Even on the train, many new students had noticed the powerful yet elegant young man, Argus.
Unable to resist following his instructions, the new students quietly split into two lines.
Needless to say, pureblood wizards like Draco and Pansy had been the biggest troublemakers, as they had been in previous years.
Now, they had long been convinced by Argus, and instead of causing trouble for Hagrid, they were helping him maintain order.
"I wish you could keep helping me recruit new students."
Hagrid sighed.
He had been doing this job for many years, and today was the first time he had been able to gather all the new students so easily.
They even arranged the queues neatly!
This had never happened before; it was already a miracle that they had been able to gather people together.
Each time, it was like herding sheep; they would just rush to Hogwarts Castle and consider the mission complete.
Led by Hagrid, the group arrived at the dock and boarded the small boat bound for the castle.
Ripples spread across the tranquil lake, and through the torchlight, one could clearly see unknown and wondrous creatures swimming in the water.
Hermione on the boat was startled by the splashing water.
"Argus, what is that?!"
"The giant squid is mentioned in 'Hogwarts: A History of the School,' so there's nothing to be afraid of."
What about that one?
"The giant squid are not obvious now, but when the weather is sunny, they will sunbathe by the lake, and you can touch their tentacles."
"Hogwarts is even more magnificent than I imagined! Argus, look, isn't that the tower!"
Hermione screamed intermittently and kept pointing at the various buildings, asking Argus questions.
Even though she was the future Minister of Magic, at this time she was just an eleven-year-old girl who was experiencing the magical world for the first time.
She had an unconscious dependence on the boy next to her.
Whoosh!
The sound of rushing water filled the air as Argus and the others disembarked from the small boat, passed through the narrow passageway, and headed towards the Great Hall of Hogwarts.
[Congratulations, host, on your first entry into Hogwarts School! You have achieved the achievement: Hogwarts New Student]
[Achievement Point Reward: 50]
"Reward points for arriving right away, that's great!"
"The main storyline officially begins now, so you can't just grab things randomly, right?"
Argus was secretly pleased and unknowingly arrived inside the castle.
At the entrance of the hall, a woman dressed in a dark green robe and wearing a black wizard's hat was already waiting.
Her temperament was very similar to Vinda Rosier's.
That was an elegance that had been refined and accumulated over the years.
The difference was that Vinda had an innate air of nobility, while the woman in front of him was more serious.
Welcome to Hogwarts!
"Alright, in a little while you will go through these doors and be with your classmates."
"However, before taking a seat, we need to first determine which house you will be entering."
Professor McGonagall's gentle voice rang out as she continued her introduction to the young wizards before her.
"The four houses are Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin."
"During your time at the school, the house is your home. Good performance will earn you points for the house, while any house that violates the school rules will have points deducted."
"At the end of the year, the house with the highest score will win the House Cup for that academic year."
After Professor McGonagall finished speaking, she muttered something under her breath.
"The little wizards are quite well-behaved this year, unlike in previous years when they were a complete mess."
"I have Argus to help me this time! Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to manage so many people!"
Hagrid walked over, patted Argus on the shoulder, and introduced him to Professor McGonagall.
"Thank you, Argus. You've saved me a lot of trouble." Professor McGonagall looked at Argus with appreciation.
Argus smiled modestly: "This is not my achievement alone, but the result of the joint efforts of all the young wizards."
"Humble child, I really hope you get sorted into Gryffindor. With you there, they'll definitely be much quieter."
As Professor McGonagall spoke, she noticed Argus's position.
Located in the very center, he was subtly surrounded by Draco, Pansy, Theodore, and others.
She couldn't help but sigh and shake her head.
"However, it seems... you're more likely to be assigned to Slytherin."
"Evil Slytherin!"
Ron muttered something that drew angry stares from many people.
Professor McGonagall frowned slightly and spoke in a loud voice.
"Everything's ready, come in with me!"
As the doors slowly opened, a magnificent hall with a distinctly British style came into view.
Long tables were filled with students from various houses.
The professors were positioned relatively far away, but Argus immediately noticed the white-haired, white-bearded old man in the very center!
Headmaster, Dumbledore!
The culprit who caused his own father to imprison himself in Nurmengard!
"Argus, look at this sky! It's the ceiling that's been enchanted. I read about it in 'Hogwarts: A History'!"
Hermione looked around in amazement, her eyes wide with wonder.
"Hermione, what you need to consider now is which house to go to."
"There's plenty of time to look at these ceilings!"
Argus calmly replied, his mind now filled with the plans he had made on the train.
Through his conversation with Harry on the train, he was certain that Hermione would never enter Gryffindor as she had in the original story.
Based on his understanding of Neville, it was unlikely that Neville would choose Gryffindor again.
The only one he needed to focus on was Harry!
Dumbledore acted too early, leaving a deep impression on Harry with Gryffindor. Even he couldn't guarantee that Harry would firmly refuse.
"Please wait here for a moment. Before the ceremony begins, Professor Dumbledore will say a few words to you."
Professor McGonagall stood on the high platform, her profile revealing Dumbledore in the center.
Argus's gaze was fixed on him uncontrollably.
Level 7 Occlumency - Legilimency!
Dumbledore did the same, noticing him the moment he entered.
When Argus's name appeared on the Book of Admission, he hesitated for a long time before finally choosing to send out the owl.
I thought they would choose Durmstrang.
Unexpectedly...
The same blond hair, the same blue eyes, and the same adulation from others reminded him of that old friend from years ago.
"Professor Dumbledore, Professor Dumbledore?"
McGonagall noticed Dumbledore's absent-mindedness and whispered a reminder.
"I'm sorry, young wizards, please forgive an old man for daydreaming."
"I have a few things to announce about the start of the school year."
Dumbledore stood up and looked away from Argus.
"Attention first-year students: No student is allowed to enter the forbidden forest. Also, our administrator, Mr. Filch, asked me to remind you that the third-floor corridor and the right-hand corridor are also restricted areas."
"If you don't want to die a horrible death, then don't go."
"Thanks!"
"Students whose names are called, please come to the front!"
Professor McGonagall took out a piece of parchment, stood behind the Sorting Hat, and read out the first name!
"Hannah Abbott!"
Argus shifted his gaze forward.
A blonde girl walked up to the stool and put the Sorting Hat on her head.
Hufflepuff!
At the Sorting Hat's shout, excited cheers immediately erupted from the Hufflepuff table.
A system notification then appeared in Argus's mind.
[Congratulations, host, for witnessing the first sorting ceremony. You have earned the achievement: The Birth of the Hereditary Prince.]
[Achievement Point Reward: 50]