Amanda's heart skipped a beat, a strange, unsettled feeling filling her chest. Watching the two Mothers walking forward, a word suddenly appeared in her mind: guilty.
She reached up to rub her nose, expressionless, surprised that she would experience such an emotion.
However, it was indeed her mistake this time. She had invisibly underestimated Hermione, underestimated her friends, and underestimated everyone at Hogwarts. She always wanted to protect them under her own wings, forgetting that they also wanted to protect her well.
Watching the two Mothers walk behind the group of Young Wizards, Amanda saw Rowena raise her hand and pat the shoulder of a Slytherin student standing at the very back.
"Who?!"
The student shuddered, turned around, and pointed their wand at Rowena in vigilance. They had just taken action against Umbridge, and now someone was patting them from behind—could it be someone from the Ministry of Magic?
How did they get here so fast!
Holding this thought, the student was ready to directly attack the Aurors if it really was the Ministry of Magic. After all, regarding the Ministry of Magic and Amanda, anyone with a brain knew whose side to take.
As a result, what they never expected in their wildest dreams was that upon turning around, they saw a face they were very familiar with, but never dared to think they would see in person.
"Ro, Rowena..."
The student was so shocked that their wand dropped. After stuttering out a name, they fell into a long, dazed stupor.
Hogwarts students almost all knew what the four Founders looked like, not to mention that this student had grown up in the Wizarding World. However, no one expected that they could actually see one of the four Founders in person today!
They were figures from a thousand years ago. Because of this, one didn't even need to consider the possibility of Polyjuice Potion; who could get hair from someone from a thousand years ago?
So now... standing in front of them was absolutely the real Rowena Ravenclaw, one of the four Founders of Hogwarts.
"It's Rowena." Rowena blinked, gently joking with the student in front of her.
"Polite children shouldn't be biased, oh. Won't you say hello to me?"
Helga, walking next to Rowena, smiled and leaned forward, pointing to herself.
The stunned student was immediately "woken up" again, hurriedly greeting and bowing toward Helga.
"Lady Hufflepuff, I, I am very happy to meet you!"
Helga's eyelids twitched violently. Is this what a thousand years later is like? Children are so polite now, and their courage is a bit small, too. A thousand years ago, Young Wizards weren't this afraid of her.
"No need to be so polite." Helga gently helped the student up. The commotion on their side made more and more Young Wizards turn around to check the situation, and then one after another, they let out exclamations.
Especially the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff students, who almost screamed.
Those were the Founders, the Founders of their two houses!
The movement of the Young Wizards in the back soon made Hermione, Cho Chang, and Marietta Eckmore in the front row turn their heads. The moment they saw the two ladies, they all had a unified thought: Umbridge was done for, truly done for.
Headmaster Dumbledore and the Professors also heard the Young Wizards' exclamations and looked at each other. Numerous spells hitting the Shield Charm had created a thick layer of dust in front of them; only when the dust dispersed could they see what had happened under the Staff Table.
Rowena and Helga continued to walk forward slowly. The Young Wizards consciously kept their mouths shut and stepped aside to let the two Founders pass.
Regarding the four Founders, apart from people like Voldemort, other Hogwarts students, no matter which house they were from, would maintain absolute respect.
Because of what the four Founders had done, they deserved such respect. It was they who had protected the lives of countless Young Wizards during the chaotic Middle Ages, and also preserved the heritage of the British Wizarding World.
The dust gradually dispersed. Headmaster Dumbledore waved his wand at Umbridge, and after confirming she was fine, he stood up and walked slowly toward the edge of the Staff Table, speaking as he walked.
"Today's events..."
"Everyone did a great job today," a crisp, melodious female voice interrupted Headmaster Dumbledore's speech. "Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Slytherin, and Gryffindor—students of all four houses have perfectly demonstrated your protection of Hogwarts and your classmates."
