Chapter Eighty-Six: The Principals' Arguments
It was a clear, breezy afternoon.
The Gryffindor and Slytherin first-year students were standing on the grass at the Quidditch pitch in high spirits...... Looking forward to their first flight lesson.
Many of them have never touched a broomstick before, while others are looking forward to showing off their skills in front of their new classmates!
A boy who looked about their age came running from the other side of the Quidditch pitch, with short dark brown hair and grey eyes.
"Notice, this flying lesson has been cancelled!" the boy shouted loudly, "Lady Hooch has encountered something temporary!"
"What's going on?" Romida Vanni screamed.
"Cancelled at short notice, it's as simple as that. The boy shrugged at him, "It's Sunday morning!"
After the news was informed, the boy was already walking towards the castle.
"He's not kidding!" whispered a few Gryffindor first-year girls.
"Probably not...... It's already a quarter past two, and Mrs. Hodge should have come to class a quarter of an hour ago!"
While talking, the Gryffindor and Slytherin freshmen walked into the castle in twos and threes.
......
Madame Rolanda-Hodge appeared on the eighth floor of the castle in front of a huge stone beast of great ugliness, holding a piece of parchment in her hand.
"Password?" the stone beast asked, almost lazily.
"Scones!" replied Mrs. Hooch.
An automatic spiral staircase behind the stone beast has been opened!
At the end of the spiral staircase is a gleaming oak door with a brass knocker in the shape of a sphin's eagle's head.
Behind the door is a spacious, beautiful circular room, filled with all sorts of funny little sounds.
"Good afternoon, Rolanda!" Professor Albus-Dumbledore looked away from the Daily Prophet in his hand and at the "intruder".
"Hello, Headmaster Dumbledore, I'm sorry to interrupt!" Lady Hodge greeted and quickly displayed the parchment in her hand: "These data were all compiled by a student for me...... At the same time, he also has some comments on the rules of Quidditch!"
"Really?" Dumbledore's gaze skipped from line to line of data to the bottom of the parchment:
The portraits of the old headmasters, men and women, who were still snoring softly in their frames, quickly gathered into a portrait of Dumbledore, and dozens of heads instantly filled a frame......
"He's crazy!" exclaimed Dexter Fosco, who looked like an angry donkey, "He's trying to get rid of the Golden Snitch and the Seeker, he's ruining the game of Quidditch!"
The wizard, who served as Headmaster of Hogwarts from 1642 to 1711, was a brilliant Seeker in his youth...... He captained England to victory at the 1622 Quidditch World Cup, the only time England have won the World Cup.
"That's right!" Headmaster Phineas Black also huffed, "A second-year, Muggle-born student would dare to propose a change to the rules of Quidditch that had been maintained for hundreds of years...... He's ignoring the power of tradition! When I become the headmaster, I'll definitely give him a taste of flogging!"
"How do you know he's a Muggle-born second-year?" Headmaster Dalys-Derwent asked gently.
"Don't you see the signature on the back...... Jon Hart ...... Phineas Black gave her a blank look, "Dumbledore has mentioned him several times, a second-year mud ......!"
"Don't say that!" the other headmasters quickly gagged him with something, and threw him into a picture frame next door.
"Oh, I saw it!" Dalyse-Devonte winked with a smile, "I remember him too, a very talented Hufflepuff freshman, and I supported his suggestion, which was interesting and logical...... In fact, as early as September 1755, I had the idea of changing the rules of Quidditch......"
"Shut up, Dalyse!" Dexter Forsco growled, "Are you trying to destroy Quidditch?"
"Please be respectful, Dexter!" said Dalys-Devonte, though she was a woman, did not show any weakness.
The two of you began to scold as soon as you said a word...... Phineas Black looked like he wanted to join the fray, but his mouth was gagged with a sock and he couldn't speak.
"That's enough!" Dumbledore's roar interrupted their argument.
All the headmasters returned to their portraits, pretending to be asleep again.
"Yes, some thoughtful suggestions!" Dumbledore's gaze turned back to the parchment, "For example, a glove for the batsman and a protective spell for the goalkeeper are all great ideas...... Right, Dexter?"
Principal Dexter Fosco opened his eyes a little reluctantly: "Yes, if you limit yourself to these two points, it's not bad!"
"As for the other two points, they are debatable!" Dumbledore continued, "For example, to limit the amount of time the Quaffle can hold the ball, Rolanda, I think you should discuss it with the captains and chasers of the various Quidditch teams, and then promote it in the Quidditch Cup after a buffer period of one or two years!"
"You have a point, Headmaster!" Lady Hooch nodded thoughtfully, "What about the last one...... About the Seeker and the Golden Snitch. ”
The entire Headmaster's office fell silent, and all the Headmaster's portraits held their breath, secretly staring at Dumbledore's face out of the corner of their eyes.
"Honestly, I think this idea is the most interesting and theoretically based!" Dumbledore smiled as he waved his finger lightly, and a few thick lines crossed out the lines about the Seeker and the Golden Snitch:
"But even though I'm the Honorary President of the International Quidditch Federation, I'm not in a position to say much about it...... So, whoever makes the suggestion, just wait for him to solve it himself in the future!"
Dexter Fosco breathed a sigh of relief.
Dalyse-Devonte snorted coldly and closed her eyes completely.
Dumbledore returned the parchment to Lady Hooch: "By the way, Rolanda...... Do you have any requests for these proposals from Mr. Hart?"
"Request?" Mrs. Huo Qi was stunned for a moment, and then said slowly, "He seems to have said...... If the proposal is approved...... He hopes to receive a special contribution award for this, if he can......"
"Yes!" Dumbledore's blue eyes flashed, and then a piece of parchment flew in front of him.
"No, Albus!" Phineas Black finally got rid of the sock in his mouth, and wailed, "You can't just give a special contribution award like that, it's the highest honor at Hogwarts that every student, once in seven years......"
"Maybe our criteria are different, Phineas!" Dumbledore said calmly, "In my opinion, that's enough!"
He slowly wrote on the parchment:
"For his contribution to Quidditch, Mr. Jon Eric Hart is hereby awarded the Hogwarts Special Contribution Award (1993)!
Headmaster of Hogwarts: Albus Dumbledore
Phoenix Fawkes flapped his wings and flew over...... She made a footprint next to Dumbledore's signature.
"Albus, do you need me to get in touch and help him make a medallion?" asked Talis Devonte, smiling.
"No need...... Mrs. Hodge hurriedly said, "Mr. Hart said he didn't want to over-publicize the matter!"
"Okay......" Dalys-Derwent looked a little disappointed.
......
Mrs. Hodge left the office with her certificate.
Phineas Black's mouth was gagged with a sock again, because he had just said the word "mudblood" again in a fit of rage.
"Oliver?" Dumbledore looked at the top portrait.
In the portrait, it is a middle-aged principal in a military uniform with an extremely serious expression.
"What's the matter, Albus?" asked Headmaster Oliver Cromwell calmly.
"I'm not familiar with the Hogwarts rules you have made......" Dumbledore asked with a smile, "but I'm curious, does the Special Contribution Award have any other purpose than an honor?"
"Hogwarts Rules 67!" Oliver Cromwell recited coldly, "Students who have made outstanding contributions to any course will be exempted from a single cane by the teacher of that course!"
"The caning penalty was abolished fifty years ago, and now it seems that this school rule has been changed to a waiver of an exam!"
"Okay, thank you, Oliver!"
"You're welcome, Albus!"