"All right, let's make a little change to the decorations," Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his eye. He flicked his wand, and the Great Hall's green and silver banners transformed into the blue and bronze of wisdom.
The Slytherin serpent vanished, replaced by a majestic Ravenclaw eagle soaring through the air. Though conjured by magic, its feathers were strikingly detailed, almost lifelike. The eagle glided over the students' heads before vanishing into the starry ceiling above.
Dumbledore shot Lucien a playful wink after his display and returned to the center of the staff table.
Only then did Ravenclaw erupt in cheers, though their celebration was noticeably quieter than Gryffindor's earlier roars. With fewer students—and mostly girls—Ravenclaw's enthusiasm was heartfelt but less thunderous.
Still, the praise and excitement were undeniable. Who'd turn down the House Cup, even if it wasn't their main goal?
"Merlin's beard, we actually won the House Cup this year!" one Ravenclaw gasped.
"It's all thanks to Lucien! That hundred-point boost was huge, and he's been racking up points all year!" another chimed in.
"Aw, Lucien's worked so hard. You must be exhausted, kid! Come here, let your big sis give you a hug!" a senior student cooed.
"Hey, hold on! What do you think you're doing?" another protested.
"Let go of my roommate!" a third voice cried.
Lucien, ever polite, chatted with his housemates before smoothly slipping out of the crowd.
"Congrats, superstar," Cho said with a teasing smile, raising her goblet from the sidelines.
Lucien grabbed a cup from the table, clinked it lightly with hers, and they started chatting about summer plans.
Meanwhile, curious glances came from the Gryffindor and Slytherin tables. Hermione and Daphne, pretending to focus on their food, kept sneaking peeks at Ravenclaw's corner.
Both had the same thought: Lucien seems to be in a bit of danger over there in Ravenclaw.
The other houses joined in the celebration, too, offering congratulations. Hufflepuff, unbothered by the House Cup race, was more focused on the feast. The kitchen had rolled out new dishes—delicious, colorful recipes from the East, courtesy of Lucien teaching the house-elves.
Hufflepuffs, naturally food-obsessed, had sniffed out the source of these culinary delights. Lucien was basically their hero for improving the menu.
In classes shared with Ravenclaw, many Hufflepuffs had benefited from Lucien's help, making him a favorite among the Badgers. Some even joked that if he'd been sorted into Hufflepuff, their food game would've been even better.
Slytherin, oddly, seemed relieved Ravenclaw won. Losing by a hundred points? No way to argue with that. At least it wasn't Gryffindor.
Speaking of Gryffindor, they were over the moon despite missing the Cup. Beating Slytherin this year was victory enough. Some lions raised their goblets toward the Slytherin table, smirking, "To a worthy opponent… too bad we're just a bit better."
The snakes, predictably, reacted like they'd swallowed a slug—cold glares or stony silence, ignoring the lions entirely. Gryffindors, used to this, just laughed and dug into the feast with even more gusto.
---
The last day arrived, and the young witches and wizards had packed their trunks, leaving their wardrobes eerily empty.
Exam results were posted, and no surprise—Lucien claimed the top spot in their year. Hermione, ever the diligent scholar, took second and stared at the rankings, muttering, "So close… if only I hadn't added that extra gram of Dittany powder in Potions…"
Ron, ignoring her grumbling, shook Harry's shoulders in excitement. "Look at this! I made the top ten!"
"No more lectures from Mum!" he added, relieved. "I used to dread the day she'd scold me like she did Fred and George."
Harry, dizzy from the shaking, wriggled free. "Yeah, yeah, I see it. We're all up there… and, well…" He nodded toward the Slytherin table. "Malfoy and Greengrass are too."
Before Ron could comment, two voices chimed in unison behind him: "Oh, Ronnikins, we heard everything."
And just like that, the Weasley twins hauled Ron off, much to his dismay.
Lucien surveyed the results, pleased. Not bad, everyone worked hard. Great progress.
Nothing beat the thrill of helping others discover the joy of learning. Harry had already asked for summer study materials—maybe the others would want in, too?
---
The Hogwarts Express chugged along once more. Last time, they'd boarded as wide-eyed first-years, brimming with wonder. Now, a whole year had flown by.
"Ugh, no magic over the summer? I was hoping to practice," Hermione sighed, gazing at the lush countryside speeding past.
The school had sent a reminder: no magic during the break. Wands were fitted with a Trace, a Ministry charm that monitored magical activity.
Ron, munching on Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, waved it off. "Percy told me it's easy to get around. Just have an adult wizard nearby, and if the Ministry comes knocking, you can say it was them."
Lucien felt a pang for Muggle-born witches and wizards. Pure-bloods and half-bloods could practice freely at home under their parents' protection, but Muggle-borns were stuck. Sure, they could sneak to Diagon Alley to dodge the Trace, but who could stay there all summer? Not to mention, Muggle parents wouldn't be thrilled about it.
The gap in practice time would only widen over the break.
"Come to my place!" Ron offered enthusiastically. "You can use magic all you want!"
They swapped addresses and owl post details, planning summer visits.
The train slowed, pulling into Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. Lucien grabbed his suitcase and stepped off the Hogwarts Express.
Summer break had officially begun!