Someone at Every Table Is the First to Stand Up / You Can Get a Job Offer at the Christmas Feast (3000+)

And... do you really know how Harry is going to deal with the Malfoy family?

He not only fabricated evidence but also impersonated a fugitive to frame Lucius Malfoy...

Besides, if I hadn't stopped him, he would have already stormed up Malfoy Manor and killed them himself!

Chapter 343 Someone at every table was the first to stand up.

One rather poignant thing is that, even now, Dumbledore probably doesn't think his previous appeasement policy was wrong.

At the same time, he was still relieved that he had successfully stopped Harry from carrying out his... 'extreme' plan.

Therefore, he found it difficult to understand what the Flamel couple were feeling when they arrived there.

Before taking action, Harry borrowed the Demiguise from Scamander. Given Scamander's understanding of Harry and the subsequent upheavals in the Britain Wizarding World, he could easily guess that... this storm targeting Lucius Malfoy was undoubtedly orchestrated by Harry.

However, during the escalation of the incident, the Order of the Phoenix, led by Dumbledore, reacted sluggishly and was even attacked by capital and politicians, suffering a series of defeats.

This shows that Dumbledore never intended to support Harry; Harry was fighting alone from beginning to end!

One can imagine how resentful the Flamel couple would be upon learning this.

Thus began this confrontation and questioning.

"It's just a mere Pure-blood Family, don't give me that 'major issue' nonsense! All I know is that my student has been wronged in your Britain Wizarding World!" Nicolas Flamel glared aggressively at Dumbledore. "Give me a straight answer today: can you wholeheartedly support Harry? If not, I'll take Harry and those two girls to Beauxbatons right now!"

"No... Nicolas Flamel, I know you might value Harry, but you can't just blatantly steal him away like this!"

Dumbledore now quite exasperated.

He never expected that Nicolas Flamel would show him no respect whatsoever, scolding him, the school's principal, like a grandson in front of a group of teachers and students.

However, the other party's seniority was indeed high. Even Bathilda Bagshot, a witch who was clearly of Dumbledore's grandmother's generation, could not compare to Nicolas Flamel's high prestige.

Left with no other option, he could only continue his earnest persuasion, "Nicolas Flamel, Lucius Malfoy's matter this time isn't just about his family; it also involves the Britain Ministry of Magic, making it quite complicated to handle. Besides, I remember you weren't such a reckless person before, why..."

"You know nothing!!" Seeing that Dumbledore was still dodging the question, Nicolas Flamel pointed at his nose and started yelling.

He even shouted so hard that his shinbone snapped with a 'crack', startling Corvus, who quickly grabbed him.

"Albus Dumbledore, I'm telling you... Harry, Luna Lovegood, and Hermione, what happens to these three is what happens to my wife and me! If anything happens to any of them, I will not rest until it's all over!!"

At this moment, Nicolas Flamel may have looked like an old man on his deathbed, but the aura he exuded was so powerful that even Dumbledore, the universally acknowledged strongest white wizard, couldn't help but tremble with fear!

His words of protection for Harry and the other two children were deeply moving to everyone present.

"You know what, Albus ... Six hundred years... Perenelle and I have waited a full six hundred years for these two children who can inherit everything from us! But... anyway, you have to promise me... it doesn't matter who gets hurt, but these three absolutely cannot get hurt!!"

Perhaps, like Dumbledore, everyone present found it hard to understand why Nicolas Flamel valued a child he had only met 'by chance' during the summer holidays so highly.

But if we look at it from Nicolas Flamel's perspective, after enduring over six hundred years of hardship with the Elixir of Life, how excited must he have been to suddenly discover prodigies like Harry and Luna Lovegood, capable of inheriting ancient alchemy?

However, the result was that the two children who carried his hopes disappeared one after another before his eyes!

In China parlance, it's like a parent outliving their child...

What must he have been feeling at that moment?

