บท 141: 20
Chapter 20: Ravenclaw
"Ethan Adrian!"
The room was now empty except for Ethan.
He walked forward with a calm demeanor, placed the hat on his head, and sat on the stool, ready for his sorting.
Although he was knowledgeable about the Unforgivable Curses and had used the Killing Curse, he knew he should be sent to Azkaban. However, the Sorting Hat did not use such memories for sorting. Instead, it drew on the ideas of the four founders to place students in the houses best suited to them.
The Sorting Hat could gauge some of the students' thoughts and strengths, but that was its limit.
Ethan had undergone special training in thought transfer, which was the most basic form of mental control.
"You possess magical power far beyond your peers, an exceptional talent for dark magic, and some ambitions. You're quite a promising candidate. Sachara would be pleased to see you, though your ambitions are somewhat unusual. Nevertheless, other traits align well."
"I'm not a pure-blood, not even a half-blood. Can I still enter Slytherin?" Ethan asked, curious.
"Of course, it's possible. Many have misunderstood the true nature of Slytherin over the centuries. Historically, Slytherins were ambitious, shrewd, honorable, and protective of themselves, with victory as their ultimate goal."
The Sorting Hat's regretful voice echoed in Ethan's mind. It knew that the perception of Slytherin had shifted, and many now saw it as a house for ambitious pure-bloods. This misconception deterred some students from choosing Slytherin, as it had become a haven for those with mere ambition.
"Actually, Azkaban would suit you better. Dumbledore once said it's a gathering place for dark wizards and a cradle for dark magic. You'd likely achieve great success there. It's a pity Azkaban isn't part of Hogwarts."
The Sorting Hat's voice was tinged with regret.
"Azkaban is a prison!" Ethan replied, feeling exasperated.
"What's wrong with a prison? I once spoke with a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor who had returned from Azkaban. He said everyone there was talented and spoke highly of it. I think you'd like it too."
The Sorting Hat seemed insistent, unwilling to accept Ethan's dismissal of its judgment.
The only drawback was that Azkaban wasn't part of Hogwarts. Dumbledore had once lamented that 'Azkaban had become an advanced class at Hogwarts.'
"So which house should I be in? I'll be here for quite a while," Ethan said, trying to steer the conversation away from Azkaban.
"Why the rush? Sorting is a significant matter and can't be hurried!"
The Sorting Hat's displeasure was evident.
"Alright, continue," Ethan said.
"Well, you do have courage and an adventurous spirit. Gryffindor could also be a good fit. Though your chivalry might not be ideal, there's no perfect match these days. Gryffindor could work."
"Ravenclaw is also an option—intelligent, wise, and keen for knowledge."
"Boy, if you want to join that house, you'll need to talk to your hat!" The Sorting Hat's nagging voice filled Ethan's mind.
"What about Hufflepuff? I have a good impression of that house."
"Hufflepuff? Integrity, loyalty, hard work, honesty—do you embody any of these? It would be a disaster to place you there. Absolutely not!"
The Sorting Hat firmly rejected Hufflepuff, though it had to consider the student's preferences, it couldn't be too far off.
"Ravenclaw!"
Before Ethan could say anything more, the Sorting Hat announced the result.
The Sorting Hat left Ethan with a final message: "Your ambition can be fully realized in Ravenclaw. According to the wizards' preferences, it's the house with the most beauty."
Warm applause erupted from the Ravenclaw table. Ethan's arrival excited them greatly.
The Sorting Ceremony continued for more than ten minutes, with each sorting being an event of significance. Even the hat's prolonged sorting was noteworthy, including for the current Deputy Headmistress, Professor McGonagall.
Ethan reached the Ravenclaw table and greeted the older students and classmates. As expected, Ravenclaw had many beautiful girls, confirming the Sorting Hat's assertion.
As Ethan settled in, the Sorting Ceremony concluded. Professor McGonagall put away the Sorting Hat and stool, and joined Dumbledore at the head table.
Dumbledore then addressed the students.
He looked at them with a smile, arms open wide. Nothing seemed to make him happier than seeing the students gathered together.
"Welcome!"
"Welcome to Hogwarts for a new school year! Before we begin the feast, I want to share a few words: Nitwit Blubber Oddment Tweak."
"Thank you all!"
As he sat down, everyone applauded and cheered.
It was unclear if they were applauding Dumbledore or anticipating the feast.
Tonight's banquet was the most sumptuous of the year at Hogwarts, featuring roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops, lamb chops, sausages, steaks, boiled and baked potatoes, fried potatoes, potato chips, and Yorkshire puddings...
Even the pickiest eater could find something they liked, and from Ethan's discerning perspective, the food was excellent.
As Ethan finished his meal, he struck up a conversation with the attractive senior next to him: "Senior Clearwater, what did Dumbledore mean by Nitwit Blubber Oddment Tweak?"
"It represents what each house thinks of the others. 'Nitwit!' means Ravenclaws see themselves as the smartest, believing other houses are foolish.
'Blubber!' indicates Gryffindors think they are the bravest and fittest, considering others as cowards and crybabies.
'Oddment!' reflects Slytherins' view that they, the pure-blood elite, see other students as inferior and worthless.
'Tweak!' signifies that Hufflepuffs view themselves as loyal, upright, and united, seeing others as awkward and divided."
Penelope Clearwater, born into a Muggle family and now in her fifth year, had been elected as a prefect that summer due to her excellent grades and leadership skills. She was responsible for welcoming new students this year.
In Ethan's eyes, Penelope, with her brown hair, blue eyes, and charming figure, was a far more attractive senior compared to flat girls like Cassandra and Hermione.
[In the original story, Penelope is one year younger than Percy, but they are in the same year. Harry is almost a year younger than Hermione. The twins are in the same year as Cedric, though they were not old enough to participate in the Triwizard Tournament.]
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