Chapter 146: "End Of The Thrid Year"

By breakfast the next morning, the entire school was abuzz with news about the previous night's events. The mysteries of the forbidden third-floor corridor had been fully unveiled, sparking wide interest and discussion among the students. They were particularly captivated by the dangers that could have awaited anyone who ventured there out of curiosity.

Harry and Neville had openly shared details with anyone who asked since they hadn't been told to keep the incident a secret. With Charles, Hermione, and Ron recuperating in the hospital wing, the rest of the school was eager to know what had befallen them, fueling the rapid spread of the story. The revelation that the Philosopher's Stone had been housed in the castle all year led to many students lamenting their missed opportunity at achieving immortality, wishing they had known sooner to attempt overcoming the corridor's challenges.

Amidst the buzz, some astute students questioned why such a valuable and dangerous artifact like the Philosopher's Stone had been placed in a school full of students in the first place. Skepticism regarding the rumor that Professor Snape had been after the stone was widespread; many believed that Charles had simply sought an adventure to restore his glory, using the accusation against Snape as a mere pretext to tackle the corridor's famed challenges.

In the midst of all this excitement, the absence of their Defense Against the Dark Arts professor went largely unnoticed. With the academic year wrapping up, exams finished, and no more classes in session, the students were too engrossed in discussing the corridor's secrets or enjoying their final days at school before the summer break to realize one of their professors was missing.

Although the students had forgotten their DADA Professor, one person in the castle was particularly eager to find Professor Quirrell, or at least to discover what had happened to him. Dumbledore, following the night's ordeal and after ensuring the children were safe in the hospital wing, made a startling discovery. The stone he had in his possession, thought to be the Philosopher's Stone, was merely a duplicate—a simple replication created by a Gemino charm.

The truth was, the real Philosopher's Stone had never been in the castle. The Flames, guardians of the original stone, had refused to participate in Dumbledore's plan, which aimed to lure Voldemort into a trap by using the stone as bait. Reluctantly, at Dumbledore's persistent request, they had provided a decoy stone—one from a failed experiment that looked convincing enough at a glance to deceive any wizard, though a meticulous inspection would reveal its true nature.

With this decoy integrated into his plan, Dumbledore had hoped to draw Voldemort out. However, as he reviewed the events of the night and conducted his investigations—questioning portraits and house elves—no clear answers emerged about the whereabouts of either Quirrell or Voldemort.

The most plausible scenario Dumbledore could piece together was that Voldemort might have seized the decoy stone and fled, possibly believing it to be the real Philosopher's Stone. This theory, while somewhat comforting in that the false stone would provide no real power, also suggested that Voldemort would soon find himself weakened again, devoid of a host and in desperate need of another to sustain his life. This uncertainty left Dumbledore to ponder the next moves in this high-stakes chess game against his old student.

As the school year wound down at Hogwarts, everyone was preoccupied with the final events and outcomes.

Dumbledore, deeply engrossed in unraveling the mysterious disappearance of Quirrell and Voldemort, barely noticed the flurry of school activities.

The final Quidditch match of the year took place, pitting Ravenclaw against Gryffindor. With Charles confined to the hospital wing and no longer part of the team, he missed the chance to participate in or even watch the last game of the season. Ravenclaw took full advantage of Gryffindor's weakened lineup, lacking a skilled Seeker, and secured an easy victory.

This win for Ravenclaw, however, didn't change the overall outcome of the Quidditch season; Slytherin clinched the Quidditch Cup once again. Their dominance was unsurprising, particularly with Harry absent from the field, leaving Ravenclaw unable to challenge Slytherin effectively during their matches.

Days later, the results of the final exams were announced. In Harry's year, his friends topped the list, securing the highest ranks with their consistent academic excellence. Curiosity peaked around the academic performance of Charles, the Boy Who Lived. However, expectations fell flat when he ranked only ninth, much to the disappointment of his few remaining admirers. 

That evening, the Hogwarts end-of-year feast was vibrant with anticipation as the House Cup winner was to be announced. The Great Hall shimmered in Slytherin's green and silver, celebrating their narrow victory over Harry's house by just 10 points, placing Slytherin first and Ravenclaw second, with Gryffindor lagging far behind due to many unfortunate point losses.

Despite the festivities at the end-of-year feast and Slytherin's apparent victory, Harry sensed that the evening's outcomes might not be settled just yet. He suspected that Dumbledore might intervene to tilt the scales in favor of Gryffindor, not simply for the house's sake, but particularly for his favored student, Charles.

Charles, along with his two friends, had been instrumental in losing a substantial number of points for Gryffindor throughout the year due to various reasons. This had not made them particularly popular within their own house. 

Harry speculated that Dumbledore might restore Gryffindor's fortunes and rehabilitate Charles's image by awarding last-minute points for their bravery or other commendable actions, mirroring what had happened in the canon with Harry.

Even in the canon, the last-minute awarded points had dramatically shifted house perceptions of the golden trio, turning the house pariahs into heroes overnight.

Therefore, Harry watched keenly, anticipating Dumbledore's next move. He was curious to see if last-minute points would indeed be awarded to Charles and how the rest of the student body would react to such a turn of events.

At night, the Great Hall buzzed with the energy of students excited for the end-of-year feast. Laughter and chatter filled the air as everyone anticipated the upcoming holidays. Among the crowd, Harry noticed the "Golden Trio"—Charles, Hermione, and Ron—who had just been released from the hospital wing. They looked completely healed, showing no traces of their recent ordeal.

As the students settled down, Dumbledore made his entrance, and the hall quieted in anticipation of his speech. Harry's friend Roger noticed his unusually keen interest.

"Why are you so excited for Dumbledore's speech today, Harry? You usually don't pay much attention," Roger asked, puzzled by Harry's anticipation.

Harry replied with a mysterious grin, "I have a feeling his speech today will stir up quite a commotion. Just wait and watch."

Reggy chimed in, his curiosity piqued by Harry's confidence, "That prophetic feeling again? You've really got me excited now."

As another academic year came to a close, Dumbledore stood before the excited students gathered in the Great Hall for the end-of-year feast. With his usual charm, he began his speech

"Another year gone!" Dumbledore said cheerfully. "And I must trouble you with an old man's wheezing waffle before we sink our teeth into our delicious feast. What a year it has been! Hopefully, your heads are all a little fuller than they were... you have the whole summer ahead to get them nice and empty before next year starts..."

"Now, as I understand it, the house cup here needs awarding, and the points stand thus: In fourth place, Gryffindor, with three hundred and sixty-two points; in third, Hufflepuff, with four hundred and fifty-two; Ravenclaw has five hundred and sixty-two and Slytherin, five hundred and seventy- two."

A loud cheer erupted from the Slytherin table, their pride evident.

"Yes, Yes, well done, Slytherin," said Dumbledore. "However, recent events must be taken into account."

The room went very still. The Slytherins' smiles faded a little and Harry was excited about the things to come.

"Ahem," said Dumbledore. "I have a few last-minute points to dish out. Let me see. Yes... "First -- to Mr. Ronald Weasley for the best-played game of chess Hogwarts has seen in many years, I award Gryffindor house sixty points."

Gryffindor's table erupted in cheers, though the rest of the hall remained unusually quiet, absorbing the shift in points.

"Next, to Miss Hermione Granger, I award sixty points for the use of cool logic in the face of fire," Dumbledore announced, prompting another round of applause from Gryffindor.

"Third -- to Mr. Charles Potter..." said Dumbledore, "for pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award Gryffindor house ninety points."

Those who could add up while yelling themselves hoarse knew that Gryffindor now had five hundred and seventy-two points -- the same as Slytherin. The excitement at the Gryffindor table was palpable, though they seemed slightly disappointed not to have surpassed Slytherin just yet.

Dumbledore, observing the mood, continued. "It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends. Therefore, I award ten points to Mr. Neville Longbottom."

