"Welcome to Hogwarts,"
said Professor McGonagall.
"The start-of-term feast will be starting soon, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you must first be sorted into your respective Houses.
The Sorting is a very important ceremony, because while you are here, your House will be like your home at Hogwarts..."
Professor McGonagall explained the four Houses and the House Cup, and as she was leaving, she reminded the Little Wizards:
"In a few minutes, the Sorting Ceremony will take place in front of the whole school.
I advise you to smarten yourselves up a bit while you wait."
Her gaze lingered on Xien for a moment, and her strictness vanished for a brief instant.
It suits him well... "The Sorting Ceremony, oh my God, I heard we have to wrestle a Dragon!"
A black-haired Young Wizard shared this with his companion, trembling slightly.
"Ah?! We have to wrestle a Dragon?!"
The blonde Young Witch next to him looked like she was about to cry.
"No way! All I've learned is Lumos."
These words quickly caused a commotion among the Little Wizards.
"A Dragon?! An adult one or a baby one?!"
"Anthony, why are you being so meticulous right now! If you ask me, even a baby Dragon could incinerate us in one breath!"
"We're doomed!"
The Little Wizards naturally accepted such rumors; it seemed their families had laid quite a foundation for this.
Amidst the sighs and groans,
Xien was still seriously reading magic Theory.
This was the only book he carried with him.
Although magic defied logic and did not obey rules like the conservation of mass,
it had existed for too long; even if Wizards were fools, they should have summarized some patterns.
Among the books costing 2 Galleons, this was the one that impressed Xien the most.
Those branches of magic, whether Spell, Transfiguration, or Potion,
could all find some explanation within this book.
Xien believed this was perhaps the most underrated book on the first-year reading list.
He was currently reading it for the third time, and each time, he gained new insights.
[magic Power,
is inherent to the Wizard himself.
The strength of magic Power depends on the Wizard's emotions or Mental Energy,
but most Wizards cannot control their magical power autonomously, so they require the guidance of Spells and wands,
allowing the magic Power to be consciously manipulated to achieve a goal.]
Xien could understand this point.
Harry was a good example.
Before he learned magic, he could move himself from the ground onto a chimney, and even make glass disappear,
but firstly, this could only be done when he was emotionally agitated, and secondly, he didn't know how to manipulate the magic Power.
But with a wand and mastery of Spell,
Wizards could control their magic Power to a great extent.
After two months of research, Xien somewhat agreed with a view from his previous life:
that the Wizards in Harry Potter are actually Bloodline Wizards, whose power originates from a Bloodline capable of casting magic.
Xien continued reading:
[One truth about learning magic is mastering as many Spells as possible, including many ancient Spells; the more Spells you know, the more things you can accomplish;
Another truth is that after mastering a Spell, you must continuously practice until proficiency is achieved, as there is a huge difference between casting skillfully and casting clumsily;
However, when you master a Spell, to truly unleash its maximum power, you also need sufficient Mental Energy.]
What a concise description.
No wonder the author, Adebei Wolf Lin, dared to call his book magic Theory.
Just by the title, you know this book holds a status similar to Theoretical Mathematics or Basic Physics from his previous life.
He knew that those books had deprived Xien of much joy, just like the Dementor of the magic world.
Read it once, and happiness says goodbye.
"I kind of believe you now."
Hermione's face was pale. The topics the Little Wizards were discussing were terrifying,
and their back-and-forth discussion made it seem extremely real,
making Hermione, who was new to the magic world, feel uneasy.
Looking at Xien beside her, he seemed oblivious, still reading his book seriously.
"Why don't we ask Xien? He doesn't seem scared at all."
The trembling Justin remembered the equestrian test they once had at Eton College.
Perhaps Wizards were required to defeat Dragons?
Was this a glorious tradition?
Wizards,
are terrifying.
"Xien, I'm sorry to interrupt you, but..."
Before Justin could finish his plea, the Great Hall doors burst open.
The Sorting Ceremony had begun.
Xien withdrew from magic Theory,
and while the Iron Hat King was still on its throne, Xien began considering his target House.
After all, the Sorting Hat seemed willing to listen to the Young Wizard's wishes.
Gryffindor?
No, that won't do.
His primary goal was to secure a scholarship.
If he were to achieve straight Os, the relevant figures would probably be Hermione and Percy.
However, in the original work, both of them faced internal resistance from Gryffindor.
In her first year, Hermione was ostracized just for performing well in class and pointing out where other students went wrong, leading her to cry in the bathroom.
Most Gryffindors harbor the mindset that "no matter my skill level, I cannot remain beneath others for long."
They are brave adventurers, but they often hurt others.
Just like during the Chamber of Secrets incident, they were incited by rumors to isolate and ostracize Harry.
And then there's Slytherin.
Xien didn't have the patience for scheming; he could use that time to grind the Levitation Charm until it reached the level of a Nonverbal Spell.
The remaining Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff seemed fine.
But Xien leaned more toward Hufflepuff.
Walk two steps out of the dormitory door and get free food?
Super cool.
Hufflepuff is harmonious, never punching hard internally, but united against outsiders.
Even J.K. Rowling said she wished all children were Hufflepuffs.
Think about it: a warm fireplace, a kitchen right outside your door, and a Dean who, even if you go out and make mistakes or fight, will scold you fiercely but still secretly send you a box of coconut ice cream.
Xien wanted to shout:
We are from the forest, we bear great love, we are loyal to nature, we are upright and faithful, we are resilient and honest, we fear no hardship,
—We are Hufflepuff!
"Harry Potter!"
In the center of the Great Hall,
as Professor McGonagall spoke these words, the noisy atmosphere quieted considerably.
Xien heard the surrounding Little Wizards muttering things like, "It's him," "It really is him," and "Harry Potter."
Harry ran up and put on the wrinkled Sorting Hat; the entire hall fell silent, waiting for the result.
This wait lasted four or five minutes.
The Sorting Hat Song in Xien's mind had already reached its second verse.
"Gryffindor!"
Finally, the result was announced.
The Gryffindors went wild with joy.
"Potter!"
"We've got Potter!"
Xien could hear the noise even from a distance.
Soon—
"Xien Green!"