Dylan headed towards the Great Hall after leaving the Headmaster's office.
It was currently dinnertime, and Hogwarts was even holding a lively and grand feast.
—Or perhaps it shouldn't be called a feast.
It was simply that almost all the teachers and students of Hogwarts had arrived there at this time, gathered together, and everyone was chatting animatedly.
In the past, Hogwarts had hosted countless grand feasts.
But in terms of everyone's excitement for this particular gathering, tonight was undoubtedly quite special.
Because the students had already prepared themselves to board the Hogwarts Express today.
But after packing all their belongings and spending the entire night feeling uneasy and worried, they were informed by the professors...
School would continue!
The mastermind behind this crisis had been dealt with by the school!
No one needed to go home because of it!
When Dylan arrived in the Great Hall,
although there were no festive decorations, almost everyone's cheeks were flushed.
Some were sitting together in groups, talking animatedly, while others were in pairs, looking around curiously.
Everyone seemed to be warmed by an invisible yet intense fire, the irrepressible joy in their hearts making their faces glow red.
That red wasn't the stiff color of paint, but rather a natural flush radiating from within.
As soon as Dylan entered, he felt a wave of happiness wash over him.
A smile couldn't help but tug at the corners of his lips.
Looking ahead,
Dylan immediately spotted Harry being surrounded by a crowd at the Gryffindor table.
"Dylan, you're here!"
Neville was chatting with Seamus beside him when he caught sight of Dylan walking over. His already round face instantly became even fuller with a smile.
His eyes curved into crescents as he eagerly raised his hand and waved enthusiastically at Dylan.
"Brother Dylan!"
Ginny had also left the Hospital Wing by now and was sitting next to the Weasley twins.
Seeing Dylan, her eyes lit up at once, a radiant smile spreading across her face, her smooth red hair gently swaying behind her, making her look quite adorable.
As Dylan passed her, he first nodded at Neville, then raised his hand and gently patted her head.
Ginny was slightly taken aback at first, but then a blush of shyness quickly spread across her face.
"Brother Dylan, don't pat my head anymore. Fred and George say it'll stop me from growing tall."
Fred and George, sitting next to her, rolled their eyes. "What's with this sudden act? When *we* try to pat your head, you usually just smack our hands away!"
Ginny didn't even glance at them. "Brother Dylan, don't listen to their nonsense. That never happens."
Dylan blinked.
He had witnessed Ginny's liveliness firsthand when he stayed at the Burrow.
This time, he knew that the diary would end up in Ginny's hands, but he deliberately chose not to intervene.
Although Dylan was certain that even if he hadn't taken the diary and the Basilisk away, nothing serious would have happened to Ginny,
the communication between Ginny and Tom Riddle's diary, where Tom gradually took control of her consciousness, had still affected her to some extent at that time.
Dylan wasn't exactly saying sorry, but he did feel a slight pang of guilt.
Therefore, his voice became gentler.
"How are you feeling now? Is there still anything bothering you?"
Ginny immediately shook her head, her red hair swaying gently. "No, Madam Pomfrey gave me a thorough check-up. She said my life force and mental energy have returned to normal, and I don't need to stay in the Hospital Wing for observation anymore, so I can come out now!"
Dylan nodded slightly. "That's good."
"Thank you for caring about me, Brother Dylan~" Ginny said sweetly, raising her voice.
Fred and George exchanged a look, their eyes widening in exaggerated surprise.
"Hey! That's not fair!"
"We looked after her all afternoon, and we didn't even get a thank you!"
"We even got the cold shoulder!"
"Dylan didn't even do anything, and Ginny's praising him!"
"This is so biased!"
Dylan glanced at the two nitwits.
Then, he reached into his robe pocket and rummaged around for a moment. When he pulled his hand out again, he was holding a crystal-clear glass vial.
Ginny looked over curiously.
The liquid inside the vial was as thick as the darkest night, with a faint glow shimmering within it.
Dylan gently handed the vial to Ginny, shaking it slightly.
"This is an Obsidian Restorative Potion. I researched and brewed it myself. Drink it; it will help you recover your mental energy and the life force you've lost."
Upon hearing this, Ginny's round eyes widened slightly. She reached out and took the potion from Dylan's hand.
It was currently mealtime, and the table was laden with tempting food, but Ginny didn't even glance at it.
She pulled out the stopper, tilted her head back, and gulped down the entire vial of potion in one go.
Ginny felt the potion slide down her throat, cool at first but then followed by a hint of warmth, and a warm current quickly spread throughout her body.
