Chapter 162: Twins: ever called us like that?
After exiting Dumbledore's office, Dylan headed towards the Great Hall. It was dinnertime, and Hogwarts was currently hosting a lively and grand feast. Perhaps it shouldn't be called a feast; rather, almost all the Hogwarts students and teachers had gathered there at this time, warmly chatting.
Hogwarts had hosted countless feasts in the past, but tonight's was undoubtedly special in terms of the excitement it generated. The students had been preparing to board the Hogwarts Express today, having spent the entire night anxiously packing their belongings, only to be informed by the professors that... classes would resume! The mastermind behind the crisis had been dealt with by the school!
No one needed to go home because of it!
When Dylan arrived at the Great Hall, though there were no elaborate decorations, almost everyone's faces were flushed. Some were gathered in groups, animatedly chatting, while others paired off, looking around. Everyone seemed to be baked by an invisible yet fervent fire, their uncontainable joy reflecting on their faces, making them glow with a natural, heartfelt red, not an artificial one.
As Dylan entered, he immediately felt the overwhelming cheerfulness. A smile unconsciously formed on his lips. He looked ahead and instantly spotted Harry surrounded by a crowd at the Gryffindor table.
"Dylan, you're here~!" Neville, who was chatting with Seamus nearby, caught sight of Dylan walking in from the corner of his eye. His already round face instantly filled with a smile. His eyes curved into crescent moons, and he eagerly raised his hand, waving vigorously at Dylan.
"Brother Dylan!" Ginny had also left the infirmary by now and was sitting next to the Weasley twins. Upon seeing Dylan, her eyes instantly lit up, her lips curving into a bright smile uncontrollably. Her smooth red hair gently floated behind her, making her look quite adorable. As Dylan passed her, he first nodded to Neville, then raised a hand and gently stroked her head.
Ginny paused for a moment, then a slightly shy blush quickly appeared on her face. "Brother Dylan, please don't pat my head. Fred and George say it'll keep me from growing tall."
Fred and George, sitting nearby, glared: "What's with the act? When we try to pat your head, you'd slap our hands away violently!"
Ginny didn't even spare them a glance: "Brother Dylan, don't listen to their nonsense. That's not true at all."
Dylan blinked. He had seen Ginny's liveliness firsthand when he stayed at the Burrow. This time, he knew the diary would end up in Ginny's hands, but he hadn't intervened at all.
Although Dylan knew that even if he hadn't taken the diary and the Basilisk, Ginny wouldn't have been in any real danger, being gradually controlled by Tom through the diary's communication still had some impact on her at the time. Dylan wasn't trying to apologize, but he felt a slight sense of guilt. So, his voice became even gentler.
"How are you feeling? Are you still uncomfortable anywhere?"
Ginny immediately shook her head, her red hair swaying gently: "No, Madam Pomfrey examined me thoroughly. She said my life force and mental energy have returned to normal, and I don't need to stay in the infirmary for observation anymore, so I can come out now!"
Dylan nodded slightly: "That's good."
"Thank you, Brother Dylan, for caring about me~" Ginny chirped obediently.
Fred and George exchanged glances, their eyes comically wide.
"Hey! That's not fair!"
"We looked after her all afternoon, and we didn't get a single thank you!"
"And she even disliked us!"
"Dylan didn't do anything, but Ginny still praised him!"
"This is way too much favoritism!"
Dylan glanced at the two goofballs. Then, he rummaged in his robe pocket and, pulling his hand out again, also held a crystal-clear glass vial. Ginny looked over curiously. The liquid in the bottle was as thick as the dark night, with a faint glow shimmering within. Dylan gently held the glass vial out to Ginny, shaking it slightly.
"This is an Obsidian Restorative Potion. I researched and brewed it myself. Drink it. It will help restore your mental energy and lost life force."
Upon hearing this, Ginny's round eyes widened slightly. She reached out and took the potion from Dylan's hand. It was dinnertime, and the table was laden with tempting delicacies, yet Ginny didn't spare them a glance. She uncorked the bottle, tilted her head back, and gulped down the entire vial of potion.
Ginny felt the potion glide down her throat, cool with a hint of warmth, a warm current rapidly spreading throughout her body. She clearly felt her mind becoming clearer, and her limbs felt as if they were infused with power; even her fingertips tingled with vitality. She clenched her fists in surprise, feeling the mental relief, her eyes sparkling. She looked at Dylan with joyful sincerity.
