As the group approached the entrance to the Great Hall, they noticed Professor McGonagall waiting for them with a stern expression on her face. Her lips pursed into a thin line as she saw how soaked and bedraggled they were.

Hagrid tried to explain what had happened, but McGonagall interrupted him sharply, her voice rising in her Scottish accent. "The Kraken did what?" she exclaimed, her eyes widening in disbelief.

Hagrid looked sheepish and muttered something about a water fight. McGonagall's expression softened slightly, but only for a moment. She still looked displeased with the situation and made it clear that she would be speaking with Hagrid later.

Turning her attention to the group, she raised her wand and conjured a warm breeze to dry their clothes.

Once they were dry, McGonagall greeted the first-year students and explained the sorting process. As she spoke, Atlas noticed a few of the other students looking nervously at her, intimidated by her stern demeanor. Despite feeling a twinge of disappointment that the canon had been disrupted, Atlas couldn't help but feel a bit of respect for the no-nonsense professor.

To his surprise, Neville´s toad Trevor didn’t appear and Malfoy didn’t start a conversation with Harry. Everyone was still talking about the Kraken and the sorting that lay ahead.

When she finished speaking, McGonagall led the group into the Great Hall, where the students were seated at their respective house tables.

As Atlas entered the Great Hall, his mind was racing. He knew that the Sorting Hat would soon be upon them, and he had to think carefully about which house the Hero would be sorted into. He assumed the Hero knew that the Sorting had would listen to his choices so the choice could be a rational one. Gryffindor was the obvious choice, as it was the house of the main character in the original story, but Atlas wondered if he could still gain an advantage from being in that house, now that canon had been disrupted.

He considered the other houses, and quickly eliminated Hufflepuff as a possibility. While there were some potential advantages to being in that house, such as the opportunity to get to know Cedric Diggory, it ultimately seemed like the least interesting option. That left Slytherin and Ravenclaw as the other potential houses.

Slytherin had its advantages, of course, with many of its members being wealthy and influential so it would win over Ravenclaw. Still, Gryffindor offered the easiest path to abusing canon knowledge, and that was something Atlas could not ignore. And even when somethings would change, he and the hero would still know more about it than the other houses.

As he was lost in thought, the Sorting Hat began its work, and Hermione Granger was the first person called up to be sorted. She was placed in Gryffindor, just as she had been in the original story. At that moment Atlas decided to go into Gryffindor. Not because of Hermione but because Seamus and Dean would be there and because contemplating the possible choices of the hero would lead him to nowhere now.

When his name was finally called, Atlas took a deep breath and walked up to the sorting hat. He had heard rumors that the hat could read minds, so he tried his best to keep his thoughts focused on the information he was ready to convey, like his guide to occlumency recommended him. As soon as the hat touched his head, he could feel it probing his mind, ripping his defences like a piece of paper, searching for the answer to the age-old question: where did he belong?

After what felt like an eternity, the hat finally spoke. "Hmm, a tricky one. You have a mature mind, and you value intelligence and knowledge. But you also have a strong but twisted sense of loyalty and bravery. Where should I put you?"

Atlas held his breath as the hat continued to mull over his decision. He screamed in his mind that the hat should put him into Gryffindor. Finally, it spoke again. "Gryffindor!"

The Gryffindor table erupted in cheers and applause, and Atlas couldn't help but grin. He made his way over to the table and was greeted with high-fives and pats on the back. He sat down next to Hermione, who was beaming with happiness.

As the sorting ceremony continued, Atlas listened carefully to each new student's name and house. He recognized most of them, having read the books and watched the movies countless times. The sorting didn’t holt any surprises, but there were a few unfamiliar faces, and Atlas made a mental note to investigate them further.

When someone was sorted into Gryffindor he clapped and celebrated with the others. He even stood up and high fived Dean and Seamus when they were sorted into Gryffindor. When someone was sorted into Slytherin, Atlas noticed a few Gryffindors booing and jeering. But he held back, after seeing that Professor McGonagall was trying to kill the Weasley Twins with her stare alone.

As the last student was sorted, Dumbledore swept to the podium, his long robes billowing behind him. The chatter among the students died down as they turned to look at him. With a twinkle in his eye, he addressed the room.

"Welcome, students, to another year at Hogwarts!" he exclaimed, his voice carrying to the far corners of the hall. "I have a few announcements to make before we tuck into our delicious, toad free feast."

Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Quak! Thank you."

Atlas looked at Dumbledore just as confused as Harry, when percy explained that despite all his genius, Dumbledore is a bit mad. But Atlas wasn’t confused because of Dumbledores antics. He was confused because his senseless words changed, and what did he mean by toadfree. As the feast appeared on the tables, Sir Nicolas floated by, presenting his half-cut neck swaying it open grotesquely after Hermione questioned him. Atlas couldn't help but stare in morbid fascination as the ghostly knight passed by his table, putting Dumbledore´s speech in the back of his mind.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

As he reached for a piece of roasted chicken, Seamus began to regale the older Gryffindors with a tale of their recent encounter with the kraken. "You should've seen it," he exclaimed, his arms flailing about in exaggerated motions. "This huge tentacle, at least fifty feet long, came out of nowhere and smacked us right in the face!"

Atlas raised an eyebrow skeptically, but Seamus was just getting started. "And then," he continued, "it grabbed Hagrid by the waist and started swinging him around like a rag doll!"

The other Gryffindors at the table chuckled at Seamus's embellished story, but Atlas couldn't help but roll his eyes. He knew that Seamus had a flair for the dramatic, but this was a bit much even for him.