She clearly felt her mind becoming sharper, and her limbs felt as if they had been injected with energy, even the tips of her fingers tingling with vitality.
She excitedly clenched her fists, feeling the relief in her mind, her eyes shining as she looked at Dylan with joy and sincerity.
"Wow, I feel full of energy all of a sudden! Did you really research and brew this potion, Brother Dylan? Oh my goodness, this is incredible!"
The Weasley twins, seeing Ginny drink the potion, noticed that although her condition wasn't bad before, she now looked completely refreshed. The feeling seemed to come from within, and they were instantly invigorated.
Fred practically leaped out of his seat and took two quick steps towards Dylan. "Hey! Dylan, look at Ginny! Did you really brew that potion yourself?"
Dylan nodded.
But before he could speak, George also leaned in, a shrewd glint in his eyes.
"Dylan, you're a true prodigy! I heard that developing a new potion is a very difficult task. It not only requires a lot of manpower, resources, and effort, but there's also no guarantee of success—the ingredients and proportions for those potions are so hard to come by."
Fred nodded vigorously. "Yeah, you know how big a splash the appearance of a new potion, especially one that's this effective, could make in Hogwarts, even the entire wizarding world, if it could be mass-produced? That's serious Galleons right there!"
Dylan smiled faintly.
Of course, he knew!
In fact, he had deliberately brought out this potion to demonstrate its effects.
With today's groundwork laid, he would naturally be able to bring his own brewed Obsidian Restorative Potion into the open later.
"It's also because Professor Snape gave me many potion recipes. Professor Snape used to guide me in brewing potions."
Dylan explained casually.
"After unlocking the brewing of many advanced potions, I wanted to research a new type of potion. If it could make money, then that would naturally be even better."
"Dylan, you're amazing!"
The Weasley twins looked at him with fervent expressions.
They had worked themselves to the bone before, talking until their throats were dry.
They had finally made a small fortune taking advantage of the Chamber of Secrets crisis, thanks to the Slytherin heir.
But then they looked at Dylan.
Not only did they have to split their newfound wealth with Dylan,
but he had also developed a potion himself, and judging by the current results, it was quite remarkable!
Maybe it really had the potential to make money!
And it would obviously be a substantial amount of money!
It was nothing like their small-scale ventures!
"Dylan, are you still looking for any little brothers?"
"Why don't you consider the two of us?"
Dylan chuckled and gently shook his head. "The effects of the potion I'm currently researching haven't been fully developed yet. There's still a lot of room for improvement, so I'm not considering putting it on the market for sale right now."
Speaking of which, Dylan paused.
"—And, most importantly, I don't have much of a reputation yet. Selling potions is a very complicated business."
Fred scratched his head. "But you have a good relationship with Professor Snape!"
George nodded. "Sometimes I even think your relationship with Professor Snape is better than his relationship with those in Slytherin House!"
"Not really," Dylan said.
Fred said seriously, "What do you mean, 'not really'? Professor Snape even teaches you how to brew advanced potions. Have you ever seen Professor Snape teach any Slytherin like that?"
George also looked serious. "That shows Professor Snape has a high opinion of you!"
Fred added, "You could totally use Professor Snape's name to sell your potions! As long as the effects are outstanding, you won't have any trouble selling them at all!"
Dylan put on a "hesitant" expression.
"Wouldn't that be a bit much?"
"How is that bad?" Fred said quickly.
"It's fantastic!" George followed up. "Think about it, if you really promote this potion to the entire wizarding world, Professor Snape would only be proud of you!"
Dylan looked "conflicted."
"Let me think about it. Anyway, the potion isn't the final version yet."
The Weasley twins nodded repeatedly. "Alright, you think about it first. If you decide you want to sell the potions, you can come find us."
Ginny, who had been blinking beside them, finally came back to her senses and added, "Brother Dylan, my dad works at the Ministry of Magic. He might have some connections that could help you with this."
Dylan nodded, his face full of sincerity.
"Okay, I will. If I need help, I'll definitely trouble Mr. Weasley."
The Weasley twins immediately waved their hands. "What trouble? Our dad doesn't have much to do anyway. Helping you out would be perfect for him!"
Dylan chuckled.
"If I really want to sell the potions in the future, it would be great if you could be my distributors. I'm willing to give you fifty percent of the profits."
"What?"
"Fifty percent!"
Fred and George's eyes widened in disbelief.
The two looked at each other, then at Dylan, and quickly waved their hands. "No, no, no, that's too much."
