After sampling various snacks and sweets from the trolley, Ryze and Neville remained quietly inside their compartment.
Ryze handed Neville one of Lockhart's novels to read. Meanwhile, he took out Introduction to Ancient Runes along with the notebook Professor Babbling had given him and began carefully taking notes.
As the train gradually slowed down and the sky outside darkened, Hermione returned once again to remind them to change into their robes. The train would soon arrive at the station.
This time, she seemed to control her tone a little better, although her voice still sounded somewhat stiff.
At the same time, she mentioned helplessly that the famous Harry Potter in one of the rear compartments had apparently gotten into a fight with a certain pure-blood young wizard, causing quite a commotion throughout the train.
"I really wish they would calm down a little," Hermione said with a sigh. "Running around in the corridors like that is just too noisy."
After reminding Ryze and Neville, Hermione left again, likely heading to inform other young wizards who had not yet changed into their robes.
Ryze calmly pulled a neatly folded sorting hat from his bag—the kind enchanted to automatically smooth out wrinkles—and placed it on his head.
Neville, however, struggled somewhat awkwardly as he changed into his robes.
The sorting hat he took from his suitcase had clearly been crushed during the journey. When he put it on, it looked badly wrinkled and misshapen.
Seeing this, Ryze casually took out his wand and cast an Ironing Charm on Neville.
Although the cleaning spell Scourgify could serve a similar purpose, it was far less effective than the specialized lifestyle spell designed specifically for smoothing clothing.
With just a few simple motions of his wand, Neville's wrinkled robes quickly became neat and tidy.
"You're amazing!" Neville exclaimed in amazement. "I often see my grandmother use that spell, but I've never learned it myself!"
Ryze smiled faintly.
"I've always found these lifestyle spells quite interesting," he explained. "They're not included in Hogwarts textbooks, so I asked my cousin to teach me a few simple ones."
He looked at Neville carefully and patted him on the back.
"Alright, Neville. Stand up straight. Didn't you say you wanted to become a Gryffindor like your parents? Then you should show some Gryffindor spirit."
Neville now trusted Ryze completely. For some reason, he felt that if he simply followed Ryze's guidance, everything would turn out fine.
He straightened his back, lifted his chin slightly, and waited nervously for the train to arrive.
A few minutes later, the announcement echoed throughout the train.
"The train will arrive at Hogwarts in five minutes. Please leave your luggage on the train. It will be delivered to the school for you."
Immediately, the carriages became lively and chaotic.
Students poured out into the corridors, pushing toward the exits.
Ryze waited patiently until the crowd in their carriage thinned before calmly leading Neville off the train.
As soon as they stepped onto the platform, Ryze noticed a massive figure towering above the crowd—at least three meters tall.
It was Hagrid.
Ryze had missed him during his trip to Diagon Alley earlier, but now that he saw him in person, Hagrid looked even larger than he had appeared in the movies.
"First-years! First-years over here!"
Hagrid's booming voice echoed across the entire station. He didn't even need magic for everyone to hear him clearly.
The older students followed their prefects toward the other side of the station. Soon, only the first-year students remained.
Hagrid clapped his hands loudly and motioned for them to follow him down a small path beside the station.
The group walked through a long, narrow, and dimly lit passageway.
After several minutes, the path suddenly opened up to reveal the vast Black Lake.
They boarded small boats in groups of four.
Legend says that Rowena Ravenclaw once dreamed of a warty hog that guided her to a cliff beside a lake. After awakening, Ravenclaw led the other three founders down this very path and across the lake by boat. There, they discovered the cliff from her dream and built Hogwarts upon it.
Some people even believe that first-year students traveling to Hogwarts in this same way forms part of a magical ritual—one that symbolically binds them to the castle itself.
Of course, no one has ever truly proven this theory.
Still, as the towering castle slowly grew larger before their eyes, even Ryze felt his heart begin to beat slightly faster.
For the young wizards seeing Hogwarts for the first time, the sight was nothing short of breathtaking.
After reaching the shore, the students disembarked and began climbing a long flight of stone steps leading up toward the castle.
Fortunately, the excitement of beginning their new lives at Hogwarts kept everyone energized. No one complained about the long climb.
