At that moment, Dumbledore's heart was already in turmoil.
As the current Headmaster of Hogwarts, he knew more than most. He had once used the Resurrection Stone to summon Gryffindor's shade.
Not only did the man before him look exactly the same as the figure produced by the Resurrection Stone, but he had also received the Sword of Gryffindor's recognition.
Most importantly, he could summon the Sorting Hat.
Bringing the Sorting Hat from the Headmaster's office to the Great Hall was not something that an ordinary Summoning Charm could accomplish. After witnessing such a feat, Dumbledore found himself confused and bewildered.
Perhaps the red-haired man truly was Gryffindor.
But the Resurrection Stone...
Dumbledore could feel many eyes fixed upon him from behind.
He understood that he had to make some sort of statement.
Everyone was waiting for him to speak.
Was the man before them a fraud claiming a false identity, or a legendary wizard returned after a thousand years?
The judgment had to come from him.
Thinking this, Dumbledore sighed inwardly.
This was not something he could decide. He had no way to determine whether the man was truly Gryffindor.
There were people in the Great Hall far more qualified than he was to make that judgment.
At that very moment, a familiar voice sounded in his ear, and Dumbledore immediately felt relieved.
According to Professor White's instructions, it was time to let others bear witness.
"Grey Lady, Mr. Barrow, would you please come over?"
Dumbledore's voice echoed throughout the Great Hall.
Two ghosts rose from beside the Ravenclaw and Slytherin tables and floated forward.
The two ghosts had also been stunned when they heard the red-haired man's declaration. However, since they had already witnessed such things three times before, their ability to accept the unbelievable far exceeded that of the students and professors.
If Dumbledore was fifty percent convinced, then Helena and Barrow were ninety-five percent convinced.
As for the remaining five percent, they would have to see what the lady on the stage thought.
As the two ghosts floated forward, they noticed Aunt Hufflepuff whispering something to a Hogwarts professor beside her, then giving them an almost imperceptible nod.
Helena and Barrow immediately understood.
After circling the red-haired man twice, they confirmed his identity.
"It has been far too long, Uncle Gryffindor."
"Greetings, Professor."
With the personal endorsement of ghosts from the era of the Four Founders, as well as the daughter of Ravenclaw herself, the red-haired man's identity was instantly confirmed.
He was Godric Gryffindor.
Founder of Hogwarts.
A legendary wizard.
Salazar Slytherin's closest friend and greatest rival.
And now, the legend had appeared before them in person.
It all felt utterly unreal.
Not only the students from every school, but even the professors seated at the staff table were overcome with immense shock.
After hearing the words of the Bloody Baron and Helena Ravenclaw, Dumbledore also accepted the red-haired man's identity. He gave the man a slight bow in welcome.
"Hahaha!" Godric let out a hearty laugh. After laughing, he winked at Dumbledore.
"Proving that I am me is really quite difficult. Luckily, little Helena and Barrow were here!" He stuffed the Sword of Gryffindor back into the Sorting Hat and returned the hat to Dumbledore.
"This is yours—"
"No," Gryffindor said righteously. "It used to be my hat, but now the Sorting Hat belongs to Hogwarts."
Since even the original owner of the hat had said so, Dumbledore no longer insisted and simply put the Sorting Hat away.
He raised his voice and announced, "Let us welcome Professor Gryffindor back to Hogwarts with our applause!"
Prolonged applause erupted throughout the Great Hall.
Rhys applauded while watching "Godric" walk toward the staff table. Dumbledore seemed to want him to take his seat, but Gryffindor refused. Dumbledore had no choice but to conjure up a new chair and place it beside his own.
Only after Godric had taken his seat did the applause gradually subside. Though the students had stopped clapping, their curiosity had not faded with the applause.
They had developed an intense interest in this wizard who had lived for a thousand years. They were curious about everything concerning him.
Amid such an atmosphere, Dumbledore announced the official start of the welcoming feast.
In an instant, unprecedentedly lavish dishes appeared on the golden plates before everyone. The house-elves in the kitchens had spared no effort, preparing not only many classic British dishes but also numerous foreign delicacies.
For example, the plate of escargot in front of Rhys was clearly French cuisine.
Besides that, Rhys could see Japanese sashimi, pork cutlets, and sushi, Swedish meatballs with Nordic characteristics, German sausage platters, Brazilian feijoada, and a pile of foods that clearly originated from Africa. There were even American fast foods such as hamburgers, hot dogs, fried chicken, and chips.
Many of them looked delicious, but some were rather difficult to describe...
"What is that?" Daphne whispered into Rhys's ear.
"Roasted monkey," Rhys answered softly.
Daphne: "..."
Astoria also quietly used her magic to push a plate of roasted tarantulas farther away from herself.
"Let's eat the dishes that look edible first," Rhys said, burying the earlier commotion deep in his heart and beginning to enjoy the feast seriously.
Tonight's main quest at the dining table was to locate the French dishes.
Rhys took some escargot and then picked up a roasted ortolan from a nearby platter, a delicacy he had enjoyed since long ago.
Roasted ortolan had a very ancient history. People had been eating this remarkable little bird since the days of the Roman Empire. The birds were blinded and fattened in dark rooms, then drowned in brandy before being plucked and roasted.
A fattened ortolan was incomparably rich, with even the bones becoming crisp. It had to be eaten while hot, consuming all the oil, organs, and bones inside to fully appreciate its rich flavour.
Muggles traditionally covered their heads with white cloths before eating the dish, partly to hide the greedy appearance of the diners and partly, some believed, to keep God from witnessing such a "decadent" act.
Rhys did not believe in God, so there was no need for a cloth over his head.
The feast lasted a full two hours. First came dishes from all over the world, followed by specialty desserts from various countries. Everyone ate to their heart's content.
When the golden plates had once again been magically cleaned, Dumbledore rose to his feet.
"The moment has finally arrived," Dumbledore said with a smile to the young witches and wizards below. "All the contestants have gathered, and tomorrow the World Youth Wizard Championship will officially begin. I shall speak on behalf of the headmasters and explain the format of the competition. But first, please allow me to introduce two guests from the Ministry of Magic. This is Mr. Jamison Greengrass, Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, and this is Mr. Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports."
Scattered applause echoed through the Great Hall. The students were not particularly concerned with which Ministry officials had been sent. What they really wanted to know was the content of the tournament.
"This championship will take place within the venue provided by Hogwarts," Dumbledore said slowly. "Tasks will be issued to the contestants periodically. Completing those tasks will earn points, and the final rankings will be determined by the total points accumulated."
"The combined score of the contestants will determine the ranking of their schools."
____
12 Chaps ahead at Patreon.com/HornyFBI