Quidditch, as the most popular sport at Hogwarts, has always generated tremendous enthusiasm among students.
When news spread that Kyle had scored twenty-one goals in just ten minutes during tryouts, it became the talk of the school.
In the days that followed, everyone discussed the feat with reactions ranging from shock and excitement to outright skepticism.
"That's completely unbelievable." Blaise Zabini remarked with disdain at the Slytherin table, "While I'll admit Kyle has some talent, and his maps are decent enough, he's nowhere near that good at Quidditch. Even I couldn't score twenty-one goals in ten minutes — how could he possibly do it?"
"Are you suggesting you're better than Kyle?" Draco asked with a sidelong glance.
"You doubt me?" Blaise replied proudly, "My fifth stepfather was a professional Quidditch player who called me a once-in-a-century prodigy. If I wanted, countless professional teams would fight to recruit me the moment I graduate."
Many students around them instinctively grimaced upon hearing this claim.
Mrs. Zabini was renowned in the wizarding world for her beauty, having been married seven times — with each husband mysteriously dying and leaving behind substantial inheritances.
"I've heard this kind of talk before, and more than once." Draco sneered.
He had long known such words were merely empty flattery, but never expected anyone would actually believe them.
"It's true! He wouldn't lie to me!" Blaise insisted, stiffening his neck.
"If that's the case..." Draco looked at him, "Then why don't you apply to join the house team?"
"What nonsense are you talking, Malfoy? I'm only a first-year, I can't play Quidditch."
"But Pot—" Draco started to argue but suddenly closed his mouth.
He already knew Harry Potter had joined the team, and the thought made him extremely upset. What made it worse was that he himself had caused this outcome.
Thinking about Harry and Ron's smug faces this morning, Draco felt as sick as if he'd eaten fake cockroach clusters. Had he known it would turn out like this, he would never have taken that oaf's Remembrall.
But Blaise didn't know about this.
Misinterpreting Draco's response as acknowledgment of his earlier claims, Blaise immediately changed his tone and declared confidently:
"Just you wait, next year I'll definitely join the team and teach that Kyle a lesson… But Malfoy... you definitely won't make the team." He looked at Malfoy with mockery in his eyes, "I've seen you on a broomstick before, and how should I put it... you move slower than my grandmother walking."
Draco's face turned red. He considered himself a Quidditch prodigy who had narrowly avoided Muggle helicopters multiple times. When had he ever suffered such an insult?
"Hmm..." He turned his head and drawled, "Which grandmother are you referring to, the third one? Or the seventh one..."
Now Blaise's face also began to redden. He hated it most when people brought this up.
"How dare you! You'll pay for this!" In his anger, he raised his fist and smashed it into Draco's face.
Bang!
"Ahh..." After taking the punch, Draco covered his face and screamed in disbelief, "Damn it, you dare to hit me? Even my father has never hit me! What are you all standing around for? Get him! I'll kill him!"
At his command, his two cronies Crabbe and Goyle immediately rushed over.
With their bulky frames and standing at least half a head taller than their peers, they quickly overpowered the skinny Blaise and pinned him down for a thorough beating.
Draco stood up and was about to step forward to add a few kicks when Professor McGonagall appeared beside them.
"Fighting?" Her expression was stern as she casually used her wand to separate the three boys rolling on the ground, "Hogwarts has never witnessed such appalling behavior."
"Professor, Malfoy insulted me first!" Blaise tried to explain, his words slurred.
His face had been beaten swollen by Crabbe and Goyle, and he'd lost several teeth, making his speech difficult to understand.
"Save that for Professor Snape — he'll decide your punishment." Minerva said firmly, "Now, all four of you, come with me!"
"I'm sorry, Professor... perhaps I misheard, did you say four people?" Draco stepped forward, covering his face with an innocent expression and whimpering, "Everyone here can testify that I wasn't fighting. I'm actually the victim."
"You didn't mishear, Mr. Malfoy." Professor McGonagall replied calmly, "Come with me... don't make me say it twice."
Draco didn't dare say anything more and could only follow her out of the Great Hall with his head lowered, carefully watching his step.
Seeing his pathetic state, Harry was so excited he almost jumped up.
"Look, Ron! Malfoy's in trouble!"
Ron, holding a chicken leg, cheerfully said, "Serves him right! He should have been punished long ago!"
The two of them celebrated enthusiastically for quite a while, as if seeing Draco in trouble was more worth celebrating than earning house points.
✭✭✭✭✭✭✭✭✭✭
The Slytherin incident, however, did nothing to dampen the school's enthusiasm for Quidditch.
This was especially true for Hufflepuff. Harris had been acting like he'd drunk expired potion lately. He would randomly burst into laughter in the common room or during class, startling those around him.
One day while heading to class, he ran into Oliver from Gryffindor in the corridor. Both were wearing silly grins when they met.
"Ah, Wood! Hello, hello!"
"Pleasure to meet you, Harris."
They greeted each other warmly, like old friends reuniting after a long absence.
"What class are you heading to?"
"History of Magic, and you?"
"Almost the same, Defense Against the Dark Arts."
"That is indeed quite similar."
After exchanging pleasantries for a few moments, they simultaneously asked, "What were you laughing about just now?"
Both fell silent immediately.
"Um, you know..." Oliver broke the silence first, "My owl just had a second litter. New life... it's such a beautiful thing. Every time I think about it, I feel joy from the bottom of my heart."
"I'm in a similar situation." Harris replied calmly, "My owl found its other half at school. That beautiful love... I'm truly happy for it."
"Is that so?" Oliver said, surprised, "Well, congratulations to you."
"Haha, likewise, likewise." Harris quickly responded.
Afterward, they lapsed into silence again, each inwardly condemning the other's shamelessness.
✭✭✭
T/N: Hey! Liked what you read? Support your friendly neighborhood translator on Patreon! Think of it as buying me a coffee... or ten!
For just $1.50 (that's less than your daily meme budget), get extra chapters! Want more? $2 gets you bonus content, $5 unlocks premium stories, and $10 makes you my hero (and gets you everything I have, including earlier acess to new books)! You can have access to almost 15 books!
That's it and happy reading! (-‿◦)
https://www.patreon.com/collection/1305453