The End of the Banquet

The sheer variety of food before Cypher was dazzling.

He'd bet his bottom dollar it wasn't just British cuisine.

What? You can summon food too?

Cypher watched in astonishment.

"Pumpkin Juice!"

Iris cleared her throat and tapped the table with her right index finger.

Almost instantly, a glass of Pumpkin Juice appeared.

So, like this...

"Sweet hot milk!"

Cypher tapped the table, and a steaming glass of milk materialized before him.

He took a sip. It was indeed sweet, bordering on cloying.

"Hot cocoa!"

He remembered the delicious milk cocoa tea from his past life. Since being reborn, life had been tough.

Milk was a rare treat, and Cypher usually gave his share to his frail younger sister, Annie.

He deftly took Iris's empty glass and mixed up three cups of milk tea.

One for each of them.

"Delicious!"

Iris and Luna, their cheeks flushed, praised Cypher's concoction.

Nearby were various appetizers and main courses, while the Gryffindor table across from them was awash in flying Pumpkin Juice.

They were turning Pumpkin Juice into a drinking game...

The serious atmosphere had long since vanished.

At the height of the merriment, Cypher glanced up at the staff table and was surprised to find only Professor Dumbledore and Professor Slughorn.

Sometime earlier, the other professors had quietly slipped away.

Well, with so many professors present, the students wouldn't be able to relax.

Cypher chatted and laughed with the two girls, sometimes listening to the older students discuss domestic and international affairs and gossip, or sharing stories about how he improved meals for his younger siblings at the orphanage.

"What subject does your grandfather teach?"

Cypher changed the subject, asking Iris.

"He teaches Spells, and he's also our Head of House."

Iris said casually, cradling a cup of milk cocoa.

Before she could bring the cup to her lips, Cypher snatched it away.

Iris looked at the vegetable salad in front of her, on the verge of tears.

I don't care how picky you were before, but now you're going to eat at least a small plate of vegetables with every meal.

That was what Cypher had told Luna and Iris after scolding them for picking at their food, just like always...

As Cypher sipped the stolen milk tea, supervising the two girls as they ate their vegetables, a series of white figures suddenly emerged from the tables of each house.

Startled, Cypher looked closer and realized they were the ghosts of Hogwarts.

But where were the ghosts of their own house?

Cypher looked around.

Ah, I forgot.

Their house ghost was a female ghost, different from those rough men.

In his line of sight, he saw her, beautiful in appearance, perfect in figure, and elegant in demeanor, greeting the Ravenclaw prefect before gliding from one end of the Ravenclaw table to the other, greeting everyone individually.

Having seen the little cubs of her own house, the female ghost flew upwards and disappeared into the ceiling.

The ceiling now reflected the pouring rain outside.

According to Luna, the Great Hall ceiling had a projection charm.

"That's our house's resident ghost, the Grey Lady, but her real identity is Helena Ravenclaw, the daughter of the founder of the house, Rowena Ravenclaw. She doesn't like people calling her by her real name."

Iris said, her cheeks puffed out, as she saw Cypher staring at the ceiling, as if dissuading him from some idea. (What idea could it be?)

Finally, seeing that everyone had eaten their fill, Professor Dumbledore, who had been waiting patiently at the staff table, slowly stood up.

As he rose, all the older students stopped their chatter and applauded him in unison.

Dumbledore tapped his glass, the sound amplified by a spell, so everyone could hear the clear chime.

Silence fell over the hall.

"The Sorting Ceremony is almost over. The prefects from each house will now lead their new students to their respective common rooms."

As he finished speaking, the prefects from each house stood up in unison, making themselves known to the new students.

A pair of blond-haired purebloods, a red-haired Gryffindor male paired with a lioness who looked like a tomboy at first glance.

Two ordinary-looking badgers.

Our house is still pretty capable.

According to the older students around him, the female prefect was called Avenia Rupert.

A little beauty with long, voluminous hair.

But what about their other prefect?

Cypher straightened up with the others and noticed a small boy standing next to the girl.

This… Cypher's eyeballs almost fell to the floor. Then, a memory surfaced.

Filius Flitwick? Could it be him?

Cypher remembered the part-goblin.

He was said to be a formidable dueling champion and an outstanding Ravenclaw graduate.

Dumbledore's continued speech broke Cypher's reverie.

"Of course, before we head back to the common rooms, we have one very important thing to do."

The students from all four houses shouted, "Sing the school song! Sing the school song!..."

Gryffindor was the most enthusiastic, with many people standing on the tables, arms linked.

"Who is that professor? Why is he so popular?"

A new student near Cypher asked in surprise.

"Professor Dumbledore is the greatest Transfiguration master of our time, and the most remarkable Transfiguration professor ever. He can easily transform any object into hundreds of animals. Moreover, he's helping to draft the recently popular Animagus Act."

An older student next to the new student replied admiringly.

"Animagus?"

Cypher remembered that the Awakening Potion required this magic. Looks like I can ask Dumbledore for some guidance.

At the staff table, Dumbledore waved his wand, directing it towards the most enthusiastic Gryffindors.

All the little lions' cups turned into party poppers.

They laughed and pulled them together.

The instantly blossoming confetti flames ignited everyone's enthusiasm.

The flames didn't disappear, but instead formed the lyrics of the school song in the sky.

"To your favorite tune, ready... sing!"

Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts, Teach us something please, ...

"Don't forget, even in the most difficult times, magic and music accompany us!"

Dumbledore's final words still echoed in Cypher's hazy ears.

The noisy singing was practically a sonic weapon, giving Cypher a headache.

The older students were already free to roam, while the new students had to return to the common rooms under the guidance of the prefects to be assigned their dormitories.

After the prefects introduced themselves, the small prefect was indeed Filius Flitwick, and the other elegant female prefect was indeed called Avenia Rupert.

Once all the new students were gathered, Head Boy Flitwick and Head Girl Rupert walked ahead to lead the way for everyone.

A new life! Here I come!

Cypher clenched his fist secretly.