As soon as Dumbledore said those words, the Great Hall, which had been noisy and full of chatter, instantly fell silent.
Everyone seemed to have been suddenly paused by an invisible hand. They all stared blankly at Dumbledore, as if they hadn't expected him to give such an answer.
Link wasn't at all surprised by their reaction.
After all, Voldemort's name carried too much weight.
This generation of young witches and wizards had practically grown up hearing terrifying stories about him. When they were children, their parents would often say things like "If you don't behave, Voldemort will come get you!" just to scare them.
The fear of Voldemort had long since been planted deep in their subconscious.
"The Ministry of Magic doesn't want me to tell you any of this," Dumbledore said, his tone calm and even.
"Some of your parents may be shocked by my choice, perhaps because they refuse to believe Voldemort has truly returned, or because they think I shouldn't tell you such a dreadful truth directly, considering how young you are.
"But I believe telling the truth is always better than lying. If I were to pretend that this attack was just an accident, or blame it on some random dark wizards fooling around, that would be an insult to all those who have sacrificed their lives."
Only then did the students in the hall begin to react, whispering to one another.
Of course, most of them, lost and unsure what to do, turned terrified faces toward Dumbledore, hoping he would say something more, something comforting.
The Slytherins, however, were different.
Most of the students sitting at their long table didn't look scared at all, they just looked confused.
Draco and his two cronies were even wearing smug little grins. Their families had long been loyal Death Eaters. They were actually excited by the idea of Voldemort's return, hoping he would rise again and lead them back to glory.
From the staff table, Dumbledore watched everything quietly, taking it all in.
"While we're on this subject," he said expressionlessly, "I must mention another person. Of course, I'm referring to Link Flamel."
The Great Hall stirred again. Even the Slytherins turned their eyes toward Link.
"Link Flamel faced Voldemort and his followers directly," said Dumbledore.
"He risked his life to bring his classmates back to Hogwarts safely. In every way, he showed true courage and remarkable skill."
"Honestly, few wizards could perform so admirably under Voldemort's terror. For that, I must pay him my deepest respect."
With that, Dumbledore turned toward Link and solemnly raised his goblet once more.
The other students followed suit, just as they had done earlier for Cedric Diggory, softly calling out Link's name.
But this time, their voices carried not only reverence but also excitement, their eyes shone with admiration.
In a situation like this, the presence of a heroic figure like Link gave them tremendous encouragement.
Link raised his pumpkin juice and smiled, nodding to everyone in return.
To him, becoming a symbol to rally the students of Hogwarts was an important matter. Even though he clearly knew Dumbledore was using him as a figurehead, to unite the school and confront the pro-Voldemort faction within Slytherin, he still gladly accepted it.
Once everyone sat down again, a faint smile finally appeared on Dumbledore's face.
He said cheerfully, "The Triwizard Tournament was meant to strengthen understanding and friendship among the magical communities. Given what has happened, such connections are now more important than ever."
As he spoke, Dumbledore's gaze deliberately swept over the Beauxbatons students sitting by the Hufflepuff table, and then over to the Durmstrang students near the Slytherins, who had been greatly reduced in number after Karkaroff's betrayal.
Most of the Beauxbatons students looked furious.
By now, they should have been back home, reunited with their families and friends. But instead, due to a Ministry of Magic travel ban, they were still stuck here at Hogwarts.
Thankfully, Madame Maxime didn't seem too upset about it.
Understandable, she'd been spending quite a bit of time with Hagrid lately, and their relationship had grown increasingly close.
Compared to her blossoming romance, her students' frustrations seemed far less important.
As for the remaining Durmstrang students like Krum, they looked nervous, terrified, even.
They seemed afraid that Dumbledore might reprimand them further or hold them responsible.
Dumbledore clearly noticed their unease. He deliberately turned his gaze on the Durmstrang group and said earnestly, "Every guest in this hall will always be welcome here, at any time, should they wish to return."
"Let me repeat this, given Voldemort's resurrection, we must unite if we wish to remain strong. Division will destroy us."
"Voldemort is a master of sowing discord and hatred. Only through firm, unbreakable trust can we stand against him. As long as we share one goal and open our hearts, differences in habits or language will never be barriers."
"I believe a dark and difficult time lies ahead of us. But remember, remember what I've said today, and remember the suffering Voldemort once brought upon you."
"Voldemort is not invincible!"
As he finished, Dumbledore raised his wand high. A burst of flame shot from its tip, igniting the hundreds of floating candles above the hall. Instantly, plates filled with steaming, delicious food appeared before everyone.
The feast, had officially begun.
Unfortunately, no one's attention was really on the food.
Many were clapping and cheering wildly for Dumbledore, their applause so thunderous that even the candle flames trembled.
Dumbledore's speech, and Link's courage, had rekindled their hope.
Of course, not everyone shared their optimism.
Many of the older students looked worried. Some clapped weakly; others just rested pale faces on the table.
Compared to the younger students, they were more rational, not so easily stirred by Dumbledore's words.
They were also more knowledgeable, and they knew just how terrifying Voldemort truly was.
Many of the Hufflepuffs around Link didn't look too happy either.
But unlike the others, their attention was drawn to the black drapes and banners hanging around the hall.
