AN: I do not own Harry Potter or the Wizarding World Universe.
This could be considered the end of Book 1. Thanks for reading so far and for all the comments.
The good thing is that I've written the entire next book, so you'll get three posts a week. It'll be completely released in about eight weeks. This is so I can finish Book 3, edit it, and continue releasing chapters at this rate. Thanks.
Chapter 22
Harry wasn't surprised that Professor Sprout knew something was off about his life before Hogwarts. Before Hogwarts. When Professor Flitwick entered through the garage door, Harry's life had changed forever and he promised himself that he would never go back.
He knew he couldn't use magic outside of Hogwarts. What he didn't account for was that he would need to go with Vernon. It made sense. He'd been kidnapped before, twice, really. The adults would want to ensure he was safe. Safe. They hadn't cared about that before Professor Flitwick.
Professor Sprout's intense stare bothered him. She knew and didn't look at him any differently. He wasn't sure how much she knew, and he didn't want to ask. It made him uncomfortable, more because it likely changed how she looked at him.
Another thing that bothered him was that people promised that nothing would ever happen again with Vernon and Petunia. He simply couldn't trust that. Professor Sprout might believe it, and Professor Flitwick would certainly do something about it if Vernon ever hit him again, but Albus Dumbledore allowed it to happen in the first place. There was a cold certainty that he couldn't ignore.
Quirrell and Voldemort also talked about an Obscurial. He would find out what that was over the summer. Professor Snape was someone he didn't like to think about too much, but his assumption that he was like Vernon wasn't quite right. He was more like Petunia. Snape said one thing and did something else. Harry was sure the Potions Master hated him, yet he still… what? The only answer Harry had was to watch him. The more he considered it, the more he likened Snape to Petunia. When she was angry, Harry's life got worse.
So far, the only things Professor Snape took from him were House points and some marks from his potions assignments. Was it always fair? No. If there was anything he learned from the year, it was that Slytherins did not believe in fairness. They went out of their way to make things as unfair as possible whenever it benefited them. The current House points standing was evidence of that.
In the lead, Slytherins had four hundred and twenty-two points. Gryffindors had three hundred and twenty-one points. Hufflepuff had three hundred and fifty-six points, and Ravenclaw had three hundred and thirty-six points. Harry's one hundred points did wonders for catching Hufflepuff up.
"Granger is staring at you again," Ernie whispered.
"I know," Harry sighed. So far, she hadn't approached him with whatever issue she had with him. If he made eye contact, she might think it was an invitation to talk. Longbottom was never far from her or Weasley too.
"Think she has a crush?" Hannah smirked.
Harry gave her a level look and went back to his reading.
"Tomorrow is the match," Owen announced as if everyone in the school didn't know or was looking forward to it.
"I know, I know. I can't concentrate," Hannah huffed as she closed her book.
Harry looked over to the table with several seventh year students. One Gryffindor looked like she was about to have a breakdown. Merriweather would start her exams Monday. Harry would sit his the following week with the rest of the school. Then all the students would have a full week off before the end of term.
He was both excited and dreading it.
"At least all the professors are going to let us review what we want next week. It'll be an easy week," Ernie said brightly.
"What do you want to bet that Professor Snape will give us more essays to make up for it?" Daisy grumbled.
"No bet," Justin and Wayne said at the same time.
Susan laughed and pointed her quill at Daisy. "If you just jinxed us," she warned.
"Oh, please. As if he wouldn't enjoy making our lives more difficult."
Slytherin versus Hufflepuff was absolute chaos.
"Flint to Warrington! Pucey! Now, Flint! Stolen by Carson!" Lee Jordan screamed.
Harry could only focus on the Chasers and Beaters. Both Quidditch teams were not only playing hard, but they were unafraid of taking hits for a chance at a goal.
"I can't watch," Hannah gasped when Warrington and Jones nearly broke into a fistfight over the Quaffle. Madam Hooch blew her whistle more in the first thirty minutes than the entirety of the last match.
"Seventy to Fifty!" Jordan announced.
Harry cheered with the others when Hufflepuff took the lead, ninety to one hundred. Cedric and Higgs still hadn't seen the Snitch.
"Carson, Chambers, back to Carson, Jones follows up! FOUL!" Jordan screamed.
"Foul!" the majority of the Hufflepuffs bellowed in agreement.
