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Chapter 807: The First Decision at the Opening Banquet
Chapter 807: The First Decision at the Opening Banquet
At the opening banquet, students and professors alike indulged in delicious food while sharing stories of their holiday adventures, everyone except Kyle.
He disliked overly sweet foods, but to maintain Dumbledore's persona, he had to find an excuse. So, he sat there, claiming to have already eaten his fill in the afternoon.
The experience was torturous, especially when the aroma of steak and fried meat wafted through the air. Kyle felt as if a concert was playing inside his stomach.
He couldn't show it, though, and had to endure it. When he couldn't take it anymore, he pretended not to care and ate a few bites of pudding.
An hour passed like this.
Finally, the last piece of orange pudding on his plate disappeared, and the noise in the hall gradually subsided.
Kyle knew it was time for him to take action.
To be honest, by this time, he had gradually become accustomed to Dumbledore's identity, and his nerves were not as tense as they had been initially.
Kyle stood up, and the hall immediately fell silent.
"I know that everyone has eaten their fill and wants to return to the warmth of their dormitory beds for a good night's rest.
"But before that, please allow me to take up some of your time. At the beginning of the term, I have a few points to bring to your attention."
Professor McGonagall, sitting beside him, turned her head in surprise, both in her demeanor and tone, it was too similar. For a moment, she even thought this was the real Dumbledore.
But Kyle didn't notice this. He was looking at everyone below the stage.
"Let me think. First, regarding the games and activities that everyone is most concerned about, some people have suggested that in this tense situation, it would be best to cancel Quidditch to allow everyone to focus on their studies..."
As he said this, the hall erupted.
"Oh, no!"
"You can't cancel Quidditch!"
"I still want to compete for the Quidditch Cup!" Harry was beside himself.
He was graduating this year, and if Quidditch was canceled, it meant he wouldn't have a chance to win the Quidditch Cup.
If his team lost to another team, he would be disappointed, but there was nothing he could do. It would be hard to bear, but he could get over it.
But if he missed the chance to win the cup due to the cancellation of the tournament, he couldn't accept it.
"No, we can't cancel Quidditch," Ron exclaimed, almost jumping out of his seat.
Among the three, Hermione seemed the most composed. She wasn't on the Quidditch team and wasn't particularly interested in these activities. Whether the event was canceled or not didn't matter to her.
"But..." Kyle paid no attention to the commotion and continued, "However, I believe that during these dark times, we need to seek out things that can bring us joy and happiness to dispel the gloom.
"So, I've decided to keep the Quidditch matches as usual. Player trials will be held in the second week of this term. Students who wish to join their house teams should contact Madam Hooch."
"Oh!" The cheers rose like waves, reaching the magically enhanced ceiling. The clouds covering the moon seemed to disperse a little.
"Don't get too excited yet, let me finish," Kyle said, raising his voice. "At the same time, I've decided that this year, only school-provided brooms can be used for Quidditch."
The cheers immediately quieted down.
"That's not fair!" Ron almost shouted. "Everyone knows Harry has a Firebolt, and that's not fair to us!"
His voice was loud enough for Kyle and all the professors to hear.
Professor McGonagall frowned, and her sharp gaze turned towards her own house.
With just one look, Ron shrunk back into his seat, but his flushed face still showed his defiance.
Not just him, but the entire Gryffindor, including Hermione, was dissatisfied.
Hermione wasn't particularly interested in Quidditch, but if the team could win the championship, it would be a matter of house pride. They couldn't accept being unfairly targeted.
"Some of you may have questions about why such changes are being made," Kyle continued calmly. "This year's competition will have some minor adjustments... First, the team that wins the championship will earn two hundred points for their house!"
"How much?" Hermione asked, still wearing an angry expression. "It was only a hundred points before."
A hundred points were already a lot, and now they were doubling it. This was too much.
It could be said that at the end of the school year, whichever house earned these two hundred points could directly change the rankings of the House Cup, even jumping from fourth place to first.
Of course, this was assuming the point difference wasn't too large.
She remembered a particular year when Gryffindor had only eight points at the end of the year, while the first-place Hufflepuff had six hundred and eighty-nine points, even their decimal points were higher.
In that situation, even three two-hundred-point bonuses wouldn't have helped.
However, that situation was an exception, and it shouldn't happen again... hopefully.
"Harry, Ron, you have to work hard!" Hermione said in a low voice. "As long as we win the Quidditch Cup, we have a great chance of winning the House Cup.
