Maranhao paused for a moment at Marietta's words, then nodded in full agreement.
"Sounds about right."
Although it was a match between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff, the Ravenclaw students still showed up en masse—because of Lynn.
Lynn sat with Hermione in the stands, eyes vacant, face expressionless, watching the Quidditch players of both House teams enter the pitch.
The match began at Madam Hooch's whistle. Lynn was on Hermione's left; on Hermione's right sat Ron and Neville.
The two boys waved their arms excitedly, shouting nonstop for the Gryffindor team.
Hermione, hands clasped tightly in her lap, gazed skyward with a tense expression as the match unfolded high above.
Refereeing today was Professor Snape, and Harry didn't dare slack off for a second. The moment he kicked off he swept the field at top speed, scouring every inch for the Golden Snitch.
The whole Gryffindor team fought with extra ferocity, terrified of giving Professor Snape the slightest excuse to punish them.
Lynn's calm gaze tracked Harry's swooping figure, her mind unruffled as she watched him hunt the Golden Snitch.
All around, the crowd was on fire, yelling for their own Houses; even the Ravenclaw students couldn't help waving and cheering.
Only Lynn sat in utter stillness, face like still water, completely out of step with the surrounding excitement.
Yet she wasn't the only misfit; there were others—and other words. "Do you know what the Gryffindor team all have in common?" Draco Malfoy's face swivelled from the row in front, right toward Ron and Neville as they shouted their cheers.
Ron and Neville froze; they hadn't expected Malfoy to show up when Slytherin wasn't even playing.
Draco didn't wait for an answer and ploughed right on.
"Potter's got no parents, Weasley's got no money… they're like a pack of pathetic wretches fielding a team."
Draco let out a mocking laugh; his flanking henchmen, Crabbe and Goyle, guffawed along.
"And you, Longbottom," Draco added, chin lifted in disdain at Neville. "They should stick you on the team too. Know why? Because you've got no brains."
Hearing the taunt, Ron and Neville both clenched their fists, but Ron's eyes were glued to Harry overhead and he ignored Malfoy completely.
Neville, however, drew a deep breath, remembered what Harry and Ron had told him, and mustered the courage to glare at Draco Malfoy.
"Shut it, Malfoy!" Neville's face flamed as he tried to make his voice carry weight. "I'm worth twelve of you!"
"What?" Draco stared at Neville in disbelief—shocked either by the claim itself or by the fact Neville dared answer back.
"I said: I'm worth twelve of you put together!" Neville steadied himself, tone firm.
"Neville Longbottom! How dare you, you dolt!"
Draco ground his teeth, eyes blazing at Neville.
"Just like your parents—so stupid they ended up—"
Before he could finish the insult, Neville—his parents mocked—snapped. He vaulted over the seat, tackled Draco, and started swinging.
The two rolled across the floor, brawling right in front of Hermione's row.
Seeing this, Goyle and Crabbe yanked up their sleeves and piled in, grabbing Draco to help him fend Neville off.
Hermione, riveted to the aerial match, noticed nothing of the boys' scuffle.
Lynn flicked her gaze their way for a moment: insulting people is wrong; hitting people is wrong—those two thoughts flashed through her mind.
Then she felt nothing more and turned her eyes back to the game above.
Ron saw the fight clearly, but Harry was seconds from the Snitch; he couldn't abandon the moment.
Come on, Harry—faster, faster… catch it, Ron silently urged.
Whether or not his prayer helped, Harry suddenly dived and closed his fingers around the Golden Snitch.
"Brilliant, Harry!" Ron bellowed, then vaulted the seat without pause and plunged into the fray, pummelling Draco, Goyle and Crabbe with fists and feet.
"Yes! Amazing—five minutes, only five!" Hermione leapt up, bouncing in delight.
She was overjoyed for Harry: catching the Snitch five minutes in had to be a record!
In her excitement she flung her arms around the still-seated Lynn and hugged her hard.
Lynn felt nothing except a sudden warmth in her chest as Hermione squeezed her.
Held in Hermione's arms, Lynn stared expressionlessly at the row ahead.
She'd seen Ron vault forward; he must have joined the fight.
When Hermione finally released her, cheeks flushed—whether from elation or something else she couldn't say—she glanced to her other side.
The seats were empty: no sign of Ron or Neville, who should have been celebrating wildly.
Hermione blinked. "Where are Ron and Neville?" They couldn't have left early; where could they be?
Lynn slowly turned to look at her.
"Lynn, do you know where they went? I was watching the match—I didn't notice."
Hermione bent, puzzled, to the composed girl beside her; she had no clue where the boys had vanished.
Lynn lifted a hand and pointed to the row directly in front. "There."
Hermione followed the finger and stared: the seats ahead were empty, and the neighbouring students seemed to edge even farther away.
A second's confusion, then she stepped forward to look. Peering over the back of the front row she saw five boys rolling on the ground.
Ron, Neville, Malfoy, Goyle and Crabbe were trading wild punches.
Ron and Neville, for whatever reason, fought with particular fury; the three Slytherins were getting the worst of it.
