Chapter 29. First Night.
What did being smart matter? In the end, she was just a reckless lion who had chosen Gryffindor.
Associating with foolish people would only lower his own standards.
He withdrew his gaze, the flame at his fingertips silently extinguishing within his sleeve, completely dismissing that insignificant thought from earlier.
Names on the list were called one by one, and cheers rose and fell throughout the Great Hall.
When Draco Malfoy was called, he walked forward with his head held high, a haughty smile on his face.
The moment the Sorting Hat touched his hair, it shouted without hesitation: "Slytherin!"
The Slytherin table erupted in applause, and Draco Malfoy lifted his chin triumphantly, walking toward the table, not forgetting to wink back at Edward Black.
Finally, Professor McGonagall called out the name everyone had been waiting for: "Harry Potter!"
The entire Great Hall fell instantly silent, all eyes focused on the thin, dark-haired boy.
Harry Potter clenched his fists nervously, walked up the stone steps step by step, and put on the ragged Sorting Hat.
The hat stayed on his head for a long time, so long that Edward Black began to rub his wand with some impatience.
He could clearly hear the hat muttering in a low voice: "Difficult... very difficult... plenty of courage, a kind heart, and a heart that dares to adventure... Gryffindor would suit you well... but you also have hidden ambition and resilience, and Slytherin needs you too..."
The Great Hall was so quiet one could hear each other breathing.
After a long while, the hat suddenly raised its voice and shouted: "Gryffindor!"
"Boom!"
The Gryffindor table instantly exploded, the older students cheered and banged on the tables, Ron rushed over and hugged Harry Potter, Percy Weasley was so excited his face turned red, and even the corners of Professor McGonagall's mouth revealed a rare smile.
Edward Black watched Harry Potter, who was surrounded by the crowd, a flash of mockery crossing his eyes.
So what if he was the Savior? He was just sorted into a house full of reckless people.
"Edward Black!"
Professor McGonagall's voice rang out, and Edward Black immediately withdrew his gaze and walked slowly up the stone steps.
He stood on the wooden stool, lowered his eyes slightly, and let Professor McGonagall place the Sorting Hat on his head.
The moment the hat touched his hair, it let out an exclamation, loud enough for the entire Great Hall to hear: "Oh! A child of the House of Black! Pure Black blood! Intense ambition, powerful strength, and an unyielding pride! Slytherin! Without a doubt! Slytherin!"
The moment the words fell, the Slytherin table erupted into thunderous applause, even more enthusiastic than when Draco Malfoy was sorted.
Draco Malfoy stood up excitedly and waved, and Pansy Parkinson and the other pure-blood juniors also applauded vigorously, their eyes full of awe and admiration.
Edward Black took off the Sorting Hat, nodded slightly to Professor McGonagall, and turned to walk toward the Slytherin table.
His pace was calm and unhurried, the silver-threaded thorn emblem on his black velvet robes shining under the starlight, like a Black crow about to spread its wings in the night, his whole being exuding a cold aura that warned others to keep their distance.
The Sorting Ceremony ended quickly, and Professor McGonagall put away the list and the Sorting Hat, stepping aside.
An elderly man with white hair walked slowly onto the stage, wearing a magnificent purple robe, with half-moon spectacles perched on his nose; it was the Headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore.
Headmaster Albus Dumbledore offered a kind smile to everyone, opened his arms, and his voice, gentle yet full of power, followed the past conventions strictly, ringing out unchanged in the Great Hall: "Welcome! Welcome to Hogwarts! I am Albus Dumbledore, your Headmaster. Before the feast begins, I have a few words to say. First, I must tell you that there are a few school rules at Hogwarts that must be followed: First, entering the Forbidden Forest is strictly prohibited, as it is very dangerous, especially at night; Second, no one is allowed to enter the room on the right side of the third-floor corridor, and violators will be severely punished; Third, do not provoke the caretaker Argus Filch, and do not feed the prank-loving ghost Peeves, as they will cause you endless trouble. Additionally, I want to remind everyone that the house-elves in the kitchen are very willing to provide extra snacks, as long as you make the request politely. Finally, I would like to say - "
He paused, his bright blue eyes sweeping across the hall, his tone carrying a touch of witty humor: "I wish you all a pleasant and fulfilling time at Hogwarts. Now, let the feast begin!"
As his words fell, the golden plates on the dining tables were instantly filled with various delicacies, the aroma wafting out, making one's mouth water.
Edward Black, however, had no appetite.
He leaned back in his chair, the flame at his fingertips rising again within his sleeve, his gaze sweeping over the noisy scene in the Great Hall, finally landing in the direction of the Gryffindor table.
Harry Potter was chatting happily with Ron and Hermione Granger, smiles beaming on all three of their faces.
Edward Black's mouth curled into a cold arc.
It seems the days at Hogwarts won't be too boring.
After the feast, a prefect wearing Slytherin robes stepped forward and shouted to the first-years: "All first-years, follow me! I'll take you to the dormitory!"
Edward Black followed the prefect out of the Great Hall, through the dim corridors, down the slippery stone steps, growing colder as they went, the air gradually filled with the damp scent of the lake.
Finally, the prefect stopped in front of a wet, slippery stone door carved with snake patterns and said in a deep voice: "Pure-blood."
The stone door opened slowly inward, revealing a long, narrow passage, with wall lamps hanging on both sides, the dim light illuminating the path ahead.
At the end of the passage was a spacious underground dormitory, furnished with four-poster beds carved with snake patterns, the sheets made of silver-green silk, soft and luxurious.
Outside the window was the pitch-black Black Lake, with schools of fish occasionally swimming by, creating fragments of silver light under the moonlight.
"This is the Slytherin dormitory," the prefect said, pointing to the beds, his tone flat. "Choose your own spots. Be at the Great Hall at seven o'clock tomorrow morning sharp for breakfast. Good night."
The first-years chose their beds, and Draco Malfoy immediately ran to a bed by the window, waving vigorously at Edward Black: "Edward Black! Come here! Let's sleep next to each other!"
Edward Black raised his eyes to look at him, his gray-blue eyes devoid of any ripples, and he shook his head gently, his tone indifferent and distant: "No need."
He picked up his trunk and walked straight to a bed in the innermost corner of the dormitory - it was far from the crowd, and the shadows in the corner could well conceal the flames he occasionally lost control of, and it could also avoid the trouble brought by getting too close to people.
Fire magic was his biggest trump card, and he could not expose even a fraction of it in front of these peers he did not yet fully trust.
Draco Malfoy's hand froze in mid-air, the smile on his face fading a little, but he didn't say anything more, just sat back down on the edge of his bed sullenly.
Edward Black put down his trunk, walked to the window, and looked at the pitch-black Lake outside, the flame at his fingertips quietly rising in his palm before silently extinguishing.
The first night at Hogwarts had thus quietly arrived.