Fred said, "We'd be happy to be your distributors, but we won't take that much of your profit. That's way too much."
George agreed. "You're the one brewing the potion, so you're definitely providing the ingredients and the technique, maybe even the recipe. We're just helping you sell it. It's not the same as when you made those protective charms and we sold them for you, because we provided the materials for those."
Dylan raised an eyebrow. "Is there really a difference? You still provided the materials for those charms, and you were willing to split the profits fifty-fifty with me. Why can't I do the same?"
Fred shook his head. "Dylan, it's not that we're being polite. Even close brothers have to settle accounts clearly. George and I always keep track of our finances with each other."
George nodded. "We provide the materials, you provide the technique. Although it's a fifty-fifty split, that's because we were asking a favor of you; you were our only option."
Fred gave a heavy "hmm."
"But when you sell your potions, we won't be your only option. It's not like you're asking a favor of us. In fact, it might even be us asking a favor of you then—"
"—Begging you to supply us with the goods."
Dylan clicked his tongue. "Alright, if you guys insist."
Seeing Dylan agree, George and Fred both breathed a sigh of relief.
"How about you give us a wholesale price, and we'll sell them for whatever we can get. Any losses will be ours, and we can take on the risk," George suggested.
"But in that case, the initial capital for purchasing the potions..." Fred paused, then gritted his teeth. "I'll get our dad to borrow some money!"
Dylan laughed heartily and patted both of them on the shoulders.
"Don't worry, I'm definitely not a qualified capitalist. Let's talk about these things later."
The twins immediately looked touched.
"Next time you encounter anything weird or strange, you should bring it straight to me, okay?"
Dylan instructed Ginny.
This time he was certain 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 later?
So, he still needed to give her a reminder.
"Okay, I understand, Brother Dylan."
Ginny lowered her head slightly, her red hair falling to obscure her cheeks, also hiding the two blushes there.
Dylan smiled and walked away, sitting down next to Neville.
The Weasley twins, who had been looking slightly touched, instantly had playful expressions on their faces after hearing Ginny's voice.
Fred raised an eyebrow, deliberately drawing out his words. "Ooh~ Brother Dylan~ Listen to that! So affectionate! How come we never get that kind of treatment?"
As he spoke, Fred exaggeratedly clutched his chest, feigning heartbreak.
George also pursed his lips and chimed in, "Yeah, it seems like someone only heard the word 'brother' once or twice when they were little. Someone only stayed at home for a summer holiday and now they're constantly calling him that. I think someone's heart is completely biased!"
As he spoke, George squinted his eyes and looked at Ginny with mock dissatisfaction.
Upon hearing this, Ginny quickly looked up.
She first glanced in Dylan's direction.
Finding that the latter didn't seem to have heard their conversation,
she felt a slight sense of relief.
At the same time, her cheeks puffed out slightly, revealing two small canine teeth as she glared playfully at her two cheap older brothers.
"Hmph! Don't tease me, or I'll tell Mum and Dad when I get home that you're bullying me at school!"
Ginny snorted softly. "No, maybe I should just get Percy to hex you right now!"
The Weasley twins bared their teeth. *Blast it!*
This sister was beyond saving!
Her loyalties were practically at their grandmother's house!
And their grandmother's house was quite a distance from theirs!
After Dylan sat down, he exchanged a few words with Neville, his gaze secretly darting towards the teachers' table.
Good heavens, it looked like a cauldron had exploded.
Old Dumbledore hadn't arrived yet.
The other professors were mostly seated.
Even Professor Trelawney was there.
Dylan saw the professors seemed to be having a drinking contest with each other.
—Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick were facing each other, their tables piled high with glasses.
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The two were pouring drink after drink down their throats, neither willing to admit defeat.
Professor McGonagall's hair was neatly piled on top of her head, but a stray strand had fallen, revealing a rare touch of casualness amidst her usual sternness.
Even with a flushed face, the eyes behind her square spectacles were still sharp. The hand holding her glass was steady and strong, and every time she took a sip, it was accompanied by a hearty laugh.
—Then she would look at Flitwick with a challenging gaze.
Professor Flitwick was short and his hair was a bit messy. He was standing on his chair just to barely meet Professor McGonagall's gaze.
His face was now completely red as he strained his neck and quickly downed a glass of drink, followed by a loud burp that made Professor McGonagall burst into laughter.
"Hahahaha!"
**
Professor Snape disdainfully waved his wand to clear a patch of clean air.
Professor Sprout was enveloped in a long robe with a dense green plant pattern, her brown hair casually tied behind her head, a few stray strands falling in front of her smiling face.
