The sun dipped below the horizon, casting a fiery red hue across the sky as Harry dashed down the stairs, his heart light with anticipation. Madam Pomfrey had finally cleared him to leave the hospital wing, and he was eager to join his friends in the Great Hall. But as he rounded the corner and stepped through the entrance, he came to an abrupt halt, his eyes widening in disbelief.
The hall was a sea of green. Slytherin banners hung triumphantly above, their silver snakes gleaming against the emerald fabric. Students clad in green and silver sat proudly at their house table, smirks plastered on their faces as they looked down on the other houses with smug superiority.
Harry's jaw dropped. Just yesterday, Gryffindor had been leading the House Cup standings by a narrow margin. How could this have happened? His heart sank as his gaze flickered to the hourglasses displaying the house points. The scarlet rubies representing Gryffindor were shockingly low, far beneath the towering emeralds of Slytherin. Worse still, Gryffindor had slipped to third place, behind Hufflepuff.
"This can't be real..." Harry muttered, rubbing his eyes as if to wake himself from a bad dream. But the green banners remained, mocking him with their undeniable presence.
"Harry! Over here!" Ron's voice broke through his daze. Harry turned to see Ron and David waving him over to the Gryffindor table, their faces etched with frustration.
Numbly, Harry made his way over and slumped onto the bench. "What happened?" he demanded, his voice low and urgent.
"Snape happened," Hermione spat, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. "Last night, he deducted a hundred points from Gryffindor! Said it was for disrespect and insubordination... all because we were celebrating."
"He heard people in the common room celebrating that he might get sent to Azkaban," David explained, shaking his head. "He used it as an excuse to take a hundred points."
Harry's fists clenched. "Why couldn't he have been arrested last night? It's not fair!"
Ron and Hermione nodded in fierce agreement, their faces stormy. Across the hall, Professor Snape sat at the head table, his expression impassive, though his lips curled ever so slightly. Harry's blood boiled at the sight.
"It's alright," David said, attempting to lift their spirits. "We still have next year. We just need to earn more points... and make sure Snape has fewer reasons to deduct them."
His attempt at optimism fell flat. The Slytherin table erupted into raucous laughter, and the Gryffindors' faces fell further. Even the prospect of the end-of-year feast couldn't stir their appetites.
Then, Dumbledore stood, his presence commanding instant silence. He spoke briefly of the end of another year at Hogwarts, but as his gaze settled on the decorated hall, his eyes twinkled. "It seems we need to award a few last-minute points," he said, his voice carrying across the hall.
Hermione's hand shot to David's arm, clutching it tightly as she held her breath.
"To Miss Hermione Granger... for the cool use of intellect when others were in grave peril, I award Gryffindor fifty points."
A gasp escaped Hermione as her eyes filled with tears. "We're tied with Slytherin!" she whispered, her voice trembling.
David smiled softly. "You earned it."
Dumbledore continued, his voice warm, "To Mr. Neville Longbottom... for having the courage to stand up to his friends, I award Gryffindor ten points."
A stunned silence followed. Neville's face flushed as red as a Gryffindor banner, and then the hall erupted into chaos. Gryffindor had won the House Cup!
As Dumbledore clapped his hands, the emerald banners shimmered and transformed into vibrant scarlet and gold. The lion of Gryffindor roared triumphantly above the Great Hall. Professor McGonagall beamed with pride, while Snape's face turned an ashen shade of grey as he glared down at his untouched plate.
Fred and George leapt onto the table, performing an impromptu tap dance. The entire Gryffindor table burst into cheers, their joy echoing off the ancient stone walls.
On the way back to the common room, Ron and Harry couldn't contain their glee. They gleefully imitated Malfoy's look of utter shock when Dumbledore awarded the final points, sending passing students into fits of laughter.
David grinned, shaking his head as he watched his friends. For all the trials they had faced this year, this victory was well-earned.
And with the banners of Gryffindor flying high above them, it was a moment they would never forget.