Hogwarts' Golden Glory

"Kane, Ron didn't mean to frame you."

Harry met Kane again, his eyes revealing a hint of sincerity as he tried to resolve the previous unpleasantness between them.

Ron stood to the side, looking somewhat uncomfortable. Apologizing to the Malfoy children was something he found hard to accept.

His hands unconsciously gripped the hem of his clothes, his eyes wandering.

"Alright, I didn't take it to heart."

Kane waved his hand dismissively, not really caring much about the child's attempt to frame him.

In his view, these were just innocent conflicts between children, not worth making a big fuss about.

For a moment, all four of them fell silent, and the atmosphere became somewhat awkward.

The small boat moved slowly across the calm lake, a cold night wind blowing by, carrying a slight chill.

Kane noticed that Hermione beside him was shivering from the cold, and a thought struck him.

Without hesitation, he pulled his wand from his robes and whispered, "Warm as Spring!"

In an instant, a warm feeling filled the boat, as if the spring sunshine was shining on everyone, dispelling the cold and adding a unique warmth to the icy lake.

Feeling touched by this sudden warmth, Hermione looked up at Kane with gratitude in her eyes.

The warm breath not only warmed her body, but also stirred a warm current deep within her heart.

Harry and Ron watched from the sidelines, a hint of envy in their eyes.

They knew in their hearts that Kane's magical abilities far exceeded their expectations, which filled them with both anticipation and some worry about their upcoming magical studies, fearing that they would fall behind.

"You two move to the side a bit, you're blocking the heater!"

Not far away, Draco, who had been nestled between Crabbe and Goyle for warmth, told his two henchmen to step aside so he could feel the spell Kane had just cast.

At the same time, his eyes were filled with sorrow as he thought to himself, "Why isn't my brother on this ship? I'm clearly his own brother!"

The small boat continued to sail smoothly on the lake, heading towards the mysterious and majestic castle.

Suddenly, as the small boat reached the middle of the lake, Kane keenly sensed a slight movement from the wand at his waist.

Starshadow's excitement flowed continuously to him through the wand, and Kane quickly focused his mind and gently soothed it.

Their actions are too conspicuous now; Dumbledore and Snape must be watching Harry closely!

With its owner's comforting words, Xingying's strange behavior ended.

Soon, the small boat approached the cliff where the castle was located.

The magnificent castle stood tall, like a towering giant, overlooking these tiny newborns.

The small boat passed through a dark tunnel and finally arrived at the underground dock. The students stood up and disembarked one after another.

Next, they arrived at a huge oak door.

Hagrid strode forward, raised his enormous fist, and pounded on the castle gate three times.

The heavy knocking echoed in the silent night air, as if announcing the arrival of new life to this ancient castle.

The door slowly opened, and a black-haired witch dressed in an emerald green robe appeared before everyone.

Her face was serious, and her eyes revealed an imposing aura that made it clear at a glance that she was no ordinary person.

"Thank you, Hagrid. Leave the rest to me."

Professor McGonagall spoke softly, then waved her wand, and the enormous door slowly opened automatically.

Behind the door is a luxurious marble staircase, wide and flat, leading straight upstairs, exuding an air of nobility and mystery.

At this moment, a buzzing sound could be heard coming from the hall, which was the laughter and conversation of the older students.

Clearly, they had already taken their seats and were waiting for the new students to arrive.

Professor McGonagall led the new students to an empty room at the other end of the hall, a kind smile on her face as she welcomed them.

Next, she explained in detail the Sorting Ceremony and its importance, giving these bewildered young wizards a basic understanding of the upcoming Sorting.

She then gave the young wizards some time to tidy themselves up so they could be in the best possible condition for the Sorting Ceremony.

"How did they manage to accurately assign us to which college?"

Harry breathed a sigh of relief after Professor McGonagall left.

"I heard from Fred that they seem to be making us fight the troll one-on-one!"

Harry's heart skipped a beat. He didn't know any magic! What was he going to do with so many people around?

......

