Chapter 382: Not Again?
Chapter 382: Not Again?
Towards the end of October, Ronan finally returned from Romania after being away for over a month.
Kyle released him from his bag, which had been tied to his claw, and placed him back in the dormitory, only after filling his food bowl with dragon liver and health potions.
The bag contained a batch of freshly crafted Dragon Scale badges, along with a letter from Charlie.
The letter explained that the shop's stock had been insufficient, hence the delay in fulfilling the order.
Kyle sighed, mentally chastising Old John for his lack of dedication.
Had he known, he would have placed a smaller order.
After such a long time, everyone had realized that the Dementors didn't enter the castle, so lately, fewer people had been asking him about the badges.
Everyone was now more concerned about another matter.
As the first Quidditch match approached, the atmosphere in the castle was electric with anticipation. Everyone was eager to watch the game, and in this excitement, the Dementors, and even the intruder, Blaise, seemed to have faded in importance.
...
The day before the match, the wind howled fiercely, and the rain poured heavier than ever. The corridors and classrooms were dimly lit, requiring the addition of extra torches and lanterns.
No one wanted to play Quidditch in such dreadful weather.
"Fortunately, the first match is between Gryffindor and Slytherin."
In the common room, Mikkel glanced at the windows, which were being battered by the gale-force winds, and said with relief, "Such terrible weather would really affect our performance."
This was to be his first game, and he was feeling the weight of it.
The other team members nodded in agreement.
However, when they arrived at the Great Hall, Cedric shared some unfavorable news.
"Our match has been rescheduled," he said, his expression grim. "Flint just spoke to me, and tomorrow, we will be playing against Gryffindor."
"Why!" the team members exclaimed almost in unison.
"Flint's excuse is that their Seeker injured their arm during practice yesterday, and they want us to step in," Cedric explained.
"He's lying!" Mikkel said angrily. "Even if his arm was broken, Madam Pomfrey could fix it in one night.
"Their real reason is obvious—they don't want to play in this weather because they think it will reduce their score."
"Wait..." Mikkel suddenly paused, a worried expression on his face. "Captain, you didn't agree to this, did you..."
Cedric shook his head. "Not yet. I just said I needed to consider it."
"There's nothing to consider; just refuse," said another team member.
"But Flint brought in Professor Snape," Cedric said gravely. "When I said I needed to think about it, he didn't look very happy."
"What? Professor Snape?" Mikkel couldn't help but raise his voice.
He couldn't understand why a Quidditch match would involve the Head of Slytherin House.
"And..." Cedric paused before continuing, "...if we don't agree, he'll definitely go to Ravenclaw next..."
"What are you still hesitating about at this point..." Mikkel trailed off mid-sentence, turning to ask Kyle, "Which House are we paired with for our first Charms class today?"
"Ravenclaw, I think," Kyle replied. "Why?"
"Just wait a moment..."
Mikkel sat there, deep in thought, his head lowered.
The rest of the team gave him space and didn't interrupt.
"You're not wrong," Cedric replied, his expression turning curious. "But isn't it a bit extreme to intentionally injure ourselves just for one match? It doesn't seem worth it."
"Don't worry, I've thought it through," Mikkel said confidently. "But first, I need to talk to your Seeker, Qiu Zhang, before class. Can any of you go and call her for me?"
Cedric eyed him skeptically but eventually stood up and made his way towards the Ravenclaw table.
Initially, he had intended to discuss the matter with the team and then agree to the substitution.
After all, Kyle's waterproof badges would still be useful even in this weather, although it would undoubtedly be an uncomfortable experience.
The thought of Slytherin trying to avoid the match by any means necessary irritated him. If they didn't want to play, they should just say so instead of making excuses.
Now that Mikkel had presented his idea, Cedric was curious to hear him out... What if it actually worked?
Soon, Qiu arrived.
Her face was clouded with worry, likely having heard about the situation from Cedric on her way over.
"What's your plan?" she asked, sitting down next to Mikkel.
"Just an idea, but I think it might work..."
The two of them whispered to each other.
Qiu's expression gradually shifted from concern to astonishment, and her eyes widened with growing excitement...
"Your idea might actually work," she said, her voice filled with surprise.
"I know, right?" Mikkel grinned. "Now, all we need is the key prop. Wait here, I'll go buy it..."
"Wait," Kyle interrupted, stopping Mikkel and pulling out a few candies. "No need to buy anything. I happen to have just what we need right here."
"Are you sure it'll work?"
"It's even better than the original," Kyle said, raising an eyebrow. "And it won't have any adverse effects on the body, either."
...
Before long, it was time for class.
At the staircase, the group parted ways.
Cedric headed to the basement classroom for Potions, while Kyle and the others went to their Charms class.
Today, they were learning the Revealing Charm.
As usual, Professor Flitwick explained the hand movements and incantations in detail before distributing blank parchment to each student, challenging them to uncover the hidden content.
"Revelio!"
The classroom echoed with the students' voices as they cast the spell.
When Professor Flitwick turned to the other side of the classroom, Mikkel seized the opportunity. He quickly popped a bean into his mouth and then signaled to Qiu.
Qiu noticed the signal and discreetly put something in her mouth as well.
The next second, without warning, a violent flash of bright light suddenly filled the classroom.
Mikkel let out an exaggerated scream and dramatically flopped onto his desk, feigning unconsciousness.
Professor Flitwick was startled by the sudden flash and scream. When he turned back, he saw Mikkel lying motionless on the floor and Qiu looking pale, her face noticeably swollen compared to before.
"Good heavens, what happened?!" Professor Flitwick exclaimed, completely bewildered by the turn of events.
But as he took in Mikkel's condition, and the familiar yet foreign flash of light reminded him of some unpleasant memories from a few years ago.
Not this again?
A sense of dread filled Professor Flitwick, and he hastily called out, "Quick, take them to the hospital wing!"
Kyle was the first to react, rushing out of the classroom without hesitation.
...
...
(End of Chapter)
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