From Hogwarts to Sturhaven

Chapter 15 The three-year period has come to an end; welcome back the Iron-Capped King.

The rumors about the entrance exam hurt everyone quite a bit; at least when hordes of ghosts crawled through the walls into the little house, few people noticed them.

Even when he saw the little wizards among the ghosts, he just assumed he was seeing things because of the pressure of the entrance exam, and only glanced at them briefly before paying no more attention.

Hey! What are you guys doing here?

Until the ghosts also noticed the little wizard on the ground.

"Oh!" The new students stirred slightly, and a low exclamation came from the crowd.

A chubby, monk-like ghost smiled and said, "A new student! You're probably waiting here to prepare for the test, right?"

Some students nodded silently, while those who remained still and silent were even more pessimistic; the monk ghost's words completely confirmed the authenticity of the entrance exam. Harry, Ron, and Malfoy all belonged to this group.

No one paid attention to what the ghosts were saying, because Professor McGonagall had returned.

"Form a single file and follow me!" Professor McGonagall gave her instructions.

The young wizards had no choice but to comply. Everyone who was terrified by the entrance exam felt as if their legs were made of lead, but they still managed to complete the queue step by step.

Harry stood behind Ron, with Neville behind him, and then Malfoy and his two bodyguards.

As for Ivy, he simply found a spot in the queue and joined it, because he knew very well that the queue would not affect the results of the Sorting Test.

The young wizards, lined up in a row, walked through the ornate double doors and entered a spacious and magnificent hall.

Four long tables, laden with various gold and silver tableware, stood in the hall. Students from various colleges sat around the tables, their eyes filled with curiosity as they observed the new students. At the far end of the hall was a slightly raised platform where faculty and staff sat, lined up in a row, facing the new students.

The hall is illuminated by hundreds of candles that float in the air and burn, and thanks to magic, the candle wax does not drip onto the expensive floor, nor does the candle smoke blacken the ceiling.

Speaking of ceilings, the ceiling of Hogwarts Great Hall is perhaps one of the most magical ceilings, its magical appearance resembling a starry sky.

“There’s been a spell cast here, it looks just like the sky outside. I read about it in ‘Hogwarts: A History of the School’.”

Upon hearing Hermione's voice, Harry suddenly regretted not listening to Ivy and reading that thick book that wasn't really suitable for entertainment.

However, Harry's annoyance was quickly interrupted by Professor McGonagall's actions. She gently placed a four-legged stool in front of the new student, and then placed a very worn-out pointed wizard's hat on it, with dust and patches almost falling off.

Generally speaking, an item that appears worn out can appear in a place that seems out of place either because it has unparalleled sentimental value or because it is an essential part of the place.

As for this hat, which embodies a part of the thinking of the four founders of Hogwarts, it combines both.

"Looks like there won't be any written exams..." Harry wondered, "What's worse, it seems like we'll have to rely on spellcasting for the sorting... What am I going to do? Pull a rabbit out from under this hat? But what rabbit would want to crawl into this tattered hat?"

Just as Harry was lost in thought, the hat on the four-legged stool moved, opening a wide gap, like a mouth opening.

It sang:

You can make your bowler hats jet black and shiny, and your top hats smooth and crisp. (Ivy never wears a hat except in winter, but now that she has magic, she doesn't even wear one in winter.)

I am the Hogwarts Hat used for the tests, naturally far superior to your hats. (Hats have class distinctions? Never heard of that.)

...(lavish praise on the three founders, then subtly criticize Slytherin)...

Come on, put me on! Don't be afraid! Don't panic! (My hair should be panicking; it's about to get dirty again.)

You're absolutely safe in my hands (even though I don't have a single hand!). (Yes, apart from being a little dirtier, you haven't changed much since over a hundred years ago.)

Because I am a thinking hat! (Imbuing objects with thought is a topic worth exploring, but how can I trick Dumbledore into giving me the hat?)

