The air in the antechamber just outside the Great Hall doors was thick with a nervous energy that was almost palatable. Surrounded by the quiet shuffling and anxious whispers of other first-years, Harry felt the tremor of anticipation that even his [Gamer's Mind Lv. 6] couldn't entirely filter. He was Level 13 now, Stats increased from arrival, senses sharper, but this... this was a unique unknown, a social and internal classification ritual unlike any System prompt. [Protocol: Sorting Ceremony - Classification. Objective: Assign User to Primary Social/Living/Competitive Faction (House). Outcome Parameters: System-Assisted Assessment (Requires User Compliance/Internal Access Permit), External Agency Input (Sentient Item - Sorting Hat), Potential User Influence (High INT/WIS/CHA influence? System exploring), Random Element: Possible.]
They reached the doors to the Great Hall. Professor McGonagall ([Entity: McGonagall, M. Status: Present, Authority. Protocol: Facilitating Ceremony.]) drew their attention, delivering a final, calm instruction before the large doors swung open.
The Great Hall was a breathtaking assault on the senses, even to Harry's highly developed perception. Thousands of faces turned towards them, the ceiling was a flawless starry sky, four long tables hummed with energy. His [Situational Awareness Lv. 7] and [Observe Lv. 6] worked furiously, attempting to build a spatial and entity database of this immense room and its occupants in mere seconds. It felt like walking into a massive, living energy construct, constantly broadcasting data.
At the front, on a stool, sat the Sorting Hat ([Item: Sorting Hat - Sentient, Artifact Class? Status: Active, Classification Role Ready.]). Professor McGonagall brought the stool forward and the Hat burst into song, its voice rough and ancient, cataloging the traits of each House. System analysis during the song attempted to correlate traits to user stats/skills/profiles (Gryffindor = Bravery, LUK focus? Hufflepuff = Loyalty, CHA focus? Ravenclaw = Wit, INT/WIS focus? Slytherin = Cunning/Ambition, potentially aligning with efficient grind methodology? System noted all as highly speculative).
Names were called. The line dwindled. Students went up, had the Hat placed on their heads, paused briefly, and were assigned. Ron was just ahead of him, pale as parchment. He went up, the Hat sat on his head, and after a moment's hesitation, it shouted "GRYFFINDOR!". Ron beamed, rushing to the cheering table of red and gold.
Then, "Potter, Harry!".
The hall fell silent again, the murmur of conversation dying to a low hum. Every eye was on him, tracing his walk up the aisle, following the known identifier on his forehead. The public identity. His System log automatically created an event marker: [User Public Status Engagement Initiated - Direct Confirmation Protocol: Awaiting Sorting Outcome]. He sat on the stool, trying to manage his awareness of the thousands watching. McGonagall placed the Hat on his head. Darkness and felt, the familiar interiority of his mind suddenly overlaid by an external presence. [Accessing User Mindscape... User Compliance Acknowledged. Data Acquisition Protocol: Active. Scanning Aptitudes... User Traits... Experiences...]
Hmm. Difficult. Very difficult. The Hat's voice echoed in his ear, no longer muffled.
Plenty of courage, I see. ([User Trait Confirmed: Bravery, acquired via high-pressure survival grind vs Dursley threats.]) Not a bad mind either. ([User Stats Confirmed: INT 23, WIS 22. Assessment: High potential for data processing and complex problem solving noted.]). There's talent, oh yes. ([User Abilities Detected: Unclassified Magical Energy - High Concentration. Underlying Proficiency Indicated.]). And a nice thirst to prove yourself. To master... yes. ([User Trait Confirmed: Ambition/Drive. Specific Focus: Self-Mastery and Escape/Understanding. Not focused on dominance, confirmed]).
There's Slytherin in you, no doubt. The Hat vocalized the likely internal finding, comparing his calculated survival methods to classic cunning. Yes. Cunning... resourcefulness... using what's available... doing things for your own betterment. A drive Slytherin would reward. Would thrive in Slytherin... yes...
The Hat waited. The path seemed clear, based on System's raw trait assessment. But Harry felt a pushback, a gut-level rejection that even his Level 13 mental stats and [Gamer's Mind] didn't override. He knew the reputation of Slytherin from train whispers, knew its potential links to the Dark Arts the book described, to You-Know-Who. That wasn't his purpose. His ambition wasn't dominance. It was escape, knowledge, security, understanding. Not there. Anywhere but there.
He didn't form a clear thought. Just a powerful, intuitive mental NO. Not Slytherin. The strength of the rejection surprised even him.
