MHA 2025!

The Great Hall felt like it stretched to forever. Torches flickered, casting dancing shadows on the high, vaulted ceiling. My stomach churned, a nervous knot twisting tighter with every step. This was Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. This was… big. Real big.

I shuffled along with the other first years, a sea of nervous faces in oversized robes. Everything felt too new, too grand. Back home, mum brewed potions in a little cottage, the scent of wormwood and dried newt clinging to everything. This was… different. More like a castle than a home.

I caught a glimpse of Kirishima's hair, that vibrant crimson that even the dim light of the Hall couldn't dull. He gave me a reassuring grin, his sharp teeth glinting. "You alright, Sero?" he mouthed. I nodded, trying to return the smile, but it probably came out more like a grimace.

Then I saw him. Katsuki Bakugo. Even from a distance, he radiated an aura of… well, I wouldn't call it warmth. More like controlled fury, ready to ignite at the slightest provocation. His platinum blonde hair was meticulously styled, and his red eyes scanned the crowd with an intensity that made even me, his classmate, flinch. He was flanked by Kaminari, looking as perpetually smug and unconcerned as ever, and a couple of girls I recognized as Mina Ashido and Kyoka Jiro.

They were all Slytherin, everyone said. The ambitious, the cunning, the… well, the ones who weren't afraid to play dirty.

Suddenly, the headmaster, a silver-bearded wizard with twinkling blue eyes, began to speak. I strained to hear, my ears buzzing with a mixture of excitement and anxiety. He droned on about introductions, rules, and something about a dangerous troll (honestly, a TROLL?!), but my attention drifted.

Then it was time. The Sorting Ceremony. Each name was read from a long scroll, and one by one, the first years nervously approached the Sorting Hat. I watched as they placed it on their heads, the ancient fabric rumbling with pronouncements. "RAVENCLAW!" "HUFFLEPUFF!" "GRYFFINDOR!"

My name felt heavy on my tongue when Professor McGonagall finally called it. "Sero, Hanta!"

My legs felt like lead as I walked towards the stool. The whole hall seemed to hold its breath. Fear threatened to choke me. What if I wasn't good enough? What if I was put in the wrong house?

I sat, the hat was placed on my head and plunged me into darkness. A voice, old and raspy, echoed in my mind.

"Hmm, a difficult one. You possess a certain… loyalty. And a surprising amount of… resourcefulness. But where to put you? You seem to be lacking in the ambition that is required to thrive, however… you crave an environment where you can be loyal to people that are loyal to you, and maybe with a little… push…"

"SLYTHERIN!"

Relief washed over me, so potent it almost made my knees buckle. I practically ran towards the Slytherin table, the cheers and applause a welcome wave of sound. Kirishima clapped me on the back, yelling, "That's my bro! Told you you'd make it!"

Bakugo just gave a curt nod. "Took you long enough."

I settled into a seat next to Kaminari. Mina gave me a friendly wink, and Jiro simply rolled her eyes. But I was in. I was a Slytherin.

The feast that followed was a blur of roast chicken, steaming potatoes, and pumpkin juice. I ate ravenously, trying to ignore the lingering anxiety that still gnawed at me. I was in Slytherin now. I was expected to be… something. Something more than just Hanta Sero from a little cottage.

As the night wore on, and the Prefects led us to the dungeons, I felt a strange mix of fear and excitement. This was my new life. This was Hogwarts. This was… well, I wasn't sure what this was. But I had a feeling things were about to get interesting.

The Slytherin common room was dimly lit, decorated in shades of green and silver. As I settled down to unpack, Kirishima clapped me on the shoulder, a grin on his face. "Come on! Let's find our dorm. Time for a new adventure!"

And as I followed him, I couldn't help but feel a sliver of hope. Maybe I, Hanta Sero, could make something of myself here, in the shadows of Slytherin, even if I was just following in the footsteps of someone else. Maybe, just maybe, I could even make my own mark.