Hogwarts' Golden Glory

Then, under Dumbledore's direction, they began their meal.

Only when these young wizards are well-fed and watered can they listen to what comes next.

He waved his wand.

"Let's enjoy the food."

As a bountiful spread of food poured from the golden platter, the undercurrents in the teachers' seats grew ever stronger.

Lockhart kept trying to steer the conversation toward his own adventures.

Each time he spoke, it was accompanied by exaggerated gestures and the sound of medals clattering together.

Sirius Black deliberately used a volume that only Snape could hear.

Recalling how James Potter used to tease "Snotty" back in the day.

"...and then that ball of dung landed precisely on the Slytherin table!"

Sirius said loudly to Professor Flitwick, his grey eyes gleaming with mischief.

"Jayne's aiming spell has always been excellent—"

Snape's knife suddenly sank deep into the wooden tabletop with a sickening sound.

His body beneath his black robe was taut like a fully drawn bowstring, yet his voice was unusually calm: "Blake, you are as unpleasant as a portrait of your mother."

Sirius's smile vanished.

He slowly put down his wine glass, his knuckles white from gripping it too tightly: "Say it again, you snotty-nosed brat."

"Gentlemen!" Professor McGonagall interrupted sharply, her voice flashing with a warning, "Mind your image in front of the students!"

She increasingly felt that Dumbledore was insane!

They actually put these two people who can't stand each other together.

That's just putting a cat and a mouse together, and she doesn't know who the cat is or who the mouse is.

Harry looked worriedly at the teachers' table.

The air between Sirius and Snape seemed to distort under the intense heat.

Lockhart was taking the opportunity to pile food onto his plate while practicing his signature pose in the air.

As Kane sat in the Slytherin area, he heard a familiar, ethereal voice coming from not far away:

"They say something in the castle cellar has awakened..."

Luna stood at the Ravenclaw table, speaking to a group of bewildered seventh-grade students.

Raindrops clung to her colored glasses, refracting strange patterns of light.

Everyone finished their meal quickly.

"Welcome back to Hogwarts." Dumbledore stood up, his blue eyes behind his half-moon spectacles gleaming with pleasure.

"After we've enjoyed our meal, please allow me to introduce our two new teachers..."

Lockhart jumped up eagerly, his blond hair gleaming in the candlelight: "My dear students! I am Gilderoy Lockhart, your new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor! Recipient of the Order of Merlin, Third Class! Winner of the Most Charming Smile Award from Wizarding Weekly—"

"—and my temporary assistant."

Sirius Black lazily chimed in, eliciting a burst of laughter from the Gryffindor table.

Snape felt he had to find time to ask Dumbledore whether these two were there to teach or to make a joke!

"Furthermore..." Dumbledore turned to the room, his voice suddenly becoming serious, "Professor Alder is temporarily away from the school due to personal matters, and Professor Binns will continue to teach the History of Magic course."

Kane's fingers tightened around the knife.

Professor Olde never indicated that he wanted to leave.

Why didn't the other party tell him anything about what needed to be done?

What's even stranger is that Professor Binns is currently dozing off at the end of the faculty seating area, seemingly unaware that he's about to return to his post.

Dumbledore seemed to know Kane's doubts and nodded at Kane.

"Where did Professor Alder go?" Draco asked in a low voice. "Do you know, bro?"

Kane did not answer.

Instead, they used the information they had gathered over the past few days to consider what actions the other party might take.

A sudden burst of applause in the auditorium interrupted Kane's recollection.

Lockhart is demonstrating some kind of exaggerated defensive stance.

Sirius leaned back in his chair and smiled at Harry at the Gryffindor table.

As the banquet drew to a close, Dumbledore rose again and announced: "A final reminder: all students are strictly forbidden from entering the Forbidden Forest—especially given recent reports of unusual biological activity."

Luna suddenly raised her hand: "Is it a Curved-Horned Snoring Beast? They migrate here this season—"

"Not a magical creature, Miss Lovegood."

Dumbledore interrupted her, a rare occurrence for him, his voice carrying a hint of seriousness.

"It is something older and more dangerous. Class leaders, please lead the students back to their dormitories. Faculty and staff, please stay for a meeting."

As the students filed away, Harry glanced back at the teachers' table.

Sirius was making a familiar gesture to him—their agreed-upon code, meaning "See you tomorrow morning."

Snape stood in the shadows, his sallow face divided by the candlelight, his dark eyes fixed on Sirius's back like a venomous snake waiting for its chance.

This semester, he is determined to find something wrong with the other party and make them get out of the school!

"Mr. Potter! Please wait a moment!"

Harry had just stepped out of the Great Hall when he was blocked by that small, thin figure.

Colin Crevey's camera gleamed in the darkness like an excited firefly.

His trembling hands held a brand-new autograph book, the cover of which read "Harry Potter Clippings, Volume One" in gold powder.

"Sign it on the first page!" Colin's voice was high-pitched with excitement. "I've collected every article about you in the Daily Prophet—even the photo of you in Muggle news in 1991!"

Ron bumped into Harry's shoulder from behind, nearly shoving him into Colin: "Merlin's pants, you crazy worshipper?"

The flash went off, and a white patch exploded in front of Harry's eyes.

When his vision returned, Colin had already opened the autograph book, which was densely filled with newspaper clippings.

There was even a photo of Aunt Penny published in the community newspaper—Harry was blurry in the background, wearing Dudley's unwanted old sweater on his head.

"Uh... okay..." Harry awkwardly took the quill, only to suddenly notice Ginny Weasley peeking from behind her brothers.

Ravenclaw's group passed by, and Luna Lovegood's faint voice drifted over: "...those swarms of harassing flies hung over him like a dark cloud..."

Harry looked up and saw Luna talking to Kane Malfoy.

Kane's expression shifted for the first time—his grey-green eyes widened slightly when Luna's finger tapped his temple.

"Your thoughts are too jumbled." Luna's carrot earring swayed gently as she shook her head.

"Those black harassing flies love to exploit these kinds of loopholes..."

"It's signed." Harry hurriedly handed the autograph book back to Colin, but his eyes were glued to Kane.

He always felt that Kane was acting strangely.

"Fantastic!" Colin spun around, clutching the autograph book. "The headline for next week's Hogwarts Weekly is here! 'The Savior's Autographed Special'—"

"Hogwarts doesn't publish anything like that," Hermione couldn't help but correct, pulling Harry and Ron towards the Gryffindor tower. "Besides, Harry has the right to refuse—Merlin!"