HP: It's a snake, not a badger.

Chapter 4 The Fur-Roasted Peacock

Emeric was leaning against the wall, half asleep, when Harry poked him awake before leaving. He instinctively ruffled the cub's hair. "Go on, don't listen to Draco's nonsense. No matter which house you go to, they'll all be our friends."

After what seemed like an eternity, Emeric, who was almost asleep again, finally heard his name called. Draco sat at the very front of Slytherin, while Harry sat in Gryffindor. Emeric looked at Draco's sullen face and felt a headache coming on; he'd have to ask Harry to coax the frizzy little peacock later.

As the oldest freshman in this class, the Sorting Hat was very curious.

"Child, let me see which house suits you best? With your unwavering courage, perhaps Gryffindor is the place for you. Let me see again. Your love of learning and the pursuit of truth also suits Ravenclaw. And your love of good food, your ability to cook for yourself—you could go to Hufflepuff if you wish. Wait, what is this power? Well, I know where you should go."

Emeric raised an eyebrow upon hearing this. "This hat's got something special," he thought, "it actually managed to spot Silas. I wonder if I could borrow it and take it apart if I spent some money."

"Slytherin!!! Minerva, take me away!!!" The Sorting Hat sensed Emeric's urge to tear it apart. It feared that Dumbledore might lend it out for money, and while it was easy to leave, it was not certain to return.

Draco looked at Harry across from him with a smug expression. Emerick's choice of Slytherin made him very proud, and he had a smug look on his face. He was obviously happy, but he suppressed his smile for the sake of his pride.

Harry chatted with the Gryffindors while keeping an eye on the Sorting Hat and Draco. Seeing Draco's smug expression, his heart softened. How could he be so cute? He wanted to pinch his cheeks; they must be so soft. He wondered if Draco would blush and say he was going to tell his father.

If Ellie goes to Slytherin, he can keep Draco company. The Gryffindors are very welcoming, while Slytherin is so deserted. With someone by his side, Draco won't be bullied.

After the Sorting Ceremony, Dumbledore tapped his silver goblet, drawing the attention of all the young wizards. "As the Headmaster," he said, "first of all, welcome to Hogwarts. And lastly, I'll say one more thing: Idiots! Crybabies! Trash! Twisters!" As soon as he finished speaking, a large amount of food appeared on the table.

Emerick remarked that it was no wonder England had a less-than-ideal culinary history; most of the dishes on the table weren't British, and after looking around, he had no appetite whatsoever. He tapped the table. "Fufu, a cup of black tea, a bowl of fish ball soup, and a bowl of beef rice, please."

A house-elf dressed in a pink dress and a blue bib appeared. She bowed to Emerick, "Master Emerick thanked me. He's so kind to Fufu. Please wait a moment, Fufu will make sure you have the best meal!"

Fu Fu has been with him since he was little. Every time they go on a trip, he makes Fu Fu learn how to cook in different places. It was the same when they were in Durmstrang. His father was worried that he wouldn't want to eat the school food, so he used a little trick to get Fu Fu to eat it.

House-elves are naturally a bit neurotic these days, though. At least they can wear clothes and aprons to protect themselves from oil stains. Her father and grandfather made her a bunch of little clothes, which she cherishes. She wears her old clothes to work and changes into new ones when she goes out to meet people. If it weren't for coming to Hogwarts with him this time, she wouldn't have been willing to wear her favorite little pink dress.

The surrounding snakes noticed this unfamiliar house-elf and quietly increased Thaddeus's attention level by a notch. Malfoy hadn't even managed to get a sprite into his house, but Thaddeus had.

Emeric divided some food between two small bowls for Draco. At 11, he was at the age where he was a picky eater, especially of British food. He had eaten it once while traveling, and immediately called Fawkes over to cook a meal that barely salvaged his palate. The delicious and visually appealing British food left a lasting impression on him; if it weren't for Fawkes, he could have gone hungry for three days straight.

Draco looked at the two bowls with a puzzled expression, then cautiously took a bite. (chewing) What is this? How can it taste so good? (chewing)

After dinner, Emeric followed the crowd to his dormitory. He was pleased to find that he had a room. He glanced at the time and said, "Fufu, help me unpack my luggage. Arrange my things according to my habits. I'm going out for a bit."

Harry was still eating in the Great Hall when he saw Emeric looking for him at the door. He told Ron and quickly went out.

"Brother Ellie, what do you want?" He had barely finished speaking when a dumpling was stuffed into his mouth. Harry started to wonder what this delicious thing was (chewing).

Emeric, leading the still-chewing Harry, slowly walked to the Slytherin common room. "Little Dragon was upset just now. Would you like to talk to him? I'm going to get some Potions lessons from Professor Snape later. I don't want to blow up the cauldron on the first day of school." As he spoke, he stuffed another fish ball into Harry's mouth. The kid is so thin, he needs to eat more.

Harry was told to wait a little way from the common room to avoid the other snakes seeing him and causing a ruckus. Emeric went back to the common room and pulled Draco out, letting them talk amongst themselves; he needed to go to the dungeons for extra lessons, as it was almost eight o'clock.