Chapter 363

Chapter 363: Chapter 363

What happened at the Department of Mysteries the previous night could not be hidden, even if the Ministry of Magic wanted to conceal it.

Not when a large hole had been blown through the roof of the Ministry of Magic.

Not when thunderous explosions had echoed above the Ministry almost incessantly.

Muggles living nearby called the police one after another. Some claimed they had heard gunshots, while others swore that they had seen "UFOs" chasing one another through the sky.

Several fire engines arrived and circled the streets around the Ministry of Magic several times. But after finding nothing, they eventually drove away.

However, early the next morning, the Muggle newspapers were in an uproar.

The front-page headline of The Times read:

UFOs Appear Over London, Ministry of Defence Refuses to Comment.

The Sun’s headline was even more sensational:

Aliens Arrived? Multiple Witnesses Claim to See "Fireballs" Chasing Each Other in the Sky.

The Daily Mirror took a different approach:

Secret Military Weapon Test? Experts Say "Highly Likely."

The accompanying photographs were all blurry.

Most had been taken with old-fashioned cameras and showed only a few specks of light moving through the night sky.

However, one picture was exceptionally clear.

It showed a golden-red ball of light chasing a cloud of black mist, the two leaving long trails beneath the moonlight.

Some said it was aliens.

Some said drones.

Some said natural phenomena.

And some swore that they had seen "a person flying in the sky."

Of course, the last group was mocked by countless people.

You’ve watched too many sci-fi movies.

But regardless of how the Muggles speculated, those in the Wizarding World knew the truth.

It was You-Know-Who and Dumbledore fighting.

With the publication of the latest issue of The Daily Prophet, news of what had happened in the Department of Mysteries spread through every corner of the Ministry of Magic and across the entire British Wizarding World.

[You-Know-Who led Death Eaters into the Ministry of Magic, attempting to steal an unknown object and causing widespread destruction... Dumbledore and his prized students arrived in time to stop the operation...]

The report was quite long, spanning two entire pages.

The article described the events in detail—how the Death Eaters infiltrated the Ministry of Magic, how they broke into the Department of Mysteries, and how they attempted to steal the Prophecy Orb.

It also described how Dumbledore arrived just in time, as well as the fierce battle he fought against You-Know-Who.

And then there was this line:

"Lynn, the youngest recipient of the Order of Merlin, First Class, performed exceptionally well in the battle, single-handedly repelling multiple Death Eaters."

The wording was as flowery as ever, but this time, not a single word was an exaggeration.

The most eye-catching part, however, was not the front-page content.

It was a line of small print at the very bottom:

"This paper has learned that Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge bears undeniable responsibility for the attack on the Department of Mysteries.

"Several high-ranking Ministry officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that Minister Fudge had long denied the truth of You-Know-Who’s resurrection, leaving the Ministry completely unprepared for this attack..."

"Sources say the Wizengamot is considering a vote of no confidence against Minister Fudge. If the vote passes, Fudge will become the first Minister in the history of the British Ministry of Magic to be impeached and removed from office..."

The moment this article was published, the entire Wizarding World exploded.

Early the next morning, the owls nearly worked their wings to exhaustion.

Envelope after envelope containing Howlers was delivered to the Ministry of Magic.

The sound of shouting echoed through the corridors, never stopping from morning until night.

"Fudge step down!"

"Fudge is incompetent!"

"Fudge deceived the entire Wizarding World!"

Complaint letters flew in like snowflakes, piling up outside Fudge’s office until the door could barely be pushed open.

The landlines at the Ministry of Magic never stopped ringing.

The operators had answered calls since morning, one after another, without even having time to drink water.

By noon, five operators had already been reduced to tears by verbal abuse.

That afternoon, another operator fainted from the pressure and was carried to St Mungo’s by colleagues.

Now, the operators’ hearts pounded whenever they heard a phone ring, and their hands shook as they answered.

But for now, none of that had anything to do with Lynn.

He was busy dealing with a crowd of curious young Wizards at Hogwarts.

It happened like this—

By the time Lynn returned to Hogwarts from the Ministry of Magic, it was already noon the following day.

He had originally intended to go to the Great Hall for a meal.

But just as he reached the entrance—

"Merlin’s underpants!" Fred’s voice exploded through the entrance hall, loud enough for everyone inside the Great Hall to hear.

The next second, a large crowd swarmed out of the Great Hall, surrounding Lynn so tightly that not even water could pass through.

"Lynn! Ron says you have a Phoenix just like Dumbledore!" A third-year Gryffindor girl squeezed to the front, her eyes shining like light bulbs.

"Yeah, yeah!" another Ravenclaw girl poked her head out from the side, her voice filled with irrepressible excitement. "He also said that your Phoenix is even more beautiful than Fawkes!"

"What’s your Phoenix’s name?" A Hufflepuff boy forced his way closer. "Can you call it out so I can see it?"

"Can I take a photo of it?" The boy shook the camera in his hand expectantly.

"I want to take a photo too!"

"Me too!"

"Let me see it first!"

Questions like these surged like a tide whenever Lynn appeared in a public area of Hogwarts.

From the entrance hall to the Great Hall.

From the Great Hall to the corridors.

From the corridors to the common room.

Whenever he appeared, he would be surrounded by people asking questions all at once.

Lynn was already quite used to it.

Since his first year, he had experienced scenes like this many times.

Every time he did something big, this would happen.

