Chapter 55: Confession And Year-End Dinner

"Hagrid, don't do that!"

Harry had never seen Hagrid display such an expression before. Seeing his trembling, remorseful face, Harry couldn't help but persuade him, "Hagrid, Voldemort will always find a way to learn how to subdue Lu Wei, even if you don't tell him."

"You almost died." Hagrid continued to sob, but felt somewhat better after Harry's comfort.

"Right, don't worry anymore. Here, have a chocolate frog; I have plenty!" Harry said, stuffing a chocolate frog into Hagrid's hand.

"Oh, by the way, you reminded me—I brought you a present." Hagrid managed to calm down and handed Harry a beautiful book.

Harry accepted it suspiciously and, after flipping through a few pages, felt tears welling up in his eyes. The book was filled with pictures of wizards, and on every page, smiling fathers and mothers waved at him.

"I sent an owl to your parents' old classmates asking for these pictures. I know you don't have any, so do you like it?" Hagrid explained.

From Harry's expression, it was clear he loved this gift.

...

"By the way, I need to tell you something important: you must keep my defeat of Quirrell a secret. No one can know!" Eisen said hurriedly to the three of them after Hagrid left.

"Secret?" Hermione looked puzzled and then glanced at Harry and Ron, who shared her confusion.

"In other words, no one should know I went through the trapdoor with you or that I saved Harry by defeating Quirrell!" Eisen clarified.

"Why can't you tell anyone?" Ron asked, baffled that such an achievement should remain hidden.

"Because Voldemort is not dead. Dumbledore must have told you he will return someday," Eisen explained, noting the trio's fearful expressions. "But at the time, I was concealed and he didn't see me clearly, so he doesn't know I exist yet."

"That means if it's revealed that the professor was with us, Voldemort could learn about it and prepare accordingly!" Harry exclaimed, remembering how he had been enveloped by the golden bell before.

"Exactly. It was Professor Dumbledore who arrived just in time to save Harry's life," Eisen said, admiring Harry's insight. "I discussed this with Dumbledore, and he agreed to keep it that way."

"Okay, Professor, we'll keep it a secret!" After a quick exchange of glances, the three nodded in agreement with Eisen's proposal.

Since Eisen had shared something confidential, the story circulating throughout the school changed the next day.

Everyone knew how Harry, Ron, and Hermione had ventured through the obstacles. It was said that Dumbledore was able to arrive just in time thanks to Harry's brave actions against Quirrell.

Of course, due to the confidentiality, Eisen's role was omitted from the tale. So, aside from Dumbledore and the trio, no one at the school knew that Eisen had defeated Voldemort in a single blow. Well, a possessed Voldemort could still be considered Voldemort.

However, in the wizarding world, there exists Legilimency, and it was uncertain how well the trio's secrecy would hold up. But perhaps it could be kept secret for some time.

...

Finally, the year-end feast arrived. The auditorium was filled with people that night, and Eisen sat at the professors' table early.

The auditorium had changed dramatically compared to previous years. Rows of green and silver decorations hung from the ceiling, clearly representing Slytherin. Even the wall behind the guest of honor displayed a massive banner of Slytherin.

After all, judging by the points, Slytherin had won the Academy Cup again, marking their seventh consecutive victory. The wizards of Slytherin cheered and celebrated.

In contrast, the atmosphere among the other three houses was harmonious but far less jubilant than that of Slytherin.

Suddenly, Eisen noticed Harry walking into the auditorium, and as he entered, the little wizards fell silent, making the entire room still.

Everyone wanted to see the brave Harry and rushed to catch a glimpse of him. Afterward, whispers began to fill the auditorium.

Harry hadn't expected to cause such a stir, but he pretended to be calm as he approached Ron and sat down. Fortunately, the commotion didn't escalate further because Dumbledore entered the auditorium immediately after.

"Well, it's another year!" Dumbledore said cheerfully, his beard twitching. "Before you feast on these delicacies, I must ask everyone to listen to this old man's clichés.

What a wonderful year it has been! You little wizards must have plenty on your minds, and the upcoming summer vacation will allow you to digest everything and free up your brains."

Dumbledore paused and scanned the students of the four houses before continuing: "Now, we must hold the Academy Cup awards ceremony. The final scores for each house are as follows: fourth place, Gryffindor, with 332 points; third place, Hufflepuff, with 352 points; second place, Ravenclaw, with 462 points; and first place, Slytherin, with 472 points."

Thunderous cheers erupted from the Slytherin table when Dumbledore finished announcing the scores. Even some young wizards began banging on the table with their goblets and plates, expressing their excitement.

"Yes, that's right. They all performed very well," Dumbledore continued. "However, we must also consider a few recent events."

When Dumbledore finished speaking, Eisen understood what he meant. Sure enough, not only did students from the other houses quiet down, but even the Slytherin wizards restrained their smiles.

"Uh, there are a few final points to be awarded. Let me see—ah, the first item: Mr. Ron Weasley—" Dumbledore's voice rang out, causing Ron to suddenly turn shy.

"He won the most exciting game of chess at Hogwarts in many years. For this, I will reward Gryffindor with fifty points." As soon as Dumbledore finished, cheers erupted from the Gryffindor table, almost shaking the hall.

Even Percy, who was usually very disciplined, announced loudly to the other prefects, "That's my brother, the youngest! He beat Professor McGonagall's giant chess set!"

"The second item goes to Ms. Hermione Granger. She faced the flames and reasoned calmly. I will add fifty points to Gryffindor!" Once everyone calmed down a bit, Dumbledore continued announcing additional rewards, sending the Gryffindors into another cheer.

Overjoyed, Eisen noticed that Hermione had buried her face in her arms on the dining table. Perhaps she was crying, but it was likely tears of joy.

"The third item goes to Mr. Harry Potter, who has shown extraordinary courage. For this, I will reward Gryffindor with sixty points." When Dumbledore said this, the entire auditorium fell silent.

Thanks to Eisen's interference, even after deducting thirty points from Gryffindor, Dumbledore had also taken away fifty points from Hermione. Therefore, when Dumbledore announced the third item, Gryffindor's total rose to 512 points, surpassing Slytherin completely.

When this conclusion sank in, cheers erupted in the auditorium, especially from the Gryffindors, who were practically hoarse from shouting.

Eisen smiled as he watched the scene unfold, admiring Dumbledore's clever way of awarding points. You thought it was over, but of course, it wasn't. As Eisen had expected, Dumbledore praised Neville's courage in front of everyone and then awarded him ten points.

"This means we need to make a small change to the decorations here." The cheers were so loud that Dumbledore had to amplify his voice to be heard above the ruckus.

Then, Dumbledore clapped his hands, and the green ribbons hanging around the hall turned red. Slytherin's colors vanished, replaced by a majestic Gryffindor lion.

After the year-end feast, the final exam results were announced. As expected, Hermione ranked first in the entire class. Harry and Ron also passed their exams with high marks, presumably due in part to Eisen's ocean tactics.

I hope your like the chapter 😊.