"Professor Dumbledore, isn't the school's discipline rather troubling these days? Open brawling in class, of all things," Lucius Malfoy remarked with a pointed, languid tone.
Causing trouble for Dumbledore was a pastime Mr. Malfoy never seemed to tire of.
"A bit of mischief is only natural for the young, Lucius. If memory serves, you were quite the handful yourself back at school. Professor McGonagall docked your house more than a few points for it," Dumbledore replied, his eyes twinkling as he looked at Lucius Malfoy.
"…That was a lifetime ago. I understand now that students really ought to follow the rules," Lucius answered, forcing a look of solemnity.
He didn't have much choice—when facing a man who'd lived over a century, Lucius was keenly aware how much "dirt" Dumbledore had on his school days.
Sensing there was little point in pursuing this line of conversation, Lucius shifted gears. "That first-year Gryffindor—he seems to have quite a knack for flying. What's his name?"
It was a casual question, feigning concern to steer the topic elsewhere.
"I believe his name is Qin Yu. I've only just learned he's rather talented on a broom," Dumbledore replied breezily.
With that, he led Lucius Malfoy toward his office.
It was clear Dumbledore had no intention of discussing Qin Yu any further.
…
Watching Dumbledore and Lucius Malfoy disappear down the corridor, Qin Yu couldn't help but feel a prickle of unease.
He knew all too well that Malfoy was a true Death Eater—a major antagonist who'd once escaped Azkaban by claiming he'd been under the Imperius Curse, and by leaning on his family's influence. In the future, when the Dark Lord returned, the Malfoys would be among the first to flock back to the Death Eater ranks.
But right now, there was nothing Qin Yu could do about Lucius Malfoy.
Surely Dumbledore knew all about Malfoy's double-dealing. If even the greatest wizard of the age hadn't moved against him, there had to be all sorts of reasons and considerations.
Since he couldn't touch Malfoy for now, Qin Yu pushed the matter aside. What mattered most was getting stronger—so that when the Dark Lord returned, he'd be able to protect himself, maybe even put up a fight.
For the rest of flying class, Qin Yu behaved himself, practicing the moves Madam Hooch demonstrated without causing any more ruckus.
"Besides, I'm not the sort who picks fights," Qin Yu muttered to himself. "I just couldn't help giving Jerome a little lesson, that's all."
Still, he felt his temper had been unusually short that day. Normally, he wouldn't have chased Jerome around for five whole minutes—one would've sufficed. Why had he been so relentless this time?
Pondering this, Qin Yu glanced unconsciously at Jerome.
The red-haired boy caught his gaze and immediately shuddered, nearly slipping off his broom. He hastily twisted the handle, putting as much distance between himself and Qin Yu as possible.
…
"Professor McGonagall, I've just discovered a real talent!" Charlie Weasley called out, catching up with Professor McGonagall in the corridor, his face alight with excitement.
Professor McGonagall had just stepped out of her office and was heading somewhere with purpose.
"Oh? And what sort of talent might that be?" she asked, pausing with a hint of curiosity.
McGonagall had always been fond of Charlie—not least because she was a die-hard Quidditch fan, and Charlie was both Gryffindor's Quidditch captain and Seeker this year, with considerable skill to boot.
Unfortunately, Charlie would be graduating next summer, and McGonagall was already fretting over the team's coming transition. Vice-captain Oliver Wood was reliable, but he was a Keeper. The team still lacked a Seeker of Charlie's caliber—and a Beater with enough fire to match.
"I've found someone perfect for the Beater position!" Charlie said, barely able to contain his enthusiasm.
So, it was about Quidditch after all, McGonagall thought wryly.
"Is that so? And who is this prodigy, Charlie?" she asked.
"Qin! First-year, goes by Qin!" Charlie declared.
"Pardon?" McGonagall blinked in surprise.
Thinking she didn't know who Qin Yu was, Charlie rushed on, "You have no idea how gifted Qin is at Quidditch! Just today, during class, I saw him chasing a Slytherin through the air on his broom, swinging a stick—well, I thought it was a stick—with pinpoint accuracy. Isn't that exactly what a Beater does?"
(Note: A Quidditch team has seven players—Keeper, Chasers, Beaters, and Seeker. Beaters wield bats to knock Bludgers away from their teammates and toward the opposition, disrupting their plays. It's a rough-and-tumble role, to say the least.)
Hearing this, McGonagall felt a headache coming on. Of course she knew about Qin Yu—in fact, she knew more than Charlie ever could.
"Charlie, I must remind you that brawling with classmates during flying class is highly inappropriate. He's already been penalized for it," McGonagall said sternly.
"So you saw Qin's performance too?" Charlie asked, beaming.
"Is that really the point?" McGonagall muttered under her breath.
"Ahem, right, right—breaking classroom rules is wrong!" Charlie said, trying to look serious.
But he couldn't keep the smile off his face. "So, does this mean you'll let him join the Gryffindor Quidditch team?"
"Charlie, I must tell you: while Qin certainly has talent, he may not be the ideal choice," McGonagall said, her tone meaningful.
"Why not? You always told us a Beater needs three parts talent and seven parts courage—and Qin has both in spades! Honestly, I was going to have George and Fred try out for Beater—you know they've got some fight—but after seeing Qin, I realized those two are better off as reserves," Charlie said, completely unabashed about his brothers.
"…There are some things I can't explain in detail. But if you insist, I'll consider letting Qin try out for the team," McGonagall said after a pause.
Of course, her real concern was Qin Yu's Obscurus Power. But she didn't want to deny the boy a normal school life, either. It was a dilemma with no easy answer.
"Brilliant!" Charlie pumped his fist in triumph.
"I said I'd consider it, not that I've decided. It's not as simple as you think…" McGonagall cautioned, dousing his enthusiasm just a bit. "Now, I have urgent matters to attend to—your Headmaster is dealing with a rather troublesome visitor. I'd better see if I can be of any help."
"Right, you go ahead, Professor. Goodbye!" Charlie waved cheerfully.
"Goodbye, Charlie!"
With that, Professor McGonagall hurried off toward the headmaster's office.
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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