In the Great Hall, Dumbledore was giving his end-of-year summary.
"Another splendid year draws to a close, and to cap it off, let us witness the awarding of the House Cup. The scores for each house are as follows."
"In fourth place, Gryffindor, with 255 points."
"In third place, Hufflepuff, with 358 points."
"In second place, Ravenclaw, with 410 points."
"And in first place, Slytherin, with 415 points."
At Dumbledore's announcement, thunderous applause and cheers erupted from the Slytherin table.
The young wizards excitedly pounded on the tables and raised their goblets high, celebrating this year's victory and their seventh consecutive championship.
This win had actually been very close. Ravenclaw was only five points behind them. Perhaps if a few more points had been added here and there, the scores might have turned out differently.
But Slytherin had still defended its glory.
"Slytherin has performed very well," Dumbledore said in praise, then continued, "however, several recent events must also be taken into account."
The cheers at the Slytherin table faltered for a moment as an ominous feeling crept into their hearts.
"I'm sure you've all heard about what happened over the past few days, and during those incidents, some students displayed extraordinary courage and wisdom."
"Therefore, there are still some points to be awarded. Let me see…"
Tension showed in the eyes of the Slytherin students, while a few sharp and quick-witted students from the other houses seemed to realize something and quietly shifted their gazes toward the Gryffindor table.
Dumbledore cleared his throat.
"First, Mr. Ron Weasley."
"He won the most brilliant game of chess Hogwarts has seen in years, and for this, I award Gryffindor House fifty points."
Ron's face instantly flushed, nearly matching his red hair, then quickly surpassing it until he looked like a bright red radish.
At once, cheers from Gryffindor erupted, almost lifting the ceiling.
"Ron is my brother, my youngest brother. He beat Professor McGonagall's chessboard."
Percy eagerly boasted to the other prefects, bursting with pride.
When the noise finally died down a little, Dumbledore announced loudly,
"Second, Miss Hermione Granger."
"She remained calm and used logic and reasoning in the face of raging flames, and for this, I award Gryffindor House fifty points."
Hermione buried her face in her arms, clearly unaccustomed to such lavish praise.
But the young wizards loved it. Some were so excited they nearly jumped onto the table, waving their wands as if ready to put on an impromptu performance.
That was a full hundred points.
"Third…"
"Harry Potter!"
"He displayed fearless daring and courage, and for this, I award Gryffindor House another sixty points."
The moment Dumbledore finished speaking, the roar from Gryffindor was deafening.
A total of one hundred and sixty points had been added.
"It's a tie! It's a tie!"
A Gryffindor student shouted at the top of his lungs.
The other young wizards immediately realized it too. That's right—255 points plus 160 points meant they were now tied with first-place Slytherin.
Just one point.
Even one more point would be enough.
That was the thought running through every Gryffindor's mind. With just one more point, they could win this year's House Cup.
Dumbledore raised a hand, signaling for silence.
By now, many faces at the Slytherin table had already fallen. A whole year of effort, and the lead they had built was wiped out just like that.
But these were points awarded by the Headmaster of Hogwarts. Dumbledore's decision was not something any young wizard dared to question.
Still, what Slytherin found hardest to accept was losing to those reckless lions of Gryffindor.
If Ravenclaw had won, or even Hufflepuff, it would have been easier to swallow.
"There are many kinds of courage," Dumbledore continued. "In the face of our enemies, we need daring, but standing up to our friends also takes courage."
"Therefore, I shall award Mr. Neville Longbottom ten points."
At that moment, Gryffindor's cheers reached their peak.
Neville clutched his goblet in disbelief, still trying to process what had happened, but he was already surrounded by his classmates, their praise and congratulations leaving him flustered.
Harry applauded as well and offered his congratulations to Neville, but he didn't look as excited as the others. Instead, he shifted his gaze toward the Ravenclaw table, just in time to see Lucien smiling faintly and clapping softly.
Then Harry looked up at the head table. He had a feeling it wasn't over yet, and Dumbledore smiled back at him.
"Finally…"
Dumbledore deliberately drew out the word, making everyone in the hall tense once more.
It wasn't over yet?
"One young wizard used his wisdom and magic to stand against a Dark Wizard. He protected the school's treasure, helped a fellow student grow, and achieved extraordinary accomplishments. Therefore, I shall award him one hundred points."
At once, the Great Hall fell silent.
One hundred points. Who would receive those one hundred points?
Now, no matter which house received them, the winner of the House Cup would be beyond doubt.
Dumbledore turned his gaze toward the Ravenclaw table, his eyes filled with satisfaction.
"I congratulate Lucien Grafton for earning these one hundred points for Ravenclaw."
Clap, clap, clap—!!!!!!
The moment Dumbledore finished speaking, the first round of applause came from the Gryffindor table, and it came from Harry.
Harry was genuinely happy. As an eyewitness, he knew better than anyone how outstanding Lucien's performance had been that night. As the first student to receive tutoring from Lucien, he also understood best how much help Lucien had given him.
Immediately afterward, applause rang out from the head table as well, where the professors were seated.
Every professor who had taught Lucien knew of the boy's talent and diligence, having witnessed too many surprises over the past year.
Even the usually aloof Snape showed a rare smile, his eyes filled with admiration. For such a gifted yet humble student, he often regretted that Lucien had not been sorted into Slytherin.
If Lucien had been in Slytherin, then no matter how many points Snape added to his own house, it would never have been too much, and no one could have accused him of favoritism. At that point, let alone a six-year winning streak, it was likely that for every year Lucien was at Hogwarts, the House Cup would have belonged to Slytherin.
The most visibly delighted, however, was Professor Flitwick. His small hands clapped loudly, and he did not even bother to wipe away the tears at the corners of his eyes.
It couldn't be helped. Ravenclaw rarely won the House Cup. In major scoring areas like Quidditch, Ravenclaw was at a clear disadvantage, and the Eagle House also had the fewest students, which meant fewer opportunities to earn points in daily school life.
Fortunately, Ravenclaw students also caused the least trouble, so they naturally did not lose many points either, often placing second or third.
But this year, with Lucien's presence, Ravenclaw's score had maintained a steady upward trend, and now they had claimed the championship in one decisive sweep.
"Filius, just as I did at the start of the year, I must congratulate you again. Ravenclaw has gained an excellent student."
Professor McGonagall raised her cup in congratulations, and Professor Flitwick quickly lifted his goblet and gently clinked it against hers.
"Thank you, Minerva. Ravenclaw is also fortunate to have Lucien."
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