So ever since entering Britain and learning about what was happening here, Nicolas Flamel had been burning with rage, eager to unleash it.

In his view, even if Harry really wanted to kill that Malfoy, it was perfectly understandable.

He and Luna Lovegood were everything to the Flamel couple. As long as their doctor and little Prophet were alright, Harry didn't care who he wanted to kill!

"Nicolas Flamel, calm down... I admit, I was negligent in dealing with the Malfoy family and didn't provide Harry with enough assistance in time. I promise I'll be more careful in the future, okay?"

Helpless, after being yelled at by Nicolas Flamel, a senior figure, even the highly respected Dumbledore could only admit his mistake like a child.

"Anyway, don't worry, I guarantee Harry won't suffer any injustice in the future. As for what you just said... his family and friends are all here, and he also works as a teaching assistant at the school. Even if you really like him, you can't force him to go to France. Now that you're here, I've already prepared accommodation for you at the school. From now on, you and Perenelle can settle in and stay with him while he studies at the school, okay?"

"Okay, then I'll keep a close eye on you and make sure you keep your promise."

After Dumbledore had said almost everything he could to appease him, Nicolas Flamel finally stopped, and his face returned to the kind expression he had when he first arrived.

After this incident, everyone was finally able to return to the Great Hall to continue the Christmas dinner, which had become extremely awkward...

Of course, the only awkward situation was at the teachers' table; the atmosphere at Harry's table was even more lively than before.

The Flamel couple' treatment of Harry's friends and relatives was a stark contrast to Dumbledore's; and whether it was Sirius later on, or Tonks, Hagrid, and others who were already at the table, they were all straightforward and easygoing, not caring much about the Flamel couple's seniority.

After this long conversation, they might even think that Harry, the legendary mentor, was a very kind old man, selectively forgetting the old man's outburst at the door just moments before.

However, the Flamel couple had limited energy, and they were only seated because of Harry, so they didn't stay until the end of the banquet.

When Nicolas Flamel noticed that his wife, Perenelle, was also feeling tired, he decided to leave early to rest.

"Teacher, let me help you." Seeing Nicolas Flamel swaying as he tried to get up from his seat, Harry quickly went over to support him.

But at that moment, Trelawney, who was on the other side of the instructor's desk, suddenly screamed again.

"Oh, no!" Her gaze darted back and forth between Nicolas Flamel and Harry, her face a mask of nervous panic. "Which of you stood up first...?"

"Can you shut up?" Luna Lovegood, who was about to help Perenelle to her feet, turned her head and glared at him coldly, her eyes sharp as a raven's long beak.

Honestly, regardless of whether Trelawney's Prophecy was accurate or not, her behavior alone is infuriating.

On this occasion, instead of saying a kind word, she cursed both Dumbledore and Nicolas Flamel, the two highest-ranking people, and even spared Harry...

Luna Lovegood didn't resort to insults, which is already considered polite and civilized.

Chapter 344 You can receive requests at the Christmas banquet (3000+ words)

"Nicolas Flamel, if you're going to rest, let me show you the way."

Seeing that the Lemaîtres Flamel couple seemed to be leaving their table, Dumbledore quickly got up and followed them out, leading them to their pre-arranged lodgings.

The room he prepared for the Flamel couple was located on the top floor of the central tower, below which was the Seventh Floor corridor, and not far from the Headmaster's Office, the Room of Requirement, and the towers of the Eagle House and Gryffindor House.

In addition, an alchemy laboratory at Hogwarts is also nearby. That place was originally used by Dumbledore, but it has now been given to Flamel couple to teach Harry.

After settling the two elderly people in comfortably, and with the Nicolas Flamel family's House-elf bringing up their luggage, Dumbledore finally felt relieved enough to leave with Harry and Luna Lovegood.

"Harry, I'm so glad you've found such a good teacher as Nicolas Flamel... I can tell he really values you." Dumbledore suddenly remarked for no apparent reason when the three of them reached the Seventh Floor.