After all, Link had just won the Triwizard Tournament, by right, those banners should be displaying Hufflepuff's emblem.
Yet Dumbledore hadn't mentioned it at all.
That left many Hufflepuffs disappointed.
Winning a championship like that was an incredibly rare honor for their house.
Still, Hufflepuffs were Hufflepuffs.
Those kind-hearted badgers could never be like the Slytherins, scheming for their own gain.
Sensing the mood around them, the Hufflepuffs stayed quiet. Instead, they turned warm, admiring eyes toward Link, who had already started eating.
A few thoughtful ones even began pushing their pumpkin pies toward him, they remembered what he liked.
They believed that as long as Link was around, honors like these would soon come again, and again.
———
The next morning, Link packed all his belongings into a magically expanded pouch, traveling light. He met up with Emily in the entrance hall, which was crowded with students and luggage.
Compared to the night before, everyone's mood, whether they agreed with Dumbledore or not, had calmed considerably.
That was the nature of children and teenagers.
They might feel afraid of the news of Voldemort's return, but it still didn't feel real to them. So before long, they pushed it to the back of their minds.
Fortunately, Dumbledore hadn't expected them to do much anyway.
He mainly wanted them to carry the story home to their parents.
It was both a call to awareness, and a declaration of open defiance against Fudge.
Right now, what filled most students' minds was simple joy, they were finally going home.
They waited eagerly for the carriages to take them to Hogsmeade Station, where the Hogwarts Express was already waiting.
Of course, because of the special circumstances this year, many anxious parents had chosen to come to the station themselves rather than let their children ride the "dangerous old train" alone.
Link and Emily were among them.
Madam Flamel hadn't come personally, but she had sent Krell to meet them at the station and escort them back to Flamel Castle.
This made Emily extremely nervous.
She felt like even the bright summer sunlight outside had turned harsh and blinding. Her body felt hot and restless, her throat dry.
It was both nerves and the weather, because she'd heard that Madam Flamel had invited Mr. Victoria to the castle.
As soon as she and Link returned home, they were going to "discuss" the details of their engagement.
Suddenly, a warm, steady hand wrapped around Emily's right hand, which had been clenched tight in anxiety.
A wave of refreshing coolness spread through her body, driving away the heat.
She turned to see Link smiling gently at her.
For someone like him, who had already mastered water magic perfectly, cooling things down was effortless.
At first glance, his smile seemed perfectly normal, but Emily couldn't shake the feeling that it carried a hint of teasing. Her face turned crimson, and she quickly lowered her head.
Still, the tension in her heart eased.
She kicked Link lightly in mock protest, her flushed face now carrying a small, shy smile. Then she tightened her grip on his hand.
Under the sunlight, amid the crowd, the two stood quietly hand in hand, smiling at each other, a picture of pure sweetness.
But the moment didn't last long.
Bored out of his mind, John had snuck up behind them.
"Hey, Link, the Ministry's lifted the travel ban! So, uh, how do you think the Durmstrang lot are going to get home?" he said with a mischievous grin.
"I mean, without Karkaroff, who's going to steer that ghost ship of theirs..."
His words stopped dead when he saw Link and Emily glaring at him like they wanted to kill him.
Especially Emily, the icy fury in her eyes was practically tangible.
John stumbled backward in fright, straight into someone's chest.
"Karkaroff never steered the ship," said Krum, who caught him before he fell.
His voice was calm. "He always stayed in his cabin. We did all the work. Of course, we've lost a lot of people now, so the journey home will be harder. But we'll manage."
John's face went crimson, probably redder than Emily's had been.
He wasn't thick-skinned enough to keep talking after being caught badmouthing someone right to their friend's face.
Krum didn't seem to care, though. He turned to Link and said,
"You are a very strong opponent, far beyond what I can match. I admire you greatly.
"Karkaroff does not represent all of Durmstrang. The students who attacked you and Harry Potter were impostors, the real ones had already been murdered. Durmstrang… isn't as evil as people think…"
Perhaps his English wasn't good enough for such complex sentences, or maybe he was just too emotional, but Krum trailed off, unable to continue.
Link sighed softly and said, "Both Dumbledore and I know that you were victims in all of this."
"That's good. Thank you," Krum said gratefully.
He shook Link's hand, then turned and walked alone toward the ghost ship on the Black Lake. His figure looked lonely, and both Link and John couldn't help but watch him go in silence.
Emily, however, wasn't pleased. She squeezed Link's hand tightly, trying to draw his attention back to her, but it was pointless.
Because just then, a bright, familiar voice rang out across the courtyard.
"Link!"
That clear, melodious call made Link turn his head at once.
He saw Fleur climbing up the stone steps, a little out of breath as she entered the castle.
Behind her, Hagrid was helping Madame Maxime harness two of the great winged horses. Both their eyes were red, they clearly hated to part.
"I'm sure we'll see each other again!" Fleur said with a radiant smile. "After all, I'm already studying more English, and I plan to come work here after graduation!"
"Oh, that's wonderful!" cried John, already completely entranced by her charm.
As for Link, he didn't dare say a word. Emily's grip on his hand was so tight it nearly broke his fingers.
Fleur didn't seem to mind. She glanced at their joined hands and smiled warmly.
"Goodbye, Link. It was a real pleasure meeting you."
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