Kyle didn't hesitate, and in just a few quick steps, he made his way to the platform. After surviving his earlier anxiety, he patted his chest and looked sincerely at Professor McGonagall. "Thank you, Professor."
Professor McGonagall, perhaps not expecting such politeness from a Hogwarts student, was momentarily caught off guard by Kyle's sudden gesture. After a couple of seconds, she finally responded, shaking her head. "It's my duty."
Although she said that, the stern expression she usually wore softened considerably. Before placing the Sorting Hat on Kyle's head, she even took a moment to brush off some of the dust on it.
"A polite child like you, if only you could be sorted into Gryffindor," she thought to herself. Gryffindor had been lacking in model students like him. Last year, she had dreamed of getting Cedric into her house, but sadly, both Sprout and Dumbledore had disagreed. Let's see what happens this year, though.
Her gaze was fixed intently on Kyle, and in her mind, she prayed that the Sorting Hat would make the right choice.
---
"Strange, so strange," Kyle heard a faint voice once the Hat was placed on his head. "You actually thanked me sincerely? That's unusual… I mean, are you really the type of well-behaved kid?"
"I most certainly am!" Kyle responded seriously. "You could ask around; the Weasley family or Mr. Scamander have both said that I'm one of the most polite kids they've met. So please don't slander me, or even though you're just a hat, I'll lodge a complaint against you."
"..."
For once, the Sorting Hat fell silent. Its tip swayed back and forth unconsciously, as if at a loss for words, or maybe it was just in deep thought. After a long pause, it finally spoke again.
"Your shamelessness reminds me of a time more than a thousand years ago, back when I was just an ordinary hat, resting on Godric's head. So, how about Gryffindor? I think it should... no, never mind. It's not the right fit for you."
"I think…"
"Let me think." Kyle was about to speak again when the Sorting Hat interrupted him.
"Maybe Slytherin would be a better fit for you. You would certainly achieve greatness there, no doubt about that."
"Well..."
"Wait, wait," the Sorting Hat cut him off again. "No, it's still not right. And if you went to Slytherin, Snape would definitely pour some strange potions on me. Let me think again… If only Azkaban was part of Hogwarts, or maybe even Newt Scamander's place…"
The Hat's tone seemed to be joking, but Kyle wasn't laughing at all… What was going on?
He didn't think he had done anything wrong, aside from scaring Connor a little earlier. Was he really going to be sent to Azkaban or even Newt Scamander's place because of that? What kind of logic was this?
Besides, the entire wizarding world did similar things, some even more exaggerated than what he had done—yet they never got into trouble. This was totally double standard.
Kyle felt like he had to do something. If the Sorting Hat shouted out that place, it would be the end of him. Azkaban was one thing—being under the Ministry of Magic's jurisdiction meant you couldn't just go there whenever you wanted.
But Newt Scamander's place was different; Dumbledore had connections there. If someone wanted to send a student there, it would be incredibly easy.
Though Kyle knew deep down the Sorting Hat was probably just being petty because he'd jokingly threatened to complain about it, he still couldn't shake the worry. What if it really decided to shout out one of those places for fun?
After all, who knew what went on in the mind of a Hat that had existed for over a thousand years and had a will of its own? It could say anything on a whim.
---
"Um…" Kyle forced a harmless smile. "That song you sang earlier wasn't bad. Especially the first few lines—simple lyrics, light melody, way better than the clichés from the Weird Sisters."
The Sorting Hat immediately perked up. "You liked it, huh? I knew it! I spent an entire year coming up with that song, of course it's good. Only Dumbledore didn't appreciate it—he even tried to convince me to sing the school song. What a busybody!"
Er... Kyle wasn't about to talk badly about the Headmaster under his very nose, even if he couldn't hear him. That would be suicide. He cleared his throat awkwardly and continued, "By the way, I couldn't help but notice that your song sounded kind of familiar—was it in a rap style?"
"Rap style…" the Hat responded, curious. "What's that?"
"You don't know what rap is? Are you self-taught? Incredible." Kyle pretended to be shocked before explaining, "Rap, also called hip-hop, is a very popular Muggle music style."
"Muggle music..." The Sorting Hat seemed even more intrigued.
"Yeah, I think it would suit you. If you want, I can get you a gift for Christmas, something related to it."
"Okay… no, what I mean is, let's just get on with the Sorting. It's been quite a while, and I'm sure you're hungry too. We wouldn't want to delay the feast any longer," the Sorting Hat cleared its throat. "Now, where were we?"
Kyle smiled. "You were saying I'm a polite kid, but none of Gryffindor, Slytherin, or Ravenclaw are suitable for me."
"Hmm? Did I mention Ravenclaw... oh right, I almost forgot. You're right, none of those houses are the right fit for you. So the result is obvious now…"
"Hufflepuff!"
As soon as Kyle's Sorting result was announced, the entire hall, including the staff table, erupted into thunderous applause. It had been a full twenty minutes—this had been the longest Sorting ceremony in Hogwarts history, and finally, it was over.
They were starving, after all. Normally, by this time, the feast would already be underway.
The Hufflepuff table was especially lively. Cedric, no longer bothered about Quidditch, came over enthusiastically and gave Kyle a hug.
"Awesome, Kyle! I knew you'd end up in Hufflepuff!"
Kyle laughed. "You have better taste than the Sorting Hat."
"Huh?" Cedric blinked, a bit confused.
But Kyle just smiled and didn't explain further.
Just then, a few upper-year students came over to shake his hand. From the badges on their robes,
Kyle guessed they were the prefects of Hufflepuff. It was a tradition in every house—greeting the
new students and getting a bit of face time.
Kyle smiled and greeted them back before sitting down at the empty seat next to Cedric. The seat
had originally been occupied by a prefect, but once they saw Kyle and Cedric knew each other, they kindly offered the spot to him.
After sitting down, Kyle, like everyone else, turned his gaze toward the Sorting Hat.
Hufflepuff had been his first choice. After all, Newt Scamander was a Hufflepuff, and his father,
Chris, had graduated from Hufflepuff too. As a wizard who also loved magical creatures, it only made sense to experience this house.
Additionally, Kyle wasn't in the mood to think about Voldemort or the Dark Lord right now. He just wanted to fully enjoy the wonders of magic and the life at Hogwarts, and the warm and loyal Hufflepuff house was the perfect choice.
Because, let's face it, the Hufflepuff dorms were right next to the kitchens—and that was important.
(End of Chapter)
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