The one speaking to Sherlock and Harry was none other than the resident ghost of Gryffindor House.
He was translucent throughout, glowing with a pearly white color, still wearing the same tight-fitting doublet he had worn when Sherlock first entered school last year.
Besides that, he also wore a particularly large ruff collar.
With just one glance, Sherlock deduced that he wore this collar for a dual purpose.
First, to appear more festive on such formal occasions.
Second, to ensure his head wouldn't shake too violently on his half-severed neck.
This was also why he was nicknamed "Nearly Headless Nick."
Although he strongly objected to this nickname, since his real name—Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington—was simply too lengthy, everyone directly ignored his protests and continued calling him "Nearly Headless Nick."
"To be honest, not too well."
Hearing Nearly Headless Nick's greeting, Harry replied while taking off his shoes and pouring out the accumulated water.
"This year's weather is even worse than last year's. At least last year it didn't rain, and we weren't delayed for so long."
Ron also chimed in, "Let's hurry up and start eating. I feel like I could devour an entire plate of chicken legs right now."
"Young Weasley, the Sorting ceremony is far more important than eating."
Nearly Headless Nick glanced at Ron, seemingly somewhat displeased with his single-minded focus on food.
"No, no, no. Compared to that, I still think eating is more important..."
Just as he finished speaking, the hall doors opened.
Just like last year, leading the procession was still Professor Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and Head of Gryffindor House.
Her gaze swept around the hall once, then she led a long line of first-year students to the front of the hall.
Seeing this scene, the second-year students couldn't help but smile knowingly.
They remembered themselves from last year.
What was then was just like what is now.
However, affected by the terrible weather, the first-year students now looked much more disheveled than they had last year.
They were soaking wet, and looked less like they had taken boats and more like they had swum across the lake.
The group stood shivering in a line along the staff table, stopping and facing all the school's students, appearing somewhat at a loss.
At this moment, Professor McGonagall placed a three-legged stool on the ground in front of the new students, then placed a tattered, dirty, patched wizard's hat on top of the stool.
The first-year students stared at it blankly.
Many showed expressions of sudden understanding.
So, this was the Sorting ceremony!
Seeing this scene, Harry couldn't help but ask, "Ron, didn't you tell Ginny what happens during the Sorting?"
"Uh... this has been an established tradition, just like it was for us last year..."
Although he didn't know why everyone kept the specific process of the Sorting secret, this had been the way things were done since the school's founding.
Some parents and older students would even deliberately make up exaggerated stories to tease the new students.
It could be considered a Hogwarts tradition.
Sherlock and the others had experienced the same thing last year.
Under Fred's deception, Ron had even thought he would have to fight a troll.
After learning the truth, he had been so angry he wanted to kill Fred.
Now this year, he was doing the same thing Fred had done last year, deceiving his own sister.
Harry sighed, wishing Ginny had come to ask him.
If she did, he would have been happy to tell her the truth.
"Don't sigh, Harry," Ron patted Harry's shoulder. "Don't worry about it. It's always been this way."
"Does the long-term existence of a custom necessarily make it beyond reproach?"
Sherlock spoke thoughtfully. "When people say 'it's always been this way,' what they really mean is often 'I've never thought about why it's this way.'"
"..."
Harry and Ron were speechless, while Hermione looked at Sherlock with a wry smile.
Although the rule about concealing the specific content of the Sorting was indeed rather pointless, Sherlock was being a bit too blunt.
He definitely hadn't read that book by Professor Lockhart!
At the same time, a crack near the brim of the Sorting Hat opened like a mouth, and under the gaze of all the teachers and students, it suddenly began to sing.
"Over a thousand years ago, when I was newly sewn, there were four famous wizards whose names live on..."
The hat's song immediately captured everyone's attention.
Sherlock also listened carefully to the song.
Although the lyrics had changed slightly from last year, the general meaning was about the same, still introducing the four houses of Hogwarts and their characteristics.
When the Sorting Hat finished its song, enthusiastic applause erupted throughout the hall.
Harry clapped while saying with some surprise, "Hey, that's not the same song it sang when it sorted us last time."
"Of course not, the hat sings a different song every year!" said Fred.
"I guess it spent the whole year thinking up the next song," said George.
Sherlock didn't applaud, but decided to reward himself by playing violin when he returned to the dormitory. Because the singing was as terrible as ever.
At this moment, Professor McGonagall unrolled a large scroll of parchment.
"When I call your name, put on the hat and sit on the stool."
Under the gaze of all the teachers and students, Professor McGonagall said to the first-year students.
"When the hat announces your house, go sit at the corresponding table."
After saying this, she looked down at the long parchment in her hands and loudly called out the first name.
"Hannah Abbott!"
When this name rang out, the entire hall suddenly fell silent.
Even some students who had been whispering stopped talking and looked at Professor McGonagall in surprise.
In Hufflepuff House, almost all the students couldn't help but look toward a certain direction among the second-years.
Only then did Professor McGonagall realize something was wrong. She looked down and scanned again.
"Sorry, I took the wrong list. This one is from last year."
Explaining unemotionally, Professor McGonagall took out another piece of parchment and called out a new name.
"Barry Allen!"