Hermione clicked her tongue in irritation and slowly stepped back to Lynn's side, tilting her head to study Lynn's still-unchanged expression.
"What's going on? Why are they even fighting?"
Lynn spoke in a mechanical voice. "Draco Malfoy insulted the Gryffindor House Team, mocked Ron's family, and insulted Neville's parents, so they started fighting."
As Hermione listened, undisguised disgust appeared on her face.
She didn't like solving problems with violence, but she had to admit that for someone like Draco Malfoy, she rather approved of a good thrashing to teach him a lesson.
The two girls, Hermione and Lynn, didn't intervene in the boys' "battle." Hermione saw that Ron and Neville had the upper hand and thus felt no need to step in.
Lynn simply never considered intervening; fighting was wrong, and she shouldn't get involved.
So the two girls followed the rest of the spectators down from the Quidditch stands and headed toward Hogwarts Castle.
Only the five boys remained on the ground, punching and kicking one another.
As soon as they left the Quidditch Pitch, Hermione and Lynn ran into Harry coming toward them.
"Harry, congratulations!" Hermione beamed the instant she saw him, offering praise.
"You must have broken a record!"
"Indeed, a record was broken," Lynn said calmly, nodding. "Congratulations, Harry."
Harry was so used to Lynn's usual, ripple-free voice that the boy merely smiled, brimming with pride.
"Thanks, Hermione; thanks, Lynn… where's Ron?" Harry glanced behind them but didn't spot his best mate.
"Er… Ron," Hermione hesitated, then described what she'd just seen. "He and Neville are ganging up on Malfoy and his two little sidekicks."
"What?!" Harry's eyes widened and he spun to race back to the stands.
Hermione quickly grabbed his arm to stop him. "Don't rush off—Ron and Neville are winning. They're giving Malfoy's lot a thorough beating."
"By the time you get there it'll probably be over."
The moment Hermione finished speaking, Harry saw two figures descending from the stands—Ron and Neville.
A red bruise marked Ron's forehead; one of Neville's eyes was swollen purple.
"Ouch… didn't Hermione say you two were winning?"
Harry winced at the sight of them.
Ron rubbed his forehead, grimaced for a second, then grinned smugly.
"Of course. Neville and I didn't let them off easy—they're still lying on the stands and can't get up."
Harry nodded and gave them both a thumbs-up.
Neville, smiling, pulled a Chocolate Frog card from his pocket and held it out to Harry.
"Thanks, Harry. Without you two I'd never have found the courage to stand up to Malfoy. I heard you collect these—this one's for you."
Harry politely accepted the card and shook his head gently.
"No, Neville. You always had the courage; Ron and I just helped you find it."
Neville scratched his head. "Anyway, thanks. I'd better go."
After saying goodbye to the four of them, Neville headed off; the Gryffindors would be throwing a celebration, and if he hurried he could grab extra snacks.
Watching him leave, Lynn turned to Hermione, about to say she was heading back to study, when Harry suddenly exclaimed.
"What's wrong?" Hermione, startled by the shout, turned to Harry.
Harry drew a deep breath and held the Chocolate Frog card up for the others to see.
"I knew I remembered Nicolas Flamel! Come look at this!"
As they read the card, Hermione's eyes grew wider and brighter.
"Merlin's long johns! I can't believe I forgot!"
"Forgot what?" Ron asked, puzzled.
Without explaining, Hermione seized Lynn's wrist and dashed toward Hogwarts Castle.
"Follow me!"
Harry and Ron exchanged glances and obediently sprinted after them.
They ran all the way to the entrance of the Gryffindor Common Room, Hermione and Lynn both panting.
Hermione gave the password and the fat lady let them in; she pulled Lynn toward the doorway.
Lynn stopped dead on the threshold, refusing to take another step.
When the tug met resistance, Hermione looked back. "Lynn, what's wrong?"
Lynn regarded the Gryffindor Common Room calmly. "The school rules don't specify whether students from other Houses may enter the Gryffindor Common Room."
Because the rules neither forbade nor explicitly allowed it, Lynn instinctively chose not to proceed.
Hermione blinked, then gave a half-laugh of exasperation.
"If the rules don't say you can't, then it's fine."
With that perfectly logical conclusion, she pulled Lynn inside.
The Little Lions preparing their celebration were surprised to see Hermione bring Lynn in, but no one objected.
They all knew Lynn wasn't a Slytherin; if she was brought in, so be it.
Hermione led her to a corner of the Common Room. "Wait here. I'll run up to the dormitory to grab something. When Harry and Ron arrive, tell them to wait here too, all right?"
Lynn nodded mechanically, expressionless. "All right."
Hermione smiled, spun around, and raced up the stairs to her dormitory.
The instant she disappeared upstairs, Harry and Ron burst in, gasping for breath.
Ron slung an arm over Harry's shoulder, still panting. "Hermione… what's with her? Dragging Lynn and sprinting off—couldn't catch them."
Harry, equally winded, braced his hands on his hips. "No idea…"
He scanned the room and finally spotted Lynn in the corner.
"There she is—let's go ask."
"Yeah…" Ron caught his breath and followed Harry over.
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