The last week of school, with no classes, flew by quickly. That weekend, the final Quidditch match of the term was held.
Without a Seeker, Gryffindor was easily defeated by Ravenclaw. Ravenclaw's Seeker, in particular, leisurely flew around for a long time, waiting until their team had a clear lead before catching the Golden Snitch.
Thus, this year, Ravenclaw finally lifted the Quidditch Cup. Gryffindor was frustrated, but there was nothing they could do about it.
However, Slytherin still had the highest house points—thanks in no small part to Professor Snape's "outstanding" contributions in that area.
But during the End-of-Term Feast, Dumbledore finally awarded points to those who had ventured into the secret chamber earlier.
Each received 20 points for their respective house, and Harry Potter was given an additional 50 points. This put Gryffindor in first place, with Slytherin dropping to second.
At first, the celebration belonged to Slytherin, but soon it shifted to Gryffindor.
Ravenclaw students applauded along with the others—before the extra points, they had been in third place, and after the points, they remained in third. But for Ravenclaw, even being in last place wouldn't have mattered much.
Whether the banners overhead were red or green didn't really matter; what was far more entertaining was watching the emotional highs and lows of the Gryffindor and Slytherin students.
At the teachers' table, Professors McGonagall and Snape exchanged subtle glances that spoke volumes.
"I still can't believe it," Michael whispered to Wade, "Professor Snape wasn't in league with Quirrell! He looks so much like a Death Eater… don't you think?"
"He certainly does. But if he were, how could Dumbledore have let him stay at Hogwarts for so many years?" Wade replied.
...
The day after the feast, the exam results were finally posted.
Wade had the highest overall score in the entire year, though Hermione topped the class in both History of Magic and Astronomy. The other SSC members also had very high marks, with most of them ranking near the top in every subject.
To those unfamiliar with SSC, it seemed like this year's first-year students were just exceptionally talented, with strong performances spread evenly across all the houses (even Slytherin's Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini had high scores).
Unlike previous years, when most of the top ten students were from Ravenclaw.
The students once again signed the agreement that forbade the use of magic during the holiday break, packed up their belongings, and boarded the Hogwarts Express.
Wade, Michael, Theo, and Ryan took one compartment, while Hermione sat with the Patil sisters, and Harry and Neville shared a compartment with their dormitory roommates.
"How about coming to my place for summer break?" Michael said enthusiastically. "I live by the seaside, and we can take a boat to visit nearby islands."
"Sounds great!" Theo responded eagerly. "Let's set a date for everyone to hang out. Otherwise, staying home for two whole months would be so boring."
"Wade, what about you? Will you have time?" Ryan asked.
"I'll be studying alchemy with Professor Murray, but if I can spare some time, I'd definitely love to join!" Wade smiled. "Even I don't want to spend the entire summer just studying."
"Alright, I'll keep you updated—don't forget to check the Book of Friends!" Michael reminded them.
The train arrived at King's Cross Station, and the students disembarked one by one. As Wade stepped onto the platform, he saw Fred and Fiona standing together, happily waiting for him.
As usual, his mother gave him a big hug first, while his father took his suitcase.
"Let's get going. I've already booked a table at a restaurant," Fred said, and then opened the car's trunk and stuffed the suitcase in.
Seeing him struggling, Wade was tempted to use a Levitation Charm to help for a moment, but he quickly remembered that they had left school and resisted the urge.
"Wade, I heard some particularly outrageous rumors at the Leaky Cauldron," Fiona said eagerly after they had finished eating.
"It's not true, is it? I mean... about one of your professors being a puppet for the Dark Lord... and something about your school hiding a stone that grants immortality?"
Wade looked up and saw Fred also watching him silently.
"The Philosopher's Stone is real," Wade explained. "Mr. Nicolas Flamel and his wife have lived for six centuries thanks to the Elixir of Life!"
"Oh my goodness!" Fiona exclaimed, in awe. "I've read about him in fantasy novels! I can't believe he's still alive... I wonder what it feels like to be immortal..."
She looked rather fascinated by the idea.
"Actually, you can only be immortal—you can't 'not age.' So..." Wade spread his hands, letting his mother imagine the rest.
The image of an eternally young, mysterious, and handsome wizard quickly crumbled in Fiona's mind, replaced by the thought of someone with white hair, wrinkled skin, and missing teeth.
But the oldest person Fiona had ever met was just over a hundred... She had no idea what someone over six hundred and sixty years old would look like. Her imagination started to drift toward the image of Cthulhu.
Fred noticed the part Wade had skipped over, and his heart sank.
That evening, after they returned home and Fiona went to freshen up, Fred gestured for Wade to join him on the balcony.
"So... it's true, isn't it?" Fred fiddled with a lighter but didn't light a cigarette, instead asked, "About... the Dark Lord?"
Wade hesitated, unsure whether to tell his father the whole truth.
Fred noticed this and, with a heavy heart, forced a smile. "Don't tell me... the truth is even stranger than the rumors?"
Wade finally made up his mind.
"It's like this—the one who infiltrated Hogwarts wasn't just a puppet of Voldem—uh, the Dark Lord. It was actually him. He hasn't truly died but is existing as a kind of wandering spirit, possessing Quirrell."
Aware of how most people feared Voldemort's name, Wade deliberately avoided saying it aloud in front of others.
Fred's hand trembled, and he nearly dropped the lighter.
"He... isn't dead?" he asked with a pale face.
"No. But his disguise wasn't good enough. Dumbledore knew from the start, so things were always under his control." Wade spoke with a light tone.
"And you've probably heard already—Quirrell was eventually defeated by Harry Potter, a first-year student. So it wasn't really Quirrell who failed, but the Dark Lord himself."
Fred was silent for a long time. Only when he heard the bathroom door slide open did he prepare to return to the living room. Just as he was about to open the door, he suddenly turned back. "Wade—"
"Hmm?"
"You've learned magic now... there's no chance you'll become a Squib... Have you ever thought about..." Fred seemed to find it particularly difficult to continue.
Wade waited quietly.
"—Have you thought about going to America? Or maybe Australia?" Fred said. "I heard they have a great magic school in the U.S. Maybe they'd accept transfer students..."
Wade was silent for a moment before saying, "...Sorry, Dad."
"Alright..." Fred sighed. "I'm not surprised at all."
"But we can still make some preparations," Wade added. "If one day things become really dangerous, I hope you and Mom can move there first."
"Silly boy." Fred smiled wryly. "How could we possibly leave you behind... hiding somewhere safe on our own?"
"If I'm in danger, I'll go too," Wade said with a smile. "You know, wizards can Apparate. I plan to learn that spell in my second year—it'll make running away easier."
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