Derrick used his Beater's stick to hit Jones across the back. She nearly fell off the broom, and she dropped the Quaffle. Pucey was ready and got it, headed for the Hufflepuff goalposts.
Madam Hooch blew several times on her whistle, and a penalty shot was awarded.
Unfortunately, things did not pick up for Hufflepuff. Another well-timed foul, this time Pucey rammed Jones at full speed, nearly flattening her on her broom, meant that Hufflepuff was playing a Chaser down. She tried, and everyone could see it, but the Slytherins targeted her.
"Foul," Jordan said flatly. "And he deserves it."
"Jordan! I'm warning you," Professor McGonagall said, but Harry didn't think she had any real heat behind the chastisement.
Rivers used his Beater's bat to break Flint's wrist. He tried to make it by accident, but everyone knew it was due to him hitting Jones yet again unprovoked.
"Foul!" the Slytherins all called.
"Bloody snakes," a Hufflepuff sneered. "I'm going to buy a snake to skin it when I get home."
Harry glanced at the older boy. He wasn't the only one. A few even agreed with him.
"They act all hurt when someone fouls them back," another Hufflepuff spat.
"Hit the Bludger at the stands!" another Hufflepuff called from near the front. "Hit those cunts!"
Harry suddenly didn't feel all that bad for anything that happened to the Slytherin Quidditch team. If they wanted to play dirty, then let them feel the pain. He was pretty sure a few of them would end up in the Hospital Wing after this match. Maybe it was just the sport, but he felt like detentions should be handed out for outright attacks on other players.
A shouting match erupted between Slytherin and Hufflepuff. Somehow, Gryffindor got pulled into it, and even a few Ravenclaws booed the Slytherins.
"Go back to your dungeons ye filthy snakes."
Harry shook his head.
"This might be the first riot in the stands in history," Wayne commented. He almost looked excited.
The professors emerged from the boxes and tried to calm things down. Madam Hooch called a timeout.
It took almost fifteen minutes for the four Houses to get settled again. Someone helped Jones because when play started again, she was out for blood.
"Foul! Jones and Flint."
Megan Jones slammed full speed into Marcus Flint's side. He almost went off his broom. She was like a human Bludger and twice as mad. Harry wouldn't go near her if he were on a broom.
The score was still very close, and the Snitch hadn't been spotted yet.
"Higgs dives!" Lee screamed.
Harry looked up to see Diggory and Higgs hurtling toward the ground. Bole tried to hit a Bludger toward Diggory, but it missed. Everyone was on their feet, trying to see what would happen between the two Seekers.
"Even if we get it, we'll lose the Cup," Hannah sighed.
"It was still hard-fought," Susan said as she stood on her toes to try and see the two Seekers fighting for the Snitch.
"Lookout!" Lee yelled.
Flint flew at Diggory with the clear intention of knocking him off his broom.
"Why do they allow that," Harry sighed. Marcus Flint only just missed, but Higgs was able to pull ahead.
"It's Quidditch," Hannah said as if it explained everything.
A Bludger slammed into Higgs' back, hit by his team's Beater no less, and the Snitch got away.
It only took five more minutes for Diggory to find it again. This time, he won the race, however the final total still wasn't high enough to catch up with Slytherin's lead for the Inter-House Cup.
"Bloody, cunts," an older Hufflepuff bellowed.
"I really don't like that word," Susan sighed. "We were close. Maybe next year."
"Diggory! Diggory!" a few Hufflepuffs chanted.
That started a stadium-wide chant for each student's favorite player. Unsurprisingly, at least to Harry, the Slytherins who chanted were drowned out by "Jones!" or "Diggory!" or "Morgan!" for the sheer number of goals the Hufflepuff Keeper stopped.
That night in the Common Room, it was so loud that all the paintings had fled. Professor Sprout had to break up the party three times. No one went to dinner. Food kept coming from somewhere, and the House heroes were quite literally paraded around.
The following day, Higgs and Flint took trips to the Hospital Wing for unnamed serious injuries. Harry only heard about it because Wayne and Justin were laughing. Something about the Weasley twins and things that shouldn't go where the sun doesn't shine. Namely, Beater's bats.
Susan blanched when she heard. "Are… you joking? Please tell me you're joking?"
Justin snorted. "It happened in the Entrance Hall in front of everyone. The two of them were jumping up and down and screaming, holding their butts."
Harry felt a little sick. Maybe there was such a thing as taking something too far.
No one could prove it was the Weasley twins, but Justin was sure it was them.
