As Tver pondered, Luna retrieved the shoes, slipped them on, and stood up again.
"You have a lot of Wrackspurts around you," she said softly.
"What are those?" Tver blinked.
"Wrackspurts," she repeated.
Tver immediately understood—one of those little creatures that existed only in her world.
"How should I deal with them, Miss Lovegood?" he asked helplessly.
He knew there wouldn't be an answer. At least, not a normal one.
Might as well treat it as small talk before the feast.
Luna leaned in mysteriously, tiptoeing and stretching her neck, but compared to Tver's towering height, she was far too short.
So Tver bent his knees to meet her halfway.
"They'll go away on their own."
What exactly was I expecting…
Tver sighed and straightened up again.
"So there's nothing I can do right now?"
Luna tapped her forehead thoughtfully.
"Not necessarily. I think you'll always find a way."
She said it casually, yet with that same unwavering tone and steady gaze as before. For a moment, Tver almost believed her.
I'm losing my mind… believing something like that.
He shook his head at himself, though oddly enough, his heart felt calmer. Her voice carried a strangely soothing quality—it was impossible to deny.
"If you figure out a way, can you tell me?" Luna asked, sounding genuinely excited.
"Of course," Tver replied without thinking. After all, he wasn't going to encounter creatures that didn't exist.
"But there's something I can tell you right now," he added, pointing at the papers in her hand. "Ravenclaw loses one point for putting up unauthorized flyers."
As he stepped into the Great Hall, he couldn't help grinning at Luna's stunned, bewildered expression before bidding her farewell.
No sooner had he taken his seat at the staff table than Professor Flitwick leaned over and asked curiously, "What happened to make you so cheerful?"
"I taught a young witch a lesson—helped her understand the importance of following school rules."
Tver looked around the hall with satisfaction, already eager for the evening feast. Red and gold banners, symbols of Gryffindor, hung everywhere. Behind the staff table, a massive banner painted with the Gryffindor lion dominated the wall.
Harry and Ron's Special Contribution Award had earned Gryffindor two hundred points. Even Snape couldn't deduct that much in such a short time.
Last year he'd been distracted, but not this time. Tonight, he was going to enjoy himself. At the very least, he planned to behave in front of Dumbledore.
"It's wonderful to see such joyful, peaceful smiles on your faces once more."
Dumbledore stood, and the Great Hall fell instantly silent. Every student turned to him with bright, cheerful eyes.
Dumbledore returned their expressions with an emotional, heartfelt smile.
"This year, we faced many challenges—the Chamber of Secrets, the Basilisk, trust, and more. But I'm glad to witness you overcoming them."
Trust?
The students immediately recalled their suspicion toward Harry and lowered their heads in shame.
"Of course, many students—and professors—stood up bravely."
"Harry Potter, who ventured into the Chamber of Secrets to battle the Basilisk and save his friends."
"Ron Weasley, who guarded the petrified professors and friends despite his injuries."
"I was just trying to protect Hermione. I'd have been happy if Snape got carried off by the Basilisk," Ron said smugly, basking in his classmates' admiration.
"Hermione Granger, who deduced the Basilisk's presence with keen reasoning."
"Professor Snape, who courageously fought the Basilisk while protecting the students behind him."
"But Professor Snape was petrified! How did Potter escape from the Basilisk's jaws?" Malfoy asked in utter confusion.
Tver knew he was questioning Harry, but still… Judging by the furious twitch in Snape's eye, Malfoy's summer Potions homework was about to become very unpleasant…
Unbothered by the rising chatter, Dumbledore continued speaking on his own.
"And of course, our Professor Fawley—thanks to his badge, the Basilisk's gaze caused no fatal injuries."
"It was also thanks to him that the Basilisk was destroyed in time, rescuing Harry and Percy from the Chamber of Secrets."
Cheers erupted instantly from young wizards across all four Houses, filling the Great Hall with chaotic excitement.
Dumbledore had to raise his voice, even adding a touch of magic.
"Let us give a round of applause to the teachers and students mentioned above—and also to ourselves, for making it through such a perilous year!"
Thunderous applause shook the hall. Students clapped until their palms turned red, unwilling to stop.
The professors were delighted as well, raising their glasses to one another, smiling broadly.
Even Snape, when Tver offered a toast, returned it with a look of pure impatience.
Professor Charity Burbage, who was usually at odds with him, even walked around the long table to apologize to Tver.
"I'm sorry for the way I treated you before. Perhaps I really do need to learn more about the dangers hidden within the magical world."
"Please don't worry about it. We're all doing this for the students, aren't we?"
Tver gently clinked his glass against hers.
Burbage paused for a moment, then smiled softly.
"Indeed. Maybe I should learn more about Durmstrang as well. Otherwise, my prejudice toward it is no different from the prejudice toward Muggles that I despise so much."
"You're always welcome. If there's anything you're unsure about, feel free to find me anytime," Tver said warmly.
Every professor at Hogwarts was a master of their field.
If he could gain the support of a Muggle Studies expert like Burbage, it would make his own proposals much easier to push forward in the future.
He very much wanted her to accept some of his ideas.
After this brief interlude, Dumbledore awarded the House Cup to Gryffindor and announced the official start of the banquet.
Tver looked contentedly at the feast laid out before him.
One of Hogwarts' grandest banquets of the year—it truly was something.
And of course, the dessert was even better.
Perhaps moved by how often Tver dropped by the kitchens asking for cookies, the house-elves had specially left a large plate of cranberry shortbread at his seat.
They were even packed neatly into a paper bag, clearly prepared for him to take home.
It would be unreasonable not to take them.
With complete peace of mind, Tver tucked them into his small pouch while enjoying his delicious pudding.
...
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