Chapter 1242: The End of the Banquet

Chapter 1242 -58: The End of the Banquet

Dumbledore was the first to start applauding.

Once, twice, thrice…

The applause in the hall gradually picked up, not quite enthusiastic, but still orderly.

Gryffindor and Hufflepuff responded most eagerly, Ravenclaw’s applause was sparse, and only a few from Slytherin clapped their hands a few times.

When the applause stopped, Dumbledore rose again, and the attention of the whole room immediately focused on him.

“Thank you, Mr. Weasley, for your speech.”

Dumbledore gazed gently at the students and said:

“Ensuring the safety of students is indeed very important. The Ministry of Magic’s willingness to pay attention to this and propose specific measures brings me genuine comfort.”

“Also, please remember — systems, measures, and our ancient walls — the most fundamental reason they can protect our safety lies in the people who guard them.”

He nodded at Percy and said:

“Thank Minister Sinckness for me, thank him for remembering, and thank him for his attention.”

“But now, it’s getting late.”

Dumbledore raised his arm and said, “Prefects, please lead your houses back to the common rooms — off to bed you go, children. I hope you all can start tomorrow full of energy.”

“Also hope Professor McGonagall won’t collect homework tomorrow!” Vid heard a nearby classmate murmuring, “I don’t know if I can finish my paper tonight!”

The long tables began to stir.

The sound of chair legs scraping the floor rose and mingled with the buzzing of conversations.

Students stood up in twos and threes, some stretching lazily, some sticking together for idle chat, while others yawned and swayed towards the door.

“Hey, Fred!”

At the Gryffindor long table, Angelina Johnson confidently waved at Fred; her tall figure stood out in the crowd, her dark skin glowing healthily in the candlelight.

“Angelina!” Fred brightened a little. “How was your winter break?”

“Oh, it was fine. But, honestly, it was quite surprising…”

She swung her school bag over her shoulder and looked towards the teacher’s table. “I actually never liked Perce much before, even though he’s your brother.”

“Remember? When he was the head boy in the fourth year, once I practiced magic in the corridor, he chased me for ten minutes quoting school rules and tried to deduct points — I genuinely wanted to turn him into a chocolate frog back then.”

Several Gryffindor students around laughed.

“But what he said just now—”

Angelina shrugged, her tone becoming serious. “It made a lot of sense, and he seemed different from the officials I’ve met before!”

Lee Jordan laughed and said, “Still a bit of bureaucratic talk, but he genuinely takes it seriously and is quite fair, right?”

Everyone agreed enthusiastically.

A senior who had emerged from Gryffindor, who now appeared capable of standing side by side with Dumbledore as an official, was most importantly so approachable, which made everyone extremely excited.

Above all, they liked the Weasley Twins, so naturally, this affection was mirrored onto Percy.

Fred didn’t speak, he lowered his head and pulled his chair, the sound of chair legs screeching unpleasantly.

George’s lips turned downward, his face devoid of any happiness, nor the usual cheerful teasing.

“What’s wrong?” Angelina sensed something amiss and scanned the faces of the twins, “Did I say something wrong?”

Fred’s lips moved.

The familiar, sharp sarcasm surged to his tongue and was about to burst out when George pressed his arm down.

George was honestly willing to let everyone know Percy’s true nature — if it weren’t for the fact that they also bore the Weasley name.

The two of them, along with Ron and Ginny, still had to attend Hogwarts.

To brand a member of the Weasley family as a heartless beast was akin to handing a weapon to their enemies — say, Slytherin, and this wasn’t a good thing.

This was different from the times they joked and teased their brother.

“It’s nothing.”

George said. His voice was calm: “What you said was right. Percy indeed… is perfect for this.”

Fred took a deep breath, swallowing back the word that had leaped to the tip of his tongue.

His gaze fell towards the teachers’ table — Percy stood beside Dumbledore with his head slightly bowed, seemingly listening to the headmaster, courteous and focused.

Compared to his previous tendency to stick his nose up while looking at people, he appeared slightly more pleasant, but still so hypocritical… hypocritical to a fault!

Fred used to think he could use jest to shatter the pretense and ridiculous shell over Percy.

But now he suddenly felt that some shells are unbreakable… Their existence is meant to define the person inside them.

Seeing his expression, Angelina raised an eyebrow, suddenly realizing something.

Within the fifth-year students’ queue, Harry walked alone with his head down, since Ron and Hermione went to organize the younger students to return to the common room orderly.

At this moment, a figure approached him.

Neville glanced back at Percy, who hadn’t left the teachers’ table, and curiously asked:

“Harry, did Percy really shout during the Quidditch matches before? I can’t quite imagine it.”

Harry felt speechless — of everything Percy said, Neville focused only on this trivial detail?

But this was something he did know.

“He did shout.” Harry simply said, “I remember it was in the third year when we won the championship. He was excited and jumping around, but mainly because he had placed a ten-Galleon bet with Penelope.”

Neville was curious: “Penelope?”

He wasn’t very familiar with the former Ravenclaw prefect.

Harry said, “She’s Percy’s girlfriend.”

“Very likely, not anymore… I know they’ve been arguing recently.” A voice came from beside.

Ginny came over sometime earlier, her arms crossed in front of her chest, her face expressionless.

Harry was taken aback: “Arguing? He and Penelope?”

He blinked incredulously: “But he liked her so much — I remember you said he spent the entire holiday writing letters to Penelope…”

“Yes, but that was before.” Ginny’s voice was flat. “Since Penelope graduated and didn’t enter the Ministry of Magic as Percy planned, they’ve been frequently arguing.”

She quickly glanced at Percy, who was conversing with Filch, then retracted her gaze and said:

“Percy thought she was crazy — ‘You could have entered the Ministry of Magic, do you know how many fight their way in?’ Penelope said she knew, but that isn’t the life she wanted.”

Harry opened his mouth, unsure of what to say.

“And then?” Neville cautiously asked.

“Cold war for a while, then they reconciled, but…”

Ginny paused, eyes dimming slightly.

“And then it was… the incident with capturing Peter Pettigrew.”

Harry frowned.

“Penelope was initially happy for him.”

As they ascended the staircase, Ginny said, “But after hearing the whole story, she asked a few more details, and Percy suddenly exploded.”

She seemed still able to hear the voice that almost echoed over the hillside of the Burrow—

“What are you doubting? Are you questioning me?”

“You’ve no idea what I’ve gone through!”

“Do you also think I’m the freak of the Weasley family, a joke even to my own brother? Do you think I’m incapable of achieving such honor?”

Penelope didn’t argue or refute, she just looked at Percy.

Once he finished shouting, she picked up her bag and said: “You need to calm down… Before that, it’s best we don’t meet.”

She left.

The Weasley folks watched Percy, frozen and panting, but dared not ask anything.

It was as if one more question would puncture a grand yet fragile soap bubble.

Though Fred and George that evening, wandering back from the nearby Muggle Town, were caught and scolded harshly by Mrs. Weasley because they lacked the necessary respect for their brother.