The two responded with a reluctant agreement, their enthusiasm noticeably lacking. They valued Quidditch more than the House Cup, and if given the choice, they would rather forgo the extra points and have the Firebolt.
"Additionally, the best-performing member of the winning team will receive a specially crafted pure gold medal in the Prize Room," the voice whispered once more.
Prize Room
Specially crafted pure gold medal?
Even Harry didn't realize it, but his face was quickly turning red, and Ron was no exception.
But this time, it wasn't out of anger; it was excitement.
Having spent time in detention in the Prize Room, they were well aware that there were no gold medals there, only team honors.
A personal gold medal—this was a first! The buzz among the students was louder than ever.
"If we win, will it be written in the school history?" Ron stood up again.
"Unless you get the gold medal," Hermione said after a moment's thought. "You should at least get a mention in the school history."
She looked a bit regretful. "Knowing about this event earlier, I should have practiced flying more."
In the school library, there was a book titled "Hogwarts: A School History," which documented various events from the school's establishment to the present day.
However, with over a thousand years of history, it was impossible to record everything in a single book, so only relatively important events were selected.
For example, the Philosopher's Stone in their first year, the Chamber of Secrets in their second year, and the Triwizard Tournament in their fourth year.
The Triwizard Tournament, in particular, not only made it into the school history but also occupied a full five lines, while the appointment of a new headmaster only warranted three lines.
Of course, they didn't expect so much; even a single sentence or a name would be a great honor for them.
"Cheers!" Ron slapped the table. "I'm going to practice every day this year, and no one is going to stop me."
"No one's stopping you," Ginny said, rolling her eyes from across the table. Although she was also excited, seeing Ron's enthusiasm suddenly made her calm down.
She couldn't let it show; it would look ridiculous.
"Quiet, quiet, you can discuss your plans in the dormitory; at least no one will overhear you there," Kyle said, waving his hand. He managed to suppress the chatter that almost lifted the ceiling.
"I have a few more announcements. First years, please note that the forest area on the school grounds is off-limits to all students."
"Also, the use of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes products is prohibited on school grounds, and purchasing them from older students is not allowed."
"Oh, I almost forgot," Kyle said, slapping his forehead. "Due to Professor Snape's unfortunate injury during the holidays, the Ministry has temporarily assigned an experienced Auror, Professor Kingsley, to assist him in teaching you Defense Against the Dark Arts."
"Let's welcome Professor Kingsley," he said, introducing the Auror who had stood up.
Kyle had also learned about this from Professor McGonagall after arriving at the school.
"Professor Snape is injured?"
At the Gryffindor table, Harry looked excitedly towards the staff table, specifically the seat he had been deliberately avoiding.
Professor Snape sat there, silent.
Harry took a closer look and indeed noticed that his complexion was paler than usual, and he looked exhausted.
"Ha, serves him right!" Ron laughed. "I had a hunch, especially since he was the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher last year."
"It's a shame he's still able to come to school."
"But this is good news," Harry said, also pleased. "Professor Kingsley is a skilled Auror. I wish he could teach us."
"Let's hope so."
After introducing the new professor, Kyle thought for a moment, ensuring there were no mistakes, and then led the students in a chorus.
This was a regular tradition at Hogwarts.
There was no fixed melody, and everyone could choose their own.
Once everyone had finished singing in their own way, they got up and prepared to return to their dormitories.
"I never expected this," Ron said, leading a group of Gryffindor first-years through the Great Hall. "I thought this year's opening banquet would be boring, but there are so many surprises, especially the personal gold medal for the Quidditch tournament. Am I right?"
"You're right," Harry agreed, walking beside him with an equally excited expression.
In fact, every Quidditch player was thrilled, as they all wanted the gold medal and the honor of being the first to achieve it.
"So, we're competitors now?"
"On the condition that we win the championship," Harry clarified.
"That's true. Let's win the championship first," Ron said enthusiastically. "Too bad you can't use the Firebolt."
"It's for fairness," Hermione said, turning around. "Using the same broomstick will show who's more skilled."
"I know," Ron said, his voice a bit soft.
For some reason, he glanced at Harry and quickly averted his gaze.
When Hermione spoke, Ron felt he had a rather despicable thought.
He thought this rule was a good one.
Because if Harry was still allowed to use the Firebolt, then even if Gryffindor won, the gold medal would likely belong to him.