Professor Snape was livid in class on Tuesday. The wizard examiners arrived Monday morning and took over the Great Hall right after breakfast. When people laughed at Flint, walking a little bow-legged, the Head of Slytherin House started taking points from anyone he saw. A day later, in Potions, he was a menace.
"So, they cheat at Quidditch, and the House points for the House Cup?" Harry asked once they finally escaped. Ravenclaw probably lost thirty points, and Hufflepuff was closer to fifty for no reason.
"Slytherins," Michael Corner said with a shrug.
"It just goes to show how pathetic the entire house is, really," Beatrice stated.
"I heard Professor Flitwick took twenty points from Malfoy when he tried to hex Weasley yesterday," Justin said.
"So, it isn't just Snape?" Harry asked.
"Oh, no, it's really just him," Sue Li laughed. "Probably why he never got married. Too much of a sleazy git."
"I can see that. Who would want all that attitude and greasy hair?" Martha Gordon asked with a sneer.
"Maybe tall, dark, and… well, not handsome, but you know what I mean," Florence Moon giggled.
When the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws made it down to the Great Hall, it was ready for lunch.
Harry was going to say something to Fiona, but she looked like she didn't want to talk to anyone. She drank her goblet down and frowned at it like she wished something else was in there. When she set it down again, it vanished and reappeared. He watched her take out her wand, mutter something, and tap the cup. With a smile, she picked it up again and drained it in one go.
"Water into wine. Great Transfiguration spell to learn," someone commented with a laugh.
Merriweather's red face likely didn't entirely come from the alcohol.
Harry and the others didn't waste the final week before the end-of-term exams. A few Hufflepuff first-years did, but strangely, Susan led the group in coming up with what they would review. Not having assignments to take up most of the afternoon and evening meant that Harry could focus on making detailed notes. He wasn't the only one.
Harry got to wish Fiona good luck on early Saturday morning. She smiled at him and thanked him before returning to studying a truly massive tome of hand-written notes for Charms. He'd never seen it before.
On June fifteenth, every student sat an exam of some kind. For Harry and the Hufflepuffs, it was Herbology. Professor Sprout gave them ten questions to write the answers to. They were things like, "What is Devil's Snare, and how do you take care of it?" and "How do you repot a Puffapod?"
Harry had to make a decision. Was he going to answer everything correctly to the best of his ability, or was he going to keep answering things wrong? Longbottom and Granger had looks of concentration as their quills moved quickly across the page. Weasley looked lost. Susan, Hannah, and Ernie all looked confident. Harry looked back down at his exam. What did he want?
The practical part was nearly impossible to mess up, yet Finnigan did. All they had to do was repot a Flitterbloom and use the Knockback Jinx to fend off a Bouncing Bulb. Finnigan managed to set part of the greenhouse on fire.
After they left the classroom, they had over two hours before lunch. Harry used it to study for the History of Magic exam that afternoon.
This one was much harder. Harry didn't need to pretend to answer things incorrectly. He couldn't remember how many buttons Emeric the Evil liked on his trousers. Nor did he remember who started the Soap Blizzard of 1378.
"Bugger, that was hard. Who even invented the Self-Stirring Cauldrons?" Justin huffed.
"Gaspard Shingleton." Harry and Daphne Greengrass answered at the same time. They looked at each other. The Ice-queen of Slytherin sneered at him.
"Right… because who cares?" Malfoy sneered.
"Obviously, Binns did," Daisy laughed. "Also, it was in 1977 when he made them."
Harry fought back a laugh when several students groaned. He realized that he would need to do better in that subject next year. What he read in the book wasn't what Professor Binns asked on his exam. That wasn't fair, but he realized little of Hogwarts, and indeed, the wizarding world cared about what was fair. He supposed it was true for the Muggle world too.
Astronomy wasn't on Wednesday but rather Tuesday night, and they didn't have an exam on Wednesday morning. All they had to do was identify stars, constellations, and planets using their telescopes. It was dead simple.
Potions were on Wednesday afternoon. Each student had to brew a Forgetfulness Potion within an hour. If they messed up at any point or didn't precisely follow the instructions, then the chance of passing with a high mark was impossible. Professor Snape looked like he couldn't wait to fail someone.
Harry worked in silence and finished ten minutes before the one-hour time limit. His potion wasn't perfect, but it was a deep orange color.
