After welcoming the return of the "Iron-Hat King," Karl calmed down significantly.
He listened to Professor McGonagall reading out familiar names, comparing the appearance of the Little wizards to the images in his memory.
Susan Bones, Hufflepuff, hailing from the loyal and heroic Bones family.
There were also Justin Finch-Fletchley and Ernie Macmillan, both standout characters among the Little wizards.
Karl nodded in satisfaction; the quality of this Hufflepuff intake was good, much better than his own year.
Who were Sharpe and Stebbins anyway? Could they carry the Hufflepuff reputation?
They couldn't! They didn't have the ability, you know!
Karl: "Good thing there's me!"
Sharpe, Stebbins: "Huh?"
Lavender Brown, Gryffindor—he remembered her, the ex-girlfriend who often passionately kissed Ron.
And the Gryffindor demolition expert, Seamus Finnigan; he wondered if this kid could trigger a light screen and match a Ziggs when his magic exploded.
When he heard the name Hermione Granger, Karl immediately widened his eyes and looked over; she wasn't exactly a beauty, but she looked like a quite adorable little girl.
She had thick, bushy brown hair and a pair of large front teeth, making her look like a little squirrel.
Neville Longbottom, the future Gryffindor swordmaster, though in Karl's eyes, this guy's talent in Herbology made him seem more like a Hufflepuff.
Of course, the Courage deep within his heart was absolutely worthy of a Gryffindor.
Draco Malfoy, Slytherin, a little sapling that had grown a bit crooked under the influence of his dog-father.
He was a decent kid, just a bit bad—not that bad, really, but not great either—he needed both psychological and physical correction.
The psychological aspect would definitely be left to Harry, whom Malfoy adored, and as for the physical side... if he had the time, Karl really wanted to test how this kid felt to the touch.
After all, he was clumsy with words and not articulate; he only had strong hands-on skills. (Grindelwald: "Huh?")
Besides, this Malfoy kid looked so fair and tender; if he punched him once, he'd probably cry for a long time, right?
The Patil twin sisters, two pretty little witches, went to Gryffindor and Ravenclaw respectively.
Karl looked once, twice, many times, only to find that they were actually just average? Why did a sudden chill run down his back?
He looked around suspiciously, feeling as if someone wanted to ambush him from behind.
In the distance, at the Ravenclaw table, Nina turned her gaze away with a half-smile.
Professor McGonagall: "Harry Potter."
The Great Hall fell silent for a few seconds because of this name, followed by a low murmur.
Karl looked at this boy with a tragic Destiny; he was small and thin, a bit shorter than his peers.
He had a mop of messy black, curly hair that made his face look even thinner. Because of the distance, Karl couldn't see those emerald green eyes clearly, only the round glasses.
After a rough glance at Harry, Karl immediately turned his head to look at Snape, who was sitting at the teachers' table.
Good heavens! What a spectacular expression!
Dark clouds gathered, lightning flashed and thunder rolled; this gloomy feeling wasn't about to hail, but rather to rain daggers.
Especially after hearing that Harry Potter had been sorted into Gryffindor, he even suspected that Sectumsempra was about to rain down.
Among the remaining Little wizards, the only ones Karl had an impression of were Ron Weasley and Blaise Zabini.
The former was naturally because he, Harry, and Hermione were the main trio, and since Karl had a good relationship with Charlie, Fred, and George, they had mentioned this younger brother more than once.
As for the latter, it wasn't because of his beautiful mother who had been a widow seven times, but because in the version Karl first read, his name was translated as Blaise Sharpe-ni.
Pfft! It was hard not to remember that!
After the Sorting Ceremony ended, Dumbledore stood up and looked at all the Little wizards with a beaming smile.
"Welcome to Hogwarts! Before the feast begins, I would like to say: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!"
Amidst everyone's cheers, he sat down. "Thank you all! Let the feast begin!"
Since Karl had already had a meal in the kitchen earlier that afternoon,
he ate leisurely this time, even finding time to describe the taste of the food to The Fat Friar.
Karl's gaze swept lightly over Quirinus Quirrell at the teachers' table, especially the ridiculous turban wrapped around his head.
The day after Hagrid retrieved the Philosopher's Stone to Hogwarts, Karl saw the report about the break-in at Gringotts.
Quirrell, having failed to steal the Philosopher's Stone, was now possessed by Lord Voldemort, becoming a two-faced man.
Since the fish had taken the bait, shouldn't he start reeling it in?
He wasn't sure; he would ask Dumbledore.
After all, the old man was the one fishing; Karl considered himself just the one holding the landing net to help scoop the fish.
After a meal that felt like revenge, the Little wizards were almost regurgitating their food.
Dumbledore stood up again and spoke to the Little wizards about the precautions: "...Finally, I must tell you all, if you do not wish to meet with an accident and die a painful death, do not enter the corridor on the right-hand side of the fourth floor."
Immediately after, the opening feast finally arrived at its signature program—Dumbledore's favorite and most moving segment, the singing of the school song.
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