By the time October rolled around, I had completely adjusted to the new classes.
Arithmancy was still difficult, but that only made the sense of fulfillment greater when I finally understood it. Ancient Runes, on the other hand, felt like an ordinary language class where we studied grammar and the like, so it was neither especially good nor especially bad.
What weighed on my mind was Quidditch, with the match against Gryffindor looming. As the weather was clearly getting worse, I grew fed up and decided to make a half-serious suggestion to Flint-senpai.
"Why don't we just say Draco's arm is in bad shape and postpone it?"
"Oh, that's actually not a bad idea!"
With that kind of lighthearted attitude, we went straight to Professor Snape to negotiate. He responded with a thoroughly unpleasant smile.
"Hm, you do have a point. Very well. I shall see to it myself."
Just like that, the match was postponed.
The Gryffindor team was furious, but choosing any means necessary to win is a Slytherin creed. Besides, I would be lying if I said last year's defeat hadn't left me with lingering feelings.
More importantly, if Captain Marcus Flint-senpai managed not to fail his classes, this would be his final year. In effect, this was his last tournament. I owed him a great deal, and I genuinely wanted him to finish his final Quidditch season on a high note.
"Hufflepuff has completely rebuilt their team!"
The news Flint-senpai brought in October was enough to put Slytherin's championship hopes at risk.
"They've changed captains and made Cedric Diggory their new Seeker. They swapped out other members too, so it's hard to tell what'll happen."
There was a chance they had weakened themselves conveniently, but the possibility that they had strengthened their lineup was just as real. With the roster changes, it was also highly likely that Hufflepuff had altered their tactics, meaning our usual anti-Hufflepuff strategies might not work at all.
In short, Hufflepuff would be the joker this year, and it would not be an exaggeration to say that whichever team faced them first would get the worst deal.
"Normally, Ravenclaw plays Hufflepuff first, but I've heard Cho Chang, their Seeker, has been in poor form since her injury. A Hufflepuff victory would probably be a sure thing. But once Diggory's new style becomes public, Wood will come up with countermeasures in no time."
In other words, by having Gryffindor face joker Hufflepuff in the opening match, they would wear each other down. It was a plan that killed two birds with one stone.
And so, we successfully shoved the Hufflepuff match onto Gryffindor. After enduring the bizarre event where Professor Snape suddenly lectured us about werewolves in place of the sick Professor Lupin, we finally arrived at Saturday, the day of the year's first Quidditch match.
"Skipping this was definitely the right call…"
"Absolutely."
At my words, Draco flashed a pleased, spiteful grin.
"Serves Potter right."
The weather that day was a complete mess, making it easy to predict that the match would turn into a literal mud fight. For a small and delicate beauty like myself, it was an especially unfavorable environment.
Amid the fierce wind and rain, thunder began to roar, and it was hard to tell what was even happening in the match anymore. After just five minutes, Draco and Crabbe and Goyle beside me were soaked to the bone, umbrellas notwithstanding.
"…Elaina, may I ask why you aren't wet at all?"
"I cast a waterproofing charm on myself."
"Could you cast the same spell on us?"
"One gold coin each."
I took three gold coins and cast the waterproofing charm on the three of them.
I heard a muttered, resentful "What a rip-off…," but market prices are always in flux.
For example, at a festival, a hot dog that costs about one pound to make might sell for five pounds, and as long as enough people still want to buy it, that becomes a fair price. A fixed list price is nothing but an illusion.
If I hadn't cast the waterproofing charm, the three of them might have ended up freezing and catching colds. Looked at that way, you could even call my pricing generous.
"Honestly, if Draco had studied properly and could use the waterproofing charm himself, he wouldn't have had to pay even a single Knut."
"Don't finish me off with such a perfectly valid argument."
While we were talking like this, the match continued.
"For such bad weather, Gryffindor is holding out pretty well."
"Yeah. Hufflepuff's new tactics seem to have some surprise effect, but more than that, Hufflepuff just isn't fully coordinated yet."
"Well, they didn't have much time to prepare."
Hufflepuff's team overhaul had caused not only confusion among their opponents but also significant unrest within their own ranks, and the team itself still didn't seem accustomed to the new style. On top of that, our sudden schedule change forced their first match to take place a full month earlier than planned, which only added to their misfortune.
"Hufflepuff was originally defense-oriented, and it looks like they've leaned even further in that direction…"
"But they aren't making full use of that strength. Their Quaffle steal rate is up, but that's about it."
"Exactly. It's like they can't connect their passes properly after stealing it."
Incidentally, the reason I was watching the match despite the awful weather was that, as a player, I was expected to scout our opponents.
"For a hastily assembled team, Hufflepuff is hanging in there, but their lack of a finishing blow really hurts."
