A Professor of Magic at Hogwarts

Chapter 83: Acclaimed

"Before indulging in the feast, you shall endure the ramblings of an old man," Dumbledore cleared his throat.

"First and foremost, it warms my heart to see you all sprightly return to the school and joyously share your experiences with your companions. Yet, I must mention that in the previous term, we weathered through some difficult months…"

The young wizards fixed their gazes upon Dumbledore's face, eager to hear what he had to say.

"...We faced two attacks, and one young wizard remains confined to a sickbed in the infirmary." Dumbledore paused, then suddenly raised his tone, "But thanks to a few individuals, through their diligence, they uncovered the truth and, most bravely, vanquished the beast within the Chamber of Secrets."

"Aye, we must not forget their names—Harry Potter! Ron Weasley! Hermione Granger!"

All eyes blazed upon the Gryffindor table, where they incredulously beheld the trio.

"You're joking!" one of the twins exclaimed, his voice reverberating through the hall, enlivening the solemn atmosphere.

Dumbledore was tickled, and he chuckled, saying with a cheerful demeanor, "Of course not, Weasley. But speaking of jests, it reminds me of a rather amusing troll and dwarf joke—"

"Cough, cough!" Professor McGonagall beside him erupted into a fit of coughing.

"Ahem, well, let us return to the matter at hand. Their valor has earned unanimous praise from several professors. For this, I shall reward each of them with two hundred points!" Dumbledore declared.

Snape couldn't help but emit a derisive snort.

The Gryffindor table erupted into jubilation, their applause thunderous. The Weasley twins dashed over to Harry and Ron, enveloping them in a hug. Percy, from a corner, loudly exclaimed, "That's my brother! My brother! They'll also share the trophy for Special Services to the School!"

Hermione gazed at the awestruck Katie Bell and merrily remarked, "See? I told you there wouldn't be any danger!"

The hall resounded with chatter for several minutes before gradually subsiding.

However, the majority of attention still fixated on the trio of Harry. On the Slytherin table, Draco Malfoy aggressively stabbed his plate with a silver fork, emitting a grating sound.

Potter! It's always Potter, everything's Potter!

I've put in effort too... he glowered at Harry indignantly.

"Headmaster Dumbledore," a seventh-year Gryffindor student stood up, "can you elaborate? Did Salazar Slytherin truly release a monster in the Chamber to rid the school of those he deemed unworthy of magic?"

The accusation in this question was overt, and the Slytherin wizards directed their glares at him, almost wishing to curse him on the spot. However, the expressions of the other three houses' students turned silent and complex as they looked toward the Slytherin table.

"I believe not, Mr. Xavier," Dumbledore's expression grew serious as he spoke. He first cast a glance around the students, calming the turmoil, before continuing in a composed manner, "The creature in the Chamber—the basilisk—has existed for centuries, yet recorded attacks only comprise two from this year and one fifty years ago."

"Prior to these instances, it had been dormant for nearly a millennium. We have reason to infer that these attacks were not the intended actions of Salazar Slytherin."

Dumbledore swiftly moved on from the previous topic. "Tomorrow, I shall place the basilisk within the courtyard of the castle, and I shall also invite some reporters to enter the school. Please adhere to decorum, you may observe, but do not attempt to approach it, and the professors shall employ protective magic."

"Now, let us revel in this feast."

Dumbledore settled back into his chair and with a wave of his wand, the table began to fill with an array of foods.

However, the young wizards' minds were not focused on this. Dumbledore's speech carried a wealth of information, and they were all buzzing with discussion—ranging from Salazar Slytherin's character to the nature of the creature in the Chamber, and to how the Potter trio managed to defeat it.

"What does the basilisk look like?" a Gryffindor young wizard asked Harry.

"Um, it's a massive serpent, and its gaze is deadly."

"Awesome! How big is it? Is it bigger than when Lockhart conjured one during the Dueling Club?"

Ron, his mouth stuffed and words muffled, interjected, "Hey mate, it's way bigger than that."

The young wizard gazed at Ron skeptically. "Did you really get involved too?"

"Dean, my role was much more significant than you can imagine!" Despite his mouth being about to burst from being so full, Ron couldn't resist defending himself.

Hermione Granger sat quietly by, not saying a word.

"Hermione, aren't you hungry?" Katie beside her looked at the small witch wearing a mask curiously and inquired.

"...Not hungry," Hermione stubbornly replied. However, she soon produced two parchment papers from her pocket and wrapped up the beef pie on her plate.

The girls stared at her dumbfounded, their forks hovering midair.

The student tables buzzed with activity, and the teacher's table was not calm either. Some professors, uninformed, were trying to glean the details.

Felix Harp dealt with Lockhart's incessant questioning, bypassing Professor Flitwick and approaching Dumbledore.

"Headmaster, concerning the pressure from some pure-blood families..."

"You mean this!" Dumbledore set down his utensils, quite interested. "I have been in contact with most of the Board of Governors these days, and they all believe that me retaining this position would be for the best."

"And what about the Malfoy family?"

"Lucius... regrettably, he's currently facing quite a bit of trouble. The other governors are not pleased with his past threatening actions and are inclined to remove him from the Board. I've heard that he's turned to Fudge."

"The Minister of Magic?"

"Yes, if all goes as expected, you'll meet him tomorrow," Dumbledore foresaw with keen insight.

Felix nodded knowingly.

The evening banquet concluded swiftly. The Gryffindor young wizards surrounded the trio of Harry, eager to inquire about the specifics.

Ron was on a roll in that department. He began to vividly recount the events.

From Harry's perspective, aside from the parts that required secrecy—like the professors' involvement or the Gryffindor sword—Ron embellished nearly every other aspect to the maximum degree.

Hermione quietly slipped away back to their dormitory and secretly devoured the two pies, returning with a satisfied look.

"...So, that's why I was given detention earlier. I didn't expect Lockhart to fall so easily when I pushed him." Ron, spewing saliva, regretfully lamented.

Hermione, hidden amidst the crowd, happened to overhear a young wizard asking Ron, "So you don't have detention anymore?"

Ron's mouth gaped open, resembling a deflated balloon. Suddenly, he wore a crestfallen expression.

Indeed, he had won honor for the house, but he couldn't escape the punishment for attacking innocent professors.

In truth, Professor McGonagall had already informed him of the content and duration of his detention. After a circuitous route, he unfortunately ended up in Lockhart's hands.

He had heard from Harry about the detention's content—writing replies to Lockhart's fans, which seemed light, but four hours of repetitive labor made one question the meaning of life.

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