Chapter 125: Chapter 125: The Sorting
[Lupin: Wizards aren't allowed to use magic in front of Muggles. Plus, for many Muggle jobs, like accounting or car repair, I don't even know where to start.]
[Lupin: Also, I have to take a few days off every month, which always makes my boss unhappy. As soon as they find a replacement, I get fired.]
[Lupin: But in any case, things are improving now, so the past doesn't really matter anymore.]
[Wade: Since you live in Hogsmeade, doesn't that mean Harry can go straight to school after term starts?]
[Lupin: That's true. But Ron invited Harry to the Weasleys' house for a few days, so he'll still be taking the train to school.]
[Lupin: Taking the Hogwarts Express across Britain is a valuable experience for students as well.]
After reading Lupin's reply, Wade couldn't help but wonder: Will Harry still be blocked by the barrier this time and end up flying to school in a car?
…
September 1st arrived quickly.
Wade reached King's Cross Station half an hour early. He didn't need his parents to send him off anymore; he simply hauled his suitcase onto the train by himself.
After all, by the time Christmas break came around, the Greys had gotten used to these farewells. It wasn't as emotional as the first time he left.
Wade found a compartment and, before long, Michael, Theo, and Ryan also arrived.
As they chatted, Wade kept an eye on the window.
From their compartment, he had a clear view of students running through the barrier.
Around eleven o'clock, the Weasley family finally appeared, one by one.
Percy, Mr. Weasley, the twins, Ginny, and Mrs. Weasley…
Then, all of a sudden, their smooth arrival hit a snag.
"Choo-choo—"
The train let out a long whistle, puffing white steam as it began to slowly move.
Just a few seconds later, Lupin appeared, holding Harry by the shoulder and with Ron beside him, as they hurried through the barrier.
"Get on the train, quickly!" Lupin shouted loudly. "I'll send your luggage to the school!"
Harry and Ron didn't have time to say much. They dashed forward, sprinting to catch up with the gradually accelerating train.
The whole train, filled with students saying goodbye to their parents, was stunned as they watched Harry and Ron chase after the train.
The Weasley twins were standing at the door of one of the carriages. Reaching out, they grabbed both boys and yanked them aboard, and the four of them tumbled into the compartment together.
Ryan let out a sigh of relief and couldn't help but comment, "They should've left earlier. That was way too close."
Michael, leaning over Wade's shoulder to get a better look, responded, "They wouldn't have fallen off. The platform's full of wizards. Do you think they'd let that happen?"
On the platform, Lupin also breathed a long sigh of relief. Spotting Wade, he smiled and waved.
It seemed that even though Harry had left with the Weasley family, Lupin still made it to the station, sending Harry off like any other parent.
By doing so, he accidentally avoided the trap set by the house-elf Dobby.
In the original timeline, Dobby, the Malfoys' house-elf, would have sealed the barrier, trying to prevent Harry from getting to Hogwarts, in hopes of getting him expelled.
Unfortunately, the well-meaning but naive elf didn't realize that Harry, being the savior of the British wizarding world, wouldn't be expelled for missing the train. Even if he skipped a whole semester, Hogwarts would never expel him.
Dobby's actions only succeeded in causing unnecessary punishment and alienation for the very person he wanted to protect.
…
The train rattled on its journey, and, as usual, it arrived at Hogwarts after dark. Then came the Sorting Ceremony.
Wade spotted a few familiar names—
Colin Creevey was one of them. He was so excited when he was sorted into Gryffindor that he took a long detour just to shake Harry's hand.
The boy, brimming with enthusiasm but also a bit shy, said, "Harry Potter, I…I really admire you. Maybe later we could take a picture together? I have a camera."
"Uh…" Harry glanced at his friends for help, but they were all watching him with amused expressions. Resigned, he replied, "Alright…"
Last year, Wade had also dragged everyone to take a few group photos. Some of them were now displayed on Harry's desk.
Before, Dudley had tons of photos, while Harry had none.
Now, Harry had plenty of pictures... although the look in Colin's eyes made him feel a bit awkward.
The last person who had made him feel this uncomfortable was Gilderoy Lockhart.
Harry glanced up at the teachers' table.
Gilderoy Lockhart, who was wearing a shimmering aquamarine robe, turned his head abruptly, as if he had eyes on the back of it. Harry quickly averted his gaze.
"Great!"
Colin nearly jumped up and exclaimed with excitement, "I've read so many books that mention you. I know everything about you…"
Harry, seeing Colin's mouth opening and closing non-stop, hurriedly pushed him into the nearby seat.
"Stop talking, the Sorting Ceremony is still happening! Professor McGonagall is looking this way," Harry said.
Colin turned to look and met the stern gaze of Professor McGonagall, Gryffindor's head of house. He immediately shrunk back and finally fell silent.
"Luna Lovegood!" Professor McGonagall called.
"Ravenclaw!"
A girl with a wand tucked behind her ear and a slightly dreamy expression walked over to the Ravenclaw table. The applause grew quieter and soon died down. Everyone stared at the blonde girl, thinking she looked a bit odd.
She had a kind of quirky, eccentric vibe, somewhat reminiscent of Dumbledore.
But the girl seemed unaware of the attention and spoke in a floaty tone, "Nice to meet you all… Have you seen The Quibbler?"
The Ravenclaw prefect shaking her hand looked a bit awkward. "The Quibbler?"
"Yes, it's the magazine my dad publishes," Luna explained.
"Oh... I'll have to check it out sometime," the prefect said, trying to be polite. "What's it about?"
"Well… mostly about Crumple-Horned Snorkacks and such."
"Crumple-Horned Snorkacks? I don't recall reading about that magical creature in any books."
"They live in Sweden," Luna replied. "When I grow up, I'll go to Sweden and find them."
"Oh..." The prefect's smile grew strained, trying to recall if she had missed that part in her studies.
"Don't bother," whispered another prefect. "That's a made-up creature."
"It's not made up," Luna, with her sharp hearing, said seriously. "My dad says they exist."
Both prefects found it hard to keep smiling after that.
Next up was Rolf Scamander.
He was sorted into Hufflepuff but didn't head directly to his house's table. Instead, he ran over to the Ravenclaw table.
"Wade, now we're finally in the same school! I'll come find you tomorrow to hang out—"
Before he could finish, the Hufflepuff prefect, looking grim, dragged him away.
"This year's new students are interesting, aren't they?" Michael said, laughing as he spoke to Wade.
"Yeah, they sure are," Wade agreed as they watched the last student being sorted.
Ginny Weasley.
She looked quite well.
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