Hogwarts: My Grandmother is the Queen

"Keep your heads down!" Hagrid shouted again as they approached the cliff where the castle stood. The small boat carried them through a curtain of ivy, into a hidden underground dock, and finally moored in a damp stone tunnel.

They disembarked and, guided by Hagrid's lantern, climbed the steps of the tunnel, eventually gathering before a massive oak door.

The door is decorated with exquisite wrought iron, exuding a rustic charm.

Hagrid raised his enormous fist and knocked three times on the castle gate.

The knocking echoed in the silence. A moment later, the door opened silently.

Inside the door stood a tall witch with a serious expression, square glasses, and her hair tightly tied in a bun. She wore a long, emerald-green robe; she was Professor Minerva McGonagall.

"The first-year students have arrived, Professor McGonagall," Hagrid said.

"Thank you, Hagrid. Leave this to me." Professor McGonagall's voice was clear and firm. She scanned the group of freshmen before her, who looked somewhat disheveled but nervous and excited, her gaze measuring each one like a ruler.

When her gaze met Henry's calm eyes, she paused for a moment before looking away.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The Sorting Ceremony is about to begin, but before you take your seats, you must first decide which house you will be joining. The Sorting Ceremony is a very important ceremony, because during your time at Hogwarts, your house will be your home..."

She began explaining the rules of the four houses and the House Cup. The freshmen listened intently, many with renewed tension, especially after recalling their parents' dreaded stories of entrance exams.

Henry stood in the crowd, feeling the coldness of the stone wall and the slight shivering of the new students around him. He glanced at Hannah beside him, who was clutching Susan's sleeve tightly; Susan was trying to maintain her composure, but her body was still trembling; Justin seemed to be sweating a little on his forehead, but he was still trying to keep his body straight.

After Professor McGonagall finished her explanation, she glanced around the room again to make sure everyone had heard clearly. "Now, form a single file," she commanded. "Follow me."

The freshmen scrambled to find their places, struggling to form a not-so-straight line. Henry naturally stood behind Hannah and Susan, with Justin following behind him. The line moved slowly, following Professor McGonagall through the vast hallway.

The foyer was astonishingly large, with torches blazing around the stone walls and a ceiling so high it was almost invisible. Directly ahead was a magnificent marble staircase leading upstairs. But Professor McGonagall led them not upstairs, but instead toward a small door on the other side of the hall. They could hear the buzzing noise of hundreds of people talking coming from behind the tightly closed, massive door on the right—students from other grades were clearly already seated inside.

The new students were led to a small, empty room next to the main hall. Much smaller than the lobby, the students, huddled together, appeared even more uneasy. They could hear the sounds coming from the adjacent auditorium more clearly, which exacerbated their tension.

Professor McGonagall simply meowed a few words before lowering her head to check the list.

Just as the verification of the list was nearing completion, a small incident occurred.

About twenty pearly white, translucent ghosts suddenly sprang out from the wall, gliding along while arguing about the ancient topic of "bloodline and privilege." One chubby ghost seemed to be complaining that a medieval ancestor hadn't left him enough rights to store wine in a cellar.

The freshmen scrambled to their feet in fright, and even Justin gasped. Hannah gasped and grabbed Susan's arm.

"New students!" A ghost wearing a bodysuit with a ruffled collar spotted them and said happily, "Getting ready for testing, right?"

"I hope you get assigned to Hufflepuff!" said a kind-looking ghost nun with a smile. "I had the most wonderful time there..."

"Get away, Peeves!" Professor McGonagall snapped, not at the friendly ghosts, but at a small ghost wearing a comical hat who was about to throw a roll of scrap paper at the freshmen.

Mischievous Ghost stuck out his tongue, giggled, and disappeared through the wall.

The other ghosts nodded amicably to the new students, then floated through the opposite wall and entered the auditorium where the banquet was being held.

"Now," Professor McGonagall said, after the ghosts had left, and quieted the new students down again, "line up. I'll come to get you when you're ready over there. Keep quiet and make sure you're properly dressed."

The waiting time seemed to stretch on endlessly. The sounds coming from the auditorium next door seemed a little quieter, perhaps from some kind of announcement or speech. The freshmen nervously looked at each other, straightened their robes, and touched their hair.

A blond boy next to him cleared his throat, trying to say something to ease the tension, but in the end he just whispered to the person next to him, "I wonder what kind of test it will be... My dad said back then..."

Just then, Professor McGonagall returned. "Now, come with me." Her expression was even more serious than before.

The new students lined up and followed Professor McGonagall out of the small room, through the foyer, and to the two huge oak doors.

The door was tightly closed, but Professor McGonagall pushed it open a crack, just enough for her to enter.

The freshmen couldn't see what was happening inside, but they could feel countless eyes staring at the entrance.

"Before you enter the Great Hall and face the entire school," Professor McGonagall turned to the new students, her voice clear and solemn, "I want you to remember that regardless of your sorting results, you are all students of Hogwarts. Your words and actions not only represent yourselves but will also influence how others perceive your community."

Her gaze swept calmly over everyone again, and this time, Henry felt that she seemed to have added an extra weight to the word "everyone".

Then, she pushed the door open completely.

A dazzling golden light and a warm atmosphere rushed towards them, causing the new students to gasp.

Henry saw a magnificent hall, with students sitting around four long college tables. Thousands of candles floating in the air illuminated the hall as if it were daytime, and lifelike stars twinkled on the velvety black ceiling.

At the far end of the hall was another long table where the teachers sat.

In the very center, Albus Dumbledore, with his crescent-shaped glasses and silver hair and beard, smiled as he looked at the new students at the doorway.

When they met Henry's gaze, Dumbledore even reached out and waved to him.

Professor McGonagall placed a four-cornered stool in front of the new students and on the stool placed a worn-out, dirty, patched pointed wizard's hat.