Now with those points added, Gryffindor surpassed Slytherin. The hall broke into mixed reactions—Gryffindor celebrating their sudden victory, while the other houses responded with chilly silence to the dramatic turn of events.

"With that," Dumbledore concluded, "we need a change in decoration." At his clap, the hall transformed—Slytherin's green and silver switched to Gryffindor's scarlet and gold, and the lion replaced the serpent.

The celebration at Hogwarts quickly descended into chaos. While Gryffindor students were overjoyed, students from Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff voiced their strong disapproval. This reaction was notably different from what happened in the original world.

Harry understood why things had turned out this way. Unlike in the canon world, where Slytherin dominated the House Cup for many years, here in this world, the House Cup has changed hands in the past two years. Ravenclaw had won last year, and Hufflepuff the year before. So, the other houses weren't as eager to see Slytherin lose and were willing to accept their victory this year since the Slytherin house had genuinely earned it through their efforts in behaving well and controlling the bullies.

Another big reason for the upset was that everyone at Hogwarts knew about the Gryffindor trio's unnecessary adventure into the forbidden corridor. They knew the trio had just gone there to tackle the challenges and weren't really saving the school from any danger. Instead of punishing them for breaking a significant rule, Dumbledore awarded them a lot of points, which seemed like clear favoritism towards his favorite students.

This apparent favoritism led to frustration among the other houses. They felt all their hard work throughout the year to earn and keep points was disregarded because of Dumbledore's decision to reward the trio heavily at the last moment.

The protests from the students grew louder, reflecting their dissatisfaction. Dumbledore seemed surprised by this strong reaction. His recent focus on dealing with Quirrel and threats from Voldemort had kept him out of touch with the student body's feelings about the Forbidden Corridor incident. The other professors, however, were more in tune with the students' views and understood why there was such a backlash against Dumbledore's actions.

As the situation in the Great Hall grew increasingly chaotic with students from all houses except Gryffindor protesting, Professor McGonagall, the deputy Headmistress, knew she needed to intervene.

"Quiet! Sit in your place. I won't have my students behaving like this in my school," McGonagall demanded, standing up to address the students. Her stern voice caused the students to reluctantly sit back down, though murmurs of disappointment continued under their breath.

McGonagall continued, "I know some houses are disappointed by this outcome, but there is one more point reward left. To Mr. Hadrian Potter, for risking his life and running into danger to save some first years who had recklessly run into the forbidden corridor, I award the Ravenclaw house fifty points. Which means another change of decorations."

With a clap of her hands, the hall's decorations swiftly changed to the Ravenclaw colors of blue and bronze, eliciting cheers from the frustrated houses of Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and even Slytherin.

Although Slytherin was disappointed to lose the House Cup, they appreciated that at least Gryffindor didn't win it. Also, they felt that Harry's point award made sense because he truly had acted heroically.

Harry, surprised by the turn of events, received congratulations from those around him. He hadn't anticipated McGonagall's actions. Earlier in the day, he had imagined scenarios where perhaps Professors Flitwick or Snape might award him points to cause Gryffindor to lose, but McGonagall's decision was a genuine surprise.

Dumbledore, also taken aback, looked to his deputy for an explanation. McGonagall mouthed back that she would explain later and then took the opportunity to congratulate Professor Flitwick on winning the house cup.

Meanwhile, in the Great Hall, Gryffindor students experienced a whirlwind of emotions. They had initially accepted losing the cup, then celebrated as they thought they had won it back, only to lose it again all within a short span.

Charles, Ron, and Hermione felt particularly ostracized; they had been briefly celebrated, only to find themselves outcasts once more. Charles glared at Harry in anger, and both he and Ron directed some resentful glances at Neville for seeking Harry's help instead of a Gryffindor senior. Then there would have been no reason to award other houses with points.

After the tumultuous feast, the students eventually settled down, and the next day was spent packing and preparing to leave for home on the Hogwarts Express. Harry, for one, was looking forward to the holidays, especially with a dueling championship on the horizon.