In the center of the staff table, an old wizard with a long white beard stood up.
This was Professor Dumbledore.
"Before we begin the Sorting Ceremony, I have a few start-of-term notices to announce," he said, his voice carrying easily across the room. "This applies not only to the first-years but to older students as well."
"First, the Forbidden Forest is strictly off-limits to all students."
"Second, our caretaker, Mr. Filch, has asked me to remind you that the fourth-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."
"Thank you."
After casting a quick glance at a certain boy in the crowd, Dumbledore slowly sat back down.
Standing among the first-years, Richie frowned.
Die a very painful death???
Is that something a professor—let alone a headmaster—should be saying to students? And something that could make students die a painful death was just sitting right there on the fourth floor of the castle?
What exactly were these professors getting paid for? Instead of actually solving the problem, they just slap a warning label on it?
For some reason, Aunt Annabelle's words echoed in Richie's ears: "Hogwarts is the safest school in the world!"
If this was the safest school, just how dangerously messed up was the rest of the wizarding world?
Whatever. He was here to learn. Better to just play by the rules and stay the hell away from the fourth floor.
Speaking of which, what floor was the library on again?
---
Once Dumbledore sat down, Professor McGonagall brought out a battered old wizard's hat and placed it on a four-legged stool in front of the staff table.
"When I call your name, please come forward to be sorted."
She pulled out a roll of parchment and read the first name:
"Hannah Abbott!"
The little girl blinked in surprise. Nudged by the kids around her, she nervously stepped forward.
"No need to be nervous. Please take a seat, and I will place the Sorting Hat on your head," McGonagall instructed.
At her gesture, Hannah sat on the stool, and the hat was dropped over her head.
A tear near the brim opened wide like a mouth, and the hat shouted:
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
The table under the yellow and black banners erupted into cheers at the announcement.
"Next!"
One by one, the first-years went up and were sorted into their houses.
Soon, it was Richie's turn.
"Richie Harland!"
Finally.
Hearing his name, Richie stepped up, sat on the stool, and let the hat slide over his head.
A tiny voice immediately whispered in his ear:
"Oh, such an intense thirst for knowledge. I know exactly where to put you..."
"RAVENCLAW!"
Applause broke out from the Ravenclaw table. Richie smiled faintly, took off the hat, and made his way over to his new housemates.
A few more kids were sorted quickly after.
And then, it was Harry Potter.
Whispers and gasps broke out all across the Great Hall.
"Not Slytherin, eh? ... I know just what to do... GRYFFINDOR!"
Welcoming their savior, the Gryffindors practically brought the house down with cheering and foot-stomping.
Soon enough, the rest of the first-years were sorted. Out of the forty-one newcomers, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin each took ten, while Gryffindor ended up with eleven.
With the Sorting Ceremony over, Professor McGonagall clinked a spoon against her goblet.
"Your attention, please. Professor Dumbledore has a few words..."
Dumbledore stood up and smiled warmly.
"Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!"
"May Merlin bless you with a good meal!"
Laughter rang out through the hall, instantly washing away all the tension and confusion of the sorting.
Seeing everyone relaxed, Dumbledore announced, "Let the feast begin."
With a casual wave of his hand, the four long tables were magically heaped with food. Mouth-watering aromas instantly filled the Great Hall.
Richie stared at the spread of steak, roast turkey, and pumpkin pie materializing right in front of him. He raised an eyebrow in pleasant surprise.
"Finally, no more dry, bland food!"
---
After everyone had eaten their fill, the leftovers vanished from the plates.
"Alright, children, on your feet," Dumbledore called out. "Let's close out tonight's feast with our beautiful voices. Everyone, pick your favorite tune and sing the Hogwarts school song!"
Students across all four houses stood up. With a flick of Dumbledore's wand to lead them, they all started belting out the lyrics to whatever melody they wanted:
"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts..."
"Teach us something please..."
"Whether we be old and bald..."
"Or young with scabby knees..."
The first-years stared wide-eyed, completely bewildered by the sheer auditory chaos.
A few of the smarter first-years (like Richie) had already plugged their ears, while a handful of others actually started singing along.
"Ron! Ron, please stop singing!"
Harry's desperate plea was completely drowned out by the horrible cacophony.
---
"Ravenclaw first-years, follow me!"
Richie and the other nine Ravenclaw first-years followed their sixth-year prefect out of the Great Hall and toward one of the castle's towers.
"Our dormitories are located at the very top of Ravenclaw Tower, on the west side of Hogwarts."
"We don't have to deal with the shifting stairs like the Gryffindors do. We just take these marble stairs straight up to the fifth floor. Once we enter the west wing arcade, we head up a spiral stone staircase, and that will take us right to our common room."
After making the climb, the group finally arrived at a solid door completely bare except for a bronze, eagle-shaped knocker.
"To get in, you have to answer the eagle knocker's riddle," the prefect explained. "Get it right, and you enter. Get it wrong, and you have to wait half an hour, or until someone else comes along and solves it."
With that, the prefect knocked on the door.
Under the curious gazes of the first-years, the bronze eagle opened its beak and asked:
"Can dreams become reality?"
The prefect turned back to the first-years with a slight smirk. "Anyone want to give it a shot?"
The kids looked at each other nervously. Seeing this, Richie decided to try his luck.
"Dreams are the primal vessel of consciousness, while reality is the very moment a wand is waved. When magic appears, dreams become reality."
"A perfect answer."
The eagle knocker offered its praise before a loud click echoed, and the bronze door swung open slightly.
The prefect looked at Richie in genuine surprise. "I've been in this house for years, and I rarely ever hear the knocker actually praise an answer."
Richie smiled and rubbed the back of his neck. "I just said what was on my mind."
The prefect nodded in satisfaction. "Excellent work!"
He pushed the bronze door open fully, and the young wizards quickly followed him inside.
The common room was airy and absolutely steeped in an academic atmosphere. Blue silk curtains hung from graceful arched windows, and the domed ceiling was painted with stars that looked so incredibly real you felt you were standing under the night sky.
Packed with bookcases, tables, armchairs, and a tall white marble statue standing in a niche, it felt less like a dorm room and more like a highly artistic library.
"The books on these shelves are free for all Ravenclaws to read, but they cannot leave this room—just to make sure nobody accidentally takes them home," the prefect explained.
"And this is the marble statue of Madam Rowena Ravenclaw. She's one of the four founders of Hogwarts, and the eternal symbol of wisdom for our house. Whenever we're stuck on a difficult problem or have exams coming up, we always come here to ask for her blessing."
"Before I let you go, I want to leave you with one thought. It's also our house motto."
The prefect looked around at them and smiled.
"Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure."