By dinner, the Daily Prophet had spread through Hogwarts so completely that it felt less like news and more like weather.
Every corridor hummed with discussion.
Students gathered in clusters near staircases arguing over Ministry policies they barely understood.
Owls continued arriving throughout the afternoon carrying additional editions from home.
Even the portraits had opinions.
The Fat Lady had loudly declared the proposal “the most decent Ministry decision in a century,” while one elderly wizard portrait near the Charms corridor insisted children had become “far too politically competent.”
The castle itself felt awake.
Alive.
And when the Great Hall doors opened for dinner—
the atmosphere shifted immediately.
The enchanted ceiling glowed deep twilight blue overhead, snow drifting softly across the illusion of the winter sky.
Candles floated in golden rows above the four long house tables.
Students filled the Hall in restless waves of conversation.
Every table buzzed with energy.
Excitement.
Confusion.
Curiosity.
At the Slytherin table, Draco sat beside Mira while Theo quietly read the Prophet again for what was probably the fifth time.
Daphne and Blaise were debating international political implications.
Further down the table, younger students whispered openly about the DPWMM as though it were already legendary.
Across the hall, Ravenclaws were discussing structural frameworks and logistical applications.
Hufflepuffs were emotional.
Gryffindors were loud.
And through all of it—
Mira Silverthorne simply sat quietly between Draco and Isolde, helping Pip untangle himself from a napkin he had somehow wrapped around his tiny paws.
As though she had not just helped reshape magical society.
Draco watched her for a long moment.
Still impossible to understand sometimes.
Because everyone else was reacting like history had happened.
And Mira?
Mira looked mildly concerned that Pip might accidentally roll off the bench.
“You know,” Draco murmured quietly, “most people would be celebrating.”
Pip chirped indignantly when Mira finally freed him.
She looked up.
“I am celebrating.”
Draco blinked.
“You are?”
Mira smiled faintly and scratched Briony gently beneath the chin where the snowy-white Niffler sat curled beside her plate.
“It passed.”
That was all she needed.
Draco stared at her a moment longer before looking away with a quiet exhale.
Ridiculous girl.
At the staff table, Dumbledore sat unusually silent tonight.
Not troubled.
Thoughtful.
McGonagall occasionally glanced toward the student tables with visible pride.
Flitwick looked positively radiant.
Sprout kept smiling every time she looked at the Hufflepuff table.
Snape remained outwardly unreadable, though his dark gaze had drifted toward Mira more than once since entering the Hall.
And beside them—
Alaric Silverthorne watched the students carefully.
Not just Mira.
All of them.
Slytherins laughing with Ravenclaws.
Hufflepuffs discussing legislation with Gryffindors.
Students who normally would never have spoken to one another now leaning across tables sharing ideas excitedly.
It reminded him painfully of what Hogwarts could have been years ago.
What it still might become.
Then suddenly—
Dumbledore rose.
The Great Hall quieted almost instantly.
Forks lowered.
Conversations faded.
Even Peeves, hovering invisibly near the ceiling, seemed to pause out of sheer curiosity.
Dumbledore’s robes shimmered faintly silver beneath the candlelight as he looked out across the students.
His expression was warm.
But there was something else beneath it tonight.
Pride.
“Before we begin dinner,” he said gently, his voice carrying effortlessly across the Hall, “I believe there is something worth acknowledging.”
Hundreds of eyes turned toward him fully now.
“The Daily Prophet announced this morning the official establishment of the Department for the Protection and Welfare of Magical Minors.”
Excited murmurs spread instantly through the Hall.
Several students straightened proudly.
Others exchanged stunned looks again as though the reality still had not fully settled.
Dumbledore allowed the noise to fade naturally before continuing.
“This Department now exists not only within Britain…”
He paused.
“…but in cooperation with International Ministries throughout the Wizarding World.”
Even students who had already read the article seemed awed hearing it spoken aloud.
International.
Global.
Real.
Dumbledore’s blue eyes swept slowly across the four house tables.
“There are many adults who deserve recognition for helping bring this Department into existence.”
Lucius.
Theodric.
International representatives.
Ministry supporters.
But then Dumbledore smiled softly.
“However…”
The Hall grew quiet again.
“…I believe the true achievement belongs elsewhere.”