"Oh my goodness, I feel so full of energy all of a sudden! Is this a potion you researched, Brother Dylan? My goodness, this is incredible!"
When the Weasley twins saw Ginny's renewed vitality after drinking the potion, even though she had been in fairly good condition before, she was now completely refreshed, a feeling that came from within.
They instantly perked up. Fred almost sprang from his seat, crossing two steps to Dylan's side: "Hey! Dylan, look at Ginny's state! Did you research this potion yourself?"
Dylan nodded. But before he could speak, George also leaned in, his eyes glinting with shrewdness. "Dylan, you're a genius! I heard that developing new potions is incredibly difficult. It not only requires a lot of manpower, resources, and energy, but it's also not guaranteed to succeed—the ingredients and proportions for those potions are just too hard to obtain."
Fred nodded vigorously: "Yeah, you know what a stir the appearance of a new potion, especially an effective one, would cause if it could be mass-produced in Hogwarts, or even the entire wizarding world? This is all money!"
Dylan smiled faintly. Nonsense, of course he knew! In fact, he had deliberately brought out this potion precisely to showcase this effect. With today's groundwork laid, he could naturally bring his brewed Obsidian Restorative Potion into the open later.
"It's also because Professor Snape gave me many potion recipes. Before, Professor used to brew potions with me," Dylan casually explained. "After unlocking the brewing of many advanced potions, I wanted to research a new type of potion. If it could sell for money, that would naturally be even better."
"Dylan, you're amazing!"
The Weasley twins were full of eagerness. They had worked themselves to the bone before, practically talking their mouths raw. They had barely managed to make a fortune from the Chamber of Secrets crisis, thanks to the Slytherin heir. But then they looked at Dylan.
Not only did they have to split half of their fortune with Dylan, but he had also developed a potion himself, and judging by the effects, it was quite good! There might even be a real chance to sell it for money! And it would clearly be a lot of money! Unlike their small-time ventures!
"Dylan, do you need henchmen?"
"Why don't you consider the two of us!"
Dylan chuckled, gently shaking his head: "Right now, the effects of the potion I'm researching haven't been fully developed yet; there's still a lot of room for improvement. So, I'm not considering marketing the potion for sale just yet."
At this point, Dylan paused. "—And, most importantly, I don't have much of a reputation right now. Selling potions is a very complicated matter."
Fred scratched his head: "But you have a good relationship with Professor Snape!"
George nodded: "Sometimes I even feel your relationship with Professor Snape is better than his with the people in Slytherin House!"
"Not at all."
Fred said seriously: "How can you say 'not at all'? Professor Snape even taught you how to brew advanced potions! Have you seen any Slytherin being taught like that by Professor Snape?"
George also said earnestly: "This shows that Professor Snape is very fond of you!"
Fred added: "You can totally use Professor Snape's name to sell potions! As long as the effect is outstanding, you won't have to worry about selling them!"
Dylan showed "hesitation." "That might not be so good, would it?"
"Why not?" Fred quickly said.
"That's excellent!" George added quickly, "Think about it, if you really promote this potion throughout the wizarding world, Professor Snape would only be proud of you!"
Dylan's expression was one of "conflict." "I'll think about it. Anyway, the potion isn't the final version yet."
The Weasley twins nodded repeatedly: "Alright, you think about it then. If you want to sell the potion, you can come to us."
Ginny, who had been blinking her eyes nearby, now snapped back to attention and also said: "Brother Dylan, my dad works at the Ministry of Magic. He might have connections that can help you with this."
Dylan nodded, thanking her sincerely. "Okay, I will. If I need to, I'll definitely trouble Mr. Arthur."
The Weasley twins immediately waved their hands: "What's troublesome about it? Our dad doesn't have much to do every day anyway. It's perfect for him to help you out!"
Dylan chuckled. "If I really decide to sell potions later, it would be great if you two could become my agents. I'm willing to give you five parts of the profit."
"What?"
"Five parts!"
Fred and George's eyes widened. They exchanged glances, looked at Dylan, and quickly waved their hands: "No, no, that's too much."
Fred said: "We'd be happy to be your agents, but we won't take so much of your profit. That's really too much."