On Thursday morning, they had Charms. Professor Flitwick had them do a similar written test as Herbology and then make a pineapple tap-dance across the desk. It was the only class Harry ensured that he answered every question correctly and in as much detail as possible. His pineapple might not have won an award for tap-dancing, but it definitely moved and finished with a bow.
Flying Lessons was that afternoon. Harry laughed when he saw Crabbe and Goyle having to retake the exam before Madam Hooch allowed everyone to leave. The exam was as simple as getting on a broom, fly around for two minutes without falling off, and then landing without breaking a leg. Crabbe couldn't get the broom off the ground and Goyle flattened the poor broom with his bulk when he landed.
Transfiguration and Defense were the last two exams. Friday morning, Harry practiced everything he knew about Transfiguration in his dormitory before breakfast. It went shockingly quickly using his notes.
Professor McGonagall set them to turning a mouse into a snuffbox. She told them that they had one hour to make the best-looking snuffbox possible. Points would be taken off for any imperfections. Susan and Granger were the first two done. They didn't have a written portion. Harry waited for a bit before attempting his. His snuffbox wasn't fancy, nor did it have any imperfections like a whisker or a tail, but it wasn't as flashy as Granger's attempt.
Once he was done, he left with the others who'd finished. By far, the Transfiguration exam was the easiest of all of them, at least for him. Justin, Tobias, Martha, Beatrice, Megan, and Hannah all struggled with theirs. For the Gryffindors, Brown, Dunbar, Kirke, Porter, Thomas, Finnigan, and Weasley all struggled with the exam.
"What happened?" Susan asked Hannah once she joined them in the corridor.
"I kept making my snuffbox look like… lips," she admitted with a blush.
"Oh, because you saw Diggory kissing that," Wayne started to say, but Hannah slapped him hard on the shoulder. "Ow!"
"You deserved it, mate," Ernie laughed. His snuffbox looked like Harry's did. Rather plain and without imperfections.
Their final exam wasn't with the Headmaster. A slender, serious witch named Professor Babbling gave them a written exam of twenty questions. They ranged from what type of magical creatures there were, what dangers they might pose, and how to defend yourself from them. For the practical exam, each student had to show they could produce Red Sparks, the Sunlight Charm, and a Knockback Jinx.
"Finally done!" Ernie excitedly yelled once they were far enough away from the classroom.
Harry breathed a sigh of relief. It felt good to just be done with classes.
"Why were there trolls on the exam? We didn't cover them in class," Terry Boot complained.
"I mean… we did… technically," Eric Edgecombe said with a shrug. "Halloween."
"True… but the professor didn't cover it in class," Michael Corner complained.
Harry looked at Hannah, who seemed to be holding in her giggles. If he hadn't gotten curious, they likely wouldn't have known the answers either.
By Friday evening, the entire school was done with exams. Harry looked over the Common Room and wondered if there had been a battle that they weren't aware of. Several Hufflepuffs were asleep in their chairs. A few looked like someone had found Firewhiskey or Butterbeer. Most just looked tired.
"Well… we know what to expect for next term," Susan whispered. She pointed with her chin at a group of second-years all sitting at a table by the fire. Two were asleep.
Harry managed to talk to Merriweather the following Tuesday. With no classes, everyone more or less did whatever they wanted. Most students spent time outside or slept in until noon. The Head Girl was flipping through a massive book of strange runes, diagrams, and numbers that he didn't understand.
"Good morning, Harry. How are you?" she asked with a big smile.
"Hello," he smiled and took a seat nearby as he'd done many times before. It felt odd now. She would be graduating, and he wouldn't see her again. "How do you think you did?" he asked.
Fiona smirked at him. "I'm confident I got at least four, maybe five N.E.W.T.s. It was hard… and without this," she said with a wave at the book in front of her, "I likely wouldn't have done as well. But… I feel confident. Maybe not Outstandings, but certainly Exceeds Expectations in everything that matters."
"Wow, brilliant," he said and meant it. He knew how hard she worked. "Was… was it hard?"
Merriweather's hollow laugh was all the answer he needed. She looked like she'd aged in the space of a few seconds. "Oh… oh, yes. It was hard."
Harry nodded. "I'm glad you did well."
"Thank you," she smiled. "How do you think you did?" she smirked.
"I did okay."
Fiona rolled her eyes. "Okay, he says. Alright, Potter. Keep your secrets," she smirked. "I'm glad it went well for you."
Harry bit his lip. "So… what do you do now?" he asked.
