Harry Potter: I started checking in from Diagon Alley

He really did consider going to Slytherin!

"You can't be serious?"

Harry asked cautiously.

Eric: "I have actually considered having the Sorting Hat sort me into Slytherin later, because I don't think the house can represent me. Besides, I don't hate Slytherin, so why not?"

Ron finally snapped, "How could you possibly want to speak up for Slytherin, Eric! I feel like throwing up just thinking about Malfoy's face, and you actually want to join them?!"

Harry stammered, "Maybe Eric didn't mean it that way, Ron..."

"What does he mean?!"

“What he means is that the House doesn’t represent a person’s stance. Even if he really goes to Slytherin, he’ll still be our friend,” Hermione suddenly said from the side.

Ron and Harry looked at Hermione, only to see her cold expression, staring at them with nothing but displeasure in her eyes.

Seeing Hermione like this, Ron could only angrily shut his mouth.

He didn't have the courage to offend both Eric and Hermione at the same time.

In that case, his homework for this semester will be completely ruined.

Eric chuckled, not refuting Hermione's words, but continued, "Ron, do you know which house Sirius Black is from? He's from Gryffindor, and he was classmates with Harry's father and Professor Lupin."

Ron was completely speechless. He could only sullenly lean back in his chair, remaining silent.

"how come……"

Harry was somewhat lost in thought when he heard the answer.

Now it was Eric's turn to be speechless: "Don't you guys read the newspapers? The Daily Prophet has already dug up all of Blake's life story."

Harry scratched his head sheepishly. He had subscribed to the Daily Prophet like everyone else, but rarely read it.

Eric said, "Your background can determine your position, but people change, Harry."

"You can certainly stubbornly believe that the academy represents a part of a person's personality, but reality will show you that this is impossible."

"To label someone without knowing them is, frankly, quite foolish."

"In short, remember, Harry, think more. Seeing is not believing, even with people you know well."

Harry and Hermione seemed lost in thought when Lupin suddenly sighed and interrupted, "We've arrived."

Just as Lupin had said, the carriage came to a leisurely stop in front of a stone bridge after turning a corner through a dense forest.

Not only their carriages, but all the carriages around them were like that.

Looking out the window, the group saw a magnificent castle and its surrounding towers come into view.

The castle was brightly lit, and it looked even more dazzling under the night sky.

That was Hogwarts.

Chapter 47 Soul Barrier

The group got off the bus in front of the stone bridge and followed the flow of people across the bridge, entering the gates of Hogwarts.

Behind the main gate was Hogwarts' foyer, which was wide open and bustling with people.

Eric and the others followed Lupin forward.

Apart from Eric, the other first-year students were still crossing Black Lake by boat, and they hadn't even made it halfway.

Along the way, many people glanced at Eric.

All the students here are wearing school robes, but Eric's chest is bare, without the insignia of his college.

Eric, on the other hand, looks very young.

First-year students couldn't ride in a carriage; they were very curious about Eric.

Among them, quite a few people immediately recognized Eric's identity.

They were also present when Eric banished the Dementors from the train today.

With Eric's distinctive features, how could they not recognize him?

These people were shocked to see their companion's actions and quickly reminded him not to go too far.

That's a monster, even Dementors aren't afraid of it.

But this move undoubtedly backfired, and Eric suddenly became even more prominent.

Everyone wanted to see what the person who single-handedly drove off the Dementors looked like.

Wherever they went in the crowd, people would instinctively form a circle around Eric and his group.

More and more people are paying attention to it.

Ron and Harry had never seen anything like this before.

Their faces were even paler than when they encountered the Dementors.

“What are they looking at?” Ron asked.

Hermione said irritably as she walked away, "Anyway, it's not like I'm looking at you."

Eric, however, didn't seem to care and remained expressionless.

As soon as they stepped into the lobby, many professors were already waiting there, guiding the students to disperse and take their seats in the auditorium.

