"You two have a death wish!"
In the damp, drafty corridor outside the entrance to the Slytherin common room, Draco Malfoy looked grim.
While Malfoy's threat might have been all bark and no bite, the sheer bulk of Crabbe and Goyle standing behind him was no joke. If a fight actually broke out, Harry and Ron would likely end up in the Hospital Wing with just one shove from those two.
Harry stepped in front of Ron.
"We just came to ask a question," Harry said, staring calmly at Malfoy. "Do you want revenge?"
"Revenge? What are you talking about, Potter?"
"Literally what I said." Harry stared blankly into Malfoy's pale gray eyes. "You got beaten by Ron in the 'Protect the Captain' game... are you interested in getting even? Do you want a rematch?"
Harry was sure he saw a flash of humiliated rage in Malfoy's eyes. He expected Malfoy to explode in anger, but the reaction wasn't quite what he anticipated.
Malfoy glared at them with suspicion, looking even more guarded than before.
"Hmph. That was just a stupid, boring game. If you think I'm going to lose sleep over it, you're dead wrong, Potter!"
"Oh, if that's the case..." Harry shrugged and looked at Ron. "Let's go, Ron."
Harry grabbed Ron's arm and turned around, and the two of them started walking back the way they came.
The damp corridor was silent except for the sound of their footsteps. Harry wasn't sure if Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle had already gone back into their common room, but he couldn't turn his head to check. If he did, he'd look like he was losing his nerve.
Finally, just as they reached the corner of the corridor—
"Wait!"
The voice calling out from behind them made both Harry and Ron let out a breath of relief. Harry stopped, turned around, and looked back at the trio. They were still standing there.
"Are you guys really just here to ask for another round of 'Protect the Captain'?"
Malfoy walked hurriedly toward Harry, his chin slightly raised, eyes narrowed as he scrutinized them with uncertainty.
"Depends on if you're interested or not, Malfoy," Harry said, neither confirming nor denying anything.
A silence fell over them.
"I'm willing to play another round with you. Just to prove that today's match was a fluke and I just got careless, Weasley," Malfoy finally said. His gloomy expression was mixed with anger, making it clear to Harry that Malfoy wasn't nearly as indifferent about the loss as he claimed.
"But that's impossible now," Ron said.
"Oh? And why is that?"
Ron, having calmed down a bit, looked at Malfoy sideways. "Worried you'll embarrass yourself again?"
"Shut your mouth, Weasley!" Malfoy shouted, flustered and exasperated. "You should spend the rest of your life celebrating your dumb luck today... Haven't you heard? Dumbledore banned first-years from participating in 'Protect the Captain' for safety reasons! My father told me ages ago that Dumbledore is getting senile. He's just a stubborn old man who can't keep up with the times. I..."
"We know about it," Harry interrupted Malfoy's slander of Professor Dumbledore.
Sure, what Harry was doing right now was trying to change Dumbledore's decision, but that didn't mean he disliked the Headmaster with the flowing silver hair and unique vibe. In fact, even though he'd only had one conversation with the famous wizard, Harry felt like he had known the kind, grandfatherly Dumbledore for a long time. He felt an inexplicable sense of closeness to him.
He didn't want to hear Malfoy bad-mouthing him.
"You know?!" Malfoy looked shocked.
"Exactly," Harry said calmly. "We have people. A lot more than you think... all of us don't want to see first-years banned from the game. We're planning to band together and negotiate with Professor Dumbledore to get the ban lifted."
Another silence.
Malfoy stared at Harry with his bulging gray eyes, completely blindsided by this revelation. Even Crabbe and Goyle behind him forgot to flex their muscles.
Malfoy's shock gave Ron a strange sense of superiority. He put on a smug smile—after all, technically speaking, he was the leader of this operation.
"I get it!" Malfoy finally snapped out of it, realization dawning on him. "You're here to recruit me!"
"Don't flatter yourself, Malfoy," Ron scoffed. "Harry just told you, we already have enough supporters. We only came to ask you because you're a first-year, too."
Ron's confident attitude made Malfoy doubt his own conclusion. He narrowed his eyes again, weighing his options internally.
"Make a decision, Malfoy," Harry said. "Join our operation. If we succeed, you get your chance for a rematch. If not, you'll have to wait a whole year to prove you only lost today because you were 'careless'... Of course, like Ron said, it doesn't matter if you don't join. We have the numbers."
Even though Malfoy had a sneer on his face when he was trash-talking Dumbledore earlier, the idea of actually standing in front of the Headmaster and challenging his decision for real made him hesitate.
He couldn't give a definitive answer, but he also didn't want to just walk away and let the opportunity slip.
"Hurry up, Malfoy," Harry said crisply. "In or out. We don't have time to waste here... we plan to get this done tonight."
"Tonight?" Malfoy raised an eyebrow, suspicious. "How many people have you got?"
"Probably every single Gryffindor," Harry said, his tone carrying a hint of pride.
"Aren't you afraid I'll snitch, Potter?" Malfoy's face twisted into an expression that was hard to read. "I'd love to see you... and Weasley, get expelled from school!"
"Suit yourself, Malfoy."
That was exactly what Harry was worried about deep down. But he kept his face stone-cold.
"I should tell you, though—aside from the students, there's more than one professor joining our operation. The one leading the charge is the very same wizard who saved all our lives. Honestly, if I were you, after seeing how he stopped that train, I wouldn't choose to get on his bad side. Especially since 'Protect the Captain' is his game."
"If you want to join, bring every Slytherin you can mobilize. Meet in the Great Hall at 8:40 PM."
Ron smiled with a touch of arrogance. "That's all... Let's go, Harry."
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