Ancient Wizards Return to Hogwarts...

Chapter 438 Living Legends and the Boiling Hogwarts

The silence in the Great Hall lasted only a few seconds before Hogwarts' Great Hall erupted in chaos.

Godric Gryffindor! This name was legendary among the wizards of Hogwarts, and yet it echoed again within Hogwarts Castle. Countless people jostled, knocking over their goblets, and several Gryffindor students even stood up.

For the students from other schools, the tongue-twisting name Godric was hardly familiar; they only noticed that his surname was exactly the same as that of Gryffindor House at Hogwarts.

Confused by the behavior of the other Hogwarts students, they began to whisper among themselves to familiar students, and then received the astonishing news: Godric Gryffindor was the name of the founder of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, which was founded a thousand years ago.

In other words, the red-haired man before them claims to be Godric Gryffindor, the legendary wizard from a thousand years ago?!

"lie!"

"fraud!"

"It's possible they have the same name."

After the initial shock, the students shared their opinions. Some thought he was a fraudster, while others felt he simply shared the same name as the founder. Very few believed he was actually Gryffindor.

Even in the wizarding world, few people believe this "I am so-and-so" trick. After all, he is an ancient wizard from a thousand years ago. How could he suddenly return to Hogwarts?

Well, this is also related to Dumbledore's intention to suppress knowledge about Horcruxes; otherwise, someone might have made the connection to Horcruxes.

Rice sat at the academy table, his expression blank, as if stunned by the redhead's words. His fingers pressed against the edge of the table, his knuckles turning white.

On the faculty bench, Professor White and Arius both put down their golden cups, their gazes deep and unfathomable, lost in thought.

Judging from his appearance, the red-haired man does resemble Godric Gryffindor quite well, according to the rumors circulating within Hogwarts—in the eyes of those in the know like Rice, he doesn't just look like him, he looks exactly the same.

The face a few dozen feet away gradually overlapped with the one in his memory, causing Rice to feel a moment of disorientation, as if he had returned to a thousand years ago.

But the luxurious decorations in the auditorium and the unfamiliar faces around him constantly reminded Rice that this was the modern world, and everything had changed.

Thinking this through, Rice gradually regained his composure, revealing the same expression as the other students: curiosity, surprise, and a hint of disdain typical of Slytherin students.

Rice adjusted his emotions quite quickly, so much so that Daphne and Astoria, who were sitting next to him, did not notice anything unusual. They only vaguely sensed that Rice's emotions fluctuated suddenly, but that was normal.

Which Hogwarts student wouldn't experience a violent emotional reaction upon witnessing such a scene?

At the long table in Gryffindor House, some hot-tempered Gryffindors had already stood up and started cursing.

"Who do you think you are? How dare you choose a name like that?!" Lee Jordan stood up abruptly and shouted angrily.

In his view, there was no possibility of having the same name. Godric was not a common name like Tom or John. This was a provocation!

As soon as Jordan said this, more than one student nodded in agreement.

The red-haired man standing in front of the teachers' table was not angry because of Jordan's questioning; he had expected this situation.

"I know you'll find it hard to believe me, but I'll prove myself," the red-haired man who called himself Godric said confidently, extending a hand to the students.

The next second, a dusty gray object flew into his hand. The young wizards below the stage looked closely and realized that it was the Sorting Hat from the school.

Without a word, the red-haired man reached into his hat and pulled out a gleaming silver sword.

boom!

The moment the Gryffindor sword was drawn, a thunderous roar echoed from the ceiling of Hogwarts Great Hall, as if a salute had been fired in celebration of the return of its former founder.

Hearing the thunder rumbling from the ceiling, the red-haired man smiled. He extended his index finger and lightly flicked the blade of his sword, causing it to emit a melodious ringing sound.

Only true Gryffindors can earn the recognition of the Sword of Gryffindor and answer His call when He needs them.

Many students had this thought in mind.

