Chapter 387: The Holiday Ends Again
Chapter 387: The Holiday Ends Again
When everyone heard from Harry that he was definitely fine, they all seemed very relieved. Afterward, a few of them gathered around Harry to ask about the specifics of the trial.
While recounting the trial, Harry mentioned something that everyone found hard to believe. When Fudge was questioning Harry about why he used magic in front of Muggles, Dumbledore released the two Dementors. With the help of the magic from the representatives chosen by the Grand Jury, the Dementors began to project what they had seen in reverse order.
The first scene was a silver flash followed by the Dementors being captured. Then came the attack on Harry and Dudley, and before that, their journey. Just as the scene was about to reveal who had sent the Dementors to Little Whinging, a Cat Patronus completely destroyed the Dementors.
"How could someone dare to destroy evidence in the Ministry of Magic's most important trial room?" Hermione looked incredulous.
"But it did happen", Harry said, his tone indignant. "A woman named Umbridge, who looks like a pink toad, cast a Guardian Charm and destroyed the Dementors before anyone could react. She then excused herself by claiming she had lost control of her emotions, even though Madam Bones was furious. But Fudge only fined her 100 Galleons. It's outrageous—" Harry shook his head in anger.
"That's tampering with evidence. She might have been the one who sent the Dementors out", Ron said loudly, and everyone in the kitchen nodded in agreement.
"Alright, what happened next?" Ginny asked, looking at Harry.
"The rest was straightforward. Even though the Dementors were gone, the content they had already shown was enough to clear my name. The jury almost unanimously agreed on my innocence. I could see that Fudge's face was very grim at that moment."
"Even though you all knew I would be fine, it seemed like a weight was lifted off everyone's shoulders", Harry said with a smile. Mrs. Weasley also looked visibly relieved. Sirius Black and Arthur Weasley were discussing the scene where they had encountered Malfoy and Fudge's private deal.
"You go handle the bathroom in Basingstoke that's still vomiting. I'll tell Professor Dumbledore the news", Sirius Black patted Mr. Weasley's shoulder.
"Alright, I'll head over. Molly, I might be back a bit late. I need to relieve Tonks, but Kingsley might come over for dinner—" Mr. Weasley said, draping his robes over his arm before leaving.
During lunch, everyone had a good appetite, eating plenty of roasted chicken and a large serving of mashed potatoes. Over the next few days, they returned to their daily routines. During this time, Sirius Black found every opportunity to make up for the fatherly love he owed Harry. He promised Harry that he would visit him in Hogsmeade during the next Hogsmeade Day.
This counterattack was very effective. Liam, on his subsequent visits to Diagon Alley, listened to the public discussions and found that most wizards believed the Ministry of Magic was responsible for the incident, regardless of the circumstances. Fudge's reputation was once again severely damaged, and Liam heard many jokes mocking Fudge circulating.
As the holiday drew to a close, everyone in the house began to miss Hogwarts. Although the building served as the headquarters for the anti-Voldemort forces, it was different from what Liam had imagined—a wartime military command center. Despite the regular comings and goings of Order of the Phoenix members, sometimes staying for dinner and sometimes just stopping by for a few minutes to whisper, the atmosphere was not particularly urgent or warlike.
Moreover, Mrs. Weasley ensured that the underage members did not hear any news about the current situation. Every Order member believed they did not need to know about the ongoing resistance efforts.
On the last day of the holiday, the book lists and school notices arrived by owl, a bit later than usual. The school notice was the same as always, but the book list included two new books: "The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 5" by Miranda Goshawk and "Theories of Defence Against the Dark Arts" by Wilbert Slinkhard.
In addition to the letter, the envelope contained an extra parchment and a metal badge. When Liam opened the parchment, he learned that he had been chosen as a Prefect this year. Naturally, this was something he had expected. As the champion of the Triwizard Tournament and consistently ranking among the top three in his exams, he was more than qualified for the position.
"This means they've finally found a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher", Hermione said. The two of them were sitting in the small living room, discussing the book list. Two gold and red badges with a large 'P' were placed side by side on the coffee table between them.
"This position will definitely be a focal point of contention between the Ministry of Magic and Dumbledore this year. It's unclear who will come out on top. I hope it's Professor Dumbledore, otherwise, the Defense Against the Dark Arts class will be a nightmare this year", Hermione expressed her concerns, while Liam remained silent. He believed that Dumbledore might make a slight concession in this victory to demonstrate his magnanimity and unite some of the Ministry of Magic's supporters. This also meant that the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor could still be a toad. Of course, it was best not to voice this bad news just yet.
"Aren't you going to write to your parents about becoming a Prefect? Even if they're not wizards, they should be able to understand the significance of this", Hermione asked Liam.
"If I remember correctly, their office in China can receive international calls. We can go to the London Post Office at two in the afternoon to make the call. It will be nine in the evening there, so our parents will definitely be in the office."
"Living in the Wizarding World for so long, I’ve forgotten some basic things. Clearly, a phone call is more convenient and allows for a clearer explanation than writing a letter", Hermione said, tapping her forehead in frustration.
"You two have been made Prefects? Of course, everyone expected this", the others said with a matter-of-fact expression when Liam and Hermione shared the news during lunch. It seemed that their performance over the past few years had earned them everyone's recognition. Even Harry didn’t show the confusion that Ron had when he became a Prefect in the original story.
"By the way, Mum, our shop has already paid out its first month's dividends. We’ve set aside some money to buy gifts for the family, so you can pick them out, and we’ll pay for them", Fred said to Mrs. Weasley.
"Can I have a broom?" Ron asked quietly. At the end of third year, Sirius Black had given Ron an owl as compensation for his lost pet. So Ron felt that a broom was the only thing he was missing now, as he wanted to try out for the house Quidditch team this year.
"A Nimbus will do. I want to try out for the house team this year", Ron quickly explained, seeing the twins' blank expressions.
"Of course, our dear little brother", the Weasley twins suddenly grinned. "We were going to buy you a new set of textbooks, but now we realize that the old ones won’t affect your studies, right?"
Around six o'clock, Liam and Hermione went out to call their parents, returning to Number 12, Grimmauld Place around seven. Mrs. Weasley had just finished preparing dinner and had arranged a small celebration for Liam and Hermione becoming Prefects.
Everything went smoothly after that. A Boggart that might have appeared earlier had been dealt with by Liam’s magic, so everyone went to bed in a cheerful mood.
"School starts tomorrow. Time really flies", Liam thought as he lay in bed.
(End of Chapter)
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