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-Great Hall – Night-
After Professor McGonagall's reminder, all of us — from our large, eccentric, dysfunctional, yet quite special group — waited until dinnertime arrived so we could go together to the Great Hall.
And now, already inside the Great Hall, we decided to separate, with each family heading toward the house table of their respective children.
Seated at the Ravenclaw table, beside my family and Fleur's family, I cast a glance toward the Gryffindor table, where Sirius, Remus, and the Tonks were sitting.
Sirius and Remus, being Gryffindors through and through, quickly blended in with the other lions.
The two of them, along with the twins, seemed to be deeply involved in an animated conversation, while the rest of the table listened attentively.
From the laughter that erupted from time to time, I was almost certain they were telling stories about some of the most memorable pranks they had pulled.
Even Dora and Ted were interacting with the Gryffindors in a cheerful and relaxed manner — which was no surprise, considering that both of them had been Hufflepuffs, the house closest to and most friendly with Gryffindor.
Watching that scene, I immediately understood the intention behind the four pranksters and the two Tonks.
They knew that, after what had happened in the maze, the atmosphere at the school would inevitably be heavy and tense. Because of that, they were doing their best to lift the spirits of the Gryffindors around them.
And, fortunately, it seemed to be working.
Their jokes and stories were entertaining and cheering up the Gryffindors, easing the tension not only at that table, but throughout the rest of the Great Hall as well.
'Their presence here was really something that was sorely needed,' I thought, smiling faintly as I felt the negative emotions around me diminish.
Shifting my gaze away from them for a moment, I then focused on the other member of the Tonks/Black family.
While the four adults were chatting and joking with the other students, Andromeda didn't seem to share the same comfort and excitement.
She was sitting between her daughter and her husband, completely silent, with a posture far too rigid for someone trying to appear relaxed.
It was evident that she didn't know how to act in that situation, much less how to start a conversation with the students around her.
Even though she was a calm and naturally approachable woman, someone anyone could easily interact with, Andy still felt somewhat out of place being there.
She wouldn't admit it to anyone, but sitting at the Gryffindor table — the rival house of Slytherin, which she had once belonged to — left her feeling embarrassed… and, in a way, slightly intimidated.
Watching the uncomfortable expression of that witch known for her courage and steadfastness, I couldn't help but let out a small amused snort.
'Who would've thought? Even the fearsome and fierce lawyer Tonks can feel intimidated sometimes,' I thought, smiling wryly.
Then, lightly shaking my head, I looked away once more, turning my attention to the rest of the Great Hall.
That was when I noticed it.
My housemates — and even some students at the other tables — were casting what they believed to be discreet glances in my direction and Fleur's.
Some didn't even bother to hide their interest in us, going so far as to crane their necks to get a better look at the two champions who had survived a deadly situation.
Those young students whispered and murmured among themselves, curiosity and gossip written plainly across their faces. It was obvious how much effort they were making not to approach us and bombard us with questions.
That intense attention was something all of us had already expected. And that was precisely why we had let Luna, Hermione, and Ron talk to them before we appeared in public.
Even so, it still didn't seem to be enough.
Despite having some of their doubts and curiosities satisfied by the three of them, those children and teenagers still seemed hungry for more information.
At this moment, they reminded me of the intrusive vultures from the Daily Prophet, eager to tear every possible scrap of information from us.
And even knowing this would happen, and even being prepared for their stares and whispers, I couldn't help but feel irritated.
'I think I'd rather face a group of dark wizards than a crowd of gossip-hungry teenagers,' I thought, pursing my lips uncomfortably.
'Seriously… don't they have anything better to do than stare at us?'
'Look… even the Ravenclaw Quidditch team won't take their eyes off me!'
Narrowing my eyes, I slowly turned toward my teammates. The moment our eyes met, they immediately looked away, clearly nervous and startled.
Unfortunately, that intimidation tactic only worked on my housemates. The students from the other houses didn't seem to have a very strong survival instinct… or perhaps their desire for gossip was simply suppressing it.
'Sigh… I should have stayed in the Room of Requirement with my family.'
Trying to ignore all the stares, I turned my attention back to the Great Hall, now focusing on the staff table.
First, I noticed Nick and Penny talking with Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick, while the other professors listened attentively.
Then my eyes fell upon the main character of the night.