The red-haired man before them had gained the approval of the Gryffindor sword! Now his identity seemed more credible. Could he really be Godric Gryffindor?

As for how someone from a thousand years ago could survive to the present, the young wizards would use their imaginations. After all, wasn't Professor White also an ancient wizard brought to the modern era by time magic?

At this moment, Rice, like the other students, stared intently at the red-haired man. Judging from his appearance and the magical fluctuations around him, he indeed had no flaws.

He noticed that Helga, like Rowena and the other professors, was also scrutinizing the man who called himself Godric.

The three people's eyes met briefly in mid-air before subtly looking away.

"Rice, what do you think?" Astoria asked softly from the side.

Her mind was in turmoil because of Gryffindor's sudden appearance, and only Rice could answer her questions and untangle her tangled thoughts.

"The one who can draw the sword of a hero is not necessarily a hero," Rice said meaningfully.

"So you mean... he's not a real Gryffindor?" Astoria added.

"I never said that." Rice shook his head: the person on stage didn't reveal a single flaw.

"Let him be," Rice said in a low voice. "We've both gotten a great show for free—besides, he's not going to participate in the competition anyway, so you don't need to worry about it too much."

Rice wanted to know what this Gryffindor was up to.

Astoria: ?

Rice's words puzzled her. He seemed to think that possessing the Gryffindor sword wouldn't prove the other person's identity? That made a lot of sense.

At this moment, Dumbledore was also in turmoil. As the current headmaster of Hogwarts, he knew more than others. He had once used the Resurrection Stone to summon a phantom of Gryffindor, and the man before him not only looked exactly like the phantom in the Resurrection Stone, but had even gained the approval of the Gryffindor sword. Most importantly, he could also summon the Sorting Hat.

Summoning the Sorting Hat from its current office to the Great Hall is no simple matter that can be resolved with a simple Summoning Charm. After this feat, Dumbledore was thrown into confusion and bewilderment.

The red-haired man before me might really be Gryffindor, but the Resurrection Stone...

Dumbledore could feel many eyes staring at him from behind, and he knew he had to make a statement—everyone was waiting for him to speak! Whether the person before him was a fraudster or a legendary wizard who had returned after a thousand years was for him to decide.

Thinking of this, Dumbledore sighed inwardly: this was not something he could decide; he couldn't determine whether the other party was the real Gryffindor.

There were people in the auditorium who were far more qualified than him to make this assessment.

Just then, a familiar voice rang in his ears, and Dumbledore immediately felt a great sense of relief.

At Professor White's request, he now wants other "people" to testify.

"Ms. Grey, Mr. Barrow, please come here." Dumbledore's voice echoed in the Great Hall.

Two ghosts rose from the tables in Ravenclaw and Slytherin and floated forward.

The two ghosts were stunned when they heard the red-haired man's declaration. However, since they had witnessed this three times already, their ability to accept it was far stronger than that of the other teachers and students.

If Dumbledore believed it 50%, then Helena and Barrow believed it 95%, with the remaining 50% depending on what the aunt on the stage meant.

As the two ghosts walked forward, they noticed Aunt Hufflepuff whispering something to a Hogwarts professor beside her, then giving them a barely perceptible nod.

Helena and Barrow immediately understood, and after circling the red-haired man twice, they confirmed his identity.

"It's been a long time, Uncle Gryffindor."

"Hello, Professor."

With the ghost of the Four Heavenly Kings era and Ravenclaw's daughter's personal endorsement, the red-haired man's identity was immediately confirmed.

He is Godric Gryffindor, the founder of Hogwarts, the legendary wizard, and Slytherin's close friend and nemesis!

Now a legend had appeared before them, it was almost magical. Not only the students from various schools, but even the professors on the faculty seats were in a state of extreme shock.

After hearing what Barrow the Blood Man and Helena Ravenclaw said, Dumbledore also believed the red-haired man's identity. He bowed slightly to him, welcoming him.