Ho? Not Slytherin? Not conventional at all, your thought process... Analyzing Preference Overrides... Confirming Rejection of Slytherin Parameter... Divergence Noted... Loyalty to concept of Safety over Power... Yes... Deep desire to understand, to analyze the game... and use the tools... using the resilience you've built... surviving... Against all odds... that's bravery beyond calculated risk... That's defiance...
The Hat's assessment shifted dramatically based on the conscious override of preference and the re-interpretation of his acquired traits. Not Slytherin, then? Where to put you? Loyal, yes... but not just towards comfort... You value intellect greatly... very highly... But... when pushed... when it mattered... you ran the risk... faced the impossible odds presented by your life... chose the action over pure analysis... showed defiance towards circumstance itself... Plenty of nerve... Alright, if you're sure... Better be...
"GRYFFINDOR!"
The Hat shouted the last word to the entire Hall. The Gryffindor table roared with sound, drowning out everything else. McGonagall removed the Hat. Harry walked quickly to the cheering table, his legs feeling solid beneath him (STR 15, DEX 23 assisting), the sound a welcome wave washing over the sudden silence that always seemed to precede acknowledging his name. He reached the table and found a seat beside Ron.
He watched the Sorting conclude (Hermione Granger to Gryffindor quickly; Neville Longbottom – long hatstall, finally to Gryffindor after quiet thought). The Feast appeared – mountains of food (High Resource Acquisition rate logged, replenishing user's energy, Lvl 13 HP allowing for significant intake buffering previous deficits). Harry ate, his [Pain Resistance Lv. 5] easily dulling any potential stomach complaint from over-eating rich food, allowing him to simply enjoy the sheer abundance.
The night passed in the blur of post-Sorting exhilaration. Journey to Gryffindor Tower, a warm, comfortable Common Room (Investigate Environment: New Sector [Gryffindor Common Room/Tower] - Profile Initiated), instructions from the Prefect. His bed, no longer hard floor. Safe space. Private curtains for [Observe/System Review]. Level 13 confirmed (Exp 20/3200). Sorting Outcome logged. Identity Confirmed Publicly within Institution.
Morning arrived. First day of classes. His Objective: [Attend Scheduled Classes (Unlock Skill Trees)]. His internal schedule showed: Transfiguration, Potions, Charms. These were listed as priority objectives under PQ Step 3 Task: Survive and Thrive. He held his Holly/Phoenix feather wand. Feeling the power hum within it, connecting to that internal current Hermione had described.
Transfiguration felt critical. Professor McGonagall, sharp, precise, transformed her desk into a pig with terrifying ease. His assigned task: matchstick to needle. Remembering Hermione's core theory from the train (Intent, Wand Movement, Pronunciation, Energy Flow, Alignment, Coupling), he now also knew why he failed earlier: missing crucial components and understanding the channeling mechanism.
He gripped his wand. Recalled the incantation: "Vera Verto." Practiced the movement. Cleared his mind, focused intent (match -> needle). Felt for that internal current, the detected [Unclassified Magical Energy] he needed to channel and shape using will and wand as the conduit. He drew upon his well-trained [Intent Focus Lv. 3] (Perk-allocated Skill) to concentrate his will and align it, applying his formidable [INT 23] and [WIS 22] to execute the Protocol.
"Vera Verto!"
A pulse of pure, clean light shot from his wand tip. The match on his desk vanished, replaced by a perfectly formed, gleaming needle. Clean, effortless transformation on the first conscious attempt using the full learned protocol.
🔔 [Skill Application: Protocol [Spellcasting - Vera Verto] - OUTCOME: SUCCESS! Energy Flow: HIGH (Controlled/Aligned)! Component Coupling: Near-Perfect!]
[Skill Tree Unlocked: [Transfiguration]! Skill [Vera Verto (Transfiguration)] Acquired (Mastered - First Attempt) - Note: Proficiency EXCEEDS expectation for first attempt - Analysis: High Stat (INT/WIS/DEX 23/22/23) and Skill Synergy (Gamer's Mind Lv 6, Intent Focus Lv 3, Prior Item Manipulation/Protocol Understanding, Theoretical Framework from H. Granger) greatly amplified learned instruction. This suggests a direct conversion pipeline from these stats/skills to spellcasting proficiency!]
[Spellcasting Mechanics Data Update: Successful Standard Spellcasting confirmed to utilize User [Unclassified Magical Energy], NOT MP. Output quality and success correlated to User Stats, Skill Proficiency, and Protocol Execution Accuracy/Alignment. Process = Energy Flow + Conduits + Protocol + Intent.]
[+350 EXP!] (Major EXP gain for mastery and revealing core mechanic!)
Current EXP: 20/3200 + 350 = 370/3200 (Significant early class gain!)
