Chapter 22: Speech at the Hogwarts Opening Ceremony

Just as Sherlock had predicted, the hat placed upon Harry's head eventually shouted, "Gryffindor!"

The entire process took nearly five minutes—only slightly shorter than Sherlock's own. At this moment, the nearby "little lions" stared at Sherlock in astonishment. Was he really that incredible? Not only had he guessed the outcome, but the process had been matched with such precision? Surely this new student belonged in Ravenclaw?

"You really called it!" Hermione was shocked by Sherlock once again, but her voice was quickly drowned out by thunderous applause and cheering.

Without a doubt, Harry received the loudest ovation of the evening. The welcome from the Gryffindors was far more enthusiastic for Harry than it had been for Sherlock. It could be said that the moment the Sorting Hat announced "Gryffindor," the entire house erupted in fervor. As Harry walked toward the Gryffindor table, the prefect Percy stood up to shake his hand, holding on for so long that if Harry had been a girl, the behavior might have been classified as harassment. The Weasley twins shouted at the top of their lungs, "We got Potter! We got Potter!"

At this moment, Harry was undoubtedly the protagonist. Yet, his gaze drifted toward Sherlock. A feeling of "from now on, I have someone looking out for me" welled up in him, and without another word, he sat down right next to Sherlock.

Compared to the sensation caused by Harry's arrival, the subsequent sortings seemed uneventful. By the time only two students remained, Ron, as expected, was sorted into Gryffindor alongside his brothers—his sorting time being roughly on par with Malfoy's. The other, named Zabini, was sorted into Slytherin.

The Sorting Ceremony officially concluded. Looking at the final results, it aligned perfectly with Sherlock's earlier deductions. About half of the students were sorted into Hufflepuff, while the other three houses combined barely equaled that number. Indeed, Hufflepuff was the backbone of the magical world. The other three houses all had their own flaws to some extent—though Sherlock never considered himself a "normal" person anyway.

After Professor McGonagall rolled up the parchment containing the names of the new students and left with the Sorting Hat, the Headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore, stood up. He looked exactly like the portrait Harry had seen on the Chocolate Frog card: an elderly man wearing half-moon spectacles. His blue eyes were bright and piercing, his long, crooked nose looked as though it had been broken more than once, and his silver hair and beard indicated his advanced age. As for his twinkling spectacles, they seemed as if they could see right through a person.

"Welcome!"

At this moment, he looked at the students with a beaming smile, spreading his arms as if to embrace them all. "Welcome to Hogwarts for the start of a new school year! Before the feast begins, I would like to say a few words."

At this, every first-year student couldn't help but recall the dread of the long-winded speeches delivered by their primary school headmasters. However, what the headmaster did next greatly exceeded their expectations.

He spoke slowly: "Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!"

"Thank you!"

With that, he sat down. The speech at the Hogwarts opening ceremony took less than five seconds, prioritizing brevity and speed. Although no one knew what Dumbledore meant, it certainly sounded profound. Everyone cheered and applauded, not caring in the slightest about the meaning. As long as you don't ramble, everyone is a friend.

Most importantly, everyone was famished. After Dumbledore spoke, the previously empty plates in front of everyone were suddenly filled with all kinds of food. Roast beef, roast chicken, potato chips, ketchup, mint humbugs... there was everything from main courses to snacks. The older students were long accustomed to this, but the first-years were stunned by the sight.

Without needing to be told, everyone began to feast.

"Sherlock, do you think he’s—a bit mad?" Harry asked Sherlock hesitantly.

"Mad?" Percy, hearing Harry's comment, couldn't help but whisper, "He’s a genius! The greatest wizard in the world! Though, you’re right, he is a bit mad. But let’s eat first... would you like some potatoes, Harry?"

Harry took the potatoes and looked at Sherlock again. The latter was frowning, seemingly lost in thought. Sherlock was indeed thinking.

For Dumbledore’s seemingly nonsensical opening address, he had already come up with several interpretations in an instant. First, it could be a expression of stereotypes regarding the four houses: Hufflepuffs are nitwits, Ravenclaws are bookworms who only cry when things go wrong, Slytherins are dregs, and Gryffindors are obstinate. Second, it might be the extreme opposite of each house's representative traits: Ravenclaw—wisdom—nitwit; Gryffindor—courage—blubber/crying; Slytherin—cunning and ambition—dregs; Hufflepuff—integrity and kindness—tweak. Finally, it could be how each house views others: Ravenclaws think everyone else is a nitwit; Gryffindors think other students are cowardly crybabies; Slytherins, arrogant about their pure blood, think others are dregs; and Hufflepuffs believe other houses are too stubborn and rigid.

Regardless, it didn't matter. He had arrived at Hogwarts, and figuring these things out was only a matter of time.

After a busy day, the new students were starving. Truth be told, the food prepared for the new students at the Hogwarts opening ceremony was quite good. It could even be called gourmet—especially considering this was a country famous for its culinary disasters. Sherlock wasn't picky, but he ate more when the food tasted good. As for Harry, although the Dursleys hadn't let him go hungry, they had never let him eat his fill. Consequently, he tried everything on the table.

Once everyone had finished eating, the plates wiped themselves clean, requiring no manual cleaning. This sight once again left the first-years marveling.

Seeing that everyone had eaten their fill, Dumbledore stood up a second time. Compared to before, this speech sounded much more formal.

"With the crisp autumn air and the turning of the seasons, another school year has arrived. In this new year, I hope everyone will persevere, continue to improve your ideological awareness, study magical theory diligently, strengthen your practical training, and achieve excellent results by the end of the term. Older students should hold themselves to high standards, take the lead in observing school rules and discipline, and serve as role models for the incoming first-years. New students should also keep pace with their seniors, strive for excellence, and work together to build Hogwarts into a first-class school of magic in Europe and the world. Finally, on behalf of the school, I have a few requirements for the new students: First, strictly observe school rules—do not cast magic in the corridors between classes, and do not go to the Forbidden Forest or the third-floor corridor on the right; second, actively participate in school activities, apply for Quidditch team tryouts, and contribute to the house’s sporting achievements; third, strive to improve your sense of collective honor—now, under my personal direction, let us sing the school anthem together."

The first two points were fine, but when Dumbledore mentioned singing the school anthem together, Sherlock noticed that the smiles of the other teachers, excluding him, suddenly froze.

There was something strange going on!