As the feast went on, Atlas noticed something odd about Harry. He saw Harry grab his head and wince in pain. He seemed in pain, confused and disoriented. Atlas knew that this was a symptom of Harry's scar hurting, something that happened when Voldemort was near or up to something.

Atlas knew the backstory behind Harry's scar and the connection to Voldemort, but seeing the pain Harry was in made it all the more real. Atlas thought about the suspects on his list, but he quickly completely crossed off Harry's name. The pain and confusion on his face seemed genuine, and Atlas knew that Harry wouldn't be able to fake something like this.

As Atlas continued to make mental notes, he was slowly confusing himself with his own mental notes. He had always prided himself on his sharp memory, but this was getting out of hand. He needed a solution.

He thought about carrying a notebook around with him, but that would be too conspicuous, and he couldn't risk anyone stumbling upon it and discovering his plans. Perhaps he could use a spell to help him keep track of all his mental notes.

But as he pondered this idea, he couldn't recall ever hearing of such a spell. It seemed unlikely that such a thing existed, but he wasn't going to give up that easily. He would scour the library for any information on memory-enhancing spells or potions.

In the meantime, he decided to look into Occlumency, the art of shielding one's mind from external influence. Maybe this could help him keep his thoughts organized and prevent them from becoming jumbled.

He grimaced as he made another mental note to himself to visit the library as soon as possible and to prioritize finding a solution to his memory overload.

After the last bite of dessert was taken and the plates had disappeared from the tables, Dumbledore rose from his seat. His bright blue eyes twinkled as he surveyed the Great Hall, taking in the faces of each student. "Ahem, if I may have your attention," he said, his voice carrying through the room. The chatter and noise slowly died down as all eyes turned towards the headmaster.

"As we begin a new year at Hogwarts, it is my great pleasure to welcome our new students and welcome back our returning students. I hope you have all enjoyed the feast, prepared by our wonderful house elves." He paused, allowing for a brief applause. He took a deep breath "Our janitor Mr. Filch asked me to remind you of a few rules. Firstly I must remind you that the Forbidden Forest is strictly off-limits, as always, and that spellcasting in the corridors is also prohibited.” He glared at the Weasley Twins and a few other students. In addition to that, the right wing of the third floor is strictly off-limits to all students who do not wish to die a most painful death."

There was a murmur of alarm that rippled through the crowd, but Dumbledore raised a hand to quell it. "Fear not, my dear students, for Hogwarts is a safe place when you follow the rules.”

"Now, if I may ask all of our prefects to lead our first year students to their respective common rooms. The password to each house will be given to you by your prefects. I wish you all a good night's rest, and I look forward to seeing you all bright and early tomorrow morning for your first day of classes." With a wave of his hand, the prefects began to usher the first years towards the exits of the Great Hall.

Atlas followed closely behind Dean and Seamus and Percy, the Gryffindor prefect, as he led the first year students out of the Great Hall. As they walked through the castle, Atlas couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement as he saw the moving stairs and moving pictures that evaluated the new students.

As they stepped into the Gryffindor common room, Atlas couldn't help but feel a sense of awe wash over him. The room was decorated in shades of red and gold, with a roaring fireplace that provided a cozy ambiance. The freshmen gazed around, taking in the surroundings with wide eyes, while the older students went to their respective dormitories. Percy, the prefect, gestured for them to follow him to their dormitories.

Atlas was surprised to see his trunk and a few packages neatly arranged next to his bed. A wave of relief washed over him, knowing that his plan to smuggle in the cauldrons had been successful.

As he settled into his bed, he realized that he would be sharing the dorm with Harry, Ron, Seamus, Dean, and Neville. He couldn't contain his excitement and felt grateful to be among such good company. However, as the night wore on, his happiness was soon overshadowed by Ron's deafening snoring.

Atlas had never heard someone snoring in his previous life and this life and found it hard to get a moment of peace. His anger grew with each passing moment, and he couldn't help but feel frustrated at the lack of sleep. As he tossed and turned, he contemplated the feasibility of a plan to strangle Ron in his sleep. He wondered if it was worth the trouble.

His frustration turned to a spark of hope as he secretly wished that Ron was the hero.

Maybe this was the sign he needed to move forward with his plan. But deep down, he knew that it was a long shot and that he would have to be more strategic in his approach and not act out of frustration.

The next morning came too early for Atlas, who looked like he had been up all-night partying with vampires, that took occasionally a bite of him. Everyone else in the dormitory was refreshed and ready to start the day, but Atlas stumbled out of bed like a zombie. As he tried to gather his thoughts and prepare for the day, he noticed his roommates waiting for him behind the portrait of the fat lady.

"Hey, Atlas, ready for your first day of classes?" Ron asked, giving him a friendly slap on the back.

Atlas groaned and rubbed his bleary eyes. "I don't know how you guys do it. How could you sleep with this monster snoring."

Seamus laughed. "Welcome to Hogwarts, mate. No rooms for one, no exceptions.” Laughing about his own joke he continued, “You'll get used to it."

Atlas nodded wearily, hoping that Seamus was right. He quickly used his mother's household spell Lavare to clean himself up but ended up with a mouthful of soap as he reached his head. He grimaced and spat out a few bubbles, turning the few chuckles from his roommates into full grown fit of laughter.

Ron couldn't help but crack a joke at Atlas as he watched him spitting out soap bubbles "Watch out Slytherins, aspiring Dark Lords and Ladys, Atlas here has a new power!" Ron exclaimed, causing everyone to laugh. At least he was clean he thought to himself as they went to their first class.