Potions class was next. A dungeon classroom, cold and stone-walled, with light filtering greenly through liquid-filled jars. Professor Snape ([Entity: Snape, S. Role: Potions Master. Anomaly Level: HIGH, UNCLASSIFIED. Energy Signature: HIGH, Type: Unique/Complex. Alignment: ADVERSARIAL (Confirmed by interaction). Hostility: HIGH, Analytical.]). The environment amplified the inherent danger this Entity represented. Snape's very posture, the look in his eyes, felt like an immediate [Threat Detected - Primary Adversary] flag to Harry's Awareness.
Snape's first action upon sweeping in was a calculated, chilling query directed solely at Harry: "Potter! What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" A [Knowledge Check/Hostile Challenge - Targeted - Parameter: Assess User's Pre-existing (unorthodox?) knowledge and reaction under pressure].
Harry's [INT 23] and [WIS 22] raced, drawing upon all acquired data, academic and otherwise (from his Dark Arts book, snippets of other texts, his early Observation data from general life including symbolism and folklore correlations logged over years). This wasn't about applying a spell protocol. It was about retrieving, synthesizing, and delivering information in a high-stress social encounter controlled by a Hostile Entity.
He couldn't provide the answer (Draught of Living Death), as it wasn't in basic datasets. But his skills enabled rapid deduction. He pieced together scraps: Asphodel (historical use, death/prolonging ending - Observation notes from previous environment/life events), Wormwood (sorrow/decay - historical literary associations). Both keywords consistently flagged as negative, ending-related. He verbalized this analysis, carefully.
"Sir... Asphodel... seems linked to notions of finality or... endings in historical text," Harry said, choosing words cautiously, relying on [Gamer's Mind Lv. 6] to maintain a neutral tone. "Wormwood also correlates to... absence or decay in magical usage documentation. Their combination... implies something intended to cause... deep or permanent non-being? Not explicitly listed as a standard potion type for this year's syllabus in the provided texts, sir." A strategic gamble, framing deduced insights as logical inference from external sources to mask the unusual method of data acquisition.
Snape paused, his lip curling, but a flash of something unexpected in his eyes – cold appraisal mixed with abrupt interest. The answer wasn't the solution, but the method and the attempt at deduction beyond first-year texts... that was data for him. [Analysis: User attempted deduction based on broader information context (potential unconventional acquisition methods) instead of pure ignorance. Outcome: Partial Social Penalty, Data Gain for Hostile Entity.]
"An extraordinarily verbose display of utter ignorance, Potter," Snape finally drawled, venom thick in his voice, confirming Harry's gamble. He docked points ("Five points from Gryffindor for insufferable presumption!"). Harry felt the sting (mitigated by Pain Resistance Lv. 5). But the focus behind Snape's hostility had subtly shifted. Less generic contempt, more focused, analytical assessment of User's underlying processing power and potentially non-standard data sources. [Entity: Snape, S. Hostility Profile Updated: Assessment of User's capabilities during direct interaction indicates deviation from Hostile Entity's low expectations. User performance exceeded prediction in analytical challenge. Potential: Hostile Entity may increase testing of User capabilities to refine User profile data for its own objectives.] This was data acquisition happening in reverse by a high-level threat, but Harry's System logged that process too, enabling adaptation.
Other classes filled the day. Charms, applying the correct Protocol mechanics from Transfiguration, successfully casting basic locking or unlocking charms (EXP gained, [Charms (Basic)] skill tree gained/progressed, confirming Protocol Transferability). History of Magic – passively recording Binns' lecture for later review and integration. By dinner, after navigating meals (social observation/basic peer interaction with Ron/Hermione/other Gryffindors - data, mild CHA), navigating the castle again (mapping, awareness), his cumulative EXP from this full, active day was significant.
[Daily Grind Summary - Day 1 Hogwarts Academics (Post-Sorting):
Classes Attended: Transfiguration (Mastered Spell), Potions (Process & Adversarial Entity management gained), Charms (Spell mastery), History (Knowledge data acquisition). Castle Navigation (Mapping, Awareness, Secret detection knowledge applied). Social Interaction (Peer/Teacher dynamics). Active Skill Use (Spellcasting, Intent Focus).
Total EXP gained: ~1100 EXP (Rough estimate covering successes and gains across classes and activities, fitting the narrative EXP pace from earlier chapters).
Current EXP: 370/3200 + 1100 = 1470/3200 (Good progression toward Level 14)
By evening, returning to the Common Room, reviewing the data, Harry felt exhaustion settling in but immense satisfaction. He was successfully engaging with magic directly via learned Protocols and his core System abilities, mastering fundamental spells, processing complex social threats, and integrating himself into this new reality. His grind wasn't over. It had just scaled to a far more magical, intricate, and fascinating degree, here within the ancient walls of Hogwarts.