"Ladies and gentlemen, I must announce with great excitement that our Potions Professor has achieved a remarkable feat!"
"Of course, we mustn't forget Professor Snape's assistant, Mr. Prewett."
Dumbledore, dressed in a long purple robe, stood at the front of the faculty section and announced loudly to everyone, "Thanks to their efforts, the Wolfsbane Potion has been historically improved. This is a great miracle in Potions and a major achievement worthy of being written into the history of this school."
Before Dumbledore finish speaking, the students erupted in excitement, many turning to look at the long table in Slytherin House.
"It's Prewett again!"
"Is he a genius in Potions too? He's even become Professor Snape's assistant and improved Wolfsbane Potion!"
"I told you long ago, Prewett is a genius!"
Dumbledore coughed and shouted, "Quiet!"
The murmurs in the Great Hall gradually subsided, Dumbledore said, "Those who have made outstanding contributions deserve to be rewarded. Please come forward, both of you."
Snape glanced at Lupin, raised his chin, stood up, and walked expressionlessly to Dumbledore's side, his robes swaying merrily.
Lupin was smiling and applauding him.
Silan also stood up from the Slytherin table and slowly walked towards Dumbledore.
The students' eyes were fixed on him, filled with envy, admiration, respect, and resentment.
Silan glanced at Hermione as she walked past the crowd.
Miss Granger seemed even happier than him, her little face flushed with excitement, her eyes sparkling, and she clapped enthusiastically for him.
Hearing Hermione's applause, the other students finally realized what was happening and joined in the applause.
Thunderous applause erupted in the Great Hall.
George and Fred whistled loudly and waved their arms at Silan: "Well done, Silan!"
Ron waved the chicken leg like a flag, loudly announcing to his classmates, "This is my brother! My own brother!"
Harry moved a little further away from Ron, so that Ron wouldn't throw the chicken leg at him.
Silan walked to the faculty seating area, Dumbledore turned to him with a smile, "Congratulations, Silan. With your talent, achieving glory and fame won't be difficult. I hope you can continue down this path."
Silan smiled and nodded, "Thank you, Principal."
He realized that Dumbledore meaning.
The implication was that he could get what he wanted without resorting to underhanded tactics.
"This is guiding myself." Silan understood immediately.
"Quiet!"
Dumbledore patted his hands toward everyone.
The students had just quieted down when the Great Hall doors opened, and Charlemagne walked in with two old wizards.
The two old wizards wore crimson robes, each with an exquisite silver "W" embroidered on its left breast.
"Who are they?" Harry craned his neck, looking at the three wizards who walked in, and asked curiously.
Hermione, who had been watching Silan, glanced back instinctively when she heard Harry's question and replied, "The leading wizard is from the Extraordinary Society of Potioneers, and the two behind him are wizards from Wizengamot."
"How did you know?" Ron asked, puzzled.
"Their robes all bear markings: the insignia of the Extraordinary Society of Potioneers, and the silver emblem of Wizengamot." Seeing their stunned expressions, Hermione said helplessly, "Don't you two ever read books?"
"I'll look at it when I'm reviewing," Ron argued.
Harry and Ron were in similar situations, and they grinned as they continued, "What are they here for?"
"Wizengamot has a history even longer than the Ministry of Magic itself, functioning as both a court and a council, and inheriting the legislative power of the former Wizards' Council. They are usually composed of about 50 members. Headmaster Dumbledore is currently the Chief Warlock of Wizengamot," Hermione, the walking encyclopedia, explained as if reciting a memorized text.
"But I still don't know what they're here for," Ron muttered.
"I was just about to say," Hermione glared at him, guessing, "They're probably here to award Professor Snape the Order of Merlin."
Ron choked, then frantically pounded his chest. "The Order of Merlin? For Snape?!"
Hermione ignored him, wondering with some confusion, "If it's just to award Professor Snape a medal, why are there two people here?"
Charlemagne walked up to Dumbledore, glanced at Silan, and bowed to Dumbledore.
Snape, standing nearby, stared intently at him and asked in a low voice as if guarding against a thief, "What are you doing here?"
"Don't be nervous, Severus," Charlemagne said expressionlessly. "I'm just here to award you the medal."
As he spoke, Charlemagne took out an exquisite purple-gold scroll, slowly unfurled it, and began to read aloud.
