A curly-haired boy with chestnut-colored hair stumbled forward when his name was called. He nearly tripped over his own feet as the Sorting Hat was placed on his head—the wide, drooping brim almost swallowed him whole.
After a minute of thoughtful silence, the Sorting Hat finally gave its verdict—
"Hufflepuff!"
The Hufflepuff table erupted into cheers, clapping joyfully as they welcomed their very first new student of the year. Watching the scene, Tom couldn't help but feel a pang of envy. Just last year, he too had imagined being sorted into Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw—surrounded by friends, laughter, and warmth.
But reality had been far less kind.
That damned hat had been blind to his pure and innocent heart, and instead had tossed him into the snake pit.
Well, since there was no choice, he had simply made the snakes his dogs.
"Romanley Castor!"
"Norfolk Phelps!"
Professor McGonagall continued reading the list of names, one after another. When the line of new students had been cut in half, at last, it was Astoria's turn.
Daphne instantly straightened her posture, nervous and tense.
Of course, she was hoping Astoria would be sorted into Slytherin—that way she could take care of her little sister every day.
This time, the Sorting Hat played no tricks. Astoria had barely worn it for a few seconds before it loudly proclaimed:
"Slytherin!"
Tom was the first to applaud, and the Slytherin table quickly followed his lead.
Everyone knew how close he was with the Greengrass family—if you didn't clap enthusiastically now, people would start questioning your loyalty.
How things had changed.
Back when Tom had been sorted last year, the applause had been miserable.
And now—he was the one leading the clapping. He almost felt like he should publish a book about his life. The title? "My Struggle in the Wizarding World."
Astoria blushed as she removed the hat, politely bowing to Professor McGonagall before skipping over to join Daphne, who had been waving frantically at her.
Daphne threw her arms around her doll-like sister, beaming with happiness.
"This is wonderful, Astoria! Now we can be together every single day again!"
"...Sister."
Astoria squirmed, clearly embarrassed at being hugged so tightly in front of everyone.
Tom chuckled softly and turned his attention back to the Sorting. The ceremony was a lot like opening mystery boxes—you never knew what you were going to get, aside from a few surnames that practically guaranteed certain outcomes.
Meanwhile, the grand doors to the Great Hall creaked open.
Outside, after a grueling but bizarre journey, Harry and Ron had finally returned. Both of them crouched at the crack in the doorway, peeking inside to see what was happening.
Harry spotted a gray-haired boy being fitted with the Sorting Hat, then shifted his gaze toward the staff table.
There sat Dumbledore with a blank expression, Lockhart grinning idiotically, and Hagrid, cheerful as always.
But one chair was empty.
"Wait…" Harry whispered urgently to Ron. "There's a seat missing at the staff table. That's Snape's. Where is he?"
"Maybe he's sick!" Ron said hopefully.
Harry's eyes brightened at the thought. "Or maybe he finally quit! He didn't get the Defense Against the Dark Arts post again—maybe he stormed off in a rage!"
"I doubt it," Ron muttered darkly. "He'd never give up such a cushy job… especially when it gives him more chances to torment you. But maybe…" Ron's eyes gleamed with mischief. "Maybe he blew himself up in his own dungeon. Haven't you read the Daily Prophet? That French Etienne family? Their whole line wiped out—poisoned by a bad potion."
"Maybe—"
"Or maybe…"
The voice was cold, silky, and dripping with mockery. It came from directly behind them.
"…maybe he was just checking the school rules, to see how many times you two should be expelled for arriving at Hogwarts in a flying car."
Harry and Ron froze. The smile on their faces vanished instantly—because the smile now belonged to Severus Snape.
When they turned, the despair etched on their faces was so delicious that Snape nearly laughed aloud.
"Come along, boys," he said smoothly. "Take one last good look at the school."
The blood drained from their faces. They were so shaken they had to support each other just to keep up with Snape's long strides as he led them down toward the dungeons.
Snape, on the other hand, seemed to be in an uncharacteristically good mood—his steps light, and even a faint tune humming from his lips.
Back inside the Great Hall, Tom glanced briefly at the doorway before turning back to the Sorting.
As expected, Rolf was sorted into Hufflepuff. The moment the Sorting Hat announced his placement, the entire Hufflepuff table erupted into a frenzy. After all, the Scamander surname carried weight—and they treated the news as if it were the New Year itself.
At last, it was Ginny Weasley's turn.
Tom studied her carefully.
Right now, she didn't stand out much compared to the other girls—not like Daphne or Astoria, who had been stunning since childhood. But Ginny had a good bone structure. With time, and perhaps a little slimming, she could grow into a true beauty.
He couldn't help but smirk. The movie casting really did ruin some childhoods…
His gaze drifted toward the Ravenclaw table. Sitting there was an Asian girl with long black hair and eyes as clear as autumn water. She smiled faintly as she whispered with a classmate.
Almost as if sensing his stare, the girl lifted her head. Her eyes met his, and she gave him a polite nod.
Tom looked away casually, as though it had been nothing more than an accidental meeting of eyes.
"Enjoy your feast, children."
With Dumbledore's words, the once-empty golden plates filled instantly with a dazzling array of food. Steam rose in fragrant curls, making the entire hall burst with delicious aromas.
Tom's appetite stirred despite himself.
Even though he had sampled countless dishes before, Hogwarts' house-elves had a certain magic touch. He had just finished two crispy fried fish when Snape swept back into the hall.
The Potions Master leaned down to whisper something into Dumbledore's ear. Then, with grim faces, McGonagall and Sprout were also summoned, the group slipping away from the table in silence.
"They've gone to deal with Potter, I bet," Draco muttered gleefully. His pale eyes glinted with smug satisfaction.
But everyone else was far too busy eating to echo his gloating remarks. Even Crabbe and Goyle couldn't spare a word, their mouths crammed with food.
Suddenly—
"Cawwww!"
A clear, ringing phoenix cry split the air, making every student in the Great Hall freeze and look up.