I, Hogwarts Second Time Around.

Chapter 515 The Banquet in Progress

Under revision —

"I feel like I'm dreaming."

Harry looked around at the magnificent sculptures, the lavish decorations, and the endless stream of people—all of whom were important figures.

The various directors of the Ministry of Magic, the Aurors in the Auror Office, and many more wizards whose names he couldn't recall.

"Why is the banquet at Buckingham Palace?" Ron asked with a similar expression, like an Ebony who had secretly moved from the New World, staring intently at his surroundings.

The others around him behaved quite rudely as well. Who among them could compare to Draco? Their Malfoy Manor was but a firefly among decaying grass compared to this palace.

I may never step into such a magnificent castle again in my entire life.

"If we're just comparing the decor, even Hogwarts pales in comparison," Owen remarked casually, holding Miss Granger's hand. "Hogwarts is much larger, but its furnishings and decorations give off a sense of chaos. Compared to this elegant palace, it certainly looks shabby."

"Professor Slughorn was originally planning to host his private dinner at the castle, but when Professor Dumbledore heard about it—and since they wanted to connect with Muggles for Christmas, he brought us along as well," Hermione explained the plan calmly.

Just then, Professor Slughorn suddenly appeared in front of them, as if he had discovered some incredible treasure.

"Oh, my child," he exclaimed in a booming voice, "come quickly, the banquet is about to begin."

The professor wore a velvet hat with tassels, which matched his smoking shirt perfectly.

He walked over without a word, grabbing Hermione in one hand and an embarrassed Harry in the other, and hurriedly squeezed into the crowd. "Come on, I'll take you to see a big shot."

"Oh, Merlin! I assure you, there is no one greater than her in England."

Hearing Slughorn say that, Harry, who had originally wanted to escape, immediately calmed down.

He was still holding onto Ginny, seemingly unwilling to let go, perhaps thinking that if it were embarrassing, he couldn't be the only one in this predicament.

As for Hermione, she seemed completely unfazed, clearly knowing who that important person was and having spoken with him.

The group walked through the crowd and squeezed into the inner palace residence.

The layout of the palace is intricate and vast; without a guide, one could easily get lost. Slughorn had clearly been there for several days and was very familiar with the layout.

After going around in circles, they finally entered an extremely elegant room.

The hall features a giant crystal chandelier, white and gold walls, exquisite furniture, and luxurious carpets.

An elderly woman who looked to be in her fifties or sixties was sitting in a gilded chair.

In the chair next to her, Professor Dumbledore and Minister Rufus Scrimgeour were having a relaxed conversation with her.

"Ahem, hello, Your Majesty, I am—Harry Potter." Harry was extremely nervous. He felt his tongue spinning in his mouth, and he couldn't even utter the simplest words.

"Good day, Your Majesty." Hermione curtsied to the Queen, her demeanor calm and reserved, clearly indicating that this was not their first meeting.

Ginny followed her example and curtsied.

As for Irving who followed...

Wow—I'd only ever seen images of him on TV before, but today I actually saw him in person, which gave me a sense of confusion between the unreal and the real.

As for the ceremony

In keeping with the fine tradition of respecting the elderly and caring for the young, he simply gave a slight nod to the man in his sixties or seventies.

"Don't be nervous, children," the Queen said, looking at them with loving eyes.

With every gesture, a maternal radiance emanated from her, genuine and bright. At that moment, the young wizards felt as if they were facing a kind-hearted old lady next door, and they did not feel any of the rumored aura of a superior.

"Professor Dumbledore has mentioned you; you're a good boy." Then, she looked at the other young wizards: "Hello!"

"Miss Granger, you should get ready." After responding to the other young wizards, the Queen's gaze remained on Hermione.

"Your Majesty, what do you want Hermione to do?" Harry couldn't help but ask. Hermione had never told them why she was wearing that gorgeous dress, but now he suddenly had a flash of inspiration and felt that it might be related to the Queen of England.

