[218] Can It Get Worse

Hall endured the torment of the off-key singing.

He glanced at Dumbledore beside him. Good — he wasn't the only one suffering.

He looked at the headmasters' portraits. Those who could escape had fled. Armando Dippet had nowhere to go. Phineas had run to the portrait at Black House. Dilys Devant had returned to St Mungo's.

Hall sighed.

The Sorting Hat didn't care whether anyone listened. Singing was about personal enjoyment.

Dumbledore opened his mouth to interrupt, then gave up.

The Sorting Hat was completely absorbed.

Dumbledore and Hall exchanged a glance. They began enjoying tea and snacks from Honeydukes.

As for the Sorting Hat's voice — you get used to it.

When the tea was almost gone, the Sorting Hat finally stopped. "Oh — buddy, I think my throat's about to burst — hahaha! I remember now! I don't have a throat —!"

Hall's lips twitched. What a ridiculous joke.

He began to doubt. Was this Sorting Hat really a Gryffindor Horcrux? From Voldemort's different Horcruxes, the separated soul fragments reflected the personality of the main soul at the time of separation. Hall glanced at Dumbledore.

Dumbledore understood Hall's look and gave him a meaningful glance.

Unconventional Horcrux fragments, having "lived" for so long — wouldn't it be normal for them to go a little crazy? Like a normal person working four hundred years straight. Even one day a year would drive anyone mad.

Hall looked at the Sorting Hat with deep respect.

The Sorting Hat noticed. "I remember you, Weasley of Slytherin."

Hall smiled. "Yes."

Dumbledore understood — the Sorting Hat had known Hall's true identity during the Sorting Ceremony.

"What brings you here?" The hat's pointed tip swayed. "Do you want me to sort you back into Gryffindor? There's no precedent, but if you'd like — "

"I don't have that idea." Hall interrupted. "Slytherin is great. I'm very happy here."

Hall blinked. "Very happy."

The Sorting Hat was silent. "Hmm... I'm a little surprised. Well, you're very happy. It seems sending you to Slytherin was an interesting thing."

Hall smiled. The Sorting Hat laughed loudly. Dumbledore couldn't laugh.

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"So what brings you here?" The Sorting Hat wiggled its tip. "After all, I'm just a hat."

Hall lowered his head. "But you're not an ordinary hat."

Dumbledore looked at Hall. Hall understood — he couldn't reveal the Horcrux, even to the Sorting Hat itself.

Several thoughts flashed through Hall's mind. But he wouldn't risk anything in front of Dumbledore.

"You're a hat who lived through the era of the four founders," Hall said, skipping the previous topic. "You knew them."

"I'm very happy in Slytherin. I had some serendipitous encounters — I discovered the Chamber of Secrets."

Hall omitted certain details and embellished others. Through the charm of language, he packaged himself as a student who didn't seek fame or fortune, but simply wanted to pursue magic and the truth.

Dumbledore's gaze became complex. The headmasters gently closed their eyes.

Hall puffed out his chest. The best lie in the world — it's all true.

"Sounds quite good." The Sorting Hat showed a thoughtful expression. "Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets... Salazar Slytherin... What do you want to know? I don't remember much either."

Hall smiled. "The Time Array. What exactly is it? Was it something Slytherin developed himself? What was its purpose?"

The array was incredibly sophisticated. At first, Hall thought it would take a little time to research. But the more he studied it, the more he realised it was truly outrageous.

Hall had memorised the array and studied it carefully more than once.

The array was ingenious. The concept was wonderful. But to realise it — something always felt missing.

"Why did Slytherin study this array? Since it works, he must have had a purpose. It couldn't have been just that he found it interesting."

Hall sighed, thinking about the time he had spent on this array. Sunk costs. He kept pouring new time into it.

The Sorting Hat's cloth mouth twitched. "The purpose of Slytherin's research into arrays... isn't it simple?"

Hall raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

"Wizards of that era all shared the same goal and pursuit." The Sorting Hat chuckled, drawing out the words.

An idea flashed through Hall's mind. "A great wizard?"

"You actually knew?"

"Your headmaster, you know I've read a lot of books."

Dumbledore chuckled. "Ordinary books don't record these things. Because no one can become a great wizard."

His gaze flickered with distant memories.

"So that spell was used to travel through time — to the era of great wizards?" Dumbledore asked the Sorting Hat on Hall's behalf.

Hall appreciated the help, but that wasn't what he wanted to know. He wanted to know what Dumbledore had just said.

"Yes, probably." The Sorting Hat's voice held a hint of sighing. "Slytherin... Rowena didn't know what he was thinking, Helga didn't know, and Godric certainly didn't either. Between companions and ideals, he unhesitatingly chose to pursue his ideals."

Hall clicked his tongue. How could they not know what he was thinking? He was perfectly clear-headed. But Hall kept that to himself.

"The era of the archmage — which era is that?" Hall asked, driven by curiosity.

No one can resist power. Even someone as powerful as Slytherin couldn't. Even Hall couldn't.

The Sorting Hat gave Hall a deep look. "I knew it. For every Slytherin, this is an irresistible temptation."

Hall smiled. "It should be said that this is a temptation for every wizard. In life, there are always things one wants to pursue. Steadfastly walking one's own path, as long as it doesn't affect others, cannot be considered wrong."

The Sorting Hat fell silent. Dumbledore sighed.

The more Dumbledore understood Hall, the more he felt sorry for Tom back then. If Hall and Tom had lived in the same era, Hall would have been the "other kid" Tom was always compared to.

"Thank you." Hall expressed his gratitude to the Sorting Hat. "Did Slytherin develop this array himself?"

"No..." The Sorting Hat's pointed tip bobbed. "It was from Merlin's journal..."

Before he could finish, the Sorting Hat drifted off to sleep.

Hall's eyes widened. "Wait! What journal? Where is that thing? Tell me before you fall asleep!"

Merlin. The legendary wizard Merlin.

Hall looked at Dumbledore, who looked back with an innocent expression.