Andrew wasn't sure whether he should feel relieved or troubled. He didn't even have the energy to watch the rest of the Sorting. He only vaguely noticed that a girl named Hannah was the last to be called, and she was sorted into Hufflepuff.
After that, having made the decision to start researching the memory-blocking spell he couldn't quite name, Andrew perfectly managed to miss the headmaster's speech.
But there was no room for regret now.
Dinner was served.
Just as that Hufflepuff student had said, the food at Hogwarts was pretty impressive.
After sampling several dishes, Andrew found one he liked best and happily ate his fill—figuring that even if Dumbledore found him out tomorrow, he might as well not die hungry.
After finishing off a delicious pudding, Andrew's mood had completely improved.
"Alright," said Dumbledore, rising to his feet just as the food disappeared from the table with a touch of magic. Only then did Andrew finally have the chance to get a good look at the man he was currently quite wary of—the most powerful white wizard.
It was clear the chocolate frog cards hadn't exaggerated a bit. Dumbledore really did look like a kind old man—white hair and beard, gentle demeanor, and not even particularly stern when laying out the school rules.
"Now that everyone is well-fed and satisfied, I'd like to say a few more words. As the school year begins, there are a few important reminders.
"All students are strictly forbidden from entering the Forbidden Forest—this is something we emphasize every year.
"Secondly, Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to remind everyone that magic is not to be used in the corridors between classes.
"In addition, tryouts for house Quidditch teams will be held in the second week. Anyone interested should speak with Madam Hooch.
"And lastly—and most importantly—if you wish to avoid a painful and untimely death, do not enter the corridor on the right-hand side of the fourth floor."
Dumbledore's tone noticeably sharpened with that last sentence, and it was clearly heard by every student in the hall.
"The fourth floor?"
Andrew paused, then realized what that meant. That corridor was guarding something he definitely had no intention of getting close to—the Philosopher's Stone.
This year, he just wanted to quietly learn magic. If none of his classes were on that floor, he could easily avoid it entirely.
"And now, before everyone heads off to bed, let's sing the school song!"
Dumbledore's voice interrupted Andrew's thoughts, and the off-key harmony that followed gave him an odd illusion—maybe someone with a personality like Dumbledore's wouldn't object to his "edited version" of the song?
But that ridiculous thought was quickly tossed aside. If he ended up getting strung up on the castle walls and interrogated about the lyrics, that would be a problem even bigger than the Philosopher's Stone…
After the school song ended, the first-years were led away by the prefects, Andrew among them.
And then came the bad news.
The Ravenclaw common room was at the top of the tower… and there were no elevators…
More specifically, it was located on the fifth floor of Hogwarts's long, winding staircases—with vanishing stairs and moving stairs in between.
If anyone accidentally wandered onto the fourth floor regularly, it would either be truly lost Ravenclaws or Gryffindors pretending to be lost.
While Andrew was silently grumbling about this, the prefects suddenly stopped on the second floor.
"Alright, before we head back to the common room, we're going to do a traditional sorting of our own," said the lead prefect with a smile.
"Welcome to Ravenclaw. Now begins our initiation ceremony—follow the path that suits your heart."
Just as Andrew was wondering what that meant, a group of upperclassmen stepped out to the front.
"If you think there's something suspicious about Gringotts, follow us."
Two senior students said this and turned to head down a corridor without looking back.
A few first-years hesitated but then followed, pausing only briefly by the prefects. When no one stopped them, they jogged to catch up.
"Good. Looks like everyone knows the rules."
Two more upperclassmen stepped forward.
"If you believe the wizard's primary pursuit should be great power, come with me."
Some first-years followed without hesitation. Andrew hesitated but didn't follow—he figured the group probably focused on magical strength, maybe even ancient magic, but that would mean falling in line with someone else's agenda, at least in the beginning. Worse, it would be hard to take the lead in that group until much later.
Plus, the division this early seemed a bit extreme.
Hopefully they'll allow later transfers… Besides, I've got my eye on a different group.
So Andrew stayed put.
"If you seek great fame, come with me…"
…
"If you think adventure sounds exciting, follow me…"
…
"Quidditch…"
…
"If you hope to one day join the Ministry of Magic, come with me…"
This was the one!
Andrew quickly followed. According to the older-students-helping-newcomers principle, this group had likely sent numerous Ravenclaws into the Ministry over the years.
Even if he was wrong, he could always go solo for a while—eventually, he planned to gather a group of his own to study ancient magic anyway. By then, there would definitely be students disillusioned with their original group.
No way could everyone be sure of their path in first year and stick to it until graduation.
But for now, the important thing was catching up to the upperclassmen.
"We're basically the largest group in Ravenclaw…"
"And thanks to the Ministry's recruitment policies, also the most competitive…"
"The number of new first-years admitted to this group each year is fixed, but there's no competition between students of different years—so you all understand what that means, right?"
They were walking fast and talking at the same time. One unfortunate first-year missed a moving staircase entirely. Andrew suspected the older student was deliberately timing their pace to trip people up.
"Those who fall behind might catch up… or they might not. We don't wait.
"Ultimately, what matters are your final results. Unlike other houses, in Ravenclaw it's hard to imagine someone who hasn't figured out their goal by first year.
"As for house points and the House Cup—just do your best.
"You've waited long, you've listened to much, and now you know what those other groups stand for.
"Unity in Ravenclaw is both essential and rare. The ones who seek loopholes for personal gain are fundamentally incompatible with us—they hope we'll slip up in our future careers so they can succeed, while we aim to earn distinction by sending them to Azkaban.
"The ones obsessed with power are the same. Most of them will turn to forbidden magic to advance. Their goal will be to avoid our pursuit, and ours will be, again, to send them to Azkaban.
"…
"Even among us, there will be divisions. Taking down a rival can be an effective method—but the price is likely still Azkaban…
"Alright, we've reached the fifth floor.
"To those who didn't keep up—too bad. Unless they pass the tests we require, they won't be joining us.
"New students, I hope you remember all that I've said—if you're ready to send even your own housemates to Azkaban when necessary…
Then welcome to Ravenclaw."