Chapter 18: The Sound of Heaven

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*****

The Great Hall was eerily silent.

Students from other years were eagerly waiting for the show, while the first-years nervously stared at the dirty, tattered hat, as if a giant troll might leap out of it at any moment.

Suddenly, the hat began to wiggle. The tip swayed from side to side, and the brim bounced up and down, as if it were dancing.

But the more Kyle watched, the more he felt something was off.

How should he put it? Whoever designed this routine must have been inspired by a type of flatfish known for eating its colleagues. The movements were stiff and lacked the smoothness of the original.

And honestly, it was quite ugly.

The Sorting Hat might have realized dancing wasn't its strong suit because it soon split open a mouth-like seam and began to hum:

"I am but a hat.

But don't underestimate my appearance.

I was born a thousand years ago.

I've witnessed the world's changes.

I've crossed muddy wildernesses.

And walked along forest riverbanks.

Come now, put me on.

Discover the most suitable house for you.

If you crave power, then go to Gryffindor, where they are brave and bold, able to unearth the courage buried deep within you.

Perhaps you'll enter Slytherin, where they are strong, composed, and elegantly self-assured. Here, you need not hide your ambition or desire for power, for everyone here is just like you.

Hufflepuff values loyalty and honesty; come, here you will find the most trustworthy companions.

And then there's Ravenclaw. If you possess exceptional intelligence and a keen mind, don't hesitate—there you will find like-minded peers.

Come now, put me on.

Don't worry or be afraid.

I will reveal your innermost desires."

As the song concluded, thunderous applause erupted around them; it was clear that the young witches and wizards of the magical world were quite polite.

The Sorting Hat took a bow to each of the four long tables before falling still.

...

Although the Sorting Hat's song was undeniably hard to describe, the first-years largely understood that the Sorting process involved simply wearing this hat.

Many of them let out a quiet sigh of relief.

Compared to the rumors they had heard before, wearing a hat seemed incredibly easy.

So what if the hat was a bit dirty, old, and ugly? It didn't matter; it was only for a moment, after all. They wouldn't have to wear it for long.

Professor McGonagall quickly stepped forward, holding a piece of parchment in her hand.

"Whoever I call will put on the hat, sit on the stool, and wait to be sorted."

She glanced at the parchment.

"Thomas Allbright."

A blond boy held his head high and hurried over to put on the hat. A moment later…

"Ravenclaw!" the Sorting Hat declared loudly.

The boy looked pleased and, after removing the hat, eagerly walked over to the Ravenclaw table, the area in the hall currently filled with the loudest applause.

"Marietta Edgecombe!"

A small girl joyfully ran up, picked up the Sorting Hat, and placed it on her head.

"Ravenclaw!"

"Oh... that's fantastic!"

With the first two students sorted into Ravenclaw, the eagerness of the eagles surged, and enthusiastic cheers erupted, as if they might lift the ceiling off.

"Katie Bell!"

This time, it was another girl who rushed up, hurriedly placing the Sorting Hat on her head.

Perhaps she was too nervous; when she put on the hat, she did so with too much force, causing her entire head to sink into the hat, leaving only her neck visible.

"Ha ha ha ha!"

Laughter erupted in the hall.

Seeing this, Professor McGonagall sighed and quickly stepped forward to help straighten things out.

"Thank you, Professor McGonagall! I thought I was going to split open!"

The Sorting Hat nodded at Professor McGonagall. "Without a doubt, Gryffindor!"

A wave of enthusiastic cheers exploded from the Gryffindor table on the far left! Fred and George stood on their benches, whistling excitedly, clearly pleased with the little girl.

Katie Bell ran down, her face flushed.

The sorting continued, but to prevent a repeat of the earlier mishap, Professor McGonagall decided it was best for her to oversee the process herself. She stood behind the stool, holding the Sorting Hat in one hand and the parchment in the other.

An Asian girl slowly walked up to the stool and sat down. Professor McGonagall stood behind her, gently placing the Sorting Hat on her head.

"Ravenclaw!"

"Oh!!"

As the Sorting Hat shouted the name of the same house for the third time, the Ravenclaws went completely wild. Some stood on their benches, dancing wildly in front of the entire school. Others grabbed the decorative flowers from the table, excitedly tossing them toward the ceiling.

They cast aside their usual pride and composure, cheering wildly.

"Three! The sorting has only just begun, and we already have three new students!"

"Ravenclaw will rise this year!"

…

The professors on the stage didn't intervene; they simply watched with amused expressions until the students started tossing plates, at which point Professor McGonagall stepped forward with a stern face.

The effect was immediate.

Seeing Professor McGonagall, the Ravenclaws quieted down as if doused with cold water, transforming from eagles into quails as they dutifully returned to their seats at the table.

Professor McGonagall's expression softened as she turned back to the parchment.

"Omid Ferrol!"

…

"Slytherin!"

…

The line of new students grew shorter.

Kyle stood among the crowd, patiently waiting for his name to be called, but for some reason, he felt a prickling sensation on his back, as if someone were continuously poking him with a needle.

He instinctively turned his head and was met by a furious-looking Connap, her face flushed red.

But unlike before, she was angry this time.

The originally shy girl now seemed transformed, her little white teeth grinding ominously, as if she might leap at him any moment.

"Ahem… wow, what lovely weather we're having," Kyle said, forcing a laugh and pretending to be calm as he turned his head back.

He then subtly shifted his feet, trying to discreetly edge away from Connap.

Unfortunately, there was hardly any space in the small area, and with so few people around, there was nowhere to hide. No matter where he went, Connap always seemed to spot him.

The prickly feeling on his back did not fade.

Fortunately, at that moment, a voice suddenly called out.

"Kyle Choba!"

For the first time, Kyle found Professor McGonagall's voice to be exceptionally beautiful, like a heavenly melody, or perhaps like an angel offering salvation.

Honestly, if he could choose the headmaster again, he would definitely pick Professor McGonagall.

(End of Chapter)