After the song ended, Professor McGonagall stepped forward, holding a scroll with the names of all the new students.
"Whoever's name I call now will come up and put on the Sorting Hat!" Professor McGonagall announced loudly. "Fay Aisha!"
A girl hurriedly stepped out of the line and obediently sat on the four-legged stool.
Professor McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat on her head.
After a few seconds, the Sorting Hat shouted: "Ravenclaw!"
The girl named Fay Aisha immediately stood up nervously and, under Professor McGonagall's nod, stumbled toward the second table on the left. Cheers and applause erupted from the Ravenclaw table.
After Fay Aisha took her seat, Professor McGonagall called the name of the next young wizard.
The sorting ceremony progressed in an orderly manner.
Since Lynn Rohr's last name began with an "R," it was much later in the alphabet. Nearly twenty minutes passed before Professor McGonagall finally called out his name.
"Lynn Rohr!"
Professor McGonagall spoke clearly.
Lynn stepped forward, sat on the four-legged stool, and allowed the Sorting Hat to be placed on his head.
As soon as his eyes closed, Lynn could hear a subtle voice speaking in his ear.
"Tricky, very tricky! I see great courage in you—greater than that of most Gryffindors—and an abundance of talent..."
Hearing the Sorting Hat's words, Lynn wasn't surprised. After all, without courage, how could he have rushed into a fire to save a child he didn't even know? Yet, following the Sorting Hat's implication, did it intend to place him in Gryffindor?
You know, aside from the Weasley family, the only other pure-blood wizard to end up in Gryffindor was Sirius Black.
"But I also see loyalty—a steadfastness that would never betray a friend. And when it comes to love, you are unwaveringly devoted..."
The Sorting Hat continued, now describing traits of Hufflepuff that Lynn seemed to possess. When the Sorting Hat mentioned his capacity for love, Lynn couldn't help but blush with embarrassment.
Come on—he had been single for two lifetimes! Why was the Sorting Hat so confident about his feelings regarding love?
"I also see a keen intellect—a sharpness in learning and in thought that surpasses most Ravenclaws. Yet this isn't innate but the result of experience accumulated over time..."
Now the Sorting Hat highlighted Lynn's Ravenclaw traits.
Listening to the Sorting Hat, Lynn couldn't help but chuckle inwardly. After sixteen years of exam-focused education, his learning abilities and methods were naturally superior to those of these British wizards with their leisurely habits.
Even Ravenclaws, with their intense academic atmosphere, might not compare to his essay-writing skills from his previous life.
Still, although the Sorting Hat acknowledged his Ravenclaw-like qualities, Lynn was confident it wouldn't place him there. Compared to his other attributes, these were learned skills rather than inherent traits.
"Finally, I see an immense ambition. You may disdain power, but your desire for success and victory surpasses all the young wizards I've seen today. You are unrestrained by conventional limitations, willing to do whatever it takes to achieve your goals..."
The Sorting Hat's words silenced Lynn.
Yes, as the Hat stated, his thirst for victory was undeniable.
Born into a poor mountain village in his previous life, he had always dreamed of rising above his circumstances. He would sacrifice everything for an opportunity. He had even suffered when seeking to advance, once beaten severely for daring to question authority.
This kind of determination, born from hardship, was the most genuine form of ambition.
In this life, Lynn was born into the prestigious pure-blood Rohr family, one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, but the hunger for success rooted deep in his soul could not be erased by a mere change in circumstances.
"Fascinating, truly fascinating. You are the most complex young wizard I've sorted in the last decade! You are brave and kind, yet unflinching and deeply ambitious. Loyal, intelligent, and composed. You are a collection of contradictions. Where should I place you? You possess almost every quality from all four Houses, none lesser than the rest. It's quite the dilemma!"
The Sorting Hat swayed indecisively. It had never encountered a young wizard quite like Lynn.
"Slytherin!"
Lynn's voice was low but resolute.
Every characteristic the Sorting Hat had described was a reflection of his previous life. It was as though he had relived that short, intense existence in just two and a half minutes.
But his courage to leap into a fire, his perseverance in his studies, and his sincerity toward friends were all just fleeting moments of his former life.
Only his unyielding desire for victory—a defining trait of Slytherin—had been a constant throughout.
"You want to be in Slytherin? Very well, very well! After all, you are from the Rohr family. If this is your ambition, I shall honor your wish!"
Perhaps it was because Lynn's Slytherin traits were more prominent, or because of his pure-blood lineage, or simply because the Sorting Hat struggled to decide his House. Regardless, upon hearing Lynn's request, the Hat hesitated no longer.
"Slytherin!" the Sorting Hat shouted.
As he opened his eyes, Lynn heard thunderous applause from the Slytherin table and caught a few surprised looks from those seated nearby.
When Lynn took his place at the Slytherin table, a first-year student who had been sorted before him leaned over immediately.
"Wow, Rohr! The Sorting Hat actually spent two and a half minutes on your placement. That's really rare! Oh, by the way, my name is Irwin Foley. Nice to meet you!"
Lynn nodded and replied, "Lynn Rohr. Nice to meet you, too."
After that, Lynn showed little interest in continuing the conversation and instead directed his attention toward the staff table.
Seated there were many familiar faces from Lynn's previous life, save for the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.
"That's... Mr. Wallison Green?!"
Lynn's pupils dilated slightly. He hadn't expected to see the very man whose Chocolate Frog card he had received earlier that day.
At the same time, Lynn caught sight of the Weasley twins out of the corner of his eye. They seemed equally surprised that this year's Defense Against the Dark Arts professor was none other than Mr. Green. There was even a hint of excitement in their expressions.