Order of Merlin, Second Class

The unexpected arrival of the guest immediately drew everyone's attention.

The cheers and celebrations subsided considerably, and the young wizards turned to look at the group, but they only recognized Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge; they had no recollection of the others.

Even Dumbledore, High Table, was slightly taken aback.

However, he quickly went to meet him:

"Oh, Doge, and Cornelius, Pegasus ..."

Dumbledore greeted them one by one, saying, "It's so nice to see you all at Hogwarts. I thought you wouldn't arrive until tomorrow."

"It was supposed to be tomorrow..."

Dougal McPhail, the old wizard who was walking at the front, said with a smile, "However, Nicolas thinks this is a rare opportunity and shouldn't be known only to a few people."

And I personally think so too, after all, there has never been a young wizard who received the Order of Merlin at the age of twelve before. That is a remarkable achievement; that child broke the record for the youngest wizard by eight years."

"This is certainly something to celebrate," Dumbledore smile.

"So we sped up a bit and managed to get there before Hogwarts went on holiday."

Mike Phil smiled and said, "To receive the medal alongside everyone at Hogwarts... that must be very meaningful for the child."

Upon hearing his words, the entire Great Hall fell silent instantly. Everyone stared wide-eyed, harboring a suspicion but unable to believe it.

A twelve-year-old wizard has received the Order of Merlin... How is that possible!

Not far away, at the Gryffindor dining table, Fred gave George a somewhat stiff look.

"Twelve years old, that should be second grade, right?"

"... It could also be a first-year student."

George's expression also seemed a bit off. "Maybe it's Harry. Everyone knows he defeated the You-Know-Who, so it's no big deal that he received a Order of Merlin."

"But... Harry's birthday is in July, which means he's still eleven years old."

George was speechless.

A name suddenly popped into his mind, and he believed Fred must have felt the same way.

"No way..."

"Could it be...?"

The two exchanged a glance and then looked towards the Hufflepuff dining table.

At this point, Mike Phil, who had come from afar, stopped exchanging pleasantries.

"Then let's begin, Dumbledore, the youngest member of the Order of Merlin... I can't wait any longer, and let's not keep the children waiting."

"Of course, no problem. But will you be hosting the ceremony again?"

Mike Phil shook his head. "Of course not, we have more suitable candidates."

Upon hearing his words, Cornelius Fudge subconsciously cleared his throat and took a small step forward, seemingly eager to take the job.

But Mike Phil acted as if he hadn't seen him and continued, "Since this is Hogwarts, it must have Albus."

Besides, this is your job as the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, you can't keep pushing it onto me... Remember, I've been retired for a long time."

"But you're more suited for this job than I am, Doge."

Dumbledore smiled, then turned and walked toward the High Table.

"What a joyous day!" he exclaimed. "Let me introduce you to these distinguished guests..."

"Dougal McPhail, a wise and composed sage, led the Ministry of Magic through a pleasant period of peace during a time of significant turmoil in the Muggle Council."

Mike Phil waved and greeted everyone.

A round of enthusiastic applause rang out in the Great Hall.

"I know him," Hermione said excitedly. "Remember when we saw him when we were looking for Nicolas Flamel?"

Dougal McPhail served as Minister for Magic in 1858, and he was one of the most trusted ministers.

"1858?!"

Ron said incredulously, "Then he must be over a hundred years old now!"

"133 years old," Harry said quietly.

"You two..." Hermione frowned. "He should be at least 133 years old. He couldn't have been Minister for Magic since birth, could he?"

"He's really good at living..." Ron muttered under his breath. "I mean, he doesn't have the Elixir of Life, does he?"

On stage, Dumbledore had already begun introducing the next person.

"And our Minister for Magic, Mr. Cornelius Fudge..."

Fudge took off his hat, revealing a friendly smile.

Another round of applause erupted from below, especially from the Slytherin group, who clapped with particular enthusiasm.

"And Pegasus Sacia, the headmaster of the St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, a highly respected master of Potions..."

"Newt Scamander, the renowned Magizoologist and author of <Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them>..."

While Dumbledore was introducing the people on stage, Kyle's gaze remained fixed on the last two.

Those were his parents, Chris and Diana.

However, Diana wore a large black hood, concealing herself very well.

And for some reason, she had a very low profile; if she hadn't been standing right next to Chris, Kyle probably wouldn't have even noticed her.

It felt like Muggle-Repelling Charm...

As he was thinking, Kyle suddenly felt something strange in his palm. He subconsciously looked down and discovered that there were some small words on his hand that had appeared out of nowhere...

"Don't look around, it's a mission!"

Kyle's lips twitched.

Clearly, his mother had probably taken leave during the mission to come over, but due to the special nature of the Department of Mysteries, she had to hide herself.

After being reminded, Kyle nodded slightly and then looked away from them.

Just knowing that your parents are there is enough.

Kyle felt something was missing if they weren't involved in something so important.

"Kyle, why are you smiling so happily?"

Cedric gave him a puzzled look, then seemed to realize something:

"Wait... could this Order of Merlin... be for you?"

Like George, he had previously thought it was for Harry Potter.

Kyle shrugged and didn't say anything, but Cedric's expression grew increasingly surprised.

Moreover, there was a hint of stunned disbelief in his surprise.

Dumbledore quickly finished introducing the last person.

Damocles Belby, the inventor of the Wolfsbane Potion.

Apart from Fudge, the other four were all recipients of the Order of Merlin, some as First Class and others as Second Class.

As for Chris and Diana... they had already found a seat near the door and sat down.

Dumbledore seemed to have sensed something as well, so he didn't mention the two of them.

"You might find it strange, wondering why these renowned wizards would come to Hogwarts..."

Dumbledore stood before the High Table and said in a clear, loud voice, "It's very simple... They're here to award a student the Order of Merlin."

After Dumbledore gave his affirmative answer, a murmur of surprise rippled through the crowd.

Everyone is speculating about who it is... and the one mentioned most often is Harry Potter.

"Harry, is it really you?" Ron said excitedly.

"Impossible." Harry shook his head. "I've never heard of that, and I'm not even twelve yet, you know that."

"I know, but who else could it be but you... Don't forget you defeated the You-Know-Who and saved the Wizarding World," Ron said. "Maybe they just misremembered your age."

Harry frowned; he still felt something was off.

If it was truly because of Voldemort, why wait until today to present the award, and why let him Dursley family for eleven years?

If Hagrid hadn't taken him away from that seaside hut, he might still not know that Hogwarts even existed.

The Great Hall was in chaos, filled with noise... Everyone was arguing about who the award winner was.

But Dumbledore soon told them the answer.

"Kyle Chopper!" he shouted.

The Great Hall fell silent instantly, as if a pause button had been pressed. They instinctively looked towards the Hufflepuff table and Kyle standing there.

"Come here, child," Dumbledore said gently.

Kyle walked over.

Dumbledore said solemnly, "At St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, you successfully subdued an out-of-control Werewolf and saved the lives of 57 patients on an entire floor."

In recognition of your courageous and fearless actions, I, Albus Dumbledore, on behalf of the International Confederation of Wizards, the Order of Merlin, Wizengamot, and Wizarding World, hereby award you the Order of Merlin, Second Class!