Chapter 29: Chapter 29: The Sorting Ceremony
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In front of the High Table on the dais stood a four-legged stool, and on the stool rested a patched, pointed wizard's hat that clearly had a long history.
The pointed wizard's hat was at that moment singing to itself, until Professor McGonagall stepped forward and it ceased.
"When I call your name, you will put on the hat, sit on the stool, and await your Sorting."
Professor McGonagall took out a roll of parchment:
"Colin Creevey!"
Colin's body stiffened. He immediately scurried forward, somewhat nervously sat down, and put on the hat.
With almost no pause, the hat gave its answer:
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Applause thundered from the Gryffindor table as all the wizards there celebrated their House gaining a new first-year.
"Astoria Greengrass!"
"SLYTHERIN!"
"Luna Lovegood!"
"RAVENCLAW!"
"Ginny Weasley!"
"GRYFFINDOR!"
As young wizards were called up one by one, it was soon George's turn.
"George!"
The moment George put on the Sorting Hat, just like the other young wizards, he heard no hesitation or questioning from the hat; the answer came directly.
"SLYTHERIN!"
"Slytherin, really?"
George's face showed a hint of surprise, but he quickly composed himself, took off the Sorting Hat, and unhurriedly walked towards the Slytherin table, taking a seat.
To be honest, he thought he would most likely be in Gryffindor, with a small chance of Ravenclaw, but he never expected Slytherin.
However, after a moment's thought, he realized he preferred to act with a plan, had clear goals, and was sometimes quite pragmatic, which did align with some Slytherin traits.
Perhaps, deep down, his personality truly leaned more towards Slytherin characteristics.
Slytherin did not inherently mean evil. None of the four Houses represented absolute good or absolute evil.
Gryffindor had produced wizards like Peter Pettigrew, and Slytherin had those like Regulus, who would sacrifice themselves to resist Voldemort, even choosing death over letting a house-elf die in his place.
The characteristics of the four Houses were, in fact, largely positive in their broader meaning.
Gryffindor was brave, Ravenclaw scholarly, Hufflepuff righteous, and Slytherin intelligent, ambitious, and goal-oriented.
"Slytherin is fine too. Snape is quite protective of his own, and he's skilled in dark magic. If I can bring honor to Slytherin, I should gain quite a bit."
Snapping back to the present, the Sorting Ceremony had ended.
In fact, before this, he had already analyzed the personality of each head of house and formulated corresponding plans for every House he might be sorted into.
Therefore, even Slytherin was not a major issue.
Dumbledore spoke a few brief words, introduced the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Gilderoy Lockhart, and then announced the start of the feast.
Immediately, countless dishes prepared by house-elves appeared on the four long tables, and the hungry young wizards eagerly began to feast.
George also started eating the food on the table, but he still kept a small portion of his attention on the High Table.
Sure enough, it wasn't long before a gaunt wizard with sallow skin, a hooked nose, oily black hair falling to his shoulders, wearing black robes and a cloak, and exuding a chilling aura, appeared at the entrance of the Great Hall.
He strode quickly like a large bat towards the High Table. Every young wizard he passed, regardless of House or year, instinctively held their breath.
This person was none other than Severus Snape, Head of Slytherin.
The most skilled Potions Master, and a magical expert second only to the likes of Dumbledore, Voldemort, and Grindelwald.
Snape exchanged a few words with Dumbledore and McGonagall. Professor McGonagall's face quickly turned grim, and then the three of them left the Great Hall together.
"My dad got another promotion at the Ministry of Magic..."
"When I was seven, my mum bought me a broomstick worth twenty Galleons..."
"Hmph, what's that compared to mine? I..."
At the Slytherin table, the first-year wizards began to boast about their families and wealth while they ate.
Young wizards sorted into Slytherin were generally descendants of pure-blood families; there were very few half-bloods, and almost no Muggle-born wizards.
So, some of them had known each other since childhood.
And even if they didn't know each other, they would deliberately display their family background and wealth at this time to secure their standing.
George didn't participate. His body in this world was most likely that of a half-blood; it was normal for a Muggle mother and wizard father to have a casual encounter, leading to an unexpected pregnancy, and then for the mother, unable to find the father and unwilling to be burdened, to abandon the child.
So, in terms of family status, he was definitely at the bottom of Slytherin, and there was no need to invite trouble.
As a half-blood, as long as he demonstrated absolute power, like Snape and Voldemort, he would naturally not lack status or followers.
Slytherin valued bloodline, but even more so, power. Of course, you had to at least be a half-blood.
"Oh, Merlin's beard, it's the Bloody Baron! He looks truly terrifying!"
Just then, the young wizards shuddered as a gaunt ghost with hollow eyes and covered in blood suddenly appeared and sat down at the Slytherin table.
And the spot he chose was right next to George.
George looked up at the Bloody Baron, a faint smile on his face. He elegantly nodded to the Bloody Baron as a greeting, then calmly continued eating his dinner.
What was being covered in blood? He had seen far worse in the lab. He had personally killed dozens of people. How could he be scared by a little blood?
The Bloody Baron was clearly surprised that a first-year wizard could be so composed upon seeing him for the first time.
However, as the Slytherin House ghost, he was quite pleased to have such a courageous young wizard in Slytherin. So, he also nodded in response.
"Which family is he from? He actually dared to greet the Bloody Baron?"
"I don't know, never heard of him. He must be a half-blood."
"A half-blood? But he doesn't look like it. I think he looks like a wizard from one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight families. He has such an elegant demeanor."
George's composure in front of the Bloody Baron naturally caught the attention of all the Slytherin wizards. They grew curious about this elegant and bold young wizard.
However, they quickly concluded that George was a half-blood, because if he were pure-blood, they wouldn't have possibly never heard of him, and his name, George, was also quite peculiar.
But even so, some young wizards developed a positive impression of George.
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