Chapter 424: I'm Training
Chapter 424: I'm Training
After everyone had finished their mountains of homework, the Easter holidays quietly came to an end.
This also signaled the arrival of the final Quidditch match of the year, Hufflepuff against Slytherin, and the outcome of this game would determine the championship.
In everyone's memory, no match had ever arrived amidst such a tense atmosphere.
Everyone could feel that the relationship between the two houses had reached a critical juncture, but fortunately, both sides were exercising restraint, and no conflicts or brawls had broken out yet.
Hufflepuff was known for their unity, always traveling in large groups and never alone.
Especially Cedric, who was practically treated like protected species. Wherever he went, to classes or the Great Hall, he was always accompanied by at least five students from the sixth year or above.
Flint had attempted to ambush him several times, but always returned empty-handed.
The rest of the team received similar treatment. While they didn't have as grand an entourage as Cedric, they made up for it in numbers. Even if they weren't particularly high in grade, a group of over ten people was still quite intimidating.
The only exception was Kyle, who had only one person by his side—Connor.
But strangely, not a single Slytherin dared to cause trouble for Kyle. Even when they occasionally crossed paths in the corridors, they didn't attempt any sneak attacks or tripping maneuvers.
Those from pure-blood families had mostly learned about the connection between Professor Snape and the surname 'Prince' from their families, so they naturally wouldn't want to stir up trouble.
Additionally, Kyle wasn't as easy to deal with as the others.
His three Special Contribution Awards and one Order of Merlin, Second Class were proudly displayed in the trophy room. If it really came to a fight, it wasn't certain who would be beating up whom.
And so, amidst this tense atmosphere, Kyle's days were unusually peaceful, no different from usual.
The day before the match.
Kyle and Connor headed to their Herbology class together.
As they exited the castle doors, they saw Malfoy darting out from behind the door, holding a large club.
Two legs were stretched out in front of him, seemingly intending to trip him up—they belonged to Crabbe and Goyle, Malfoy's lackeys.
"Malfoy, what do you think you're doing?!" Connor asked angrily.
Upon seeing who it was, Malfoy froze, the hand holding the club hovering in mid-air, looking confused.
Why was it Kyle and Connor? Montague had said the person coming would be the Beater...
"Damn that idiot for tricking me!" Malfoy realized he'd been set up, and his anger surged.
Even now, Malfoy remembered the incident on the Hogwarts Express three years ago, and he certainly didn't want to mess with Kyle.
There was also Prince... If she went to complain to Professor Snape, regardless of the reason or who was right or wrong, he would be finished.
"I... I... I'm training..." Malfoy quickly thought of an excuse and waved the club in the air a couple of times, "Aside from being a Seeker, I found that I'm also quite suited to the role of a Beater, look..."
As he spoke, he waved the club a few more times. It actually looked quite believable.
At this moment, Crabbe and Goyle quietly retracted their legs and turned their faces away, pretending they didn't know what was going on.
"Well, good luck with your training then..." Kyle didn't say much else. When the path ahead cleared, he and Connor left the castle and made their way toward the greenhouses.
Malfoy and his cronies also rushed off from the entrance hall... intending to find Montague and settle the score.
After about five minutes, Professor Sprout finally arrived and opened the greenhouse door for the students to enter.
But she stopped Kyle.
"So, are you confident about tomorrow's match?" Professor Sprout asked anxiously.
"Of course, Professor," Kyle replied with a smile. "This year's Quidditch Cup will belong to Hufflepuff, for sure."
"I believe in you all," Professor Sprout said. "You must win, okay?"
Kyle was a little surprised. If it had been Professor McGonagall saying this, he wouldn't have found it strange at all. As a longtime Quidditch fan, she valued the Quidditch Cup even more than the House Cup.
That was what Fred and George had said, anyway. They claimed that the only time Professor McGonagall ever looked disappointed was when Gryffindor lost a match; otherwise, she didn't even bat an eyelid, not even when Gryffindor lost a hundred points.
But Professor Sprout... to be honest, Kyle had always thought she only cared about her greenhouses.
And he wasn't wrong.
Professor Sprout had indeed not shown much interest in Quidditch before, but after Hufflepuff's back-to-back wins for two years, she gradually started attending the matches.
And by last year, when Hufflepuff achieved a three-year winning streak, she was attending more regularly.
It was mainly because she felt different about it now.
She had been at Hogwarts for over a decade, and in all those years, Hogwarts' two major events—the Quidditch Cup and the House Cup—had mostly eluded Hufflepuff. They would only win occasionally.
But now, things were different. After Hufflepuff's three-year winning streak, Professor McGonagall couldn't hide the envy in her eyes when she spoke to Professor Sprout.
This feeling was too novel. Before, she didn't think it mattered, but now she realized it truly made a difference, as if she had more confidence when speaking.
And most importantly, she had always felt that the variety of plants in the greenhouse was too limited and that they should add more. But before, it was just an idea, and she never found the right opportunity to bring it up.
After all, the rarer and more exotic the plant, the more expensive it tended to be. Sometimes, a single seed could cost hundreds of galleons, and since the school's greenhouse was for educational purposes, it was natural that they wouldn't just buy one.
The expense was too great, and she always felt a bit guilty whenever she thought of bringing it up with Professor McGonagall.
However, now she had decided that after Hufflepuff won the Quidditch Cup for the fourth year in a row, she would definitely talk to Professor McGonagall about this.
Just like Snape... When Slytherin won the House Cup five times in a row, he requested a large number of rare potion ingredients, and Dumbledore agreed.
If Snape could do it, there was no reason she couldn't, especially since Hufflepuff had also achieved a three-year winning streak in the House Cup.
Today's lesson was on the venomous snapdragon, a dangerous plant with sharp fangs. Though not as lethal as the venomous tentacula, its bite was still unpleasant, causing swelling and numbness that would persist for a week before healing.
"Everyone, put on your gloves," Professor Sprout reminded them. "And be careful of your surroundings. These little creatures are teething, and they like to bite, so watch out for their tendrils sneaking up behind you."
As she spoke, she reached up and brushed away a thin tendril that had crept up near her shoulder.
(End of Chapter)
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