After everyone saw what was left of Voldemort, the atmosphere at the scene fell silent in an instant, sinking into a deathly stillness.
All of them were shaken by what they were seeing, unable to believe Voldemort could appear before them in such a state.
After a long while, Dumbledore was the first to break the silence.
Unlike the other professors, he didn't treat the moment with grim solemnity at all. His eyes were full of curiosity as he asked, "Harry, you really defeated Voldemort—this is his body?"
Harry nodded. He placed Voldemort's lifeless remains in front of the professors and answered methodically, "Yes. This is Voldemort's corpse.
"More precisely, this should be Quirrell's body. During this period, Voldemort had been parasitizing the back of Quirrell's head, clinging to life by relying on Quirrell's body.
"Until today, when I found him in the Forbidden Forest killing unicorns and drinking their blood to prolong his life. That's when I fought him. I only managed to defeat him a short while ago, mostly by luck."
The other professors fell even more silent after hearing Harry's explanation.
They didn't believe you could defeat the Dark Lord with courage alone.
Every one of these professors had seen countless battles. Most of them had lived through the Second Wizarding War decades ago, and quite a few had even experienced the First Wizarding War.
In those long, dark years, they had learned exactly how terrifying Voldemort was.
Otherwise, he would never have become "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."
So there was no doubt about it: Harry had killed Voldemort through his own power and intelligence.
Luck might have played a part, but it certainly wasn't the main reason.
Just then, Professor McGonagall suddenly realized something. Her expression sharpened. She strode forward several steps, completely ignoring the not-yet-cold body of Voldemort at her feet, and scolded harshly:
"Mr. Potter, tonight you actually went out after curfew with two other young students, went to a dangerous area like the Forbidden Forest, and even got into a fight with dangerous individuals!
"I have to say, even I admire your courage. Gryffindor loses fifty points per person!"
Everyone exchanged glances, and the same thought flashed through their minds at once:
Is this really the time to be saying that?
Harry had just defeated Voldemort—the Dark Lord who had terrified the entire wizarding world for so long, the name that made people turn pale at the mere mention of it!
Dumbledore hesitated, then let out a sigh. "Minerva, there's no need to do this. We can discuss these matters later."
As the nearby professors began nodding one after another, Dumbledore abruptly changed tone and continued:
"However, since you've already punished them for their mistakes, then I must also reward them according to their merits!
"Harry successfully defeated Voldemort and resolved a tremendous crisis tied to the very survival of the wizarding world.
"So I declare: in recognition of Harry Potter's heroic performance, Gryffindor gains two hundred points!"
At Dumbledore's words, Hermione, Ron, and Prefect Percy all cheered out loud, shouting, "Long live Headmaster Dumbledore! Long live Harry!"
Gryffindor had originally lost a hundred and fifty points. Now, with Harry's achievement alone, not only had those lost points been completely erased, they had even come out fifty points ahead.
Combined with the points they'd earned earlier from Quidditch matches, unless something unexpected happened, Gryffindor would raise the House Cup again this year and finally end the awkward streak of going several years without it.
Professor McGonagall shot Dumbledore an exasperated look and let out a soft sigh. She seemed dissatisfied, but in the end, she chose to stay silent.
Because the reward Dumbledore had given was beyond reproach. A young wizard, not even a teenager, defeating the Dark Lord single-handedly—what an extraordinary feat.
No reward would be too much.
In fact, if Dumbledore hadn't proposed two hundred points first, she would have brought it up afterward herself.
And it wouldn't be limited to House points. In her own name, she would also report what happened here to the Ministry of Magic and fight to secure Harry an Order of Merlin, First Class.
If nothing went wrong, then after becoming the youngest Potions Master, Harry would create another miracle and become the youngest recipient of an Order of Merlin, First Class.
No professor objected to Dumbledore's decision. Even Snape, who was always strict and habitually picky with Harry, only gave a cold snort and tacitly accepted it.
After confirming Harry was unharmed, that aloof, tsundere bat returned to his usual icy demeanor.
The next day, a piece of news that shocked all of Hogwarts spread like wildfire. Every young witch and wizard learned that the Boy Who Lived, Harry Potter, had actually defeated Voldemort.
They argued endlessly about everything connected to Harry and praised him nonstop. After a year together, Harry had gradually blended into Hogwarts and was no longer quite so conspicuous.
But now, he once again became the center of everyone's attention.
Wherever he went, every student's eyes would follow him. Some bolder students even walked up to speak with him.
In the end, Harry's life was completely thrown off course. To avoid the constant disruption, he could only make a small adjustment to the Muggle-Repelling Charm so that it would also work on witches and wizards with magic, lowering his sense of presence. Only then did his life finally return to normal.
