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"Are you ready? I'm going to cast the spell," Diana said, raising her crystal staff. The radiant essence of nature surged toward Moriarty, Lilith, and Jericho.
"Do I need to activate the Alchemy Matrix?" Moriarty asked, remembering how Dracula had opened Merlin's brain dimension through it.
"If you're not feeling tired, go ahead," Diana replied with a smile. She winked at Moriarty, flipped her wrist, and brought her staff down in a graceful arc.
Simultaneously, Moriarty activated the Alchemy Matrix and began chanting the ancient Dragon Curse. A multicolored aura enveloped the trio, followed by a wave of dizziness that forced them to close their eyes.
When they opened them, it seemed as if nothing had changed—they were still in a dense forest.
Lilith looked around, hopeful. "Are we back?"
Moriarty observed the surroundings closely, then smiled. "Didn't you notice? Diana returned us to the Forbidden Forest. It's a different forest, yes—but still a forest. That's the beauty of natural magic."
He gestured around. "It must be tied to Merlin's 'Sleeping Dragon, Do Not Disturb' mechanism. But the key thing is—we're back!"
"I knew it!" Jericho exclaimed. "That tree—it's familiar. This is the path we took in our first year!"
He cupped his hands around his mouth and bellowed, "Forbidden Forest! We're back! Hogwarts! We're home!"
His yell disturbed the wildlife. Small animals and magical creatures responded with startled cries, echoing through the forest.
The three looked at each other and shared a quiet laugh. "It's good to be home."
A few minutes later, they arrived at the castle. As the grand doors swung open with a dramatic creak, everyone in the Great Hall turned in unison. Conversations stopped, mouths dropped, and all eyes locked onto the trio.
The hall had been restored. Dumbledore and the professors sat on the dais. Four long tables were brimming with food, drinks, and lively students. But now, silence reigned.
"The pride of Hogwarts has returned!" Dumbledore stood with a broad grin, his eyes twinkling.
"On behalf of every teacher, student, and Hogwarts itself—thank you. Moriarty, Lilith, Jericho… you have earned the school's highest honor: the Special Contribution Award!"
His voice rose. "I know you must be starving, but first—welcome home!"
As he clapped, the enchanted ceiling erupted in light. Stars shimmered overhead, casting ethereal beams down on the trio. Students burst into cheers, rising from their seats in a wave of excitement.
Musically gifted students from all four houses broke into song, harmonizing in a spontaneous yet moving anthem. Laughter and joy filled the room.
Students rushed to Moriarty, Lilith, and Jericho, hoisting them into the air, tossing them skyward, then catching and tossing them again, their cheers echoing off the walls.
Eventually, Moriarty gestured to be put down. The room quieted in anticipation.
"I see you all—sitting together, laughing, smiling. That's wonderful," he said, sweeping his gaze over the hall. "In the past month, we've seen four incidents unfold. It made me wonder: would this unity fracture? Would we divide?"
He paused, his voice thick with emotion. "I fear little. But if anything can break me, it's the collapse of this castle—or the division of this school."
Applause erupted, heartfelt and sincere.
Who was Moriarty? The last heir of the Slytherin family. Revered, respected—perhaps the most prominent figure in all of magical Britain. Even in Europe, few matched his status.
And now he stood, in the Great Hall, proclaiming the students' importance to him.
Tears shimmered in the eyes of many older students. Despite all the talk of equality, lineage still mattered deeply to wizards. After the damage Voldemort did to the name of Slytherin, healing had been slow.
If Hogwarts weren't the only magical school in Britain, many graduates would've been treated with suspicion—or worse—after Voldemort's fall.
But now, Moriarty's words gave them something invaluable: a sense of belonging.
Lower-year students beamed, perhaps not understanding everything, but swept up in the happiness. The Weasley twins and Cedric were among the choir, likely inspired to later compose the Hogwarts anthem to the tune of a funeral march.
Cedric even dragged Soldaya into the choir. Though reluctant, he couldn't resist. Moriarty's speech stirred memories of Slytherin's proud past.
The twins shouted, "It's getting dry, guys!"
"Weasley!" Ă—5 voices rang out.
Professor McGonagall, Snape, Filch, Leon, and the girls' chairperson all turned with sharp looks.
"George! Fred!"
Charlie and Percy groaned, rubbing their temples.
Soldaya, feeling Moriarty's gaze and the weight of the moment, blushed and quickly slipped away.
"What a dramatic exit!" Moriarty quipped. "On that note—let's revisit those awkward little… incidents. Kess, have you apologized to Professor Snape yet?"
Kess stood and looked Snape in the eye. "Yes. I sincerely apologize, Professor."
Snape snorted. "Fine. I'll forgive you. But next time, I'll plant Devil's Snare in your hair."
"Seriously?" Jericho exclaimed. "Snape's making jokes now?"
Laughter rippled nearby. Sijiao gave him a sharp look but nodded in appreciation. "You flew an excellent game in the Dracula Simulation, Mr. Blanche. Slytherin gets 30 points."
Cheers erupted, and Jericho basked in the applause.
"Speaking of points," Dumbledore said with a smile toward Moriarty, "this all started because of you."
Moriarty gestured it was fine.
"Professor Diana told me she must return to her people due to… complications. She's stepping down. But she said her three classes here were the happiest of her life."
Moriarty chuckled. A professor with only three lessons? Only at Hogwarts. It felt like his fault, somehow.
Leon called out, "Who's replacing her?"
"I've offered the post to Professor Randy Cullen. He'll resume duties soon."
Last year's vampire professor.
Moriarty nodded. It made sense. Competent Defense Against the Dark Arts professors were hard to find.
The students murmured but didn't object. Dumbledore wasn't done.
"Moriarty, Diana, and I engaged in Hogwarts' most thrilling duel in five centuries. For that, Moriarty earns full points!"
Thunderous applause followed.
McGonagall added, "Lilith played the greatest wizard chess game Hogwarts has ever seen. Fifty points to her!"
Lilith bowed politely. "Thank you, Professor. May I challenge you to a match sometime?"
"Absolutely."
"It's unfair!" Jericho cried. "I also survived! Why are their points higher?"
Laughter rolled across the hall.
Snape turned away, and Moriarty suspected he was laughing.
Over the past year, Jericho had proven himself repeatedly. People often forgot he was only twelve—a cowboy with a child's heart.
Snape turned back. "Maybe ask yourself why, Mr. Blanche. I've never seen a dueling wizard bring a broom."
The Slytherins howled.
"I'll take you flying one day, Sijiao!" Jericho retorted.
"Ohhh!" the Slytherins chanted.
Sijiao scowled. Professors shook their heads with bemused smiles.
Jericho ducked behind Leon and Marcus. Moriarty stepped forward again.
"Now, back to our 'embarrassing moments.' What about the others involved in the other incidents?"
One by one, they stood to speak. Two Slytherin girls apologized to each other—then both confessed to Moriarty!
Tonks groaned and stood to change the subject. "I'd like to apologize to the other houses. For the next month, Hufflepuff will serve lunch and dinner to the school."
Applause.
Charlie stood. "Gryffindor will manage the Quidditch pitch for the month."
Ravenclaw offered to clean the library.
Remarkably, the professors said nothing. The students resolved their conflicts themselves.
Moriarty gave a small, proud nod.
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