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Chapter 8
The Hat’s Embarrassment
The wide Great Hall,
all eyes turned toward him.
Xien saw the wizards at different long tables stretching their necks to look,
and at the staff table, beside the shining golden plates and goblets, Albus Dumbledore watched with mild interest.
Xien tried his best to act like he knew nothing, and under Minerva McGonagall’s gentle guidance, he placed the Sorting Hat on his head.
“I will teach many people, and treat them all equally.”
Xien silently recited the words of Helga Hufflepuff, hoping the hat would understand which house he wanted.
“An encouraging young wizard,”
Xien heard a faint voice say,
“Few remember the songs the old hat has sung. You want Hufflepuff? Of course… no.”
Xien: “……”
Better not to have answered.
“Why?”
Xien asked quietly in his mind.
“Let the old hat sing again—beautiful Ravenclaw, from the peaceful riverside…”
The Sorting Hat suddenly began to sing, twisting continuously on Xien’s head.
“Mr. Sorting Hat?”
Xien held his head and asked in confusion.
“Those who are wise and learned will go to clever Ravenclaw…”
The hat kept twisting and singing.
“I want to go to Hufflepuff.”
Xien seemed to realize something.
“Ravenclaw says: we teach those whose intelligence is above the rest…”
The hat kept singing without stopping.
“I want to go to Hufflepuff!”
Xien made one last attempt.
“Stubborn little wizard, why must you go to Hufflepuff?”
“Mr. Sorting Hat, why must I go to Ravenclaw?”
“Hmm… practicing spells thirteen hours a day until you can’t move;
not even knowing all the English words, yet memorizing all the books you bought within two months… aside from Rowena, it has been a long time since I’ve seen a wizard so eager for knowledge.
Slytherin could help you achieve ambition, Gryffindor would admire your courage, and Hufflepuff would accept your kindness.”
The Sorting Hat spoke with emotion,
“but only Ravenclaw can give a wise wizard the ability to reach the truth!”
“I want to go to Hufflepuff.”
Xien felt his momentum weakening.
“Alright.”
Unexpectedly, the Sorting Hat agreed. Xien’s green eyes brightened.
“Just kidding,”
the Sorting Hat’s voice suddenly became loud,
“RAVENCLAW!!!”
Feeling lost, Xien pinched the Sorting Hat.
“Ah, ow, ow, ow—!”
Hearing the hat’s reaction, Xien felt a little better.
But he didn’t hear the rest.
“…Hey, I tricked Ravenclaw…
just like before, Rowena, you always used to grab the old hat without thinking…
Twelve centuries… the old hat has finally fulfilled Gryffindor’s promise and found a successor for Ravenclaw.
Watch closely—within that thin body lies great power. The old hat is never wrong.”
Ravenclaw is fine.
Xien told himself,
at least it’s not Slytherin.
Before Xien could hand the Sorting Hat back to Professor McGonagall, he heard enthusiastic applause from the Ravenclaw table.
Even Gryffindor and Hufflepuff were clapping. When Xien looked, the most enthusiastic one was Justin, who had even stood up.
He led a group of Hufflepuffs in loud applause.
Seeing this,
Xien felt even worse.
What a great Hufflepuff!
What a terrible Sorting Hat!
In the center of the hall,
Professor McGonagall looked at Xien gently.
His old worn robe had been replaced with a simple Hogwarts robe;
his ill-fitting shoes were now proper British-style boots;
and in his cautious green eyes, a light of hope now shone.
She removed the hat for him:
“Are you ready, Mr. Green? Go and embrace your new life.”
Xien paused for a moment, then was gently guided toward the Ravenclaw table.
“Welcome!”
Xien saw a slightly chubby young wizard beside a seat waving at him.
“I can’t believe it—you’re actually a Hatstall!”
Behind his large copper-framed glasses, curious eyes looked at Xien. He quickly stretched out his hand—
but unfortunately, his glasses slipped down, so he had to fix them instead. In the end, he flusteredly apologized to Xien.
“Hatstall?”
Xien didn’t mind, his big eyes full of confusion.
“Oh! My goodness! You don’t know!”
The chubby boy opened his mouth wide.
“Terry, not everyone studies that old ragged hat.”
A voice came from behind him.
It was a boy with long black hair, who interrupted Terry with some helplessness.
“Don’t mind him. Terry likes to research strange things. When I just sat down, he was asking how many windows Hogwarts has.
Merlin, who would care about that?
Unless they all fall down—then they’d definitely crush Terry Boot while he’s counting them.”
“No—windows are important!”
The boy named Terry’s face turned red, clearly anxious.
“Alright.”
The long-haired boy replied as if calming him down, then introduced himself to Xien with interest:
“Hatstall.
It means a difficult sorting case—
referring to students whose sorting takes more than five minutes.
Very rare. It’s said one appears only once every fifty years.
By the way, I’m Michael Corner. Welcome to Ravenclaw.”
He extended his hand.
Xien became even more confused.
More than five minutes?
But he clearly remembered it being only a short time.
It was as if something had stolen time.
Xien thought so.
“Xien Green.”
The two lightly shook hands.
As the last student went to Slytherin, Albus Dumbledore stood up.
Smiling brightly, he looked at the students and spread his arms, as if nothing made him happier than seeing them all gathered together.
“Welcome!”
he said,
“Welcome to Hogwarts for a new school year!
Before the feast begins, I would like to say a few words.
And they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!”
As he spoke, Terry frantically took notes, while Michael wore a “I knew it” expression.
Xien didn’t pay attention—
because in front of him, the table was suddenly filled with food as if by magic.
Roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops, lamb chops, sausages, steak, boiled potatoes, roasted potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup, apple pie, syrup tart, chocolate trifle, jam doughnuts, rum pudding, strawberries, jelly, rice pudding…
Xien compared it with the menu he had written before.
It matched his memory perfectly.
Time to dip beans and start.
Xien told himself.
Then, he activated full clearing mode.
“How is he eating so fast… and still so elegant?”
A stunned Michael asked the boy to his left.
