Having escaped famine, I was accepted into Hogwarts.

Chapter 20: A Great Show During the Sorting Ceremony

Kane glanced at his wizard robes, ignoring Harry's embarrassment. After they got off the train, they saw Hagrid holding a lantern and greeting the first-year wizards.

"Hey, Kane, Harry, and Ron, hurry up and get on the boat over there, we're about to set sail!" Hagrid called Kane and the others onto the boat before turning to the other young wizards.

On the small boat, Kane watched as Harry and Ron looked at the brightly lit Hogwarts Castle in the distance with unavoidable surprise.

Then they looked at Kane, who remained as composed as a rock: "How come you're not surprised at all?"

"I was surprised too," Kane explained simply. How could he possibly explain it like he'd already had a day trip to Hogwarts before even enrolling?

While he was enjoying himself at Hogwarts, Harry was wasting his time at his aunt's house. If Harry knew about this, they might not turn against each other, but he probably wouldn't be able to spend a single penny of his money in the future.

Soon another young wizard sat on the ship. Overall, he seemed dull and naive, with no ill intentions. The person who arranged for him to be on the ship was an acquaintance.

"I think Neville is too easy to bully. I have to go to the girls' boat, so I put him on your boat." Hermione explained quickly, "So you won't bully him, right?"

Kane shrugged. "What kind of beasts do you take us for?"

"That's good, Neville. Get along well with your new friends." Hermione said as she walked away.

Ron, being a pureblood, naturally recognized Neville. He looked at Neville teasingly and said, "How come I didn't know you had an older sister in the Muggle world?"

Neville blushed. "Hermione isn't my sister, she's just a friend. She's a really nice person."

"Yes, Neville... I remember you. We also know she helped you find the toad, did she find it in the end?" Harry added.

"No." Neville said, somewhat disappointed.

"Hmm... I understand how you feel. It's like I have a new pet owl now, but I'm still keeping my spotted mouse. I hope you find that little toad soon."

Hagrid soon walked over from a distance. He had already arranged for all the new students to board the ship, just like the four founders of Hogwarts, and they would ride across the Black Lake to Hogwarts.

In the foyer, Kane skillfully used his toes to lift a gap in the wall, and a seat quickly appeared on the wall.

"Wow? How did you know Hogwarts could be like this?" Ron looked at Kane's relaxed demeanor; he didn't seem like a first-timer at Hogwarts at all.

"Read more books and newspapers, and all the walls at Hogwarts can be like that," Kane casually made up a lie.

Kane and his two companions sat on a small stone bench in the corner, all three feeling equally uneasy, wondering how the Sorting Ceremony would proceed.

Compared to Harry and Ron, Kane felt a little more regretful. He had been Dumbledore's bunkmate for a while, so why hadn't he thought to ask him about it?

Holding a mountain of treasure without realizing it... I regret it!

Suddenly, a commotion in the distance startled the group.

"What happened?" Harry stood up and glanced around, quickly realizing what was going on: "It must be Neville's toad. Somehow it got onto the head of a strange little wizard, and now this little wizard is forcing Neville to choose between killing the toad or getting beaten up."

"Well, it must be a difficult choice for him, but it's not that difficult. Neville will definitely protect his toad." Ron knew Neville well, and sure enough, Neville's final choice was exactly as Ron had predicted.

Kane could hear the sounds of a lively brawl; such human fights were always so captivating, no matter when or where.

He immediately grabbed Harry and Ron, intending to go and see what was going on.

"Kane, can you be serious for once? Neville and we met once before," Harry reminded him.

"I know, that's why I'm going to protect Neville. If it's just a symbolic punch to vent my anger, that's fine, but what if that guy goes too far?" Kane said, pulling Harry and Ron to a spot closer to watch the drama unfold.

Judging from the scene, Neville must have been bullied by other children quite often. When he heard that he could be beaten in exchange for the toad's survival, he naturally curled up on the ground and hugged his head.

Meanwhile, a chestnut-haired wizard with a toad riding on his face squatted down next to Neville and started punching and kicking him.

"That chestnut-haired one is called Paul Anreira, a pureblood with good potential," Ron explained to Kane and the other.

There was no loss of control at the scene. After all, an eleven-year-old child wouldn't be able to exert much force when hitting someone, especially since Neville maintained his professional defensive stance. At most, his clothes were slightly dirty.

However, Hermione, who had just squeezed into the crowd, couldn't bear to see this scene.

She swiftly pulled out her wand and pointed it at Paul Anreira: "Stop, or don't blame me for being impolite!"

Enrella slowly stopped and looked at Hermione: "Who are you?"

"Hermione Granger, Neville's friend!" Hermione said with a serious expression.

"Granger?" Paul Anreira looked up, clearly trying to recall, and quickly remembered that there was no such surname among pure-blooded mixed-race British people.

"Hey, you mud-blooded kid, you can turn around and leave now, or I might beat you up again later."

The moment the word "Mudblood" was uttered, the entire hall was instantly divided into three parts: the surprise and anger of the Lawful Good, the cheers and flattery of the Lawful Evil, and those like Kane and Harry who couldn't understand it at all.

The two of them quickly grabbed Ron, who was about to rush forward with his sleeves rolled up and wand in hand. Before they could even ask, Hermione, the other person in the eye of the storm, used the basic skills of a new generation of wizards to cast an unknown spell that started with zero frames, instantly making the originally soft robes on Paulanera as hard as steel.

Ron, who was originally planning to vent his anger on behalf of a friend he had only met once, suddenly calmed down. It seemed that Hermione could handle the situation on her own.

"By the way, you still haven't told us what Mudblood means?" Harry asked.

"The term of contempt for a pure Muggle-born wizard is probably a hundred times more insulting than 'Son of the Beach'."

Kane scratched his head: "Me?"

"Although your magic doesn't seem like something a pure Muggle wizard could use, a wizard who uses Mudblood curses certainly wouldn't understand such complex logic, so... that's how it is." Ron considered for a moment and slowly nodded.

Then he and Harry stood quietly on either side of Kane. If he had just stuck Kane to the ceiling, that would have been fine, but what if...?

Meanwhile, the necklace around Pol Anreira's neck flashed, revealing a permanent spell that could protect him from some low-level curses. As his wizarding robes regained their softness, he too drew his spell and engaged Hermione in battle.

With a bang, Maxwell suddenly appeared behind Kane, watching this farce unfold.

"I roughly understand what this play is all about. It's related to that so-called Sorting Ceremony, Kane," Maxwell said quietly.