"A summoning charm!" Hermione blurted out. "Didn't I tell you before? You wanted to turn the rat...mottled yellow, remember?"
"There's something wrong with that spell, I'm serious…" Ron said, sounding a little uninterested. "Can we not talk about that?"
Harry wanted to say something, but seeing Ron's strange expression, he shut his mouth as well.
Hermione did the same, lowering her head and looking listless.
Vizette was the one who felt most at ease, maintaining the Guardian Meditation Method and fully enjoying the Black Lake journey with the purest mind.
A gentle breeze blew by, and the lake surface rippled with waves.
The moon in the night sky was like a scimitar, and its light shone on the lake, coating the rippling surface with a layer of brilliance. The sparkling waves were like a beautiful oil painting.
There were many creatures in the Black Lake, and some of them surfaced and looked at them with curious eyes.
Unbeknownst to them, the small boat passed through a curtain of ivy and gently landed on the lake shore.
Hagrid led the way, carrying a lantern, guiding the children through a dark tunnel to a place that resembled a shipyard.
From here, they could finally see the traces of human excavation.
Following the cobblestone path upwards, then climbing a long flight of stone steps, and entering the spacious courtyard, they finally arrived at the gates of Hogwarts Castle.
During the short break, although the children were panting, they didn't stop and started chatting and laughing again.
Knock knock knock!
Hagrid raised his fist, which was as big as a sandbag, and slammed it heavily against the oak door.
The door slowly opened, and Professor McGonagall stood before it. Her tall figure and serious expression instantly silenced the children's laughter.
Hagrid walked to the door. "Professor McGonagall, I've brought the first-year students!"
"Thank you, Hagrid." Professor McGonagall nodded gently, glancing at the group of children. "Come with me, the opening banquet is about to begin."
The hall inside the gate was very spacious, with a luxurious marble staircase in the center.
The group ascended the marble staircase, turned onto a side corridor, and entered a small house with a fireplace.
The fire in the fireplace burned brightly, dispelling the chill from the children.
There was another door at the far end of the hut, and noisy sounds came through the crack in the door.
"Welcome to Hogwarts." Professor McGonagall stood before the door. "Before entering the Great Hall, you will need to undergo a ceremony—the Sorting Ceremony."
"The house is like your home at Hogwarts. You will study and live with your classmates, and spend your free time in the same common room."
"Therefore, this ceremony is extremely important, as it determines your house affiliation. After the ceremony, you will become a member of Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin."
"Each house has a glorious past, producing countless outstanding wizards. Your performance in your daily life and studies will determine the selection of the year-end House Cup."
"This is the highest honor one can receive at school. No matter which house you are assigned to, I hope you can bring glory to your house..."
She suddenly straightened her back, exuding an aura of authority without anger, and said, "Please wait here for a moment. The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes."
"The entire faculty and student body will be attending your house selection ceremony. We hope you can take these few minutes to adjust yourselves and present your best selves!"
She turned and opened the door, then turned back to add, "I'll come pick you up once the stage over there is ready. Please keep quiet and get yourself together!"
Undoubtedly, Professor McGonagall's series of remarks, coupled with her serious expression, plunged the children into an indescribable tension.
They looked at each other, but all they could see was tension; the cheerful atmosphere was gone.
"We might have to fight giants! Or even dragons!" Ron said with unusual certainty. "I didn't believe Fred and the others before, but now it seems… they were telling the truth!"
"Vizette, aren't you nervous?" Harry breathed on his glasses and awkwardly wiped them. "The Sorting Ceremony is about to take place."
"Don't be nervous." Vizette shook his head gently. "Just keep a calm mind; it's a good way to adjust."
Perhaps it was the help of the Guardian Meditation Method, but he sensed a hint of barely suppressed laughter in Professor McGonagall's serious tone.
In addition, Cho Chang's previous words made him feel no worries about the upcoming Sorting Ceremony.
Vizette's calm remarks seemed to have a magical power, making those who heard him less nervous.
During the brief rest, Vizette walked around the room, taking in everything.
A sudden realization dawned on him.
He unleashed his Eye of Magic, absorbing the ancient magical power contained within the room.
These powers transformed into an ink-like silver-blue liquid, which was stored in the notebook.
It was within Vizette's expectations that the ancient magical power of just one room could not turn the pages of the book any further.
At the same time, the map in the notebook had a small brighter area.
The room didn't contain enough power to allow the Eye of Magic to grow.
However, Vizette did come to a conclusion: only by continuing to explore Hogwarts Castle could he gain more ancient magical power.
"A ghost! There's a ghost on the wall! It's haunted!"
The screams drew the children's attention, and they all looked towards the wall.
However, the ghosts weren't focused on them; instead, they were engaged in a heated discussion about something.
It wasn't until a ghost resembling a monk floated down that another commotion broke out.
"You can call me Fat Friar," the ghost said cheerfully. "The Sorting Ceremony… I really wish you came to Hufflepuff; I'm from that house."
These words reignited the tension in the children's hearts.
Professor McGonagall returned to the room at the opportune moment and announced loudly, "Line up in a single row and follow me. The Sorting Ceremony is about to begin!"
The auditorium was imbued with an incredibly rich magical atmosphere, and its high dome was almost transparent, allowing a view of the dazzling starry sky.
Beneath the starry sky were thousands upon thousands of candles, floating in mid-air without dripping a drop of wax or emitting a wisp of black smoke—a wondrous creation of magic.
As a top student who memorizes her textbooks, Hermione's way of relieving tension was quite interesting; she recited long passages about ceilings.
"The ceiling is enchanted...you can see the sky outside...and it can change the weather...from 'Hogwarts: A History'..."
Professor McGonagall brought over a four-legged stool and placed a pointed hat on it.
The pointed hat, looking dirty and patched, drooped on the four-legged stool, making it all the more conspicuous.
Vizette half-jokingly guessed, "Do you want to use a Reparo to restore this hat to its original state?"
"I've never practiced this spell!" Hermione's voice sounded like she was about to cry. "What should I do?"
Just then, the pointed hat split open on its own, and a "singing" sound like a saw cutting wood came from the crack.
Putting aside the hat's extremely unpleasant singing, Vizette could still hear a lot of interesting content in the music.
For example, this hat was the executor of the Sorting Ceremony; as long as someone wore the hat, they could be assigned to a suitable house.
For example, entering Gryffindor requires courage, Hufflepuff values integrity and loyalty, Ravenclaw prefers intelligent students, and Slytherin favors those who will stop at nothing to achieve their goals.
When the music ended, Professor McGonagall unrolled the parchment scroll.
"Whoever I call, come and sit on the stool and put on the Sorting Hat. Hannah Abbott!"
...
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