Daphne chose to steady herself amid the horror and uainty of what y ahead. The Slytherin table was in plete disarray.

  "She 't be dead, she?"

  A young wizard rushed to check Daphne's breath, while other professors at the staff table also stood up, making Snape's sudden movement seem less out of pce.

  "Children, please step back a bit."

  Professor Pomona Sprout, Head of Hufflepuff House, hurried down from the stage to assess Daph the Slytherin table.

  "This child has merely fainted, likely from overwhelmiions." She let out a sigh of relief, her gaze shifting to Dumbledore at the staff table.

  "S is a momentous occasion in every young wizard's life; perhaps Miss Greengrass was just too excited." Professonagall spoke and she also appeared to have memorized the names of most of the young wizards.

  "Indeed."

  Dumbledore nodded, pting for a moment. "Let Professor Sprout take her to the infirmary first; I will follow up with Professor Ser."

  The headmaster made the necessary arras.

  Naturally, no one present would object.

  "Poppy will take excellent care of her." Professor Sprout promptly lifted Daphne and headed toward the door.

  Only after she and Daphne had pletely vanished did the young wizards turn their gazes away, and the professors resumed their seats at the staff table.

  Only Snape remaianding.

  At that moment, the expression on the Head of Slytherin House was inscrutable, his dark eyes fixed on Ian, who was still perched on the fged stool.More specifically, it was about the S Hat that Ian had yet to remove from his head.

  "Professor Snape, please trol your emotions."

  Only after Dumbledore spoke softly did S back down, his face clouded with gloom— he no longer focused on the S Hat but instead shot an annoyed gre at Dumbledore.

  Dumbledore, feeling somewhat unfortable under Snape's gaze, lowered his voice to reassure him, "The S Hat has its own judgment; I trust it will provide a reasonable expnation."

  This was clearly not the response Snape desired.

  However, in front of so many students, both young and old, he couldn't very well challenge Dumbledore. He quickly reined in his emotions, sitting up straight with a bnk expression.

  Yet, his habitual hand, tucked into his bck robe, remaiightly gripping a potion he had brewed the night before, the pressure seemingly enough to shatter the gss vial.

  "What happened?"

  Ian, having chatted a bit more with the S Hat about the former Lady Ravencw, found everything calm when he finally removed the hat.

  He turo the staff table, where Dumbledore smiled at him, and S with his head bowed, lost in thought. The atmosphere felt perfectly normal.

  "Your S is plete, Mr. Prince. Please return the S Hat to its rightful pce; it's nearly time for the young wizard to make their choice."

  Professonagall gently reminded Ian.

  "Of course, Professor."

  Ian promptly set down the S Hat and walked toward the Ravencw table, where he was warmly weled by his fellow students. A male student even stood up to shake his hand.

  The student wore a special badge on his chest, presumably indig he was the Ravencw Prefect.

  "Dietrich Wiggins."

  This Sixth Year Prefetroduced himself, and Ian nodded early in response.

  "Ian Prince. I hope the seniors will look after me this year." He shook hands with every enthusiastic cssmate before settling into the area designated for young wizards.

  "Absolutely, no problem! Haha, maybe we avoid losing points in Potions css this year."

  Prefect Dietrich seemed quite cheerful. As the brightest group at Hogwarts, the Ravencw students quickly picked up on some amusing quirks.

  "Zorro Pagaro!"

  Professonagall on stage called out the name of the young wizard.

  One by ohe S tinued.

  As expected, Cho g was not swayed by the butterfly effect of history and was sorted into Ravencw, choosing to sit o Ian.

  pared to other unfamiliar young wizards, it was easier to ect with cssmates who had shared a boat ride.

  "I bet Greengrass is regretting it now." Cho g whispered her thoughts to Ian.

  "Goodness, I didn't realize your friend came from such a... promi family." Although Cho g was of ese dest, she was still from a pure-blood family.

  She had clearly heard of Grindelwald.

  "Merlin will watch over Miss Greengrass; don't worry." Ian was now looking forward to the meal, havien only once since m.

  "I hope she apologize to you properly; it was simply rude of her to say those things." Cho g said even though she didn't seem very familiar with Daphne.

  "Let's give a round of appuse for all the udents."

  Dumbledore stood to begin the opening speech after the S cluded.

  "Due to the unfortunate i with Professor Hannibal st semester, he was forced to leave Hogwarts, so now I would like to introduce the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor for this semester— Professor Ronnie Erich."

  With that, Dumbledore turo a middle-aged wizard at the staff table, who had a rather stern expression and slightly graying golden short hair.

  When Dumbledore mentiohis professor's name, he also aowledged the young wizards before returning to his serious silence.

  "Don't be misled by our professor's serious demeanor; he is undoubtedly an expert in Defense Against the Dark Arts, and I believe he will be an excellent teacher and ally."

  Ian didn't pay much attention to Dumbledore's introdu.

  After all, su unfamiliar name would likely only remain at Hogwarts for a year, and who knows where Dumbledore finds these temporary staff members each year.

  Yes, temporary.

  The Defense Against the Dark Arts position was once cursed by the noseless Voldemort, and wizards daring to take this role almost invariably faced misfortune or acts within a year.

  Lightly injured.

  Or worse, dead without a trace.

  The Goblet of Fire Triwizard Tour is just for show; it be said that these brave Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers are the true champions.

  They are the real heroes.

  "I suppose everyone is hungry; so without further wait, let's enjoy the feast."

  Just as Ian tied his napkin and began wiping his pte with a tissue, Dumbledore on stage timely annouhe start of tonight's ba.

  He did not use the vague "Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!" catchphrase, but with a cp of his hands, a variety of delicacies appeared out of thin air on the empty ptes along the long tables.

  Roast beef, mb legs, pork chops, roast chi, fried chips, boiled potatoes, baked potatoes... the sele was vast, though the cookihods were as simple as those of Muggles.

  Of course, this did not affect Ian's hearty appetite.

  He was truly starving, his eyes nearly glowing with hunger.

  (End of chapter)

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