As for the philosophical debate on whether Transfiguration can be performed only halfway to appear in a half-human, half-beast form, Ye Feng temporarily decided to remain silent, because the only "catgirl" in Hogwarts was currently casting a puzzled gaze in his direction.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," Deputy Headmaster Minerva McGonagall stared at Ye Feng for about two seconds before pulling back her gaze and speaking to the group of young wizards.
"Well, in a moment you will pass through these doors and join your classmates. But before you take your seats, you must be sorted into your houses."
"There is Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw. Each of these houses has its own distinct characteristics. During your time at school, your house will be like your home, and your classmates will be like your family."
"If you perform well, your house will earn points. If you break school rules or perform poorly, points will be deducted."
"At the end of the year, the house with the most points will be awarded the House Cup. I hope you will all put your best foot forward."
"Now, the sorting ceremony is about to begin. Follow me inside." With that, Deputy Headmaster Minerva McGonagall turned and walked toward the doors. Just as Ye Feng and the others were preparing to move, a young boy with slicked-back blonde hair and an arrogant expression took a step forward.
"It seems they were right on the train. Harry Potter really has come to Hogwarts."
As soon as the name Harry Potter was spoken, the young wizards who did not yet know that Harry was in the group immediately broke into a buzz of discussion. Meanwhile, Ye Feng, who had known all along that Harry was here and had no interest in playing mind games with them, acted as though he hadn't heard a thing. He simply lifted his feet and followed right behind the Deputy Headmaster as she headed inside.
Hermione, who had originally been somewhat interested in listening in on the gossip, saw that Ye Feng was already walking away and had no choice but to abandon her curiosity and hurry to catch up.
Neville had also wanted to follow when he saw Ye Feng and Hermione leaving, but once he lifted his foot, he noticed that everyone else was standing still in place. Because Ye Feng and Hermione were already walking ahead, they looked rather conspicuous.
Neville was naturally quite timid and cowardly, and seeing this situation, he was so frightened that he stopped in his tracks. At that exact moment, the others noticed that Ye Feng and Hermione had actually ignored the famous Harry Potter, and immediately shifted their gazes toward them. They were very eager to find out who these two characters were.
However, when they looked closely at Ye Feng and Hermione, they could not find anything extraordinary about them. In fact, no one even recognized the two of them, which meant that neither they nor their parents were prominent figures in the wizarding world.
Seeing that neither Ye Feng nor Hermione possessed anything remarkable, the group of young wizards looked away. Meanwhile, Malfoy, whose moment had been interrupted, felt as though he had been ignored. Given that he always considered himself a pure-blood aristocrat and held a high opinion of himself, this triggered a deep sense of humiliation. Consequently, he brushed past Harry and Ron standing before him and strode angrily toward Ye Feng and Hermione.
"Stop right there!"
Malfoy's frantic and furious voice came from behind, but Ye Feng acted as though he hadn't heard a thing, because he was completely captivated by the upcoming sorting ceremony. He was very curious to find out whether the Sorting Hat could truly probe into a person's inner thoughts.
Of course, what he wanted to know most was whether the Sorting Hat could break through his Divine Sense defense to pry into his mind. If it couldn't, should he relax his Divine Sense defense just a fraction? Otherwise, if the Sorting Hat failed to detect anything at all, would it mistake him for a rock or a Death Eater?
Ye Feng ignored him, and although Hermione heard the call and turned her head back, she saw that Ye Feng had no intention of stopping, so she turned her head back around and continued forward. After all, compared to getting into petty arguments, she was far more interested in Ye Feng, who had already mastered several spells before the term had even officially started.
Their repeated disregard for him thoroughly infuriated Malfoy. He drew his wand, pointed it directly at Ye Feng, and shouted angrily, "Are you two deaf? I told you to stop!"
At this, Ye Feng finally stopped his steps, turned his head to look at Malfoy, and chuckled the moment he saw that Malfoy had actually drawn his wand.
"Are you trying to duel me? But if you'll excuse my frankness, can you honestly cast spells with that wand you just bought, the one that's barely even warmed up in your hand?"
"Oh right, a friendly reminder: the sorting ceremony is about to begin. Are you sure you want to keep bickering and make Headmaster Dumbledore wait for you?"
Malfoy, who had been fuming with anger, and the young wizards who had been eagerly watching the spectacle both saw their expressions shift instantly at Ye Feng's words.
Although Dumbledore was just a "regular old man" in the stories or in Ye Feng's eyes, within the wizarding world, Dumbledore represented authority and boundless, unmatched power. Therefore, even someone as conceited as Malfoy had to set aside his arrogance upon hearing Dumbledore's name.
Frightened by Ye Feng's warning, Malfoy angrily bypassed Ye Feng and hurried inside. Seeing this, Ye Feng smiled faintly, nodded at Harry, and turned to follow them in.
Walking at the very front, Deputy Headmaster Minerva McGonagall had deliberately slowed her pace while keeping an eye on the commotion behind her. When she saw the young wizards catching up, she immediately quickened her stride. Judging by her thoughtful expression, she had deliberately let Malfoy make a fuss just moments ago. As for her true purpose, perhaps only she and Dumbledore knew.
Without further quarreling, the young wizards closely followed Deputy Headmaster Minerva McGonagall and soon arrived at the Great Hall. Upon entering, they discovered that everyone else, including Dumbledore, had already arrived and were sitting neatly at the dining tables, waiting.
Yet, what caught their attention the most in the Great Hall wasn't the students waiting ahead, nor the candles floating motionlessly in mid-air, but rather the ever-changing night sky above.
"That's not the real night sky; the ceiling has been enchanted to look like that. I read about it in <Hogwarts: A History>." Perhaps noticing the confusion in Ye Feng's eyes, Hermione explained with a trace of excitement.
"A rather fine piece of magic. Though it's a bit of a pity—if only that were the real night sky, where sunlight could enter while wind and rain were kept out, I imagine that would be even cooler." Standing on the platform, Dumbledore heard the conversation between Ye Feng and Hermione and raised an eyebrow slightly, though he said nothing further because Harry had just entered as well.
Although Dumbledore was the headmaster, he didn't waste words. After mentioning a few taboos, such as the rule that the Forbidden Forest was strictly off-limits, he announced the start of the sorting ceremony.
"When I call your name, you will come forward, and I will place the Sorting Hat on your head to determine your house."
"It's coming, it's coming, she's about to be here!"
"As the saying goes, protagonists come and go, but Hannah Abbott is eternal! I hereby declare the true ruler of the magical Iron Throne to be—Hannah Abbott!"
Amidst Ye Feng's excited and expectant gaze, Deputy Headmaster Minerva McGonagall called out that highly anticipated name.
"Hannah Abbott..."