The Rebirth of Harry Potter

As the train whistle blew, an ominous feeling crept over Harry.

A sharp screech echoed through the train as the wheels ground to a sudden halt. Despite the brakes engaging, the train still skidded along the tracks, sending sparks flying.

Caught off guard by the abrupt stop, Harry lost his balance and fell backward—only to realize that a slender figure had also tumbled onto him.

Both of them landed heavily on the floor. Harry felt a sharp sting in his back, and his chest was compressed under the unexpected weight. "Hermione, are you okay?" he asked, concerned, as he reached out to help her up.

As his hand reached forward, he felt something soft. Without thinking, his fingers instinctively squeezed.

Lying on top of him, Hermione lifted her flushed face and stammered, "Your hand…"

Harry's mind finally caught up with his actions. Realizing what he was holding, he let out an awkward chuckle. "You know, there's this thing called an 'uncontrollable force' in the world..."

Hermione scrambled off him in a hurry, her face burning red. She ran off—but then stomped back, gave him two furious kicks while he was still on the floor, and left again.

"Ugh…" Harry groaned and quickly got to his feet. If he didn't get up soon, he'd risk getting trampled by the exiting students. He dusted off his clothes, glanced at his right hand, and suddenly… felt strangely blessed.

(The author: What a scoundrel...)

A voice rang out over the train's speakers: "Please leave your luggage on the train. It will be delivered to your dormitories." The announcement repeated several times.

After considering his options, Harry decided there was no need to return to his compartment. Instead, he followed the crowd of first-years as they disembarked.

The moment he stepped off the train, a chill ran down his spine. They had arrived at a small platform, surrounded by complete darkness. The castle was still some distance away, and the path ahead was unclear.

Suddenly, a lantern flared to life.

Hagrid, holding a massive lamp, stood at the front of the gathered students.

"First years, follow me! Watch your step—don't trip! Harry, where are you? Come over here!"

Harry pushed through the crowd, and many students turned their heads upon hearing his name.

"Is that really Harry Potter? The one who defeated the Dark Lord?" Murmurs and whispers spread among the group.

Some of the girls, upon getting a good look at him, whispered excitedly, "Wow, he's really handsome! I wish he were my boyfriend!"

Hermione, overhearing this, suddenly felt a strange sense of irritation. That's just because they haven't seen Harry's true self yet. That pervert… that shameless…!

Hagrid led the students forward. The ground was slippery as they descended a steep slope, flanked by grass and forest on either side.

At the bottom of the slope, they reached the edge of a vast lake. The dark waters stretched beyond sight, eerie and foreboding under the night sky. Across the lake, a towering castle stood, its many spires illuminated by golden lights from countless windows.

Hagrid gestured toward the boats waiting at the shore.

"Four per boat! Off we go!"

Suddenly, Neville's excited voice rang out, "I found my toad!"

His words echoed across the lake, and realizing how loud he had been, he immediately clamped his hands over his mouth.

Once everyone was seated, the boats glided smoothly across the water, creating ripples that shimmered under the dim moonlight.

When they reached the other side, the first-years stepped onto a sandy shore that soon transitioned into a lush, open field. The castle loomed ahead, majestic and imposing.

The closer they got, the more awe-inspiring the castle appeared. The stone pavement surrounding it stretched for dozens of meters. Before them stood an enormous oak door, at least ten meters tall.

Hagrid raised a massive fist and knocked.

Harry took a moment to admire the sheer size of the door. It was so large that only someone like Hagrid could realistically knock on it with their hands!

The heavy doors creaked open.

Standing there, clad in an emerald-green robe, was a stern-looking witch with black hair.

The woman gave Hagrid a curt nod. "Thank you, Hagrid. I'll take them from here."

Hagrid patted Harry on the head before turning and leaving.

"Follow me, first-years," the witch commanded, stepping inside the castle.

The students, intimidated by her presence, obediently trailed behind her without a word.

