The Sorting Hat's voice wasn't loud, but in the silence of the Great Hall, it echoed with perfect clarity.
All eyes were now fixed on Marius Cloud—the first-year student who had already stirred so much buzz on his very first day. Which House would he choose? Which House would be lucky enough to claim him?
Everyone was watching closely, for no matter where he ended up, Marius would undoubtedly become a rising star of that House.
"So… which House should it be?"
Marius understood the Sorting Hat wasn't just musing to itself—it was asking him for an answer.
He hadn't expected things to go this way. At first, he'd just been curious which House he'd land in… but now? The choice was practically his to make.
He took the possibility of joining Gryffindor quite seriously. After all, that would align his journey with the history he already knew. It would allow him to take early advantage of key plot events.
But would simply walking the same path as history really be enough?
No. Marius Cloud knew himself too well. He would never be satisfied with just following the timeline.
His eyes drifted to the staff table, where Professor Flitwick's tiny figure leaned forward, all but standing on his tiptoes in anticipation. The man looked like he was silently begging the Hat to place Marius in Ravenclaw. And truth be told, Marius felt a twinge of guilt—even a sense of loyalty. Flitwick clearly held high hopes for him. If he chose Ravenclaw, he'd no doubt be well looked after.
As for Hufflepuff… Marius didn't even consider it. The House of "hard work, patience, and loyalty" was, to him, a soft way of saying "boring, average, and easy to push around." Most of its graduates faded into obscurity. Definitely not the place for someone with grand ambitions.
Which left one final option—Slytherin.
Despite its reputation, Marius saw it differently.
He had a mature mind, far more developed than his peers, and he saw Hogwarts—and the wizarding world—for what it truly was. The four-House system inevitably led to cliques and factions after graduation, shaping the adult wizarding world into a tangled web of rivalries and alliances. People helped those from their own House first—always.
So then why did so many seem united in their disdain for Slytherin?
There were only two possibilities.
First, Slytherin was truly weak, making it the easy target for the other Houses. But that was absurd. A House filled with children of old wizarding families and pureblood aristocracy could never be the weakest.
Which left only the second possibility:
Slytherin was strong. So strong that the other Houses had to ally against it to maintain the balance of power.
That alone was reason enough to join.
And let's not forget—some of the most talented witches and wizards in history had come from Slytherin. The most legendary example? None other than Merlin himself, as described on the Chocolate Frog cards.
By now, Marius had made up his mind.
"I think…" he said softly, "I know where I belong."
Every student in the Hall leaned in, holding their breath. Even the professors sat upright, anticipating his answer.
But Marius didn't speak right away.
Instead, he turned to glance—very deliberately—at Professor Snape.
Snape immediately got a bad feeling.
And then Marius declared, loudly and clearly:
"Slytherin! I want to go to Slytherin!"
"Very well!" the Sorting Hat bellowed in reply.
"SLYTHERIN!"
"Wooooooo!!!"
A roar of cheers erupted from the Slytherin table. A student as famous and impressive as Marius being sorted into their House? That was a massive win. It proved once again the caliber of Slytherin's reputation.
Some students wore smug, unsurprised expressions—they clearly knew who the Cloud family was.
The Slytherin students were thrilled.
Their Head of House, however, was not.
Snape's face looked like he'd just been force-fed a gallon of spoiled potion. This brat… had actually called it! Snape had fully expected to deal with him as an outsider—but now the boy was his responsibility.
"Sorry, Professor Flitwick," Marius said, giving the little man a regretful nod as he stepped down.
Flitwick offered a small smile. "I understand, child. The connections you'll build in Slytherin will be invaluable—especially for a pureblood of noble lineage."
Of course, Flitwick would understand. He was perceptive enough to realize the political value of Slytherin's tightly knit alumni network—a web woven through every corner of Britain's magical elite.
But there was one more reason Marius had chosen Slytherin…
He looked back at Snape, now almost enjoying the sight of his ashen face.
Something told Marius that annoying Professor Snape might become one of his favorite pastimes at Hogwarts.
In fact, he could already reword what he'd said to the Sorting Hat, just for Snape:
"I just love how you clearly can't stand me but still have to work with me to build a brighter, shinier, capitalist new Slytherin."
Leaving the scowling Snape behind, Marius strolled over to the Slytherin table. A second-year student immediately scooted over to make room.
"Hey there. I'm Brunel Leif," said the boy politely.
Marius noticed the surprised glances around them. Clearly, it wasn't every day Brunel made space for someone new. He smiled. "Nice to meet you. I'm Marius Cloud."
Across the room…
"See?! I told you! Only sneaky, slimy people go into Slytherin!" Ron muttered harshly into Harry's ear.
Harry frowned slightly. Something about Ron's random hostility toward Marius just didn't sit right with him.
To be honest, Marius—with all his poise and presence—had left Harry with a far better impression.
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