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The final feast of the school year arrived in the heart of a harsh winter. The Great Hall was packed with students, decorated top to bottom in Slytherin green and silver to celebrate their seventh consecutive win of the House Cup.
A huge banner with the Slytherin serpent hung behind the staff table. When Augustus walked in, the Slytherin table was buzzing with excitement, everyone chatting animatedly—it was no secret that thanks to Augustus, Slytherin had won the cup with ease this term.
A moment later, Dumbledore entered, and the noise gradually died down.
"Another year gone by!" Dumbledore said cheerfully. "Before we dive into this delicious food, I must trouble you to listen to the ramblings of an old man. What a fantastic year it's been! I'm sure those little brains of yours are a bit fuller than they were. You've got a whole summer ahead to let it all sink in—and make room for more next term."
He paused, then continued, "Now, as far as I know, it's time to award the House Cup. The final standings are as follows: In fourth place, Gryffindor with 312 points. Third, Hufflepuff with 352.
Ravenclaw has 426. And in first place... Slytherin, with 472 points."
The Slytherin table erupted in thunderous cheers and the pounding of feet. Draco Malfoy banged his goblet against the table with enthusiasm.
"Yes, yes, well done indeed," Dumbledore said with a smile. "But... recent events must also be taken into account."
The hall fell silent. The Slytherins' smiles froze a little.
"Ahem... I have a few more points to award," Dumbledore continued after clearing his throat. "Let's see... ah, yes.
First—Miss Hermione Granger. She showed clear-headed logic in the face of fire. For that, I award Gryffindor fifty points."
Hermione buried her face in her arms. Harry was pretty sure she was crying. The Gryffindors around them were cheering wildly.
"Second—Harry Potter," Dumbledore went on. The hall went dead silent. "For his bravery and outstanding courage, I award Gryffindor sixty points."
The noise that followed nearly blew the roof off. Those who could still do math in their heads despite the shouting realized that Gryffindor now had 472 points—tied with Slytherin.
They were just one point away from taking the cup. If only Dumbledore would give Harry one more point…
Dumbledore raised a hand, and the hall slowly quieted again.
"Bravery comes in many forms," he said with a warm smile. "We need courage to stand up to our enemies—but just as much to stand up to our friends. So, I award ten points to Mr. Neville Longbottom."
If anyone had been standing outside the Great Hall just then, they might've thought there was an explosion. The Gryffindor table erupted.
The cheers came in waves. Harry, Ron, and Hermione jumped up, screaming their lungs out. Neville sat there pale with shock, immediately swallowed up in a crowd of people hugging him.
He had never won points for Gryffindor before! Harry laughed as he elbowed Ron and pointed at Malfoy. Judging by the look on his face, you'd think he'd just been hit with a full-body bind. The shock and horror were real.
As the Gryffindors continued to celebrate wildly, Dumbledore raised his hand again, and the hall once more went still.
"Yes, we have one final matter to address," he said. "Mr. Augustus, through exceptional magical skill, broke through Professor Sprout's Devil's Snare and Professor McGonagall's enchanted chessboard, and successfully protected the Philosopher's Stone. For this, Slytherin shall receive one hundred points."
There was a brief moment of stunned silence. Then the Slytherin table exploded with a cheer that nearly cracked the enchanted ceiling of the Great Hall.
Malfoy stood up, banging his cutlery on the table in triumph. If there was anyone still calm amid all the chaos, it was Augustus, a small smile playing at his lips. These glorious school days—no doubt something to remember fondly.
The next day, exam results were posted in the common room. Unsurprisingly, Augustus was top of the year. Aside from a small dip in Astronomy, he had scored perfect marks across the board.
What shocked everyone was that Neville, Crabbe, and Goyle had actually managed to scrape through their exams.
Malfoy and Harry had identical total scores—something that left Malfoy, who had been eagerly waiting to mock Harry, feeling weirdly annoyed and confused. Malfoy's strong Potions grade had made up for his poor Transfiguration score, while Harry's Potions mark was, frankly, embarrassingly low.
Thankfully, Professor Sprout really liked Harry, and his Herbology grade had helped balance things out.
Then, it felt like everything happened all at once. Their wardrobes were empty, their trunks packed. Neville's toad was found hiding in a bathroom corner.
A notice went out to every student warning them not to use magic over the holidays ("I always hope they'll forget to send that," Fred Weasley said with a sigh).
Hagrid led the first-years down to the boats across the lake. Soon, they were all aboard the Hogwarts Express.
In one of the compartments, Augustus was staring quietly out the window as the Muggle towns blurred past. Lillian was, as usual, teasing Malfoy and Neville about their "secret relationship," much to Malfoy's red-faced embarrassment.
He was muttering under his breath, while Crabbe and Goyle, completely oblivious to their leader's awkwardness, continued happily stuffing their faces with Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans.
The train slowly rolled into its final stop—Platform 9¾ at King's Cross Station. Lillian and Malfoy followed Augustus off the train, where his parents were already waiting nearby. Aurora Clovy approached them with a warm smile.
"And who's this?" Aurora asked curiously, glancing at the tall girl walking beside Augustus.
"Auntie, Uncle, hello. I'm Lillian Alexia, Augustus's classmate," Lillian introduced herself simply.
"Oh, the only daughter of the Alexia family. You must visit us during the holidays sometime!" Aurora said quickly, clearly not wanting to miss the chance to satisfy her curiosity.
Lillian nodded a bit shyly and said she'd love to visit if she had the chance.
After briefly greeting Lucius and Narcissa, who had come to pick up Malfoy, Aurora and Clovy led Augustus to their private carriage.
The hot summer sun glinted off the polished mahogany as the carriage lifted off from the platform and rose into the sky, climbing above the horizon and soaring into the clouds toward their estate.
"....."