The end-of-year feast was a sight to behold. Wizards and witches from every year were gathered in the Great Hall, seated neatly at their four house tables. Today was the day to announce the final academic results and, of course, the winner of the House Cup. It was a momentous occasion for all the students at Hogwarts.
Without a doubt, the top spot for academic excellence went to Dudley, with Hermione coming in second. Harry was a solid third, followed by Malfoy at fourth, and then Ron and Neville. While the top four places were expected, given their abilities, Ron and Neville were a delightful surprise, coming in as unexpected dark horses.
The Great Hall was entirely decked out in the green and silver of Slytherin, celebrating their seventh consecutive victory of the House Cup. A giant banner of the Slytherin serpent hung proudly on the wall behind the staff table. Slytherin had dominated the competition, crushing the other three houses with a final, overwhelming score.
The current standings were:
Fourth Place: Gryffindor, 111 points;
Third Place: Hufflepuff, 352 points;
Second Place: Ravenclaw, 406 points;
First Place: Slytherin, 609 points.
Slytherin's score was nearly as high as the other three houses combined, all thanks to Dudley. He was like a walking point-earning machine, racking up points in almost every class.
Gryffindor's score wasn't always so abysmal. Hermione had earned them a good number of points, but a brawl that cost them 200 points from Professor McGonagall, another 50 for attacking a classmate, and Hermione's subsequent refusal to earn any more points had left them at the bottom, despite their decent performance in Quidditch. It was a mercy that their score wasn't in the double digits.
But the Gryffindors didn't seem to mind; they were quite used to being in last place.
"Before we begin the feast, we must first award the House Cup… I believe everyone has already seen the scores," Dumbledore said unhurriedly from his seat at the high table.
A thunderous cheer and a rhythmic stomping of feet erupted from the Slytherin table. The House Cup was practically theirs.
Six hundred and nine points! Heh, six hundred and nine points! What could you possibly do to beat us? they seemed to think.
As a wise man once said, "You can never relax your guard until the very last moment, even when victory seems certain."
"Yes, Slytherin has done quite well this year," Dumbledore said with a knowing look. "However, I believe we must also take into account some recent events."
An immediate silence fell over the hall. The Slytherins seemed to realise what was happening, and their triumphant smiles began to fade.
"Ahem," Dumbledore cleared his throat, and the next moment his voice became powerful, echoing throughout the hall. "There are still a few final points to be awarded."
"Let me see..." He pulled a piece of parchment from his pocket and put on his spectacles, appearing to carefully read the text.
"Ah, yes. First—to Mr. Ron Weasley..."
"...for the best-played game of chess Hogwarts has seen in many years, I award him one hundred points."
The Gryffindor table erupted in cheers. Ron was a Gryffindor, and his points would go straight to his house.
"Second—to Mr. Neville Longbottom. For his masterful handling of the Devil's Snare and his clever use of the Fire-Making Spell... I award him one hundred points."
Neville? Who's that? Oh, that clueless kid from the Longbottom family in our year, a few thought.
"Third—to Miss Hermione Granger. For her calm and logical reasoning... I award her one hundred points."
The Know-It-All. I suppose she's a little useful.
With all these points added up, Gryffindor had gained a total of 300 points. The young wizards of Gryffindor were ecstatic. With their original 111 points, their new total was 411, soaring past Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, now second only to Slytherin's 609.
A buzz of whispered conversation spread through the Great Hall. The Hufflepuffs looked confused, wondering how they'd suddenly ended up in last place again. The Ravenclaws exchanged quiet remarks. The Gryffindors were lost in a frenzied celebration, while the Slytherins remained the most composed.
Mate, it's 609 points. Even with an extra three hundred, Gryffindor is miles away. There's no way you'll get another two hundred points to beat us.
Dumbledore seemed to ignore the uproar and continued his announcement.
"Fourth—Harry Potter..."
"...for his great daring and outstanding courage, I award him two hundred points."
The moment he said it, the Great Hall became eerily quiet. Every student stared at Dumbledore in stunned disbelief.
611 points. That was exactly two points higher than 609.
In other words, the House Cup was about to change hands.
After a brief, breathless silence, a thunderous cheer and applause erupted. The entire Gryffindor table was on its feet. Red fireworks shot into the air, staining the green Slytherin banners a brilliant scarlet. They were the Weasley twins' fireworks.
The older students stood up and drew their wands. Under their combined spells, the enormous Slytherin serpent banner vanished, replaced by a magnificent Gryffindor lion.
"Glory to Gryffindor! The House Cup belongs to Gryffindor!"
No one knew who started it, but the entire Gryffindor table began to chant and cheer. They were celebrating their unexpected victory. While many of them only recognised Harry's name among those Dumbledore had mentioned, it didn't stop them from feeling overjoyed, especially since it meant they had finally surpassed Slytherin.
The Slytherin students' faces were green. They couldn't understand it. How, with such a massive lead, could they have inexplicably lost to Gryffindor? On what grounds? Because they cheated?
They couldn't accept these points! This wasn't a fair competition!
But the words had come from the greatest wizard of the century, and even with a thousand protests burning inside them, they could only hold their tongues.
"Hey, Slytherins, you lost the House Cup!" a student from one of the other houses shouted, provoking them. The Slytherins, who had just managed to calm themselves, now lost all self-control.
We are Slytherins, we must be poised, we must be... damn, I'm so furious!
The Slytherins collectively turned to the Gryffindors, glaring at them with murderous intent.
However, in their wild celebration, the Gryffindors failed to notice that the people Dumbledore had mentioned seemed to have no strong emotions, and their own head of house, Professor McGonagall, had a completely unreadable expression on her face.
Dumbledore merely sat there, quietly watching the scene unfold, patiently waiting.
With a thunderous crash that shook the windows and doors, a figure strode to the centre of the Great Hall. His voice was not loud, but it possessed a remarkable penetration, echoing into every corner.
"I think Gryffindor has no right to the House Cup!"