Chapter 21: Chapter 21
After the unexpected incident, the Sorting Hat no longer hesitated. It could basically sort the new students as soon as it touched their hair.
With such efficiency, it wasn't long before only the last two new students remained.
"Conner Prince!"
Hearing this familiar name, Kain and Cedric turned to look almost simultaneously.
"That's the little girl from the train, right?" Cedric asked curiously. "Where do you think she'll be sorted, Slytherin?"
"Probably," Kain scratched his back subconsciously and said, "Since she's wearing Muggle clothes, she's most likely a pureblood and should be sorted into Slytherin... huh?"
At that moment, Kain paused, unsure if it was just his imagination, but after Professor McGonagall called out Conner's name, Snape, who had been stoic and seemingly uninterested in the sorting, suddenly leaned forward, focusing entirely on the Sorting Hat for the first time.
"They can't possibly know each other!" Kain thought to himself.
Although Snape, due to his special status, hardly ever engaged in social activities, he was still one of the four heads of houses at Hogwarts and a renowned Potions Master. It was impossible for him not to have any acquaintances in the wizarding world.
Perhaps Conner's family was among them.
Thinking this, Kain felt a chill down his spine, suddenly having a bad premonition.
If that were the case, with Snape's temperament, if he knew Kain had wronged Conner, then Kain was likely to enjoy the protagonist's fate ahead of schedule.
"It can't be this coincidental..." Kain felt his scalp tingle.
How ironic.
He had just mocked the Weasley twins for getting their comeuppance, and now it seemed his turn had come so quickly.
Kain anxiously looked towards the stage.
For some reason, when it was Conner's turn, the Sorting Hat's efficiency seemed to revert to how it was at the beginning.
Everyone waited for over a minute before the Sorting Hat finally spoke:
"Hufflepuff!"
Huh??
A burst of cheers erupted from the Hufflepuff table, and the prefects stood up again to welcome Conner's addition.
Only Kain, watching Conner walk past him, was full of questions.
What's going on? Aside from Scamander, there's another pureblood family in Hufflepuff? That's quite rare.
It's not that there aren't any purebloods in the other houses; it's just that they are fewer in Hufflepuff.
As for the idea that Conner followed him here... that was impossible.
Sorting isn't a game; in the grand scheme of things, it could even affect a wizard's future path.
So even if Conner was young and naïve, the Sorting Hat wouldn't allow her to be reckless. Otherwise, Conner's family would not let it rest easily.
Kain remembered Chris once told him that when Sirius Black was sorted into Gryffindor, Mrs. Black had made a scene at Hogwarts.
If not for Dumbledore's strong intervention, the Sorting Hat would have been burned with a fierce fire.
The incident caused quite a stir at the time. Although Dumbledore managed to suppress it at Hogwarts, the Ministry of Magic held several meetings to discuss whether to abandon the Sorting Hat and adopt other methods of sorting.
And the support for this proposal was not low, as most pureblood families did not want their children in any house other than Slytherin, especially the more conservative, traditionalist factions.
Having a Gryffindor in the family was considered a disgrace to them.
Of course, the proposal was ultimately not passed.
After all, Dumbledore twenty years ago was not as amenable as he is now. After he expressed his opposition, those pureblood families didn't dare disrespect him.
The matter was thus settled.
But since then, those who supported the proposal have never been sorted into other houses again.
Kain glanced at the teachers' table on the stage.
Confirming whether the sorting was normal this time was simple—just look at Snape's reaction. If Conner's family really had a good relationship with Snape, and she was sorted into Hufflepuff, Snape definitely wouldn't continue sitting calmly...
Well...
Okay, Kain was wrong.
At the teachers' table, Snape's face was so dark it seemed water might drip from it. He was constantly talking to Dumbledore and occasionally glancing at Hufflepuff.
Kain quickly lowered his head, trying to minimize his presence.
Could it be this coincidental? Is the Sorting Hat really that brave? Kain felt uneasy.
Meanwhile, the last new student had just finished being sorted and went to the Gryffindor table.
Dumbledore then stood up, his face beaming with a smile, and stretched his arms out: "Welcome, welcome to Hogwarts, another new school year. There's nothing more delightful than seeing all of you here.
What are we waiting for? Let's eat!"
Immediately, the previously empty tables were piled high with steaming food.
Beef, roast chicken, pork chops, sausages, and steaks piled up like small hills, appetizing to look at.
If you found these too greasy, there were also deliciously fragrant boiled potatoes, pea shoots, and fried chips on the side, making for a great combination.
The entire hall was filled with the aroma of food.
Kain shook his head, trying not to think about the messy situations.
After all, things were as they were, and overthinking it was pointless; he would take it one step at a time.
Regardless, he wouldn't be the first to face misfortune—there was still a Sorting Hat ahead of him.
Besides, even if Snape really wanted to trouble him, it wouldn't last long. As long as he could hold out until Harry Potter enrolled next year, Snape would have other concerns.
Kain composed himself and reached for a fried chicken leg in front of him.
The journey on the train had been bumpy, and he had hardly any appetite, having only snacked a little. He was really hungry now.
The house-elves' cooking was exceptionally good.
The fried chicken leg was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. One bite released juices that filled his mouth with flavor.
The roasted potatoes were also excellent, cooked just right without any unnecessary seasoning, preserving the natural flavor of the potatoes. If one found the taste too bland, there was ketchup and black pepper on the side.
Kain found this combination surprisingly good, so he took another one.
But as he cut the potato, ready to grab some black pepper, Cedric suddenly came over and whispered, "Have you noticed she's been staring at you?"
"Staring at me? Who?" Kain responded without looking up.
"That new student we met on the train, Conner Prince," Cedric raised an eyebrow, his eyes full of teasing as he pointed in the opposite direction, "Don't believe me? Look, she's starting to watch you again."
(End of Chapter)
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