During the evening banquet, young wizards were surprised to find an unusually abundant array of meat dishes on the table.
Though curious, everyone indulged in the feast with relish.
Dumbledore joyfully announced during the banquet that the monster in the Chamber of Secrets had been slain, and the heir of Slytherin had disappeared forever, dispersing the ominous clouds that had hung over Hogwarts.
He also cheerfully informed everyone that the meat served tonight was all taken from the basilisk, encouraging everyone to enjoy a hearty meal.
Indeed, the chance to taste basilisk meat was rare.
Many people would never even see a basilisk in their lifetime, making this opportunity to sample basilisk meat unprecedented in history.
Upon hearing this, many almost spat out the meat in their mouths.
But for many others, this feast of basilisk meat served as a release of pent-up emotions, especially for the victims who had been petrified by the serpent.
They savored their meal with a sense of vengeance.
Only the Slytherins' wizards were somewhat displeased.
Because the serpent was a symbol of their house, the monster in the Slytherin Chamber of Secrets, they all took pride in it.
But now, their pride had become everyone's meal, and they didn't even have the opportunity to voice their dissent.
As they ate the basilisk meat, many young wizards from other houses looked at the Slytherins with mockery and pity in their eyes.
The remaining days of the summer term saw several events unfold.
Before the exams, Professor Dumbledore announced that to soothe everyone's nerves after the frights of the semester, the final exams were canceled.
Everyone was delighted, but Hermione had some complaints.
The result of the Quidditch Cup was obvious, with Ravenclaw dominating as usual: even without Alaric, Ravenclaw still managed to defeat Hufflepuff, demonstrating their strength.
As for the House Cup, with the four hundred points from Alaric and Hermione, Ravenclaw won the House Cup with a significant lead.
Another happy event was that Gilderoy Lockhart's teaching career at Hogwarts finally ruined his reputation.
Due to his long neglect of duties in Defense Against the Dark Arts, young wizards gradually discovered that he was not proficient in magic—well, except for the Memory Charm.
But could he use that magic on young wizards at Hogwarts?
More and more people began to doubt the authenticity of his writings, and more and more parents sent complaints to the Ministry of Magic about Lockhart.
Finally, unable to withstand the pressure, the Ministry organized a special investigation team to conduct a series of investigations into the truth of Lockhart's experiences in his books.
The team visited a series of places, and they were surprised to find that all the incidents in Lockhart's books did indeed happen, but they didn't involve Lockhart; they were the experiences of many other different wizards.
This conclusion caused an uproar in the entire wizarding world.
Most of Lockhart's fans turned against him, criticizing him more vehemently than they had ever admired him, demanding strict punishment from the Ministry for this fraud.
However, there was still a small group of die-hard fans who continued to defend Lockhart's reputation, insisting that the Ministry's conclusion was a conspiracy, and Lockhart was not a fraud but a great man.
In the end, the Ministry summoned Lockhart, and he was tried in Azkaban.
Not only was he stripped of his Order of Merlin, but he was also fined a large amount of Galleons.
However, since he did not cause substantial harm, he was not sent to Azkaban.
Hogwarts also took the opportunity to revoke Lockhart's professorship, and Dumbledore's plan was perfectly executed.
Upon hearing the news of Lockhart's departure from the school, the students erupted into cheers, with a few teachers joining in.
Now Gilderoy Lockhart not only had a completely tarnished reputation, but he was also suddenly penniless overnight. He was no longer the great figure he imagined himself to be.
This reality deeply struck Lockhart's spirit, and soon he became erratic and delusional, insisting that everything in his books was his own firsthand experience.
And everyone was jealous of him, and the suspicions and accusations from the outside world were all slander against him.
Soon, he was sent to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, becoming a patient there.
Time flew, and it was soon time for the holidays. All the wizards boarded the train to London one after another.
The three girls had their own plans for the summer.
Penelope was going to spend a lot of time preparing for next year's N.E.W.T. exams.
The Granger family planned to vacation in France, and it was said that Cho Chang's family, invited by the Granger family, would also go to France together,
Because the Granger couple, being Muggles, wanted to understand more about wizarding families, and Cho Chang was Hermione's best friend at school.
"When did you two become so close?" Alaric asked Hermione curiously on the train.
"Guess!" Hermione gave Alaric a big eye roll. Since surviving the Basilisk incident, her attitude towards him had become increasingly casual.
Alaric shrugged helplessly and went to the next compartment to ask Cho Chang. Among the three girls, she was the softest and easiest to talk to.
Unfortunately, Cho Chang's lips were unexpectedly tight this time.
Even though Alaric resorted to his usual tactics, making her blush and heartbeat with a pinning against the wall move, she still refused to utter a word.
For such a result, Alaric was helpless.
The girls were all growing up slowly and starting to have their own secrets.
They were no longer his fangirls, that they used to be.
Upon learning that Hermione and Cho Chang were going to vacation together, Alaric gave up his plan to visit them in France.
The experiences from the last days of the previous summer vacation were still vivid in his mind.
In fact, this summer, besides continuing his studies and research, there were two other important matters.
The first was his second Order of Merlin, this time a First-Class one.
The reason was that he found a way to become an Animagus.
Although he had only succeeded in transforming into a dragon himself for now, without a complete process to make all Animagi capable of transforming into magical creatures.
It was still an unprecedented achievement, of considerable reference value to other wizards.
Although Alaric didn't care much about this honor, having a big reputation indeed had its benefits in the wizarding world.
Just look at Dumbledore; although he didn't hold much actual power, he had friends wherever he went, and people respected him in whatever he did.
Even Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic, had to treat him with utmost respect. That's the advantage of having a big name.
So he accepted this medal with a smile.
The second matter was about Nicolas Flamel.
Ever since losing the Philosopher's Stone, the Flamel couple's days were numbered.
Now, they were on their deathbeds, wanting to see Alaric, this rising star in the magical academic world, before they passed away.
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