No Azkaban, No Azkaban

Chapter 7 No Azkaban, No Azkaban

At the same time, the Sorting Hat's whispered words began to echo in his mind.

"Holy crap! This name!"

Avada's eye twitched, and he quickly muttered under his breath: "No Azkaban, no Azkaban..."

"Not going to Azkaban?" the Sorting Hat asked in a low voice. "Have you made up your mind? You have the potential to achieve great things, you know. In your decision, Azkaban can help you reach glory, without a doubt..."

"What the hell?!" Avada exclaimed in shock and anger.

"Haha, just kidding. Why are you so nervous? Don't worry, I don't have the power to assign people to Azkaban, and I won't do anything to you just because of your name..."

The Sorting Hat chuckled, then began to analyze the situation seriously.

"He doesn't seem brave enough, lacking courage and drive, hesitant and indecisive. Gryffindor isn't a good fit..."

"He has no ambition, nor is he very controlling; Slytherin wouldn't be like that either..."

"She has a strong sense of curiosity, a great thirst for knowledge, and her own unique set of logical thinking..."

"He's kind-hearted, hardworking, values ​​friendship, and keeps his word. He also seems to enjoy cooking..."

"Which one should I choose? Which one should I choose...?"

Avada's face twitched again, and he really wanted to ask what had happened.

The Sorting Hat hesitated for a full three minutes before finally managing to utter, with difficulty, "Then... Hufflepuff!"

"fine."

Avada smiled slightly; this was roughly the result he had expected.

So he stood up and, amidst cheers and applause, walked to the Hufflepuff table, chose a seat at the back, and sat down next to a handsome young brown-haired wizard.

"Cedric Diggory, second grade, nice to meet you, Ken." The boy named Cedric smiled and extended his hand to Avada.

Avada returned the handshake and realized that this was Cedric Diggory, the only prominent figure in the original Hufflepuff series who died tragically at Voldemort's hands, was reborn as a vampire, and eventually became Batman.

But this time, with me here, he won't die.

"Would it be convenient to tell me?" Just as he was pondering, Cedric nudged Avada and asked in a low voice, "What's going on with your name? Why can't even the professor pronounce your full name?"

"I'm sorry," Avada said with a wry smile. "Professor Dumbledore told me not to easily reveal my name to others."

"Professor Dumbledore?!"

Cedric reacted exactly like Baron and Cho: "Okay, then I'll tell everyone else not to ask about your name. But don't worry, it won't affect your life in Hufflepuff, nobody cares."

"Thank you very much," Avada said gratefully.

As the two spoke, the Sorting Ceremony drew to a close. After the last freshman was sorted into Ravenclaw, Dumbledore stood up, stretched out his arms to the students with great joy, and smiled broadly.

"Welcome, everyone! Welcome to Hogwarts!"

"I know everyone is probably starving and eager for a big meal. But I'm sorry, but before we start eating, I have something very important to announce. That is, I want to welcome this year's new professor to our team."

He turned to look at someone in the teachers' section, gestured for him to stand up, and then continued:

"Professor Benjamin Baker will be the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts. He is a board member of the International Defense Against the Dark Arts and has extensive experience dealing with dark magic, having previously adventured in Greece, Eastern Europe, and Africa, defeating countless dark wizards and creatures of darkness. I believe that under his tutelage, your defense against the dark arts will be greatly improved."

On the teachers' table, a handsome man who looked to be in his thirties or forties stood up amidst applause and waved to the students. He was tall and thin, and looked refined and gentlemanly, showing no signs of having experienced the hardships of life.

"Well then, I only have three words to say now." Dumbledore smiled, raised his hand, and looked at the students: "Let's eat!"

The moment the words left his mouth, the previously empty plates were instantly filled with all sorts of food, emitting a warm, fragrant aroma. The variety of dishes was so vast that even Avada, who had lived two lives, couldn't recognize them all. There was British food, Italian food, French food, Turkish food, Russian food, and even a few seemingly standard Chinese and Japanese dishes…

But thinking about it, it makes sense. With the meager amount of main courses in Britain, it's really hard to support a large banquet. Only dessert is passable.

"Wow!"

Someone exclaimed in surprise, but not because of the suddenly appearing food—dozens of translucent, pearly-white ghosts suddenly emerged from the walls and under the tables, floating around the auditorium with various expressions.

"Oh, a freshman?"

A chubby monk swept past Avada and the group of Hufflepuff freshmen: "Welcome to Hufflepuff, and I wish you a pleasant seven years of study and life."

"Thank you, may I ask who you are...?"

"This is the Fat Monk, the ghost of Hufflepuff," explained a burly student who looked like a rugby player. "He was a clergyman in life. However, the high priests suspected that his method of treating smallpox was simply poking farmers with a stick, and since he always had a habit of conjuring rabbits from the chalice, he was eventually executed."

"Ahem, let's not dwell on the past, Truman," the fat monk said with displeasure.

Cedric added, "He basically tutored Hufflepuff in the history of magic, since Professor Binns's lessons were really..."

As he spoke, he picked up a piece of food he had never seen before with his fork, tasted it, and then exclaimed in surprise, "What is this? It tastes amazing and is so novel!"

Avada recognized the dish at a glance, then took a bite and raised an eyebrow slightly.

"It's roast goose, a type of Chinese dish, and the taste is quite authentic."

"Looks like the kitchen elf's recipes have expanded quite a bit." Cedric couldn't resist forking another piece and stuffing it into his mouth. After swallowing, he smacked his lips with lingering satisfaction. "The food at the opening banquet is usually the most lavish of the year, which is why there are all sorts of dishes that aren't commonly seen at other times. I wonder when we'll be able to eat this again... uh, roast goose?"

"If you're really craving it, you could try getting on good terms with Qiu, the Chinese girl who was just assigned to Ravenclaw," Avada suggested, while working on a chicken pie. "I talked to her about it on the train. Her family used to be from Jiangnan, so maybe she can make this dish."

After saying that, he suddenly paused for a moment.

In the original story, Cedric and Cho were a couple, right?

If what I just said really led to the relationship between Cedric and Cho, was it a coincidence or fate? Like Trelawney's prophecy?

……

Once everyone had eaten their fill, the remaining food vanished from the plates in an instant, leaving the plates and cutlery sparkling clean again. Dumbledore stood up once more, and the dining room returned to silence.

"Now that everyone has eaten and drunk their fill, I'd like to say a few more words. At the beginning of the semester, I'd like to point out a few important things to keep in mind."

"Attention first-year students: Entering the woods on campus is strictly prohibited. Some of our older students should also remember this. Also, Mr. Filch, the administrator, asked me to remind everyone not to cast spells in the hallways during breaks."

"And the Quidditch player selection process will take place in the second week of this semester. Students who wish to join the college team should contact Mrs. Hodge."

"So, in the end..."

Avada keenly noticed that the professors' faces twitched.

"Before bedtime, let's all sing the school song!" Dumbledore waved happily, and rows of glowing lyrics appeared out of thin air: "Everyone choose your favorite tune, ready—sing!"

That night, Avada witnessed what it meant for demons to run rampant.

"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hogwarts, teach us knowledge!"

Whether we are balding seniors or children who have sprained their knees~

"Our minds can accept some interesting things because right now our minds are empty, filled with air, dead flies, and trivial matters."

"Teach us valuable knowledge, and give us back what we have forgotten."

"You just need to do your best, and leave the rest to us. We will study hard until we turn to dust..."

Wait, which little brat used the tune of the Ilfamoni school song?!

(End of this chapter)