Harry, on the other hand, couldn't help but think… Professor McGonagall must have some sort of legendary intimidation aura!

As they passed a massive hall—easily seventy or eighty meters long—Harry noticed it was already filled with people.

McGonagall led them to a smaller room near the front of the hall, where they would wait for the Sorting Ceremony to begin.

The witch scanned the group of first-years, and apart from Harry, no one dared to meet her gaze.

"First, welcome to Hogwarts. I am Professor McGonagall. The Welcoming Feast is about to begin, but before that, we must determine which house you will be joining. The Sorting Ceremony will take place in front of the entire school. I assume you've read about the four houses in your books. No matter which house you are placed in, I expect you to do your best, as this will directly affect the House Cup standings."

As soon as she mentioned the Sorting, murmurs broke out among the students. But with just a slight frown from McGonagall, the room immediately fell silent.

"The Sorting will begin shortly. Please wait here and make sure you look presentable."

She cast a pointed glance at Ron and Malfoy, both of whom had messy hair and footprints on their black robes.

With that, she left the room. The moment she was gone, it was as if a great weight had lifted—there was a collective sigh of relief, followed by a flurry of excited chatter.

A boy asked, "How do we know which house we'll be sorted into?"

Ron replied, "Probably some kind of test."

Hearing Ron's words, Harry was speechless. He has three older brothers at Hogwarts, and he still doesn't know? What a lost cause… Has he ever been rejected from an engagement, too? Harry thought mischievously.

Surprisingly, quite a few students seemed to believe Ron's guess.

Several Muggle-born students looked nervous.

"I'm just an ordinary person. I don't know anything about magic… How am I supposed to pass a test? What if I fail? Will they send me home?" one student asked, his voice trembling.

Malfoy shot him a look of pure disdain.

But his words made many other students pale with worry.

Harry noticed Hermione muttering something to herself. Curious, he quietly stepped behind her and saw that she was reciting from Hogwarts: A History!

Unable to resist, he suddenly took her hand.

Hermione, completely absorbed in mentally reviewing her books, was so startled that she froze for a long moment. Then, snapping out of her shock, she glared at Harry, ready to yell—until she noticed the number of people around them.

She lowered her voice instead. "What are you doing?"

Harry smirked. "What are you doing?"

"I'm reviewing the material in case there's a test!" Hermione shot back, then glared at him again. "Can you let go of my hand now?"

Harry acted as if he had just realized it. "Oh, right. Sorry."

"Actually, there's no test at all," he said casually. "There's just an old hat. You put it on, and it tells you which house you belong to."

Hermione frowned. "Really? That simple?"

"Of course!"

But just then, she suddenly looked past Harry and asked, "Wait… Where's your cat?"

Harry blinked. "Wasn't my cat with you?"

Hermione tensed up. "When we arrived at the castle, I wanted to give her back to you, but she jumped out of my arms. I saw her run toward you, so I didn't think much of it. But… maybe she ran somewhere else?"

Harry frowned. Hermione mistook it for anger and immediately felt awful. "I didn't mean to lose her, I swear! I'm really sorry!"

Seeing Hermione on the verge of tears, Harry felt guilty. He reached out, gently ruffled her hair, and smiled. "I was just thinking about whether I should go look for her now. After the Welcoming Feast, we'll be heading straight to our dormitories, so I might not get another chance."

Hermione blushed. "Then let's hurry and look for her! What if there's some weirdo in this school who likes to hurt cats?"

Harry thought for a moment, then shook his head. "No need. I'll go alone."

"But won't you miss the Sorting?" Hermione asked worriedly.

"I'll be quick. If I can't find her, I'll come straight back."

"I'm really sorry!"

Harry gave her a warm look. "You don't need to feel bad. But if you really want to make it up to me, how about giving me a kiss?"

Hermione clenched her teeth and pinched him hard on the arm. "Is that good enough?"

Harry winced but grinned. "Very satisfying, my dear!"

While the others continued chatting, Harry slipped out of the room, disappearing into the castle corridors.