With the whistle of the steam engine, the red-and-black train carrying the Hogwarts students passed through meadows, forests, and lakes, finally arriving at its destination after dark: Hogsmeade Village.
Lei maintained his noble demeanor throughout the journey. However, pretending to be a noble was truly a tiresome affair.
Not only did he have to constantly watch his every word and action, but he also had to try and understand the little girl's thoughts and feelings.
The little girl's thoughts weren't hard to guess, but this was never Lei's strong suit.
In his previous life, Lei was a tech guy. He wasn't particularly good at figuring out his superiors' thoughts; sometimes, the superiors even had to figure out Lei's thoughts.
Playing the part of a noble for a day was fine, but Lei couldn't even imagine doing it for a lifetime.
To reduce his guilt for deceiving Agnes, Lei told her Andersen's fairy tales from his previous life, such as The Emperor's New Clothes, Snow White, and Cinderella.
Whether noble or commoner, these fairy tales were very appealing to children.
Despite the little girl's indifferent expression, pretending not to be interested, her desire to know what happened next was betrayed by her expression when Lei got to the exciting parts of the story.
At the same time, Lei was also explaining many correct moral values, hoping to subtly correct the little girl's way of thinking. She was only eleven years old, and her thoughts weren't yet set in stone; perhaps there was still hope.
The train's speed began to slow, and it had grown dark.
"In five minutes, the train will arrive at Hogwarts. Please leave your luggage on the train; we will have it sent to the school for you."
The train's announcement began to echo, also requesting that the new students put on the robes they had purchased.
Lei took out a robe and put it on, also holding a tie in his hand.
The tie in his hand gave Lei some trouble. He had already unbuttoned his shirt collar and put the tie around his neck, but he didn't know how to tie it.
In his previous life, he had lived for nearly thirty years and it seemed he had never tied a tie. When Agnes looked over, Lei could only give an awkward smile.
Agnes, who was about as tall as Lei's ears, walked over and took the tie from around Lei's neck.
It was hard to imagine the cold little girl helping him with his tie. They were standing so close that Lei could even smell the faint fragrance emanating from her.
Really, it's beautiful. Lei marveled inwardly, while saying, "Thank you."
"You're welcome. We're classmates, aren't we?"
Agnes's words made it seem like her mental age was more than eleven. Moreover, she seemed to have already decided that Lei would be sorted into Slytherin. Only as classmates would she help Lei.
The subconscious correction didn't seem to be working quickly. From the current situation, it seemed like the thought correction had failed.
Actually, Lei didn't care which house he was sorted into. He came to Hogwarts to learn magic, and he could achieve that goal in any house. As someone with a mental age of thirty, any house would do.
However, Agnes in front of him was somewhat serious. It felt as if not being sorted into Slytherin would be a deception to her.
The short time spent together on the train had already convinced Lei that the consequences of Agnes believing he was lying could be severe.
If possible, then Slytherin would be best, Lei thought to himself. After all, deceiving a little girl wasn't something he should do. Even letting the little girl believe it on her own was still a form of deception.
"Well, um... Agnes, you can't really choose your house, right? The Sorting Hat decides."
Before leaving the compartment, Lei decided to give a preemptive warning.
"Of course. I'm happy with any house. For example, I actually aspire to be in Ravenclaw."
A pleasant voice, a blink of the eyes. That playful smile, the joy of having tricked someone, added a touch of mischievous cuteness to the ice-cold beauty of this little girl.
Agnes's answer left Lei stunned for a moment before he could react. Agnes's sudden change was quite a shock. Lei had always thought she would be a die-hard Slytherin.
By the time he came to his senses, the little girl Agnes had already gotten off the train.
"Are you kidding me?"
Lei was surprised, recalling Agnes's behavior along the way. He realized he was the one overthinking things.
He'd assumed Agnes admired Slytherin because she came from a pure-blood family, and coupled with the scene at the station, Lei had jumped to a conclusion.
But now?
The little girl's thoughts weren't swayed at all, and her values were perfectly sound. He was sure that even without pretending to be a noble, she wouldn't have minded him sitting in the compartment.
It seemed like she was just teasing him.
But she was only eleven!
Lei, a thirty-year-old soul, had been toyed with by an eleven-year-old girl. He could only feel utterly helpless.
"Ugh, the wizarding world is truly difficult to understand." Lei walked off the train with a wry smile. This time, his judgment had been completely wrong, and spectacularly so.
Of course, while such a mistake was a bit embarrassing, Lei was also somewhat relieved. Such a beautiful little girl naturally shouldn't become a detestable Muggle-hater, a staunch supporter of pure-blood supremacy.
"First-years, this way, please!"
Lei had just gotten off the train when he heard a booming shout.
Hagrid, the giant from Hogwarts, appeared in the crowd like a small mountain, a large lantern held in his right hand.
"Oh my god, he's so tall."
"And his beard is so long, and his waistline…"
Hagrid's huge physique fully piqued the children's curiosity. He was wearing a filthy overcoat, his thick beard and shoulder-length hair a tangled mess. His face in the middle was carrying a kind smile, clearly visible under the illumination of the large lantern.
"Is everyone here? Any first years left? If not, then follow me, everyone."
After shouting a few times, Hagrid led the new students into the forest and down a path.
This was probably to the boats at the Black Lake. Lei followed the crowd, moving forward with the bustling group.
The narrow path wound downwards, and it wasn't easy to walk in the dark. Fortunately, Hagrid wasn't going fast, and the stumbling children could keep up.
