Chapter 24 Branching

Professor McGonagall took over the management of the new students from Hagrid, and then she brought the new students into the castle. The group crossed the huge oak door and walked along the stone floor towards the castle. As they passed the hall, buzzing voices came from the door on the right. Hagrid, who had just followed the freshmen, entered that door. Then, Professor McGonagall took the freshmen into a small empty room at the other end.

After welcoming the new students to Hogwarts, Professor McGonagall introduced the sorting ceremony and the general situation of the four major colleges.

After that, Professor McGonagall reminded the freshmen: "In a few minutes, the sorting ceremony will be held in front of all the teachers and students of the school. I suggest that you tidy up your things while waiting in this room. Dress up so you don’t look bad when you’re sorted.”

"When the other side is ready, I will come over here to pick you up." Professor McGonagall said, "Now wait here and don't move around. Please stay quiet."

After saying that, Professor McGonagall left the small room.

"Lite, which hospital do you think we will be assigned to later?" Chang Chu said suddenly, as if he was not used to such a quiet atmosphere.

Wright could feel Chang Chu's nervousness. Her palms were sweating and a little wet.

"I don't know which house you will be assigned to, but I think I might be assigned to Ravenclaw." Wright said calmly, but it seemed that such a calm attitude made Chang Chu calm down a little, and other people around him The students with solemn expressions also breathed a sigh of relief.

"Why?" Chang Chu looked at Wright with some confusion.

"Because in the past six years of elementary school, I have always been the first in the class, and you have almost never been in the top ten of the class." Wright said the fact lightly, not caring that such a statement could easily anger Chang Chu.

There were other children from the Muggle world around. They had all gone to elementary school and passed elementary school exams. After hearing Wright's words, they couldn't help but let out a few giggles.

"Lite!" Chang Chu came to Wright's side and said with gritted teeth, and squeezed Wright a few times in his hand.

Just when Wright and Chang Chu were having a little fight, Professor McGonagall suddenly came back. She glared at Wright without saying a word, which made the originally noisy room instantly quiet. The majesty of Professor McGonagall was evident.

"Now, line up in single file," Professor McGonagall said to the first years. "Follow me."

The freshmen followed Professor McGonagall out of this small room. After passing through the foyer, a group of people arrived at a very luxurious restaurant.

Starlight twinkled on the velvety black ceiling of the restaurant, and thousands of enchanted candles were suspended in the air. Students from other grades were already seated at the four long tables, and were quietly watching the row of freshmen walking in. Wright heard several malicious chuckles from the long table farthest to the left, and the freshmen seemed to become more nervous because of this. Wright followed the sound and saw only a few red heads.

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

Then the hat twisted. There was a wide crack in the brim of the hat, like a mouth.

The hat began to sing:

That was more than a thousand years ago,

I have just been woven into shape,

There are four famous wizards,

Their names survive to this day:

Brave Gryffindor, from the barren swamp,

Beautiful Ravenclaw, from the peaceful riverside,

Merciful Hufflepuff, from the open valley,

The shrewd Slytherin comes from that quagmire.

They share a dream and a wish,

At the same time, I had a bold plan,

To cultivate young wizards into talents,

This is how Hogwarts School was founded.

These four great wizards

Everyone builds his own academy,

in the students they teach

They have different ideas about the talents they value.

Gryffindor believes that the bravest people

should receive the highest reward;

Ravenclaw believes that those with the smartest minds

Always the most promising;

Hufflepuff feels that the most diligent and hard-working

Only those who are most qualified to enter the academy;

And power-hungry Slytherin

I like those ambitious teenagers the most.

The four great wizards during their lifetimes

Personally select your favorite students,

But when they sleep in Jiuquan,

How to identify talents among students?

It was Gryffindor who figured it out,

He took me off his head,

The Big Four all injected ideas into me;

From now on, it’s up to me to choose and evaluate!

Okay, put me on your head,

I've never looked past it,

I want to take a look inside your head,

Find out which college you belong to!

After the magic hat finished singing, the audience burst into applause. The magic hat bowed to the four dining tables one by one, and then stood still.

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

"Whoever's name I call now will put on his hat, sit on the stool, and wait for the sorting." She said, "Katie Bell!"

A little girl with a ponytail walked out of the queue, put on her hat, and paused for a moment.

"Gryffindor!" shouted the hat.

The table farthest to the left immediately burst into cheers, and the red-haired twins who had been snickering just now let out several loud boos.

"Edica Mitchell!"

"Ravenclaw!" This time the second table on the left clapped. When Eddie joined them, several Ravenclaws stood up to shake his hand.

"Chang Chu!" Professor McGonagall said the name of the girl standing next to Wright with some difficulty.

Chang Chu let go of Wright's hand, took a deep breath, and almost ran to the front of the four-legged stool. Then she put on the dirty hat.

The Hat was silent for a moment, then shouted, "Ravenclaw!"

Chang Chu jumped down from her stool excitedly, and then she ran to the second table on the left. A very good-looking senior stood up and shook hands with her. After Chang Chu sat down, he waved to Wright, who was still among the freshmen and had not yet been sorted. The students soon became quiet, waiting for the sorting ceremony of the next student to take place.

"Wright! I was assigned to Ravenclaw!" Chang Chu suddenly shouted loudly, her voice echoing in the huge and silent auditorium.

At this time, both the professors in the teacher's seat and the students at the four long tables all looked in Chang Chu's direction. Even Professor McGonagall, who was standing next to the sorting hat and was about to speak, was a little stuck. For a moment, he even forgot to call out the name of the next student waiting to be sorted.

Wright rubbed his head with a headache. He glanced at Chang Chu, and she was still waving at Wright. Wright covered his face, said hello to Chang Chu, and then began to bow and apologize to everyone around him.

Professor McGonagall pursed her lips: "Maybe our Miss Chang Chu is a little too excited! Okay, the sorting ceremony continues!"

"Cormac McLaggen!" When calling out the boy's name, Professor McGonagall cursed in her heart. When she entered the small room just now, she knew that the boy and girl would definitely cause trouble in the future, but she didn't. To think that trouble could come so soon.

I hope the boy's sorting will go smoothly later! Professor McGonagall looked down at Wright who was waiting for sorting.

"Gryffindor!" shouted the hat.

But at this time, almost no one paid attention to the poor kid named McLaggen, and most people's eyes still stayed on Wright.

After passing a few more people, it was finally Wright's turn.

"Lightpas!" Professor McGonagall called out Wright's name.

Wright stepped forward, looked at the dirty hat, and resisted the urge to give it a clean slate - he was a bit of a germaphobe. Then, Wright picked up the Sorting Hat and prepared to put it on.

"Sly..." The Sorting Hat shouted out almost as soon as it touched Wright's hair.

But before the Sorting Hat could finish speaking, Wright suddenly took off the hat and covered its mouth.

The sorting ceremony that had been going smoothly for thousands of years was interrupted.