#19 - Branch

Seeing that they were about to enter Hogwarts, everyone forgot the unpleasantness just now. Under Hagrid's guidance, the first-year students arrived at a landing on the lake.

"Everyone on board, remember that each boat cannot exceed four people," Hagrid shouted back at the freshmen.

Anduin, Charles, and Vivian boarded the same boat, and another girl joined them.

"Hey, I'm Oriana, hello everyone," the girl who shared the boat with them greeted.

"Hello, I'm Vivian, this is Anduin and Charles. Ladies should just sit, let the two gentlemen help with the rowing," the glib-tongued Vivian took the lead in greeting Oriana, arranging work for the two men without consulting them.

Anduin and Charles exchanged speechless glances, and silently began to row.

But soon Anduin discovered that the boat seemed to be enchanted, and it would follow the route without much rowing.

"I heard that only first-year students have to row into the school. It is said to be for the freshmen to retrace the path of the four founders, and four people in each boat also represent the four founders," the gossipy girl Vivian began to talk about rumors she didn't know where she heard from. Anduin listened while watching Hogwarts get closer and closer.

I don't know what the founders were feeling when they approached the castle, but everyone on the boat was very excited now.

"All first-year students disembark and follow me." Hagrid carried the oil lamp and led the way. After the freshmen disembarked, they arrived at the first building of Hogwarts, the boat house.

After passing through the boat house, there was a winding and long staircase, going up the cliff. Everyone struggled to climb up the stairs. After finally climbing to the top of the cliff, the huge castle standing on the cliff was Hogwarts.

After climbing the cliff, a group of freshmen followed Hagrid to the entrance hall of Hogwarts. Upon entering the hall, a middle-aged witch in a dark green wizard robe was waiting for everyone on the steps. It was Professor McGonagall.

Professor McGonagall saw the newly admitted underage wizards, and also saw Anduin in the crowd, not forgetting to glare at him. Presumably his 'glorious' deeds had reached Professor McGonagall.

"Professor McGonagall, I'll leave these little ones to you." After saying that, Hagrid turned and left.

"Thank you, Hagrid, thank you for your trouble." After Professor McGonagall exchanged a few polite words with Hagrid, she turned to the crowd and said, "Welcome to Hogwarts. The opening banquet is about to begin, but before it begins, you will face the Sorting Ceremony. I will take you to the Great Hall later…"

Then Professor McGonagall introduced a bunch of precautions to all the freshmen under the steps. After listening for a long time, Anduin found that the main content was two aspects: one was about the Sorting, and the other was about the House Cup. After being sorted into a House, you have to perform well, and good performance will add points, and poor performance will deduct points, which will affect the ownership of the House Cup, blah blah blah.

Professor McGonagall efficiently finished explaining, then glanced at the excited little wizards, smiled with satisfaction, and asked everyone to wait a while, then left first.

The freshmen waiting under the steps were nervous and excited. They were nervous because they didn't know how to be sorted, and they were afraid that they would not pass the Sorting Ceremony. They were excited because they wanted to enter their own House as soon as possible and add points to the House. They all looked like they were ready to dedicate themselves to their House at any time.

Anduin rolled his eyes. What do a bunch of little kids know about honor? It's not like a gang fight where whoever wins wins. It is estimated that after the real start of school, these guys will know that House points are not so easy to earn, and it would be good if a bunch of naughty kids don't lose points for the House when they go wild.

"Anduin, are you nervous? The Sorting Ceremony is about to begin, and I don't know how to sort. Will there be an exam? I've been playing all summer and don't know anything." Vivian was obviously very nervous, and then couldn't wait to pass this nervousness to Anduin.

Anduin found it funny looking at her. You didn't spend the whole summer playing, you spent it gossiping about others, right? But he still quietly comforted her a few words.

After a while, Professor McGonagall returned and led everyone to the Great Hall. The group came to the door between the entrance hall and the Great Hall. On both sides of the door were four huge hourglasses. Under the hourglasses were carved four animals: lions, eagles, badgers, and snakes. Currently, all the hourglasses were empty. It seemed that these four hourglasses were responsible for recording the scores of each House.

Professor McGonagall reached out and pushed open the door, leading everyone into the Great Hall.

The Great Hall of Hogwarts was very wide, and the height was also very exaggerated. I don't know if it was because of magic, but you couldn't see the top at a glance. Densely packed candles floated above, illuminating the entire hall.

Four exaggeratedly long tables were placed in the hall, and a large number of upper-class students were sitting at the tables looking at them. In front of the long tables was a chair, and on the chair was an old hat.

When everyone came in, the hat was already singing the opening song in a discordant tune. When everyone came to the chair, the broken hat seemed to have not finished singing, and was still howling with relish.

Anyway, in Anduin's ears, it was almost like howling. It was simply the mother of ugly opening the door for ugly, ugly to the extreme.

After a while, the Sorting Hat finally ended its performance in the applause of everyone. Then Professor McGonagall took a piece of parchment and walked to the chair and shouted, "Now the Sorting Ceremony begins, the little wizard whose name is called will come forward and sit on the chair."

"Oriana Sinclair," the girl who had just been on the boat with Anduin and the others was the first to be selected, and Oriana also sat on the chair with some trepidation. Professor McGonagall gently put the Sorting Hat on her head.

"Ravenclaw!" The Sorting Hat hesitated for a few seconds and quickly shouted.

And Oriana walked to the Ravenclaw House table, which was cheering and applauding for her.

Then the Sorting Ceremony began in an orderly manner. Vivian was assigned to Slytherin, as she had predicted. Although she was not a pureblood, her family had traditionally come from Slytherin.

Charles was assigned to Gryffindor, which was about what Anduin expected, and Sampel Travers was also assigned to Slytherin. Anduin silently mourned for Vivian in his heart. It was not easy to be classmates with this kind of person.

So the so-called Sorting is so childish? Anduin was still complaining in his heart, and Professor McGonagall on the stage had already read his name, "Anduin Wilson."