Days at Hogwarts

Chapter 724 Year-End Banquet 1997

The third Friday of June.

The day before the summer solstice.

As darkness fell, a full moon rose from the horizon, hanging above the willow branches.

The Hogwarts Castle entrance hall was lit with a pale yellow light as the young wizards who had been wandering outside gradually returned. Hundreds and thousands of candles floated in the air above the Great Hall, their dazzling and bright light overshadowing the stars and moon on the magical dome.

Tonight is the long-awaited year-end banquet.

Gryffindor won the House Cup, and the decorations and banners in the Great Hall didn't need to be changed. The young wizards from the other houses were a bit numb to it.

The kitchen staff put on a spectacular feast for all the teachers and students. There was no time or quantity limit on the food, and some students and a few principals even planned to skip the main meals and just eat as much dessert as they wanted.

Loren wasn't the kind of person who had an insatiable sweet tooth. He made a careful plan based on his appetite, with meat patties and pies making up one-third of the meal, cheesecake and other staple foods making up another third, and ice cream pudding as dessert making up the remaining third. This ensured a balanced and reasonable diet.

Some enthusiastic students came over with wine glasses, pretending to be adults and clinking glasses with them. The glasses contained juice, soda water, and butterbeer, which had the highest alcohol content.

The Gryffindor students were somewhat disappointed. In previous years, when George and Fred hadn't graduated yet, they could always get their hands on some sparkling wine, brandy, or whiskey, although not many people dared to drink their beverages.

At 8 p.m., the feast was in full swing.

The room was full of guests, who raised their glasses in a toast.

Only Sir Nicholas sat in a corner, head drooping and looking distressed, sighing deeply. There was also a performance at the Ghost Theatre tonight, a play he had arranged for the past few centuries—a courtly calamity of an unfortunate wizard—but this year, Moaning Myrtle had taken the job.

It's unclear who helped her turn the story of Myrtle's lingering entanglement with Oliver Humbell after her death into a comedy, adding many laughs, elevating the theme at the end, and even adding some educational value.

Considering the joyful atmosphere of the year-end banquet, Professor McGonagall handed over the stage to Myrtle.

"Look at Olive, running away in such a panic! It's hilarious! How could someone be so scared by a ghost that they fall down the stairs?" Lavender and Ron sat at the middle of the long table, their shoulders shaking with laughter. Lavender wiped away the tears of laughter from the corner of his eye. "Is this still the same Myrtle who cries in the toilet in the bathroom? I almost don't recognize her. I wonder who changed her lines and who came up with these scenes."

“Myrtle only stays in the tank occasionally,” Ron corrected. “Ghosts are emotionally unstable, so she’s always crying.”

"Oh, you're so kind, Ronnie!"

"..."

Parvati, standing nearby, chose to remain silent.

Several couples were sitting next to me, constantly whispering sweet nothings to each other.

"Harry, try this..."

"But my hands are both busy. Hmm... it really is delicious. I'm not talking about the taste of the steak itself, but because you fed it to me, it's delicious."

"Oh, how could that be? Do you think my hands have magic?"

"It's not just your hands, your whole being has a spell on me, a spell of the level of an unforgivable curse, but not out of malice, but out of love."

"Don't say that."

"..."

Parvati bit into his steak, his expression blank.

Fearing he would have nightmares if he saw something he shouldn't, Parvati kept his eyes straight ahead. Unfortunately, Loren and Hermione were sitting opposite him. The two didn't say anything mushy or pretentious, but some of their actions were too synchronized. They could pass each other tissues and jam just by exchanging glances, and they would share whatever they ate with each other without hesitation. Their affection was so natural that it hurt even more.

It seems like I'm full even though I haven't eaten much.

After the ghost show, the toad choir performed, followed by a spontaneous performance by recent graduates. The choreography wasn't as elaborate, and the dances were more casual. While not as visually spectacular, the atmosphere was much more lively.

Loren found it quite appetizing, so much so that he ate until he was stuffed without realizing it.

……

The dinner ended at 11 p.m.

The candles floating in the air gradually went out.

Seventh-year students, either about to graduate or already graduated, were hugging each other goodbye. Hermione was stopped by several Ravenclaw graduates who pulled her aside for a final farewell. Club activities, class lessons, even asking professors questions—over the years, Miss Know-It-All had unknowingly made so many friends, which truly surprised Loren, yet upon reflection, it seemed entirely expected.

The auditorium was a bit stuffy, so Loren went to the courtyard to get some fresh air and take a stroll to digest his food.

The air outside was slightly cool at night.

In the quiet courtyard, one could hear crickets chirping. One chirp came from the right side of him, and the next one came from the tree branch above his head. If Loren hadn't been certain that Hogwarts forbade Apparition, he would have even suspected that the crickets could teleport.

Loren pricked up his ears and listened carefully, slowing his pace toward the source of the sound, trying to pinpoint the little thing's location. Suddenly, he seemed to sense something, looked up, and saw Dumbledore standing beside him at some point.

"Headmaster Dumbledore." Loren stopped in his tracks.

Dumbledore looked at him gently: "I ate too much cheesecake at the dinner party, and my stomach was a little bloated, so I came for a walk in the courtyard. I saw you here too, acting suspiciously. What are you doing?"

Loren wasn't embarrassed at all, and chuckled, "I want to catch a cricket."

"Did you catch them?"

"not yet."

Perhaps because they had eaten too much, the two began to stroll along the courtyard path, their steps very small. Dumbledore spoke slowly as well: "I heard that the Ministry of Magic's Department of Transportation and the Egyptian Alchemy Research Centre have both extended invitations to you?"

"Mr. McCroes attaches great importance to the theory of apparition that explains it from the perspective of the soul and the body. It seems that the Egyptians value magical protective gear, which is also related to Beauxbatons."

Have you decided what kind of job you want after graduation?

"I don't really want to work, but considering the need to maintain family harmony, I'll go work at the Ministry of Magic."

"A very good choice." Dumbledore smiled. "Spend a few years learning and growing at the Ministry of Magic. When you want to settle down, you can consider going back to school. I think Professor McGonagall would be happy to have you as a Transfiguration teaching assistant."

"Free meals and accommodation, weekends off, and winter and summer vacations, sounds great."

"Yes, faculty and staff get discounts when they spend money at Hogsmeade."

"But teaching is too tiring. I heard that Professor McGonagall teaches eight classes a day at her busiest."

"I'm not as busy anymore after the teaching reform."

"We'll see when the time comes."

Dumbledore smiled, not urging or persuading him further. Students are like that; they rarely think about what happens after graduation, always feeling they have a long time to grow slowly. But in reality, graduation and starting work come in the blink of an eye, catching everyone off guard.