He had already developed a standard response procedure:

First, keep smiling.

Second, keep the answers brief.

Third, be as vague as possible and never make a definite promise.

Thus, in response to the rapid-fire questions, Lynn’s answers remained as vague as ever.

"Yes, I have one."

—This was the answer to, Do you have a Phoenix?

"They are both beautiful. Everyone’s aesthetics are different."

—This was the answer to, Is your Phoenix more beautiful than Fawkes?

"Her name is Levi. As for letting you see it or take photos... we can talk about it when she is in a better mood."

—This was the answer to, What is its name? and Can we take a photo?

"When will it be in a good mood?" someone pressed.

Lynn pondered for a moment.

"Its mood is the same every day."

Equally unperturbed.

This answer stunned the people around him for a moment.

"Lynn, you’re being too perfunctory!"

"Exactly, exactly!"

"Just let us see it!"

Lynn remained unmoved.

He simply shook his head with a smile, walked through the crowd, and continued toward the Great Hall.

...

Before the feast on the day before the holidays, the six students, including Harry, who had been sent to the School Infirmary for detailed examinations, were all discharged.

When they walked into the Great Hall, everyone applauded.

The six of them made their way to their respective House tables and sat down amidst the applause.

Harry’s face was slightly red as he took his seat.

Ron, on the other hand, was quite composed and even waved to the applauding crowd.

Before the feast began, Dumbledore stood.

"Before everyone enjoys the delicious food," he said, his voice gentle and clear as it carried over the whispers in the Great Hall, "there are a few matters that need to be announced first."

The Great Hall instantly fell silent, and everyone looked up at him.

Dumbledore cleared his throat.

"First." He held up a finger. "I think you should all know by now what happened at the Ministry of Magic."

Everyone subconsciously turned to look at Lynn.

"Yes, it is true." Dumbledore’s voice carried a hint of amusement. "Mr. Lynn showed amazing restraint and commendable strength in the previous battle."

He paused, his gaze falling on Lynn.

"For this, I award Hufflepuff two hundred points!"

The Hufflepuff table instantly erupted in deafening cheers.

At the other House tables, students exchanged glances.

Amazing restraint?

What did that mean?

"In addition—" Dumbledore raised his voice, drawing everyone’s attention back to him.

"For this, he will once again receive a Special Contribution to the School Award. Another one hundred points to Hufflepuff!"

Now, the Hufflepuff table went completely wild.

Beside the Great Hall, the gems in the Hufflepuff House point hourglass were nearly overflowing.

"In that case, there is no suspense regarding the second matter." Dumbledore’s voice rang out again.

He looked around the hall.

"Congratulations to Hufflepuff. They have won this year’s House Cup."

The cheers grew even louder.

Dumbledore stood on the dais, a gentle smile on his lips as he looked at the sea of joy below.

He waited a moment.

When the cheering had subsided slightly, he spoke again.

"All right, all right." He waved a hand. "I will not delay your enjoyment of the food any longer. Eat."

No sooner had he spoken than the golden plates were instantly piled high with food.

Until the last piece of pudding had been finished and the last drop of Pumpkin Juice had been drunk, Dumbledore stood once again.

This time, his expression was much more serious.

The noise in the Great Hall gradually died away.

Everyone looked up at the silver-haired, white-bearded old man on the dais.

"Now that we are full and satisfied, I must say a few sobering words..."

He paused.

"First, I want to thank every Professor for their hard work over the past year. Without you, Hogwarts could not have run so smoothly."

Applause rang out once more, this time dedicated to the Professors.

"Secondly," Dumbledore continued, his gaze settling on the Gryffindor table, "I want to thank the students. Your performance at the Ministry of Magic showed the courage and responsibility of Hogwarts students."

The applause returned.

"Finally—"

Dumbledore’s expression became more serious.

"And most importantly."

The atmosphere in the Great Hall changed instantly.

"I think you should have accepted this long ago: Lord Voldemort has returned."

When he said that name, his voice did not change at all. He sounded as calm as though he were discussing the weather.

But throughout the Great Hall, many faces turned pale.

"I know it is frightening. That is normal. When facing darkness, fear is humanity’s most instinctive reaction."

"However—"

His voice rose.

"Fear should not make us shrink back. The Ministry of Magic is already taking measures, and the Aurors are doing their best to hunt down the Death Eaters.

"But relying on them alone is not enough. We need everyone to remain vigilant. Everyone needs to protect themselves and those around them."

He paused, his tone softening slightly.

"So, while you enjoy your holiday, I hope you will also pay attention to your own safety."

He said a great deal, but the meaning was simple.

Stay safe.

Everyone understood what he meant.

Several younger students turned pale, and some even began sobbing quietly.

"I don’t want to go home..." a first-year Hufflepuff girl whispered tearfully.

"I don’t want to go back either..." her friend beside her echoed.

"Aren’t the Professors going on holiday too? Then there will be no one at Hogwarts?"

"Oh, Merlin..."

Whispers spread through the Great Hall like waves, one after another.

Dumbledore did not stop the discussion.

"The gates of Hogwarts will always be open to you. If you feel that you or your family are in danger, you may contact the school at any time. We will do our best to provide assistance."

He paused.

"Of course, I also hope you will not panic excessively. Although Lord Voldemort has returned, he is not yet powerful enough to do as he pleases."

"All right. I have finished."

"I wish you all a pleasant holiday."

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