"Restore my innocence?" Audrey chuckled. "Does that mean the wanted order will be cancelled? Of course that's good!"
Dumbledore nodded. "However, while you are at school, you may still have to use the identity of Audrey."
Audrey was puzzled. "Why?"
"Because some of our staff and students have grudges against your biological father. To avoid unnecessary disputes, temporarily hiding your identity is, I think, the best way."
"But my surname is Lestrange!"
"Lestrange also has many enemies in the school, for example, student Longbottom."
Grindelwald curled his lips to the side, saying nothing, but clearly, he didn't quite agree with Dumbledore's idea—why should a genius accommodate the feelings of ordinary people?
"Alright."
Audrey actually didn't care much. Anyway, it was only three years; she wouldn't need to use the Hydrus Lestrange identity for another seven years!
"Al, since the matter is settled, let's go up and have a couple of drinks. I rushed all the way here from Nurmengard; I'm exhausted!"
...
...
Halloween passed just like that. The troll incident and the intrusion into the Slytherin girls' dormitory spread rapidly among the little wizards, but the most enduring topic generated this Halloween had to be the three songs Audrey sang before the feast.
As for the protagonist group, they formally formed a solid relationship after Halloween. Hermione no longer criticized Harry and the others for breaking school rules; she even seemed a bit eager to try it herself.
Entering November, the weather suddenly became cold.
Audrey heard that Hogsmeade village had already been covered with a layer of ice and snow. However, she didn't want to go there, even though the biggest threat, Bode Gray, had been caught.
At this moment, she was hiding in her room, feeling the warmth of the brazier, drinking wine specially brewed for her by Momo, gnawing on jerky with an endless aftertaste, and playing Wizard's Chess with Isaline.
Recently, Audrey was very obsessed with this. Who said the wizarding world lacked entertainment? These little chess pieces with unique personalities were simply too interesting.
"That move was excellent! Praise be to you! Miss Astley!"
"Damn it, how dare you send me to die? Alright, you're right, this is a good move! I die in a worthy place!"
"Oh, we won again! Long live Audrey Astley!"
Isaline irritably downed the wine in her cup in one gulp. Lost again! She lost at least nine out of ten games; Audrey could always see through her intentions!
"I'm not playing anymore!" Isaline pushed over the chess pieces, drawing a round of curses from them. "Audrey, you should go play in the common room; there are many people better than me there!"
Audrey smiled nonchalantly. "Why should I look for skilled people to play chess? Besides, are there fine wine and delicious food out there? I don't want to share my lovely little snacks with those unfamiliar people!"
Knock knock knock.
A knock sounded on the door. Isaline went to open it—Audrey was currently hiding under the covers, not finding it convenient to get out of bed.
The one knocking was Prefect Gemma Farley. "It's Isaline. Is Audrey here?"
Isaline nodded and let her in.
"Audrey!" Gemma exclaimed. "Why are you still in bed!"
Audrey smiled. "Today is Saturday; shouldn't I rest well?"
Gemma almost shouted, "But today is the Quidditch match day between our house and Gryffindor! I came to call you to watch the game!"
"Not going!"
Audrey rejected instantly.
It was freezing cold; only a fool would run outside to watch a bunch of rookies pecking at each other!
"Audrey!" Gemma implored. "Just go. You are our Slytherin's signature figure. If you go, our team's morale will also be much higher!"
Audrey blinked. 'Are you sure that after I go, Gryffindor won't play even harder out of resentment that Slytherin stole me away?'
Isaline also chimed in, "Audrey, go. You can't lie in bed all day long!"
'Mm, I really should move a bit, otherwise my reputation as a lazybones will spread.'
"Alright! I'll go!"
Isaline immediately beamed with joy—finally, she didn't have to be abused anymore!
...
...
Just out the castle gate, Audrey regretted it.
It was too cold. She was wearing the treasure of Twilfitt and Tattings, yet she still couldn't withstand Hogwarts' severe cold.
Audrey helplessly cast a Warming Charm on herself and casually put a warming buff on Isaline and Gemma as well.
Passing through the castle grounds and coming outside the walls, the massive Quidditch pitch stood there.
"We need to walk faster! Or we won't make it!"
Under Gemma's urging, the three began to trot.
Upon arriving at the perimeter of the stadium, Audrey felt the little wizards' fanaticism for Quidditch.
Voices were bubbling over; their enthusiasm seemed to melt the ice and snow. The grass around the pitch was still lush green.
Of course, this was because the professors had cast Defrosting Charms.
Gemma had saved a seat for Audrey long ago. The three sat side by side, and within a few minutes, the match began.
"Just in time," Gemma said. "If someone had lazed in bed a while longer, we wouldn't have made it."
Audrey shrugged, ignoring her.
