At that moment, Sean ignored the system notifications entirely.
His full attention was fixed on the ancient castle before him.
Hogwarts.
The real Hogwarts.
Even someone as calm as Sean couldn't completely suppress the strange excitement rising in his chest.
"First years, follow me!"
Hagrid's booming voice echoed ahead as he guided the students toward the castle entrance.
Only then did Sean finally notice Hermione again.
She was standing together with Harry Potter and Ron Weasley.
Sean narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.
"So the plot's still progressing normally…"
"Meaning the entire future storyline can still happen."
Then his gaze slowly shifted backward toward Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle.
The three boys instantly shivered.
Draco's already pale face became even whiter.
Sean calmly looked away afterward and followed the crowd into the Entrance Hall.
Soon, Professor McGonagall appeared before the first years.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," she announced sternly.
"The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly."
"But before you take your seats, you will be sorted into your houses."
"Gryffindor."
"Hufflepuff."
"Ravenclaw."
"And Slytherin."
"Your house will become your family during your time at Hogwarts."
"Outstanding achievements will earn points for your house."
"And rule-breaking will lose points."
"At the end of the year, the house with the highest total will win the House Cup."
The moment Professor McGonagall finished speaking, another system notification appeared inside Sean's mind.
[Mission Triggered: Obtain the House Cup.]
[Reward: Mysterious Gift Pack.]
[Restriction: Host may not join Gryffindor.]
Sean's mouth twitched slightly.
"That's troublesome."
"Competing against Dumbledore's favourite protagonist team for the House Cup isn't exactly easy."
Meanwhile, Draco finally gathered enough courage to approach Harry Potter.
He straightened his robes and extended a hand proudly.
"So the rumours were true," Draco said smoothly. "Harry Potter has really come to Hogwarts."
"My name is Draco Malfoy."
Before Harry could answer, Ron suddenly snorted with laughter.
Draco immediately turned cold.
"You find my name amusing?"
He looked Ron up and down with open disdain.
"Red hair. Second-hand robes. You must be a Weasley."
Then Draco turned back toward Harry.
"You'll discover soon enough that some wizarding families are simply better than others."
"You really shouldn't associate with the wrong sort."
He glanced at Ron contemptuously.
"I can help you avoid that mistake."
Harry barely hesitated.
"I think I can tell good people from bad myself," he replied calmly. "Thanks."
Draco's face instantly stiffened.
Before the awkward atmosphere could worsen further, Professor McGonagall opened the doors to the Great Hall.
The first years entered together.
The moment they stepped inside, countless gasps echoed through the hall.
Floating candles illuminated the air overhead while the enchanted ceiling reflected the night sky perfectly.
Even Sean couldn't help glancing upward briefly.
Hermione, meanwhile, immediately began explaining the ceiling enchantment to Harry and Ron in a proud whisper.
Clearly, she had already recovered from earlier embarrassment.
At the staff table, Professor Dumbledore slowly stood.
The entire hall instantly quieted.
"I have a few announcements for our new students," Dumbledore said warmly.
"First years should note that the Forbidden Forest is strictly prohibited."
"At the same time, Mr Filch has requested I remind everyone that the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is also forbidden."
"Unless," Dumbledore added cheerfully, "you wish to die a very painful death."
Then he sat back down calmly.
Sean silently admired the old man's ability to casually terrify children during welcoming speeches.
Professor McGonagall soon stepped forward once more holding the Sorting Hat.
"When I call your name, come forward and place the hat upon your head."
"Hermione Granger."
Hermione nervously walked forward and sat on the stool.
The Sorting Hat barely touched her head before shouting:
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Thunderous applause erupted from the Gryffindor table.
At this moment, however, Sean wasn't paying attention to the Sorting Ceremony at all.
Instead, he stared fixedly at one particular professor seated nearby.
Severus Snape.
Sean's eyes shone almost unnaturally brightly.
Snape quickly noticed the intense stare.
He turned slightly and gave Sean a small polite nod.
Yet Sean continued staring.
Relentlessly.
Snape gradually began feeling strangely uncomfortable under that gaze.
It felt almost like being dissected alive.
Fortunately, Professor McGonagall soon called Sean's name.
"Sean Sebastian."
Only then did Sean finally look away.
Snape secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
For some bizarre reason, that child's eyes had made him feel deeply uneasy.
Meanwhile, Sean walked toward the stool while thinking seriously.
"How exactly am I supposed to convince Snape to cast Sectumsempra on me?"
It was a difficult problem.
No professor would casually attack a first-year student.
Especially not Snape.
While Sean was still thinking, the Sorting Hat settled onto his head.
At the Slytherin table, Goyle quietly muttered:
"I still don't get why you're scared of him, Malfoy."
"He's just a Muggle-born."
Draco immediately shivered at the memory of Ollivanders.
"He's definitely not ordinary," Draco whispered back. "Even my father calls him Mr Sebastian."
"Sebastian?"
A nearby older Slytherin student suddenly sneered.
"There's no pure-blood Sebastian family."
"He's obviously a Mudblood."
Draco instantly became angry.
"My father wouldn't mistake something like that!"
"That's Lucius Malfoy you're talking about!"
The older student simply laughed darkly.
"Malfoy, you're too timid."
"Even if he's pure-blood, if he enters Slytherin…"
A cruel grin slowly appeared on the older boy's face.
"We'll make sure he has a very memorable first night."
Several nearby Slytherins immediately laughed knowingly.
Then suddenly—
"SLYTHERIN!"
The Sorting Hat's voice exploded throughout the hall.
Draco immediately let out a massive sigh of relief.
"See?" he said proudly. "I told you! There's no way a Mudblood could enter Slytherin!"
Meanwhile, Sean himself looked genuinely stunned.
He pulled the Sorting Hat off his head and pointed at himself.
"My parents are both Muggles."
"Why exactly am I in Slytherin?"
Before the Sorting Hat could answer, Professor McGonagall swiftly snatched it away from him.
"Mr Sebastian," she said firmly, "the Sorting Hat has its reasons."
"As a first-year student, your responsibility is simply to accept the result."
Then, after a brief pause, she added dryly:
"Perhaps it's because you manufacture and sell arms?"
.....
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