[Chapter Size: 1800 Words.]
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After Hermione, Professor McGonagall called several more names in succession. Neville was still placed into Gryffindor, and after him came Draco.
Draco swept his robes aside and stepped forward with confidence.
The Sorting Hat had barely touched his head when it shouted: "Slytherin!"
Draco shot Amanda and Harry a satisfied look before striding over to the Slytherin table.
It was clear many there already knew him, several greeted him warmly. A burly boy clapped the thin student beside him on the shoulder, urging him to move so Draco could sit.
Soon after came Nott, Moon, and Parkinson.
"Harry Potter!"
At the sound of the name, a murmur rippled through the hall. Students whispered to each other, while some craned their necks for a better view.
"Harry Potter? See, I told you I wasn't mistaken."
"It really is Harry Potter, Harry Potter? The Boy Who Lived?"
Harry glanced nervously at Amanda. She patted his shoulder, trying to calm him.
"Don't worry. We'll enjoy the feast together afterward."
The words seemed to steady him. Clenching his fists, Harry walked forward and lowered himself onto the stool. The Sorting took longer than anyone had seen so far.
Amanda watched him squeeze his eyes shut, gripping the edges of the stool tightly. Finally, after what felt like ages, the Sorting Hat cried:
"Slytherin!"
Harry looked almost relieved, but the Great Hall erupted with shock.
"Slytherin? Harry Potter's in Slytherin?"
"Slytherins are all bad people!"
"Merlin's beard, the prophecy was true, Harry Potter will be a dark wizard even stronger than You-Know-Who…"
Whispers and mutters buzzed through the crowd. The Gryffindor twins whistled loudly, adding to the commotion.
Harry clearly heard the gossip too. His face turned pale as he glared at those nearby, then trudged heavily toward Slytherin's table.
Thankfully, the Slytherins erupted into cheers, the loudest yet, helping ease his tension. Several older students stood to shake his hand and timidly introduce themselves.
"Harry! Over here!"
Draco called. Two seats beside him were conspicuously empty, clearly saved in advance.
Harry sat down gratefully, comforted by the thought of sitting next to someone familiar. He gave Amanda a small smile, and she returned it with a reassuring nod.
Now, only four students remained. Amanda looked at the others: one was the freckled red-haired boy she had noticed earlier. She was almost certain he was Ron Weasley.
Soon, Lisa Dupin was sorted into Ravenclaw. Ron, sent to Gryffindor, and another boy was placed in Slytherin.
Amanda held her breath—she was the only one left.
Could it be had she somehow been forgotten?
Though she tried to stay calm, a flutter of unease passed through her mind.
"Amanda Merlin!"
Relief washed over her, though it lasted only a heartbeat.
"Merlin?!"
"Wait, the Merlin? Like the Chocolate Frog card?"
The hall exploded with noise, louder than it had been all night. Dozens of students leapt to their feet, jostling for a glimpse. Some even tried to push past taller classmates to see her more clearly.
"Merlin? Incredible! Even more shocking than Harry Potter in Slytherin!"
"My gran told me the Merlin family vanished centuries ago, wiped out during the witch hunts…"
"Nonsense, it must just be a common surname!"
"No! Look at her wrist, that's Merlin's Sage Ring! Am I seeing that right?"
Gasps spread through the crowd. Every pair of eyes seemed fixed on her with awe or disbelief.
After all, everyone, wizard or Muggle, knew the name Merlin. The legendary wizard was immortalized in both magical and non-magical history. Unlike most figures of wizarding lore, Merlin was admired by Muggles as well.
The Weasley twins jumped to their feet at the Gryffindor table, shouting across the hall:
"Miss Merlin! Fancy joining Gryffindor? Our brother Ron here would gladly wash your socks every day!"
One twin grinned broadly as Ron went scarlet, slamming a fist on the table in protest.
"Oh, such a lovely young lady, please forgive our joke," the other added with a mischievous smile.
Dumbledore rose from his golden chair at the staff table and touched his throat with his wand.
"Silence! Silence!"
His voice, magically amplified, boomed across the hall. Slowly, the crowd fell quiet, waiting with breathless anticipation to see which House this supposed descendant of Merlin would join.
Amanda's nerves had vanished. She walked calmly forward and placed the Sorting Hat on her head.
At once, its wide brim blocked her sight, plunging her into darkness. A voice spoke in her mind.
"Miss Merlin! What a rare guest indeed. Let's see where you belong."
It seemed to rifle through her thoughts page by page.
"Good heavens, you've got quite the mind! Compared to these empty-headed first-years, yours is a trove of knowledge. You are ambitious, stubborn, clever, and brave… let's see what you dwell on most."
The Hat paused, almost in surprise.
"My, my… such daring thoughts! I haven't seen ambition and refinement like this since Salazar Slytherin himself. You have qualities of both Ravenclaw and Slytherin. What do you think?"
Silently, Amanda whispered: Slytherin.
"No doubt… yes, I agree. Your ambition could bring Slytherin to glory!"
"Slytherin!" the Sorting Hat cried.
Many people gasped in disbelief.
Except for the Slytherin table, the other three Houses wore astonished expressions, exchanging uneasy glances.
For a moment, no one spoke. It was as though time itself had frozen, all eyes were fixed on Amanda, still trying to comprehend the Sorting Hat's shout.
Then, as Slytherin erupted into wild cheers and applause, the rest of the Hall seemed to thaw, turning back to Amanda with wide eyes and hurried whispers.
"My goodness, both Merlin and Potter in Slytherin…"
"This must be the darkest year Hogwarts has ever seen, Merlin's underpants!"
"Do you think one of them might become the next Dark Lord?"
「...」
But Amanda had expected such a reaction. She set the Sorting Hat aside. Only Professor McGonagall, standing nearby, offered her a small smile.
"Have a good term, child."
Amanda replied politely, "You too, Professor."
As she walked to the Slytherin table, every student rose to greet her. Half the table came forward to shake her hand in turn.
"Blaise Zabini, first year, same as you," said a dark-skinned boy, extending his hand. Amanda recognized him as the student sorted into Slytherin just before her.
"Hello. Malcolm Baddock."
"I'm Graham Pritchard, and this is Derrick Pusey. Glad you're in Slytherin with us."
Amanda shook each hand politely.
When she passed Pansy, however, the girl sat stiffly, face pale, deliberately turning away. She was the lone outlier among the Slytherins.
Several students offered Amanda their seats, but she declined with a courteous smile, making her way toward where Draco and Harry were sitting.
"Hey, Amanda! Sit here!"
Harry leaned out and patted the empty seat beside him eagerly.
Once again, murmurs rippled through the other three tables. Everyone was watching Harry and Amanda's every move, and Harry's open friendliness only heightened their unease.
"Potter and Merlin already know each other…"
"I can't believe I'll be in the same year as two of the most powerful dark wizards of the future…"
"This is terrible… honestly, I just hope we can survive our years at Hogwarts…"
One girl whispered despairingly to her neighbor.
"Quiet, please."
Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster, rose again. He wore eccentric robes patterned with stars and moons, and his half-moon spectacles glinted in the candlelight.
Normally, he would announce the feast with a warm smile, but now his expression was unusually serious.
"I believe we must never judge a witch or wizard by their House, any more than we should judge them by their bloodline."
The words struck home. A hush fell over the four House tables, many students shifting uneasily under the truth of it.
Dumbledore's piercing gaze swept the hall, and for a fleeting moment lingered on Amanda.
The weight of that look made her shiver. Behind those lenses, his deep eyes seemed to pierce straight into her heart, as if her private thoughts had been dragged into the light for all to see.
No one else appeared to notice, but Amanda did.
Then Dumbledore lifted his arms. His voice brightened again, the familiar twinkle returning to his face.
"Enough talk! This is a joyous occasion. Welcome, one and all, to a brand-new year at Hogwarts! Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!"
The tension broke instantly. Applause and laughter swept the hall, and in the blink of an eye, the long tables groaned under the sudden appearance of a magnificent feast.
Roast lamb chops, baked potatoes, golden roast chicken, Yorkshire puddings, all manner of dishes, named and unnamed, filled gleaming platters. The warm candlelight shimmered across them, turning everything golden and mouthwatering.
Amanda neatly sliced a piece of roast beef, while Harry grabbed a huge pork chop with one hand and stuffed it into his mouth, scooping fries with the other to dip in ketchup.
Draco frowned, carefully pinning back the cuff of his shirt with a delicate clasp to avoid stains.
"Didn't you eat enough on the train, Harry?"
It wasn't that he couldn't tolerate it, but Harry's table manners were truly appalling.
"Let him eat. He rarely had a full meal at the Dursleys'," Amanda said softly, watching Harry with pity.
"Mmmph."
Harry tried to reply, but a greasy chunk of pork chop blocked his mouth. Only a muffled grunt emerged.
"Honestly, Potter's manners are nonexistent. Tell me, do they even teach etiquette in your orphanage?" Draco remarked, though his eyes lingered on Amanda instead.
She ate with remarkable poise, holding knife and fork delicately, cutting each bite evenly. If he hadn't known she was an orphan, he might have mistaken her for the eldest daughter of an old pure-blood family.
"No, I learned from a book you lent me, Etiquette and Refinement for Pure-Blood Families. It's easy to follow, with both pictures and instructions."
Amanda placed her knife and fork neatly at the edge of her plate in a perfect figure-eight. Touching her left wrist, she whispered an incantation. From the Sage's Ring, the very book appeared.
"I've finished it, so I'll return it now."
"Really? I think Harry should borrow it next," Draco said, eyeing her with mild suspicion.
Amanda's elegance seemed almost too practiced. He had studied etiquette for a year before feeling half so comfortable with it.
Just then, a tall girl approached wearing a shiny silver badge with a bold P upon it. Raising a goblet of apple juice, she smiled warmly.
"I'm Gemma Farley, Slytherin prefect. Welcome to the House."
Amanda, the other new students, and Gemma exchanged greetings one by one. Gemma sipped her drink, leaned casually on the table, and smirked with pride.
"By the way, Slytherin has won the House Cup six years running. With you lot joining us, I think a seventh victory will be a breeze."
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