! Wait!" Tony interrupted.

"What now? Are you having second thoughts?" the Sorting Hat asked, confused.

"No, no. I just want you to wait thirty seconds before announcing it!" Tony grinned mischievously. "I really want to create some suspense!"

"Suspense?" The Sorting Hat sounded outraged. "How do you even know about that term? No, no, no. I won't let you make me part of your drama!"

"RAVENCLAW!" the Sorting Hat suddenly shouted.

The entire hall fell silent as Professor McGonagall, startled by the sudden shout, removed the hat from Tony's head.

"Really, Mr. Sorting Hat, that was unkind," Tony muttered in disappointment.

"I'm not human," the Sorting Hat quipped.

As Professor McGonagall lifted the hat, Tony heard it mumble to itself, "Every suspenseful sorting is my fault."

A "hat embarrassment" occurs when a student delays the Sorting Hat's decision for five minutes or more.

So far, Tony knew of only two "hat embarrassments."

One was Professor McGonagall, who had been caught between Ravenclaw and Gryffindor for what felt like forever.

The second was Peter Pettigrew, who was torn between Hufflepuff and Gryffindor. Though many believed he belonged in Hufflepuff, the Sorting Hat insisted he had hidden courage.

Now it seemed...it wasn't wrong!

Tony had hoped to join their ranks as a "hat embarrassment." Though it was ultimately meaningless, it was still an achievement.

Unfortunately, the Sorting Hat didn't give him the chance.

What a shame!

Few people knew that Regulus Black was a master of Occlumency.

To save as many lives as he did under Voldemort's nose was no less difficult than the work of Severus Snape.

True mastery of Occlumency wasn't about simply blocking others out. It was about showing them precisely what you wanted them to see.

Similarly, few people knew that Tony had learned Occlumency at this level under Regulus's guidance.

The Sorting Hat saw only what Tony allowed it to see.

This skill greatly enhanced Tony's control over his soul, making him appreciate the unique magic of this world even more.

Tony was also learning Legilimency, though not as quickly as Occlumency.

He disliked others prying into his mind, but he also had no interest in prying into others'.

Magic in this world seemed deeply tied to the wizard's intentions.

For instance, Tony had mastered the Killing Curse, Avada Kedavra, but couldn't manage the Cruciatus Curse at all.

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