Hogwarts' Golden Glory

The banquet has begun.

The Great Hall of Hogwarts was adorned with silver-green curtains that made it gleam.

A huge Slytherin serpent banner swayed slowly behind the main seating area, its scales gleaming coldly in the candlelight.

The candles floating on the ceiling were enchanted, casting a deep green light.

It was as if the entire auditorium was submerged in the shimmering light of the Black Lake.

Harry was only allowed to leave the ward after Madam Pomfrey checked him over several times.

When Harry walked into the Great Hall, the previously noisy discussion suddenly stopped.

Then came an even more enthusiastic whisper.

He could feel countless eyes staring at him—some with curiosity, some with awe.

"Look, it's Potter!" a young Hufflepuff girl exclaimed softly.

"I heard he broke the rules again and went up to the fourth floor," a Ravenclaw boy pushed up his glasses, "but Dumbledore still favors him."

Harry lowered his head and walked quickly toward the Gryffindor table.

Ron and Hermione have already reserved a spot for him.

Ron was stabbing a piece of bread with his fork, his expression grim.

"Harry, you're here! Draco's back too!"

Harry looked toward the Slytherin table.

Draco sat next to Kane, talking animatedly about something.

Hermione was flipping through a book titled "The History of Hogwarts Rules" very quickly, as if she were looking for something.

"Quiet."

With the aid of magic, Dumbledore's voice drowned out everyone else, silencing the entire Great Hall instantly.

"Another year has passed, so I'll hurry up this year."

Dumbledore smiled, his blue eyes behind his half-moon spectacles gleaming with a gentle light.

"Now, as far as I know, we must first hold the House Cup awards ceremony. The specific scores for each house are as follows: Fourth place, Hufflepuff, 360 points; Third place, Gryffindor, 370 points; Ravenclaw, 460 points; Slytherin, 612 points."

"So this year, Slytherin House won the House Cup for the seventh consecutive year with a total score of 612!"

Because of Hermione's usual excellent performance.

In addition, after Harry obtained Snape's notes, he rarely lost points in Snape's classes.

This year's Gryffindor scores did not result in the lowest Gryffindor rankings.

Upon hearing this news, the Slytherin table erupted in chaos.

This year, Slytherin's scores were an absolutely crushing victory!

Draco raised his silver cup high upon hearing the news, a triumphant, arrogant smile on his face.

Crabbe and Gore slammed their fists on the table, making dull thuds.

Pansy Parkinson screamed excitedly and even wrapped silver-green ribbons in her hair.

"Quiet!"

Professor McGonagall glared sternly at the Slytherin table, but her voice was drowned out by the cheers.

Kane Malfoy did not celebrate wildly like the others.

After all, the principal is about to start cheating.

as predicted.

"However," Dumbledore raised his voice, "some things this year deserve special recognition."

The noise in the auditorium gradually subsided, and everyone held their breath in anticipation.

"First place! Mr. Ron Weasley demonstrated Gryffindor bravery in the face of danger, earning Gryffindor 50 points!"

The Gryffindor table instantly erupted in cheers.

Simon Finnigan and Dean Thomas lifted Ron up and cheered.

Neville excitedly slapped the table, but accidentally sprayed the mint hard candy onto the robe of the student in front of him.

"Well done, Ron!" Harry laughed and patted him on the shoulder.

Even Percy told the other parents that this was his younger brother.

A few disdainful snorts came from Slytherin's side.

Draco deliberately dragged out his words: "Oh, that's amazing—points just for going together? Next time, will points be awarded for eating together too?"

"Second place: Hermione Granger is intelligent and calm when facing problems, add 50 points."

Hermione's face flushed instantly.

She suddenly covered her mouth, tears welling up in her brown eyes.

Lavender Brown even hugged her and shook her, exclaiming, "I knew it! You're a genius!"

The cheers from Gryffindor once again lifted the ceiling.

Fred and George even jumped onto the table and began an impromptu performance: "The Goddess of Wisdom of Gryffindor!"

People have already started calculating the scores.

Gryffindor has already scored 470 points, surpassing Ravenclaw.

They still had hope in their hearts because they had Potter.

"Third place, Mr. Harry Potter..." Dumbledore's voice silenced the Great Hall instantly, "He has shown courage beyond his years, add 100 points."

The entire auditorium erupted in chaos.

The Gryffindor students screamed wildly.

One hundred points, a full one hundred points.

No student has ever received so many points at once!

Fred and George climbed right onto the table and started dancing.

Ron excitedly grabbed Harry's shoulder: "We've caught up! We've really caught up!"

Hermione shook her head. "It's still not good enough! I wish you could give me a few more points."

But there was only deathly silence on Slytherin's side.

"There are many kinds of courage. We need courage to deal with enemies, but we also need courage to stand up for ourselves in front of friends."

"Therefore, for the fourth point, I will award Mr. Neville Longbottom 50 points!"

Neville's face turned ashen; the crowd had already surrounded him.

He was surrounded by cheers!

"Class, there's more!"

Dumbledore's voice immediately drowned out the thunderous cheers and applause.

The young wizards were somewhat confused at this moment. What else could it be?

"The fifth one is Mr. Kane Malfoy,"

Dumbledore continued, "Intelligent! Brave! Excellent performance in class! And a great organizer of activities outside of class. So I give him 100 points!"

The Slytherin table erupted in unprecedented cheers.

"I knew it!" Draco stood up abruptly, his face beaming with pride.

"My brother is a hundred times better than Potter!"

The magical numbers in the air have been updated again:

Slytherin - 712 points

Gryffindor – 620 points

Ravenclaw - 460 points

Hufflepuff - 360 points

"This isn't fair!" Seamus Finigan suddenly shouted. "They were already leading by that much!"

His protest was silenced by Pippi the Ghost dousing him with a bucket of chilled lemonade.

The mischievous sprite was unusually wearing a silver-green bow tie today.

They were frantically scattering confetti under the Slytherin flag.

Dumbledore smiled and waved his wand, and the decorations of the Great Hall began to change.

Gold thread patterns emerged on the silver-green ribbon.

Beside the giant Slytherin snake appeared the Gryffindor lion, while the Hufflepuff badger and Ravenclaw eagle were also faintly visible on the banner.

"The College Cup is not the end," Dumbledore's voice was gentle yet firm. "This time next year, I hope to see even more exciting matches. Now—let the feast begin!"

Despite the golden platters piled high with delicious food, almost no one was paying attention to their meal.

The Gryffindor table.

Ron was stabbing a piece of bread with his fork, muttering, "Why does Malfoy get so many points?"

Hermione, meanwhile, stared thoughtfully at the teachers' table, seemingly analyzing Dumbledore's intentions.

At the Slytherin table, Draco proudly boasted to those around him, "See? The Malfoy family are the true elite of Hogwarts!"

The Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff students whispered among themselves about whether the extra points were fair.

Some people have even started calculating the probability of a score next year.

In a corner where no one is paying attention.