A certain Hogwarts professor of runes

Chapter 723 The Sorting Hat Journey

Felix, wearing a dirty, wrinkled, and patched Sorting Hat, whispered, "You have something to say to me?" As he spoke, he glanced at the frames on the wall, and the portraits immediately closed their eyes and began to snore.

"I don't want to look for you. It's you who's been eyeing me all along." A faint voice echoed in my mind.

I'm very curious about how you exist.

"What's there to be curious about?"

"You've existed for too long, and your material is too ordinary—"

"Think about the headmaster's portrait on the wall, and then think about Peeves," the Sorting Hat said in a smooth tone.

"Portraits? Peeves? They—" Felix's expression froze. "Wait, you're part of the school too?"

"That's right. As long as the school exists, I will continue to exist, even if I am just an ordinary hat."

Having resolved a long-standing question, Felix felt somewhat relieved, yet also a little bewildered. After a moment's thought, he calmly asked in his mind, "By the way, why did you assign me to Slytherin in the first place?"

"Oh, let me think—calm, clear-headed, worshipful of power, set his sights on reaching the top of the magical world on the very first day of school, and—forgive my bluntness, at such a young age he has a clear understanding of the darker aspects of human nature and is well prepared for them, which is quite rare in my entire Sorting Years."

Felix clicked his tongue. "So, I perfectly fit Salazar Slytherin's philosophy for selecting students?"

"Ideology? What ideology?" the Sorting Hat asked casually.

"Of course, it's the ideas of the four school founders—"

"So you think there's a little note full of rules and regulations sewn into my lining?"

“I thought there would be something similar,” Felix said calmly, “like a fixed mindset or a standard procedure.” The Sorting Hat interrupted indignantly:

"—So my job is to hide behind the students' thinking and check off each item on a piece of paper?"

"You have a different opinion on this."

"Of course! Yes! My job is far more important and complex than you imagine," the Sorting Hat exclaimed. "Although I am just a hat, I have my own thoughts and personality. I am smarter than most people, and I don't have any human flaws. I don't need to eat or sleep; my mouth is solely for speaking and doesn't serve any other purpose—I'm also obsessed with beneficial thinking. Well, most of my time is spent reminiscing about the past and composing new songs..."

"That's amazing," Felix said, though he wasn't quite sure what was so memorable. Was it the years he spent in the Headmaster's office at Hogwarts, eavesdropping on the headmasters' meetings? But did that give him any sense of participation? Or was it experiencing nearly a thousand Sorting Ceremony alone? But the question was, wouldn't he get confused...?

The Sorting Hat seemed to choke for a moment. After a brief silence, it said, "I'll show you with my own eyes."

"it is good."

Felix closed his eyes and waited, but the Sorting Hat remained motionless for a long time. He was surprised.

"Remove the defenses of your brain," the Sorting Hat said sullenly. "I can't see anything but surface thoughts; it's like hitting a thick stone wall..."

"Sorry," Felix muttered. He removed his protective gear, and a few seconds later, he felt an invisible force pulling him up from the top of his head, as if trying to drag him into the ceiling or his hat. This reminded him of how the Mind House works, and he did not resist.

In a flash, he found himself in darkness. Gradually, color appeared in the darkness, and Felix stared as a string of points of light suddenly fell from nowhere, scattering gray-green and silver-white sparks that formed a long, muddy pool shimmering with silver light and green foam, stretching into the distance.

A lone figure wades through the murky shallow water.

Salazar Slytherin, carrying a scout's stick, walked past Felix at a leisurely pace. His expression remained unchanged as they passed each other; his simple robes appeared to be made from a single piece of black cloth, and several small snakes followed him closely.

The light and shadow flickered, transforming the landscape into a desolate wasteland. Felix saw a young man walking along a country path, his back ramrod straight, his steps light, his red hair fluttering in the wind. The young Godric Gryffindor leaped onto a rock, glanced back at the village he had come from, and then resolutely walked on into the distance.

He had no idea that his hometown would one day be named after him.

On the tranquil riverbank, Rowena Ravenclaw gazed silently at the flowing water, which reflected the blue sky as an eagle soared across its surface.

In the golden valley, Helga Hufflepuff picked up an ear of wheat that shimmered in the sunlight, and a small flower bloomed on the ear.

Felix suddenly realized that these were the memories of the school's four founders. Then a new question arose: according to the Sorting Hat's explanation at previous Sorting ceremonies, they had collectively infused it with ideas. Felix had always thought they were concepts, but concepts always become outdated, and medieval moral values ​​may not be suitable for the present. Yet the Sorting Hat's work never stopped.

Now he understands a little better. The four founders did indeed infuse the Sorting Hat with ideas, but not shallow concepts; rather, they left their mark on the world.

Felix moved through the darkness, new scenes appearing every second. Slowly, he grasped a thread, glimpsing a hidden corner of history—why did Gryffindor and Slytherin become good friends? Because they both pursued great power; why did they eventually part ways? When he saw Gryffindor learning swordsmanship from Muggle knights, and Slytherin ruthlessly eliminating any threat in their path, Felix had a vague answer in his mind.

This feeling became even stronger when they met Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff.

