Everyday Life of a Top Student at Hogwarts

Chapter 145 Freshmen and Old Friends Under the Sorting Hat

Chapter 145 Freshmen and Old Friends Under the Sorting Hat

The Hogwarts Express, puffing out its last wisps of steam, came to a smooth stop at Hogsmeade Station.

"We're here! Hurry up, guys, I don't want to miss the start of the dinner!" Wesley was the first to jump off the train, stretching his limbs, which had gone numb from sitting. Fabian followed closely behind, adjusting his glasses and carefully avoiding the slightly crowded platform.

Ernesto, on the other hand, appeared much more composed. He tidied his curly hair and even cast a cleansing spell on himself.

"Freshmen! First-year students! This way!" Hagrid's signature booming voice, like a bass horn, instantly drowned out the noise on the platform. His huge figure stood out in the crowd as he waved his lantern, beckoning to the new faces, which were filled with nervousness and excitement, and guiding them toward the small boats by the lake.

"Let's go, we don't need to take the boat this year." Karen picked up her suitcase and gestured towards the direction where the Thestrals were parked. Karen's gaze briefly lingered among the group of new students around Hagrid, easily catching sight of Harry walking towards Hagrid. Karen didn't stop, and boarded one of the carriages with the others.

Inside the carriage, Wesley was still excitedly recounting his exciting football moments from the holidays, while Fabian flipped through a newly bought herbal medicine guide. Ernesto gazed calmly at the familiar scenery rushing past the window. Karen leaned back in his seat, his fingers unconsciously tracing the black feather brooch pinned to the lining, the cool, hard touch bringing a sense of security. He knew that the peaceful summer vacation was over, and the undercurrents lurking within the castle were about to surge.

When the carriage arrived at the castle, the doors of the hall were knocked open, and warm light, the aroma of food, and the bustling voices of the crowd poured out like a tide.

"I'm finally back!" Wesley took a deep breath, his face beaming with pure joy.

The four of them walked confidently toward the Ravenclaw table. Many students were already seated there, and the familiar blue and bronze decorations made them feel instantly at ease.

"Hey! Karen! Wesley! How was your holiday?" Penelope, wearing her prefect badge this year, smiled and waved at them. Several upperclassmen sitting next to her nodded back.

"Not bad, Penelope!" Wesley responded loudly, pulling Fabian to sit down at the long table. Karen and Ernesto also found seats number 7. Karen's gaze habitually swept towards the teachers' section.

Headmaster Dumbledore was speaking quietly with Professor McGonagall beside him. A moment later, Professor McGonagall left the classroom and headed out of the castle. Professor Sprout wore a kind smile on his plump face. Professor Flitwick, sitting in his high chair, saw Cullen looking over and immediately flashed a bright smile, nodding vigorously at him. Professor Snape, as always, had a somber face, his greasy black hair hanging down his cheeks, his hawk-like gaze sweeping among the students entering the Great Hall, occasionally glancing towards the door, as if waiting for something.

Then, Karen's gaze fell on the new face next to Professor Flitwick: Professor Quirrell. He had a thick bandage wrapped around his head...

The purple scarf emitted a suspicious odor; his face was pale, his eyes darted around, and his body seemed to be trembling slightly involuntarily. Karen silently focused her attention, beginning to observe this somewhat unusual fellow; his condition was likely more serious than Harry's.

The view shifted instantly, and Quirrell's own magic took on a sickly, weak grayish-white hue, flickering like a candle in the wind.

This is not surprising, as the manifestation of magic is also related to one's own life force, and Voldemort and Quirrell's state is equivalent to Quirrell carrying a very serious curse.

What intrigued Karen even more was another stream of magic that clung to him, seeping deep into his very bones. This magic was an extremely unsettling, viscous, dark red, filled with violence, greed, and an inhuman, chilling will. It was like a highly venomous parasitic vine, tightly binding, constricting, and even devouring the host's original magic. Quirrell's own soul seemed to be forcibly suppressed and twisted, forming a distorted and fragile parasitic relationship with Voldemort's powerful, fragmented soul fragments. The two were clearly defined, yet their forced binding created a bizarre state of "entanglement."

This presented an interesting contrast to what Cullen saw on Harry's forehead—Harry's scar magic was more like a deeply embedded, dormant foreign mark, distinct from, yet intertwined with, the host's own magic. Most importantly, their relationship resembled a symbiotic one, rather than Quirrell's active parasitism. Cullen observed these two distinctly different modes of attachment with great interest.

