"Idiots! Crybabies! Scraps! Twists!" Murphy suddenly repeated Dumbledore's words from the dinner speech.
"In Ravenclaw's eyes, only they are the smartest, and everyone else is an idiot. But in reality, others only see them as bookish nerds who only know how to study."
"In Gryffindor's eyes, they are incredibly brave, and everyone else is a crybaby coward. But in reality, others see them as stubborn and rash troublemakers, prone to causing chaos."
"In Slytherin's eyes, only they understand progress, and everyone else is a mediocre waste. But in reality, others see them as gloomy and selfish, a bunch of bad seeds."
"In Hufflepuff's eyes, they are loyal and hardworking, always down-to-earth, while others are too flamboyant. But in reality, everyone else sees them as dull and lacking personality."
"Our wise Headmaster has already seen this point, thus reminding everyone to unite and complement each other's strengths," Murphy said, bowing slightly to Dumbledore. "Thank you for your great wisdom."
Dumbledore smiled, but behind those half-moon glasses were deep, thoughtful blue eyes.
As Minerva said, this child was indeed extremely smart.
However, even he did not know what Murphy was trying to do.
"You might know, or perhaps you don't," Murphy continued, "that besides being a professor of Practical Magic, I'm also a school governor, commissioned by the school board to help improve and enhance the quality of education at the school."
"So, differently from everyone else, I look at the school's affairs with a scrutinizing eye, always thinking one step further."
"Like today's Sorting Ceremony, which we all take for granted. I asked myself a question."
"Why do we sort students into houses?"
The Great Hall immediately buzzed with discussions. A Gryffindor student called out, "We've been sorting students since they first enter, and the ceremony has been ongoing for a thousand years, since the founding of the school. It's always been done this way; what kind of question is that?"
"It's always been done this way," Murphy nodded. "You're right."
"But, does that make it correct?"
"What?"
The Hall exploded in chatter.
Their post-dinner sleepiness was instantly swept away.
They had never heard such a bold statement.
This new professor was questioning a thousand-year-old tradition?!
My goodness, is he the true Gryffindor here?!
His courage was beyond measure!
Professor McGonagall's heart raced with a sense of foreboding. She looked anxiously at Dumbledore, but the Headmaster calmly gestured for her to be patient.
He was actually quite interested in what Murphy had to say.
"So, can anyone tell me why we started sorting students into houses?" Murphy asked.
A girl immediately raised her hand.
Typical Hermione Granger, even without having attended a single class, she was the first to raise her hand.
"Miss Hermione Granger."
"Um, well, when the four founders created the school, they wanted to teach according to individual aptitude. They each selected students who matched their own traits for instruction, hence the establishment of the four houses."
"Miss Granger, I should award you ten points."
"That's right. The origin of the Sorting Ceremony came from the four founders. Each founder had different traits and even preferred different types of magic, spells, and skills, so they needed disciples who matched their own nature. That was the original intention of sorting."
"But, everyone, do we still have the four founders with us?"
"Is there any fundamental difference in the knowledge we learn in each house?"
"Is there any magic or skill that is easy for Gryffindor to learn but difficult for Slytherin?"
"Is there any potion or knowledge that requires only intelligence and insight, but not hard work and determination?"
"If there is, please tell me, and I should list them separately for specific house instruction."
The Hall buzzed with even louder discussions.
Suddenly, another Gryffindor student stood up, "Professor, even if our courses are the same, we and Slytherin are clearly different! Being in separate houses, we get along better with those around us. Besides, doesn't the competition between houses motivate us to work harder for honor?"
"You're right," Murphy said. "Competition is beneficial."
"The question is, who competes with whom and what competes with what."
"Tell me, is losing to Gryffindor the same as losing to Slytherin?"
"Well... of course not."
"Yes, it's different," Murphy said. "Because Gryffindor is 'one of us,' while Slytherin is 'the enemy.'"
"Losing to one of us doesn't matter, as they're friends and it doesn't affect honor. Losing to an enemy is a disgrace, unacceptable."
"But have you thought about, after graduation, or in the wider wizarding world, no one divides your competitive field by your house? When you look for a job after graduation, will you only compete against a Slytherin, a Ravenclaw, and a Hufflepuff?"
"The competition between houses is collective."
"But collective competition brings a sense of honor, yet it's hard to drive individual initiative. Once individuals are wrapped up in a collective, except for top students bearing the weight of their house's victory or defeat, others don't feel the competitive pressure."
"But a good competitive environment should inspire everyone to strive for improvement. Not just against some classmates or a particular group."
"Therefore, the competition between houses doesn't mean much for the personal growth of students."
"In fact, it can be harmful to a certain extent."
The students were almost numb, "Why?"
"Do you remember what I said at the beginning? How the four houses view themselves and others are completely different. How did this discrepancy arise?"
"Does Gryffindor necessarily have courage? Not necessarily, right? If you've read the newspapers, you should all have heard the story of Peter Pettigrew, who was from Gryffindor."
"The same goes for the other three houses. Does every student embody the traits of their respective house?"
"Not really, sometimes the difference is significant."
"But when a person differs from their house's traits, others don't care about that. Instead, they judge him directly by his house. What is this, students?"
The Hall fell silent, quietly looking at Murphy, waiting for his answer.
"This, is called prejudice."
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