Chapter 47: End of Term
Chapter 47: End of Term
The grand End-of-Term Feast began the following evening. Liam and his classmates hurried to the Great Hall early, reserving a spot at their house's long table for Harry.
"Will Harry come today?" Hermione asked Liam, who was sitting next to her.
"I think he definitely will. After all, he seemed to be recovering well yesterday, so he should be able to leave the hospital wing today", Liam replied.
Ron, sitting across from Liam, chimed in, "Yeah, I’m sure Harry will come. It’s such a grand feast, he wouldn’t miss it for anything. Even if my leg were broken, I’d crawl here."
Hermione shot Ron an irritated glance and then looked around at the special decorations in the Great Hall for the evening: the entire hall was adorned with green and silver, the colors of Slytherin, to celebrate their winning the House Cup for the seventh consecutive year. A large banner depicting the Slytherin serpent hung behind the head table.
"If we had a bit more time, we might have been able to catch up on the points", Hermione said, sounding a bit resentful.
Liam, however, took a more relaxed view. On one hand, Dumbledore was sure to award bonus points soon, and on the other, "At least we’re not in last place. We’re still thirty points ahead of Hufflepuff."
Hermione looked even more dejected after Liam’s attempt to comfort her.
As most people were settling in, Harry rushed in through the Great Hall’s doors. The entire hall fell silent for a moment, and then the noise grew even louder.
Liam waved to Harry to show him their reserved spot. Harry ran over and sat down in the empty seat next to Ron. Everyone around them turned to look at Harry, making him appear a bit uncomfortable.
Fortunately, Dumbledore arrived soon after, and the noise in the Great Hall gradually subsided as everyone turned their attention to the headmaster.
Dumbledore gave a brief, cheerful summary and then began the House Cup award ceremony. The house scores were as follows:
Fourth place, Hufflepuff, with 352 points; third place, Gryffindor, with 384 points; Ravenclaw with 426 points; and Slytherin with 514 points.
A thunderous cheer and stomping of feet erupted from the Slytherin table. Liam noticed Draco Malfoy banging his goblet on the table with gusto. It didn’t seem to fit the so-called Platinum Nobility’s style at all; he couldn’t understand how those Pureblood Families taught their manners.
Dumbledore cleared his throat and continued, "However, a few recent events must also be taken into account."
The Great Hall fell silent, and the Slytherins’ smiles faltered. Liam knew this was the moment Dumbledore would award bonus points. Although he had found such unfair point awards distasteful in his previous life, the saying "where you sit determines what you think" rang true. This time, being in Gryffindor, he naturally hoped for more bonus points.
By the time Liam came to his senses, Dumbledore had already started announcing the bonus points. First, he awarded fifty points to Liam and Ron for their wisdom, courage, and spirit of sacrifice in the chess game. This elicited a loud cheer from the Gryffindor table. Liam felt his face flush with excitement, and he heard Percy exclaim, "That’s my brother. He got through Professor Mcgonagall’s chess game."
Dumbledore then added thirty points to Gryffindor for Hermione's deductive reasoning. Hermione, overwhelmed with emotion, burst into tears as she lay her head on the table.
Finally, Harry received sixty points for Gryffindor due to his Fearless Courage and exceptional bravery.
The cheers from the Gryffindor table grew louder and louder. With a total of five hundred and twenty-four points, Gryffindor now led Slytherin by a full ten points.
Professor Dumbledore transformed the Great Hall's decorations. The green drapes turned to a vibrant red, and the silver became gold. The massive Slytherin serpent vanished, replaced by a majestic Gryffindor lion. Liam noticed Snape shaking hands with Professor Mcgonagall, a strained smile on his face.
Then came the sumptuous feast, making it truly a wonderful evening.
A few days later, the Final Exam Results were announced. Liam placed second, with Hermione, the academic genius, taking the top spot. He saw Hermione proudly showing him her results, seemingly avenging her years of being second in primary school.
However, it seemed that the final exams at Hogwarts were not particularly challenging, as everyone passed. Harry and his friends, however, expressed disappointment that some particularly dim Slytherin students had managed to pass as well.
The term finally ended, and everyone packed their belongings into their trunks. A notice prohibiting the use of magic during the holidays was distributed to each student. (Liam: "I have plenty of places to practice magic, anyway.")
Hagrid led them to the fleet of boats that would take them across the lake. Now, they were aboard the Hogwarts Express, chatting and laughing as they watched the countryside grow greener and tidier. The train passed through several Muggle towns, and they enjoyed Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, removing their Wizard Robes and donning jackets and short-sleeved shirts. Finally, the train pulled into Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.
It took a long time for everyone to exit the platform. A thin, old guard stood at the gate, allowing only two or three people through at a time to prevent a large group from bursting through the solid wall and drawing Muggle attention.
"You have to come to our house this summer", Ron said, "all three of you— I'll send an owl to invite you." "Thanks", Harry replied, "I could use something to look forward to." It was clear that Harry's life with the Dursleys was not pleasant, and one could only hope that this summer would be a bit better for him.
Liam and the others passed through the exit together. He saw a red-haired little girl—Ron's sister Ginny, the future Mrs. Potter—pointing at Harry Potter and exclaiming, "There he is, Mum, there he is, look!"
Mrs. Weasley and Harry exchanged pleasantries, but the Dursleys rudely interrupted. "Hurry up, boy, we can't afford to waste the whole day", Mr. Dursley said before turning and walking away.
"You live with them?" Liam asked, his face showing disbelief. It was rare to encounter such rude people. Hermione shared a similar expression: "I hope you have a—well—pleasant holiday."
Fortunately, Harry seemed in good spirits: "Oh, I will. They don't know we're not allowed to use magic at home, so I'm going to have some fun with Dudley this summer."
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
