The great doors of the Great Hall slowly opened.
Warm golden light spilled into the corridor, illuminating a group of nervous first-year students standing behind Professor McGonagall.
"Follow me," she said calmly.
The students began walking behind her.
As they stepped into the Great Hall, many of them gasped in amazement.
The hall was enormous.
Four long tables stretched across the room, each filled with students wearing robes of different colors. Thousands of candles floated magically in the air above them, casting a soft golden glow throughout the hall.
But what caught everyone's attention the most was the ceiling.
It looked exactly like the night sky.
Stars sparkled above them as if the roof itself had vanished.
Hermione looked up in wonder.
"It's enchanted," she whispered.
"I read about this. The ceiling reflects the sky outside."
Hannah's mouth fell slightly open.
"It's beautiful…"
Susan nodded softly.
"It feels like we're outside."
Kenzo glanced at the ceiling briefly before calmly looking forward again.
Meanwhile, Zetsu observed the hall with great fascination.
"Magical lighting system… floating candle arrangement… large-scale atmospheric illusion."
He quickly wrote something in his small notebook.
The four house tables were filled with students watching the first-years with curiosity.
Some whispered to each other.
Others pointed discreetly.
At the far end of the hall was the staff table, where the Hogwarts professors were seated.
In the center sat an elderly wizard with a long silver beard and half-moon glasses.
Professor Albus Dumbledore.
His eyes sparkled kindly as he observed the new students entering the hall.
Professor McGonagall led the first-years to the front of the room and turned to face them.
The entire hall fell silent.
She placed a small wooden stool on the floor.
Then she set an old, patched wizard's hat on top of it.
The hat looked worn and slightly crooked.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Several students exchanged confused looks.
Hannah whispered quietly,
"Is that… the Sorting Hat?"
Hermione nodded eagerly.
"Yes."
Suddenly—
The hat twitched.
A tear near its brim opened like a mouth.
Then the hat began to sing.
The entire hall listened as the Sorting Hat sang its ancient song about the four founders of Hogwarts and the houses they created.
When the song ended, the students applauded politely.
Professor McGonagall stepped forward with a long parchment list.
"When I call your name," she said clearly, "you will step forward, sit on the stool, and place the Sorting Hat on your head."
"The hat will decide which house you belong to."
Hannah swallowed nervously.
"This is it," Susan whispered.
Hermione looked both nervous and excited.
Zetsu leaned toward Kenzo and whispered,
"A cognitive evaluation through a magical artifact."
"Something like that," Kenzo replied calmly.
Professor McGonagall began reading the list.
"Hannah Abbott."
Hannah froze.
"Oh no…"
Susan nudged her.
"Go!"
Hannah walked forward nervously and sat on the stool.
The Sorting Hat was placed on her head.
For a moment, the hall was silent.
Then the hat shouted—
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
The Hufflepuff table erupted in cheers.
Hannah hurried over, looking relieved.
Next—
"Susan Bones."
Susan stepped forward more confidently.
The hat barely touched her head before shouting—
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
The Hufflepuff table cheered again.
Several more students were sorted.
Finally—
"Hermione Granger."
Hermione took a deep breath.
"This is it…"
She walked forward and sat on the stool.
The hat was placed on her head.
For a few seconds, nothing happened.
Her fingers tightened slightly on the edge of the stool.
Then—
"GRYFFINDOR!"
The Gryffindor table exploded with applause.
Hermione quickly removed the hat and hurried to her new house, smiling with relief.
Before sitting down, she glanced back toward Kenzo.
Then Professor McGonagall called the next name.
"Kenzo Otsutsuki."
The moment the name was spoken—
The entire Great Hall changed.
Several students from ancient wizarding families stiffened.
Their expressions shifted.
Then one by one—
They slightly lowered their heads.
A gesture of respect.
Whispers spread rapidly throughout the hall.
"…Otsutsuki?"
"No way…"
"That Otsutsuki family?"
First-year students looked confused.
"Why are they bowing?"
"What's happening?"
At the Hufflepuff table, Hannah and Susan initially looked confused.
But after hearing the whispers around them—
Their expressions changed.
"A noble family…" Susan whispered.
Without hesitation, they also bowed their heads slightly.
Hermione looked around in confusion.
"Eh…?"
She glanced from side to side.
Many students—including some professors—were watching with serious expressions.
Kenzo calmly walked forward.
As if the reaction meant nothing.
