HP: Hogwart's Model Wizard

After the earlier unexpected incident, the Sorting Hat wasted no time. It practically sorted each new student as soon as it touched their hair. With this newfound efficiency, it wasn't long before only the final two students remained.

"Canna Prince!"

At the sound of the familiar name, both Kyle and Cedric looked over at the same time.

"Isn't that the girl from the train?" Cedric asked curiously. "Where do you think she'll be sorted? Slytherin?"

"Probably," Kyle replied, instinctively scratching the back of his neck. "She isn't wearing Muggle clothes, so she's likely pure-blood, and Slytherin seems like the most probable choice... hmm?"

At that moment, Kyle froze. He wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but after Professor McGonagall called out Canna's name, Severus Snape, who had been maintaining a stony expression and seemed completely uninterested in the Sorting, suddenly shifted forward slightly. For the first time, his attention seemed to be fully focused on the Sorting Hat.

"They don't know each other, do they?" Kyle thought to himself.

Although Snape rarely participated in social activities due to his special status, he was, after all, one of the four House Heads at Hogwarts and a renowned Potions Master. It was impossible for him not to know anyone in the wizarding world. Perhaps Canna's family was among those he knew.

With this thought, a chill ran down Kyle's back. He suddenly had a bad feeling. If Snape were to find out that he had played a part in causing Canna trouble, Kyle would most likely be in for some unwanted attention—and much sooner than expected.

"It can't be that coincidental..." Kyle thought, feeling a shiver crawl over his scalp.

Just moments ago, he'd been mocking the Weasley twins for receiving their comeuppance, and now—instant karma. It had come for him so quickly.

Kyle nervously looked up at the podium. For some reason, as Canna took her turn, the Sorting Hat seemed to slow down, much like when it had first started. The hall waited for over a minute before the Sorting Hat finally spoke.

"Hufflepuff!"

Huh??

The Hufflepuff table erupted in cheers, with the Prefects standing up again to welcome Canna . But Kyle, watching her walk past him, was left completely confused. 

What was going on? How was it that another pure-blood family—other than Scamander's—had a student sorted into Hufflepuff? This was certainly rare.

It wasn't that pure-bloods didn't get into Hufflepuff at all, but they were definitely fewer in number compared to the other Houses. As for whether Canna had chosen to follow him here—well, that was completely impossible. The Sorting wasn't a game. In fact, it could have a significant impact on a wizard's future path.

So, even if Canna was young and perhaps a little naïve, the Sorting Hat wouldn't have let her make such a choice on a whim. If it had, Canna 's family would never have let it go so easily.

Kyle recalled something Chris had once told him—how Mrs. Black had caused a huge scene when Sirius Black had been sorted into Gryffindor. If it hadn't been for Dumbledore's intervention, the Sorting Hat might've been burned by her Fiendfyre.

That incident had caused a great stir at the time, and though Dumbledore had managed to keep it under control at Hogwarts, the Ministry had held several meetings to discuss whether the Sorting Hat should be replaced with another method. The proposal had gained some support, especially from the more conservative pure-blood families, who didn't want their children ending up in any House other than Slytherin. For them, having a Gryffindor in the family was a disgrace.

Of course, the proposal had been ultimately rejected. After all, Dumbledore back then wasn't the man he was now. Once he firmly expressed his opposition, the pure-blood families didn't dare challenge him. The issue had quietly faded away.

Since then, however, those who supported the proposal hadn't sent their children to any House other than Slytherin.

Kyle glanced up at the staff table. It was easy enough to confirm if the Sorting was legitimate—just look at Snape's reaction. If Canna's family really had ties with him, Snape wouldn't just sit there passively after Canna was sorted into Hufflepuff.

...Well, Kyle was wrong.

Snape's face had darkened to the point where it could've dripped with water. He was speaking animatedly with Dumbledore, occasionally casting glances toward Hufflepuff.

Kyle quickly lowered his head, trying to make himself as inconspicuous as possible. 

Could it really be that the Sorting Hat was so brave? Kyle felt a nervous flutter in his chest.

Meanwhile, the last student had finished their Sorting and was sent to the Gryffindor table. Dumbledore stood up, his usual wide smile in place as he looked down at the students.

"Welcome, welcome to all of you," he said, spreading his arms. "It's another wonderful year at Hogwarts. There is nothing more joyous than seeing you all here. Now, what are we waiting for? Let's eat!"

In an instant, the long empty tables were piled high with steaming food. Beef, roast chicken, pork chops, sausages, and steaks were stacked into small mountains, enough to make anyone's stomach growl with hunger. For those who found the meat too greasy, there were fragrant boiled potatoes, pea shoots, and crispy potato chips that paired perfectly with the main courses.

The entire hall was filled with the delicious scent of food.

Kyle shook his head, trying not to let his mind wander. It didn't matter anymore—what was the point in worrying? All he could do now was take things one step at a time.

After all, no matter what happened, he wouldn't be the first to get into trouble. The Sorting Hat had already taken the brunt of it.

Plus, even if Snape really did want to make things difficult for him, it wouldn't last long. Once Harry Potter started his first year next year, Snape would have bigger fish to fry.

Kyle took a deep breath and grabbed a fried chicken leg, stuffing it into his mouth. After the bumpy ride on the train, he hadn't had much of an appetite, just nibbling on some snacks, but now he was genuinely hungry.

The house-elves' cooking was impressive. The crispy chicken leg was tender inside, and as he took a bite, juices spilled out, filling his mouth with savory flavor. The roasted potatoes were also great, perfectly cooked with just the right seasoning to bring out their natural flavor. If they were too bland for his taste, he could always add ketchup or black pepper from the side.

Kyle was surprised at how well the pairing worked, so he grabbed another leg. 

However, just as he was slicing his potato and preparing to sprinkle it with black pepper, Cedric suddenly leaned over and whispered, "Did you notice that she's been staring at you this whole time?"

"Staring at me? Who?" Kyle replied, not even looking up.

"The new girl, Canna Prince, the one we met on the train," Cedric said with a raised eyebrow, a teasing glint in his eye as he pointed to the other side of the hall. "Don't believe me? Look, she's looking at you again."

(End of Chapter)

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