"The Quaffle is snatched by Gryffindor's Angelina Johnson!"
Lee Jordan's voice echoed through the stadium. "What an excellent Chaser that girl is, and she's so charming too—"
"Jordan!"
Audrey heard Professor McGall's roar and couldn't help laughing. This was a match where the commentary was more interesting than the situation on the field.
Gryffindor's technical level was clearly slightly higher than Slytherin's. Angelina cooperated with her teammates, tricked Slytherin's Keeper Bletchley, and hit the Quaffle into the hoop.
The Gryffindor stands erupted in joy.
Audrey, however, felt that the little snakes around her seemed to be facing the end of the world, crestfallen.
However, under the leadership of Captain Flint, Slytherin used some unsavory means to score thirty points in a row.
The little snakes were happy now. They didn't care about the means; as long as the result was good, the process didn't matter at all.
Today, Gryffindor's Seeker was a seventh-year student named Gomez McCand, whom Wood pulled into the team to make up the numbers.
Audrey ruined Mr. Potter's Quidditch debut, but she didn't feel guilty at all.
Look, because Harry didn't become a Quidditch player in his first year, how much poisoning from his own Head of House, Snape, did he avoid?
Not only that, he also avoided the danger of potentially falling off his broom today. Audrey felt her merit was immeasurable; she was practically a saint!
But because the scene where Harry almost fell was gone, the Gryffindor players played with extra focus, quickly tying the score and even overtaking it.
The Slytherin players obviously began to suffer from low morale and appeared increasingly anxious.
"Audrey, sing quickly!"
Gemma Farley said loudly. "Your singing can boost our morale!"
Audrey: ???
Phoenix song could indeed inspire people's courage, but that was indiscriminate! If she sang, the courage on Gryffindor's side would rise too. Was there any point to this?
But desperate times called for desperate measures; it was nothing more than that.
Hearing Prefect Farley's words, the surrounding little snakes also began to persuade Audrey one after another.
Even Isaline gave her a pleading look.
Audrey: ...
'Next time I come to the Quidditch pitch, I'm a blockhead!'
She switched to her Phoenix constitution and began to chant.
"Ah—ah————"
The effect of the Phoenix song was immediate. The members of the Slytherin team were all spiritually invigorated and began to organize counterattacks!
But correspondingly, the Gryffindor players were also greatly encouraged!
Not only that, the little wizards in the stands were all incited by Audrey's chanting. They stood up one by one, roaring loudly at the field!
The audience's passionate emotions, in turn, influenced the players' emotions. On the field, they were like they had been injected with adrenaline; every one of them started playing for their lives!
"Oh, Audrey Astley from Slytherin House has started singing. Her singing inspires all the players on the field! Look, they act like trolls who drank aphrodisiacs! Speaking of trolls, we have to mention Marcus Flint, who has troll blood..."
"Lee Jordan!"
The scores of the two teams rose alternately. Although the level was average, they actually played with the momentum of a Quidditch World Cup final!
"The Golden Snitch has appeared!" Lee Jordan shouted loudly. "Gryffindor's Seeker Gomez and Slytherin's Seeker Terence are rushing towards the Golden Snitch at the same time!"
"No, are they crazy? Diving at that kind of angle, the two are actually still shoving each other! Merlin's socks! Please don't break your necks!"
The two Seekers were clearly in the wrong state. They were extremely hyperactive at this moment, feeling omnipotent!
'A mere dive, isn't it easily handled?'
But in reality, anyone with eyes could see that they were gradually losing control of their brooms!
Madam Hooch had already pulled out her wand, and Madam Pomfrey also rushed out of the rest area. They both foresaw the tragedy that was about to happen.
Bang!
Crash!
Gomez and Terence collided. Their brooms consequently got tangled together, and unable to control their balance, the two crashed into the ground one after another.
Terence lost consciousness on the spot, while Gomez finally stopped after bouncing twenty-something meters on the ground.
He lay flat on his back, limbs sprawled, raising his hand to display the Golden Snitch he had caught.
Two lines of fresh blood flowed down from the top of his head. His neck tilted, and he followed in Terence's footsteps.
"Oh, it's Gryffindor who caught the Golden Snitch!"
"In this match, Gryffindor defeated the Slytherin team 210 to 70!"
"It's just that our Seekers are clearly in bad shape, very seriously injured. I hope they will be okay!"
Audrey stopped chanting and shook her head. Coming out to watch the ball game today was truly a lapse in judgment. Just this?
It looked intense, but it was actually incredibly rough, devoid of any aesthetic sense.
Too inelegant!
With this free time, she might as well lie in bed and listen to Momo tell her little stories circulated among house-elves!
Still the same sentence.
If she came to the pitch again, she was a blockhead!
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]