The Hogwarts Emerald

Chapter 697 Order of Merlin
Time always slips away quietly when people are not paying attention, and in the blink of an eye, 1997 is coming to an end.

The streets are decorated with lights and the image of Santa Claus is everywhere, everything reminding people that Christmas is coming.

Over the past month, Hogwarts, which has stood for a thousand years, has been repaired, and students will return to school when school starts in January to continue their wonderful campus life.

The scorched earth Hogsmeade has also been restored to its original state. Shopkeepers and villagers have returned to the village and resumed production and life.

This wizard village became lively and prosperous again. The grumpy old wizard was still standing in front of the bar wiping the dirty cups, and people in the Three Broomsticks were drinking and toasting each other happily.

Everything is going well in the wizarding world in this cold winter.

The Ministry of Magic also completed the trial of the Death Eaters. The cells in Azkaban were no longer empty as before, but now they were overcrowded. The Aurors and law enforcement teams guarding Azkaban complained bitterly and strongly demanded a pay raise.

I don’t know whether there will be any cultural performances in Azkaban during Christmas, or whether the prisoners will be given Christmas presents.

Although the Dementors are no longer guarding there, it is likely that the management of Azkaban will not be so humane.

As the Death Eaters died or were captured, those pure-blood families who always shouted "pure blood supremacy" and "eternal purity" became obedient and no longer dared to be arrogant.

With their bones broken, they were afraid that they would be implicated by the Death Eaters, be labeled as "Voldemort remnants" by the Ministry of Magic, and then be sent to Azkaban to eat prison food.

It really proves the saying: If you follow Brother Fu, you will be beaten with electric batons every day; if you follow Brother Fu, your body will be covered with wounds.

Fortunately, the Ministry of Magic still has a bottom line in doing things. It has not let any bad guy go, nor has it wrongly accuse any innocent person.

The Ministry of Magic will not shake the foundation of its rule for the sake of a few short-sighted pure-blood families. Otherwise, what is the difference between it and Voldemort?
However, families like Parkinson and Foley who once cheered for Voldemort will naturally be punished by the Ministry of Magic. None of them can escape. Everyone must pay the price for their choices.

As for pure-blood families like the Weasleys, Shafik, and Longbottoms who have provided help to the Ministry of Magic, the Ministry hasn't even had enough time to thank them, so why would it cause trouble for them?

Speaking of the Ministry of Magic’s gratitude, we have to mention Merlin’s company.

The Order of Merlin is an organization founded by Merlin in the Middle Ages. Merlin believed that wizards should coexist peacefully with Muggles, so the Order established rules prohibiting the use of magic against Muggles.

To commemorate this famous wizard, the Wizengamot began awarding medals under the name of "The Order of Merlin" in the 15th century.

Later, the Order of Merlin gradually changed its meaning.

After the victory of the Second Wizarding War, under the leadership of Ada, the Order of Merlin began to take back the badges from those who did not deserve them and wipe the stains off the medals.

For example, Arcturus Black, just by donating a huge sum of money to the Ministry of Magic, was awarded the same first-class medal as Dumbledore. This is a shame for the Order of Merlin.

Another example is Cornelius Fudge, who awarded himself a medal to recognize his contribution to the wizarding world. Cornelius Fudge made no contribution at all, his only contribution was to keep Voldemort alive for another year.

After taking back some medals, the Order of Merlin will naturally award new medals to those who have contributed to victory in the war.

First up is the former Minister of Magic, Pius Thicknesse, who was posthumously awarded the Order of Merlin, First Class; and the former Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Rufus Scrimgeour, who was also posthumously awarded the Order of Merlin, First Class.

And former Auror Alastor Moody, a veteran of two wizarding wars, was also posthumously awarded the First Class Medal.

There are former ministers and naturally there are current ministers.

Arthur Weasley was also awarded the Order of Merlin, First Class, in recognition of his leadership of the Ministry of Magic in fighting against Voldemort and the Death Eaters during difficult times.

As a member of the Order of the Phoenix, Remus Lupin also received a first-class medal in recognition of his contribution to the victory of the war and his courage to face the light despite being in the dark. Of course, the Ministry of Magic will not favor one over the other and will not turn a blind eye to Hogwarts.

The current headmaster, Minerva McGonagall, was also awarded the Order of the Phoenix, First Class, in recognition of her steadfast support for the Order of the Phoenix during the Second Wizarding War and her bravery in the Battle of Hogwarts.

Another person who received the first-class medal was Severus Snape, who was commended for his bravery in going behind enemy lines and risking his life.

This is only part of the list of awards given to the Order of Merlin. The Ministry of Magic has also created a new type of medal specifically to honor those who have contributed to the victory.

It can be said that medals have been flowing out of the Ministry of Magic like water in the past half month.

The purpose of the Ministry of Magic and the Wizengamot doing this is actually very simple, which is to commend heroes and to inspire those who come after them.

As the person who truly led the war, Ada naturally received the Order of Merlin, First Class. Not only that, the French Ministry of Magic also awarded her a medal of bravery across the channel.

Hogwarts Special Contribution Award, Triwizard Tournament Champion, Merlin First Class Medal, Medal of Valor, Chief Wizard of the Wizengamot. Although he can't compare with Dumbledore, the prefix Ada is still very impressive.

When Ada had nothing to do, she would always wave her medal in front of the twins, which made Fred and George so angry that they wanted to teach her a lesson.

Ada had never seen what the twins' eyes looked like, but she took the two brothers on a long trip on Christmas Eve, and their destination was Scarborough.

This is a small town on the coast with a long history.

The Vikings first landed here about a thousand years ago, and Scarborough gradually formed a regular market. For hundreds of years, the town held a 45-day market every August, attracting merchants from all over Europe.

The beautiful song "Scarborough Fair" made more people remember this place.

The lyrics of the song date back to at least the 13th century, and the tune is even older, said to have been influenced by Vikings and Celts.

The winter in England is always grey, and the three of them were shivering in the sea breeze as soon as they arrived at Ada. They wrapped their coats tightly and walked along Westborough Street.

Although the weather is a bit cold, you can still see stalls selling spices on the streets: parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme.

It is said that these four spices (flowers) represent sweetness, strength, loyalty and courage. There is also a saying that these four flowers have a hidden meaning of "death", suggesting that the lover far away has long passed away.

The town was not big, and the street signs along the way kept changing. Fred and George followed Ada with their heads down, not knowing where they were going. The two brothers were curious, but they saw that Ada was not in a good mood, so they did not ask.

"Here we are."

After an unknown amount of time, Ada finally stopped. Her voice was so soft that it couldn't withstand the cold December wind.

"We're finally here. I'm almost blown to death." The twins stopped their hurried steps and looked at the shop in front of them with Ada beside them.

This is a coffee shop with a very small storefront. Compared with the shops and restaurants on both sides of the street, it is not conspicuous at all.

"This is...?" George asked, and he seemed to understand where this place was.

"Go in, and you'll know when you get in."

(End of this chapter)