Hogwarts Raven

Chapter 173 172: Branches and changes!
An unexpected development.

Draco Malfoy felt as if his brain's CPU had burned out.

Both of his followers reacted faster than him.

"It has nothing to do with us! We don't know Draco well!"

"Yeah, yeah, we didn't say a word after we came in. It was that prodigal son Draco who caused the trouble!" Goyle and Crabbe demonstrated with their strength what plastic friendship is.

"I'm not! I didn't!"

Draco Malfoy subconsciously wanted to refute, and his eyes met Ian's eyes, which were the same color as the Killing Curse, and he felt as if his throat was pinched by an invisible hand. Is this Ian Prince... the terrible devil that his father disdained, but the Slytherin students were silent when they mentioned him!

It’s really scary!

Draco Malfoy felt his calves trembling.

He didn't even dare to mention his glorious family, because from the information he knew from relatives and friends, his family's glory could not save him even a little bit.

"Relax a little, little brother."

Ian saw Draco Malfoy's Adam's apple rising and falling.

He chuckled.

The faces of the three freshmen who were destined to join Slytherin House turned even paler.

"Are we going to die?"

Goyle and Crabbe were close to tears.

Draco Malfoy wasn't doing much better.

"It's Daphne! It's Daphne who is slandering you! Really! I have always respected you! I privately call you Mr. Prince, who is greater than the great!" As the saying goes, birds of a feather flock together. The speed at which he betrayed his family's "loyal" friends was not much slower than Gao Er and Crabbe.

of course.

The thing that makes this little dragon better than Goyle and Crabbe is that when he passes the buck, he also knows how to give a few words of praise. He remembers that many house-elves were calling the Hogwarts Demon in front of them the same way.

"Daphne is still playing as steadily as always."

Ian's expression didn't look surprised.

And seeing him opening his mouth to judge.

Draco Malfoy immediately began trying to divert Ian's "hatred".

"She has a diary! It's full of bad things about you! That diary also makes up despicable lies on its own! Even the one I found in my house...well, it's all her fault anyway!"

Draco Malfoy demonstrated his talent for telling stories, but he stopped talking halfway through, as if he realized that he shouldn't talk about something that even his parents shouldn't know.

After seeing Daphne's magical diary, Draco Malfoy also wanted to have something similar. After searching all the shops without finding anything, he had an adventure in his own house.

"I'm not interested in listening to you guys biting each other, Mr. Malfoy, could you please apologize to me and my friends?" Ian's wand was already against Draco Malfoy's chin.

What else could he choose? Of course, he could only choose to follow his heart. After Draco Malfoy's embarrassing "deep reflection", Ian did not choose to continue to embarrass this junior. He just gave a little punishment to satisfy his own little evil taste and then let the Slytherin trio out of the box.

"See? This is the benefit of being good at magic. It can make others talk to you reasonably." Ian shook his wand and sat back in his seat.

"Magic is power."

Lyrium commented.

"This is really a relief! They were so weird just now! It reminds me of my cousin!" Harry Potter looked very excited with a happy expression on his face.

"What kind of magic did you just use?"

Hermione's focus was quite different.

"Want to learn?"

Ian raised an eyebrow.

Seeing the little witch nodded expectantly.

"The professors at school will teach you."

His answer indeed failed to meet Hermione's expectations - the atmosphere became harmonious again, the train moved forward quickly, and arrived at the end of the journey when it was dark.

People got off the train one after another, crowded and continuous.

Crowded with people.

Ian finally saw the figure of the red-haired freckled boy - Ron Weasley, the boy who had survived "hundreds of times" at the hands of the twin brothers.

The youngest brother of the Weasley family seemed to have ended up riding in a compartment with Neville Longbottom. He and Neville spent almost several hours searching for toads in the compartment.

not only that.

There were also some unexpected incidents.

"Damn Scabbers! It bit your toad! It even bit your ankle! I must write to my mother and ask her to let me euthanize this stinky rat!"

Ron helped Neville hold a small bag, looking apologetic.

"No...nothing..."

Neville was holding his traveling toad in his arms, and he was limping as if he had hurt his ankle.

"need any help?"

When Ian passed by Neville, he took out a bottle of potion and handed it to him - who said Neville wasn't brave enough? This guy had a blood vessel bitten through his ankle but he still insisted on walking for fear that the blood would not be enough!
"Thank you, thank you, Ian."

Neville was a simple-minded little chubby boy. After getting the potion, he didn't ask about its effects, and he didn't even worry about being pranked. He just opened the lid and sprinkled it on his ankles.

