Once the students were half full, their attention began to drift away from the food.
Some sharp-eyed students gradually noticed the conspicuous empty seat at the staff table—the Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts's place was vacant.
Combined with the vague, contradictory reports in the Daily Prophet, whispers spread between the four long tables like ripples across water.
"Professor Lin Du really didn't come..."
"The paper said there'd been 'an accident' and that he was 'recovering'..."
"Could it really be... like the rumors say? Did he fail to escape the Dark Lord's 'curse'?"
"Even he... Was the thing in the Chamber of Secrets really that terrifying?"
The discussions grew louder, carrying speculation, concern, and a faint sense of regret that even someone as powerful as Lin Du had "fallen short."
Just as the murmurs were about to coalesce into more definite questions or rumors, Dumbledore rose from the head table once more.
He merely lifted a hand slightly, and the entire Great Hall fell silent in an instant. Every gaze turned to him again.
"Before everyone fully enjoys this night of celebration, I believe it is necessary to announce two matters and clear up a few doubts," Dumbledore said, his voice gentle and clear.
"First," his gaze shifted toward the Gryffindor table—more precisely, toward Harry—"regarding the additional two hundred points in Gryffindor's House Cup hourglass."
He paused, making sure everyone heard him clearly. "This extraordinary reward is in recognition of Mr. Harry Potter. With exceptional courage and insight, he ventured into danger and ultimately ended, with his own hands, the threat that had plagued Hogwarts for a thousand years—the Basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets.
For this, he not only won honor for Gryffindor, but also earned himself a Special Award for Services to Hogwarts."
"Whoa—!!!"
The Gryffindor table