HP: Wormwood and Lightning Wood

They got off the train and saw a giant holding a lamp, waiting for them on the platform.

"First-year students! Follow me!" the giant shouted, his gaze fixed on the Potter brothers.

"Oh! Harry! West! Long time no see!"

Harry and West exchanged a glance.

"Excuse me, sir, have we met before?" Harry asked.

"Oh, of course, but you were just two little babies back then—Rupert Hagrid—anyway, I was the one who brought you to the Dursleys." Hagrid laughed heartily, then his face fell, and his beard trembled with his exaggerated gestures.

"I heard they weren't very nice to you, Merlin! Anyway, you can come find me at the cabin outside the Forbidden Forest sometime, and we can catch up!"

After he finished speaking, he turned around and shouted again, "First-year students! Come here!"

They followed Hagrid along a path to a black lake and boarded a boat.

After West and Harry boarded the ship, Ron followed.

The small boat traveled for quite some time in the darkness before arriving at an underground dock.

They disembarked, climbed a set of stone steps, and saw a huge castle.

Hagrid knocked three times on the castle door, and the oak door immediately swung open.

A witch in a long emerald green robe stood there, her expression serious and her brows furrowed.

They heard Hagrid greet her, calling her "Professor McGonagall".

They said goodbye to Hagrid and followed Professor McGonagall into the Great Hall—

They had never seen such a magical and wonderful place. The auditorium was magnificent, with four long tables in the center, adorned with exquisite gold plates and goblets.

The older students had already gathered around the long table.

The most magical thing was the ceiling of the auditorium—looking up, a dazzling array of stars adorned the dark night sky.

Harry and Ron exclaimed in amazement, while Hermione whispered, "This place has been enchanted; I read about it in the school history."

Professor McGonagall led them to four long tables, and in front of that, another row of long tables were set up, where Hogwarts professors sat.

West noticed Snape sitting in a corner, looking gloomy, with a short, goblin-like professor occasionally exchanging a few words with him.

Noticing West's gaze, Snape glared at him, then turned away nonchalantly.

West chuckled softly. Harry glanced at him, completely bewildered.

"Alright, quiet!" McGonagall spoke, her voice magically echoing throughout the entire auditorium.

"A loud voice spell," Ron whispered to the Potter brothers.

"Now, we will conduct the Sorting Test for the first-year students." Professor McGonagall took out a worn-out pointed wizard's hat.

The hat wiggled under the astonished gazes of the new students, splitting open with a large crack and beginning to sing.

"Looks like we can be sorted into our houses just by wearing these hats," Ron muttered to the Potter brothers. "That damn Fred, he lied to me, saying we'd be fighting trolls."

Harry was extremely nervous—he wasn't sure which house he would be sorted into, after all, he didn't know any magic, and while his grades in school were decent, they weren't as good as West's.

West squeezed Harry's hand in a comforting gesture.

One by one, the freshmen went up to take the test—as long as they wore the Sorting Hat, he could decide where they would go; it didn't seem difficult.

Whenever a freshman is assigned to a college, the long table of his college erupts in applause or cheers.

Hermione got her wish and went to Gryffindor. Neville, the round-faced boy, was also sorted into Gryffindor.

Harry also noticed Draco Malfoy, the handsome blond boy—the Sorting Hat had barely touched his hair when he shouted "Slytherin!"

Draco's face immediately lit up with a smug look as he swaggered toward the Slytherin table.

"Harry Potter!"

When it was Harry's turn, the room fell silent for a moment, then suddenly burst into a buzz of discussion.

"Go on, Harry," West patted Harry on the shoulder and said softly, "It's alright."

Harry took a deep breath and walked up.

The sorting cap sat on his head, obscuring most of his vision.

He heard the Sorting Hat whisper, "You have courage, and a good heart—well, I see your determination to protect your family, very good—Gryffindor!"

Harry heard the hat shout. His limbs went weak, but he felt a sense of relief. He took off the hat and walked shakily toward the Gryffindor table.

