Bab 148: Another Year Gone.
Some looked at Dumbledore who had just entered the Great Hall with a confident stride, moving toward the centralmost chair on the long table at which the teachers ate.
The end-of-the-year feast had already commenced and everyone seemed to be busy stuffing their faces with food that seemed to vanish from their plates no matter how hard the house elves in the kitchens worked to replenish them.
While everyone was busy, Dumbledore now in his chair rose up and brought the attention of everyone in the room to himself.
The Gryffindors, especially Ron and Harry looked at Dumbledore with excitement since they had been given two hundred points just a few days earlier, but Dumbledore desperately avoided eye contact with them, or any Gryffindor for that matter, even if it was one of the centremost tables in the Hall.
"I know the feast has already begun and the decorations have already been settled, and I congratulate the Gryffindors for that." Dumbledore paused and let the Gryffindors cheer for a little bit before he continued, "I have a few last-minute points to dish out."
Everyone looked at Dumbledore with confusion since he'd already given Harry and Ron their 'deserved' points.
"To Slytherin, for having a fantastic assortment of fashion and to Mr. Loki for using his Newspaper to bring about a liveliness to Hogwarts that had never been seen before, I award them ten points."
The Great Hall fell into a stunned silence.
As everyone in the Great Hall stared at Loki, he did his best to give off a composed and unsurprised expression outwardly, but inside his mind, he was left just as stunned and puzzled as everyone else.
'What the heck!?'
'What is the point of giving me ten points just for that?'
'What about Harry's protagonist aura? Did it fade out? Did I become the protagonist somehow since I've transmigrated into this story!?'
Soon due to a single infectious clap, courtesy of Astoria, the entire Slytherin table was clapping which led everyone in the Great Hall who wasn't a Slytherin to send scowling looks directed at the one that caused all this, Dumbledore, who calmly continued eating his food after waving his wand to change the decorations to Green and Silver.
With everyone's attention on him, it made it a little hard for Loki to steal food and send it to his sleeve where his pe- partner was feasting.
After the feast ended, everyone began to move through the Great Hall towards the Hogwarts Express with the help of carriages drawn by the Theastrals.
Loki, Hermione, Daphne and Tracy shared a carriage as they joyously travelled towards the train while Astoria joined her friends to give them last goodbyes.
"Loki! I can't believe it~!" Tracey said with an infectious smile on her face.
"What?" Loki asked returning the smile.
"That you helped us win the House Cup once again!!!" Tracey teased hitting Loki on his shoulder.
"Haha~ Didn't I say I'd find a way? Now you have it. Aren't I the lucky charm for Slytherin? What'd you say Daph? Mione?" Loki tried to divert the topic and Hermione took the bait.
"Argghhh!!" Hermione ground her teeth in frustration. "How did you even get points? Why didn't I get them too? Who gives out points for fashion!? I swear if I didn't know better, I'd have assumed Professor Dumbledore is really growing old and senile!"
"Aren't I just awesome!?" Loki asked with a smirk. "What do you think Daph?"
Daphne looked at him for a few seconds before looking at Tracey. Loki instantly became nervous as he looked at the quirky smile that Tracey looked at him with.
"Kyaa~! What should I make a man as fair and lovely as you, do?" Tracey said fanning her 'blushing' cheeks.
Loki deadpanned before he laughed and played along while Daph and Hermione watched. "Do you want Hermione and Daphne to leave us alone on the train? Perhaps in a secret compartment?"
"Hmm~ why do I suddenly feel like I'm the one that lost the bet and you won?" Tracey said with a coy smile.
"....you're not that pretty okay…" Loki said with a blank expression causing Tracey to hit him again.
They remained in the same jovial mode throughout their journey back to King's Cross station, sharing a compartment while cracking jokes on their journey back home.
Sending his goodbyes and well wishes at the station, Loki parted ways with Hermione, Daphne and Tracey, moving to a secluded corner behind a pillar as he whispered, "Kreacher."
A soft *pop* and a *crack* later, Loki found himself facing Kreacher who was looking at him with a crooked smile.
"Let's go back home, Kreacher.", Loki said with confidence.
"Yes, Master Loki."
Kreacher held Loki's outstretched hand and apparated along with him to the Black Mansion where Loki almost immediately tossed back his trunk and collapsed into the bed upstairs.
"A difficult year I take it Master?" Kreacher asked as he patiently waited for Loki's orders.
"Difficult? That would be an understatement! *sigh* Anyway, Kreacher, take this little guy and give him something to eat, I'm sure he's starving. He hasn't eaten anything since morning today."
*Hiss~ss*
A little snake peered its head from inside Loki's robes and slithered its way on the bed frame to Kreacher who looked at it with shock.
He immediately bowed fearfully and with a short nod picked up the snake and moved along with it to the kitchen where he would give it some food.
'What should I name him?' Loki wondered.
'Maybe I can ask Elane for suggestions again?'
'Yeah, let's do that, she has nice suggestions anyway.'
With this last thought, Loki found himself falling into a deep slumber that he did not realise he needed after working tirelessly the entire last year.
Waking up the next morning with a fresh outlook, Loki travelled to the basement, where he sat in front of Walburga's coffin and recounted his experience with the Chamber of Secrets.
"When will I be able to fix you, Grandma?" Loki mumbled with a disappointed look.
"I did get a hint about Salazar Slytherin though…but I don't know if 'helping' him will help you out too."
Releasing a burdened *sigh* Loki found himself back out of the basement as he made plans to travel to Diagon Alley once again where he'd have a short business meeting with Bilton Bilmes regarding the Arcadia Royale.
As Loki entered Leaky Cauldron he first moved toward Tom and asked him for a room.
"Tom, could you give me a room for today? I need to have a meeting with Bilton Bilmes."
"That will be seven sickles an hour if that's alright?"
"Sure."
With Tom paid and happy, Loki moved towards his room while tapping a walking cane that he'd purchased just to appear more professional.
'Room number twenty-two. Ah! Here it is.'
________________________________________________________________________________________________
A/N : Say goodbye to the second year, how did you feel about it? I shall let you in on a secret about the third, it involves High Sequence Beyonder(s). Give Loki some luck so he can keep himself safe. Perhaps Mr. Error will help him.
Join my Patreon (p@treon.com/hooin_kyoma_au) to read 20 chapters ahead for just $3.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone