Chapter 33: The End of the School Year

The final school feast of the year arrived amidst the harsh chill of winter. The Great Hall was packed with students and adorned in Slytherin's green and silver, celebrating their seventh consecutive win of the House Cup. A massive banner depicting the Slytherin serpent hung on the wall behind the staff table. When Augustus entered, the Slytherin table buzzed with excitement, students animatedly discussing their victory. This year's House Cup had been easily secured, largely thanks to Augustus.

Moments later, Dumbledore arrived, and the chatter gradually subsided. "Another year has come to an end!" Dumbledore declared cheerfully. "Before we dive into this splendid feast, I must subject you all to a bit of an old man's musings. What a remarkable year it has been! Your minds must now be brimming with knowledge, more so than ever before. Ahead of you lies an entire summer to digest it all, making room for what next year will bring.

"Now, as I understand it, we must first announce the results of the House Cup. Here are the current standings: In fourth place, Gryffindor, with 312 points. In third, Hufflepuff, with 352 points. In second, Ravenclaw, with 426 points. And in first, Slytherin, with 472 points."

The Slytherin table erupted in thunderous cheers and applause. Draco Malfoy clinked his goblet loudly against the table in celebration.

"Yes, yes, well done," Dumbledore said with a smile. "However, recent events must also be taken into account." The Hall grew noticeably quieter, and the Slytherins' triumphant grins began to falter. "Ahem," Dumbledore cleared his throat. "I have some final points to award. Let's see. Ah, yes.

"First, to Hermione Granger. For her calm and logical reasoning in the face of danger, I award Gryffindor 50 points." Hermione buried her face in her arms, clearly overwhelmed, while her fellow Gryffindors cheered wildly.

"Second, to Harry Potter," Dumbledore continued, and the Hall fell silent once more. "For exceptional bravery and courage, I award Gryffindor 60 points."

The noise that followed was deafening. Those students who could both cheer and calculate quickly realized that Gryffindor now had 472 points—tying Slytherin for the House Cup.

Dumbledore raised his hand, and the Hall gradually quieted again. "Courage comes in many forms," Dumbledore said with a smile. "While facing one's enemies requires great bravery, standing up to one's friends is no less challenging. Therefore, I award Neville Longbottom 10 points."

If anyone had been outside the Great Hall at that moment, they might have thought an explosion had occurred. The Gryffindor table erupted in cheers, their celebration a wave of pure joy. Harry, Ron, and Hermione cheered loudly as Neville, pale with shock, was quickly engulfed by a crowd of jubilant classmates. Harry nudged Ron and pointed at Malfoy, whose stunned and horrified expression suggested he might have been hit with a Body-Bind Curse.

As the Gryffindors celebrated, Dumbledore raised his hand again, silencing the Hall once more. "Yes, there is one final acknowledgment to make," he said. "Augustus, for his extraordinary magical prowess in overcoming Professor Sprout's Devil's Snare, Professor McGonagall's enchanted chess set, and for successfully protecting the Philosopher's Stone, I award Slytherin 100 points."

The Hall was silent for a moment before the Slytherin table erupted into cheers loud enough to shake the starry ceiling. Malfoy leapt to his feet, clanging his utensils against the table with abandon. Among them, only Augustus remained calm, a faint smile in his eyes as he observed the scene. His student years were indeed something to be cherished.

The next day, exam results were posted in the school hall. Unsurprisingly, Augustus topped the year, scoring full marks in every subject except Astronomy, where he had a minor slip. To everyone's surprise, Neville, Crabbe, and Goyle barely managed to pass their exams. Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter tied in overall scores, much to Malfoy's frustration, though his high marks in Potions balanced out his struggles in Transfiguration. Meanwhile, Harry's abysmal Potions grade was offset by an excellent score in Herbology, thanks to Professor Sprout's fondness for him.

It seemed, all at once, their wardrobes were emptied, their belongings packed into trunks, and Neville's toad was discovered hiding in the bathroom corner. Notices reminding students not to use magic during the holidays were handed out. "I always hope they forget to give us these," Fred Weasley remarked wistfully.

Hagrid led the students down to the boats that ferried them across the lake, and before long, they boarded the Hogwarts Express.

In their carriage, Augustus gazed silently out the window at the passing Muggle towns. Lillian teased Malfoy about his "secret relationship" with Neville, making Malfoy flush red and mutter angrily under his breath. Meanwhile, Crabbe and Goyle focused solely on food, oblivious to their leader's discomfort.

As the train pulled into King's Cross Station at Platform 9¾, Augustus, Lillian, and Malfoy disembarked together. Augustus's parents, Aurora and Clovis, were waiting nearby.

"And who might this be?" Aurora asked with a curious smile, glancing at Lillian.

"Hello, ma'am, sir. I'm Lillian Alexia, Augustus's classmate," Lillian said politely.

"Oh, the Alexia family's sole heir," Aurora said, clearly intrigued. "You must visit us during the holidays."

Lillian shyly nodded, agreeing to come if she had the chance.

After greeting Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, who had arrived to collect Draco, Aurora led Augustus to their private carriage. The warm sunlight danced over the ancient mahogany, and as the carriage rose into the sky, it ascended toward their estate, leaving the horizon behind.

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