Headmaster Albus "Many Names" Dumbledore.
The old wizard sat calmly in his head seat, looking at all of us while smiling faintly.
Even so, despite his attempt to appear relaxed, I could still feel the deeper, more serious energy surrounding him.
'Hmm, he must be under a lot of stress because of the return of his dear troublesome student,' I thought.
Then I shrugged. 'But well… in a way, all of this is his fault. So it's only fair that he suffers a little because of it.'
'Maybe after this he'll stop being such a pacifist… and also stop trying to control and influence everyone and everything,' I looked at him critically.
But as soon as that thought ended, I couldn't help but snort disdainfully.
'Who am I kidding? This is the same man who, in the original timeline, chose to sacrifice himself just to ensure his absurd and convoluted plans would come to fruition.'
'If he managed to remain faithful to his grand philosophy of the "greater good" even in death, very few things must be capable of changing his mindset.'
And just thinking about that famous phrase stirred a wave of disgust and contempt within me.
"For the greater good."
The existence of that cursed phrase could be considered a major turning point in the history of the wizarding world — perhaps even the root of many of the disasters that have plagued it from 1920 to the present day.
It was with those words that Gellert Grindelwald and Albus Dumbledore, still young, set their dreams and ambitions into motion… while also using them to justify every terrible and dangerous action they committed.
And just knowing that the Headmaster's calculating and pragmatic personality had been shaped by that made my anger rise.
If I could go back in time to when Grindelwald and Dumbledore were still teenagers, I would absolutely beat them with a wet broom handle.
In fact, it irritated me so much that I almost felt like storming Nurmengard Castle at this very moment just to strangle that decrepit old Grindelwald in his own cell.
'Okay… I'd better stop thinking about that,' I thought, taking a deep breath to calm my emotions, 'or I might actually end up going to Austria to kick that ancient idiot lord's ass.'
So, setting those thoughts aside, I turned my attention back to my family, my friends… and the food that had just appeared on the table in front of me.
'Hmph… at least the steak with mashed potatoes looks juicy.'
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-Some time later – At the end of dinner-
After everyone finished eating, Headmaster Dumbledore slowly rose from his seat at the staff table.
That simple action alone was enough to draw the attention of the entire Great Hall to him.
His imposing presence immediately silenced all conversations and murmurs among the students, who suddenly felt nervous for reasons they couldn't quite explain.
Resting his hands on the table before him, the Headmaster's gaze swept across the faces of those present. His expression no longer held its usual calm serenity — only seriousness remained.
What followed was his impactful speech to the students of Hogwarts, and to the wizarding world as a whole.
He spoke of the return of the Dark Lord Voldemort, reminding everyone just how dangerous and cruel that evil wizard truly was.
He warned us to prepare for the worst, to remain vigilant and cautious at all times, never lowering our guard.
He also said that we should strengthen and support one another, and that only by standing united would we be able to overcome the calamity that was about to befall wizarding Britain.
With that, the Headmaster finished speaking about the imminent war.
Then he shifted his speech, this time addressing the young residents of Hogwarts directly.
He made it clear to us that Hogwarts was not just a place for study, but a home. A place we could — and should — consider our second home.
He said that here we would all be completely safe from the dangers outside, and that if anyone ever needed it, he was willing to offer shelter and protection.
Moving on, he continued speaking a few more words to reinforce his points… but at that moment, I stopped paying attention to him.
I chose instead to focus on the reactions of those around us, analyzing their expressions and emotions.
The professors, as expected, wore tense and closed expressions, but there was also determination and fierceness in their eyes.
As for the students, a small portion displayed disbelief and doubt — just like in canon — clearly thinking the Headmaster was lying or exaggerating.
But, to my relief, the majority of the students seemed to take his words seriously.
Especially my friends.
Many wore frightened, tense, and nervous expressions… Others, surprisingly, showed determined looks, as if they were already preparing for a fight.
It seemed that my actions on the Quidditch pitch had been enough to make them realize that something truly dangerous and dark was happening.
'Well, I just hope the rest of the people react the same way they do,' I thought, somewhat worried and anxious.
Feeling the weight of the situation settle on my shoulders, I let out a sigh.
'And I also hope… sincerely… that this time things end better than they did in the original timeline.'
End.
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