Once again, she shot him a brilliant smile. "Now, I ask my parents for about a hundred Galleons and secure my apprenticeship. I want to work with dragons. Last year, there was a Gryffindor, a Weasley, who got his apprenticeship in Romania. I'm pretty sure I beat his N.E.W.T.s so, I should get that spot," she grinned.
Harry frowned. "Why a hundred Galleons?"
Fiona's smile fell. "Apprenticeships are expensive. You're learning from an experienced witch or wizard established in their field. They are quite literally giving you information to help you succeed and, in many cases, survive. If I can't get a spot with the Dragon Keepers, then I'll go for one of the magical zoos. They make quite a bit every year and need specialists all the time. As long as I don't have to deal with Acromantulas or Erklings, then I should be fine."
Harry pursed his lips. "Can you give me a moment?" he asked.
She raised an eyebrow at him. "Need to use the restroom," she smirked. She waved her wand, and a blue watch appeared. "I've got rounds… which I suppose don't mean anything in a few days," she muttered. "Anyway, I'll have to head out in about fifteen minutes."
Harry nodded and got up quickly. He went to his dormitory and noticed that most of his dorm mates were still asleep. He found the Potter Trust bag from months ago and counted out one hundred and ten coins. It was a lot. He frowned, trying to find a way to transport it all. His eyes fell on the answer, and he smiled.
Fiona blinked at him when he returned. Harry held out a sock. "What am I, a house-elf?" she laughed with a scrunched-up nose. "I don't do laundry, Harry."
"You'll want to do this laundry," he smirked. "Yes, I'm giving you clothes, Merriweather."
She rolled her eyes. "Oh, no… I'm being set free," she joked as she took the sock. She froze as soon as her fingers wrapped around the material. Her eyes met his. "No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes," Harry said and almost forced it into her hand. "My parents are dead. I really don't need everything they left me. When I tell you, this isn't even a… well, a sock compared to what they left… well… I'm not lying. You helped me. I'm helping you the only way I can," he argued.
She didn't take the sock from him. Instead, she looked him over. "If you were a little older, I'd think about marrying you so you didn't make such poor financial decisions," she snorted.
"I'm… uh," Harry managed to get out. His face burned.
"No," Fiona chuckled. "I'm teasing. Thank you," she said in a very soft voice. "I won't forget this."
Harry shrugged. "Just… do whatever you do and enjoy it. Thank you for… well, everything."
She shocked him by crushing him in a hug. He could barely breathe as she smothered him with her chest. When she finally let go, she smiled, her eyes wet. "There, we're even. A little young, but you'll thank me in the future," she laughed.
Harry had no idea what she was talking about. She'd almost crushed the life out of him. "R-right," he coughed.
The sock full of Galleons disappeared in her endless bag. "Thank you again," she said softly. "Now… I'm going to go cry for a few minutes before I need to do my job."
Harry, thoroughly confused, watched the older Hufflepuff stride off to the girl's dormitory.
"You lucky bastard," someone said to him as he passed to go back to his own dormitory.
Harry still didn't understand.
Everyone talked about what they were going to do for the summer. Harry kept his plan quiet. The last thing he wanted to do was tip someone off. Ernie, Susan, Hannah, and Daisy all asked him to visit.
"I don't know what I will and won't be able to do," he told them. "I live with Muggles. So, no Floo or anything like that. It'll depend on what they say is okay," he said with a shrug.
Susan, in particular, seemed oddly intense about when he rarely talked about living with Muggles. Most still thought, even after the Daily Prophet articles, that Harry lived with a wizarding family.
The results of the end-of-term exams came out two days before the twenty-sixth. Overall, he got better marks than he expected. In Transfiguration, Astronomy, Potions, and Herbology, he got an Exceeds Expectations. In Charms and Flying, an Outstanding. With Defense Against the Dark Arts and History of Magic, he got an Acceptable. He honestly expected lower marks but was pleased overall.
Susan Bones got the highest in their year, at least for the Hufflepuffs. She got Outstandings in Charms, Transfiguration, Herbology, and Defense Against the Dark Arts. She got an Exceeds Expectations in Flying, Astronomy, History of Magic, and Potions. Not a single Acceptable or lower.
The End-of-Term Feast was decked out with green and silver. About twenty Slytherin banners filled the Great Hall in celebration for having the most House Points. It was much closer than anyone expected. Somehow, Gryffindor gained about a hundred and ten points in the last week, whereas Slytherin lost about fifty.