Her expression was amiable, and her cheeks were round.
There was still a bit of freshly eaten cream on the tip of her nose, but she was completely unaware, watching the drinking contest with great interest and amusement.
Professor Trelawney, on the other hand, sat alone in an inconspicuous corner.
This was completely different from the look she had when Dylan privately sought her out for extra lessons; she would be much more refined then.
The Professor Trelawney sitting here was dressed as inconspicuously as her position.
She wore a pair of exaggeratedly large glasses that almost covered half her face, a thin long dress paired with a light shawl, wrapped around her in layers, her eyes somewhat unfocused.
Professor Snape's gaze shifted and met Dylan's.
The latter blinked and gave Professor Snape a flattering smile.
Professor Snape, however, remained stone-faced before turning his head away.
The evening's festivities lasted a long time.
Some people left after eating, only to return later.
The professors continued to drink, while the young wizards from the four houses found their own companions to chat with.
Dylan learned from Neville that when the evening had just begun, Professor McGonagall had announced that it would be an all-night feast.
In other words, there would be no curfew tonight, and everyone could celebrate here until dawn.
Dylan blinked twice.
"Just... sit here and celebrate?"
He didn't quite understand.
Neville, however, nodded excitedly. "You can also get up and walk around, even outside the Great Hall!"
"Hehe... okay."
Dylan gave a dry laugh.
Everyone stayed put.
Dylan figured it was rare to have a night without curfew, so he also stayed.
He chatted with Neville for a while, ate some food.
Then he was dragged over by the Weasley twins to discuss some random things.
Then he listened to Ron boast about his Chamber of Secrets adventure, exaggerating his bravery.
Then he listened to Hermione help Harry and Ron analyze Lockhart's disappearance and Karthus's identity.
Time passed quickly, and it was soon after curfew.
Old Dumbledore seemed to have finally finished whatever he was doing in his office and arrived late.
As soon as he entered, the noise in the Great Hall gradually subsided.
He raised his voice and said loudly, "Everyone, I believe Professor McGonagall has already informed you that tonight—there will be no curfew at Hogwarts!"
Although Professor McGonagall had already announced this once,
hearing Dumbledore's announcement again still caused everyone to erupt, shouts and whistles rising and falling, exploding in an instant.
Younger students squealed with excitement, jumping up and down between the seats.
The little lions of Gryffindor cheered and hugged each other in a tight group.
The little eagles of Ravenclaw also put aside their usual reserve and clapped along with the little badgers of Hufflepuff.
Only the Slytherin students had extremely complex emotions about the resolution of this crisis.
Some were happy, some were disdainful.
But in the end, they were just a group of children, not their parents.
And Slytherin wasn't only made up of pure-blood wizards.
Those young wizards who weren't pure-blood were naturally more willing to see the heir of Slytherin dealt with perfectly compared to those from pure-blood families.
Overall, Slytherin still blended into the lively atmosphere at this moment.
—But only within their own house.
Unlike Ravenclaw, who would even chat with Hufflepuff.
They either ate their food quietly or communicated with their own housemates.
And among them, the person with the most unpleasant expression was undoubtedly Draco Malfoy.
—This fellow had previously relied on Dumbledore being forced out of Hogwarts, claiming that his father would become the new Headmaster of Hogwarts, and had been throwing his weight around at school.
As a result, it seemed that even old Malfoy's position on the school governors had been revoked.
However, his two cronies were loyal and had been sitting next to Malfoy, chatting with him from time to time, so he didn't seem too out of place.
Dumbledore walked to the teachers' table, slowly turned around, and a gentle smile returned to his face.
"It is a great pleasure to see you all once again—as Headmaster."
Old Dumbledore looked kindly. "It is fortunate to see that the children who were attacked during this incident have all recovered healthily, and the petrification has not caused them any 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 Dumbledore gently raised his hand to quiet them.
"But in this process, there are several students to whom I must express my gratitude."
Old Dumbledore's gaze turned towards the Gryffindor table.
"Firstly, Mr. Longbottom, who helped Professor Sprout care for the Mandrakes for a very long time. Whether it was fertilizing, weeding, or the final harvest, he was always there."
"For this, Gryffindor deserves one hundred points!"
As Dumbledore's voice fell, he clapped his hands together gently—but the sound was surprisingly loud.
This caused the students of the house to cheer loudly as well.
Hermione clapped enthusiastically.
