Was the Paper Published?

Albus Dumbledore's voice changed, "But please don't forget, school will start again after summer vacation, so read more books and don't let your little brains go blank."

The young wizards let out good-natured laughter.

After the laughter subsided, Albus Dumbledore continued, "Now, we must proceed with the House Cup awards ceremony."

The specific scores for each house are as follows: Gryffindor, 300 points; Hufflepuff, 352 points; Ravenclaw, 426 points; Slytherin, 500 points.

Cheers erupted from the Slytherin table, and Snape wore a smile, which, to the others, only made them feel extremely uncomfortable.

"Yes, well done, Slytherin." Albus Dumbledore the subject, "However, a few recent events must also be taken into account."

Snape's smile froze, and the Slytherin table fell silent; a sense of foreboding crept into their hearts.

"First, Mr. Neville Longbottom, for the most beautiful music of the year, I award him 50 points in Gryffindor."

The Gryffindor students were delighted, while the Slytherin remained calm; the gap between the two sides was still significant.

Neville blushed; he had never received so many bonus points before.

"Second, Ron Weasley. He won the most brilliant game of chess at Hogwarts in many years and damaged his wand to protect the school's property. For this, I award Gryffindor House 60 points."

The twins were so excited they jumped onto the table, Percy loudly told everyone that Ron was his brother and that he had bypassed Professor McGonagall's giant chessboard.

"It's alright, there's still a 90-point gap," the Slytherin student reassured himself.

"Third, Tom Riddle." Albus Dumbledore looked at Tom.

The Slytherin visibly became excited, waiting for their bonus points.

"Mr. Riddle appeared at a critical moment, transcending the differences between schools, and risked his life to help Mr. Potter. As a reward, I have already given him my most precious treasure, therefore no further points will be awarded."

Tom wasn't surprised, because these were the conditions Albus Dumbledore had agreed upon with him in his office, but the others were disappointed.

"Tom, what kind of treasure is it?" Daphne tugged at Tom's sleeve and asked in a low voice.

"We'll talk about it when we get back. This is a surprise for you." Tom winked.

Hearing Tom say that, the girl became even more curious, her heart itching with anticipation.

"Finally, Harry Potter," Albus Dumbledore said.

The Great Hall became unusually quiet.

"He displayed great courage and daring, for which I award Gryffindor House a hundred points!"

The cheers were deafening. The students with strong mental arithmetic skills had already arrived at the conclusion, their faces beaming with joy.

"It's exceeded! The score is exceeded!"

"Gryffindor surpassed Slytherin! We are the champions!"

Albus Dumbledore raised his hand and had to use magic to amplify his voice to drown out the cheers and applause.

The fact that even Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw were celebrating for them shows just how unpopular Slytherin are.

"We need to make some changes to the decor here!" He clapped his hands.

Instantly, the decorations representing Slytherin turned gold and red, and the Slytherin snake transformed into a lion.

Snape, beaming, shook hands with Professor McGonagall with great poise, then silently glared at Albus Dumbledore.

Could that old man's underhanded tactics be any more blatant? Luckily, Riddle was one step ahead this time.

The professors, including Professor McGonagall Albus Dumbledore, were all puzzled.

Based on their understanding of Snape, Snape shouldn't be behaving like this at this moment.

Instead of being angry, he laughed even harder?

"Wait a moment!"

Just when everyone thought the dramatic and unpredictable House Cup competition was over, Tom slowly stood up.

The sound became shrill under the magic's enhancement, and everyone felt a ringing in their ears, involuntarily falling silent.

This time, it was Albus Dumbledore's turn to feel uneasy. What was this kid up to?

Tom first smiled slightly at Albus Dumbledore, then looked at Professor Snape.

"Professor, I'd like to ask if my paper has been successfully published?"

All eyes were on Snape.

At this moment, Snape stood up as if suddenly realizing something, his tone sarcastic. "Yeah, Riddle, I almost forgot."

"Recently, grading some people's papers has made me so angry that my brain isn't working properly."

As he said this, Snape deliberately lingered his gaze on Harry and Neville for a few more seconds, his disdain almost overflowing.

"Severus, what paper is it?" Albus Dumbledore sensed something was wrong, but still forced himself to ask.

Snape took a piece of parchment he had prepared beforehand from his pocket and handed it to Albus Dumbledore, bypassing Professor McGonagall.

His tone rarely carried a hint of genuine admiration. "Mr. Riddle has painstakingly studied Potions and created Active Substance Extraction Technique,"

"It can not only greatly enhance the effects of Potions, but also reduce the consumption of raw materials."

Snape clicked his tongue and shook his head, exclaiming, "What a remarkable achievement! The Extraordinary Potioneers Association has already verified it, and just a few days ago they published a magazine column on it."

"We will also apply for the Silver Cauldron Medal for Riddle and invite him to join the association."

The young wizards present were in an uproar. Everyone knew that the medals of the Extraordinary Potioneers Association were as valuable as the Order of Merlin.

The lowest rank is the Bronze Cauldron Medal, followed by the Silver Crucible, and finally the Gold Cauldron Medal.

Tom's extraction method didn't qualify him for the Gold Cauldron Medal, but it was more than enough for the Silver Cauldron Medal, putting him on par with Snape.

However, this does not mean that his Potions skills are the same as Snape's; it simply means that their contributions to the development of Potions are comparable.

After Snape finished speaking, the focus of the entire room shifted to Tom.

"Professor, there's something I don't understand." Tom winked at Snape, looking at Snape with a completely innocent and bewildered expression.

"Although you're only remembering this now, the magazine's publication should be considered something that happened during the semester, right?"

Snape was practically laughing hysterically inside; for the first time in his life, he had patiently answered such a stupid question.

"Of course, Mr. Riddle, after all, the criteria for judgment are not based on my memory, wouldn't you agree, Headmaster Dumbledore?"

Albus Dumbledore had finished reading the parchment and sighed inwardly. Well, he'd been tricked by that kid again.

"This was our oversight, Severus." Albus Dumbledore quickly regained his composure and smiled again.

"I am proud that our school has such an outstanding student as Mr. Riddle. He fully deserves a Special Contribution to the School Award, and for that, I would add two hundred points to Slytherin."