Even Neville's expression had become unusually determined.
At last, they reached the enormous oak doors of Hogwarts Castle.
Hagrid's task was finished.
"Alright," he said with a grin. "Now wait here for Professor McGonagall. She'll explain the Sorting."
The first-year students immediately began whispering nervously to each other.
Because of Hogwarts' long-standing traditions, none of them knew exactly how the Sorting ceremony worked.
They could only guess based on fragments of rumors.
Some students believed the Sorting involved casting powerful spells.
Others whispered that they might be required to battle magical creatures.
One particularly nervous student even claimed that Hogwarts would make them face an adult dragon and judge them based on how bravely they reacted.
Hearing such rumors caused Neville's confidence to waver again.
"Ryze," he whispered nervously, "aren't you worried at all? What if… what if the Sorting fails?"
Ryze shook his head calmly.
"There's nothing to worry about," he said.
"Any young wizard with magical talent must be taught how to control their magic. If someone receives a Hogwarts acceptance letter, it means the school has already acknowledged them."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"As far as I know, no one in Hogwarts history has ever failed the Sorting."
Because of Ryze's calm demeanor and composed voice, his words carried convincing weight.
Several nearby students overheard him and visibly relaxed.
A few minutes later, Professor McGonagall appeared before them.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," she said.
"The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly. However, before you take your seats, you will be sorted into your houses."
She briefly explained the four houses and the House Cup before leading the group into the Great Hall.
By now, the older students were already seated at their house tables.
There were more than a thousand students at Hogwarts. Hufflepuff seemed to have the largest number, with over four hundred members, while the other three houses each contained between two and three hundred students.
The first-year students stood nervously before the entire school.
Even the enchanted ceiling above them—shimmering with starlight—could not completely calm their anxiety.
Ryze, however, was observing the professors seated at the staff table.
Snape's hair looked even greasier than in the films, and his pale, sallow face appeared deeply gloomy.
Professor Quirrell sat nearby, wearing his signature turban. Knowing what hid beneath it, Ryze could not help glancing at him a little longer.
Professor Babbling sat near the far end of the table. When she noticed Ryze looking at her, she gave him a small nod of acknowledgment.
Soon, Professor McGonagall placed a four-legged stool in front of the students and set an old, pointed sorting hat on top of it.
After finishing its somewhat unpleasant song describing the four houses, the Sorting Hat fell silent.
Applause filled the hall.
"Well," Ryze said quietly to Neville, "that seems much easier than fighting a dragon."
Neville laughed nervously, clearly relieved.
Professor McGonagall then began calling names from a parchment in alphabetical order.
"Hannah Abbott!"
A blonde girl hurried forward and placed the hat on her head.
Meanwhile, Ryze reflected that if he had restored the Black family name, he would have been called much earlier.
Instead, Professor McGonagall had respected his request, and the parchment listed him as Ryze White.
That meant he would be among the final students sorted.
Hermione took nearly four minutes before the hat finally shouted:
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Neville's turn came shortly afterward.
Encouraged by Ryze's earlier advice, Neville focused strongly on his desire to join Gryffindor. The Sorting Hat took barely two minutes before announcing the same result.
Overjoyed, Neville accidentally ran toward Ryze while still wearing the hat and hugged him.
"It worked! What you said really worked!"
Ryze chuckled.
"I'm glad it worked," he said gently. "But perhaps you should return the hat first."
Blushing furiously, Neville hurried back to Professor McGonagall, earning friendly laughter from the hall.
Eventually, Harry Potter was called.
The hat hesitated for nearly five minutes before finally shouting:
"GRYFFINDOR!"
The Gryffindor table erupted into thunderous cheers.
Ten more students passed.
Finally, Professor McGonagall reached the W's.
Ron Weasley stepped forward first and was sorted into Gryffindor within seconds.
Then it was Ryze's turn.
He waved casually to the final boy whose surname began with X before stepping forward.
Sitting on the stool, Ryze placed the Sorting Hat on his head.
Just as the hat was about to speak, a familiar voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
The rune system—silent for an entire year—had finally awakened.
"Conditions detected. The system will officially activate after the host completes Sorting. House Effects will be unlocked."
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