Not long after, the Ministry of Magic and other related departments received word that Harry had defeated Voldemort.
They treated it with extreme seriousness, quickly coordinating across departments and loudly publicizing the uplifting news.
For a time, well-known wizarding newspapers and magazines such as the Daily Prophet, Witch Weekly, and The Quibbler all printed the story in prominent spots.
The Daily Prophet even somehow obtained a photograph from who-knew-where.
In the photo, Harry had just stepped out from the doorway of the Chamber of Secrets. Floating not far behind him was Voldemort's ruined body.
The image looked like something out of an epic, announcing the outcome of justice triumphing over evil.
Beneath that shocking photo, the Daily Prophet printed the following in bold, eye-catching type:
"Dawn of the Wizarding World: Harry Potter Ends Voldemort's Terrifying Return!"
"In the darkest night of the wizarding world, the brightest beam of light has pierced through the gloom!
"Our paper has received confirmed news today: the horrific shadow that has made the entire wizarding world tremble for decades—Voldemort—returned some time ago!
"Even the invasion incident that previously threw Gringotts into panic was also Voldemort's doing!
"However, when you are reading this report, there is no need to worry anymore!
"The evil Voldemort has been defeated once again by our brave and fearless savior—Harry Potter!
"This shocking victory marks the wizarding world, which was just about to fall back into bloody darkness, welcoming the light once more!
"For a long time to come, the wizarding world will enter an era of lasting peace!
"Because of this tremendous contribution, the Ministry of Magic has already begun discussions and preparations to bestow the highest honor upon the savior who killed He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named!
"If nothing unexpected happens, Harry Potter—only twelve years old, a first-year student at Hogwarts—will receive an Order of Merlin, First Class, becoming the youngest recipient of an Order of Merlin, First Class in history!
"Let us look forward to it—look forward to how far our savior can go in the future!"
As soon as the papers hit the stands, the wizarding world erupted. Almost every witch and wizard was praising the savior's greatness.
And yet, a small portion of the more perceptive witches and wizards, upon seeing the Daily Prophet's photograph, couldn't help but feel a doubt rise in their hearts. They murmured to themselves:
"Strange… why is it that when I look at Harry Potter, he seems more like a Dark Lord than Voldemort does?"
Inside the library, Harry sat quietly at a table, reading the Daily Prophet.
The paper sensationalized the story of him defeating Voldemort—belittling Voldemort while loudly proclaiming Harry's overwhelming power. But as Harry read it, he didn't agree at all.
After his last battle with Voldemort, Harry had replayed the details of the fight and understood clearly just how terrifying Voldemort truly was.
There was no doubt: Voldemort was absolutely one of the strongest wizards of the modern era.
He had been burdened by the unicorn's curse, and he was nearly dying—his strength drastically reduced—yet even so, he had still been able to suppress Harry for a time.
There was no need to wonder. If Voldemort had been at his peak, Harry believed he wouldn't have been a match.
Based on Harry's rough estimate, at Voldemort's full strength, if he unleashed destructive spells at full power—wide-area curses like Fiendfyre—he could even destroy an entire city.
With such power, even if you put him on Earth in the multiverse, aside from very few beings like Odin, the Sorcerer Supreme, and the like, there would be almost no one who could stand against him.
Even in the multiverse, Harry would need to be on the verge of losing control before he could be confident of defeating peak Voldemort.
And in the wizarding world, his magic was suppressed by the nature of the world itself, leaving him with only one-third of the power he had in the multiverse.
If he didn't lose control completely, then he absolutely wouldn't be able to defeat Voldemort at his peak.
Harry didn't believe a wizard with such immense power—especially in a wizarding world shaped by will and mind—would die so easily.
Perhaps before long, Voldemort would return once again.
In the time that followed, Harry went through his course exams. Naturally, none of them were difficult for him, and he received O (Outstanding) across the board.
But compared with being awarded the Order of Merlin, First Class, those grades suddenly felt far less important.
Without a doubt, with Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall—two top-tier wizards—recommending him with all their might, Harry successfully secured the Order of Merlin, First Class.
As a landmark of extraordinary significance in the wizarding world, Hogwarts itself was one of the designated locations for Order of Merlin, First Class award ceremonies.
Because of that, after deliberation, the Ministry of Magic decided that during Hogwarts' end-of-year feast—under the shared witness of all teachers and students—the Order of Merlin, First Class would be bestowed upon Harry.
Time flew. In the blink of an eye, the night of the end-of-year feast arrived.
That evening, Harry went downstairs alone, heading to the Great Hall to attend the feast…
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