Even Filch, who was standing by the edge of the Great Hall, showed a hint of a smile, patting Mrs. Norris's head as he held her in his arms.
"Following this, the individuals who apprehended the culprit—Harry Potter! Ronald Weasley! These two saved Hogwarts and prevented the school from facing closure!"
Old Dumbledore raised his voice again. "For this, Gryffindor deserves the most special commendation! I shall award them two hundred points each!"
Dylan glanced at old Dumbledore.
He really was generous.
Two hundred points each.
That's four hundred points for the two of them.
Adding Neville's one hundred points.
Gryffindor's score was back in first place in an instant.
You had to know that the Quidditch matches had been canceled, and it was impossible to hold them again now.
With the four houses unable to gain points through Quidditch, there were hardly any other events that could award such a large number of points.
Which meant—Gryffindor would obviously get the House Cup again.
This time, Dylan was satisfied that he didn't hear old Dumbledore mention his name at all.
—After all, he really hadn't done anything this time.
It would have been a bit much to inexplicably award him points again.
Anyone with eyes could see who he was favoring.
Finally.
Old Dumbledore rambled on for a while, then his expression suddenly turned sorrowful.
"Mr. Gilderoy Lockhart, to my complete surprise, our Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, met with misfortune while trying to prevent this incident from occurring."
"Unfortunately, we will have to replace our Defence Against the Dark Arts professor once again."
"As for Mr. Lockhart, perhaps he will no longer be able to continue writing books—because whether he will be willing to appear before the world again, I also have no way of knowing."
Old Dumbledore didn't directly state that Lockhart was gone.
After all, although this incident seemed resolved, in reality, the fellow named Karthus was the one who caused him the most unease.
According to the current situation, Lockhart should have been abducted by the other party.
So, if he said that the other party was already dead, what if Lockhart appeared again later? Wouldn't that contradict his current words?
Therefore, even if he wanted to deceive others, he wouldn't directly lie.
Instead, like now, he directly said something ambiguous, believing that no one would come to ask him for more detailed questions.
"Oh, dear! That's terrible news!"
Among the students, some looked mournful.
Almost every teacher and student at Hogwarts missed Professor Lockhart.
—Everyone sadly picked up their forks and stuffed large mouthfuls of food into their mouths.
Or they raised their water glasses and chugged large gulps of drinks to hide their sad faces.
Ron, in particular, sat to the side, his eyes filled with tears, touching his somewhat hungry stomach, directly grabbing a lamb leg and taking a big bite.
Even the professors at the teachers' table sniffled, raised their glasses, and took another round of hearty drinks.
—Among them, Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick should be specifically mentioned.
Their repeated raising of glasses was clearly meant to convey their endless thoughts and respect for Lockhart through the wine.
A good while passed before everyone, despite their hearts being filled with sorrow, forced a smile, barely managing to conceal the surging grief in their hearts.
"Can't hold your drink anymore? Hahahaha!" Professor McGonagall laughed loudly.
"How could I! I can still drink a lot! I won't get drunk even if I drink until dawn!" Professor Flitwick's large head was flushed red as he waved his arms and slammed his hand on the table.
"Another one!"
Professor Snape crossed his arms and glanced at the two of them, squeezing a snort from his throat. "Look at the pair of you, two drunken fools. Isn't drinking in private enough? You even have to make a spectacle of 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 occurred this school year, I know that everyone has been on edge during their time in the castle, and it must have been difficult to focus on your studies."
"—In addition, several students who were attacked have been lying in the Hospital Wing, further falling behind in the lessons we have already covered."
"Therefore—"
Dumbledore paused, then suddenly raised his voice.
"I announce—the end-of-year exams are canceled!"
In an instant, the Great Hall fell silent.
Everyone froze in place, seemingly unable to believe their ears.
A few seconds later, a deafening cheer erupted, echoing throughout the entire Great Hall!
A group of little lions from Gryffindor were so excited that they even stood up on their chairs.
Ron, his cheeks flushed red, blew a loud whistle of excitement.
Even Hermione, this time, was quite supportive of the exam cancellation, joining Harry in high-fiving and celebrating.
At the same time, this news caused even the Slytherin students from the four houses to be unable to suppress the excitement in their hearts.
Malfoy's two cronies directly jumped up from their seats.
The cheering in the hall lasted for a full few minutes.
Dylan, however, had no reaction to this news.
Whether there were exams or not wasn't a big deal for him.
He just wondered if it would affect his year-end summary.
—Last year, it was precisely because he took the exams and got first place that he received an extra wave of rewards.
(End of this chapter)