As two exceptionally talented witches of their time and close friends, they traveled together to many places, helping the weak and vulnerable. Hufflepuff was compassionate, treating everyone equally, and her gaze always lingered on the helpless. Ravenclaw, on the other hand, clearly preferred dealing with quick-witted individuals, as this facilitated problem-solving. The two worked seamlessly together; Hufflepuff averted many unnecessary conflicts, while Ravenclaw excelled at devising solutions that resolved problems once and for all, such as building a windmill.

Felix saw in the travels of these two ladies the rudiments of the culinary magic that would later grace the Hogwarts kitchens and the architectural structure of the castle.

Naturally, the experiences of the four school founders in their youth foreshadowed their future disagreements.

Of the four, Salazar Slytherin was the most extreme, or rather—the most reclusive. His lifestyle was closer to that of an ascetic, solitary and wandering alone through a chaotic world. He pursued power like Gryffindor, but was even more ruthless; he was detached and aloof like Ravenclaw, but even more indifferent to himself; and like Hufflepuff, he felt compassion for young wizards living in harsh conditions, but this compassion was extremely stingy, never extending even a fraction to those who were not close to him.

These four most outstanding wizards and witches of their time met, having all heard of each other, and began exchanging magical ideas. To Felix's surprise, the three other than Hufflepuff initially seemed to get along better, with Slytherin bluntly stating that Hufflepuff's magic was "worthless and useless in chaotic times." Fortunately, the calm Ravenclaw and the enthusiastic Gryffindor mediated, and Hufflepuff's usual good temper prevented the conflict from escalating into a major incident.

As the conversation deepened, Hufflepuff proved herself to be an exceptionally talented witch. She was not only skilled in cooking magic, but also adept at identifying herbs and concocting potions.

Finally, the four decided to establish a magic school together.

They arrived in the Scottish Highlands, a remote and pristine place where ancient rocks were carved into valleys and lakes by water and glaciers. Ravenclaw chose a cliff overlooking a lake, surrounded by emerald-green hillsides capped with white snow, with deep valleys below and dense forests lining the lakeshore.

All four agreed that this was the ideal place to build a school.

Of them, only Ravenclaw had experience building houses (with magic) herself. She conceived the school's floor plan, especially the main building's spiral staircase that could be moved flexibly. The two men brought in various materials, and Hufflepuff searched for flowers and greenery to decorate the school. They also unexpectedly discovered wild wand trees in the nearby primeval forest.

The castle gradually took shape, and the four of them worked together to set up the most sophisticated defensive magic for the school at that time. Considering that the castle would eventually be filled with students, they came up with a brilliant idea—a groundbreaking innovation at the time—to rely on the castle to collect the dissipated magic power as the most important part of maintaining the magic castle and building the defensive system.

Felix watched the scene intently.

He hadn't expected to gain profound magical knowledge from the Sorting Hat; initially, he was merely curious about its existence, and later, he wanted to speak with the four founders within the Sorting Hat, if possible. But the surprise came unexpectedly—

The four founders of the school worked together with unwavering passion and dedication on the same task, applying their knowledge to the fullest. The secrets of Hogwarts Castle unfolded before his eyes, Felix's hands following the movements, the Book of Runes hovering at his chest, turning its pages automatically. From him, ripples of runic symbols spread outwards from the ground, climbed the walls, and extended outwards through cracks in the doors…

As a magical hub within the castle, the magical channels within the Room of Requirement manifested from the thin air, receiving the power symbolizing ancient runes. Soon, this new power flowed throughout the castle like surging blood through the magical channels. Passing through Moaning Myrtle's abandoned washroom, a new path branched off, leading directly to the Chamber of Secrets in Slytherin.

In the Charms classroom, Professor Flitwick had just given a brilliant demonstration to his students when he suddenly stopped, reached out, and flicked his wand lightly in the air, the tip of which trailed a string of golden runes.

The students looked up; the walls and floor rippled like fine waves, and in the blink of an eye, everything returned to calm.

Professor Flitwick cleared his throat. "Class, let's continue the lesson..."

In the school kitchen, the house-elves busied themselves preparing lunch for the students. A gust of wind swept by, and they seemed to sense a loving gaze. The house-elves looked around, but found nothing. Hanging in the kitchen was an ordinary portrait; the woman in the painting had a kind look in her eyes. This painting had not entered the school castle, nor did it possess any magic; it had simply been passed down through generations of house-elves.

Every house-elves, from the time they can remember, has heard an ancient tale: "It was Lady Hufflepuff who brought them to Hogwarts, gave them shelter, respect, and work, and personally taught them cooking magic..."

Felix opened his eyes, the last image still lingering in his mind: the four founders standing together, infusing their thoughts—their life trajectories—into the Sorting Hat. Slytherins wore lockets, Gryffindors held swords, Ravenclaws wore crowns, and Hufflepuffs held golden cups. At least in that moment, their gazes were filled with comfort.

Felix slowly stood up and placed the Sorting Hat back on the shelf. His gaze fell on the glass box beside him, which contained a locket, a sword, and a golden cup. Except for the Gryffindor sword, which gleamed brightly, the other two relics of the founder were somewhat dull.

Felix took the Ravenclaw tiara from his ring and gently placed it beside him.

(End of this chapter)