Despite the late hour, everyone was ordered by the professors to leave the common room and gather in the auditorium.
The crowd was buzzing with discussions about the recent events.
Although they had stayed in their common rooms per the professors' instructions, unaware of the events within the castle, they were fully aware of the commotion.
For instance, Ravenclaw House, close to the tower, had clearly heard explosions and roars.
Gryffindor House had observed the bright flames outside and the Dark Mark hovering above the castle through the windows.
This news was spreading at an astonishing rate between everyone.
Coupled with the well-informed few among the students, the tale of the Death Eaters attacking Hogwarts quickly circulated throughout the auditorium within twenty minutes.
Unprecedented panic gripped everyone's hearts.
Previously, everyone believed Hogwarts was the safest place, never imagining Death Eaters would ever appear in the castle.
Thankfully, no one was harmed during the attack; only a Gryffindor had accidentally stumbled while descending the stairs.
Five minutes later, Neville limped into the auditorium and took a seat beside the Gryffindor table.
Everyone was present.
Headmaster Dumbledore ceased conversing with Fudge and strode boldly to the teacher's podium, his gaze stern upon everyone below.
"I believe some of you may already know what I'm about to say... indeed, just an hour ago, Death Eaters breached the castle."
A buzzing murmur arose from below.
"Please maintain silence," Dumbledore shouted, barely overpowering the crowd's voices.
"But I have to inform you, all Death Eaters have been expelled, and rest assured, as long as I'm at school, such an event will never happen again."
Under Dumbledore's reassurance, the auditorium gradually quieted down into an anxious silence.
"But I must emphasize, the current situation is quite tense, to ensure everyone's safety, curfew will be moved up by two hours, and after dinner, you should not roam freely."
Professor McGonagall subconsciously straightened up, expecting discontent over this decision, but unexpectedly, everyone seemed to accept it willingly.
The auditorium was silent, with no dissent whatsoever.
"Well then, warm and comfortable beds are waiting for you. I know your immediate task is to rest well and prepare for tomorrow's classes, so... oh, sorry, just one more thing."
Many had already stood up when Dumbledore suddenly said, "Here, I'd like to award Hufflepuff a hundred points in recognition of Kael's bravery during the Death Eater attack just now... by the way, he saved my life."
Instantly, all eyes focused on Kael.
"You saved Headmaster Dumbledore?" Conna asked in surprise, "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"
"Do you think it's possible?" Kael said casually, "If a few Death Eaters could kill Dumbledore, then what does that make Voldemort, who hides from him? He might as well change his name to Puffskein, or even Bowtruckle."
Admittedly, Kael's words were convincing, and Conna immediately realized... indeed, it's Dumbledore.
"But if that's the case, why did the headmaster say that?"
"Who knows." Kael said indifferently, "Maybe it's the kind of humor only an old wizard would have."
Regardless, gaining a hundred points for Hufflepuff was a good thing, ensuring this year's House Cup was undoubtedly theirs.
To avoid being swamped by others, under a multitude of gazes, Kael pulled Conna through the crowd, leaving the auditorium first to return to the common room.
By this time, Hufflepuff had already started celebrating their early House Cup win.
It's hard to imagine—people so worried just a moment ago, became excited again just because of a House Cup.
Moreover, being called out in the middle of the night naturally made many feel somewhat hungry, prompting some to rush to the nearby kitchen.
Soon, various cakes, cookies, steaks, roast chicken, pudding drinks, and more piled onto the tables.
Although Kael didn't quite approve of their half-party behavior, he said nothing, given everyone's high spirits.
The only issue was Kael had to repeatedly explain that he hadn't saved Dumbledore, it was just the headmaster joking, but few believed him.
This peculiar party lasted until the early morning. Many younger students couldn't hold out any longer and returned to their dorms, followed gradually by others.
Kael initially expected Dumbledore to summon him to the Headmaster's Office, but even as the party ended, no message came.
Thus, Kael simply didn't wait any longer, freshened up briefly, and went straight to bed.
...
The next day, the common room, which was a mess last night, had been cleaned spotlessly by the house-elves.
With the Room of Requirement's classes over, Kael's leave was naturally at its end, so he waited in the common room for a while, then walked with Conna to the auditorium for breakfast.