The great oak doors of Hogwarts Castle swung open under the morning sun.Students clustered along the corridors, whispering in excitement.
"He's back!""Did you see the Prophet headline?""Order of Merlin — First Class! That's what they give to Dumbledore!"
The chatter swelled into a tide of curiosity as Roy Valvas stepped through the entrance hall. He wore no grand robes — only his black school uniform and the faint glint of the golden Order of Merlin medallion pinned discreetly near his collar. Yet somehow, the air around him carried the quiet weight of command.
Even the suits of armor seemed to straighten as he passed.
The Great Hall Murmurs
Breakfast had already begun when Roy entered the Great Hall.Conversations died down instantly.
The banners of the four houses swayed above, but every eye — from the youngest first-year to the oldest seventh — turned toward the boy whose violet phoenix had driven away a hundred Dementors.
At the Hufflepuff table, cheers erupted first.
"That's our Roy!""Hero of Hogwarts!"
Cedric Diggory, grinning from ear to ear, stood and clapped loudly.
"Oi, Order of Merlin or not, you still owe me a training match!"
Laughter broke through the tension.Roy only smiled faintly and nodded before sitting down beside him.
But at the other tables, the mood was… mixed.
At Gryffindor, whispers flew between Harry, Hermione, and Ron.
"I still can't believe Fudge gave him that," Harry muttered."He earned it," Hermione said sharply, eyes bright with pride. "No one else could've done what he did.""He just… makes everyone look small," Ron grumbled, stabbing his toast a little too hard.
At Slytherin, Draco Malfoy sat rigid, glaring daggers.
"First a phoenix, now an Order of Merlin?" he sneered under his breath. "What's next — Minister Valvas?"Pansy Parkinson giggled nervously, but even she looked impressed.
Staff Table Reactions
Up at the head table, the professors watched with varying expressions.
Professor McGonagall's lips twitched — caught between pride and exasperation.
"He's barely fifteen and already has an Order of Merlin," she murmured to Sprout. "He'll give Dumbledore grey hairs before his N.E.W.T.s."
Professor Sprout beamed.
"That boy's a gift to Hufflepuff — modest too! Donated a whole set of Sky1 brooms to our team!"
Snape, on the other hand, sipped his tea slowly, expression unreadable.But in his eyes burned a flicker of frustration.
"Order of Merlin," he muttered. "For a student who sells prank products and breaks school rules as often as he breathes…"Still, even he could not deny the power of the phoenix that haunted his memory.
At the center, Dumbledore smiled softly — a glint of knowing in his eyes.
"Every generation has its rising star," he said to Lupin. "But few shine so dangerously bright."
Lupin nodded thoughtfully. "He reminds me of someone," he murmured. "Bravery with calculation. Warmth with distance. He carries more than he lets anyone see."
Dumbledore's gaze drifted toward the medallion gleaming at Roy's collar.
"And perhaps more than even he realizes."
The Announcement
Midway through breakfast, an owl from the Ministry swooped through the Great Hall, carrying a letter sealed with deep red wax. It landed gracefully beside Roy's plate.
He opened it silently, scanning the lines — then folded it with a faint smile.
"Another letter from the Minister?" Cedric asked, curious.Roy nodded. "Formal confirmation. Three Wizengamot seats under my guardianship. Effective immediately."
The hall went silent.Even the teachers looked up.
"Wizengamot seats?" Hermione gasped."You're joking!" someone from Ravenclaw blurted.
Roy simply shrugged. "The Minister and I came to an understanding."
Whispers of Power
By the time classes began, the entire castle was abuzz.Not just with awe — but with speculation.
"He has political power now, like an actual lord!""I heard his family's connected to old wizarding lines — Valvas, wasn't it?""He's even richer than Malfoy!"
Draco, overhearing one of the whispers, slammed his book shut and hissed,
"He's just a pretender — a muggle-born playing noble!"
But the truth was harder to ignore.That evening's Evening Prophet featured another headline:
"Young Hero Roy Valvas Receives Wizengamot Recognition — Symbol of Unity Between Magical and Muggle Worlds."
Later That Night
In the quiet of the Hufflepuff common room, Roy sat near the fire, reading.The soft golden glow danced on his medallion.
Hermione, Daphne, and Cassandra soon found him there — each with a different look.Hermione's eyes were bright with pride; Daphne's with amusement; Cassandra's with curiosity.
"You're the talk of Hogwarts," Hermione said softly. "Even McGonagall looked proud.""Proud, or terrified?" Daphne teased. "You just out-ranked half the Ministry, you know."Roy chuckled. "Ranks and medals don't matter much. What you do with them does."
Hermione smiled. "And what will you do?"Roy looked into the fire, eyes distant.
"Make sure no one ever sends Dementors near children again."
The warmth of the flames flickered across their faces, and for a moment, silence filled the room — not of fear or awe, but quiet respect.
Meanwhile… Elsewhere
In the staff quarters, Dumbledore stood by his window, watching the night sky.The faint glimmer of a phoenix streaked briefly across the stars — violet fire fading into the clouds.
"The world is changing faster than it should," he murmured. "And he is at the center of it."