After the Sorting Hat finished its song, Ivy also ended her wandering thoughts.

He heard Ron say from ahead, "So it's just about making us wear those hats? I thought we were really going to take an exam! Do you think Ivy is lying? He's not actually a wizard from over a hundred years ago, he doesn't know any ancient magic, and he's not even as tall as me!"

Harry, standing behind Ron, glanced at him in surprise, then said softly, "Professor McGonagall is watching you, Ron."

So Ron pretended nothing had happened and stiffly turned his head away.

“Now, whoever’s name I call, put on your hat, sit down on the stool, and await Sorting.” Professor McGonagall withdrew her gaze from Ron and began reading the list in her hand in order.

"Hannah—Abbot!"

Hufflepuff!

“Susan Pence!”

Hufflepuff!

Starting with Susan Burns, Professor McGonagall began calling out the names of the young wizards whose surnames began with "B," until the last of them, Millison Burstdle, was sorted into Slytherin.

Then it was the turn of the "D" row, because there were no wizards whose surnames started with "C" this year.

“Ivy Doom!” Professor McGonagall read aloud.

Ivy stepped out of the line and walked gracefully toward the Sorting Hat, like a king going to receive his crown.

"We meet again..." Ivy heard the Sorting Hat whisper, "Still the same choice? You haven't changed your mind, have you?"

“Of course… but I have a broader perspective!” Ivy answered silently in her heart.

"Truly ambitious...a typical example of..."

"Slytherin!" the Sorting Hat called out.

Ivy took off her hat and placed it neatly in the middle of the stool. She then nodded to Professor McGonagall and turned to join the Slytherin table.

The Sorting Ceremony proceeded quickly, and Hermione and Harry both got their wish and joined the Gryffindor long table.

There weren't many freshmen left. Besides Ron Weasley, whose last name started with "W", there was another girl whose last name started with "V".

“Kassandra Worre!” Professor McGonagall called out her name.

The blonde girl kept her eyes straight ahead, wearing her worn-out Sorting Hat perfectly straight.

"Slytherin!" The Sorting Hat called out her destination almost without hesitation.

Chapter 16 Interlude

After the blonde Cassandra sat down next to Ivy as a member of Slytherin, only two people remained in the freshman queue, one of whom was the red-haired Ron Weasley.

“Oh…look at that redhead! He looks like he’s scared himself to death.” Malfoy mocked Ron’s ashen face. Goyle and Crabbe beside him were no longer the only two who agreed with him.

Fortunately, the Sorting Hat easily pronounced the word "Gryffindor" to everyone in the Great Hall, and the students sitting at the Gryffindor table clapped their hands vigorously to welcome the last person to join them.

Blaise Sabini seemed much calmer than Ron, who was the last among all the freshmen.

When everyone was staring hungryly at the empty gold plate in front of them, Dumbledore stood up with a broad smile and spoke.

"Welcome! Welcome!" His voice was booming, unlike that of a centenarian. "Welcome everyone to Hogwarts for the start of a new school year! Before the feast begins, I'd like to say a few words. These are: Idiots! Crybabies! Trash! Troublemakers!"

Thank you everyone!

After the principal finished his brief speech, everyone's plates were immediately filled with food.

Although Hogwarts is a magic school located in what is known as a food hell, the food laid out in front of everyone looks quite appetizing.

As long as the British don't come up with any outlandish innovations in food, they can still make good traditional dishes. At least these dishes look appealing and are rich in protein and calories.

Not to mention that the cook wasn't British, but a British house-elf.

So Ivy picked up her knife and fork and began her first proper meal of the day.

Just as Ivy was cutting the lamb chops on his plate, he heard Malfoy across from him ask, "Ivy! Why did you lie to us about the Sorting? You seemed to know perfectly well that all you had to do was put on that lousy hat! I have to say, using exams for Sorting is really ridiculous."

