Hogwarts: Harry Returns from Azeroth

Chapter 207, Section 206: Harry's Merlin Medal

"It's not fair at all."

The voice repeated itself, faint, soft, alluring, and filled with an irresistible attraction. As if bewitched, Lockhart's previously intense emotions suddenly returned to calm.

“...Yes, it’s not fair at all.” Lockhart echoed softly, his eyes fixed straight ahead. “I’ve given everything for fame, and what have you given in return?”

"Yes...he didn't contribute anything..." the mouth continued to murmur, "Besides, wasn't it you who orchestrated all of this?"

“You’re jealous of that boy, jealous of his strength, jealous of his fame, jealous of how everyone worships him, and jealous of his achievements—you want to kill him.”

“And you did just that… a professor, right here at Hogwarts, plotted to kill another professor… using a thousand-year-old basilisk…”

“But he didn’t die!!” Lockhart suddenly became agitated again. “Even Slytherin’s creations couldn’t kill him! I saw the basilisk’s corpse! It was covered in charred marks, and it was even smashed into three pieces—it’s all your fault! It’s all your fault! If you hadn’t said that the basilisk could definitely kill him!”

“It’s all over now, all over… Dumbledore will definitely find me, he knows it was me, and I’ll die too, just like that poor basilisk…”

As if all his strength had been drained, Lockhart slowly squatted down on the ground, hugged himself, and sobbed.

"It's me? It's you! I am you!" The voice kept repeating, and even though Lockhart tried to cover his ears with his hands, he couldn't stop it, reaching deep into his soul. "You are a cowardly wretch, Lockhart, who couldn't even carry out a murder—but for now, wipe away your pitiful tears."

"Yes, the boy who survived, Harry Potter, did kill the Basilisk, and his fame was boosted once again—but so what?"

"Having once frequented the shadows, you understand better than the mediocre what the name Dumbledore truly means, and what kind of person that old man really is... Even though he constantly talks about how old he is, he always holds power firmly in his own hands."

"The so-called Minister of Magic is nothing but his echo chamber. These two trials of the Ministry of Magic have made everyone see his true colors. Wizengamo is Dumbledore's personal fiefdom, or rather, the entire British wizarding world is under his control."

"The great Dumbledore, ha, a White Lord who secretly rules over everyone, cannot tolerate anything that is out of his control—so the question is, how long can he tolerate this strong-willed Potter, whose power and fame have caught up with his own?"

"From the first moment I saw him, I knew that this boy and Dumbledore could not coexist—they were simply not the same kind of people, and the worlds they hoped to build were completely different."

“…They will start a war,” Lockhart muttered to himself, staring blankly at the air in front of him. “And I haven’t lost yet…the Basilisk’s soul is still with me.”

"Yes, a soul that died tragically, filled with resentment..." The mouth suddenly chuckled, "Just watch, just wait."

"One day..."

The Defense Against the Dark Arts office fell silent. The Lockhart photos hanging on the wall seemed oblivious to everything; their faces still wore bright smiles, but they made no sound.

At dinner time, while the students were still enthusiastically discussing the Basilisk, suddenly the doors of the castle dining room opened, and several people dressed in traditional wizard robes with serious expressions strode in—Rita followed behind the group, carrying a camera.

Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall stood up and quickly went to greet them. After exchanging a few words, Dumbledore waved his wand, extending the main seat and inviting the guests to sit down. Then, amidst the students' curious gazes, he announced loudly:
"I think that although I haven't officially told you yet, you clever students have probably already figured out what has been happening at school during this time."

Dumbledore's words immediately drew laughter, and Fred shouted back, "Yes, Professor, a basilisk! Harry saved us all!"

“Aha, that’s right, that’s exactly what you said,” Dumbledore said cheerfully. “After three days of careful inspection and repair, I am pleased to announce that the West Underground Classroom area will be reopened to the public, and after a thousand years, we have finally unlocked a part of Hogwarts’ secrets again—yes, we have found the Chamber of Secrets left by Slytherin.”

After receiving Dumbledore's personal confirmation, the students immediately started whistling excitedly, and some wild ones even slammed their fists on the table.

“Well, obviously, you already know that,” Dumbledore said, feigning disappointment. “And you also know what’s in that secret room—the basilisk that’s still on display in the Great Hall.”

"Just a friendly reminder, if you want to see the basilisk one more time, you'd better hurry. Tomorrow it will be sent to our Potions professor's office, and what it will become after that is not something an old man like me can know."

Completely unbothered by Dumbledore's sarcastic tone, Snape was so happy at the thought of the basilisk corpse he was about to get his hands on that he could practically burst into song.

“To be honest, it is truly an unimaginable thing,” Dumbledore said with great emotion. “I have lived in this castle for nearly a hundred years, but I never imagined that such a dangerous basilisk would live among me.”

"You must have already learned from Miss Rita Skeeter's article what kind of sins this basilisk has committed. Decades ago, Miss Warren lost her young life because she accidentally saw the basilisk's eyes. It was indeed a sad thing."

"And now, decades later, this basilisk has once again attacked a member of Hogwarts, but this time the victim is a professor—I don’t want to say it, but the fact is that it was fortunate that the victim was a professor—a professor who was strong enough to even kill the dangerous basilisk."