"Uh... I think this is oral solution."

Ian corrected Neville's incorrect usage.

The little fat boy's face turned red immediately. He quickly stopped what he was doing and put the potion into his mouth. After drinking it, he even wanted to collect the potion that had spilled on the ground.

"You've drunk enough."

Ian hurried to stop Neville's thrifty behavior.

"It's all my fault that I wasted so many precious potions..." Neville found that his ankle was healing visibly, and he also realized that the potion Ian gave him was definitely not simple stuff.

“It’s not that precious.”

Ian was telling the truth.

After all, the main recipe of this potion is the bath water of the black robe skeleton.

"This is amazing! Look! Your foot is completely fine now!" Ron seemed to realize it a little late and was a little surprised like his twin brother.

"I can finally walk again."

Neville was also happy.

And at this time.

"I think what you should worry about is not whether you can walk. As far as I know, rats have been the source of plague since ancient times. They may carry Yersinia pestis, Hantavirus, Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus and rabies virus." Hermione, who followed up, started to explain science immediately.

Her words instantly made Neville's red face turn pale.

"Scabbers is a domesticated mouse... not as dirty as you say!" Ron immediately retorted. He felt that this girl he met for the first time was a little annoying.

"Oh, how can you guarantee that? It's a rat! I happen to know of several cases involving the spread of viruses caused by domestic rats."

"For example, the poor sixteen-year-old girl on Freed Street in London..." Hermione accurately recounted five or six cases with her superb memory and knowledge.

Her voice grew louder and louder.

Correspondingly, Neville's face became paler and paler.

"I'm going to die too!"

He came to a conclusion that made him despair.

"Don't worry, the cases Hermione mentioned are all low-probability events. Most people won't be that unlucky... Besides, in my opinion, the probability of you getting AIDS is higher than the probability of you getting the plague..." Ian was helpless. He glanced at Ron, who was also pale and wanted to throw the sleeping mouse out.

"Anyway, as long as it's possible, we can't completely rule it out."

Hermione wanted to recommend Neville for the vaccination.

"So, am I still going to die?"

Neville's mind was still full of funeral arrangements.

"..."

Ian looked at Hermione again. He felt that Hermione at this moment was simply the real-life version of Baidu, and Neville was one of those poor netizens who suffered from nervous breakdown after consulting Baidu.

"There is a school doctor in school. You can go and ask for his opinion." Lyrium and Harry, who were walking at the back, also caught up at this time.

"Oh! My God! You're Harry Potter!"

under night.

Ron saw Harry.

Then he immediately let out an exclamation of disbelief.

God knows how his eyes work so well.

"What! It's Harry Potter!"

Neville was also very surprised, and briefly put aside his "internal injuries" - Harry Potter, who had regained the treatment of a savior, was a little at a loss when faced with the two enthusiastic people.

He is not used to such a cool plot.

Fortunately, the savior has arrived.

"Students! Come over here!"

Hagrid's loud voice rang out outside the train station. He waved a lamp above his head and began to gather the little wizards who got on and off the Hogwarts Express.

He led everyone onto a long road with street lights.

This place is still some distance away from Hogwarts, so there are at least a hundred carriages waiting at the end of the street lights, and in front of each carriage there is a magical animal that ordinary people cannot see pulling the carriage.

"Can these horseless carriages move automatically?" It happened that Hermione was one of the ordinary people who couldn't see, and her exclamation immediately caused Harry Potter's confusion.

"Isn't there a strange animal ahead?"

In his eyes.

The appearance of the magical beasts is extremely clear.

"what?"

Hermione was immediately stunned.

"It's the Thestral."

Lyrium stepped forward and gave the answer.

"Only those who have seen death can see them." His eyes were also looking at those strange creatures. There was a purebred Thestral in front of each carriage.

There is not a bit of flesh on their bodies, and the black fur is tightly attached to the skeleton. Every bone is clearly visible, full of true skeletal beauty.

"Oh Merlin! It's a Thestral!" Ron couldn't see anything, but that didn't stop him from widening his eyes. He was eager to walk up and try to touch these legendary creatures.

The little wizard was also eager to try.

But he wanted more than just to pet these animals that symbolized death.

"The Thestrals' tail feathers are excellent materials for making magic wands. I really want to gather eight or ten bundles and study wand-making in depth." Of course, Ian could also see these magical creatures.

The Thestral has a head like a giant dragon, and its pupil-less eyes are filled with pure white. It stares straight ahead, and has bat-like wings at the shoulder bones.