"Hahahaha!" Godric let out a hearty laugh, then winked at Dumbledore.

"It's really hard to prove that I am who I am, but thankfully I have Helena and Barrow!" He put the Gryffindor sword back into the Sorting Hat and then returned the Sorting Hat to Dumbledore.

"This is yours—"

"No," Gryffindor declared righteously, "it used to be my hat, but now the Sorting Hat belongs to Hogwarts."

Seeing that even the owner of the Sorting Hat said so, Dumbledore stopped arguing and simply put the Sorting Hat away.

He announced loudly, "Let's welcome Professor Gryffindor back to Hogwarts with a round of applause!"

The auditorium erupted in prolonged applause.

Rice clapped as he watched Godric walk toward the faculty seating area. Dumbledore seemed to want him to sit in his place, but Gryffindor refused. Dumbledore then summoned a new chair and had him sit next to him.

The applause only gradually subsided after Godric sat down. However, although the students stopped clapping, their curiosity did not disappear with the fading of the applause.

They developed an extremely strong interest in this wizard who had lived for a thousand years. They were curious about everything about him.

In this atmosphere, Dumbledore announced that the welcome banquet had officially begun.

In an instant, an unprecedentedly lavish spread appeared on the golden platters in front of everyone. The house-elves in the kitchen used all their skills, not only making many signature British dishes, but also a variety of foreign dishes.

For example, the escargots in front of Rice are clearly a French dish.

In addition, Rice also offers Japanese sashimi, tonkatsu, and sushi; Swedish meatballs with Nordic characteristics; German sausage platters; Brazilian black bean rice; and a bunch of foods that look like they come from Africa; and even American fast food like hamburgers, hot dogs, and fried chicken and fries.

There were many things inside that looked delicious, but some were just... indescribable.

"What is that?" Daphne whispered in Rice's ear.

"Roasted monkey," Rice replied in a low voice.

Daphne: ...

Astoria subtly used her magic to push a plate of roasted tarantulas further away from her.

"Let's eat the dishes that look edible first." Rice buried the earlier commotion in her heart and began to seriously enjoy the food.

The main task at tonight's dinner table is to find a French dish.

Rice took some snails, and then a roasted swan from a plate not far away—a dish he used to enjoy very much.

Roasted swan has a long history, dating back to the Roman Empire when people were enjoying this magical little bird. People would blind the swan, fatten it up in a dark room, then kill it by soaking it in brandy, pluck its feathers, and roast it.

The fattened swans are extremely plump, even their bones are crispy. To fully experience their rich flavor, you must eat all the fat, internal organs, and bones while they are still hot.

Muggles would cover their heads with white cloths before eating this dish to prevent others from seeing the diners' greedy eating habits, which was also believed to be to prevent God from seeing this "depraved" behavior.

Rice did not believe in God, so he did not need to cover his head with a white cloth.

The feast lasted for two hours, starting with a variety of dishes and then desserts featuring specialties from around the world. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

After the golden plates on the table were cleaned again, Dumbledore stood up once more.

"The moment has finally arrived," Dumbledore smiled at the young wizards below the stage. "All the contestants are present, and the World Young Wizarding Championship will begin tomorrow. I will explain the competition process on behalf of the headmasters. But first, please allow me to introduce our two guests from the Ministry of Magic: this is Mr. Henry Greengrass, Director of International Cooperation at the Ministry of Magic, and this is Mr. Ludo Bagman, Director of Sport at the Ministry of Magic."

Sparse applause rang out in the auditorium. The students weren't particularly concerned about who the Ministry of Magic had sent; they were only interested in what the tournament was about.

"This tournament will be held in the grounds provided by Hogwarts. We will issue tasks to the participants periodically; completing these tasks will earn points, and the final rankings will be based on the total points," Dumbledore said slowly. "The total points accumulated by the participants will affect the school's ranking."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Update delivered, goodnight everyone~

(End of this chapter)