The War Hammer of Hogwarts - Harry Potter

Dumbledore is Maybe a Little Bit Biased

I woke up in the infirmary, where my friends told me what had happened.  In the end, it was Quirrell.  That stupid turban was hiding Voldemort's face on the back of his head, which I still don't really get. But when he reached out to grab Harry, he turned to dust.  So in short, Harry technically killed a teacher.  But we won!  Hermione, Ron, Pieck, and I sat at the Gryffindor table, when Harry walked through the doors into the great hall.  There was a sudden hush, and then everybody started talking loudly at once.  He slipped into a seat between Ron and Hermione, and Dumbledore arrived moments later.  The babble died away.

Dumbledore: 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.  Now, as I understand it, the house cup here needs awarding, and the points stand thus.  In fourth place, Gryffindor, with three hundred and twenty seven points.  In third, Hufflepuff, with three hundred and fifty two.  Ravenclaw has four hundred and twenty six, and Slytherin, five hundred and thirty seven.

A storm of cheering and stamping broke out from the Slytherin table.  I could see Draco Malfoy banging his goblet on the table.  It was a sickening sight.

Dumbledore: Yes, yes, well done, Slytherin.  However, recent events must be taken into account.

The room went very still.  The Slytherins' smiles faded a little as Dumbledore cleared his throat.

Dumbledore: I have a few last minute points to dish out.  Let me see.  Yes... first, to Mr Ronald Weasley...

Ron went purple in the face.

Dumbledore: For the best played game of chess Hogwarts has seen in many years, I award Gryffindor house fifty points.

Gryffindor cheers nearly raised the bewitched ceiling.  The stars overhead seemed to quiver.

Percy: My brother, you know!  My youngest brother!  Got past McGonagall's giant chess set!

At last there was silence again.

Dumbledore: Second, to Miss Hermione Granger... for the use of cool logic in the face of fire, I award Gryffindor house fifty points.

Hermione buried her face in her arms.  I'm ninety nine percent sure she had burst into tears.  Gryffindors up and down the table were beside themselves.  We were a hundred points up.

Dumbledore: Third, to Mr YN Tybur.  For prioritizing the safety of his friends and impressive use of magical ability... I award fifty points.

The Gryffindor house erupted into cheering once more.  I grinned as Pieck hugged me.

Dumbledore: Fourth, to Mr. Harry Potter...

The room went deadly quiet.

Dumbledore: For pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award Gryffindor house sixty points.

The din was deafening.  Those who could add up while yelling themselves hoarse knew that Gryffindor now had five hundred and twenty two points.  Exactly the same as Slytherin.  We had tied for the house cup.  If only Dumbledore had given Harry just one more point.  Dumbledore raised his hand.  The room gradually fell silent.

Dumbledore: There are all kinds of courage.  It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends.  I therefore award ten points to Mr Neville Longbottom.

Someone standing outside the Great Hall might well have thought some sort of explosion had taken place, so loud was the noise that erupted from the Gryffindor table.  Harry, Ron, Hermione, Pieck, and I stood up to yell and cheer as Neville, white with shock, disappeared under a pile of people hugging him.  He had never won so much as a point for Gryffindor before.  Harry, still cheering, got my attention and pointed at Malfoy, who couldn't have looked more stunned and horrified if he'd just had the Body-Bind Curse put on him.  I was laughing hysterically at this point.

Dumbledore: Which means...

Dumbledore had to yell over the storm of applause, since even Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were celebrating the downfall of Slytherin.

Dumbledore: We need a little change of decoration!

He clapped his hands.  In an instant, the green hangings became scarlet and the silver became gold.  The huge Slytherin serpent vanished and a towering Gryffindor lion took its place.  Snape was shaking Professor McGonagall's hand, with a horrible, forced smile.  It seemed as though life would be back to normal next year, or as normal as it ever was at Hogwarts.  It was the best evening of my life, better than Christmas, even better than fighting a mountain troll.  I would never, ever forget tonight.  I had almost forgotten that the exam results were still to come, but come they did.  Harry and Ron both decent good marks, while Pieck and Hermione, of course, had the best grades of the first years.  My grade was slightly lower than theirs.  Even Neville scraped through, his good Herbology mark making up for his abysmal Potions one.  We had hoped that Goyle, who was almost as stupid as he was mean, might be thrown out, but he had passed, too.  It was a shame, but as Ron said, you couldn't have everything in life.  And suddenly, our wardrobes were empty, our trunks were packed, Neville's toad was found lurking in a corner of the toilets.  Notes were handed out to all students, warning us not to use magic over the holidays.

Fred: I always hope they'll forget to give us these.

Hagrid was there to take us down to the fleet of boats that sailed across the lake.  We were boarding the Hogwarts Express, talking and laughing as the countryside became greener and tidier, eating Bettie Bott's Every Flavor Beans as they sped past Muggle towns, pulling off our wizard robes and putting on jackets and coats.  Then we pulled into platform nine and three quarters at King's Cross Station. It took quite a while for us all to get off the platform.  A wizened old guard was up by the ticket barrier, letting us go through the gate in twos and threes so we didn't attract attention by all bursting out of a solid wall at once and alarming the Muggles.

Ron: You guys must come and stay this summer, all four of you.  I'll send you an owl.

YN: Definitely.

Harry: Thanks.  I'll need something to look forward to.

YN: I'd be happy to intimidate your aunt and uncle a bit if you'd like.

Harry grinned as people we moved forward toward the gateway back to the Muggle world.  When we passed through the gateway together, a voice rang out.

???: There he is, mum, there he is, look!

It was Ginny Weasley, Ron's younger sister, but she wasn't pointing at Ron.

Ginny: Harry Potter!  Look, mum!  I can see-

Molly: Be quiet, Ginny, and it's rude to point.

Mrs Weasley smiled down at us.

Molly: Busy year?

Harry: Very.  Thanks for the fudge and the sweater, Mrs Weasley.

YN: Yes, thank you so much.

Molly: Oh, it was nothing, dears.

???: Ready, are you?

It was Harry's Uncle Vernon, looking furious at the nerve of Harry, carrying an owl in a cage in a station full of ordinary people.  Behind him stood Harry's aunt and cousin, looking terrified at the very sight of Harry.  I hugged Pieck goodbye as she ran off to find her family, before hurrying over to Harry's side.

YN: Ah, you must be Harry's family!

Uncle Vernon: In a manner of speaking.  Hurry up, boy, we haven't got all day.

YN: A word, please.  If I hear harry is being mistreated over the summer... well, I am one of the most powerful wizards at Hogwarts, including the staff.  You better treat him with some respect, got it?

The purple faced man looked nervous, quickly nodding and motioning for Harry to follow him.  I grinned at Harry, who just waved back as he went off with them.