Chapter 5 - Sorting ceremony (2/2)
After taking a long time, the sorting hat shouted, ”GRYFFINDOR” which made the Gryffindor students excited. As they were bursting with laughs and other houses shaking their heads in a disappointment, everything came to halt when she spoke out the next name.
When Professor McGonagall saw the name, she stuttered at first, ”Neal...”. then after calming down herself, she spoke out, ”Neal Slytherin”. The hall went into silence as Neal stepped forward and stood before the hat.
As Neal put on the hat, it mumbled, ”very intelligent, has the interest to know new things, thirst for new knowledge and power indeed. Hmm, Slytherin or Ravenclaw, very difficult indeed. sigh...I guess I don't have a choice. Those wizarding families will burn me if I put you in any other house”.
It shouted, ”Slytherin”. As he was making his way to the Slytherin table while they were bursting in applause, Harry, Ron, and Hermoine were in shock. Other than them, the four girls and Malfoy were stupified as he sat on an empty seat beside Malfoy.
Just as he sat down, everyone surrounded him to question him. He just looked at them with hazel eyes and replied, ”who knows”.
While half of them not believing that he isn't the heir and was just a descendant of those fake surnames, the other half still hoped to believe he is, so that they can dominate the other houses.
On the other hand, Daphne thought, ”they didn't see the snake. It doesn't seem to be a coincidence. He might be the real deal”.
After everyone was sorted, Dumbledore stood up and opened up his arms with a smile, ”Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts. Before we begin, I would like to say a few words here they are, ”Nitwit, Blubber, Oddment, Tweak”. ”Thank you”.
While the first years looked at him like he was a crazy old man, Neal spoke in amazement, ”He's a genius”. Malfoy asked him, ”what do you mean by that? For me, he just looks like a mad man”.
Neal replied, ”Nitwit means stupid which defines the lack of your knowledge, Blubber means fat which defines lack of good appearance, Oddment means leftover or odd which defines your lack of social skills and Tweak means improve by making an adjustment to it.
That means whether you have a lack of knowledge, appearance or social skills before you come here, you can improve in all areas after coming into Hogwarts. Here, we have books for knowledge, spells to make yourself better and have family-like houses to care for you”.
Malfoy and the rest of the first years were amazed to realize that there was a huge meaning hidden inside those four words as for a few older students too got excited, ”well, real heir or not, we got an intelligent one”.
As everyone was talking about their families on the Slytherin table, Neal looked at the High table all the professors sat. Hagrid is drinking from his goblet. Dumbledore looked back at him and raised his glass as a toast.
Neal nodded and continued his dinner. The older student near him wondered ”what is that sound?”. Neal patted his left arm and slowly fed Isle, through his sleeve. If their robes weren't loose, people around would already have found something wrong with his left arm.
Later, Neal and others followed Gemma Farley, the Slytherin Prefect, to the dungeons where their dormitory lie. After entering Slytherin's common room, girls and boys were separated from there and made their way to their rooms.
As Neal entered his room, he was surprised to see there's only one-bed contrast to others which have two to four beds. Upon locking the door, he spoke, ”Isle, you can come out”.
The snake immediately came out of his sleeve and began to crawl all over the room in excitement as it's going to be their new home for the next seven years. After unpacking his stuff, he slept on the bed.