"Oh! Didn't she tell you?" The Queen seemed somewhat surprised. "Well, in recognition of Miss Granger's outstanding contributions to the British Empire, I will grant her a knighthood, as well as to a host of soldiers and wizards who have made outstanding contributions in the war."

"A title?" Harry's eyes widened as he looked at Hermione in disbelief, suddenly realizing that he might not be able to call her by her first name anymore, but would have to call her Sir Granger instead.

Hermione left with a court steward.

The rest of the people left and went to the reception room.

"Owen—" Professor Dumbledore approached. "Inside the castle." A wise light shone behind his crescent-shaped spectacles. Clearly, his words carried a hidden meaning. Professor McGonagall had reported on everything that was happening at Hogwarts Castle, and he was well aware of it. Talking to him meant he was asking about secrets only they knew.

"Very safe, Professor," Irving said casually. "There's a rumor that one of our seniors has fallen from grace."

"Is that so?" Dumbledore's gaze deepened. "Then do you consider this a good thing?"

"I don't know," Owen answered readily. "Our research on that magic is too superficial. Therefore, we cannot make a judgment."

Ultimately, it's because the magic of love is too mysterious. Although the Department of Mysteries under the Ministry of Magic has a department dedicated to studying this magic, after so many years, they still haven't made any progress.

Upon hearing this, Professor Dumbledore fell silent, his gaze turning wistful as he looked at Harry.

Professor Slughorn was oblivious to all this. While Owen was talking to Dumbledore, he was pulling Harry along to continue the conversation with his wizarding friends.

His tone was light and slightly boastful, and he kept mentioning that Harry was a potions genius, that he had discovered this genius, and that Harry's mother, Lily, was also his student and a potions genius as well.

Harry desperately wanted to escape, but he couldn't break free from Professor Slughorn's grasp. If it weren't for Ginny with him, he even doubted he would have floated away amidst the praise of so many wizards.

The professor seemed to want to rekindle the close relationship between the two men who had grown apart because of Quidditch.

So they worked very hard.

It's more likely because Hermione isn't here.

However, Harry was clearly not buying it; the praise from the crowd only made him nervous.

At 11 a.m., the Prime Minister’s motorcade entered Buckingham Palace.

Mr. Harker, along with Cabinet Secretary Sir Humphrey, Principal Private Secretary Bernard, and other cabinet ministers, entered the reception room.

Upon seeing Owen and Professor Dumbledore, he warmly came up to greet them.

The conversation revolved around topics related to collaboration between wizards and Muggles.

It contained some praise for Miss Granger.

At exactly 12 o'clock, the Queen delivered her Christmas message to the nation from Buckingham Palace.

As Queen God Blessed's symphony slowly came to a close.

The television camera switched from the exterior of Buckingham Palace to the interior.

In a cozy room, the Queen sat regally at the table.

Behind him was a beautifully decorated Christmas tree, and in front of the table, besides a decorative flower basket, the most prominent display was a photograph of the Windsor family.

As the director's signal gesture fell.

The Queen's calm and composed voice slowly rang out.

"Every year, we turn on the lights to herald the arrival of Christmas. The lights not only create a festive atmosphere, but also represent hope."

"We have been tested, but life goes on."

"In Britain and around the world, people have bravely faced the challenges of this year, and I am proud and moved by this indomitable spirit. In particular, I want to thank my current government for the responsibilities and contributions you have undertaken."

"."

"From the legend of the Eternal King to Merlin, from the Normandy landings to the final triumph of justice, my people have proven time and again that this land is the birthplace of heroes and the cradle of new hope."

"."

"If you hear this speech, I want to say that you are not alone. Let me assure you of my thoughts and prayers, and I firmly believe that our future is bright."

"."

"The Bible tells the story of a star that appeared in the sky and whose light guided shepherds and wise men to the place of Jesus' birth. The Christmas light symbolizes selfless spirit and love. Of course, most importantly, it is hope that guides us forward. It is in this spirit that I wish you a Merry Christmas."

The Queen's speech was plain yet complex; it's really hard to understand the meaning behind it without careful thought.

However, there were quite a few clever people present.

