Regardless of whether Professor Sigma's great escape from matrimony went smoothly or not, thanks to his heroic "sacrifice," the students of Hogwarts found their return journey far less boring than expected.
After the long trip, the young wizards, initially full of energy, were suddenly overwhelmed by exhaustion and the accumulated pressure from all the social interactions as soon as their feet touched Hogwarts grounds. After all, they were home now.
Kindly and considerately, Dumbledore announced that the welcome-back feast would be held that evening. This merciful decision let many finally exhale and relax. Without even sparing a moment to show off to their classmates, they rushed straight to their common rooms, because no matter the time or place, the bed is always the warmest, coziest place to recover one's strength... assuming you didn't knock over your water glass, of course.
Naturally, Allen was no exception. After briefly greeting his friends, he dove straight into his long-missed bed. With the fireplace roaring beside him, his blankets were toasty, perfect for winter hibernation.
When Allen woke up again, it was already around 3 PM. He'd slept for a solid five hours. Lunch had long since disappeared, and dinner was still nowhere in sight. But of course, Allen wasn't one to let himself go hungry.
Fifteen minutes later, Allen returned to the Hufflepuff common room, struggling to carry a mountain of food, only to be ambushed the moment he stepped inside. Well, not him, exactly, the food.
As Allen had awakened, the other exchange students had also started getting up, and they were all famished. They had zero intention of letting Allen keep that treasure trove of snacks to himself, after all, everyone could tell he had raided the kitchens.
With that crowd forming, it didn't take long for other Hufflepuffs to join in. With exams still far off and no classes today, most of them had been waiting since morning to hear the returning students' stories. They'd already heard the Uagadou exchange students bragging about their school, but they wanted the real scoop from their own people, something they could trust.
Unfortunately, their expectations were misplaced, after all, our students could talk big too! Just like when we return from a trip and tell everyone about the amazing sights we saw (even if we were dead tired), no exchange student would come back and say their experience was boring. And honestly, Uagadou's scenery was just as impressive as Hogwarts', so they couldn't even badmouth the place if they tried.
It was like dropping a Galleon and a pouch of 17 Sickles on the ground and being told to pick just one. Which one would you choose? Either way, you wouldn't complain.
In these comparisons, Allen and his friends also got to hear what kind of impression the Uagadou students had made at Hogwarts. Just like them, Uagadou had sent a competent group of students, after all, it wouldn't do to send weaklings to an exchange, even if it was just for cultural experience.
Over the course of the long afternoon tea session, Allen found himself becoming the center of attention again and again. He'd made too much of a name for himself during the exchange. Smiling awkwardly, he barely kept it together, he honestly had no idea how to handle the attention. Especially when the conversation turned to the final Quidditch goal he had scored, according to Hufflepuff lore, it was highlight-reel material, even by national competition standards.
One student sighed and said, "What a shame Allen was away during the Prophet's feature interview, his photo would've made the front page for sure."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
That was Allen's breaking point. Making an excuse to get some fresh air, he fled the common room, he couldn't take any more of Hufflepuff's sincere, overwhelming praise.
Sure enough, a walk did him good. While strolling through the hallways, Allen effortlessly dodged a surprise attack and left a young Slytherin sprawled out behind him.
With 15 more Galleons added to his long-absent bounty streak, Allen was feeling refreshed. The exchange program had been great, but not being able to collect his usual first-win rewards had been rough. Seeing the Slytherins still grinding out their daily sneak attacks brought him comfort. Don't stop, kids, keep at it!
By the time Allen returned to the common room, the conversation had shifted. The new topic: the elusive Professor Sigma. Rumors about his great escape were flying fast, and the stories were getting more and more magical. Yes, magical, even by wizard standards.
In the Muggle world, "magical" implies something so strange it can't be explained by logic. So just imagine the kinds of stories being passed around about Professor Sigma.
By dinner, the tales Allen had heard already sounded like wizarding myths: Professor Sigma, the dark overlord who had ruled Hogwarts with fear for half a year, how could mere wizards ever hope to hunt him down?
In the minds of the young wizards, raised on a diet of fairy tales and folktales, Professor Sigma had become a legendary figure. In their stories, he'd eloped with a divine being's daughter, an angel. Or kidnapped the most mysterious ghost in the world...
The only thing every version had in common was this: Professor Sigma was a professional kidnapper. He just couldn't feel right without abducting someone.
If Professor Sigma had heard these tales, he probably would've felt deeply exhausted and muttered something like, This is the worst class I've ever taught. Maybe.
But regardless of whether he was still around, Professor Sigma had become a legend at Hogwarts.
The whispers and gossip slowly quieted as Dumbledore rose to speak.
"I'm very pleased that we can meet again under the skies of Hogwarts. Professor McGonagall has already given me her report, and I'm sure your conversations today have filled you in on everything that happened over the past two months.
This exchange program was a great success. I trust all your minds are now a little richer than before. I hope you'll take time to digest everything and make space in your thoughts for what's to come.
But first, I think we need a little something to liven things up."
With a clap of his hands, small cups appeared in front of every student, each one filled with Butterbeer.
"Now, as Headmaster, I suppose I should forbid such drinks at your age, but please forgive the indulgence of an old man. What a truly splendid exchange this has been!"
"So then, everyone, raise your glasses. And don't forget our school motto, Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus!" (Never tickle a sleeping dragon)
"Cheers to Hogwarts!"
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