Chapter 21: Is the Sorting Hat This Brave?
After the unexpected chaos caused by the biting ball, the Sorting Hat quickly returned to its efficient pace, sorting the remaining students as soon as it touched their hair. With this newfound speed, they were soon down to the last two new students.
"Kanna Prince!"
The familiar name caught Kyle and Cedric's attention at once. Both of them looked over at the girl from the train.
"That's the girl we saw earlier, right?" Cedric asked curiously. "Where do you think she'll end up—Slytherin?"
"Probably," Kyle replied, scratching his back out of habit. "Judging by her fancy clothes, she's likely a pureblood. Slytherin makes the most sense..."
But then, Kyle suddenly froze. Something seemed off. Just after Professor McGonagall called Kanna's name, he noticed that Snape—who had been sitting with a bored, disinterested expression throughout the ceremony—had leaned forward, focusing on the Sorting Hat with unusual intensity.
Wait... do they know each other? Kyle thought, a chill running down his spine.
It wasn't completely impossible. Despite Snape's reclusive tendencies and his general avoidance of social gatherings, he was still a well-known figure in the wizarding world, especially as a Potions Master and one of Hogwarts' Heads of House. He was bound to have connections, and it wouldn't be shocking if Kanna's family was among them.
A sinking feeling took hold of Kyle. Could this be bad for me? If Snape really had ties to Kanna's family, and he found out that Kyle had tricked her on the train, things could get messy. Knowing Snape's personality, Kyle feared he might be in for some unpleasant "protagonist treatment" far sooner than he'd like.