"If this turns into a long match, Gryffindor, with more veterans, has the advantage."
"I was expecting more from Diggory, but he's been surprisingly underwhelming."
"Still, in this weather, there might be a sudden turnaround."
Just as Draco and I were thinking, "Looks like Gryffindor might win this," a voice spoke up from beside us.
"Oh my, Astoria."
"Good day. Elaina, Malfoy-senpai."
In the pouring rain, Astoria offered a graceful greeting. She too appeared to have cast a waterproofing charm, and the Carrow sisters following behind her, much like Crabbe and Goyle, were completely unfazed by the rain.
"By a sudden turnaround, do you mean Diggory?"
Draco sneered.
"I'm not taking Potter's side or anything, but with a big brute like that as Seeker, his chances aren't great."
It's common sense that Seekers are usually small, light, and quick players. Of course, depending on broom-handling skill, it isn't impossible for a larger player to be a Seeker. However, considering that Harry's skills are no worse than Diggory's and that his broom isn't inferior either, it's only natural to think he's at a disadvantage.
However, Astoria seemed to have a different opinion.
"In weather like this, you know? Potter is getting pushed around by the wind a bit. Nimbus brooms have a slight slope at the tip of the tail, and in strong winds that can cause them to lose speed."
Draco and I exchanged glances at Astoria's unexpectedly detailed explanation.
"Oh? You really know your stuff."
That was when it happened.
All of a sudden, an eerie silence swept across the stadium, and it felt as though a cold wave washed over my entire body.
"This feeling… no way."
Looking around, I saw something writhing on the pitch. Squinting closer, I could make out at least a hundred Dementors standing there, their unseen faces tilted toward the sky. A sensation like ice being pressed against my chest slowly crept upward, as if my body were being sliced apart from the inside.
"Why are there Dementors in a place like this…!"
As Draco groaned, his face pale, I tried to distract him with a flippant, "Obviously, they came to watch the Quidditch match." The moment I finished that terrible reply, the incident occurred.
Thud.
The sound came from the opposite side of Draco, who was on my left, from the spot where Astoria had been watching on my right.
"Astoria?!"
The Carrow twins cried out in unison. When we turned around, we saw Astoria collapsing to her knees.
"Hey, are you okay?!"
Draco rushed over to Astoria and checked her pulse.
"Ah…"
Astoria let out a weak groan. Her face was as white as wax, and her limp body looked frail and powerless. One look told us this was anything but normal, and the Carrow twins were clearly flustered as well.
"This is bad. It feels like her body temperature is dropping…"
"Let's carry her to Professor Snape."
"Right."
With that, Draco carefully turned Astoria face down, slipped his neck under her armpits while facing her, and hoisted her up onto his shoulders.
This technique, used by firefighters and the military to carry injured people, is called a fireman's carry. In Quidditch, we at least learn it to quickly transport players who collapse during a match.
"Please don't jostle her too much."
"I know."
Using magic to levitate her was an option, but with so many people around, there was a risk of losing control if the wand bumped into someone. So we chose the old-fashioned method and carried Astoria carefully.
When we reached the teachers' stand, Headmaster Dumbledore, clearly furious, was in the middle of driving off the Dementors with the Patronus Charm. At the same time, he was levitating Harry, who had lost consciousness and fallen from his broom just like Astoria.
"Professor!"
As we rushed in, Professor Snape immediately grasped the situation. He hurried over, checked Astoria's pulse and temperature, then took out a small vial.
"Greengrass, can you hear my voice?"
"Uh… yes…"
Astoria replied in a fading voice. She looked miserable, but she was still conscious.
"Drink this. It's only a temporary measure, but it should make you feel better for a while."
After Professor Snape helped her drink from the vial, color slowly returned to Astoria's pale face, and her breathing gradually steadied.
Then Headmaster Dumbledore, his expression grave, examined Astoria's condition with several spells. His conclusion was that anemia combined with mild hypothermia and fatigue was the most likely cause.
"Severus, contact Poppy."
After issuing the instruction, Headmaster Dumbledore conjured two stretchers with magic.
He placed Astoria and Harry onto the floating stretchers and personally escorted them to the infirmary. I saw Ron, Hermione, and the Carrow twins hurry after them.
Once the Headmaster left, exhaustion hit me all at once.
"I never expected Dementors to show up…"
"Seriously. Still, for Astoria to faint like that…"
Draco looked genuinely surprised, and it seemed he had his own thoughts about it.
Well, Astoria is Daphne's younger sister, and despite putting on airs like a refined young lady, she does have quite a few rough edges beneath the surface. That's why seeing her so fragile and helpless, so different from her usual image, was a bit of a shock even to me.
(End of chapter)
Want to read the chapters in Advance? Join my Patreon
https://patreon.com/Glimmer09