Early morning in the Great Hall.
The long tables were laden with a sumptuous breakfast, but few people were actually using their knives and forks.
Almost every young witch and wizard's gaze drifted, intentionally or otherwise, toward a certain spot at the Ravenclaw table.
Lucien sat there quietly, as he always did.
However, the image of him wielding a sword in the rain the previous night, slashing at the Basilisk amidst lightning and flames, had been far too shocking and was deeply imprinted in everyone's minds.
When Dumbledore rose to his feet, the whispers in the Great Hall instantly died away.
Although they had witnessed the death of the Basilisk the night before, the students were still unclear about the full story.
"I presume everyone is already aware that some unusual events occurred outside the castle last night."
Dumbledore's voice rang loud and clear, reaching every corner of the Great Hall.
"First, I must clarify something. The Chamber of Secrets, and the Basilisk within it, were indeed left behind by Salazar Slytherin himself."
A slight commotion spread through the hall.
Although a pure-blood Slytherin student had been attacked by the Basilisk earlier, the rumours that it had been intended to purge non-pure-blood students had still left most of the young witches and wizards fearful. The fact that the Chamber of Secrets and the Basilisk had been left behind by one of Hogwarts' founders only added to their unease.
"But their original purpose was not to purge so-called 'unworthy' students."
Dumbledore looked around at everyone, his expression growing solemn.
"Slytherin left them behind to serve as a safeguard for the school."
He paused briefly, allowing everyone time to absorb the information.
"However, this power was exploited and twisted by someone with malicious intentions. A dangerous Dark Arts artifact was brought into Hogwarts, and someone fell under its influence and manipulation, leading to the series of attacks that occurred this term."
After a brief silence, angry voices suddenly erupted throughout the Great Hall.
"Whether he was manipulated or not, whoever did this was evil!"
"Exactly! He should be sent to Azkaban!"
"Throw him into the deepest cell and let him receive the Dementor's Kiss!"
The fear and pressure that had built up over the past several weeks finally burst forth.
Because of the threat of the Basilisk, no one had dared walk through the corridors alone, afraid that they might become the monster's next target.
Even though they had only watched from a distance the previous night, the Basilisk's enormous and horrifying body had already become the source of nightmares for many students.
Simply knowing that they had been living in the same castle as such a creature was enough to make them shudder.
Some quick-witted students repeatedly glanced toward the teachers' table.
One seat was empty.
Professor Lockhart, who normally wore the brightest robes and the most dazzling smile, was absent.
Thinking of the apparent curse on the Defence Against the Dark Arts position and remembering Professor Quirrell's fate the previous year, a few students had already formed vague guesses.
Dumbledore did not allow the speculation to continue for long.
"It is with regret that I must inform you that the person who fell under the influence of Dark Magic and manipulated the Basilisk to carry out the attacks was Gilderoy Lockhart. He has paid for his actions with his life."
Gasps and sighs immediately swept through the Great Hall.
Dumbledore's gaze slowly swept over the young witches and wizards below.
"I must take this opportunity to solemnly remind everyone that if, in the future, you encounter unusual magical objects, especially those that can communicate with people and respond to requests, you must inform a Professor or your parents immediately. Do not investigate them on your own, as they may conceal unpredictable dangers..."
During a pause in Dumbledore's speech, Terry leaned over and whispered into Lucien's ear, making sure only the two of them could hear.
"Merlin's socks! At least Quirrell pretended to teach us for a whole year. Lockhart didn't even make it through a single term before he was done for!"
Lucien, who had personally witnessed the retirements of two Defence Against the Dark Arts Professors, nodded with heartfelt agreement.
Terry continued muttering.
"Come to think of it, the Defence Against the Dark Arts position is seriously cursed, isn't it? Two Professors in a row have..."
Indeed.
Ever since the position had been cursed, no one seemed able to hold it for more than a year.
Lucien had no idea who the next Professor would be, or where Dumbledore would find one.
Most previous Defence Against the Dark Arts Professors, apart from a few particularly unfortunate cases, had at least survived.
But after the experiences of the past two years...
The position had become infamous.
"Now, the crisis hanging over Hogwarts has been completely resolved. There is no need for anyone to worry any longer."
"And during this crisis, one student demonstrated extraordinary courage and strength. He has made an irreplaceable contribution to protecting the school!"
Dumbledore smiled and looked toward the Ravenclaw table.
"Let us all offer our sincere thanks to Mr Lucien!"
Thunderous applause erupted the moment Dumbledore finished speaking, loud enough to nearly shake the enchanted ceiling itself.
Students from every House applauded with all their might, while the Gryffindor lions even whistled loudly.
The applause and cheers were both a tribute to a hero and a release after weeks of fear.
Once the applause had died down slightly, Dumbledore continued.
"To recognise Lucien's outstanding contribution, Hogwarts will award him the Special Award for Services to the School! In addition, Ravenclaw House will receive two hundred points!"
"Yeah!!!"
This time, the cheers came entirely from the Ravenclaw table.
Two hundred points!
Under normal circumstances, a House would usually accumulate around three hundred points over the course of an entire school year.
Adding two hundred points all at once meant that, with only half the school year gone, Ravenclaw already had one hand firmly wrapped around the House Cup.
The reactions of the other Houses varied.
Hufflepuff remained as laid-back as ever, while some students from Gryffindor and Slytherin were still counting on their fingers, thinking that if they won the Quidditch Cup and earned bonus points, they might still have a chance to catch up...
But they quickly gave up on the calculations.
Christmas was almost here!
With the holidays approaching, who cared about the House Cup?
Although the Basilisk incident had earned Hogwarts a three-day break to help everyone recover, there was still a week left before Christmas, and classes still had to be attended.
In the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom, Snape stood behind the lectern, his low voice echoing throughout the room.
"The Knockback Jinx. Its core principle lies in concentrating magical energy into a spark that causes the target to be blasted backward. Its effect is the exact opposite of the Summoning Charm, allowing objects to rapidly move away from the caster. Whether used to deflect incoming projectiles or to force back enemies at close range, it is highly practical..."
As he explained, Snape casually waved his wand.
A training dummy that attempted to lunge from the corner was effortlessly blasted away and sent crashing into the padded wall.
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