"Indeed... if it weren't for me, the teacher and his wife wouldn't have had to go through all this trouble to come to Hogwarts."

Harry nodded gently, deeply grateful for the unconditional love and care the Flamel couple had given him.

"That's why I hope you can be mindful of your boundaries, Harry." Dumbledore looked earnestly into Harry's eyes, his tone unusually serious. "You've really changed a lot lately compared to before. Especially now, with Nicolas Flamel standing behind you... I'm worried that this kind of care might make you lose your way."

To be honest, Dumbledore's worries were even greater than before with the arrival of the Flamel couple.

He was already barely able to control Harry's actions, and now that Nicolas Flamel has arrived at Hogwarts, Harry will definitely become even more unruly.

He was now equally puzzled: what had Harry experienced in France that made the Flamel couple value him so highly?

There was also that Auror from the Lestrange Family... He was clearly not temporarily assigned to deliver the Flamel couple's package, but rather was a close friend of Harry's.

Corvus... that's no ordinary name.

The Lestrange Family uses a raven as its sigil, and those who are given the name 'Corvus' are often the family's uplifters and important heirs, individuals who hold absolute power within the family!

The initial Scamander, the exonerated Black, and now the suddenly appearing Nicolas Flamel and Lestrange... Harry's social circle is beginning to frighten Dumbledore!

"Excuse my bluntness, Headmaster, but sometimes... you really want too much." Hearing Dumbledore's words, Harry shook his head slightly. "You always want to confine me to a certain scope to achieve your own perfect expectations, which is really unrealistic. You can't have the cake and eat it at the same time... you can't expect me to be the Boy Who Lived and also expect me to always be a well-behaved student, can you?"

There were some things Harry had never dared to say to Dumbledore before; now that Nicolas Flamel was willing to stand up for him, Harry felt no need to confront him directly.

Albus Dumbledore certainly wanted Harry to have a good life, but when that good life was mixed with expectations of the Boy Who Lived, it naturally came with obvious limitations.

Harry's upbringing, his family, friendships, abilities, and style of doing things, including but not limited to the above, were all things Dumbledore wanted to control.

The reason he keeps emphasizing that Harry has 'changed' is ultimately because... Harry's current growth trajectory has not only completely deviated from his previous preconceived template, but has even begun to break through his own bottom line of tolerance!

If Harry continues to grow up in this unconventional way, he will naturally never become the kind of the Boy Who Lived Dumbledore envisions...

Ultimately, Dumbledore did not choose to return to the Great Hall to continue the banquet, but instead went back to the Headmaster's Office alone.

Watching the other person's slightly forlorn figure, Harry could only sigh inwardly, unsure of what to say...

"Luna Lovegood, do you think... I've really changed a lot?" Harry asked, seemingly wistfully, on the way back to the Great Hall.

Everyone changes, not just you, and these changes can't please everyone. At least for me, I don't care what you become, because... no matter what, I'll be there for you.

Luna Lovegood's voice was soft and soothing, like a calm river. Harry knew that there was no other meaning in her words; she was simply stating a fact that was established for her.

So he shrugged self-deprecatingly. "Ah, it's probably because of an inescapable fate..."

"Fate is just a beginning, but the real reason has nothing to do with it." Luna Lovegood slowly shook her head, a hint of seriousness flashing in her large eyes. "I don't know the specific reason yet. But it is precisely because of this unknown that I want to explore the ultimate answer."

"Haha, then take your time to figure it out. Be sure to tell me when you find the answer!"

Hearing Luna Lovegood say that, Harry laughed heartily.

He smiled lightly at Luna Lovegood, and although he didn't say anything to thank her, his eyes revealed his deep gratitude.

Life is sometimes like that; as the saying goes, "What you lose on one front, you gain on another." Harry may have had a hard time gaining understanding from Dumbledore, but that doesn't mean that others won't understand him either.