Gryffindor welcomed him warmly, clapping and shouting, "Merlin! We have a Potter!"

"Wester Porter!"

When it was West's turn, he calmly walked up.

The Sorting Hat was placed on West's head.

"Hmm—you're a bit of a problem, boy—you have a thirst for knowledge, and you're calm and collected—but at the same time, you have a strong desire, a craving for power and glory—Ravenclaw, or Slytherin?"

Upon hearing this, West made his choice without hesitation: "Slytherin, then."

Professor Snape is the Head of Slytherin, isn't he? Perhaps he can get more information by staying in Slytherin.

"Alright, Slytherin!"

West took off his hat and walked toward the Slytherin table.

The Slytherin students nodded to him with an air of superiority in welcome.

At Draco's invitation, West sat down next to him, looked up, and saw Professor Snape in the teachers' table.

Professor Snape was looking at him, a look of surprise appearing in his usually calm and unwavering black eyes.

West smiled back, and Snape immediately looked away.

"West, well done!" Draco chirped beside him. "Harry went to Gryffindor! But I should have known..."

When Harry was mentioned, West finally remembered to look at Harry, only to find Harry staring at him with a resentful expression.

Next was Ron, who was sorted into Gryffindor. He was visibly relieved and walked excitedly toward Harry.

After the Sorting Tests were over, Albus Dumbledore stood up.

"Welcome!" he said. "Welcome everyone to the new school year at Hogwarts! I want to say: Idiots! Crybabies! Trash! Twisters!"

West heard Draco mutter to himself, "What's that old lunatic saying..."

He nodded in agreement.

When Dumbledore finished speaking, thunderous applause erupted.

On the long table, golden platters displayed a variety of food—roasted meat, fried chicken, roasted potatoes, and more.

When everyone had almost finished eating and started chatting, Harry quietly slipped over to West's side.

"West! What are we going to do!" Harry yelled in frustration, "We're not in the same house!"

Draco scoffed from the side, "What's wrong? Baby Harry can't walk without West anymore?"

Harry glared at Draco; he wasn't in the mood to deal with the blond brat.

West sighed. "Harry, it's nothing, okay? It's not like we can't see each other all the time."

At this moment, Dumbledore stood up, and the Great Hall fell silent again.

Dumbledore instructed the new students not to enter the Forbidden Forest and to stay away from the right-hand corridor on the fourth floor. He then had the prefects of each house lead the students back to their respective dormitories.

Harry wanted to say something more, but Gryffindor prefect Percy Weasley had already begun to gather them together.

"See you tomorrow, Harry." West gave Harry a gentle push. "Go on."

"Alright, see you tomorrow, West," Harry replied reluctantly, returning to the Gryffindor group.

Meanwhile, Slytherin prefect Gemma Farley began calling the new students to assemble.

West followed the other freshmen out of the auditorium and up the marble steps.

On the way back to the dormitory, Gemma, her face expressionless, warned them, "Welcome, new members of Slytherin. You are here because of your unique qualities. Slytherin values ​​ambition, shrewdness, cunning, and a commitment to tradition. I hope you will always uphold Slytherin's honor and contribute to the school's glory. Remember, Slytherin students never back down; forge ahead, realize your potential, and become the most outstanding wizards."

They walked to the end of the corridor, where there was a stone door hidden in the stone wall, with a snake carved on it.

"Honor," Gemma said.

The snake flicked its tail, and the door swung open with a bang.

Slytherin's common room is located at the bottom of the Black Lake. It is decorated in silver and green, with a warm fireplace in the center, so it is not cold.

The lounge window overlooks Black Lake, where you can occasionally spot strangely shaped creatures swimming around.

West didn't want to linger and went straight back to his dorm.

Slytherin lived in four-person dorms, and coincidentally, he shared a room with Draco and Draco's two henchmen—Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle.

West changed into his pajamas, lay down, and gradually fell asleep.