Some astute individuals have noticed that this year's submissions are quite different from those of previous years.

The first thing mentioned is the Eternal King, Merlin, and the like.

This is very rare. As we all know, the legend of King Arthur as a Celt cannot be said to be unrelated to the Ansar people, but it can also be said that they have blood on their hands.

After hearing this article, Ireland could point its finger at Great Britain and call you shameless.

Generally, the British royal family or high-ranking government officials would not publicly claim to be descendants of the Eternal King, as it would be embarrassing. However, almost all members of the royal family have the Knight of the Disc in their names to some extent.

The Queen's attempt to piggyback on Merlin's fame stemmed entirely from the fact that Mr. Huck and his companions had learned that Merlin was a figure of faith in the British magical world.

Just like their faith in Jesus.

There are many wizards in the magical world who believe in Merlin, the most famous being Rowena Ravenclaw, the founder of Ravenclaw, who herself was a follower of Merlin.

It is clear that this attempt to piggyback on King Arthur's legacy is purely an attempt to legitimize the royal leadership of wizards.

This constitutes political propaganda.

Secondly, the Queen placed King Arthur alongside the Norman landings, which reinforced a sense of legitimacy and justice.

And Christmas, Christmas!

She put Jesus last, which is simply unbelievable in a Christian country.

Don't underestimate the arrangement of these words; they have all been carefully planned.

Every word and sentence was carefully written by a civil servant who graduated from Harvard's Faculty of Arts.

This is infinitely more sophisticated than the announcements from the Ministry of Magic.

Following the Queen's Christmas address, the investiture ceremony took place.

The live-streaming camera immediately switched its focus to the huge reception room.

In the magnificent hall, members of the Senate and the Prime Minister sat in rows of chairs.

The luxurious deep red carpet was embroidered with the royal crest.

There are four chairs in the main seat.

Two thrones made of gold.

The other two were ordinary oak chairs, placed on a platform one step below the throne.

"How could they do this! How could they!"

Rufus Scrimgeour, enraged, strode in through a side door of the hall.

Professor Dumbledore sat in the first row of the capping ceremony table, looking calmly at Rufus Scrimgeour.

"That's not what you said before!" he shouted as he approached the professor.

The Muggle senators around him immediately gave him disgusted looks.

These wizards have absolutely no manners.

"What are you looking at!" Rufus Scrimgeour turned his head and glared at the senator. As an Auror, he didn't know anything about compromising.

"Quiet down, Rufus. This is not my arrangement." Dumbledore frowned slightly. Although the live broadcast wouldn't hit them, the people present were all British Muggle dignitaries, and this was an important occasion to showcase the wizarding profession.

"Quiet?" Rufus Scrimgeour's eyes blazed. "How can I be quiet!"

Why would the Muggle Queen arrange things this way? Where has she put wizards? And you, Dumbledore, where have you put wizards?!

"I simply watched calmly, Rufus. This was Miss Granger's own decision."

"She is first and foremost a wizard!" Rufus Scrimgeour shouted, causing the entire hall to tremble and all eyes to turn in his direction.

"Miss Granger considered herself first and foremost an Englishwoman, and only secondly an English wizard."

"No, I will never agree! You know Dumbledore very well; she doesn't just represent herself now. This represents the face of wizards, the face of the Ministry of Magic, the face of the Federation! Are you just going to stand by and watch her throw it away so carelessly?"

"I care!" Dumbledore's expression gradually turned serious, his deep blue eyes meeting Rufus Scrimgeour's. "But there's nothing I can do about it! They've handled this war far better than we have! You know Rufus, the initiative isn't in our hands now, unless you're willing to be their enemy."

"You're putting me, Dumbledore, in a difficult position. The Ministry of Magic will not yield to Muggles. We agreed on a peaceful cooperation—a true cooperation!"

"I don't believe what happens next will affect our cooperation!"

"Ha—" Rufus Scrimgeour laughed in exasperation, his face trembling with rage. "No impact?"

"Even wizards are kneeling before those Muggles, and you still say it doesn't have any impact?"

(End of this chapter)