Chapter 1060
The Banquet Ends
Chapter 1060 The Banquet Ends
Dumbledore was the first to applaud.
One, two, three...
Applause gradually filled the auditorium; it wasn't enthusiastic, but it was fairly orderly.
Gryffindor and Hufflepuff responded the most enthusiastically, Ravenclaw were less so, and only a few Slytherins clapped a few times.
When the applause stopped, Dumbledore stood up again, and all eyes immediately turned to him.
"Thank you, Mr. Weasley, for your remarks."
Dumbledore looked gently at the students and said:
"Ensuring the safety of students is indeed of utmost importance. I am truly gratified that the Ministry of Magic is willing to pay attention to this and propose concrete measures."
"Please also remember—the system, the measures, and our ancient city walls—the reason they can protect our safety is fundamentally due to the people who guard them."
He nodded to Percy and said:
"Please thank Minister Sinkness for me. Thank you for remembering and for your attention."
"But now, it's getting late."
Dumbledore raised his arm and said, “Prefects, please lead your students back to the common room—to bed, children. I hope you will all start tomorrow refreshed.”
"I hope Professor McGonagall doesn't collect assignments tomorrow!" Wade overheard a classmate mutter. "I don't know if I can finish my paper tonight!"
Movement began to stir on the long table.
The sound of chair legs scraping against the floor rose and fell, mingling with the buzzing of conversation.
The students got up in twos and threes, some stretching, some chatting in groups, and others yawning and staggering toward the door.
"Hey, Fred!"
At the Gryffindor table, Angelina Johnson waved to Fred with an air of nonchalance. Her tall figure stood out in the crowd, and her dark skin glowed with a healthy sheen in the candlelight.
"Angelina!" Fred asked, a little happier. "How was your winter break?"
"Of course, it's great. But honestly, it's quite surprising..."
She slung her bag over her shoulder, looked at the teachers' table, and said, "I didn't really like Percy before, even though he's your brother."
"Remember? When he was the president of the boys' student council in fourth grade, I was practicing magic in the hallway once, and he chased after me for more than ten minutes, nagging about the school rules and even trying to deduct points from my score—I really wanted to turn him into a chocolate frog at that moment."
Several Gryffindor students around laughed.
"But what he just said—"
Angelina shrugged, her tone becoming serious: "That makes a lot of sense, and he's different from the officials I've met before!"
Lee Jordan said with a smile, "Although he still speaks a bit like a bureaucrat, he is indeed conscientious and fair, right?"
Everyone echoed in agreement.
The senior student who came from Gryffindor has suddenly become an official who seems to be on par with Dumbledore. Most importantly, he is so approachable, which excites everyone.
Most importantly, they all liked the Weasley twins, and naturally they projected that affection onto Percy.
Fred didn't speak. He looked down and pulled out the chair, the chair legs making a screeching sound as they rubbed together.
George's lips curled down, his face showed no joy, and he didn't offer his usual cheerful banter.
"What's wrong?" Angelina sensed something was amiss, her gaze sweeping back and forth between the twins' faces. "Did I say something wrong?"
Fred's lips moved.
Just as that familiar, sharp sarcasm was about to burst forth from his tongue, George grabbed his arm.
George would actually be happy to let everyone know Percy's true colors—if they weren't also Weasleys.
The two of them, along with Ron and Ginny, will all continue their studies at Hogwarts.
To condemn one of the Weasleys as a heartless and ruthless beast is tantamount to handing the sword that attacked them to the enemy—such as the Slytherins—which is not a good thing.
This is different from how they used to tease and joke with their older brother.
"nothing."
George said in a flat voice, “You’re right. Percy is indeed… very well-suited for this.”
Fred took a deep breath and swallowed back the word that had already reached his lips.
His gaze fell on the teachers' table—Percy was standing beside Dumbledore, head slightly bowed, seemingly listening attentively to what the headmaster was saying, his posture respectful and focused. He was slightly more agreeable than before, with his nose in people's noses, but still hypocritical… utterly hypocritical!
Fred used to think he could use jokes to break through Percy's hypocritical and ridiculous facade.
But now he suddenly feels that some shells are unbreakable... their purpose is to define the person inside.
Seeing his expression, Angelina raised an eyebrow, suddenly realizing something.
Harry was walking alone in the line of fifth-year students, his head down, because Ron and Hermione had gone to organize the younger students to return to the common room in an orderly manner.
Just then, a figure approached him.
Neville turned to look at Percy, who was still at the teachers' table, and asked curiously:
“Harry, did Percy really yell during Quidditch matches? I can hardly imagine it.”
Harry was speechless—Percy had said so much, and Neville only paid attention to this one pointless sentence?
But he actually knew this.
“He did shout it,” Harry said simply. “I remember it was when we won the championship in our third year. He was jumping and shouting with excitement, but it was mainly because he had made a ten Galleon bet with Penelope.”
Neville asked in confusion, "Penelope?"
He was not familiar with this former Ravenclaw prefect.
Harry said, "She's Percy's girlfriend."
“It’s probably not anymore… I know they’ve been arguing lately.” A voice came from the side.
Ginny walked over at some point, her arms crossed over her chest, her face expressionless.
Harry paused, then asked, "Argued? Him and Penelope?"
He blinked incredulously. "But he liked her so much—I remember you said he spent the whole vacation writing to Penelope..."
“Yes, but that was before,” Ginny said calmly. “Ever since Penelope graduated and didn’t go to the Ministry of Magic as Percy had planned, they’ve been arguing a lot.”
She glanced quickly at Percy, who was talking to Filch, then looked away and said:
“Percy thought she was crazy—'You could easily get into the Ministry of Magic, do you know how many people would kill to get in?' Penelope said she knew, but that wasn’t the way she wanted to live.”
Harry opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.
"And then?" Neville asked cautiously.
"We had a cold war for a while, then we made up, but..."
Ginny paused, her eyes darkening slightly.
"And then there's... the thing about him capturing Peter Pettigrew."
Harry frowned.
"Penelope was initially quite happy for him."
As they walked up the stairs, Ginny said, "But after hearing the whole story, she asked a few more questions about the details, and Percy suddenly got angry."
She could almost still hear the sounds that had almost echoed across the hillside where the humble dwelling had been—
What are you doubting? Are you questioning me?
"You have no idea what I've been through!"
"Don't you also think that I'm a freak of the Weasley family, a joke that even my own brother finds laughable? You think I could never achieve such an honor?"
Penelope didn't join the argument or defend herself; she just looked at Percy.
After he finished yelling, she picked up her bag and said, "You should calm down... Until then, it's best if we don't see each other."
She left.
The Weasleys and the others looked at Percy, who was frozen in place and panting, and didn't dare to ask him anything.
It seems that asking just one more question would burst a beautiful yet fragile soap bubble.
Fred and George, on the other hand, were caught and severely scolded by Mrs. Weasley that evening when they returned from wandering around a nearby Muggle town, because they lacked the necessary respect for their brother.
(End of this chapter)