By November, the weather had suddenly turned cold. The mountains surrounding the school were shrouded in a gray mist, and the lake outside the castle had frozen solid.
Every morning, people could see Hagrid in his long moleskin coat, thick leather gloves, and heavy boots, thawing flying brooms on the Quidditch pitch.
The Quidditch season had begun. After weeks of training, Harry was finally set to play as Gryffindor's Seeker in his very first match, facing off against the Slytherin team.
George, Ron, and Hermione were all there to cheer for Harry. They had never seen his training before. From the start, Wood had planned for Harry to be Gryffindor's secret weapon and had kept his participation a closely guarded secret.
But in a school full of teenagers, you couldn't expect absolute secrecy.
One student would quietly tell a friend and ask them to keep it secret. That friend would then tell another, also asking them to keep it quiet. The news spread like wildfire, and soon the entire school knew that Harry would be playing—and that he was an exceptional player.
All Wood could do was tightly guard the pitch's entrance, keeping others from seeing Harry's actual training sessions.
Even so, Harry's debut was eagerly anticipated. Some even suggested the school should prepare a mattress to follow behind Harry's broom in case he fell.
"That must be Malfoy suggesting that," Harry thought. The idea made him a bit nervous.
"Yesterday, Snape deliberately found a reason to dock me five points. I don't understand why he hates me so much," Harry said, a little angry.
"Harry, you know, we can't get along with everyone. Some people will always dislike you no matter what," George said thoughtfully, trying to comfort him.
"Like Malfoy," Ron added, a fitting example.
"And Snape," Harry said, "Malfoy can't dock my points."
"But Snape won't lie during duels or try to get you expelled," Hermione said, thinking it through. Her point made sense.
"Oh, that's lucky then." Harry felt somewhat reassured. At least Snape wasn't planning to get him expelled—otherwise, that would have been truly unfortunate.
"Yesterday, I went to Snape to borrow Quidditch Through the Ages. I saw he had an injury on his leg and heard him complain about being bitten by a three-headed dog," Harry whispered.
"On Halloween, we went to find Neville. He passed by us and went to the fourth floor, where a three-headed dog was guarding him. That dog bit him," Harry continued, pausing for a moment. "I bet he released the troll to distract the professors," he added, glancing at George for his opinion.
"Reasonable deduction, but insufficient evidence," George replied. He wouldn't correct Harry without cause.
"I know he's not very smart, but he definitely wouldn't steal anything from the school," Hermione said, eyes wide, staring incredulously at Harry.
"Hermione, you can't always assume every teacher is a good person," Ron said impatiently. "I agree with Harry. Snape isn't omnipotent, just like Malfoy. The important question is—what exactly was that three-headed dog guarding on the fourth floor?"
"Hermione, Harry's reasoning makes sense, even if Snape didn't actually steal anything," George added. "I agree with Ron—not every teacher is a good teacher."
Seeing George agree with his point, Ron proudly gestured at Hermione. She looked around, saw no one supporting her, and, a little annoyed, fell silent.
"Harry, do you want something to eat? You've got the match later," Ron said, sensing the awkward atmosphere and trying to change the subject.
"I'm not hungry," Harry said. He didn't feel right. This was his first Quidditch match, and the responsibility weighed on him.
He had been nervous, hadn't slept well after seeing Snape last night, and had no appetite. The match was in an hour, and he couldn't calm himself.
"You're not in great shape. Don't worry too much—think about that spell," George said. He noticed Harry's tension and offered a helpful reminder.
"Okay, thanks." Strangely, focusing on the spell made Harry feel less anxious, and for a moment, he even felt more confident.
By eleven o'clock, the stands around the Quidditch pitch were packed.
Many students brought telescopes, and seats were elevated, but even so, it was sometimes hard to see the match clearly.
"Looks like I need to teach Hermione and Ron the eagle-eye trick," George thought, looking around Ravenclaw's stand. After all, this was a broomstick match, and visibility wasn't always easy.
He recalled reading that a Quidditch match typically lasts only a few months.
If you couldn't catch the Golden Snitch, the game could, in theory, go on forever. The thought made him shiver, hoping he would never witness such a thing. Quickly, he added the "eagle-eye" skill for himself.
Ron and Hermione stood on the top row, beside Neville, Dean, and Seamus.
Neville and the others seemed to have become Harry's fans. They saw Harry carrying a large banner painted on a bedsheet that read, "Potter Will Win," with a giant Gryffindor lion below. The painting was remarkably accurate.
Hermione tapped her wand on the banner, causing the paint to shimmer with different lights.
After a moment, cheers erupted across the stadium, creating an electrifying atmosphere.
Harry, Fred, and the other players came out of the locker room one by one, walking onto the pitch and waving to the crowd.
The excitement intensified as the spectators cheered and waved to the players.
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