Just as Karen was intently observing, Professor Quirrell seemed to sense something. He abruptly raised his head, and his usually evasive eyes flashed with an extremely sharp, alert, and malicious light, precisely locking onto Karen's location!

Karen understood, but his expression remained unchanged. He didn't look away; instead, with remarkable ease, as if he were merely glancing at Quirrell, he shifted his gaze from Quirrell to Professor Flitwick beside Quirrell, offering a perfectly timed, respectful smile and a slight nod in acknowledgment.

Professor Flitwick's smile widened as he received Karen's greeting, and he nodded back to Karen.

The sharp glint in Quirrell's eyes faded quickly, as if it had all been an illusion, and was replaced by a nervous, timid expression. He seemed slightly embarrassed by his overreaction, stammering something to Professor Flitwick before lowering his head, his hands nervously twisting together, his purple bib seemingly tightening even more.

Karen looked away and took a sip of the pumpkin juice in front of her. Professor Dumbledore had also seemed to be looking in that direction, his gaze deep but fleeting.

Just then, the hall doors opened again, and the noise in the hall instantly subsided. Professor McGonagall, her expression serious, led a group of nervous new students in, holding a long scroll of parchment. All eyes were on these children who were about to decide their affiliation with the House.

Karen saw Harry again. He was standing in the middle of the line, his emerald green eyes wide with nervousness, curiously and intently surveying the magnificent Great Hall and the four long tables.

The Sorting Hat was placed on the high stool. It wriggled, a crack appeared in its skin, and it began to sing in its strange, old bellows-like voice. The lyrics were essentially about emphasizing the characteristics of the four houses and subtly hinting at the challenges that might come in the new school year. Karen, like most of the upperclassmen, listened politely.

"Hannah Abbott!" Professor McGonagall called out the first name.

A little girl with two golden braids and a round, rosy face walked forward shakily and put the hat on. "Hufflepuff!" the hat shouted almost immediately. A burst of enthusiastic applause erupted from the long table to the right.

"Susan Bornes!" A serious-looking girl stepped forward. The Sorting Hat hesitated for a moment. "Hufflepuff!"

"Mandy Broglie!"

"Oh Merlin, look at that little guy, his legs are shaking." Wesley lowered his voice and gestured towards a freshman who had just been called by name and was walking up the aisle with his arms and legs trembling. "He's about the same as me when I first got off the bus last year, right? I felt like I couldn't even walk properly."

Fabian adjusted his glasses and smiled gently. "I remember you almost bumped your head into a pillar on the platform, Wesley. Ernesto was quite calm, except when the Sorting Hat came down, he sneezed several times."

Ernesto gave a light snort, glancing warily at Wesley. "At least I didn't stumble over my own robes while walking towards the long table." Wesley, his secret exposed, blushed slightly and pouted, "That was an accident!"

Karen listened to her roommates teasing each other and reminiscing, a smile playing on her lips. Had they felt the same tension and anticipation in the same spot last year?

"Neville Longbottom!" A round-faced, somewhat bewildered boy ran up nervously, the hat lingering on his head for a while. "Gryffindor!" the hat finally called out. Neville jumped up in surprise, nearly tripping over the high stool, and ran towards the Gryffindor table amidst laughter.

"Draco Malfoy!" The pale, pointed-faced boy with light blond hair strode forward arrogantly, and almost the instant the hat touched his platinum blond hair, the hat shrieked, "Slytherin!" Malfoy walked triumphantly toward the Slytherin table.

"Harry Potter!"

A strange silence fell over the entire Great Hall, as if the air itself had frozen. All eyes—curious, awe-inspiring, inquisitive, and even malicious—were fixed on the thin boy. Harry took a deep breath, stepped forward, and put on the worn Sorting Hat. The hat almost completely covered his eyes.

Time seemed to stretch out. Only whispers and the crackling of burning candles filled the Great Hall. Finally, after a long deliberation, the hat proclaimed, "Gryffindor!"

The Gryffindor table erupted in the loudest cheers and applause in its history, nearly lifting the roof off the Great Hall. Percy stood up excitedly and clapped, while the twin brothers Fred and George shouted excitedly, "We have Potter! We have Potter!" Harry took off his hat, his face filled with relief and unbelievable joy, and walked towards the sea of ​​red.