Suddenly interrupted, Headmaster Dumbledore was stunned while looking down below the Staff Table. This one glance made his aged face twitch violently.
Younger than him... the Founders?
The other Professors who also saw the situation stood up abruptly, especially Professor Sprout and Professor Flitwick. Mature and steady, having taught for almost their entire lives, they now had to cover their mouths to stop the exclamation that was about to blurt out.
"We are very happy to see everyone at Hogwarts so united."
Helga added, stepping forward to take Rowena's arm.
"Successfully protecting Hogwarts from those who want to harm it, you are our pride, our students to be proud of."
Rowena's praise made the Young Wizards present puff out their chests one by one. This was praise from the Founders themselves; it made them even happier than being praised by Headmaster Dumbledore.
Meanwhile, Headmaster Dumbledore, who was standing at the Staff Table, smiled helplessly. Just now, he was thinking about how to phrase things to make the children's actions today seem reasonable and not give the Ministry of Magic any excuse to pick faults.
But now it seemed unnecessary. The two Founders had personally "stamped" their approval on the protection of Hogwarts; no one in the British Wizarding World could question it, not even the Ministry of Magic.
Or rather, if they wanted to question it, the spit of the British Wizarding World's public could drown them.
"I think all four houses deserve an extra two hundred points."
As soon as Helga's voice fell, two hundred gems of four colors appeared in the four hourglasses outside the Great Hall.
The school year had just begun, and each house had already gained two hundred house points.
Although this was equivalent to everyone still being at the same starting line, but... this was points added by the Founders themselves, personally!
The Young Wizards were breathing rapidly, almost everyone was trembling with excitement, especially the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff Young Wizards; they felt like they were about to faint from excitement.
"In addition." Rowena said, waving at Amanda, who was still sitting at the Ravenclaw Table. Amanda hurried to get up and jogged to her two Mothers, looking up at them with no expression on her face, but with a rare sense of dependence in her eyes.
"Thank you all for protecting our daughter, and thank you to all the Professors; you have helped her a lot."
Rowena said, nodding to the Young Wizards with Helga, and bowing slightly to Headmaster Dumbledore and the Professors at the Staff Table.
At this moment, they were not speaking to everyone as the Founders of Hogwarts, but as Amanda's Mothers, expressing their gratitude to everyone.
"Lady Ravenclaw, Lady Hufflepuff, this is our duty, you don't have to..."
Facing the bows of the two Founders, the Professors were obviously a bit flustered. Professor Flitwick waved his hands to indicate they didn't need to do this. Professor Sprout and Professor McGonagall pursed their lips in unison, while Professor Snape looked away slightly, and the hands hidden under his black robes were now covered in sweat.
Filch, standing in a corner on the other side, looked at Amanda with disbelief. Her Mothers were actually Rowena Ravenclaw and Helga Hufflepuff?!
Obviously, he remembered the history of not letting Amanda go to Hogsmeade the year before last and questioning her loudly, and anxiety and shame quickly rose on his face.
"Two respected ladies," Headmaster Dumbledore walked quickly down from the Staff Table to personally help the two Founders up. "Your return is Hogwarts' good fortune; we all welcome you."
Helga, who was helped up, glanced toward Filch. For this "old man" who was not very likable but was still dutiful, neither she nor Rowena had any other plans.
After all, Hogwarts Castle had already "punished" him, so they just hoped he could treat students with a normal heart in the future.
"Thank you, Headmaster Dumbledore," Rowena smiled gently, holding Headmaster Dumbledore's hand with both hands and applying light pressure. "However, Helga and I still want to talk to you about the incident where you let Voldemort successfully enter Hogwarts when Amanda and the others were in their first year."
She hadn't forgotten that it was that time her darling daughter was hit by that guy's Crucio.
"Th, this..."
The centenarian Headmaster Dumbledore felt a sense of guilt for the first time in a long while, as if he were facing a Professor who had criticized his thesis.