A small wizard rushed out from the queue with lightning speed, came to the front of the stool, and put the Sorting Hat on his head.
If it had been any other professor, after making such a blunder, it would definitely have caused uproarious laughter.
But this was Professor McGonagall, so...
It was as if nothing had happened, and the Sorting ceremony continued in an orderly manner under Professor McGonagall's direction.
This was Professor McGonagall's prowess.
One new student after another was called by McGonagall, put on the hat, got sorted, and took off the hat.
Mechanical repetitive actions, nothing new.
Ron kept rubbing his stomach, "Please, hurry up, I'm about to faint from hunger."
Unfortunately, the Sorting Hat wouldn't bend to his will.
Just like last year, the new students' sorting times showed a normal distribution pattern.
The vast majority were decided by the Sorting Hat within one to two minutes about which house to go to.
Only a few would make the Sorting Hat decide immediately.
And a few others would take the Sorting Hat a very long time to decide.
However, the longest was still under four minutes.
Just as Percy had explained to Sherlock last year, a true "hatstall" only occurred once every few decades.
Since there had already been one with Sherlock last year, it was unlikely there would be another hatstall for another few decades.
Besides Ron's sister Ginny, Sherlock didn't know any other first-year students.
But since he was idle anyway, Sherlock began his routine observation and analysis training, deducing these young wizards' family situations from their behavioral habits.
[Muggle-born boy, father works delivering milk, has a younger brother at home, likes photography]
[Wizard-born girl, mother died young, raised by father, only child, likes reading]
[Half-blood family, good eyesight, likes Quidditch]
...
Until Ginny Weasley.
Since she was someone, he knew, and Hermione had mentioned her before, Sherlock took a closer look at her.
The result was that, just like Ron last year, she had barely put on the hat before the Sorting Hat loudly shouted "Gryffindor!"
This was also expected.
After all, her parents and six brothers were all in Gryffindor.
Ginny's face turned red, and she immediately trotted over to the Gryffindor table.
As a prefect, Percy stood up and gave his youngest sister a hug.
Feeling her trembling body, he kissed her forehead, then turned around and glared warningly at the Weasley twins and Ron.
It was because of all their embellishments during the summer that Ginny had been so nervous when searched at the station earlier.
The Weasley twins and Ron rarely avoided Percy's gaze.
They all felt somewhat embarrassed.
After all, no one had expected such an incident at the start of this school year.
"Ginny, come here quickly!"
Ron beckoned Ginny to sit beside him.
Harry, who was next to Ron, smiled and greeted her, "Congratulations, Ginny."
Hearing encouragement from her idol, Ginny immediately lowered her head shyly.
Ginny was already at the back of the new students, and as the last student was sorted into Hufflepuff, the Sorting ceremony finally ended.
"Sherlock, I wanted to ask last year, how did you know Hufflepuff has the most people?"
When he noticed that this year's new students were still mostly sorted into Hufflepuff, Ron couldn't help but turn to look at Sherlock.
"It's simple. After the hat sorts out all those with personality problems, what's left are the honest and decent ones who naturally go to Hufflepuff."
"..."
Ron's mouth twitched, pretending he hadn't heard anything.
The other young wizards nearby did the same.
Professor McGonagall picked up the Sorting Hat and the small stool and took them away.
Noticing this, Ron's attention was immediately diverted. He grabbed his knife and fork and stared longingly at the golden plate in front of him.
"It's time!"
Hearing this, the Weasley twins immediately perked up.
Fred: "This important moment."
George: "The moment we've all been waiting for."
"Get lost, I'm not Wood!"
Hearing the Weasley twins' teasing, Ron said irritably.
At this moment, Professor Dumbledore also stood up like last year.
He looked at all the students with a smile, opened his arms, and made a welcoming gesture.
"At this moment, I have only two words to say to you—dig in!"
"Excellent, long live Professor Dumbledore!"
Ron applauded loudly.
This was because Professor Dumbledore's speech was even shorter than last year's.
As his words fell, the empty plates in front of them were piled high with large chunks of beef, lamb chops, roast chicken, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, chips, Yorkshire pudding, pea shoots, carrots, gravy, ketchup...
The first-year students were all amazed by the feast that appeared before them.
Students from second to seventh year, although they had seen it before, also cheered at this moment.
In this regard, Ron was always the fastest to act. While stuffing a piece of beef into his mouth, he didn't forget to grab a piece for Harry's plate.
Compared to Ron, Sherlock and Hermione ate much more elegantly.
Since repairing his relationship with the Dursleys, Harry's treatment during the summer holidays had improved considerably, so he was no longer like last year.
Nearly Headless Nick, seeing this scene, showed an expression of both envy and sadness. "How wonderful..."
For a ghost, no matter how sumptuous the feast before him, he could only watch.
Ron didn't care about any of that; he just focused on eating.
After eating a few bites, Sherlock fell into his usual state of thoughtful contemplation, oblivious to the world around him.
Harry and Hermione were already used to this.
Every so often, they would hand him bread or fruit, and Sherlock would unconsciously take it and eat it.
After everyone had finished eating, Dumbledore stood up once again, looking at everyone with a smile, and spoke.
"Now that everyone is well-fed, I'd like to emphasize a few points."
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