Chapter 389: Harry's Blushing and Flustered
Chapter 389: Harry's Blushing and Flustered
Facing Kyle's suggestion and the eager gazes of the students, Professor Lupin hesitated before eventually agreeing.
"I'll give it a try, provided that the headmaster gives his consent."
Kyle was right; learning an additional spell could only be beneficial, and he had no reason to refuse.
Moreover, Harry had approached him about this very topic before class today.
Teaching one person or a group made no difference.
Furthermore, the Patronus Charm had a unique property—the light it emitted could spread joy to those nearby, making it easier to learn when practiced with a group.
"However..."
Before the students could cheer, Professor Lupin quickly raised his voice, adding, "This is contingent on the headmaster's approval, and we would likely have to wait until next semester as I have many commitments before the holidays."
The students were unfazed by this ... As long as they had the opportunity to learn, they were content to wait, especially since it was only a little over a month until Christmas break.
After class, the students eagerly left the classroom, rushing to share the news with others.
"This is fantastic!"
Cedric exclaimed excitedly during lunch, "I've tried to learn this spell before, but I just couldn't get the hang of it. No matter what I tried, I could only produce a puff of smoke.
I was considering asking Professor Lupin for help, but it seems that won't be necessary now. It's just a bit of a wait, another month or so."
Many shared Cedric's sentiments, and in the following days, the anticipation for Christmas break grew, not just for the two-week vacation but also for the upcoming "Patronus Charm Club."
Late November
The second Quidditch match of the season commenced, pitting Hufflepuff against Ravenclaw.
Due to the damage to Harry's broom, their rematch against Slytherin was rescheduled for the next semester, and the original match schedule resumed.
Hufflepuff vs. Ravenclaw
With half of their original team replaced, Hufflepuff's odds of winning the championship had diminished significantly, now ranking last among the four houses.
This was evident from the number of supporters in the stands.
Kyle glanced around on his broom ...
During the previous match, the stands had been dominated by Hufflepuff's yellow banners, but now only a small section remained, resembling a solitary island in a blue ocean.
Ravenclaw, on the other hand, had seen a reversal in fortune. They had discovered two talented Chasers the previous year, filling the last gap in their team. After a year of training and matches, they were starting to make a name for themselves.
In the Gryffindor section, Fred and George enthusiastically waved a large blue flag. Noticing Kyle's gaze, they quickly produced a yellow one and began waving it as well.
However ... the craftsmanship of this second flag was noticeably inferior, appearing as if it had been hastily torn from an old bedsheet just before departing.
The blatant favoritism was a bit much, Kyle thought, tugging at the corner of his mouth.
But now wasn't the time to dwell on such matters. He caught the Quaffle tossed to him by a teammate and began flying toward the opposing goal.
...
The Dementors didn't make an appearance this time, but the match didn't last long anyway.
Twenty minutes in, Cedric, showcasing his exceptional ability to accelerate around corners, caught the Golden Snitch just ahead of his opponent, securing the win for Hufflepuff.
Cheers erupted from the Hufflepuff section of the stands.
"Did you see that, Harry? Real speed comes from those tight turns!"
"Her name is Zhang Qiu, right?" Harry murmured, his heart pounding. "She's so captivating..."
Especially that crisp and agile Starfish Inversion move she pulled off while dodging the Bludger had Harry's heart racing and his face flushing.
His heart was pounding, and he felt a strong urge to talk to Qiu and exchange some tips with her as fellow Seekers.
"When do we play against Ravenclaw?" Harry asked.
"Not for a while," Wood replied. "Probably not until March. I have to say, this year's Ravenclaw team is a formidable opponent, especially their Chasers..."
Wood continued his analysis of the players, but Harry didn't hear a word of it... He didn't even notice Ron tugging at his sleeve.
"March... That's too long," Harry muttered.
He suddenly thought about how Qiu and Kyle were good friends as well... Perhaps he could find an excuse to get to know her before the match.
Shopping would be a good reason.
Kyle and his friends always had interesting trinkets, and while he usually bought them from Fred and George, there was no reason he couldn't try someone else...
On the pitch, Cedric, who had just been shaking Qiu's hand, suddenly felt his heart tighten, and he looked up at the sky instinctively.
Thankfully, there were no Dementors, so it must have been his imagination...
"What are you looking at?" Qiu asked.
"Nothing..." Cedric shook his head quickly.
Qiu let go of his hand and said, "This time, you won, but next time, I won't lose."
"I'll be waiting," Cedric smiled. "Your team this year is truly formidable."
This wasn't just flattery.
Although they had won the game, it was only by a hundred points more than Ravenclaw.
In other words, before catching the Golden Snitch, Ravenclaw had been leading them by fifty points.
This was the first time Hufflepuff had fallen so far behind in the base score.
However, it couldn't be helped. After Harris' graduation, the two new Chasers they recruited clearly struggled to keep up with Kyle's pace, and most of the time, they had to rely on Kyle to score solo.
As a result, he naturally became the target of the opposing team, and throughout the game, the two Bludgers seemed to hover around him constantly, and he had narrowly avoided being knocked off his broom several times.
This situation was identical to how Harris had been treated before.
After the game, they returned to the locker room, changed out of their Quidditch robes, and made their way back to the castle.
Walking at the back, Cedric looked at Qiu and said hesitantly, "By the way, it's probably almost time for our next trip to Hogsmeade. Do you want to go to Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop? We still haven't been there yet."
"Sure," Qiu replied. "We can invite Kyle and Connor, too."
"Kyle probably doesn't like tea. He only drinks lemonade," Cedric muttered.
"What were you two talking about?" Kyle asked, turning around as he walked at the front of the group.
"We're discussing our next trip to Hogsmeade," Qiu said. "Do you know when it is?"
"It's probably around Christmas time," Kyle replied, glancing at Cedric, who looked a bit uncomfortable.
His intuition told him that something was on Cedric's mind.
...
(End of Chapter)
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