Chapter 221: The Match and the Celebration
Chapter 221: The Match and the Celebration
Time slipped by unnoticed, and it was already February, with the cold weather showing no signs of abating. However, Harry didn't become any calmer during his study sessions with Liam and the others; instead, he grew increasingly anxious. After inquiring, Liam learned that the match against Ravenclaw was drawing near, and Harry had been constantly asking Professor Mcgonagall about the Firebolt, but she always said it wasn't fully inspected yet.
"I think no match is more important than a person's life, but I also know Professor Mcgonagall is the Head of Gryffindor. She surely wants the Gryffindor Team to win, so I'm sure she'll return the broom to you before the match." After hearing Liam's reassurance, Harry's expression improved.
Apart from Harry's concerns, Scabbers also seemed to be in better condition. Perhaps the new environment made him feel that Sirius Black wouldn't find him. This made Ron very happy, and after seeing Scabbers in the Common Room one day, he praised Liam's medical skills and decided to let Scabbers stay with Liam for a while longer.
To ensure Peter wouldn't escape, Liam wrapped the cage with red thread and hung a jade thunder talisman on it. However, his roommates saw this as Liam's fondness for the rat, thinking he had decorated the cage with items from the Eastern Empire. Their comments led Peter to misinterpret the situation, and he had no idea what these items on the cage actually were.
Sleeping in such a cage was no different from sleeping on a pile of explosives. If Peter knew what they were, he would certainly try to escape.
During a weekend practice in mid-February, Hermione finally summoned her corporeal Patronus. In the warm Room of Requirement, as she finished her incantation, a shiny silver otter burst from her wand and danced around her joyfully.
"It's really quite beautiful, isn't it?" Hermione said with a delighted smile.
"Indeed, it's quite fluffy and cute", Liam nodded, then added seriously, "The next step is to focus on practical application. After all, the Patronus Charm is meant to combat Dementors. Casting a Patronus in a safe, well-lit room is very different from using it in a real battle."
Seeing Hermione nod earnestly, Liam, curious about something he had noticed, asked, "Why do I feel that you've become much more agile in your dodging techniques since you returned to Hogwarts?"
Liam had observed that Hermione's physical skills had improved significantly during their recent practice sessions. In terms of physical techniques, she was now almost on par with a novice assassin who had trained for a year, based on the memories he had inherited.
After all, Hermione had only been practicing the assassin's physical techniques for less than a year, and only in her spare time. By all accounts, she shouldn't have reached this level.
"I'm not sure, but I think it might be due to the gift of blood I received during our last adventure. Ever since then, I've noticed my physical condition has improved a lot. Many of the movements you taught me, which I couldn't do before, I can now perform easily", Hermione replied after some thought.
Hearing this, Liam also examined his own body and found that the gift of blood had indeed been slowly improving the recipient's physical condition. However, because he had undergone multiple enhancements before, the effect wasn't as noticeable on him, so he had overlooked it.
"Perhaps one of the effects of this gift is similar to the Re'em's Blood. In Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, it says that anyone who drinks the Re'em's Blood will gain a significant boost in strength. I think this gift is probably something like that." Liam noticed that Hermione seemed a bit uneasy when he asked her, so he quickly used a real-life example to reassure her.
Liam had been feeling a bit disoriented recently, as he had been busy with his regular studies and helping Harry and the Weasley Twins with their homework. It wasn't until Harry brought out his Firebolt and celebrated with Ron in the common room one day, announcing that he would be using it in the Quidditch match the next day, that Liam realized the second match of the year was just around the corner.
The next morning, Harry's appearance with the Firebolt in the Great Hall caused quite a stir. Students from other houses, except for the Slytherins, crowded around to get a closer look at the legendary broom.
The Firebolt lived up to its legend, especially in the hands of Harry Potter, who was exceptionally talented at flying.
The match started at eleven, and it was clear that the Firebolt, under Harry's control, outperformed all other brooms in terms of speed, climb rate, and turning radius. Zhang Qiu, the Ravenclaw Seeker, riding a Nimbus, couldn't keep up with Harry at all.
In the end, Harry shot a blurry, half-formed silver Physical Patronus in one direction and then caught the Golden Snitch, ending the match.
"I can't believe the Slytherins actually tried to influence Harry by disguising themselves as Dementors. I really can't see where their so-called noble bloodlines come from." After the victory, everyone returned to the common room to celebrate. Liam, who didn't much care for the noise, sat in a corner with Hermione. Hermione was particularly puzzled by the methods Draco Malfoy and his cronies had used.
"The nobility have far more darkness behind them than ordinary people. After all, they need to protect so many interests, and it's not easy to do so with just normal means. I'm actually surprised that Malfoy's methods were so crude. It's not at all what you'd expect from someone with elite education."
Hermione was somewhat taken aback by Liam's response. Unlike in Liam's homeland, where the corrupt nobility had been swept into the dustbin of history and their dark sides fully exposed, in Britain, the nobility were still seen as paragons of nobility and morality in the eyes of the common people.
In Hermione's mind, a Pureblood Family like the Malfoys, who controlled vast resources, should act with gentlemanly grace even in conflict.
But now, hearing Liam's words, she realized that Draco Malfoy, whether it was his betrayal of the midnight duel in first year, his use of the word 'Mudblood' to insult Colin Creevey in second year, his reckless behavior in front of Buckbeak this year, or his petty tricks during the Quidditch match, clearly lacked the expected nobility and acted more like a street thug.
"Alright, I guess I was mistaken", Hermione admitted straightforwardly, recognizing her error in judgment.
After discussing the issue, Liam took out his notebook and continued summarizing the key points from his textbooks, while Hermione pulled out her Ancient Runes textbook to work on her homework.
(End of Chapter)
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