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Chapter 231: The Award Ceremony Full of Twists and Turns
Chapter 231: The Award Ceremony Full of Twists and Turns
Of course, Diana didn't come in the end due to certain reasons. She rarely appeared in places with large crowds, such as the school.
However, she still sent Dumbledore a Howler.
No one knew what was in the Howler, but on that day, someone spotted a phoenix at the Quidditch pitch, and there were a bunch of boastful old witches and wizards in the castle portraits.
"That young lady is terrifying..."
As a student passed by the corridor, he overheard a wizard with a big nose complaining to the witch beside him:
"She even shouted at 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 that he had stumbled upon something and hurriedly stopped to listen carefully.
But when he turned to look at the portrait, he found that the person inside was chasing a pony and wasn't speaking at all.
Then he looked next to it... there were two witches enjoying their afternoon tea.
"Did I hear wrong?" He scratched his head and left, puzzled.
In the afternoon, Chris did come as expected.
However, Kyle felt that he was more there to visit relatives and friends at the school, as he barely spoke to Kyle but had a very pleasant chat with Professor Fleivi instead.
Later, Professor McGonagall arrived as well, and the three of them became more and more cheerful as they talked. Eventually, they even went to the Three Broomsticks for drinks.
Kyle watched them leave the castle with his mouth agape and silently gave them a thumbs-up in his heart.
As for Harry, he was still in the school hospital, sadly lying in bed.
He wasn't surprised that the Dursleys hadn't shown up.
He was sad because he had ultimately missed the last Quidditch match. Madam Pomfrey refused to let him leave the hospital, no matter what.
To get rid of the persistent Oliver Wood, she even asked Filch to guard the door.
Without their Seeker, Gryffindor's morale hit rock bottom, and they were thoroughly defeated by Ravenclaw.
Autumn caught the Golden Snitch just seven minutes after the game started, and they didn't even have time to score any points.
After the game, they tied with Slytherin, who had lost three games in a row... for last place.
At that time, Professor McGonagall's face was frighteningly grim.
There were also rumors that Professor McGonagall had taken Wood to the Astronomy Tower... apparently wanting to hang him at the highest point of the castle for a good reflection session.
However, someone later confirmed that this was just a rumor... In fact, Professor McGonagall returned to her office after the game and hadn't come out since.
...
Time flew by, and soon it was the last day before the holidays.
That evening, everyone attended the annual end-of-year feast.
When Kyle and the others arrived at the Great Hall, it was already filled with people. The hall was decorated anew with yellow and black, representing Hufflepuff, to celebrate their consecutive wins of the House Cup for two years. Behind the head table, there was a huge banner depicting the Hufflepuff badger.
The Quidditch championship had added a significant number of points, allowing them to overtake Slytherin at the last minute and claim the top spot.
The Great Hall was bustling with excitement as everyone looked forward to the upcoming holidays. It was only when Dumbledore arrived that the noise gradually subsided.
"Ah, another year has passed..."
Kyle, sitting at the table, wasn't in the mood to listen to what Dumbledore was saying.
He was curious about whether Hufflepuff would be able to win the House Cup this year.
In fourth place, Gryffindor, with 410 points.
In third place, Ravenclaw, with 436 points.
In second place, Slytherin, with 495 points.
And in first place, Hufflepuff, with 500 points!"
The Hufflepuff table erupted in thunderous cheers and stomping, but Kyle remained still, knowing all too well that this wouldn't be the final result.
"Yes, yes, well done, Hufflepuff," Dumbledore said. "However, a few recent events must also be taken into account."
The Great Hall fell silent, and Cedric's group tempered their smiles.
Dumbledore cleared his throat. "I have a few more points to award. Let me see...
"First, Mr. Kyle Joba..."
Kyle was surprised to be the first one mentioned.
"...for his exceptional herbology skills, which helped the house overcome its shortage of potion ingredients, and for locating a lost valuable item, I award Hufflepuff fifty points!"
The Hufflepuffs were overjoyed, and those who knew Kyle well, like Cedric and Mikkel, were ecstatic.
But Kyle couldn't bring himself to smile.
Potion ingredients?
No wonder he hadn't seen even a trace of Biting Lettuce when he returned to the restricted area...
"Second, Mr. Ron Weasley... for winning the most exciting wizard's chess game Hogwarts has seen in many years, I award Gryffindor fifty points!"
The cheers shifted to the Gryffindor table, and Ron's face turned as red as a sun-dried carrot.
Percy loudly informed the other prefects, "That's my brother, you know! My youngest brother, who successfully navigated Professor McGonagall's giant chessboard challenge!"
It took a while for the hall to settle down.
"Third..."
Without pause, Dumbledore proceeded to award fifty points each to Hermione and Harry.
Gryffindor had jumped up by a total of one hundred and fifty points, putting them at 560 points, just ahead of Hufflepuff.
Had they just snatched the House Cup from the jaws of last place?! After a brief silence, the Gryffindor table erupted in cheers that threatened to shake the enchanted ceiling.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood and cheered, while the Weasley brothers stood on their chairs, waving their hats at Kyle and laughing triumphantly.
"This means!" Dumbledore had to shout to be heard over the din. "We need to make a small alteration to our decorations."
He clapped his hands, and instantly, the yellow hanging ribbons turned scarlet, the black ones turned gold, and the massive Hufflepuff badger vanished, replaced by a majestic Gryffindor lion.
After many days, Professor McGonagall finally smiled.
But just as she prepared to shake hands with Professor Sprout...
Knock! Knock! Knock!
The Great Hall doors burst open, and seven elderly wizards with white hair strode in, their leader carrying a delicate box.
"Thanks to Merlin, Hogwarts is still in session," the lead wizard said, smiling at the lively hall. "It seems we've arrived just in time."
(End of Chapter)
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