His footsteps echoed softly in the silent hall.
He sat on the stool.
Professor McGonagall gently placed the Sorting Hat on his head.
The hat fell over his eyes.
Inside the darkness beneath the hat
A soft voice spoke in Kenzo's mind.
"Well… well…"
"This is interesting."
The hat was silent for a moment.
"A very calm mind… very structured…"
"I see intelligence… curiosity… and remarkable analytical ability."
The hat sounded intrigued.
"And something older…"
"Very rare for a first-year student."
Kenzo remained calm.
Outside, the hall was completely silent.
Many students still had their heads slightly bowed.
The hat continued speaking.
"I see ambition."
"Not ordinary ambition… but controlled ambition."
"That would suit Slytherin."
The hat paused.
"But that's not everything."
"I also see courage… though you hide it well."
The hat sounded amused.
"But what stands out the most…"
"Is curiosity."
"The desire to understand the world."
"To learn everything."
The hat sounded satisfied.
"Ah…"
"I know the perfect place for a mind like yours."
Then suddenly—
The Sorting Hat shouted loudly.
"RAVENCLAW!"
For a moment—
The hall was silent.
Then the Ravenclaw table erupted into cheers and applause.
Kenzo calmly removed the hat and handed it back to Professor McGonagall.
As he walked toward the Ravenclaw table—
Several students again lowered their heads slightly as he passed.
Kenzo seemed not to notice.
He sat at an empty seat among the Ravenclaw students.
Hermione clapped enthusiastically from the Gryffindor table.
"Congratulations!"
Hannah and Susan waved happily from Hufflepuff.
Kenzo nodded slightly.
Near the wall—
Zetsu wrote in his notebook.
"Subject Kenzo Otsutsuki successfully sorted into Ravenclaw."
He paused.
Then added another line.
"Observation: social reaction toward the Otsutsuki family consistent with predictions."
He closed the notebook.
Meanwhile, Professor McGonagall checked the list again.
"Harry Potter."
The name immediately broke the silence.
Now all attention shifted toward a black-haired boy with a lightning-shaped scar on his forehead.
Harry Potter.
Whispers spread quickly.
"Harry Potter?"
"The boy who survived?"
"The scar is real…"
Harry walked forward nervously.
Hundreds of eyes watched him.
As he passed the Ravenclaw table—
Harry glanced at Kenzo.
The boy sat calmly among the Ravenclaws, seemingly unaffected by the attention surrounding him.
Harry frowned slightly.
Professor McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat on his head.
A few seconds later—
The hat shouted.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
The Gryffindor table exploded with cheers.
Ron jumped up, clapping enthusiastically.
"Yes!"
Harry quickly removed the hat and hurried to the Gryffindor table.
Many students patted his back as he sat down.
Hermione smiled.
"Congratulations!"
Harry still looked slightly dazed.
But after a few moments—
He glanced again toward the Ravenclaw table.
Kenzo remained calm, as if the excitement in the hall had nothing to do with him.
Harry leaned toward Ron.
"Ron…"
Ron was busy grabbing a pumpkin pie.
"Yeah?"
Harry gestured slightly toward the Ravenclaw table.
"That boy."
Ron immediately knew who he meant.
Kenzo Otsutsuki.
Ron paused for a moment.
He sighed quietly.
"He's… just an old family."
Harry frowned.
"But everyone bowed to him."
Ron shrugged.
But inside—
He knew exactly why.
Yet his father's warning echoed in his mind.
So Ron simply went back to eating his pie.
At the Slytherin table—
Draco Malfoy was also watching Kenzo.
"So that's him…"
His father had mentioned that name once.
With unusual seriousness.
A family even the Malfoys treated carefully.
Draco sat a little straighter, unable to take his eyes off Kenzo.
Across the hall—
Zetsu opened his notebook again.
"Additional observation: subject Harry Potter also draws significant social attention."
He paused.
Then added,
"However, his influence remains far below that of subject Kenzo Otsutsuki."
Zetsu closed the notebook.
At the staff table—
Professor Dumbledore watched the hall quietly.
His gaze rested first on Kenzo.
Then on Harry.
A small smile appeared on his face.
As if he had just witnessed something very interesting beginning to unfold.
The first night at Hogwarts had only just begun.
Yet two centers of attention had already appeared within the ancient castle.
Harry Potter.
And
Kenzo Otsutsuki.
And without most students realizing it—
their story had only just begun.