George agreed: "You brewed the potion, so you provide the materials and the technique, and even the recipe is yours. We're just helping you sell it. This is different from you making amulets and us selling them, because in that case, we provided the materials."
Dylan raised an eyebrow: "Is there a difference? You provided the materials for those amulets, and you're willing to split it five-five with me, so why can't I?"
Fred shook his head: "Dylan, we're not being polite with you. After all, even brothers settle accounts clearly. George and I always make sure our accounts are clear with each other."
George nodded: "We provide the materials, you provide the technique. Although it's five-five, we're asking a favor of you. You're our only option."
Fred heavily emphasized with an "hmm." "And for you selling potions, we're not your only option. You're not asking a favor of us here; in fact, by then, we might be asking a favor of you—"
"—asking you to supply us with the goods."
Dylan clicked his tongue: "Alright, if you put it that way."
Seeing Dylan relent, George and Fred both breathed a sigh of relief.
"Then how about you give us a wholesale price, and we'll sell it to customers? Any losses will be ours, and the risk can be transferred to us," George suggested.
"But in that case, the initial capital for buying the potions..." Fred paused, gritted his teeth, "I'll ask our dad to borrow money!"
Dylan laughed heartily, patting both their shoulders. "Don't worry, I'm definitely not a qualified capitalist. We'll talk about these things later."
The twins immediately looked touched.
"Next time if you encounter anything strange, it's best to bring it directly to me, okay?" Dylan instructed Ginny. This time he was sure she wouldn't be harmed, but who knew if his presence would gradually deviate the plot from its original course, and if Ginny might encounter other dangers? So, it was best to remind her beforehand.
"Okay, I know, Brother Dylan."
Ginny lowered her head slightly, her red hair falling to cover her cheeks, hiding the blush there. Dylan smiled and walked away, sitting down next to Neville.
The Weasley twins, who had still been looking somewhat touched, had their expressions instantly turn playful when they heard Ginny's voice. Fred raised an eyebrow, deliberately drawing out his tone: "Ohh~ Brother Dylan~ Listen to that, isn't that affectionate? Why have we never received such treatment?"
As he spoke, Fred dramatically clutched his chest, feigning a heartbroken look.
George also pursed his lips, chiming in: "Yeah, it's like we only heard the 'brother' address once or twice when someone was little. She's only been home for one summer, and she's clucking and calling non-stop. I tell you, her heart has gone completely astray!" As he spoke, George cast a sidelong, feigned dissatisfied glance at Ginny.
Hearing this, Ginny quickly looked up. She first glanced in Dylan's direction, noticing that he didn't seem to hear their conversation. Feeling a slight relief, her cheeks puffed out slightly, revealing two small canine teeth, and she glared playfully at her two bothersome older brothers.
"Hmph! Stop teasing me, or I'll tell Mum and Dad when we get home that you bully me at school!" Ginny snorted: "No, maybe I should just have Percy beat you up right now!" The Weasley twins bared their teeth.
It's over! This sister is beyond saving! Her elbow has practically turned all the way to their grandma's house! And their grandma's house is very far from theirs!
After sitting down, Dylan exchanged a few words with Neville, then subtly glanced towards the teachers' table. Goodness, it was like a pot had boiled over. Dumbledore hadn't arrived yet. Most of the other professors, however, were already seated. Even Professor Trelawney was there.
Dylan saw that the professors seemed to be having a drinking contest. Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick faced each other, their table laden with glasses. The two were chugging drink after drink, neither willing to back down.
Professor McGonagall's hair was coiled on top of her head, but a few loose strands fell, giving her a rare, casual look amidst her usual severity. Even with a flushed face, her eyes behind her square spectacles remained sharp, and her hand, holding the glass, was firm and strong. Each gulp of drink was accompanied by hearty laughter. —Then she would look at Flitwick with a challenging gaze.
Professor Flitwick was small in stature, his hair a bit messy. He stood on his chair just to meet Professor McGonagall's gaze. His face was flushed, and he stretched his neck, gulping down a glass of drink, then let out a loud burp, which made Professor McGonagall burst into laughter.
"Hahahaha!"
Professor Snape disdainfully conjured a patch of clean air with his wand.
Professor Sprout, enveloped in her robes with dense green plant patterns, had her brown hair casually tied back, with a few wisps falling in front of her smiling face. Her features were kind, her cheeks round. There was a bit of cream from something she had just eaten stuck to the tip of her nose, but she was completely oblivious, watching the two professors' drinking contest with relish, clearly enjoying herself.