"I heard Malfoy did something," Hannah smirked. "Lost his little snakes a bunch of points, and the wonder-boy uncovered the plot and caught them all."
Harry frowned. "What?" He'd been holed up in the Library, making lists and looking for ways around the Magic Trace outside of Hogwarts. Madam Pince gently told him that he should focus on other pursuits because it wasn't possible for him to get around the Statue of Secrecy living with Muggles. She directed him toward the section on how best to prepare notes and use his summer to get well ahead of his peers if he had the desire to do so.
"Malfoy decided that he wanted to be a bully, shocker right? Well, he had that Slytherin girl Windel and Davis trapped in a girl's bathroom on the second floor with some crazy ghost. You know the one?" Daisy said with a laugh.
Harry didn't know the one. The troll from Halloween came to mind. He didn't explore the Castle all that much, but he knew how to get to and from class and the Library.
"Longbottom, Granger, Weasley, and the Weasley twins apparently found them. Giggling and laughing at their plight. Bulstrode or Parkinson, no one knows which, swiped the girl's clothes so they couldn't come out without being nearly starkers," Hannah continued.
"So there's this big row, and everyone was sent to bed," Daisy finished.
"How do you know all this?" Ernie asked. Harry thought it a great question.
"Martha and Megan saw it all," Hannah said with a nod.
Dumbledore took the podium at the center of the dais in front of the High Table. "Another year gone! And I must trouble you with an old man's wheezing waffle before we sink our teeth into our delicious feast. What a year it has been! Hopefully, your heads are all a little fuller than they were... you have the whole summer ahead to get them nice and empty before next year starts," he announced with a smile.
"I believe it is time to award the House Cup! The points stand as follows: in fourth place, Hufflepuff with three hundred and fifty points." Harry and the other Hufflepuffs clapped. They worked hard that year, and it was clear that Professor Snape would never let anyone other than his house win. Merriweather said that every year she was there, Slytherin won through hook and crook.
"In third place, Gryffindor with three hundred and eighty-five points!" The Gryffindors cheered, albeit not as loudly as the Hufflepuffs.
"In second place, Ravenclaw with three hundred and ninety points!" Harry watched the smug look on the Slytherin's faces as they clapped for the cheering Ravenclaws.
"Finally, I would like to congratulate the Slytherins on a job well done. With four hundred and ten points, you have taken the House Cup!" the Headmaster said with a clap of his own. The Slytherins cheered loudest of all. Not many clapped from the other Houses. Harry certainly wasn't one of them.
"Ah, yes. Well, done. There are… one or two last-minute points to award," the Headmaster said once things quietened down. The Hall went dead quiet. Harry thought someone might be able to hear a quill drop it was so silent.
"We are a school of academia and excellence. There are few, very few, who achieve what is seen as a perfect exam score. I, and all of the professors here, must congratulate Miss Hermione Granger for achieving all Outstandings in her end-of-term exams. You are awarded, ten points for your dedication!" The Gryffindors all exploded with cheers, claps, and calls for the Know-It-All to do it again. Harry saw Professor Snape sneer at Dumbledore's back. It took a moment for them to settle down.
The Hall went dead silent again when it was clear that the Headmaster wasn't done.
"There are a few things that is more important than standing up for your allies. It is much harder to stand up for those who have wronged you in the past. I would like to award this young wizard for his determination, bravery, and more importantly compassion. Mister Neville Longbottom, I award you twenty points for Gryffindor."
The Hall might have exploded if it was possible due to the sheer noise and celebration from the Gryffindor table. Neville disappeared under a veritable sea of bodies. It wasn't just the Gryffindors cheering. Hufflepuff and Ravenclaws were cheering. Anyone with half a brain knew that the Headmaster had just stolen the House Cup from Slytherin. As Vernon told Harry once, "I have the bigger stick." Well, Albus Dumbledore had the bigger stick that day and knocked them off their broom.
"I believe!" the Headmaster bellowed over the sheer noise in the Hall. "I believe a change of decoration is required." He waved his wand. The green and silver banners and decorations were replaced with maroon and gold. The Lion of Gryffindor stood proudly on display.
"Aww, little snake is crying," someone commented near Harry. He looked over to see Malfoy, mouth wide open, staring at the banners. His Housemates were not at all pleased with him.
"I'd say that was justice well served," Susan Bones said with a nod.