Professor McGonagall spoke briefly to the young wizards before stepping away to prepare arrangements in a side chamber, leaving the nervous first-years alone in the empty room to discuss the legend that now loomed closest to them: the Sorting Ceremony.
"How can they possibly sort us accurately into our Houses?" Sterling observed Harry Potter nervously asking the red-haired, freckled boy beside him, his eyebrows practically climbing toward his hairline with worry.
"I think there must be some kind of test. Fred mentioned it's really frightening for new students, but I'm pretty sure he was just joking around," the freckled boy replied, clenching his fists nervously while his eyes darted left and right, as if watching what others were doing to prepare.
"St... Sterling, my great-uncle told me... we have to face a Hungarian Horntail dragon..."
"A Hungarian Horntail?" Sterling questioned back with obvious scepticism. "Then what would they use to determine which House we belong in? Do we actually have to kill the dragon?"
Neville trembled from head to toe.
"Absolutely not! That's a Hungarian Horntail... Great-uncle said that young wizards who dare to raise their wands against the dragon get sorted into Gryffindor, those who run away with their tails between their legs go to Slytherin, those who can recite dragon facts from memory go to Ravenclaw, and those who just stand there completely dumbfounded go to Hufflepuff..."
"My grandmother insists I must get into Gryffindor... but I honestly don't know how I could possibly face a real dragon..."
Neville wore an expression of complete despair, as if already envisioning himself being scolded mercilessly by his grandmother while being dragged away by his ear.
Sterling found this scenario extremely hard to believe. After all, dragons were genuinely dangerous creatures. Would newly arrived students really be expected to face the same kind of dragon that Lady Maleficent could transform into?
They would probably die immediately.
However, Hermione believed Neville's frightening story completely, probably because it came from what she considered a "reliable source" within an established wizarding family. She bowed her head and nearly began hyperventilating.
"Oh my goodness, a Hungarian Horntail is classified as an XXXXX-level magical creature! We barely know a handful of basic spells. How could we possibly survive facing one? No, no, although I might not qualify for Gryffindor, I can at least recite dragon facts accurately enough to earn placement in Ravenclaw!"
Then she lowered her head completely, covered both ears, and began rapidly reciting dragon knowledge from memory. If Sterling remembered correctly, their first-year textbooks contained absolutely no information about dragons.
Had she actually memorised supplementary books during the holidays? That level of dedication was genuinely frightening. Now that represented a true academic overachiever.
Sterling shivered slightly. If they really had to face a living dragon, he could only test whether the creature could withstand his magical flames. Out of respect for his teachers, he had never tested his flames against Lady Maleficent's dragon transformation.
As Hermione continued her frantic recitation, Sterling bowed his head and began reviewing the magical principles underlying his flame magic.
Suddenly, a mixture of terrified male and female screams erupted throughout the room. Sterling looked up quickly, his eyes practically shining with fascination.
Approximately twenty ghostly white, completely translucent spirits floated directly through the stone walls, drifting with apparent indifference over the heads of the startled young wizards while discussing matters the students couldn't understand.
"New students, I presume? I imagine you're all preparing mentally for the Sorting process."
A plump, monk-like ghost smiled with genuine kindness at the group. One student nodded mutely, looking as if he might faint.
"I sincerely hope you get sorted into Hufflepuff. I belonged to that House during my time here."
"Now please move aside," commanded a sharp voice. "The Sorting Ceremony is about to commence."
A smaller ghost firmly pushed the cheerful monk out of the chamber, and all the spirits departed together. Sterling watched them intently until they disappeared completely through the walls.
Sterling rubbed his eyes and deliberately shut off his recently developed magical vision ability.
He had just noticed something genuinely fascinating. In his magical sight, those ghostly figures appeared to be composed entirely of countless interwoven threads with absolutely no gaps between them.
Perhaps once he understood the true nature of ghosts, the complete secret of these mysterious threads would finally reveal itself to him.
Sterling smiled with anticipation. Clearly, at Hogwarts, this discovery was simply a matter of time.
"Form a single line now!" Professor McGonagall suddenly returned to collect them. "Follow me closely."
They passed through the entrance foyer and a pair of magnificent double doors. Brilliant candlelight immediately dazzled their eyes. Within the warm Great Hall, students from other years sat around four extremely long tables covered with different coloured tablecloths representing their Houses.
Thousands of candles floated gracefully in the air above, illuminating the hall as brightly as broad daylight. The ceiling appeared to be made of deep velvet black, twinkling with countless stars, as if a piece of the actual night sky had been cut away and spread overhead.
"This entire place is magically enchanted. It's designed to mirror the real sky outside. I read about this effect in 'Hogwarts: A History'. Hermione whispered beside Sterling's ear. He looked at her with increasing amazement and asked, "Did you memorise that entire book as well? It's considerably thicker than a brick."
Hermione glanced at him as if surprised by such an odd question.
"Of course not completely, but I did memorise all the most interesting sections."
"Fair enough," Sterling whispered back with resignation.
Professor McGonagall positioned herself in front of the assembled first-years, placing down a tall wooden stool, then carefully positioning an ancient, pointed wizard's hat on top. The hat appeared dirty and worn, even patched in several obvious places.
This couldn't be happening...
