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Chapter 231: A Bumpy Award Ceremony
Chapter 231: A Bumpy Award Ceremony
Of course, Diana did not show up in the end due to certain reasons, as she rarely appeared in crowded places like the school.
Nevertheless, she sent Dumbledore a Howler.
No one knew the content of the Howler, but that day, someone spotted a phoenix at the Quidditch Stadium, and a group of boastful old men and women appeared in the castle's portraits.
"That young lady is so terrifying..."
As someone passed by the corridor, they heard a wizard with a big nose complaining to the witch beside him:
"She even scolded us... Merlin's socks, what does it have to do with us if Dumbledore hires Death Eaters as professors? I've been dead for over three hundred years..."
Dumbledore? Death Eaters?
The student felt like he had discovered something and hurriedly stopped to listen carefully.
But when he turned to look at the portrait, he saw that the person inside was chasing a hippogriff and wasn't talking at all.
He glanced at the witches beside him... two witches were having afternoon tea.
"Did I hear wrong just now?" He scratched his head and left in confusion.
By the afternoon, Chris did arrive.
However, Kyle felt that he was more like a visitor, chatting with Flitwick Professor beside him rather than talking to Kyle.
Professor McGonagall arrived later, and as the three of them chatted, they became merrier, and eventually, they went to Three Broomsticks for drinks.
Kyle stared at them in disbelief as they left the castle and silently gave them a thumbs-up in his heart.
As for Harry, he was still in the hospital wing, lying sadly in his hospital bed.
The Dursleys didn't show up, which didn't surprise him at all.
His sadness stemmed from not being able to participate in the final Quidditch match, as Madam Pomfrey strictly forbade him from leaving the hospital.
To get rid of the persistent Oliver Wood, she even asked Filch to guard the door.
Without Harry, Gryffindor's morale was at an all-time low, and they were thoroughly defeated by Ravenclaw.
Autumn caught the Golden Snitch in the seventh minute of the match, leaving them no time to score.
After the match, they tied with Slytherin, who had lost three consecutive matches, for the last place.
At that moment, Professor McGonagall's face was frighteningly pale.
Some young wizards claimed to have seen Professor McGonagall taking Wood to the Astronomy Tower, seemingly intending to hang him at the highest point of the castle for a good reflection.
However, this was later proven to be a rumor. In fact, Professor McGonagall returned to her office after the match and hadn't come out since.
...
Time flew, and soon it was the last day before the holiday.
That evening, everyone attended the Yule Ball.
When Kyle and the others arrived at the Great Hall, it was already filled with people. The hall was decorated in yellow and black, representing Hufflepuff, to celebrate their consecutive wins of the House Cup for two years. Behind the guest table, a huge banner depicting a Hufflepuff badger was hung on the wall.
The Quidditch championship boosted their points, allowing them to surpass Slytherin at the last moment and become the first-place winner.
The Great Hall was bustling with excitement, and everyone looked forward to the upcoming holiday. The noise gradually subsided as Dumbledore arrived.
"Ah, another year has passed..."
Kyle, sitting at the table, wasn't in the mood to listen to Dumbledore's speech.
He wondered curiously if Hufflepuff could win the House Cup this year.
Dumbledore didn't keep him waiting for long...
"Now, let's begin with the House Cup presentation. The scores for each house are as follows:
Fourth place, Gryffindor, 410 points.
"Third place, Ravenclaw, with 436 points."
"Second place, Slytherin, with 495 points."
"And in first place, Hufflepuff, with 500 points!"
A thunderous cheer erupted from the Hufflepuff table, accompanied by stomping feet, but Kyle remained uncelebratory, knowing full well that this couldn't be the final result.
"Yes, yes, well done, Hufflepuff," Dumbledore said. "However, there are a few recent events that must also be taken into account."
The Great Hall fell silent, and Cedric's smile, along with those of his peers, faded slightly.
Dumbledore cleared his throat. "I have some more points to distribute, let me see..."
"First, Mr. Kyle Joba..."
Kyle was a bit surprised that he was the first one mentioned.
"For his exceptional herbology skills, helping the House solve the potion ingredient shortage, and assisting in finding lost valuable items, I award fifty points to Hufflepuff!"
The Hufflepuff students were overjoyed, and those who were close to Kyle, like Cedric and Mikel, were especially excited, dancing with joy.
But Kyle couldn't bring himself to smile.
Potion ingredients?
No wonder he hadn't seen even a trace of the biting cabbage when he returned to the Forbidden Corridor...
"Second, Mr. Ron Weasley... For winning the most spectacular game of chess Hogwarts has seen in many years, I award fifty points to Gryffindor!"
The cheers now shifted to the Gryffindor table, ready to burst with pride, his face turning red like a sun-dried carrot.
Percy loudly informed the other prefects, "It's my brother, you know! My youngest brother successfully passed Professor McGonagall's giant chessboard puzzle!"
It took a while for everyone to calm down.
"Third..."
Dumbledore proceeded to award fifty points each to Hermione and Harry.
Gryffindor surged ahead by a total of one hundred and fifty points, bringing their score to 560, just surpassing Hufflepuff.
Had they just claimed the House Cup from last place?! After a brief silence, the Gryffindor table erupted in cheers, nearly lifting the enchanted ceiling.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood up, cheering loudly, while the Weasley brothers stood on their stools, waving their hats triumphantly in Kyle's direction, laughing with glee.
"This means..." Dumbledore had to shout to be heard over the thunderous applause and cheers. "We need to make some minor adjustments to the decorations here."
He clapped his hands, and immediately, the yellow hanging ribbons turned crimson, the black ones became gold, the massive Hufflepuff badger vanished, and in its place stood a majestic Gryffindor lion.
After many days, Professor McGonagall finally smiled, her long-lost smile returning to her face.
But just as she was about to shake hands with Professor Sprout...
"Bang, bang, bang!"
Suddenly, someone knocked on the Great Hall's doors, and seven elderly wizards with graying hair pushed open the doors and entered, looking weary from their journey.
The one at the front held a delicate box in his hands.
Surveying the lively Great Hall, he chuckled, "Thank Merlin, Hogwarts hasn't closed for the holidays yet. It seems we've arrived just in time."
(End of Chapter)
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