Chapter 146: Special Contribution Award

When Silven woke up, it was already the next morning.

I have to say, that nap was incredibly comfortable—both my body and mind were fully relaxed, and all previous fatigue vanished completely.

Ron drank slightly more potion than Silen; he hasn't woken up yet, but his complexion has already regained its rosy hue, so he shouldn't miss the exam in two days.

I wonder if Ron will be happy when he hears this news.

Madam Pomfrey wasn't in the room, and Silen was hesitating whether to return to the castle first when the door was pushed open from outside.

Dumbledore entered first, followed by Madam Pomfrey and Snape.

"It seems you're recovering well," Dumbledore said with a smile, glancing over at the bed on the left.

Only then did Silen notice that the curtain on that bed had been pulled partially open, leaving just a narrow slit through which one could clearly see inside.

That familiar golden hair…

"Gilderoy Lockhart?" Silen blurted out.

"Yes, you didn't imagine it," Dumbledore said. "He was brought in last night while you and Mr. Weasley were already asleep."

"What happened to him?" Silen asked. "I heard from Ron that he teamed up with someone else to open the Chamber, and now the basilisk is dead—why didn't he run away?"

"If he still had his wits about him, he probably would have fled," Dumbledore said, walking over to a chair and sitting down, a flicker of memory in his eyes.

"Time and again, facts have proven that Tom Riddle was never a trustworthy partner—he excelled at manipulating minds, luring people into his traps without them even realizing it."

"So he was tricked too?" Silen asked in surprise.

"You could say that," Dumbledore nodded. "Before Lockhart cut his own palm, Tom Riddle certainly didn't tell him the truth."

"Wizard's blood does possess extraordinary magical power and can serve as a medium to break certain enchantments, but few wizards resort to this method because the cost far exceeds what they imagine."

Dumbledore didn't specify what the cost was, but from his expression, it was clearly something far more severe than just resting for two days.

"Headmaster…" Snape stepped forward, as if wanting to say something—but seeing Dumbledore shake his head slightly, he reluctantly stepped back, though his eyes never left Silen.

Silen felt uneasy under Snape's gaze and said to Dumbledore, "Headmaster, may I go back now? I'm truly fine—the basilisk didn't even touch me."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Ollivander, but even as headmaster, I cannot answer that question while you're in the hospital wing," Dumbledore replied gently with a smile.

"However, I believe you'll be pleased to hear another piece of news," he added, winking slightly as he pulled out a scroll tied with colorful ribbons.

"Given your calm and composed conduct last night—quickly summoning Fluffy to assist Hagrid in eliminating the basilisk—the faculty and governors have collectively decided to award you the Special Contribution Medal."

He handed the scroll to Silen.

The ribbon tied to it immediately twitched and untied itself, transforming midair into a golden medal, while the parchment unfurled naturally to reveal elegant golden cursive script.

It essentially commended him for his role in defeating the basilisk—impressive enough, and of high prestige; for most students, this parchment would significantly boost their career prospects after graduation.

For aspiring Aurors, this parchment would be equivalent to five outstanding N. E. W. T. certificates.

But for Silen, it was utterly useless—less valuable than a phoenix heartstring tendon.

"Do I need to put this in the Trophy Room?" Silen asked, holding the golden medal, which felt heavy as if carved from solid gold.

But Silen had just seen it—this thing was nothing more than a ribbon transformed.

"No, the Trophy Room already has an identical one. You may keep this as a memento."

A memento… well, so it's fake after all.

Silen casually stuffed it into his pocket.

"And…" Dumbledore continued, "let me see… ah yes—you've earned two hundred points for Gryffindor."

This time, Silen remained even more composed.

If those two hundred points counted toward next year, he might have felt a flicker of joy—but now, it hardly mattered, since he'd already earned so many points that Gryffindor had held first place all along.

Adding two hundred more wouldn't change much—it just turned their guaranteed win into an absolute certainty.

Dumbledore seemed to have come solely to deliver these announcements; once done, he stood up to leave.

Snape finally seized his chance, stepping right up to Silen and glaring at him like a venomous serpent.

"Where is it?"

"What?" Silen blinked innocently.

"Still pretending you don't know?" Snape sneered.

"I truly have no idea what you're referring to," Silen stepped back. "If you've lost something, why not ask Filch? He might have found it."

"Do you think you can fool me so easily?" Snape narrowed his eyes. "I ask you—where are the basilisk's eyes and fangs? And most importantly, its gallbladder—did you steal them?"

"I didn't!" Silen blurted out. "On my honor, I didn't steal any basilisk gallbladder—I've never even seen the thing."

Silen's tone was so firm that even Snape hesitated momentarily; instinctively, he felt Silen wasn't lying.

But how could that be? If not Silen, then how could those items have vanished into thin air?

"I think you should check inside Fluffy's mouth," Silen said, as if seriously considering it. "When Fluffy bit through the basilisk's body, he might've swallowed the gallbladder by accident."

"And what about the basilisk's eyes and fangs?" Snape took another step forward, pressing aggressively. "You only mentioned the gallbladder just now."

"You should ask Hagrid—he probably smashed them with his fists," Silen replied.

"Even a giant cannot crush basilisk fangs with his bare hands," Snape said slowly, deliberately. "The basilisk had four massive fangs—three have vanished without explanation. Can you account for that?"

"I don't know, Professor," Silen said, emptying everything from his pockets onto the bedside table—including the scroll and the golden medal.

"Everything I have is right here. Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey can confirm I was brought straight here after returning from the Quidditch pitch and went nowhere else."

Snape opened his mouth to say more, but Dumbledore stopped him.

"Headmaster Dumbledore," Snape frowned. "Those are basilisk eyes and teeth—extremely dangerous artifacts. We cannot simply—"

"I know, Severus. I know what you're thinking," Dumbledore turned, his bright blue eyes fixed on Silen.

"But as you can see, Mr. Ollivander has nothing on him that matches what you're looking for."

……

(End of Chapter)