The Emerald at Hogwarts

Chapter 456 Start

The end-of-term banquet comes as scheduled, and there is a banquet on the last day of each school year, which can be considered a kind of celebration.The winner of the Academy Champions Cup will also be announced at that time.

Sitting in the auditorium, Ada suddenly discovered that she never seemed to pay attention to the college points in this school year, and she had no interest in the ownership of the college cup.The same goes for everyone else around you.

At this time in previous years, the auditorium would be hung with the flags and banners of the previous year's winning academy, and then replaced after the new champion academy was announced.

However, there were no Gryffindor decorations hung in this year's auditorium, without any banners or flags, and the entire auditorium seemed a bit empty.

The real Mad-Eye Moody is now sitting at the staff table. Under Madam Pomfrey's care, his physical condition has improved a lot, but his mental condition is still not good.

This probably takes a long time to heal.

Ms. Maxim was sitting next to Hagrid, and the two were whispering something.Judging from the expression on Ms. Maxim's face, the two of them seemed to be flirting.

Snape was still sitting on his seat, his face was much better, not as pale as before.Snape was also aware that Ada was looking at him, and their eyes met.

There was alienation in that gaze, and there seemed to be a trace of disgust.

Ada didn't know why Snape's eyes changed like this, but she kept Dumbledore's advice in mind and always believed in Severus Snape.

Cups and plates were ringing in the auditorium, and it was very lively. At this moment, Dumbledore suddenly stood up from the teacher's table.The students who were a little noisy just now quieted down and looked at Dumbledore one after another.

"It's another year," Dumbledore said, looking at everyone, "it's over." He stopped talking, and looked at one long table after another.

Whether it was the students of Hogwarts, or the students of Durmstrang and Beauxbatons, they all listened attentively.Everyone felt that Dumbledore might have to explain the third project.

"I have much to say to all of you tonight," said Dumbledore, "but first allow me to tell a story from the past."

"Many, many years ago, there was a boy who sat here like you, enjoying this end-of-year dinner. He was a student at Hogwarts, where he studied, lived, and grew up...he was a prefect, a President of the Boys' Council, he was loved and respected by many. His name was Tom Marvolo Riddle."

The students didn't know why, they didn't know who the Tom Riddle was mentioned by the principal, and they didn't know why the principal suddenly mentioned him.There are only a few students who know this name.

"Later, Tom Riddle graduated with excellent grades. He didn't stay on as he hoped to teach, and he didn't enter the Ministry of Magic as people expected, although he received many invitations to work. Later , he traveled far and wide, and disappeared for a long time."

Ada raised her head and looked at Dumbledore, she understood Dumbledore's intention.

The headmaster will tell the truth about Voldemort's return at the banquet tonight.Dumbledore wants to tell everyone that Voldemort, like everyone else, is not an invincible monster through Voldemort's past events.

Peeling off layers of camouflage, veils, Voldemort is also a human being, and a student who graduated from Hogwarts, he is just Tom Marvolo Riddle.

Dumbledore continued: "Tom returned to school many years later and again offered to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts. I rejected his application. I know what he did during the time he disappeared. He returned to teach It’s also just to recruit more followers.”

"After that, Tom recruited his henchmen and gathered a large number of followers. He and his followers used various methods of coercion and lure to strengthen themselves, and gradually publicized violence, massacres, and spread panic."

The students in the auditorium have gradually realized what happened, and many of them began to feel uneasy and panicked.

The young students here have never experienced those dark years, and even senior students like Ada may not have memories of those years.

But the fear of Voldemort is rooted in his bones, flowing in his veins.Although everyone does not know how powerful Voldemort is, the fear of him still makes the students tremble and tremble unconsciously.

"His followers called themselves Death Eaters, he called himself Voldemort."

Before the words fell to the ground, there was a sound of breathing in the auditorium, and the sound of cups, plates, knives and forks falling one after another.Even Gryffindor, known for his bravery, was no better off in Slytherin.

"In 1981, Tom at the height of his powers attacked a student here."

Everyone in the auditorium looked at Harry, and Dumbledore continued: "Tom failed. He lost his body and lost his mana. The war that lasted for many years is over. People celebrate the victory, and the The students who were attacked were called the 'Boy Who Lived'."

The students collectively breathed a sigh of relief, as if returning to that night in 1981, but Dumbledore did not stop his words.

Dumbledore said in a heavy voice: "The Ministry of Magic doesn't want me to tell you this, but I think you have the right to know the truth, and telling the truth is always better than lying."

"Tom Riddle is back, Voldemort is back, on the night of the third project, in Little Hangleton."

There was a nervous murmur in the auditorium.Everyone stared at Dumbledore in horror and disbelief.So, Dumbledore stopped the game because the mysterious man came back, and the fire in Little Hangleton was also caused by the mysterious man...

how can that be?

The murmurs of the students died away, most of them, like Fudge, did not believe that Voldemort was back.I can't believe it, and I don't want to believe it.

And Dumbledore doesn't have enough proof that Voldemort is back, does he?

Ada's eyes were still on Dumbledore. Although the headmaster hadn't mentioned the result of that night's conversation before, judging from the "Daily Prophet" report, Dumbledore failed to convince Fudge.

Tonight, in front of the students, Dumbledore told the truth. Is he ready to bear the double pressure of Voldemort and the Ministry of Magic at the same time?

Dumbledore was still talking on it, talking about uniting everyone and trusting each other, but the students were a little absent-minded.Ada also looked away, and turned to look at the long table of Slytherin.

Cody Avery, who was whispering to the students beside him, was one of the Death Eaters who showed up at the cemetery with the surname Avery.

Draco Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle sat together, neither speaking nor looking at Dumbledore.The fathers of the three of them all appeared in the cemetery, and Ida almost burned the father of Crabbe and Goyle to death.

Theodore Knott, a tall, lean, buck-toothed boy, whose father was at the cemetery that night.

Their grandparents and parents have already made choices for them, and the family education and concepts they have developed have also made choices for them.It's like the year of the Chamber of Secrets, didn't the students of Slytherin just watch the joke?
You're next... Isn't the word Draco Malfoy didn't say a Mudblood?
Looking away again, Ada lowered her head, not looking at anyone in the auditorium.

Dumbledore's speech was to hope that everyone would abandon their prejudices and unite to resist Voldemort together, but the headmaster's idea was destined to fail.There has been a split in Hogwarts for a long time, and this split has existed for far longer than Voldemort.

The holiday is about to begin, and Voldemort has kept it secret. It is not known what kind of backhand will be there, which is worrying; Dumbledore's blunt words, what reaction will the Ministry of Magic, which wants to hide the truth, give?
The war has really begun, a war of enemies.

Suddenly, Ada felt someone tap her on the shoulder.When she came back to her senses, Ada noticed that the students started to leave their seats and walk out of the auditorium.

Fred and George did not leave, and the two brothers stood beside her, smiling brighter than the summer sun.

(End of this chapter)