Standing at the doorway was a young wizard with golden-brown hair and an unusually pale complexion. Under the light, faint blue veins seemed almost visible beneath his skin.

He wore a brand-new black school robe without any extra embellishments, and his posture carried a hint of arrogance.

Despite being scrutinized by many students and teachers, he showed no sign of nervousness or embarrassment. Instead, he confidently waved and cheerfully greeted everyone: "Hello there!"

Many Gryffindor students instinctively waved back, while the Hufflepuffs responded with friendly smiles. Meanwhile, the Slytherins and Ravenclaws remained in observation.

Professor McGonagall frowned slightly as she glanced around. Once the students quieted down, she said, "Follow me, Mr. Johnson."

The two of them walked forward, where Filch had placed a small stool. Professor McGonagall took the Sorting Hat from Dumbledore's hands.

Before entering the hall, Caryll had already learned the sorting process from Professor McGonagall. He took the old, filthy hat, clicked his tongue "tsk" in distaste, and then placed it on his head.

The pointed hat wriggled slightly on his head, seemingly in a dilemma.

As seconds ticked by, Wade overheard Ron Weasley mutter, "Is the hat broken? It's been over a thousand years, after all…"

As if to prove itself, the Sorting Hat suddenly shouted before Ron could finish his sentence: "Gryffindor!"

At once, thunderous applause erupted from the Gryffindor table. The Weasley twins pounded on the table and shouted, "We knew it! He totally looks like a Gryffindor!"

Harry clapped enthusiastically as well—having spent a long time being sorted himself, he felt a sense of camaraderie with anyone who made the Sorting Hat hesitate.

However, Caryll did not let go of the hat, and held onto it tightly as if he hadn't realized the sorting was over. It wasn't until Professor McGonagall forcibly pulled the hat from his hands that he finally let go.

"Oh, you little rascal!" the Sorting Hat grumbled, "He almost tore me apart!"

Professor McGonagall suppressed her frustration—unwilling to scold a new student on the very first day—and said sternly, "Mr. Johnson, you may take your seat at the Gryffindor table."

"Yes, Professor," Caryll replied, pretending to be obedient.

Professor McGonagall gave him a deep look before striding away with the hat and stool.

Caryll found an empty seat and shook hands with the students nearby. Before they could even introduce themselves, a grand feast appeared on the long table—more extravagant than usual.

With cheers of excitement, the students eagerly dug into their meals.

Fred leaned forward to grab a piece of beef, then smirked at Caryll and said gleefully, "Nice job—challenging Professor McGonagall on your first day. But why were you holding onto the Sorting Hat like that?"

"Just having a little chat with it," Caryll replied with a grin. "It's my first time seeing such a smart hat. It's like it can see straight into your mind."

The Gryffindors didn't seem particularly interested in the topic.

Angelina spoke up, "Hi, I'm a Johnson too—Angelina Johnson. I've been at Hogwarts for years, and this is the first time I've seen a transfer student. Which school did you come from?"

Caryll replied, "I came from America."

"Ilvermorny, right?" Percy interjected, eager to show off his knowledge. "I've heard that school was modeled after Hogwarts and also has four houses. Which one were you in?"

"I didn't study at Ilvermorny," Caryll explained. "I was taught by a mentor."

"Oh, an apprenticeship?" Percy nodded knowingly. "That's quite rare nowadays…"

Harry leaned over and whispered to Ron, "Are there a lot of wizarding schools besides Hogwarts?"

"Of course—it's not like we're the only country in the world, right?"

Ron started counting on his fingers. "I know America has Ilvermorny, France has Beauxbatons, and Scandinavia has Durmstrang. They're all famous wizarding schools."

"I've heard of Durmstrang," Harry said. "I remember Malfoy wanted to go there."

"Yeah, because they teach Dark Magic," Ron said, shaking his head. "Even if you paid me, I wouldn't go there."

"Dark Magic…" Harry murmured, lost in thought.

"There's also one in Brazil… something like 'Castro…'" Ron struggled to recall. "Bill has a pen pal from Brazil who graduated from there."

"Castelobruxo," Fred corrected him from the side. Then he added, "And I heard there's a school in Africa called Uagadou. They're really skilled in self-transfiguration…"

The conversation shifted to famous wizarding schools around the world. Harry listened in amazement—he had never realized there were so many schools beyond Hogwarts.

Midway through the meal, Caryll turned to Fred and asked, "I know we're Gryffindor, but which table belongs to Ravenclaw?"

Fred gestured behind him with his thumb. "Right there—the one with bronze and blue. The yellow and black table is Hufflepuff, and the last one is Slytherin—the sneaky, cunning lot! They'll pick a fight with you for no reason, so make sure to fight back hard!"

Caryll wasn't really paying attention to Fred's words. Instead, he turned to glance at the Ravenclaw table. The identical school robes made everyone's features blend together, making it hard to distinguish anyone.

He asked again, "I heard that Wade Grey is in Ravenclaw. Where is he sitting?"

"Hm? Wade? Are you a fan of his?" Fred looked up, scanned the room, and pointed. "He's sitting right over there—the one with black hair."

Caryll followed Fred's gaze and finally spotted his target among the crowd.

At that very moment, Wade seemed to sense their eyes on him and looked up, locking eyes with Caryll.

It had been over two years since they last saw each other. Both had grown a lot, though their appearances hadn't changed much.

Then, with a bright smile, Caryll raised his hand and called out loudly, "Wade!"

The surrounding students all turned to look, but Caryll ignored their gazes entirely. He picked up his plate and walked straight through the middle aisle toward the Ravenclaw table.

Michael raised an eyebrow as he watched the transfer student approach with his plate.

Caryll said with a bright smile as he approached the table: "Long time no see!"

Wade glanced at the teacher's table and noticed that some of the staff were also watching. He let out a silent sigh and said, "Long time no see."

Caryll turned to Michael and asked, "Hey, can I swap seats with you?"

Michael smirked coldly. "No."

"Alright then." Caryll didn't seem disappointed. He simply shrugged and turned to the student on the other side. "Hey, can I switch seats with you?"

It was a young boy from a lower year who had already been sitting nervously next to Wade. Hearing the request, he immediately nodded, grabbed his plate, and scurried to the far end of the table.

Caryll then sat down comfortably and casually grabbed another piece of bread.

"Honestly, I thought British food was supposed to be awful! But Hogwarts' meals aren't too bad."

He took a bite of the bread, then noticed Wade still staring at him. Without hesitation, he asked bluntly;

"What's with that look, Wade? Are you not happy to see me? I missed you a lot when I was in America!"

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⭐Harry Potter: Becoming a Study God (HP:BSG)- +235 Chapters

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