"Don't think that badly. They'll put a hat on your heads in a bit, then they'll know which school you're in. They won't let you show magic!"

Kane's voice quieted the students who were reciting spells, and Harry breathed a sigh of relief, knowing he didn't have to demonstrate his magic.

Professor McGonagall returned soon after.

"Everyone, line up and follow me."

The freshmen lined up to enter the auditorium, with Malfoy following closely behind Kane, a hint of dependence in his eyes.

In this strange and fantastical environment, he felt safe only when he was with Kane.

At that moment, Malfoy grabbed Kane's arm. There were pearly white, translucent ghosts flying past the wizards, clearly frightening the young wizards.

"Now, line up in a single file," Professor McGonagall said, turning to the new students. "Stay close to me."

The new students walked into the auditorium and looked at its magnificent interior.

"There was magic here; I read about it in 'Hogwarts: A History of the School'."

Hermione spoke very quietly to Kane behind her.

Professor McGonagall placed a worn-out wizard's hat on the stool in front of the professor's desk.

At that moment, everyone was staring at the hat, and the restaurant was completely silent.

Then the hat started to twist, and a wide slit appeared in the brim, revealing a large mouth. Then it started singing!

After the Sorting Hat finished singing, the entire audience erupted in applause.

At that moment, Professor McGonagall took a few steps forward with a roll of parchment in her hand.

"Whoever's name I call now, put on their hat and wait for the Sorting!"

"Hannah Abbott!" Professor McGonagall called out the first name.

Kane remembered that in the end, it seemed that this little girl was the one who married Neville.

A little girl with rosy cheeks and two golden braids stumbled out of the line, put on her Mo Azi hat, and the hat just covered her eyes.

After a brief pause, the hat called out, "Hufflepuff!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the students on Hufflepuff's side burst into enthusiastic applause and cheers.

Hannah took off her hat, a happy smile spreading across her face, and then walked toward Hufflepuff's seat.

Seeing the new students being assigned to their houses, Harry felt extremely nervous. Looking at Kane in front of him, Harry felt a little envious. Doting parents, a mischievous younger brother, and powerful magic—these were all things Harry envied.

Hermione was quickly sorted into Gryffindor, a shorter time than in the original story, which shows that she was very keen to go to Gryffindor.

Draco was soon called up as well. He looked at the hat with disdain, but still sat down reluctantly.

The hat barely touched his hair. "Slytherin!"

Draco's cheeks didn't appear so pale, clearly indicating that he was satisfied with the result.

He stood up, straightened his robes, and walked toward Slytherin's seat. As he passed Kane, he slightly raised his chin and said softly, "I'll be waiting for you at Slytherin."

......

Soon, Ron and Harry were assigned to their respective houses, much like in the original story, and both went to Gryffindor.

At this moment, Gryffindor was filled with laughter and joy; clearly, the lion cubs were overjoyed at the arrival of their savior.

"Kane Malfoy!"

Finally, Professor McGonagall called out Kane's name.

Many of the Slytherin students turned their attention to Kane, some of whom had heard the name mentioned by their elders and were filled with curiosity and anticipation.

Hermione, Harry, and the others were also very concerned about which house the other would be sorted into, even though they already knew the answer in their hearts.

Behind the Sorting Hat, at the headmaster's desk, Dumbledore carefully observed Kane. Was this kid the future the other man had mentioned?

Kane walked toward the Sorting Hat under everyone's watchful eyes. Looking at the dirty hat in front of him, Kane had a bold idea.

"Professor McGonagall, please allow me to speak with the Sorting Hat about something!"

When Professor McGonagall was about to put the Sorting Hat on Kane, Kane stopped her.

Professor McGonagall had not expected the other party to behave this way, since she had never had a student communicate with the Sorting Hat in advance during the Sorting process since she began teaching.

A hint of surprise and doubt flashed in her eyes, but upon closer reflection, it seemed that the other party's behavior did not violate any regulations.

Seeing that Professor McGonagall did not stop him, Kane immediately implied that she had tacitly agreed.

"Mr. Sorting Hat, shall I wash your hair?"