The gist of it is to commend Snape for his contributions to the field of Potions.
Silan wasn't interested in this and listened casually.
Noticing Hermione looking at him, Silan silently moved his lips, asking in a muffled voice, "Want to sneak out of the Great Hall together later?"
Hermione immediately understood, glanced at the Great Hall door, and nodded subconsciously.
"Slipped out of the Great Hall together, just the two of you?" Hermione answered silently.
"Certainly."
They cared nothing for the crowd or the medals; they only cared about each other.
"Having been assessed and approved by Wizengamot, Severus Snape is hereby awarded the Order of Merlin, Second Class, and Silan Prewett, the Order of Merlin, Third Class Badge." Charlemagne finished reading the awarding authorization, put away the scroll, and handed it to Snape.
After receiving the medal, Snape still stared at him warily, without saying a word.
Silan seemed somewhat surprised. "Is there something else I need to do?"
He originally thought he was just there to fill a role and make up the numbers, since the contribution of a second author is not as significant as that of the first author.
It's like nobody remembers the second-place finisher.
Noticing Silan's expression, Dumbledore turned and gave him a knowing look with a knowing smile.
Silan instantly realized. "Dumbledore some strings behind the scenes."
As the Chief Warlock of Wizengamot, Dumbledore naturally had many areas to manipulate. Using Improved Wolfsbane Potion as an excuse, it wouldn't be too difficult to apply for a Level Three medal for him.
Remembering Dumbledore's words, Silan smiled helplessly, "How afraid are you that I'll go astray...?"
I never wanted to be the Dark Lord.
I haven't done anything illegal in a long time.
After Snape accepted the permission to receive the medals, two old wizards who had been following Charlemagne each came up with a medal and pinned it to their chests.
The old wizard who pinned the medal on Silan looked at his youthful face and couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine. "They didn't tell me he was such a young wizard!"
The two medals are identical in design, differing only slightly in the color of the ribbon.
The second-class medal is marked with a purple ribbon and is typically used to recognize achievements or efforts that go beyond the ordinary.
The ribbon for the Level Three medal is white and is used to recognize individuals who have made contributions to the preservation of knowledge or to the entertainment industry.
In 1979, Newt Scamander was awarded the Order of Merlin, Second Class for his outstanding contributions to the field of Magical Creatures.
The highest honor of the Order of Merlin, First Class, is the green ribbon, often used to recognize outstanding contributions to magic.
After the awarding of medals, Dumbledore grabbed Snape and Silan by the wrists, raised their arms high, and shouted, "Congratulations to them!"
Cheers immediately erupted from the students in the Great Hall.
Dumbledore clapped his hands with a smile, and colorful ribbons immediately fell from the ceiling, but disappeared without a trace before they reached the dining table.
Professor McGonagall also stood up and applauded.
She was very proud that both wizards who received the Order of Merlin were her students.
Draco slammed his hand on the table, while secretly pulling out a list with the other and silently crossing out "Potions."
"It seems Potions won't work... but I can still try other things." Draco raised his head, looking at Silan: "Surely there's something I can do to surpass him?"
"Probably..." Draco added hesitantly to himself.
The awarding ceremony concluded, and the banquet continued.
Dumbledore of sweet wine, chatted with two wizards who had come from Wizengamot, while Professor McGonagall raised a toast with Snape.
Amidst the jubilation and congratulations, Snape gradually lowered his guard and began to fully enjoy this glorious moment.
Silan and Hermione exchanged a silent glance across the crowd before sneaking out of the Great Hall.
... Divider Line...
Author's note: The Order of Merlin, First Class, has a green ribbon, which is often mistakenly attributed to Merlin being Slytherin House student.
Even the Merlin entry on HP Wikipedia states this.
However, this is not entirely true in terms of time.
Merlin was a medieval wizard and a member of King Arthur's court, assisting him in becoming a wise ruler. However, King Arthur's reign was around the 5th century AD, while Hogwarts was founded in the 10th century. This means that Hogwarts was established several hundred years after Merlin.
The idea that Merlin, hundreds of years old, would attend Hogwarts as a first-year Slytherin wizard is somewhat absurd...
Therefore, I conclude that the claim that Merlin was a student of Slytherin is a rumor.
Does anyone have another opinion?