The Sorting Ceremony began. There were four Houses at Hogwarts: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin.
Professor McGonagall stepped forward, holding a long scroll of students' names. She began calling the first-years one by one. Each child approached the stool, the Deputy Headmistress placed the magical hat upon their head, and the hat would then shout the name of the House. Once the hat was removed, the student would hurry to their respective table.
The first to be sorted into Hufflepuff was Hannah Abbott — a girl with blonde pigtails and cheeks flushed pink with embarrassment and excitement.
Next came Susan Bones — a red-haired girl with brown eyes and a round face, also sent to Hufflepuff.
Several more students followed, but Richard only stirred when Professor McGonagall called:
"Finch-Fletchley, Justin."
Richard held his breath, wondering where the future lord — and possibly banker — would end up.
"Hufflepuff!"
Richard noted with satisfaction that it was an excellent outcome. From what he had gathered, this House was the most quietest and inconspicuous— ideal for spending the next few years.
Richie also noticed that the artificial intelligence sometimes needed only a moment, while at other times the hat remained on a student's head for a while. Seamus Finnigan, a fair-haired Irish boy, sat on the stool for a full minute before being sent to Gryffindor.
Then came another tense moment.
"Granger, Hermione."
Hermione, who had been eagerly awaiting her turn, suddenly realised she was still clutching Richard's robe. Releasing the fabric, she dashed decisively to the stool and practically shoved the hat onto her head.
"Gryffindor!"
Richard shook his head disapprovingly and muttered under his breath:
"Well, that's a twist."
Richie once again regretted not having watched at least the series. The Sorting had been in the second episode, but he'd skipped through it and remembered absolutely nothing of that moment. Apparently, Hermione's adventurous streak had proven stronger than her desire to have a friend. And yet the transmigrator had already come to appreciate the girl's remarkable intellect. Sitting her exams for three years' worth of study externally in just a year and a half was an extraordinary achievement. The boy wasn't sure he could have repeated such a feat without the knowledge from his previous life.
He had already begun making plans for Granger — for instance, placing her as his personal secretary at Hogwarts, so she could gather the information he needed.
"Grosvenor, Richard!"
And now the moment had come.
Richard looked like a small rock — calm and unflinching — as he walked with measured dignity towards the stool. The moment he sat down on the wobbly seat, Professor McGonagall placed the hat upon his head.
"Hmm..." a quiet voice said thoughtfully right by his ear. "You would do very well in Slytherin."
"No, no, no! Hufflepuff. I need Hufflepuff."
"Hufflepuff?!" the voice protested. "Such a thirst for power, wealth, greatness. In Slytherin, you could achieve all of it!"
"Pff!.. My dear artificial intelligence," Richard thought back with open irony, "I beg you — what power, what wealth, what greatness?! I'm a Grosvenor; I've got more of that than I can eat with my backside. What more power could I possibly need? I have a seat in the House of Lords reserved for me by birth, I'm on a first-name basis with the Queen, and my already considerable accounts will soon be overflowing with money. What's far harder for someone of my standing is finding real friends."
"I see great intelligence and a desire to learn," the voice continued. "Ravenclaw would suit you perfectly."
"I can study in any House — this is a school, after all. That's what it exists for. But I want to pursue my studies in a calm environment, alongside my friend Justin."
"So… Hufflepuff?"
"Please. Exactly there."
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
Richard felt an overwhelming sense of relief. When the hat was lifted from his head, he exhaled, straightened his shoulders, and made his way at a measured pace toward the table beneath a banner bearing a badger. Loud applause rose from it.
Richie sat beside Justin, who immediately shared his excitement:
"Richie, it's brilliant that we'll be in the same House!"
"Justin, if only you knew the effort it took to convince the hat to send me after you. That AI seemed determined to put me anywhere but with the badgers."
"AI?" Justin asked.
"AI," Richard nodded.
"What makes you think that?"
"An artificially created thinking entity based on a piece of headwear — what else would you call it if not artificial intelligence?"
"Oh… I suppose you're right, Richie."
"SLYTHERIN!"
Richard noticed that the hat had just sorted Malfoy. Following him, his cronies were also sent to the same House, along with the self-important Miss Parkinson, who evidently considered it beneath her dignity to sit at the same table as a count.
Particular attention was drawn to a pair of pretty twin girls— dark-haired Indian girls with slightly dusky skin and the surname Patil. That name was familiar to Grosvenor. Blessed with an excellent memory in this life, he recalled at once: Azim Hashim Patil—an Indian multimillionaire, owner of the Wipro corporation. A hereditary Brahmin. Formerly engaged in wholesale food supply, now investing in IT technologies — meaning he would almost certainly become a billionaire in the future.
That the daughters of such a man had ended up at Hogwarts was hardly surprising. Among wealthy Indians, it had become fashionable to acquire property in the United Kingdom and obtain British citizenship.
(End of Chapter)
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