"Rowena is joking with you," seeing Headmaster Dumbledore's obviously stiff body, Helga smiled and reached out to gently pull Rowena's hands away from Headmaster Dumbledore's. "She already settled the score with you before."
Headmaster Dumbledore was stunned for a moment, then suddenly remembered the morning four years ago when he woke up to find his bed in pieces (Diffindo), and then he was lying on the floor with his old bones aching.
So... it was actually the Founders who did it.
Rowena raised her eyebrows slyly, looking at Headmaster Dumbledore meaningfully and saying.
"That's right, but I think Headmaster Dumbledore should have learned his lesson? At the very least, don't use yourself as a bargaining chip on the scales again," she said while reaching out to stroke Amanda's little head. "Such behavior will also affect the students."
"And, you are really doing very well as Headmaster. Helga and I hope you can do it for another hundred years."
"I will try my best."
Headmaster Dumbledore nodded with a smile, glanced at Amanda, and then thought about Umbridge, who was still embedded in the wall behind the Staff Table, feeling that he understood something.
Quickly adjusting his state, he clapped his hands kindly at the Young Wizards of the four houses. "Alright, everyone, go back and continue your dinner. I think you are hungry, aren't you."
Watching Headmaster Dumbledore guiding the Young Wizards in an orderly manner, Rowena and Helga nodded with satisfaction. This descendant was truly very suitable to be Headmaster.
Good to students, truly keeping students in his heart. If he could really work for another hundred years... the two Founders calculated the average lifespan of Wizards, then thought about Headmaster Dumbledore's magic power, and felt that this idea was also very possible.
"Lady Ravenclaw, Lady Hufflepuff, please come and have some dinner too."
Headmaster Dumbledore stepped back two steps and gestured to the Staff Table. Rowena and Helga smiled and nodded, then walked to the Staff Table hand in hand.
As for Amanda, she returned to the Ravenclaw Table with a calm expression, and was immediately surrounded by curious Little Eagles. The Little Badgers at the next table also couldn't help but turn around and sit on the bench, trying hard to crowd toward her side.
"Amanda, how could Lady Ravenclaw and Lady Hufflepuff appear now?" This was a curious Little Eagle.
"Why don't they look like they've aged at all? Did they use some special magic?" This was an eager-to-learn Little Eagle.
"They are holding hands, are they a couple?!" This was a Little Badger with shining eyes.
After this question was asked, the surrounding Little Eagles and Little Badgers turned their eyes to the Little Badger who just asked in unison, their faces full of, Junior, you are really brave, but, well asked!
Everyone asked questions one after another. Amanda listened to the sounds around her without missing a single one, her brain quickly separating these sounds one by one, then thinking about these questions, and giving answers immediately if she could.
"I don't know why Mothers can appear now; they didn't tell me."
"Regarding why they are still so young, I don't know the answer, just like the previous question."
"Mothers are indeed a couple; they are very happy together."
Amanda's voice had no ups and downs, but she answered almost every question in order without missing one.
Seeing that the first batch of questioners had been answered, Hermione and Cho Chang hurriedly spoke up to stop the Young Wizards who still wanted to continue asking.
"Alright, alright everyone, Amanda still needs to eat dinner, and you need to eat dinner too. If you have any questions, can you ask them after dinner?"
Penelope said, looking around at the surrounding Little Eagles. The Little Eagles realized instantly, smiled apologetically, and turned back to eat dinner as usual.
Hermione gently hugged Amanda's waist and smiled at the Little Badgers, "Everyone wait a moment, let's eat dinner first. Amanda and I have some things to say while we eat dinner."
Looking at Hermione's hands around Amanda's waist, the Little Badgers smiled knowingly, nodded, and then turned back to eat dinner.
Amanda felt the pair of hands on her waist, lowered her head slightly, and a layer of faint pink appeared on her face.
The Great Hall returned to calm. Everyone was whispering and having dinner. As for Umbridge, who was still in the wall... who would care about her?
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