A Certain Magical Hogwarts

Chapter 19 The Dirty Sorting Hat

The group left the room, passed through the foyer, went through a double door at the back, and entered a super luxurious restaurant.

Students from other classes in the college were already seated around four long tables, with thousands of candles floating in the air above illuminating the dining room.

Four tables were set with gleaming gold platters and wine glasses, while another long table at the head of the table was for the teachers.

Dumbledore sat in the center, wearing a magnificent dark blue robe embroidered with many xx and oo, exuding a prominent wizarding aura.

He had flowing, silvery-white hair and a meticulously trimmed beard. But what was most striking about him was his long, hooked nose, which looked as if it had been broken several times.

He wore a pair of crescent-shaped glasses, behind which were two bright, deep blue eyes that were so penetrating they looked like X-rays.

There was an empty seat next to Dumbledore, presumably reserved for Professor McGonagall. Next to him was a teacher with greasy black hair, a hooked nose, and sallow skin.

William quickly figured it out, after all, in the twins' descriptions, the professors were all very... distinctive.

Or rather, oddly shaped, misshapen, uneven...

Therefore, this must be the old bat, the greasy middle-aged man Professor Snape they were talking about.

William shook his head. These two were going too far with their words. Their choice of words was truly... accurate, sophisticated, and profound.

Professor McGonagall led the first-year students to the center of the hall, where they lined up facing all the senior students, with the teachers behind them.

The candlelight flickered, and hundreds of faces gazed at them like pale lanterns. Ghosts mingled among the students, shimmering with a hazy, silvery light.

Professor McGonagall gently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first-year students, and then placed a pointed wizard's hat on the stool.

The hat was patched, worn, and extremely dirty, as if it had never been washed.

William felt that the hat shouldn't be placed on the stool, but rather in a sink full of Libai dish soap.

Is the sorting test really about who can clean this hat the fastest?

Suddenly, the hat started to wiggle, as if it were doing a shoulder-shaking dance.

A wide slit appeared in the brim of the hat, like a mouth—and the hat began to sing in some strange melody:

"You may think I'm handsome, but please don't try to fall in love with me. It will hurt you, but I won't feel guilty. After all, I'm the charming and adorable Sorting Hat."

William felt that Professor McGonagall's lips were pressed even tighter; she was probably about to pull out her wand and cast a Silence Charm on the Sorting Hat at any moment.

But William was disappointed. Professor McGonagall took a few deep breaths, and her face returned to calm.

William suspected that she had used a wandless, silent spell to block his hearing.

The Sorting Hat is still making terrifying noise:

"Gryffindor, where courage lies buried deep within;

Ravenclaw, a place of natural wit and intelligence;

Hufflepuff, where there is eternal loyalty and kindness;

Slytherin, where ambition and aspirations are etched into our hearts.

Hogwarts, the shared home of all four houses!

The Sorting Hat was twirling faster and faster, like a rock 'n' roll teenager who was so engrossed in music that he couldn't pull himself away, but in reality, he was just a middle-aged woman doing square dancing.

William was somewhat relieved that the Sorting Hat didn't understand hip-hop, otherwise he would have ended up with a corny rap.

After a full ten minutes, the Sorting Hat finally completed its once-a-year, groundbreaking concert, and the entire audience erupted in applause after the song was finished.

The Weasley brothers even stood on their chairs cheering, practically rushing over to ask for autographs.

The Sorting Hat bowed to each of the four dining tables, then remained still, though its mouth continued to open and close, seemingly muttering something to itself.

Looking at that mouth, a bold idea suddenly flashed through William's mind.

Professor McGonagall took a few steps forward, holding a roll of parchment in her hand.

"When I call someone's name, that person should put on their hat, sit on the stool, and wait to be sorted," she said.

"Artur!"

A boy with black hair immediately walked up.

The hat barely touched his head before he shrieked, "Slytherin!"

The boy was extremely pleased. He bowed slightly to the Slytherin table, where thunderous applause erupted.

"Katie Bell!"

A little girl with rosy cheeks and messy long blonde hair hurriedly stepped out of the line, put on a hat that just covered her eyes.

She sat down and paused for a moment...

"Gryffindor!" the hat cried.

A cheer immediately erupted from the farthest table on the left, as the twin brothers pulled out a megaphone from somewhere and started making a huge commotion.

Percy glared at them, but his cheers were also quite loud.

"Garvan Campbell!"

A boy with curly hair rushed forward.

"Hufflepuff!"

The people at the table to his right applauded and cheered, welcoming him to sit at their table, and the fat monk ghost also waved to him happily.

Autumn arrived quickly.

Cho slowly walked to the Sorting Hat and put it on. But this time, the hat hesitated for a long time before calling out, "Ravenclaw!"

"Oh no!" Cedric covered his face, in great pain. He hadn't expected the start of his second year to be so bleak.

Cho sat down next to Marietta Eckmore, who had also been assigned to Ravenclaw.

"William Stark!" Professor McGonagall read.

William calmly walked to the Sorting Hat. The hat was even dirtier than he had imagined; it was pilling and covered in patches.

The worst part was that there was a spider web on one side, and a small spider was staring at William.

Thankfully it wasn't a cockroach, otherwise William would have been really worried about the hygiene of the entire Hogwarts.

He picked up the hat, shook off the dust, and put it on his head with obvious disgust.

"Hey kid, what's with that attitude?" a faint voice whispered in William's ear.

"Don't deny it—" the Sorting Hat's voice sharpened, "I can see right through you!"

"Hmm, let me see your little head and decide which academy you should go to..."

William scratched his dark brown hair; he really felt an itch on his scalp, and this discomfort quickly spread throughout his body.

The Sorting Hat, as if deeply insulted, raised its voice again, its pride overflowing: "Never! Ever! Think of me with such filthy thoughts!"

I'm a germaphobe! Have you ever seen a hat that's been washed thousands of times?!

For a hat, being washed thousands of times is indeed not a small number, but you've existed for at least a thousand years. On average, that's only about once a year!

The Sorting Hat clearly knew what William was thinking, and it whined and changed the subject with chicken-claw-like gestures.

Dumbledore coughed twice, reminding the Sorting Hat to hurry.

Even if he wasn't hungry, how could those lovely students not be hungry?!

————I am the separator for the Sorting Hat————

The Sorting Hat: Wizards, by casting your vote, I can sort you into the house you want to go to.

(End of this chapter)