The House Cup Ceremony
The Great Hall shimmered in gold and black.
Banners hung proudly, glowing under enchanted light, and the Hufflepuff table was already buzzing, students gripping the edges of benches, eyes locked on the hourglasses.
Professor Dumbledore stood.
Silence fell.
House Points Revealed
With a gentle wave of his hand, the final totals appeared in glowing script above the hall:
Hufflepuff — 500 pointsRavenclaw — 430 pointsSlytherin — 350 pointsGryffindor — 230 points
Hufflepuff erupted.
Cheers, whistles, pounding tables—pure, unrestrained joy.
For once, no one looked past them.
For once, they were first.
Professor Sprout wiped her eyes.
✨ "However…"
Dumbledore raised a finger.
The hall quieted again—slowly, reluctantly.
"Before the House Cup is awarded," he said gently,
"there are… additional points to be given."
Lucien leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, already knowing what was coming.
Gryffindor Points Awarded
"Harry Potter," Dumbledore announced,
"for his bravery in confronting a Dark Wizard…"
+50 points
The Gryffindor table exploded.
Harry froze, then blushed furiously.
Lucien smiled faintly.
"Neville Longbottom," Dumbledore continued,
"for his strategic thinking and support in aiding his friends…"
+50 points
Neville nearly fell off the bench.
Lucien nodded—that one was earned.
Dumbledore paused.
Took a deep breath.
Lucien's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Ronald Weasley," Dumbledore said carefully,
"for his skills in Wizard Chess, allowing his friends to proceed…"
+30 points
Polite applause.
Ron grinned widely, already preparing a new heroic version of events.
Lucien sighed quietly.
He could see it clearly—
Those points weren't for chess.
They were for two days under a stone knight.
Dumbledore didn't meet Lucien's eyes.
📊 Final Standings Shift
The hourglasses shimmered again.
Hufflepuff — still firstRavenclaw — secondGryffindor — now thirdSlytherin — fourth
The Gryffindor table cheered anyway—
not for first place, but because they'd beaten Slytherin.
Malfoy's scowl could have curdled milk.
Lucien barely reacted.
The Final Announcements
Dumbledore smiled warmly.
"I am pleased to announce," he said,
"that the Quidditch Cup this year goes to…"
He paused deliberately.
"Hufflepuff House."
The roar was deafening.
Cedric lifted Lucien off the bench.
Susan screamed.
Tonks whooped, hair flashing gold.
Akeno laughed softly, eyes shining.
"And," Dumbledore finished, voice carrying through the chaos,
"the House Cup… also belongs to Hufflepuff."
For a moment—
No one moved.
Then—
Pandemonium.
Students cried.
Laughed.
Hugged each other fiercely.
After years of being overlooked, underestimated, ignored—
Hufflepuff had won.
Lucien stood as Professor Sprout raised the cup, her hands trembling.
She looked at him.
Lucien inclined his head.
Not as a king.
But as the one who had reminded them of who they were.
High above, the banners settled.
Gold and black filled the hall.
And for the first time in a long, long while—
Hufflepuff stood alone at the top.