"Harry Potter!"

Not only at the Gryffindor table, but students from other houses also called out the name in unison. "Yes, Harry Potter," Dumbledore nodded and said, "I have no intention of commenting on what Salazar Slytherin, one of the founders of Hogwarts, was thinking a thousand years ago when he left a basilisk in his Chamber of Secrets. Nor do I intend to repeat facts that everyone already knows, such as Slytherin's ideals."

"I'm just stating the facts. Realistically speaking, the Slytherin basilisk has posed a significant threat to the students' safety. It was only because of Professor Potter's heroic efforts that the basilisk did not cause even greater harm on Halloween night."

“Therefore, I need to introduce you to a few guests,” Dumbledore suddenly raised his voice, “Mr. Kells Fuller from the Order of Merlin, Mr. Jer Zorn, Ms. Laura Jones—and of course, Ms. Rita Skeeter, a reporter from the Daily Prophet.”

As Dumbledore introduced each student, those whose names were called stood up one after another to greet the students.

Even the most mischievous students focused their attention at this moment; they had heard that exciting word, the Order of Merlin—and since the Order of Merlin was here, didn't that mean—

“Thank you, Albus,” said Fuller, the white-haired old wizard who was at the head of the group, with a smile. “I almost thought you were going to deprive me of my last bit of fun, the chance to talk to these lovely children.”

“Oh, Kells, of course I wouldn’t do such a thing,” Dumbledore, also a member of the Order of Merlin, replied with a smile. “Please do.”

“Thank you again, Albus,” Fuller said, turning his head. “Every time I return to Hogwarts, my heart races. This castle holds so many of my emotions… and of course, it also holds so many secrets.”

“I see your anxious hearts, well, if we knew each other a little better, you would probably be urging me on by now—well, well, in that case,” Fuller raised his voice, “as the current Master of the Order of Merlin, I am pleased to announce that, in recognition of Mr. Harry James Potter’s outstanding contributions to the protection of the students of Hogwarts, we will award him the Order of Merlin, First Class, in recognition of his achievements!”

As soon as he finished speaking, the students jumped up—literally, especially the Gryffindor students, who shouted and laughed wildly, chanting Harry's name.

"That's the Order of Merlin!" Ron roared at the people around him. "I never doubted Harry would get it, but I didn't expect it to be so soon!"

“But he deserves it!” Dean Thomas roared excitedly, otherwise his voice would have been completely drowned out. “And it’s a First Class medal! That’s not something some people’s Third Class medal can compare to!!”

As someone who always boasts about the honors he has received, and someone who is already disliked by many students, Lockhart was naturally dragged out and vilified at this moment. Dean's voice was so loud that even the people in the main seats could hear it.

Lockhart did maintain a forced smile, but his hands under the table were clenched tightly.

Seeing this was worse than killing him.

Harry and Mr. Fuller had already arrived at the front of the main seating area. After pinning a Merlin First Class medal to Harry's chest, Fuller patted him gently, which made the students cheer and applause even more enthusiastic.

The applause and cheers lasted for several minutes, while Rita enthusiastically took photos, constantly changing positions in the restaurant.

After repeatedly gesturing for his students to quiet down, Harry said earnestly, "I am a professor at Hogwarts. I just did what I was supposed to do, nothing more."

The brief speech prompted the students to applaud even more enthusiastically.

“Oh, it may not be a big deal for you, but for most wizards it is an almost impossible feat of heroism, Professor Potter,” Fuller said with a smile. “Protecting these students is protecting the future of the wizarding world. Such an achievement deserves to be recognized. So accept it with humility.”

The members of the Order of Merlin arrived and left quickly. Even the students of Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff excitedly gathered around, eager to touch the legendary Order of Merlin—a First Class medal representing the highest honor.

Rita's camera flash is almost blinding; it's safe to say that tomorrow's Daily Prophet will be another bestseller.

Harry struggled for a long time before finally getting rid of the enthusiastic crowd—and it really was enthusiastic, especially the older students… female students, many of whom were technically his seniors, were enthusiastic, well, taking advantage of him, hugging and touching him when there were so many people around.

When Harry returned to his office, Sirius was holding up the medal, shouting and yelling, looking teary-eyed, constantly remarking on how grown up Harry had become, and urging Harry to quickly summon James and Lily's spirits for them to see... The noisy godfather was enough to raise one's blood pressure.

The Order of Merlin, First Class, is essentially the pinnacle of achievement for a British wizard.

However, what Harry was looking forward to more now was the basilisk material he could get from Snape—a rare material that most people would never see in their lifetime. Snape, who was usually very lenient with Harry and could be said to grant his every request, also showed some reluctance to part with it.

However, after Harry agreed to have a suit of armor made for him as well, this man, who was practically Harry's godfather, finally closed his eyes, which he was reluctant to part with.

In Mulgore, the world of the suitcase, Harry finally picks up his craft again in the world he was born into—forging.

Unlike potions that cannot be brewed without the corresponding medicinal properties, forging high-level armor, although requiring precious and special materials, is not difficult even without them.

In this world, the bones and scales of the basilisk would be excellent materials, providing strong protection against both physical damage and wizarding spells.

(End of this chapter)