The Prisoners of Hogwarts

Chapter 38 The Sorting Hat and the New Curriculum

This young man was none other than Quirinus Quirrell, the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts for the new school year, whom Lynch and Dumbledore had been discussing not long ago.

At this moment, Professor Quirrell was sitting sideways, talking enthusiastically with Snape.

His head, wrapped in a thick purple scarf, faced the first-year students waiting for the sorting ceremony on the platform.

Noticing the direction Professor Quirrell was facing away from, a fleeting expression of sneer and "as expected" crossed Lynch's face.

The expression appeared and disappeared so quickly that no one saw it.

The crow's gaze did not linger on the back of the head wrapped in a purple scarf, but instead turned to the silver-haired, silver-bearded old man in the middle of the long table.

Dumbledore sat in the high-backed headmaster's chair in the center of the long table, looking at the young wizards in front of him with a kind and benevolent expression.

Suddenly, without warning, he turned his head, his azure eyes sweeping over the raven on Lin Qi's shoulder, as if he had sensed Lin Qi's prying gaze.

However, he did not say a word, but instead turned his gaze back to the group of nervous young wizards in front of the platform.

Lin Qi opened his eyes and looked over there.

Professor McGonagall took two steps forward, holding a roll of parchment in her hand.

"Whoever's name I call now, put on your hat, sit on the stool, and await Sorting," Professor McGonagall announced clearly and forcefully.

Then she called out the first name: "Hannah Abbott!"

A little girl with rosy cheeks and two golden braids stumbled out of the line.

She put on her hat and sat on the four-legged stool.

A moment later—"Hufflepuff!"

The Sorting Hat shouted in a loud voice.

The branching ceremony has begun.

One by one, the young wizards put on the Sorting Hat amidst tension and anticipation, and then, after the Sorting Hat made its decision, they gathered at the long table where their respective houses were cheering.

After the Sorting Hat finished speaking, the round-faced little boy Neville Longbottom ran towards the Gryffindor table wearing the hat, causing a burst of laughter in the Great Hall.

Until that name was spoken—

"Harry Potter!"

A low murmur filled the quiet auditorium.

Lynch saw many students stand up from the long table and crane their necks to see Harry.

From the raven's wide field of vision on his shoulder, he also saw Snape, who had suddenly fallen silent on the other side of the teachers' table.

Snape's gaze was fixed firmly on Harry.

Watching him put on the Sorting Hat.

Watching him run toward the Gryffindor table where the revelry was in full swing.

His gaze followed Harry's movements.

Finally, he peered over the scarf wrapped around Professor Quirrell's head and stared intently at Harry.

As Dumbledore stood up, he announced the start of the dinner.

Hungry Harry began to wolf down the food in front of him.

After eating for a while, when my stomach wasn't so hungry anymore,

Harry finally felt the strange gaze that had been staring at him.

He looked back, puzzled.

Caught off guard.

Their emerald green eyes met Snape's jet-black eyes.

"Ouch!" A sudden burning pain on his forehead made Harry lower his head.

He covered his forehead with one hand, only to find that the burning pain disappeared in an instant, just like when it came.

Behind the long table of teachers on the high platform, Lynch and Dumbledore, who had been watching Harry closely, simultaneously noticed Harry's unusual behavior.

But both of them kept their eyes fixed on Harry, not even glancing at the other end of the teachers' table.

After noticing that Harry quickly returned to normal.

Dumbledore calmly picked up a peppermint candy and put it in his mouth.

Lynch then picked up his wine glass and took a small sip of the deep red, blood-like wine.

After the burning pain subsided, Harry stared at Snape for a moment and asked Percy who the teacher with the hooked nose and greasy black hair was, but Snape did not look in Harry's direction again.

Harry then continued to devour the food on the table; he had never eaten such a sumptuous and delicious meal at the Dursleys' house.

Finally, after all the pudding on the plate had been eaten.

Headmaster Dumbledore stood up, and the Great Hall fell silent again.

"Now that everyone has eaten and drunk their fill, I'd like to say a few more words."

Dumbledore's voice wasn't loud, but it carried throughout the entire Great Hall, and everyone could hear him clearly.

"Entry into the restricted woodland on the school grounds is prohibited for all students. This is a special reminder for first-year students and some students above the first year."

As he said this, Dumbledore's eyes glanced deliberately at the Weasley twins at the Gryffindor table.

Dumbledore then brought up Mr. Filch's reminder and its connection to Quidditch's auditing work.

Then, he paused for a moment and gestured towards the side of the long table.

"There is another important thing. Starting this semester, we will be adding a new course—Magic Research."

It is a compulsory course for grades one through three, and an elective course starting in grade four. The course is taught by Professor Jim Lynch.

Please give a round of applause!

A round of enthusiastic applause rang out in the auditorium.

Amid the applause, Harry saw a young wizard stand up from behind the teachers' table. He was wearing a suit and waistcoat, his face was a little pale, and he had black hair parted in a 3/7 style. He was the strange wizard who had been staring at him from the platform earlier.

Now Harry knows his name and that he is the teacher of his compulsory course.

After the applause subsided, Dumbledore continued, "Finally, I must solemnly warn you: anyone who does not wish to suffer an accidental and painful death should not enter the right-hand corridor on the fourth floor."

Harry thought Dumbledore was joking, so he laughed.

But he soon realized that apart from himself, few people were laughing; the expressions of those around him were serious and earnest.

Harry stopped laughing, realizing once again that the wizarding world, besides its wonders, also harbored many dangers.

Even at Hogwarts, under the watchful eye of Dumbledore, the headmaster whom Hagrid greatly admired.

On the other side, Dumbledore took out his wand and flicked it lightly in the air. A long golden ribbon floated in the air, twisting and coiling into lines of text.

Dumbledore led all the teachers and students in singing the Hogwarts school song, which only had lyrics and no melody.

After the grand chorus, each singing its own tune, ended, the welcome banquet in the auditorium also officially came to a close.

The prefects of each house led their young wizards out of the Great Hall in an orderly fashion.

Then the teachers began to leave.

Lin Qi walked out of the auditorium, his peripheral vision catching a glimpse of a purple figure disappearing around the corner.

His gaze lingered briefly at the corner before shifting to his side—

Snape's signature wide black robes fluttered like the wings of a bat as he strode toward the underground steps.

"Severus!" Lynch called out.

Just like when Dumbledore spoke in the Great Hall, his voice wasn't loud, but it reached Snape's ears precisely.

The figure in the black robe suddenly stopped.

Snape slowly turned around, a sharp glint flashing in his dark eyes, silently piercing Lynch in the dim light of the torches on the wall.

Lin Qi met his gaze, a cryptic smile playing on his lips: "Want to take a walk together?"