It was as if it sensed the "offensive" thoughts in the little wizard's heart.

The Thestrals all turned their heads.

He looked at Ian who was still thinking about what kind of wood would be best for the Thestral's tail feathers.

"Jue~"

The Thestrals made strange and shrill noises that sounded like the cry of giant birds. They were very uniform and the sudden noise scared many young wizards.

"Strange, what's wrong with these usually taciturn guys today..." Hagrid, who was guiding the little wizards to get on the bus, immediately hurriedly comforted the Thestrals.

"Perhaps it is an audience."

By this time, Lyrium had come to Hagrid's side, and went directly into the carriage from which the passengers had already hurriedly fled, and waved to Ian and others with a smile.

"How come you are more skilled than me, your senior!" Ian complained after climbing onto the carriage, while pulling Harry and Hermione into the Thestral carriage.

Neville and Ron also tried to climb in.

"For safety reasons, only four people can sit in one car, and you have other school experiences to go through." Hagrid stopped the two people and pulled Harry and Hermione down.

"..."

Harry and Hermione, who were already seated, were speechless. Ian was not unfamiliar with the rest of the journey.

The Thestral carriage took them to the path outside Hogwarts Castle, and then the first-year students took a boat across the river. Professors were already waiting at the castle gate.

"Why is it you again this year, Professor Snape?"

Hagrid saw again the figure he had seen once last year.

"Ah."

Snape just sneered.

Under the light of the torch.

His eyes turned to Ian and the two people beside him.

Harry and Hermione were both filled with fear and nervousness about the unknown of the wizarding world, so after getting off the boat, they immediately followed Harry's lead and found Ian.

"The professor will take you to the auditorium later, and we old students will go back to the dormitory to rest first." Ian was explaining the admission process to Harry and Hermione.

He hadn't even started the school routine around "Sorting" when Snape walked up to him. The gloomy professor made Harry and Hermione very nervous.

"I heard you didn't have any rest during the holidays either."

Snape first glared at Ian fiercely, and then his eyes moved to Harry and Hermione. Of course, his eyes stayed on Harry the longest.

There are extremely complex emotions in the shaking pupils.

"Like I said, he will take you to complete the rest of the journey." Ian didn't want to be interrogated by Snape, so he immediately said this and ran away.

Snape, who was in a very heavy mood at the moment, did not stop it.

"Come with me, you two eleven-year-old giant babies." Snape snorted coldly with a hint of sarcasm in his tone. His eyes fell on Hermione, who felt a little uneasy after Ian left.

If I didn't see it wrong just now.

This little witch has been sticking close to her damn school bully nephew...

"If I were you, I would stay away from that boy just now. This is just advice." Snape spoke to Hermione word by word in a cold tone.

"what?"

Hermione was a little confused.

at this time.

Another freshman from a pure-blood family reminded her in a low voice.

"The big sister at Hogwarts won't like you getting close to that Ravenclaw." This may be the uniform training that many pure-blood freshmen who enrolled this year have received at home.

I don’t know if the technical instructor is Miss Daphne.

"Shut your mouth, Miss Prewett!" Snape glared at the freshman who spoke with great displeasure, and then the freshman shrank his neck and quickly hid in the crowd.

"I've already said it. It's up to you whether you listen or not. I seldom offer such kind advice to others." Snape looked at the thin and timid Harry Potter.

The look he gave Hermione became somewhat complicated.

There is a sense of déjà vu.

It made him a little upset.

"Everyone follow me this way!"

Snape said something, flicked his sleeves, and walked to the front of the team - he skillfully led a group of freshmen to the auditorium where the dreams of Hogwarts students set sail.

Professor McGonagall had been waiting here for a long time.

The seniors from various colleges were also looking at the entrance of the auditorium curiously. Harry found Ian chatting with a girl at a long table with a snake logo.

"Strange...isn't the symbol of Ravenclaw an eagle?"

He was a little confused.

"Is that the Hogwarts leader that the student just mentioned?" Hermione was a little surprised. She felt that the girl with Ian was completely different from the "cheerleader" she had imagined.

Looks a bit quiet?

"Everyone line up now. We are going to start the sorting." Professor McGonagall's voice was serious as always. She walked to the position that had remained unchanged for thousands of years and began to prepare.

The freshmen were all looking around curiously.

In the magnificent hall, sitting on the chairs were various adult professors, as well as the legendary principal, who was also wearing a white robe and looking at them with a smile.