Sitting next to Malfoy was the Slytherin house ghost, the blood-covered Barrow. Hearing Malfoy's question, his previously dull, withered face began to change, and he turned his head to stare at Malfoy.

“If you look closely, you’ll see that it’s a tacit understanding shared by all wizards who know the Sorting tradition.” Ivy swallowed the super tender lamb chop in her mouth before answering Malfoy’s question. “Now that you know about it, you can come up with a more convincing excuse to prank those young wizards who haven’t yet enrolled.”

“Alright.” Malfoy tilted his head and thought for a moment, then laughed. “Maybe next year I’ll tell the first-years on the train that the sorting is done by blood. The noblest will be sorted into Slytherin, the self-righteous will be Ravenclaw, the unrealistic will stay in Gryffindor, and as for Hufflepuff, it’s full of good-for-nothings and crybabies.”

“Seriously, you know what?” Malfoy mumbled, stuffing a chicken leg into his mouth, “After our chance encounter at Ollivanders wand shop that day, Dad went back and spent the whole night searching through books, but he couldn’t find the origin of the surname ‘Doom.’ But we all know you can only be a pureblood, so perhaps you came here from abroad?”

“Oh, I’ve never met my parents in this world, so maybe I’m a Muggle.” Ivy brought over some gravy, took a sniff of it, and noticed the aroma of onions, parsley, and thyme. It must have been simmering with beef bones for a long time, and the color was an appetizing brown. He dipped some bread in it and ate with great satisfaction.

"Hahaha, you're quite the joker," Malfoy laughed. "You could never be a Muggle, because Slytherin never admits anyone whose parents are both Muggles. Besides, your family was able to order a silver linden wand and provide a phoenix feather more than a hundred years ago; they couldn't possibly be unknown!"

His laughter was quite loud, attracting a lot of attention.

Ivy was completely oblivious to this, his gaze sweeping mercilessly over the traditional British dishes on his plate: roasted potatoes, boiled potatoes, fried potato chips, and potato cheesecakes, finally settling on a plate of roasted beef ribs.

Malfoy noticed his gaze and said to his henchman, "Help me out, Crabbe! Ivy wants that plate of beef ribs."

But before Crabbe could even extend his greasy, chubby hand, the beef ribs on the table floated up on their own and landed squarely in front of Ivy.

“I appreciate the thought, but I can manage on my own.” Ivy nodded to Malfoy and Crabbe.

"Silent and wandless spellcasting?" The voice sounded confident and arrogant, coming from Ivy's left, from the girl named Cassandra Worre. "Looks like not all first-year students are good-for-nothings and useless."

"Thank you for the compliment, I appreciate it." Ivy's gaze lingered on her delicate and lovely face for a moment, mainly on the beauty mark under her upturned eyes, because Ivy had added one to himself when he was creating the character. He believed that flawed perfection was the best.

A mole not only doesn't disrupt the overall harmony, but it also adds a touch of approachability to this face that easily evokes feelings of warmth. Therefore, Ivy is very satisfied with the beauty mark under her eye, whether it's on her own face or on Cassandra's.

But the girl opposite her didn't seem to think so. She narrowed her eyes with some annoyance, her face showing displeasure: "That's not a compliment. To be able to mistake something so obvious, I think you're not far from being a fool or an idiot."

Ivy couldn't help but chuckle. He always had a high tolerance for good-looking wizards, so he leaned closer and asked, "Look, which idiot is closest to me right now?"

Cassandra glared at him and didn't say anything more, but she did cut the sausage on the plate with a bit more force.

"Hahaha." Ivy laughed with satisfaction and continued to enjoy the beef ribs she had just received.

The main course of the opening banquet ended quickly. The pure gold plates were magically cleaned and were soon filled with various desserts and fruits.

Ivy arrived and ordered jam pudding, then he noticed Cassandra staring at the strawberries to his right.

So he waved his spoon, and the strawberries danced across the table, arranging themselves into a tower on Cassandra's plate.