Besides Luna Lovegood, he was accompanied by Hermione and a long table of friends in the Great Hall, all of whom were people who could offer Harry understanding.

The scene shifts back to the Great Hogwarts Great Hall. With the absence of the Flamel couple, Harry's table is even more lively than before.

Sirius, in particular, could chat with seven out of the eight people at the table besides himself, and occasionally even exchanged a few words with Snape remotely. He was definitely the life of the party.

What's more, he also met Tonks —the daughter of Sirius's favorite sister. Seeing his niece again, he was naturally overjoyed.

Tonks did the same when he met his distant uncle, chattering on and on, though he mentioned a particular person quite a lot in his conversations.

"Uncle Black, you may be very good, but I think Lupin is better, especially his Patronus Charm, it looks so cool when he uses it!"

"Lupin is definitely awesome, he was even Prefect back in school!" Sirius laughed, putting his arm around Lupin's neck. "It's just a shame he couldn't control us at all!"

"Strange, why don't I feel like you're praising me?" Lupin sighed, rubbing his forehead.

"That's right! And why did you bring up the Prefect's thing? It's so annoying!" Tonks also expressed his strong opposition, after all...

Not Prefect is a pain that will forever remain in her heart; it's the kind of pain that will bring her to tears if she talks about it too much.

"Hagrid, I've told you so many times, I really don't know how to Abraxan!"

While Sirius was chatting away, Corvus, who had come with him, was being entangled by Hagrid.

This naive and kind-hearted professor of Fantastic Beasts kept pressing Corvus with questions about feeding the Abraxan, but poor Corvus was just a driver; what did he know about caring for Fantastic Beasts?

So Corvus could only deal with Hagrid while making excuses, saying that Hagrid should ask Harry directly when Harry returned.

The reason he was willing to chat with Hagrid was actually because he was a bit curious about the other man's identity, but he couldn't find a chance to ask.

Half-blood Giant are very rare, because they can only be born from the union of a male wizard and a female Giant... and according to Corvus's understanding, there should be no Giant in Britain.

There is a known Giant Tribe in France, but they have always been shrouded in mystery, and Corvus had only heard of them.

In short, even with Harry, the core member, absent, the atmosphere at his table remained quite pleasant... except for one child who was inadvertently overlooked.

"Your name is Astoria Greengrass Greengrass, right?" Hermione suddenly called out to the somewhat lonely Slytherin House girl.

"Ah... yes!"

When Astoria Greengrass was suddenly called upon, her hand trembled slightly, and the fork in her hand accidentally bumped against the empty plate in front of her, making a crisp sound.

"Is the food not to your liking? You don't seem to have eaten much," Hermione asked with concern.

"No, the food is delicious, I just can't eat much..." Astoria Greengrass lowered her head slightly, her tone full of struggle.

This behavior clearly indicates that something is on their mind.

"If you need help, feel free to tell me."

Logically speaking, Hermione wouldn't really care what Astoria Greengrass did, since she was a Slytherin student.

Moreover, her sister Daphne Greengrass was one of the girls who hung out with Pansy, making her practically Hermione's nemesis.

However, it's a bit unreasonable that a large group of people are chatting happily at the dinner table while neglecting this first-grade girl.

Moreover, she was very quiet and polite from the beginning, which was quite different from the Pure-blood students of Slytherin House, which was the main reason why Hermione was willing to pay attention to her.

"I... I actually have something I'd like to ask you for a favor." After a moment of hesitation, Astoria Greengrass seemed to have made up her mind. "I heard that your Detective Society can solve some paranormal cases, and I've been troubled by something lately, which is why I haven't gone home this year. I've thought about asking you for help before, but I was worried..."

"If you have anything to discuss, you can come to the Detective Society in a few days to talk it over." Harry's voice suddenly interrupted at this moment. "I need to settle my teachers first, and many things won't be ready until after January, so you'll have to wait a bit. Also... we have no prejudice against Slytherin, but only if some of you stop causing trouble."