"welcome everybody!"

suddenly.

The Sorting Hat, which never tires of disguising itself as an ordinary hat every year, opened its mouth very abruptly and first enjoyed the surprise of the freshmen.

immediately.

In his hoarse voice, he began to sing the lyrics he prepared for this year. The rhymes were still so good, and his singing became more and more like a soul singer every year.

Many young wizards covered their ears. After five minutes of agony, the Sorting Hat finally finished its performance, and Professor McGonagall took out the parchment at the right time.

"Whoever I call out now, please step forward and put on this hat. It will lead you to the college that suits you best and entrust you to the dean who suits you best."

Professor McGonagall looked down at the parchment in her hand.

"Hannah Abbott!"

She called out the first name.

The iron hat king finally arrived. A ruddy-faced girl with two golden braids and freckles walked up to him, stumbling and looking nervous.

The Sorting Hat thought for a while.

"Hufflepuff!"

It called out the fate of the Iron Hat King, which had never changed in countless timelines. Everyone witnessed the process of the Sorting, so many young wizards who had been frightened breathed a sigh of relief.

The same thing happened with Hermione and Harry, who noticed that sometimes the hat named a house right away, and sometimes it took a while to make a decision.

"Looks like we just need to wear that hat," Ron, who had returned to his original team, whispered to Harry, "Fred told me to wrestle a giant!"

“What happens if you’re not assigned?”

Harry had a new worry.

And at this time.

The Sorting Hat has made decisions for many young wizards one after another.

"Hermione Granger!"

"This is a really hard decision. You want to go to Ravenclaw? No! You don't want to go! You belong in Gryffindor!"

……

"Neville Longbottom!"

"Gryffindor!"

……

"Ron Weasley!"

"Gryffindor!"

……

Seeing his friends around him sorted one after another, Harry became more and more nervous. He was wondering why his name had never been called.

"Draco Malfoy!"

"What about people?"

"Draco Malfoy!"

The Sorting Hat read out a name that Harry had heard before. He glanced at the boy not far behind him in surprise. He didn't expect that this arrogant boy was as unconfident as himself?

Draco Malfoy's expression really looked awkward.

"Mr. Malfoy, are you distracted?"

Professor McGonagall couldn't help but ask Draco Malfoy directly.

"..."

Draco Malfoy's expression was very embarrassed.

"Professor... I... I changed my name... I'm now called Draco Malfoy..." Draco Malfoy's face flushed, and his voice as thin as a mosquito dance was full of shame and grievance.

however.

He didn't dare to go against the devil's evil taste, and he didn't even dare to complain to the professor.

"?????"

Professor McGonagall's eyes were full of confusion, but Snape was the only one who immediately glared at his own long table with displeasure - there sat a student who did not belong to Slytherin House.

"Come up here! Your joke isn't funny at all!"

Professor McGonagall urged.

Draco Malfoy, who wished he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into, breathed a sigh of relief and trotted up.

"Perhaps you should go to Ravenclaw?"

The Sorting Hat teased in his mind.

The arrogant light-blond boy turned pale.

Fortunately, the Sorting Hat was just joking.

"Slytherin!"

It finally read out Draco Malfoy's affiliation in a loud voice. When the little dragon ran towards the Slytherin table, he saw Ian's figure and his steps were a little hesitant and hesitant.

Applause and cheers.

It didn't make him happy.

Instead, it made him feel depressed.

Choose a location farthest away from Ian and Aurora.

"Harry Potter!"

Professor McGonagall continued the Sorting.

after a while.

She finally pronounced this famous name.

Everyone was attracted by the name he read out.

"Did she say Potter?"

“That Harry Potter?”

Before his eyes were blocked by the hat, Harry saw the people in the audience crane their necks to see him clearly. Then, all he could see was the darkness inside the hat.

The nervous Mr. Savior waited patiently.

He was probably communicating with the Sorting Hat.

No one knows this.

A long time passed.

Just when Professor McGonagall was a little confused as to why the Sorting Hat had not made a decision yet.

"Slytherin!"

The Sorting Hat made its decision.

"Ok?"

Not only Ian, who had been eating food from the Slytherin table, was stunned.

Even in the teacher's seat.

Albus Dumbledore, who originally had a smile on his face, suddenly leaned forward, and it was impossible to tell his emotion behind his crescent-shaped lenses.

Ian discovered.

This old headmaster, who came from an unknown time period, kept his eyes fixed on the scar on Harry Potter's forehead without being noticed.

(End of this chapter)