"Hey, did you hear? The school suddenly opened itself to outsiders today!"
"Not exactly fully open. I heard it's just some reporters and Ministry officials… Apparently they're attending the end-of-year feast later."
"Merlin, has something big happened recently? How come I haven't heard anything at all?"
"Well, if it's something the Headmaster wants to keep secret, how could there be any leaks beforehand?"
"And honestly, it's a good thing we didn't hear any major news in advance. Otherwise, right before the O.W.L.s, we probably wouldn't have been able to focus on revising at all… But really, what kind of thing is worth such a grand announcement?"
"It has to be huge. Even Professor Snape has looked completely distracted lately—like he's lost his soul!"
"…"
Ever since two days ago, when Dumbledore announced that reporters and Ministry officials would be invited to attend the end-of-year feast, discussions like these had never stopped among the students. Even though two days were more than enough for over a thousand students to speculate about every possible scenario dozens of times, everyone remained endlessly enthusiastic, continuously fermenting brand-new versions of rumors…
And it was amid this atmosphere that Avada, dark circles under his eyes and his steps unsteady, followed the Hufflepuff line into the Great Hall and collapsed into his seat.
From the day Voldemort was captured until last night, he had needed to take the base of the Draught of Living Death every single evening just to fall asleep. Otherwise, the moment he closed his eyes, his mind would replay that heart-stopping night in the fourth-floor corridor—Voldemort's furious roars and Dumbledore's last-moment intervention—until he twisted restlessly in bed like a worm.
Apparently Baron and Harry hadn't been doing much better either, but that hadn't stopped Baron, Avada, and Hermione from jointly taking first place in their year's final exams. Harry and Ron's results were pretty good too—good enough, at least, to warrant a special celebration for beating Malfoy…
So it's finally going to be made public.
He thought silently. I wonder just how much this will change the wizarding world.
What will the Death Eater remnants who are still lying low think? Flee abroad? Turn themselves in? Or fight to the bitter end?
And what about Peter Pettigrew? Will he keep pretending to be a rat… or is he already useless now? Should I just find an opportunity to expose him directly? The Marauder's Map, maybe?
And those people in the deepest parts of Azkaban—this should drive them mad with despair, right? Sirius will be overjoyed, though. But if that's the case, will he still break out of prison?
Never mind. Clearing his name through proper legal channels is fine too. Either way, Peter won't be able to escape.
After all, the Tracking Charm on Peter had never been broken. Avada renewed it whenever he had the chance, and its three-month duration was more than enough to last through the entire summer.
Soon, students from all four Houses took their seats at their respective long tables. Then the Daily Prophet reporters and Ministry officials entered as well. They brought their own chairs, arranging them neatly in the open space between the four tables, while the reporters even set up their cameras…
"Look—Snape's hands are shaking."
Some students noticed the anomaly and began pointing toward the staff table. "The other professors look just as tense… What on earth is going on?"
A reporter seated nearby glanced at the students, raised his camera to snap a few photos, then swiftly jotted down notes:[Renowned Potions Master Snape suspected of health issues; hands trembling uncontrollably, raising concerns over potion quality…]
…
Once all the students and invited guests were seated, Dumbledore rose to his feet. The noisy chatter that had filled the Great Hall vanished in an instant.
"Congratulations to everyone here! You've made it through another wonderful year, and your minds are now a little fuller than before… And ahead of you lies an entire summer, waiting for you to digest all that knowledge properly, to clear some space in your heads before next term begins…"
Dumbledore spoke cheerfully, no different from previous years. "I'd also like to thank our guests for gracing us with their presence, for spending their valuable time listening to this old man's tired ramblings… However, what has happened this year is simply too important. I believe it is necessary for the entire wizarding community to know."
"But before we enjoy the feast and before that matter is revealed, tradition dictates that we first hold the House Cup award ceremony. The House points for this year are as follows…"
Dumbledore picked up a piece of parchment from the table, held it before his eyes, and read aloud, "Fourth place, Gryffindor, 382 points; third place, Hufflepuff, 453 points; Ravenclaw with 456 points; and Slytherin with 482 points."
The younger Slytherins immediately burst into cheers, while the older students applauded more politely—after all, they'd won so often it was hard to get excited anymore.
"Congratulations to Slytherin. It seems you performed very well this year… However, several recent events must also be taken into account. Therefore, I need to make a slight adjustment to the points."
"That concerns Mr. Ron Weasley and Miss Hermione Granger. I wish to award them special points—for they demonstrated exceptional intelligence, courage, perseverance, and remarkable composure in the face of crisis… These shining qualities allowed them to make an outstanding contribution to the entire wizarding world."
A buzzing wave of discussion instantly filled the Great Hall once more. What could possibly allow two first-year students to make an outstanding contribution to the entire wizarding world?
"For this," Dumbledore continued, "I award each of them fifty points, for a total of one hundred points."
"And so I hereby announce that Gryffindor and Slytherin, tied at 482 points, will jointly win this year's House Cup."
He clapped his hands, and at once, half of the silver-and-green banners and ribbons in the Great Hall transformed into gold and red, symbolizing Gryffindor and Slytherin sharing the House Cup.
A cheer erupted from the Gryffindor table, but it quickly subsided—everyone was far more curious about that mysterious matter involving an "outstanding contribution to the wizarding world."
"Besides the House Cup," Dumbledore's smile gradually turned enigmatic, "I must also present a special award, to Mr. Baron Shafiq, Mr. Harry Potter, and Mr. Ken."
"Their determination, wisdom, genius, and fearless courage together accomplished a truly earth-shaking feat—one that genuinely changed the entire wizarding world. That is the matter I will announce today. For this, I shall bestow upon them Hogwarts' highest honor, and their medals will be permanently displayed at the very top of the Trophy Room, in recognition and remembrance of their contributions. Frankly speaking, if they were not underage, I would certainly apply for the Order of Merlin, First Class on their behalf…"
The Great Hall exploded.
Like a red-hot iron plunged into still water, boiling voices instantly flooded the space. Everyone looked around frantically, searching for Avada, Baron, and Harry, while loudly speculating about what had happened. Meanwhile, those seated near the three of them were either frozen in shock or desperately shaking their shoulders, begging them to explain…
"And so—"Dumbledore had to bring his wand to his lips, his magically amplified voice resounding throughout the hall."I now announce the event that changed the entire wizarding world—"
"Voldemort has been captured!"
For a moment, it was as though time itself had stopped. All sound vanished in an instant, a needle-drop silence freezing the air.
Then, in the very next second, a tidal wave of noise and blinding camera flashes swallowed everything whole…
(End of Chapter)