End-of-Year Feast 1997

The third Friday of June.

The day before the summer solstice.

The sky grew darker and darker as a full moon rose over the horizon, hanging above the branches of the Whomping Willow.

Warm yellow lights came on in the Entrance Hall of Hogwarts Castle. The young wizards who had been wandering outside gradually returned, while hundreds and thousands of candles floated above the Great Hall, their brilliant glow outshining the stars and moon on the Enchanted Ceiling.

Tonight was the long-awaited End-of-Year Feast.

Gryffindor had won the House Cup, so there was no need to change the Great Hall's decorations or banners. The young wizards from the other Houses had grown somewhat numb to it.

The House-elves in the Kitchen had pulled out all the stops, presenting the students and staff with a lavish and delicious feast. All food was unlimited in both time and quantity. Some students, along with a very few headmasters, even planned to skip the main meal and fill up on desserts alone.

Loren was not the sort of person who was obsessed with sweets and lacked restraint. He carefully planned his meal according to his appetite: steak pies and other dishes took up one-third, cheesecake and similar fare another third, while ice cream and pudding counted as dessert and filled the final third. Nutritious and perfectly balanced.

Some enthusiastic students approached with goblets in hand, pretending to be adults as they clinked glasses with them. The cups held juice and soda water, with Butterbeer being the strongest drink available.

The Gryffindor students were somewhat disappointed. Back when George and Fred had not yet graduated, they could always get hold of sparkling wine, brandy, whisky, and the like, though hardly anyone dared drink anything they had prepared.

At eight in the evening, the feast was