Cullen's beam of light swept quickly across the teachers' table. Professor Snape's face was so dark it seemed to drip water, his thin lips pressed into a cold, straight line, his gaze towards Harry filled with undisguised disgust and some complex emotion. Professor Quirrell, on the other hand, appeared unusually agitated, his body trembling even more violently, even knocking over the wine glass in front of him, frantically trying to wipe it clean, a hint of fanaticism flashing deep in his eyes.

As Headmaster Dumbledore announced the results, his sharp blue eyes seemed to show satisfaction as Harry ran toward the Gryffindor table. However, Cullen keenly noticed that the headmaster's peripheral vision seemed to be constantly watching Quirrell's reaction from the teachers' table.

The dinner officially began after Dumbledore's brief and humorous address. As usual, he warned the students of the dangers of the Forbidden Forest, then specifically forbade them from entering the corridor on the right-hand side of the third floor, and introduced this year's new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor—Professor Quirrell. Quirrell stood up stammeringly, his voice barely audible, interspersed with strange pauses and gasps: "I-I am very honored to be able to teach at Hogwarts-I-I will do-to my best." He finished haltingly, his face beneath his purple bib seemingly paler, then quickly sat down, as if he had completed a daunting task.

"Merlin's beard...is he really a professor?" Wesley forked a large piece of roast beef and stuffed it into his mouth, mumbling incoherently, "Listening to him talk is harder than my grandma knitting a sweater! And what's that smell on him? I can smell it from this far away, is it from pickled garlic?"

Fabian wrinkled his nose and took a small sip of pumpkin juice: "It does taste a bit strong. Hopefully, his lectures won't be as bad as his speeches."

Ernesto elegantly sliced ​​the lamb chops on his plate, remarking casually, "What Ravenclaw needs is knowledge, not eloquent performances."

I checked before; he's also a Ravenclaw graduate. However—his presence is definitely not comparable to Professor Victor's from last semester." There was a hint of nostalgia in his voice.

Karen ate quietly, listening to the chatter of her roommates and the Ravenclaw students around her. Quirrell's stutter, his coin toss, and the smell of garlic were the main topics of conversation at the long table. Penelope and a few upperclassmen joined the discussion, sharing gossip they had heard from other houses. Karen occasionally responded to inquiries about her experiences in France, only briefly mentioning the grandeur of Beauxbatons and the bustling magic market in Paris.

The dinner party ended after dessert was served. The prefects then began organizing the freshmen from their respective houses to return to the common rooms.

"Let's go check out 'Eagle's Nest' first," Karen said to her roommates. They didn't need to follow the freshmen group; they navigated the corridors with practiced ease and arrived at the secret base on the fifth floor—Eagle's Nest.

"Hey, look who's back!" Wesley pushed open the heavy wooden door. The room was spotless, almost exactly as it had been when they left. The alchemy workbench was sparkling clean, the books were neatly stacked on the shelves, and the large box in the corner where they cultivated devil's webs had been cleaned out, leaving only an empty basin.

"Before I left, I asked Bobby to look after this place for me," Fabian explained with a gentle smile.

It seems to have done a fantastic job.

"House-elves are always reliable." Ernesto walked to his personal desk, checked the stargazing notes he had left behind and the small alchemy equipment, and nodded in satisfaction. "Everything is perfect."

Karen looked around the space that held countless hours of research, practice, and laughter for them, a warm feeling welling up inside him. He walked to the worktable, his fingers tracing the cold surface. "Very good. If we don't have classes tomorrow afternoon, or if our classes end early, we'll come over and tidy up."

"Let's make some plans for the new semester," he suggested.

"No problem!" Wesley responded immediately.

"Okay," Fabian nodded.

"Yes," Ernesto agreed.

The four didn't linger, quickly leaving the Eagle's Nest and returning to the Ravenclaw Tower. In the common room, Prefect Penelope was explaining the rules and the Ravenclaw door knocker puzzle to the new students. Karen and her roommates weaved through the crowd, said goodnight to each other, and returned to their familiar dormitories.

Lying on her four-poster bed, listening to the soft lapping of the Black Lake against the castle walls outside her window, Cullen's thoughts were unusually clear. Harry Potter had already started school, Quirrell, or rather Voldemort, was in the castle, and Dumbledore was clearly watching closely. The new school year was destined to be anything but peaceful. He needed to be more cautious, work harder, and also needed the Eagle's Nest as a reliable base and reliable companions by his side. With these thoughts in mind, he gradually drifted off to sleep.