At the end of the road, after a short distance, they emerged from the forest, and the scene suddenly opened up. They had gathered at the dock by the Black Lake.
"Ooh…"
Exclamations of surprise came from the new students. The castle looming on the cliff in the distance, by the Black Lake, looked especially magnificent in the night.
Even Lei couldn't help but admire it inwardly.
"Everyone, pay attention, no more than four to a boat."
Hagrid reminded the first-years gathered around, and then he took up a boat all by himself.
Each boat had a lantern for illumination, allowing Hagrid to keep an eye on the children in each boat.
The boats started moving; there were no oars, no roaring engine, just the boats carrying people, silently beginning their journey.
Watching the castle on the cliff get closer and closer, the boats finally entered the dock at the bottom of the cliff, to the amazement of the children.
After all the first-years had disembarked, Hagrid led them through an upward tunnel and then through a huge door to the entrance of the Great Hall.
The castle was filled with lit braziers, making it feel warm and cozy; the cold outside instantly disappeared.
As the first-years turned the corner and climbed the stairs, they saw Professor McGonagall standing in front of the door, wearing a dark green robe and a black witch's hat.
"Welcome to Hogwarts."
Professor McGonagall, the Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts, was a stern and fair woman. She first explained the four houses of Hogwarts to everyone: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Slytherin, and Ravenclaw.
Of course, she also explained the Sorting Ceremony that the new students would undergo once inside.
After the explanation, Professor McGonagall pushed open the doors to the Great Hall, and a buzzing sound of discussion immediately filled the air.
The hall was truly enormous, and the several hundred people seated inside didn't feel crowded at all.
Following Professor McGonagall's footsteps, Lei and the other new students walked into the hall, under the watchful eyes of the upperclassmen.
It was a magical hall, just like in the movies. Above, there were lit, floating candles, and even higher was a sky that seemed to have no end.
Magic, truly amazing!
Lei sighed and followed the others to the steps in front of the Sorting Hat.
After everyone had taken their places, the Sorting Hat on the stool began to sing.
It was supposed to be a song, because the lyrics were so casual, as if it just sang whatever came to mind. It sang about the history of the houses and introduced its own functions.
The song wasn't pleasant to listen to, it could even be called awful. If Lei hadn't been interested in the content of the lyrics, he might not have had the patience to listen to the whole thing.
Of course, there was another reason. The scenes from the movie were actually happening in front of him at this moment. He really felt a sense of superiority, like a prophet. So no matter how bad the song was, Lei would think it was the most beautiful music.
After the Sorting Hat finished singing, the hall erupted in applause, which greatly satisfied the hat. Every year it had to sing its newly composed song, and every year it would receive thunderous applause.
After the applause stopped, Professor McGonagall picked up a parchment and walked to the side of the Sorting Hat: "I will call out the names, and those who are called should sit on the stool and await the Sorting."
"Agnes Greengrass."
Unexpectedly, the first person called was Agnes, the one who had teased Lei.
Agnes composed herself; she wasn't as calm as she appeared, being only eleven years old after all.
She walked up the steps and approached the high stool. Professor McGonagall had already picked up the Sorting Hat, and once Agnes sat down, the hat was placed on her head.
At that moment, she saw Lei below. She even stuck her tongue out at him and gave a playful smile, which left Lei speechless.
After a moment of hesitation, the Sorting Hat announced loudly, "Ravenclaw!"
Agnes Greengrass, the little girl Lei had thought was aiming for Slytherin, was sorted into Ravenclaw as she wished.
To the right, at the Ravenclaw table, there was an immediate burst of applause and cheers. Such a pretty girl was bound to be welcomed wherever she went.
Agnes beamed with joy, skipped over to the long table, and sat at the front. The Head Girl at the table immediately offered her congratulations and a welcome to the new arrival, Agnes.
"Penelope Clearwater!"
The Sorting Hat's second choice was another pretty little girl with brown hair.
"Ravenclaw." The Sorting Hat hesitated very briefly this time, making its decision quickly after the girl, Penelope Clearwater, put it on.
Two pretty girls in a row for Ravenclaw immediately livened up the atmosphere in that house.
"Cedric Diggory."
A boy with black hair and a handsome face walked up the steps nervously and sat on the stool.
Lei's memories of his past life, of Harry Potter, were already hazy. He could perhaps remember the main characters, but he'd long forgotten the supporting ones. So, at this moment, he didn't realize that this Cedric Diggory was the same one who would later participate in the Triwizard Tournament with Harry Potter.
"Hufflepuff!"
The Sorting Hat announced loudly, sorting him into Hufflepuff.
············
The Sorting Hat's speed varied. For a pure Slytherin, it could make a decision instantly, even before the hat was placed on their head. The hat did have a certain distaste for the unique qualities and ideology of Slytherin.
Dozens of students were quickly sorted into their respective houses. Now, only Lei remained standing in the aisle in the middle of the hall.
Professor McGonagall looked at Lei, standing alone at the foot of the steps, then at the parchment in her hand. Her face showed some confusion, as if comparing something. After a moment, she asked, "Child, what is your name?"
"Lei, Lei Fastee. Professor, is there a problem?"
Lei was puzzled. He hadn't expected to be last, and now Professor McGonagall hadn't called his name, but asked for it instead.
"Just a moment, child."
Professor McGonagall took the parchment to Dumbledore. She showed the parchment to Dumbledore, then pointed at Lei. "Professor Dumbledore, this parchment doesn't have this child's name on it."
....
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