The prefects of the four colleges also stepped forward to help the professors maintain order.

As expected, a familiar electronic voice rang in Eric's mind:

[Ding! Host has arrived at Hogwarts. Congratulations on reaching the check-in location. Please begin check-in immediately and do not exit midway.]

[Ding, check-in successful.]

[Reward obtained: Soul Barrier.]

Eric's spirits immediately lifted.

He quickly opened his personal panel and paid attention to the new ability he had just acquired.

[Soul Barrier: Originating from a special use of the Spiritual Stance, when the Spiritual Stance is activated, the mental energy is guided and fixed within oneself, forming a barrier composed of a high-strength soul—the Soul Barrier. When the Soul Barrier is activated, one is immune to the effects of mental control magic.]

nice one!

After reading the introduction to the Soul Barrier ability, Eric appeared calm on the surface, but inside he was extremely excited.

This is exactly the ability he needs now.

He chose to travel by carriage and attend the Sorting Ceremony later because Dumbledore wanted to see him now.

Given Eric's current condition, it would be quite risky for him to meet Dumbledore.

Because Dumbledore was the most powerful Legilimency master of his time.

Although he never claimed to use Legilimency.

Others might not understand this, but Eric knew it very well.

In the realm of Legilimency, Dumbledore's mastery was arguably the strongest at the time.

How could Dumbledore not have any doubts about Eric's motives and identity, given that Eric was a person who suddenly appeared and claimed to know about Black and James's relationship?

Dumbledore isn't stupid.

Eric wasn't certain that Dumbledore would use Legilimency on him, but the probability was high!

The terrifying aspect of Legilimency lies in its ability to read another person's memories and emotions through their consciousness.

If someone is determined, they can read your memories with just a glance—that's how terrifying it is.

Moreover, the activation of this magic is not complicated, and with Dumbledore's power, he could make it completely undetectable.

Without a sound, it sees through all secrets.

Of course, whether the attempt to seize the mind and grasp thoughts will succeed depends on the contest of wills between the two parties.

Eric has a strong mental fortitude, which is one of the reasons for his confidence.

While it's impossible to guarantee he'll be completely unaffected, Eric can certainly hold out for a while if he wants to.

But in any case, Eric definitely doesn't want to take any risks if he can completely defend against them.

After all, he has too many secrets.

The Soul Barrier is a purely defensive skill.

The ability to resist mind control magic refers not only to Legilimency, but also to a range of control spells such as Imperius...

On the other hand, since Legilimency is so powerful, why isn't Eric worried that Fudge will be exposed in front of Dumbledore?

There are many reasons. First, although the mind-capturing technique is incredibly effective, it cannot accurately access memories from a specific time period.

It's like checking surveillance footage; you can watch it, but you can't pinpoint the exact location.

Moreover, the timeline of this monitoring is random and disordered.

Unless you already know the time period you want to check.

Secondly, there is a necessary condition for releasing the mind through concentration: eye contact.

Eric had warned Fudge beforehand never to make eye contact with Dumbledore.

Assuming Fudge's actions weren't too outrageous, Dumbledore had no reason to easily suspect that Fudge was up to no good behind his back.

Even if you have suspicions, it's impossible to know who Fudge is working with, or when he did what.

In other words, as long as Fudge doesn't do anything reckless, Eric is safe.

Legilimency is terrifying, but if you know how this magic works, there are still some ways to resist it to some extent, even if you are not as strong as the other two.

Eric's complicated thoughts vanished in an instant. After reading the skill description, he was secretly delighted.

He thought a lot, but to Hermione and the others, Eric only paused briefly when entering the foyer, as if he were suddenly overwhelmed by the grandeur of Hogwarts' foyer.

Nobody thought there was anything wrong with it.

Hogwarts itself is a castle complex covering a vast area.

Over a thousand years of history, Hogwarts has become a cultural icon, not just a geographical one.