A smile appeared on the man's face as he watched everyone enter the hall. He even looked up at the sky above them, which was beginning to turn orange and red as the sun descended. In his own mind, he silently reflected on his term at Hogwarts. Sahnoun recalled the few hiccups that occurred; however, it was all the good that resonated with him. Soon there was a glimmer in his eye, his thoughts now shifting to the announcements he had to make.
Each professor received a quick glance before the African good up from his seat. Eyes now on the Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws, and Slytherins before him, the old man simply waved a hand over his Adam's apple and uttered the following words that echoed throughout the room: "Habari za jioni! Good evening!"
The smile remained on his face as he remained still, waiting for the chipper voices of the students to come to a stop and all pairs of eyes to be set on him.
Satisfied after a couple of minutes, the man continued. "Another school year has come and gone. As I stand here before you all at dis moment, I can truthfully say dat I see quite a difference from da group of pupils dat sat before me nine months ago. Some of you have grown a foot; others have learned some very important lessons; and I am pleased to say dat all of you survived your examinations." He chuckled, beaming down at them all. "Don't forget what you learned dis year. Keep dat knowledge locked away in your mind. You never know when you will need it."
There was a brief pause, as the man took a moment to observe the decorations in the room. Green and silver filled the Great Hall. The man glanced over at the Slytherin table and held out a hand in their direction. "I would like to congratulate Slytherin House on securing da House Cup dis term wit an impressive two dousand, seven hundred and twenty-one points. Your dedication to your studies has most certainly paid off!"
He paused for applause and then directed his hand toward the Gryffindor table. "I would also like to congratulate Gryffindor House. Dis term da lions took hold of da Gobstones Cup due to deir daring maneuvers and excellent teamwork. Well done!"
Another moment for applause was granted. Once the clapping died down, the headmaster took a step forward and gazed around the room for the oldest of the school's students. "Lastly, I would like to congratulate our graduating seventh years. You have successfully completed your journey at Hogwarts, and now you are about to begin a new journey dat awaits your beyond these walls. Cherish what you learned here; keep in touch wit dose you grew close to; and always follow your dreams. I wish you all the best of luck wit whatever your future may bring."
His dark hands clapped loudly as the applause sounded. He nodded toward those that he made eye contact with and flashed each a smile. When silence returned, the tall man gave a lingering glance at each of the four tables. He had one more thing to say.
"As for da rest of you, you have summer ahead of you. Enjoy your time away from school and get dose brains recharged. We look forward to seeing you next term for another year of learning and growing. Mohamed certainly was looking forward to seeing them all again. Though he was going to wait for an upcoming issue of the Daily Prophet to reveal that bit of news.
Following that last comment, Sahnoun bowed his head and returned to his seat. With a graceful wave of his hand, food appeared on all of the tables. Dig in! |