Back in the Hufflepuff common room, it was unusually packed with students.
Zacharias Smith and Ernie Macmillan were scrambling to finish the Hufflepuff team banner.
Hannah Abbott, Susan Bones, and a few other girls were using their wands to dye their black robes bright yellow.
"Jon, give us a hand!" Zacharias shouted as soon as he saw him return. "Tomorrow is the Gryffindor vs. Hufflepuff Quidditch match—a battle of life and death!"
"A battle of life and death?" Jon walked over, blinking in surprise.
"This afternoon's match... Slytherin had a 140-point lead and still got overturned by Ravenclaw!" Zacharias yelled. "With two straight losses, they're completely out of the running, and when we face them in the final match, we'll have a massive edge!"
"So tomorrow's game against Gryffindor basically decides the championship! If we win, the Quidditch Cup will be within our grasp!"
While Zacharias was rambling excitedly, a group of Hufflepuff Quidditch players returned to the common room in their uniforms.
"Jimmick, once the match starts, keep your eye on Potter. Try to use the Bludger to throw him off as much as possible!" Cedric Diggory was leading the group. "Bob, you handle their Chasers!"
He was still giving final tactical instructions.
"Go Cedric!" the Hufflepuff students cheered as they gathered around. "Go Hufflepuff!"
Jon stepped forward and approached Cedric Diggory.
"Cedric, I believe in you. You guys are going to win!"
"Thanks, Jon," Cedric replied with a smile and nod. "I can't guarantee the result, but we'll give it everything we've got!"
"That's not quite what I meant," Jon said, shaking his head. "I mean you'll have a clear advantage in tomorrow's match... because Gryffindor's Seeker, Harry Potter, probably won't be playing."
"What?!" Cedric was stunned. "Are you sure, Jon? Where'd you hear that?"
"Absolutely sure," Jon said confidently. "I overheard Potter and his friends talking when I was in the Hospital Wing."
From what he knew of their personalities, Jon was convinced Madam Pomfrey would never allow Harry Potter to play before fully recovering. And no matter how much Harry and Ron Weasley insisted, Hermione would definitely stop them—she might even go straight to Professor McGonagall.
So, he was certain—Harry wouldn't be on the pitch.
"That's brilliant!" Cedric clenched his fist in excitement. "Potter's their ace. Without him, Wood won't have any decent substitute for Seeker…"
He waved to the players and called them back in.
"We need to change our strategy… Jimmick, you don't have to mark their Seeker anymore. Focus on their Chaser, Angelina Johnson—she's Gryffindor's offensive engine…"
...
The next morning, Jon got up extra early and left the dorm a little after six.
He didn't want to get dragged to the Quidditch pitch again like last time by Zacharias and the others.
And besides, with Cedric leading the team and no Harry Potter on Gryffindor's side? They could practically fly the Snitch in front of their faces—how were they going to lose?
This match was in the bag. Beating Gryffindor would be a breeze.
There was no need to watch. A few hours later, it would be another easy win.
Leaving the dormitory, Jon headed straight to the kitchens—after all, the Great Hall wasn't open this early.
As he opened the door, the house-elves inside lit up with excitement.
"Mr. Jon Hart... Mr. Jon Hart is here!"
One by one, the house-elves swarmed around him, cheering and hopping excitedly.
"Come on... really, you don't have to do this," Jon said with an awkward smile.
Ever since he'd given them gifts before Christmas, the house-elves had been overly "enthusiastic" every time they saw him.
After much coaxing, he finally got them to settle down—then he spotted a familiar face among them.
"Good morning, Klein!" Jon waved and greeted the house-elf.
"Mr. Jon Hart…" Klein burst into tears of joy and dashed over to hug Jon's pant leg.
It was only then Jon noticed the strange bronze headband on his head.
"This is... a reward from Professor Dumbledore! Every house-elf who helped catch that Gryffindor thief girl got a reward... I picked this!" Klein removed the headband and stroked it fondly, his hoarse voice dropping to a whisper.
"Mr. Jon Hart, I never told anyone that it was you who suggested Logno take that girl—the one trying to sneak into the Hufflepuff common room—to the teachers…"
"Thank you, Klein," Jon said sincerely, bending down slightly.
"You actually said thank you... A wizard actually said thank you to Klein…" Klein sobbed, overwhelmed with emotion.
...
With his pockets stuffed with all kinds of snacks again, Jon returned to the eighth floor.
He knew this route like the back of his hand by now, though hiking straight from the basement to the eighth floor still left him a bit winded.
Once again, he pulled out Summoning Your Inner Joy, raised his wand, and resumed his fruitless practice of the Patronus Charm.
"Expecto Patronum!"
"Expecto Patronum!"
"Expecto Patronum!"
Jon even tried using some faint memories of happiness from his previous life.
Unfortunately, the emotions tied to those distant memories weren't strong or clear enough. The Patronus Charm still failed to produce any meaningful result—or rather, any result at all.
"Bloody hell..." Jon muttered as he left the Room of Requirement around noon, too exhausted to complain properly.
Back in the Great Hall, he found the place had transformed into a sea of yellow and black.
Cedric Diggory was at the center of the crowd, surrounded by cheering students.
"We won!" Hannah Abbott and Ernie Macmillan pulled Jon into the celebration as soon as they saw him.
"I've been looking for you everywhere!" Hannah shouted. "Where did you go?"
"Jon, we won—big time! 510 to 40! We crushed Gryffindor!"
"We won!"