Chapter 8 – Arrival at Hogwarts: Stat Checks and Sorting
"First impressions aren't about personality. They're about power."
The train whistled as it pulled into the station, echoing off the rocky cliffs around Hogsmeade. Torches flickered along the platform. Mist clung low to the stone and iron tracks.
Harry stepped off the train, trunk floating behind him on a weak levitation charm.
[Zone Discovered: Hogsmeade Station]
Faction Presence: Hogwarts (High), Ministry (Dormant)
XP Modifier: +5% First Visit
Students buzzed around him, parents long gone, upper years guiding confused first-years toward the looming figure of Hagrid at the platform's edge.
"Firs'-years! Over here!"
Harry noted several things at once:
[Observe Target: Daphne Greengrass]
House: Unknown
Trait: Strategic Thinker
Disposition: Guarded
[Observe Target: Neville Longbottom]
Trait: Anxious Loyalty
Passive Ability: Botanist's Touch (Locked)
He stored the info and followed the crowd.
They reached the lake, the moon reflecting across the black surface like a silver system node waiting to be loaded. Boats waited at the shore—four students each.
Harry took one near the back. A quiet girl sat opposite him—brown hair, thick book in lap. Another boy fidgeted, adjusting his collar. The last was Blaise Zabini.
No one spoke.
They didn't need to.
The castle rose ahead of them—towers and turrets outlined against the stars. Hogwarts.
[Map Fragment Unlocked: Hogwarts Castle – 6.8%]
They reached the shore. Professor McGonagall awaited them, rigid posture, robes pressed sharp.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," she said. "The Sorting Ceremony will begin shortly. Please compose yourselves."
Harry scanned her.
[Target: Minerva McGonagall – Professor / Deputy Headmistress]
Reputation: Restricted
Observe Disabled – Warded NPC
They waited in a stone antechamber outside the Great Hall. A few students whispered. A few clung to friends. Harry stood by the wall, eyes half-lidded.
Blaise stood near him. "What do you think it'll be like?"
Harry's voice was calm. "Judgment. Ritual. Possibly invasive."
Blaise raised a brow. "You sound like you've thought about it."
Harry didn't answer.
Then the doors opened.
[Zone Entered: The Great Hall – Core System Zone]
Warning: Magical System Interference Detected
Observe Limitations: Partial
The Hall sparkled with candlelight. The ceiling mimicked the sky. Enchanted banners swayed high above. Four tables ran the length of the room. At the front: a stool, and on it, an old, patched hat.
[Artifact Identified: Sorting Hat – Ancient Magical Construct]
System Compatibility: Denied
Internal Scan: Pending
Names were called. Students sorted. Applause rose and fell.
Then:
"Potter, Harry."
The room hushed.
He walked to the stool. Sat. The Hat dropped over his head.
"Well now," the voice said, ancient and amused. "What have we here?"
Harry remained silent.
"Oh, you're not like the others. No, you carry something... extra."
It was feeling the System.
"I can't see it—but I can feel the holes in your mind where it lives. Fascinating."
Harry thought back: *Can you do anything about it?*
"Oh no. But I can *warn* you. It won't stay passive forever. And neither will you."
A beat passed.
"Now let's see... loyal enough for Hufflepuff... clever enough for Ravenclaw... but oh my, yes... you're ambitious. Focused. Calculated."
Harry thought: *I need control. Give me the house with the most options.*
"Oh, Slytherin then. You'll watch everything from behind your eyes."
And then, aloud: "SLYTHERIN!"
Murmurs. A few claps. A few wide eyes.
Harry rose, stone-faced, and walked to the far table. Students shifted.
[House Confirmed: Slytherin]
House Traits: Strategy, Ambition, Legacy
XP Modifier: +5% to Cunning / Resource Mgmt / Magical Theory
New Feature: House Politics – Activated
He sat beside Blaise.
The boy gave him a sideways look. "That explains everything."
Harry didn't reply.
He observed the staff table. Faces unfamiliar. Some welcoming. Some wary. Dumbledore sat in the center like a checkpoint Harry couldn't yet unlock.
[Target: Albus Dumbledore – Observe Blocked]
Status: ??? / ??? / ???
Warning: Observation Suppressed by External Magic
Harry took a breath.
He had passed the barrier. Survived the train. Navigated the system. Played the hat.
Let the real game begin.
End of Chapter 8