Professor Trelawney, on the other hand, sat alone in an inconspicuous corner. Her appearance was completely different from when Dylan had privately sought her out for tutoring; she had been much more refined then. But sitting here, Professor Trelawney's attire was as unremarkable as her location. She wore exaggeratedly large glasses that almost covered half her face, a flimsy long dress paired with a thin shawl, layered to envelop her, and her gaze seemed somewhat unfocused.
Professor Snape's gaze shifted and met Dylan's. The latter blinked and offered Professor Snape a fawning smile. Professor Snape, however, maintained his cold expression, then turned his head away.
This evening's feast lasted a long time. Some left after eating but then returned. The professors kept drinking, while the young wizards of the four houses chatted amongst themselves with their companions. Dylan only learned from Neville that when the feast first began, Professor McGonagall had announced that it would be an all-night celebration. This meant there would be no curfew today; everyone could celebrate here until dawn.
Dylan blinked twice. "So... we just sit here and celebrate?" He didn't quite understand.
Neville, however, excitedly nodded: "You can also get up and walk around, even wander outside the Great Hall!"
"Heh heh... alright." Dylan gave a dry chuckle.
Everyone stayed. Dylan figured it was rare to have a day without curfew, so he sat there too. He chatted with Neville for a while, eating. Then he was dragged over by the Weasley twins to discuss this and that. Then he listened to Ron boast about the Chamber of Secrets adventure, how he displayed his power. Then he listened to Hermione help Harry and the others analyze Lockhart's disappearance and Kael'thas's identity.
Time quickly passed, and it was soon past curfew. Old Dumbledore finally arrived, perhaps having finished something in his office. As he entered, the noisy sounds in the Great Hall gradually subsided. He raised his voice and announced loudly: "Everyone, I trust Professor McGonagall has already informed you that today—Hogwarts will have no curfew!"
Although Professor McGonagall had already announced this, upon hearing Dumbledore's declaration again, everyone still erupted in cheers, whistles, and shouts. The younger students screamed excitedly, bouncing in their seats. The little lions of Gryffindor cheered and hugged each other. The little eagles of Ravenclaw also shed their usual composure, clapping along with the little badgers of Hufflepuff.
Only the Slytherin students had very complex feelings about the resolution of this crisis. Some were happy, some disdainful. But in the end, they were just children, not their parents. And Slytherin wasn't exclusively pure-blood wizards.
Those non-pure-blood young wizards were naturally more pleased to see the Heir of Slytherin perfectly dealt with, compared to those from pure-blood families. Overall, Slytherin still integrated into the boisterous atmosphere—but only within their own house.
Unlike Ravenclaw, they didn't chat with Hufflepuff. They either ate by themselves or communicated only with people from their own house. Among them, the one with the most unpleasant expression was undoubtedly young Malfoy.
This guy had previously, relying on Dumbledore's removal from Hogwarts, claimed his father would become the new Headmaster and lorded it over the school.
Now, it seemed old Malfoy's position on the Board of Governors had been stripped. However, his two lackeys were loyal and stayed by Malfoy's side, occasionally chatting with him, preventing him from looking overly out of place.
Dumbledore walked to the teachers' table, slowly turned around, and a gentle smile reappeared on his face. "I'm very happy to see all of you again—as Headmaster."
Old Dumbledore looked kindly: "It's fortunate to see that the children attacked in this incident have all recovered well, and petrification caused them no permanent harm."
"This is all thanks to Madam Pomfrey's meticulous care, and Professor Snape's brewed Mandrake Restorative Draught." The young wizards below cheered again, but Old Dumbledore gently raised a hand to quiet them. "But in this process, there are a few students to whom I must extend my gratitude." Old Dumbledore's gaze turned towards the Gryffindor table.
"First, Mr. Longbottom, he helped Professor Sprout care for the mandrakes for a long time. Whether it was fertilizing, weeding, or the final harvest, he was there."
"For this, Gryffindor deserves one hundred points!"
As Dumbledore finished speaking, he clapped his hands together, lightly applauding—but the sound was remarkably loud. This prompted the students of the house to cheer enthusiastically. Hermione clapped with great vigor. Even Filch, who was lingering at the edge of the Great Hall, showed a hint of a smile, stroking Mrs. Norris in his arms.