The Firebolt's advantage was too great, almost crushing all the brooms on the market. It would definitely give him a significant advantage.
Only under these circumstances, with everyone using the same model of broom, would he have a chance.
Ron felt that he shouldn't have said that, and as Harry's best friend, he couldn't think that way either.
But this thought had already formed, completely beyond his control. It made him dare not even look at Harry, and he could only divert his attention with other things.
"You there, pick up the pace. Don't fall behind," he shouted at the new student who was at the back of the line.
"Ron, you shouldn't have said that," Hermione scolded him angrily. "You should call them by their names."
"I know, but I didn't remember," Ron said, spreading his hands. "I bet many people didn't remember. When the Sorting Ceremony was going on, everyone was busy looking for Dumbledore, who would have bothered to remember the names of the new students?"
...
After all the students left the Great Hall, the professors also departed.
Kyle watched as Professor Snape stumbled slightly, furrowing his brows. "What's wrong with him?"
"I don't know," Professor McGonagall shook her head. "Since the start of the holiday, no one knew where he went. It wasn't until last night that he returned to Hogwarts."
"And he's much better now. When we found him yesterday, he couldn't even walk steadily."
"Fortunately, Dumbledore had made arrangements in advance. The Ministry of Magic, upon learning of the situation here, immediately arranged for Professor Kingsley to substitute for him for a period of time."
"Is that so?"
Kyle found this even stranger.
He could understand Snape's disappearance, as he had another identity and naturally went to Voldemort's side to gather intelligence for Dumbledore during the school holiday.
But why would Professor Snape be injured when he was fine? There hadn't been any news of recent Death Eater activity either.
The last time was at Godric's Hollow, but that time Bellatrix led the group, and all the Death Eaters with her were nameless, and Snape wasn't among them.
Could it be that Voldemort blamed him for the failure of that mission? That didn't make sense.
Or was the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor truly that dangerous?
"Let's not talk about that for now. Your performance was truly impressive," Professor McGonagall said.
"What? Were there any flaws?" Kyle asked.
"On the contrary, it was perfect," Professor McGonagall said. "Even if Professor Dumbledore himself came, he probably wouldn't be able to tell that it was you impersonating him."
At this point, Professor McGonagall hesitated for a moment before asking, "May I ask why you made such a decision?"
"What?"
"Quidditch," Professor McGonagall said. "We didn't discuss this before."
"It was a spontaneous idea," Kyle said as he walked up the stairs. "School shouldn't be a dull place. Finding something to focus everyone's attention on, to some extent, could also alleviate their fear of the Death Eaters. I think it's a good idea."
"While what you say is true, two hundred points is a bit too much, isn't it? This score could even determine the House Cup," Professor McGonagall stared at Kyle.
She noticed that Dumbledore's silver beard had shortened significantly; the effects of the Polyjuice Potion were almost over.
Kyle also noticed this and quickened his pace towards the Headmaster's office, explaining, "Isn't the Golden Snitch worth one hundred and fifty points? If we treat this House Cup as an extraordinary Quidditch match, wouldn't it make more sense?"
Professor McGonagall felt that Kyle couldn't understand.
Quidditch and the House Cup were two different matters; they couldn't be connected.
But there was nothing she could do. Kyle had announced this news as Dumbledore at the Opening Banquet, which meant the matter was already settled.
If she were to tell everyone that the activity was canceled, it would only cause greater chaos.
Moreover, she had just noticed that most students didn't seem to mind this extraordinary bonus.
Since that was the case, there was no need to complicate things further.
Furthermore, she herself was a Quidditch enthusiast and naturally wanted to see the matches become more exciting."
"Let's set aside the issue of points," Professor McGonagall continued. "What about the gold medal? What's the story there?"
"Of course, it's an extra reward," Kyle said, stopping at the water fountain on the eighth floor. "It's to boost their morale and motivation."
"But where will the money come from?" Professor McGonagall asked the crucial question. "A pure gold medal isn't cheap. Although the school can afford it, no one wants to spend such a sum on something meaningless."
"That's easy. We don't need the school to provide it."
"So, are you planning to pay for it yourself?"
"I'm a fresh graduate. Where would I have that much money?"
"Then what's your plan?"
"It's simple," Kyle said as his hair completely returned to black and his eyes changed back. He chuckled, "Of course, whoever pays for it gets to decide. I'm just a recent graduate; where would I get that much money?"
(End of Chapter)
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