Chapter 48: Feast and House points.

Dumbledore insisted that we all get checked over by the nurse stating, "If I let you go back to your common rooms before she has the chance to check you for injuries... I will not be able to get my sweets."

The journey to the Hospital wing didn't take long as it was only a shortcut away from the Forbidden Corridor. It was quite a coincidence, especially considering the shortcut looked relatively new in comparison to the others I had been in.

"Dumbledore? What can I do for you?" Madam Pomfrey asked when he led us into the infirmary, she scrutinised the group of us who entered behind him.

"Well, Poppy, these students took a trip into the Forbidden Corridor and fought a thief who was trying to take the stone," Dumbledore replied while trying to stop her from getting angry.

"You said that no one would get hurt when you insisted on the stone being kept in the school. You also promised me that with your warning at the beginning of the year would keep people out of it. So are you saying that you failed on your promise to me?" She said while wielding a bottle of Skele-gro like a club and advancing towards the old man.

Seeing her walking towards him he quickly spoke, "Would you check them over to make sure they are not hurt, Thank you." Bolting out of the room after speaking, Dumbledore used the moment where Madam Pomfrey looked towards us to make his escape.

"I will get him but first I will check you all over." She said while silently seething at his exit. She cast diagnostic charms over us one after the other when she was done she spoke again, "You all have scrapes and small cuts. You all also have a small amount of built-up exhaustion due to the adrenaline that went through your systems."

She paused to make sure we had heard her before she continued, "You all should be alright after a night of rest and a few spells to heal to rest." Her words had barely left her mouth before her wand was moving to cast the spells she had mentioned. 

It wasn't long before we were sent back to our common rooms and told to rest for the next few days. As we were escorted out of the infirmary by Madam Pomfrey she locked the door before heading to find the sweet addict to deliver some punishment to him.

We didn't see Dumbledore until the leaving feast where he looked noticeably sadder. He stood to speak before we could dig into the fine food prepared for us, "Another year passes, I hope you all have had the chance to learn all the lessons your Professors have taught. Now it is time to announce the house point totals; in 4th place with 328 points is Gryffindor, in 3rd place with 350 points is Hufflepuff, and in 2nd place is Ravenclaw with 420 points." 

He paused to clap his hands causing the flags and hanging banners to change to Slytherin green and silver colours, "That does mean that with 440 points, Slytherin win the house cup for another year." The reaction this news caused was a subdued but polite applause as the other houses had hoped to dethrone Slytherin from their winning streak.

"I do have some extra points to award, however; To Miss Daphne Greengrass for bravery in the face of a large foe, I award her 20 points. To Mr Ronald Weasley for the best-played game of chess, 20 points. To Miss Hermione Granger for keeping a cool head when faced with fire, 20 points. To Mr Erik Bodewig for outstanding knowledge of spell-craft, 20 points. Finally to Mr Harry and Miss Grace Potter for fighting a foe without fear to protect those around, I award 60 points each."

This announcement of points caused the Hogwarts rumour mill to confirm the wild story that was being spread around, the one which told of our group going into the Forbidden Corridor and stopping the thief from stealing what was down there.

The points didn't change the outcome of the house cup since Slytherin stayed in 1st place however it did mean Gryffindor jumped from last to 2nd. "Well, that was nice of him, to confirm the rumours that he spread," I said only loud enough for Daphne and Grace to hear. Grace took a moment to finish the mouthful of food before replying, "What makes you so sure he was the one to spread them?"

"He was the only one to know we went there unless one of the Gryffindors spread it. I doubt that though since the rumour was missing a lot of details they would have been able to provide. The question is what does he get out of spreading this?"

All through the rest of the feast the three of us speculated what Dumbledore got from rumour spreading, never settling on an answer we went to bed without one. The morning after we were all packed and ready to leave the castle, the same carriages that we had ridden to the school at Christmas were the ones to shuttle us to Hogsmeade station where the Hogwarts Express was waiting.