"Following that, the ones who caught the culprit—Harry Potter! Ronald Weasley! These two saved Hogwarts from facing closure!" Old Dumbledore raised his voice again: "For this, Gryffindor deserves the most special commendation! I shall award them points—two hundred points each!"
Dylan glanced at Dumbledore. How generous. Two hundred points each. That's four hundred points combined. Plus Neville's one hundred points. Just like that, Gryffindor was back in first place again.
It was worth noting that the Quidditch match had been canceled and couldn't be re-held. The four houses couldn't rely on Quidditch to earn points, and there were almost no other major point-earning events coming up.
In other words, Gryffindor would clearly win the House Cup again. This time, Dylan was quite satisfied that Dumbledore hadn't mentioned his name at all. —After all, this time he genuinely hadn't done anything. Giving him points for no reason would have been a bit excessive. Any discerning person would know who he was favoring.
Finally, Dumbledore chatted for a while longer, then his expression suddenly turned mournful. "Mr. Gilderoy Lockhart, to my complete surprise, our Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, suffered an unfortunate accident in his efforts to prevent this incident."
"It is with regret that we must once again find a new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor."
"As for Mr. Lockhart, perhaps he will never be able to pick up a quill and write again—for I do not know if he will ever wish to appear before the world again."
Dumbledore didn't directly state that Lockhart was gone. After all, this incident, though seemingly resolved, was in reality unsettling for him due to that individual named Kael'thas. Based on the current situation, Lockhart was likely abducted by that person.
If he were to say that Lockhart was now dead, and then Lockhart reappeared later, wouldn't that contradict his current words? Therefore, even if he wanted to deceive others, he wouldn't directly lie. Instead, by speaking ambiguously like this, he believed no one would come to him asking for more detailed questions.
"Oh, dear! That's truly bad news!" Among the students, some looked sad. Almost every student and teacher at Hogwarts was missing Professor Lockhart.
Everyone sadly picked up their forks and shovelled food into their mouths. Or they raised their goblets, chugging drinks to hide their sorrowful expressions. Ron, sitting to the side, his eyes welling up with tears, feeling his hungry stomach, grabbed a lamb chop and started devouring it directly.
Even the professors at the teachers' table sniffed, raised their goblets, and guzzled down more drink. —Notably Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick. Their continuous toasts clearly aimed to convey their endless remembrance and respect for Lockhart through the alcohol.
It was quite some time before everyone, despite their deep sorrow, forced smiles to conceal the surging grief in their hearts.
"Can't you drink anymore? Hahahaha!" Professor McGonagall laughed heartily.
"How could I! I can drink much more! I won't get drunk even if I drink until dawn!" Professor Flitwick's large head was flushed red, and he waved his arm, slamming the table. "Another round!"
Professor Snape, arms crossed, glanced at the two, and a hum escaped his throat: "Look at the two of you, two drunken fools. Drinking privately isn't enough; you're humiliating yourselves in front of the students!" The two professors completely ignored Severus.
Dumbledore chuckled twice, turned his head, and announced again—
"Due to the many events that have transpired this school year, I know that you all have been on edge during your time in the houses, and I imagine it has been difficult to focus on your studies."
"—In addition, several students who were attacked have been recuperating in the hospital wing and have fallen behind on the lessons we've already covered."
"Therefore—" Dumbledore paused, then sharply raised his voice.
"I announce—end-of-year exams are canceled!"
Instantly, the Great Hall fell silent. Everyone froze in place, seemingly unable to believe their ears. A few seconds later, a deafening cheer erupted, shaking the entire Great Hall! The group of young lions from Gryffindor were so excited they even stood on their chairs. Ron's cheeks were crimson, and he excitedly blew a loud whistle. Even Hermione this time fully supported the cancellation of exams, high-fiving Harry and celebrating.
At the same time, this news made the Slytherin students of the four houses unable to contain their excitement. Malfoy's two sidekicks immediately jumped from their seats. The cheering in the hall lasted for several minutes.
Dylan, however, had no reaction to this news. Whether there were exams or not, it wasn't a big problem for him. He just wondered if it would affect his annual summary. —Last year, it was precisely because he took the exams and came in first that he received an extra wave of rewards.
.....
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