A few minutes later, more and more ghosts began to appear in the small room. They varied in height, size, and shape, which greatly surprised the new students.
At first, the young wizards were quite frightened, but they soon realized that the ghosts were not scary at all. In fact, they were quite friendly, greeting everyone warmly.
To ease the students' nerves, one ghost even showcased a unique ghostly talent, like holding his own head in his hands.
"Cool..."
Watching the head float up and down, some couldn't help but exclaim.
"Thanks for the compliment, but I have something even cooler," the ghost said, intrigued. He then tossed his head into the air, performed a stunning front flip with three and a half rotations, and finally caught his head with perfect precision.
The movements were smooth, the poses graceful, and every landing was precise.
As expected, this display earned applause from everyone, including Kyle, who couldn't help but admire it.
It truly was a rare talent.
"Thank you, thank you, everyone," the ghost said as he circled the room, bowing slightly. "Oh, did I forget to mention that I joined the Headless Hunter Club with this act? Of course, I'm not bragging—just pointing out that you all have excellent taste."
This performance livened up the room.
The young wizards gathered around, urging him to perform another trick.
The ghost was happy to oblige, though he refrained from repeating the complex moves. Still, his continuous tricks brought plenty of laughter.
But suddenly, a sneering voice interrupted from the side: "What's there to be proud of?"
Everyone turned to see another ghost speaking.
"I'm sorry, Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington," the headless ghost quickly apologized to the ghost wearing a ruffled collar. "I just wanted to make the children happy, that's all."
"That's better."
"Of course, and I genuinely hope you'll be accepted into the Headless Hunter Club this year."
Nearly Headless Nick shot him a glare before drifting through a wall.
With the interruption, the headless ghost decided not to continue his performance. He shrugged and said, "Alright, everyone, it's time for the Sorting ceremony. Prepare yourselves. See you later."
With that, he also disappeared through a wall, heading to the Great Hall.
Though the students felt a bit disappointed, they had no choice but to watch him leave.
Yet, the room's cheerful atmosphere remained.
After the ghost show, the students felt more relaxed and eager for the next step in the ceremony—everyone except Kanna.
She was the only one who hadn't paid any attention to the ghost show earlier. Instead, she remained huddled in a corner, looking despondent, almost blending into the shadows.
Unfortunately, Professor McGonagall did not notice her distress.
"I was away for just a moment, and you've turned this place upside down!"
She pursed her lips, looking sternly at the group of first-years. "The whole auditorium could hear your laughter. Do you find this so amusing, or do you think the Sorting is a joke?"
Professor McGonagall's voice was not loud, but it had a chilling effect. The students fell silent, heads bowed, barely daring to breathe.
After a long pause, she continued, "Remember, Sorting is a serious matter, so please be quiet. Now, follow me in single file."
As soon as she finished speaking, the students quickly lined up, following Professor McGonagall closely.
Kanna was among them, dragged along by Kyle, moving like a zombie, still lost in her thoughts.
They walked out of the room, crossed the foyer, passed through a set of double doors, and finally entered the grand Great Hall.
Compared to the entrance hall, the Great Hall was even more magnificent.
It was astonishingly spacious. Even with four long tables filled with students, the room still felt open and airy.
Luxurious gold plates and goblets adorned the tables, and thousands of floating candles illuminated the space.
Above them, the velvety black ceiling sparkled with stars and drifting clouds, resembling the sky outside.
A student whispered to a companion, "There's an enchantment here that makes it look like the outside sky. I read about it in *Hogwarts, A History*."
Kyle glanced in the direction of the voice, losing interest when he realized it was a boy speaking.
What a shame—if he had started a year later, he might have made a great friend in Hermione.
The group came to a stop in front of the staff table at the front of the hall.
Sitting there was Dumbledore, dressed in a purple robe, with neatly groomed silver hair and beard. He wore his signature half-moon glasses, gazing kindly at the new students.
Next to him sat the four heads of the houses.
Severus Snape, the sleek-haired Head of Slytherin.
Filius Flitwick, the short Head of Ravenclaw.
Pomona Sprout, the kind-looking Head of Hufflepuff.
Professor McGonagall's seat was empty for the moment, as she was leading the Sorting ceremony.
Including them, around twenty professors attended the opening ceremony. However, Kyle could only recognize about half of them, and the rest were unfamiliar.
This was to be expected—Hogwarts was a large school, and if only the few professors he remembered were present, it would never be enough.
Additionally, many of the professors he knew served on an annual basis, so there were even fewer familiar faces.
Kyle turned his attention back just as Professor McGonagall placed a square stool in front of the first-years and set a patched, worn, brown wizard hat on top.
Well, "brown" might be a stretch.
The hat was so dirty that even though Professor McGonagall placed it gently, it still released a cloud of dust.
Under the candlelight, the hat's dull sheen revealed its age. Its original color was impossible to discern through the layers of grime.
Kyle was certain that if this hat weren't the Sorting Hat and ended up in his house, either he or Chris would face serious consequences.
Or perhaps Diana would scold both of them.
(End of this chapter)