(Author's note: There will be a lot of canon insertions in the next few chapters, but there is no way around it, so please be patient, dear readers.)
The Sorting Ceremony has begun. There are four houses at Hogwarts: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin.
Professor McGonagall stepped forward, holding a long scroll with the students' names. She began calling the first-years. The children approached the stool, where the Deputy Headmistress placed a magical hat on their heads, after which the headdress shouted out the name of their house. After removing the hat, the child rushed to their desk.
The first to be sorted into the Hufflepuff house was Hannah Abbott, a girl with white pigtails and cheeks flushed with embarrassment and excitement.
Then Susan Bones, a red-haired girl with brown eyes and a round face, was also assigned there.
There were a few more children later, but Richard only perked up when Professor McGonagall said:
- Finch-Fletchley, Justin.
Richard waited with bated breath to see where the future Lord and, possibly, banker would be assigned.
- Hufflepuff!
Richard noted with satisfaction that this was an excellent option. As he had discovered, this department was the most tranquil and inconspicuous. It would be perfect for spending the next few years there.
Richie noted that sometimes the artificial intelligence takes a moment, while other times the hat sits on a student's head for a while. For example, Seamus Finnigan, a fair-haired Irishman, sat in his chair for a full minute before being sorted into Gryffindor.
But then another exciting moment arrived.
- Granger, Hermione.
Hermione, eagerly awaiting her turn, suddenly realized she was still clinging to Richard's robes. Releasing the fabric, she resolutely rushed to the stool and put on the hat almost instantly.
- Gryffindor!
Richard shook his head disapprovingly and whispered quietly:
- What a twist!
Richie once again regretted not having at least watched the series. The Sorting was in the second episode, but he'd skipped it and remembered absolutely nothing from that moment. Apparently, Hermione's adventurous streak had outweighed her desire for a friend. And yet, the transmigrator had already appreciated the girl's remarkable intelligence. Passing three years' worth of exams as an external student in eighteen months was a remarkable achievement. The boy wasn't sure he could have repeated such a feat without the knowledge from his past life. He'd already begun making plans for Granger, for example, getting her a job as his personal secretary at Hogwarts, so she could gather the information he needed.
- Rich, Richard!
And now that moment had arrived. Richard looked like a small rock, calm and unperturbed, striding with dignity toward the stool. As soon as he sat down on the rickety chair, Professor McGonagall placed the hat on his head.
"Hmm," a quiet voice said thoughtfully in his ear. "You belong in Slytherin."
- No, no, no! Hufflepuff. I need to go to Hufflepuff.
"What Hufflepuff?!" the voice was indignant. "Such a thirst for power, money, greatness. You'll achieve all of that in Slytherin."
"Pfft! Dear AI," Richard thought in response, with frank irony, "I beg you, what power, money, and grandeur?! I'm Rich, I have it all to spare! How much more power could you want? I've been born with a reserved seat in the House of Lords, I'm on first-name terms with the Queen, and my already hefty accounts will soon be bursting with cash. But it's hard for someone of my stature to find friends."
"I see a great mind and a desire to learn," the quiet voice continued. "Ravenclaw was made for you."
"I can study in any department-it's a school, after all. That's what it's for. But I want to study in a calm environment with my friend Justin."
- So, to Hufflepuff?
- Please, exactly there.
- HUFFLEPUFF!
Richard felt an incredible sense of relief. When his hat was removed, he exhaled, straightened his shoulders, and walked with measured steps toward the table where a badger was depicted on a banner hanging on the wall. Loud applause emanated from there.
Richie sat down next to Justin, who hastened to share his joy with his friend:
- Richie, it's so wonderful that we will be studying in the same faculty!
"Justin, if you only knew how much effort it took me to convince the hat to send me after you. It's as if that AI was determined to send me anywhere but to the badgers."
"AI?" Justin asked.
"AI," Richard nodded.