Now students were fully attentive.
Dumbledore’s gaze moved deliberately from table to table.
“To the students of Gryffindor…”
Several Gryffindors blinked in surprise.
“To the students of Hufflepuff…”
Cedric looked up immediately.
“To the students of Ravenclaw…”
Isolde straightened faintly.
“And to the students of Slytherin.”
Draco’s expression sharpened slightly.
Dumbledore folded his hands calmly behind his back.
“You put aside rivalry.”
“You put aside House divisions.”
“You worked together not for glory…”
His gaze softened.
“…but to provide a brighter future for magical children around the world.”
The Hall became utterly silent.
Not awkward silence.
Emotional silence.
Because hearing it spoken aloud made the scale of it feel suddenly real.
Students shifted quietly.
Some looked proud.
Others overwhelmed.
Several younger students looked stunned that professors were speaking about them this way at all.
Dumbledore continued gently:
“Many witches and wizards spend their entire lives waiting for someone else to improve the world.”
A pause.
“You did not wait.”
The words settled deeply into the Hall.
Even Snape looked downward briefly at that.
McGonagall’s eyes softened.
Sprout discreetly dabbed at one eye.
Flitwick looked like he might burst with pride.
And Alaric Silverthorne…
Alaric simply watched the students silently.
Especially Mira.
Who had gone very still beside Draco.
Not embarrassed.
Not uncomfortable.
Just quiet in that way she became whenever emotions reached too deeply.
Dumbledore lifted one hand toward the hourglasses lining the Hall.
“And therefore…”
The students collectively leaned forward.
“…for extraordinary unity between the Houses of Hogwarts…”
The giant jeweled hourglasses shimmered.
“…and for helping establish the Department for the Protection and Welfare of Magical Minors…”
Magic pulsed through the Great Hall.
The rubies in Gryffindor’s hourglass exploded upward brilliantly.
“Gryffindor is awarded one hundred points.”
The Hall erupted immediately.
Cheers thundered from the Gryffindor table.
Then yellow gemstones burst upward into Hufflepuff’s hourglass.
“Hufflepuff is awarded one hundred points.”
Even louder cheers.
Blue gems spiraled into Ravenclaw’s.
“Ravenclaw is awarded one hundred points.”
Applause exploded again.
And finally—
emeralds surged upward into Slytherin’s hourglass in dazzling waves of green light.
“Slytherin is awarded one hundred points.”
For one suspended moment—
the entire Hall froze.
Then all four tables erupted simultaneously.
The sound was deafening.
Students cheering.
Laughing.
Clapping.
Even students from different Houses applauded for one another.
It was chaos.
Warm chaos.
Peeves began setting off tiny magical fireworks overhead.
Someone at the Hufflepuff table started crying happily.
Fred and George Weasley attempted to stand on the Gryffindor table before immediately being yelled at by Percy.
Theo actually smiled.
Blaise looked amused despite himself.
Daphne clapped politely but sincerely.
Cedric Diggory was grinning openly.
Percy Weasley looked emotionally overwhelmed by the concept of organized inter-house cooperation succeeding this spectacularly.
And through all of it—
Draco turned slowly toward Mira.
Because while everyone celebrated the Houses…
he knew.
He knew where this had begun.
Mira looked around the Hall quietly.
At the cheering students.
The united Houses.
The joy.
And for the first time all day—
something in her expression finally cracked softly open.
Relief.
Not pride.
Not triumph.
Relief.
As though some part of her had feared the world might reject kindness entirely.
Draco saw it instantly.
And without thinking—
he reached beneath the table and gently touched her hand.
Mira looked at him in surprise.
Draco didn’t remove his hand.
“You did it,” he said quietly beneath the noise.
Mira shook her head softly.
“We did.”
Draco almost argued.
Then he looked around the Hall again.
At Gryffindors laughing with Slytherins.
At Ravenclaws celebrating beside Hufflepuffs.
At students smiling like the future suddenly seemed a little less frightening.
And slowly—
he realized she was right.
For once—
Hogwarts had not acted like four separate Houses.
It had acted like a school.
Above them, the enchanted ceiling shimmered with falling snow and starlight.
And somewhere deep within the old castle itself—
it almost felt like Hogwarts was proud too.
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