Sterling felt a growing sense of dread, and that uncomfortable feeling was immediately confirmed by the hat's next performance.
The Sorting Hat began singing loudly and with wild enthusiasm. Honestly, the lyrics weren't particularly difficult to follow, but the hat's voice was definitely something designed to make listeners cover their ears in self-defence.
Strangely, the upperclassmen applauded with genuine warmth, and the hat bowed respectfully toward each of the four House tables in turn before finally falling silent and motionless.
"I should have known Great-Uncle was just teasing me..." Neville still appeared thoroughly dejected. Sterling patted his back encouragingly.
"Wearing a hat is definitely much easier than facing a murderous dragon. Try to relax."
"But I still might not get chosen for Gryffindor... I genuinely lack courage..."
"Don't say that about yourself, Neville!" Hermione leaned over and patted his shoulder supportively as well.
Sterling's habit of offering physical comfort appeared to be spreading among their group.
"Honestly admitting your perceived shortcomings is itself a genuine form of courage," Sterling observed thoughtfully, and Hermione nodded with vigorous agreement.
Professor McGonagall retrieved her official parchment list and announced the very first name of the evening.
"Hannah Abbott!"
The friendly girl who had shared their boat ride rushed forward immediately, placing the ancient hat on her head. It barely paused before calling out decisively,
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
The students at the yellow-decorated table on the right smiled broadly and applauded Hannah warmly, welcoming her to sit in an empty chair. The cheerful ghostly monk they had encountered earlier waved enthusiastically at her.
She seemed to have made an excellent start. The subsequent sortings proceeded smoothly. The hat rarely needed to remain on any student's head for long before announcing their House destination loudly.
After what felt like a reasonable wait, McGonagall finally called a name Sterling recognised with anticipation.
"Hermione Granger!"
She practically sprinted forward, grabbed the worn hat eagerly, and placed it on her bushy hair. The hat trembled for quite some time, apparently deliberating, before finally announcing with slight hesitation,
"RAVENCLAW!"
After taking her seat at the blue-decorated table, Hermione immediately turned around and waved enthusiastically at both Sterling and Neville.
Ah, Ravenclaw. Exactly as expected, Sterling thought while waving back.
"Neville Longbottom!"
Neville approached with obvious stiffness, nearly tripping over his own feet. McGonagall smiled with motherly kindness to ease his visible nervousness before gently placing the hat on his head.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
The Sorting Hat delivered its verdict without much delay. Neville returned the hat to McGonagall with obvious relief and walked happily toward the red-decorated table.
Sterling quickly arranged his messy hair. He could easily determine that the sorting order followed the alphabetical arrangement of their surnames.
Therefore, after Neville's placement, his own turn would arrive very soon.
Sure enough, McGonagall called clearly, "Sterling Page!"
Sterling walked forward with outward calm. When their eyes met, McGonagall nodded approvingly and gently placed the ancient hat on his head.
"Hello there, young one. It's been quite some time since I've encountered such a remarkably talented young wizard. Of course, this presents quite an interesting challenge for my decision-making abilities."
"The scholarly, knowledge-seeking Ravenclaw? Certainly no problem there. Quite fitting indeed."
"The thoughtful, loyal-to-friends Hufflepuff? I can clearly see you're the type who prioritises family loyalty over abstract principles. Not necessarily always correct, but definitely the makings of a wonderful friend."
"Gryffindor! Naturally, you possess an extraordinary adventurous spirit, and courage is definitely not something you lack."
"Although the ambition to become the world's greatest fairy tale author is rather uncommon, the tremendous effort you've invested in pursuing this dream cannot be denied... Not to mention your rather interesting bloodline. Hmm, it carries very noble qualities."
The hat's voice echoed gently within Sterling's mind, completely different from its rough singing voice moments earlier.
"Oh, little one, my previous tone was a special singing voice. A mediaeval classic that even the original Godric Gryffindor personally approved."
The hat defended its musical choices. Sterling decided not to argue about how many centuries had passed since mediaeval times or how many aesthetic changes had occurred.
"Very well, a young wizard who treats an ancient hat with such cool detachment... although I'm tempted to say you're not quite the warm Hufflepuff type, I must still acknowledge that any House would suit you perfectly. I genuinely cannot narrow down the choices further."
"How about you choose for yourself? Since all represent excellent options, ultimately your personal preference should count most."
That made the decision seem like Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Gryffindor would all work equally well... Gryffindor did seem rather appealing...
"RAVENCLAW!"
While Sterling was still considering his options, the Sorting Hat shouted with renewed hoarseness. Sensing Sterling's confusion, the hat chuckled loudly within his mind.
"Just joking around, my dear boy. Sorting students is entirely my responsibility. I can't simply defer to your preferences. But you truly do belong in Ravenclaw. While the other three Houses would certainly craft you into an outstanding wizard, Ravenclaw will help you write your own legend."
"Just like young Albus long ago. Back then, he satisfied the requirements of all four Houses simultaneously, but I determined that only Gryffindor would lead him to true greatness."
Before McGonagall removed the hat from his head, it left one final, enigmatic message echoing in Sterling's mind.
"And most importantly, you carry a mystical bond with Lady Ravenclaw herself. I would never mistake her distinctive magical signature."