Another New Star Was Born at Hogwarts
Seeing the images floating in mid-air, even the most oblivious reporter now understands— the Magical Congress has not revealed the true situation.
The Pentagonal Chamber erupted in chaos. The previously silent wizards started talking non-stop, chattering away in a noisy cacophony.
"Chairman Benjamin Graves, how should we interpret the content of this picture?"
Benjamin Graves coughed lightly and said awkwardly, "They did... a lot of work in handling the incident... but everyone was... doing their best..."
"Chairman Benjamin Graves, did you orchestrate the concealment of the contributions of wizards from other countries?"
"This is completely unfounded." Benjamin Graves wiped the sweat from his brow. "As Magical Congress President, I have a duty to ensure the smooth operation and safety of the entire city..."
"The efforts of all team members are important. Any speculation about my personal motives is irresponsible. Please be careful with your words and actions. The Magical Congress has the right to hold you accountable."
"Chairman Benjamin Graves, could you elaborate on their specific contributions? We have the right to know the actual role played by each participant."
Benjamin Graves closed his eyes, seemingly resigned to his fate, "They did a lot of work during the rescue, in coordinating rescue teams and providing technical support..."
"Chairman Benjamin Graves, there are some historical issues between you and the England wizards. Therefore, have you deliberately weakened the contributions from the England wizards?"
Benjamin Graves was pale and looked numb. "Of course not. We have always maintained friendly exchanges with England... and these exchanges will continue..."
The reporters bombarded the reporters with questions, their hands never stopping as they held pens and paper, like hyenas devouring their prey, their faces displaying a mixture of greed and pleasure.
Benjamin Graves's face grew even paler. He had been working through the night for the past few days, and now, faced with a barrage of problems, his mind was becoming increasingly muddled, and he was even swaying slightly.
Jacob Kowalski walked up to the group of reporters and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, could you please quiet down and listen to me for a few minutes?"
"We also have an awards ceremony coming up. In fact, all the questions raised by Ms. Rita Skeeter will be clearly addressed at the awards ceremony."
"Do you all have any other questions? If not, after a short break, we can begin the awards ceremony."
"We owe nothing to those who have contributed to this land... If you still have questions after the awards ceremony, I can explain further."
Before the official press conference, he had already resolved some minor issues; now, the questions concerning Wizet and Luna were the most important.
With things already discussed to this point, and given that this was the headquarters of the Magical Congress, the reporters could only nod and wait for the official award ceremony to follow.
Scott Triltopus grinned. "To become the Head of the International Magical Cooperation Department, you certainly have a silver tongue..."
"Someone just went out and came back in, and said a few words to Kowalski. Apparently, he was preparing something... probably changing the medals you were going to be awarded."
Wizet closed his notebook. "Like a medal or some kind of award... sending it by owl is actually a good option."
Professor McGonagall, for example, chose this approach;
With the Animagus International Symposium about to begin, Babajide Akingbade were unable to attend the award ceremony due to the unexpected Fire Dragon attack, as they all needed to rearrange the venue.
Wizet looked at the Auror opposite her, "If it weren't for their insistence that we be there, we probably wouldn't have come."
"We're leaving in a few days. The Horned Serpent are more active on rainy days. We originally planned to go to Central Park one more time to say goodbye to them."
"It's so good to be young..." Scott Triltopus remarked. "Speaking of which... those Magical creature also made a contribution..."
"How about we annoy Benjamin a bit and get the Magical Congress to give those Horned Serpent... some kind of award, maybe a few medals?"
"I suggested it before," Luna blinked, "But they only said they would consider it carefully."
The awards ceremony officially began, and only the reporter from the 《New York Ghost Newspaper》 was diligently recording the achievements of the Auror.
The other reporters were more casual, simply noting down names and medal types before whispering among themselves, speculating about what medals Wizet and his team would receive.
Benjamin Graves presented the medals one by one, and finally it was Wizet's and Luna's turn.
He picked up a medal from the tray and awarded it to Wizet, saying, "On behalf of the Magical Congress, I hereby award Vizet Lovegood the Five-Star Medal!"
Unlike the Order of Merlin, which are classified by rank, the Magical Congress distinguishes the rarity of medals by their names.
The Five-Star Medal is a three-dimensional five-pointed star with the emblem of the Magical Congress inlaid in the center, giving it a profound and solemn appearance.
This medal is equivalent to the Order of Merlin, Second Class, and is awarded to wizards who have performed exceptionally bravely and made outstanding contributions in battle.
As for the higher-level Medal of Honor, the criteria for evaluation are that the recipients are able to take action and achieve outstanding results even when facing extreme danger.
Therefore, many award recipients were posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor by the Magical Congress after their sacrifice.
Benjamin Graves picked up another purple medal and awarded it to Luna, saying, "On behalf of the Magical Congress, I hereby award Luna Lovegood the Purple Heart Medal!"
The Purple Heart Medal is a bright purple and is shaped like a heart, equivalent to the Order of Merlin, Third Class.
The reporters were somewhat agitated, their faces showing a hint of surprise. They knew the prestige of these medals, which were usually awarded only to local wizards.
Meanwhile, reporters were even more curious about what Wizet and Luna had done to earn such an honor.
After the awarding of the medals, Benjamin Graves cleared his throat and began to recount the efforts made by Wizet and Luna.
The other reporters were fully focused, trying their best to keep up with Benjamin Graves's pace and taking notes.
The more they documented their story, the more alarmed they became. They could even assert that these two wizards from England had single-handedly saved New York.
No wonder the two, though not native wizards, were able to receive such high honors.
When the reporters finished taking notes and began thinking of headlines, almost instinctively, one headline came to mind:
Half a century later, England wizards once again save the Magical Congress, and a new star is born at Hogwarts. Hogwarts is about to become great again!