Chapter 212: The Banquet and Returning Home
Chapter 212: The Banquet and Returning Home
As everyone knows, Castrobrusso is located in the Amazon Rainforest. Being in the Southern Hemisphere, they experience the hottest time of the year in December.
However, wizards wield the power of Magic. When Liam and Hermione emerged from the Hospital Wing and made their way to the Great Hall, they found a thick layer of snow that wouldn't melt covering the ground near the entrance. Snowflakes continuously fell from the ceiling, adding to the magical atmosphere.
"This is truly amazing", Liam remarked, even though he knew it was the effect of Magic, the sight before him was still incredibly wondrous.
Because the School Healer had taken some time to check their health, by the time they arrived at the Great Hall, many people were already seated. Despite most students having gone home for the holidays, many had stayed behind to attend this Christmas banquet, which was also a farewell party for the Hogwarts exchange students.
The entire Great Hall had been magically transformed. It was adorned with various Plants; green vines climbed up the columns and walls, adorned with clusters of small flowers. The ground was covered with a soft layer of moss, which felt like the finest Persian carpet underfoot. Christmas decorations hung among the Plants, creating a festive atmosphere.
As Liam and Hermione found their seats with the other Hogwarts students, they noticed many people looking at them. They chatted normally with a few classmates, pretending not to notice the attention.
A moment later, Headmaster Fernandez and a few others entered the stage from a side door. Zhang Qiu, sitting next to them, said, "Hey, Professor Mcgonagall, Minister Fudge. Why are so many people here today? Is something going on?"
"It's wonderful to see everyone gathered here", Headmaster Fernandez began. "Especially the exchange students from Britain, who have added a new dimension to our School this semester..."
Official speeches were universally dull, and Liam noticed that most students were quietly doing their own things. He took out an empty notebook and started working on a technique from Grindelwald's notes.
After a while, Headmaster Fernandez raised his voice, "In recognition of the outstanding performance of certain students during the recent School crisis, the Wizengamot will be awarding them the Order of Merlin."
Headmaster Fernandez gestured, and Minister Fudge of the British Ministry of Magic, dressed in a fine striped cloak with a green sash and a golden medal on his chest, stepped up to the podium. He began a lengthy speech, starting with the friendly relations between Brazil and Britain and the importance of young wizards interacting with each other.
Before the audience's patience wore thin, Fudge got to the point: "Now, please welcome Hogwarts third-year students Liam Liang and Hermione Granger to the stage. Due to their exceptional bravery and sacrifice in the recent incident, I will present them with the Order of Merlin on behalf of the Wizengamot."
Amidst envious glances and applause, Liam and Hermione stood and walked to the stage. They bowed to the assembled faculty and then stood before Fudge.
"Thank you for your extraordinary courage and sacrifice in thwarting the Blood God Cult's conspiracy and eliminating the Blood God Cult", Fudge said. He then pinned a purple-sashed gold medal on Liam's chest and a white-sashed gold medal on Hermione's, leading the audience in applause.
As the applause continued, several reporters began taking photos, capturing this significant moment from various angles.
"Wow! Look at them, so young and already making such a significant contribution! It's incredible!" one of the guests on the stage exclaimed.
"Why are the ones who made such a big impact British?" a few sour-faced Castrobrusso students grumbled.
"Merlin's beard, it's amazing that third-year students could participate in such intense battles", some students whose families worked in the Brazilian Ministry of Magic whispered, spreading the details of the event.
"Senior and Seniorita, you both look so cool." Uh, that was the cheer from one of the fans who had been saved last time.
Amidst the applause and cheers, the two of them returned to their seats. "I think this medal is because of you. Honestly, I didn't do much this time, and I really don't understand why I received this medal", Hermione said shyly to Liam after sitting down.
"Your bravery in saving someone at the risk of your own life is enough to earn a medal. Besides, two medals are better than one for the school's honor", Liam reassured her.
After the medal ceremony, a sumptuous Christmas feast followed. The variety of dishes made everyone thoroughly satisfied.
At this point, a Daily Prophet reporter came to interview them. Thankfully, it was a young male reporter, so he probably wouldn't sensationalize things like Rita Skeeter. Therefore, Liam gave some generic, polite responses about thanking the school and the Ministry of Magic for their support, which seemed to satisfy the reporter.
Soon, Minister Fudge came down from the stage to shake hands and chat with Liam and the others. The Daily Prophet reporter took this opportunity to snap several photos.
Fudge was indeed a competent politician. After their conversation, Liam found him to be a very kind and approachable person. Considering his manic behavior in the fifth book, it just goes to show how power can sometimes cloud people's judgment and lower their common sense.
In any case, the Christmas banquet concluded in a harmonious atmosphere. After the banquet, when Liam entered the carriage, he was once again greeted with enthusiastic welcome.
"I never expected my students to receive the Order of Merlin in their third year", Professor Mcgonagall said, dressed in her green robe. "At least you are the youngest recipients of the Order of Merlin in the past thirty years, and I am very proud of you."
After Professor Mcgonagall spoke, everyone held a small celebration in the common room of the carriage. It wasn't until ten o'clock in the evening that the professors finally had to usher everyone back to their dormitories, as they had to leave for Britain early the next morning.
The next morning, after breakfast, the black Hogwarts Express steam engine descended from the sky. As the train was being adjusted, Headmaster Fernand of Castrobrusso led the faculty to bid farewell to the Hogwarts students and staff. Under the guidance of Deputy Headmistress Mcgonagall, the Hogwarts students participated in the farewell ceremony.
Finally, the Hogwarts students and staff boarded the train amidst the farewells from the Castrobrusso faculty. The train slowly ascended and quickly disappeared from their sight.
The journey back was much more relaxed. Since it was the Christmas holiday, there were no teaching tasks to complete on the train like there had been on the way there. Liam took this opportunity to study the golden magic book given to them by Nymph, along with Hermione.
The magic in this book was much older than what they were currently learning, focusing on mimicking various natural phenomena and the innate powers of different creatures to cast spells. Therefore, the book contained a lot of content on Transfiguration. Unlike modern magic, which gradually modifies observed phenomena to suit human needs, this book's approach temporarily altered the human magic circulation to allow direct casting of these primal spells.
This type of magic was more powerful and closer to the essence of magic. However, it was also more difficult to learn and carried greater risks when used. Each approach had its advantages and disadvantages.
Because it was challenging to master, Liam and Hermione's analysis and study of the book progressed slowly during the journey. Even when the train returned to Britain and entered Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, their research had not made much significant progress.
(End of Chapter)
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