A Cruciatus Curse the moment they meet?
Or maybe being burned alive by Fiendfyre?
Ivan shuddered at the thought of the gruesome fates that might await him. He tried desperately to summon the memories of his original self, but it was as if the process of crossing over had shattered them, hiding them deep within his mind. No matter how hard he tried, he came up with nothing.
"Damn it, if only I could remember a little more," Ivan muttered, a headache forming. It seemed he would have to learn Legilimency before the end of the school year and then find a way to use the Pensieve in the headmaster's office to sort through his memories. Otherwise, his cover was bound to be blown.
At this point, Ivan didn't even know where his own home was...
To be a transmigrator and end up in such a state, he had to be one of a kind.
"Potter, Harry!"
Just as Ivan was contemplating how to sneak into the Restricted Section to learn Legilimency, Professor McGonagall's crisp voice pulled his attention back to the Sorting Ceremony.
It wasn't just Ivan. In that instant, every student and professor turned their gaze to the front, much like they had when he was called up. But it was obvious that Ivan's minor peculiarity was nothing compared to the prestige of the Chosen One.
As a small, nervous-looking boy with glasses walked onto the platform, the hall erupted in thunderous applause. Beside Ivan, several second-year Gryffindors clapped until their palms were red, their eyes fixed on the boy's forehead, which was partially hidden by his hair, as if hoping to catch a glimpse of the lightning-bolt scar.
"Harry Potter? Did she say the Harry Potter?"
"My mum said he defeated the Dark Lord when he was just a baby!"
"I really hope he gets sorted into Gryffindor!"
...
Ivan clapped along with the crowd, not wanting to stand out at the long table. Of course, he also felt Harry deserved the glory. After all, Harry's miserable childhood of being bullied stemmed from the death of his parents. If Lily Potter hadn't sacrificed her own life, invoking a protective magic that stripped the powerful Voldemort of his strength, who knew how many more people in the wizarding world would have died…
When the Sorting Hat announced that Harry Potter would be in Gryffindor, the entire table went wild. The Weasley twins threw their arms around each other in excitement, shouting, "We got Potter! We got Potter!" Over at the Slytherin table, however, the applause was far more subdued. The Slytherin prefect, seated near the front, looked particularly displeased after hearing that Harry had refused to be sorted into Slytherin.
Ivan watched everything unfold with a small smile playing on his lips. He knew it was because the halo of the Chosen One was still shining brightly. After a while, when everyone realized that, his title aside, Harry Potter was just an ordinary wizard, they probably wouldn't care so much.
He snarked internally, but as his eyes swept over to Dumbledore, who was watching Harry with a gentle smile, he suddenly felt the Slytherin prefect's concern was justified. After all, with the headmaster himself helping the Chosen One with power-ups, if nothing else, Slytherin could probably forget about winning the House Cup for the next few years.
As Harry came down from the platform, the Gryffindor prefect, Percy Weasley, practically leaped forward the second Harry's feet touched the floor, eagerly shaking his hand. Most of the other students cleared a space beside them, hoping for a chance to chat with the Chosen One. Even George and Fred ran over to join the commotion, leaving Ivan suddenly alone.
Ivan, however, had no intention of joining the crowd. Minding his own business, he began to enjoy the grand feast before him. They say British cuisine is a culinary nightmare, but the food at Hogwarts was surprisingly good. Ivan suspected this might have something to do with the fact that it was prepared by house-elves, not British wizards.
Vaguely, Ivan sensed someone watching him. He looked up and saw Dumbledore's silver-blue eyes fixed on him.
Ivan didn't flinch. He put on a乖巧 (guāiqiǎo - well-behaved) and shy expression, gave Dumbledore a small smile, and then stuffed a large piece of cake into his mouth, swallowing it in a few quick bites.
Perhaps it was Ivan's convincing foodie aura, or perhaps Dumbledore's gaze was just a fleeting whim. After returning the smile, the greatest white wizard of all time turned his attention elsewhere.
After the Sorting Ceremony concluded, there was plenty of time for the students to eat. Ivan ate until he felt he would burst, at which point Dumbledore waved his wand, and the leftovers vanished from the plates. The magnificent feast disappeared as suddenly as it had appeared.
For the upper-year students who had seen it many times, this magical feat was nothing special. But for Ivan, who was truly witnessing it for the first time, it was still a novelty.
At that moment, Dumbledore slowly rose to his feet, and the entire hall's attention focused on him.
"Ahem—now that we are all fed and watered, I have a few more things to say. Just a few start-of-term notices."
Dumbledore's voice echoed through the hall. His eyes swept over the new first-years, then glanced towards the Weasley twins.
"First-years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to any student. Some of our older students would do well to remember that."
"Mr. Filch, our caretaker, has asked me to remind you that no magic should be used in the corridors between classes."
"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of term..."
After briefly touching on the usual school rules, Dumbledore paused for a moment before raising his voice again.
"And finally, I must warn you that, this year, the fourth-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death!"
Hearing this, Ivan couldn't help but scoff internally at Dumbledore's blatant bait. To talk about how dangerous it was without revealing any other information—not even why they couldn't go there—and to act so mysterious about it... how could any student with a shred of curiosity possibly resist?
As expected, Dumbledore's stern warning didn't seem to have the desired effect. A few first-years even laughed, thinking it was a joke. The older students, however, looked serious.
Of course, "serious" did not include the Weasley twins. The two were already whispering furtively, and Ivan guessed they were probably plotting a visit to the very corridor that promised a painful death.
However, Ivan suspected that before they could, Dumbledore would have a private chat with them. Or, perhaps, he would have Mr. Filch keep a very close eye on them. Just to make sure they didn't stir up any trouble...