Chapter 446: A Difficult Battle
Chapter 446: A Difficult Battle
"I lost?"
Higgs stared at the situation on the table and then at his hand of cards. After confirming that there was no chance of a comeback, he took a deep breath and conceded decisively.
At this moment, Higgs slumped back into his chair, plagued by self-doubt. He had just lost two consecutive games of Wizarding Cards, and the way he lost left him bewildered.
Come to think of it, what was the name of that pretty red-haired girl? As a member of the Wizarding Cards Club, Higgs had no recollection of her in his memory. Perhaps the person who defeated him wasn't even a member of the club.
Just as Higgs stood up from his chair, he spotted Katryna from his year chatting with the red-haired girl who resembled her.
Higgs now remembered who she was—Isobel McDougall, the Ravenclaw genius.
It was surprising that someone like her would participate in a Wizarding Cards competition.
Truly astonishing.
Higgs acknowledged Isobel as a genius, but being defeated by a genius who hadn't played much Wizarding Cards still left him a little unwilling to accept his loss.
As he returned to the Slytherin table, a familiar voice called out from not far away.
"Higgs, is that so-called Wizarding Cards game really that fun?"
The boy who spoke was Montague, and he flashed a peculiar smile in Higgs' direction.
Higgs knew that Montague looked down on Wizarding Cards largely because its inventor, Albert Anderson, was a Muggle-born wizard. Disdain for Muggle-born wizards was a common attitude among most Slytherin students, even if they were aware they were dealing with Hogwarts' most brilliant wizard. Such arrogance remained unwavering.
"Actually, Wizarding Cards are quite interesting, and if you win the championship, you get ten Galleons," Higgs replied casually. He was also aware that more than half of Marcus Flint's Quidditch team had a poor relationship with Albert, but Higgs himself wasn't too fond of this situation as his lack of "fitting in" made his position on the team rather awkward.
Perhaps next semester, Captain Marcus Flint would kick him off the team and find a new Seeker to replace him.
Marcus Flint glanced at the Wizarding Cards competition across the hall, and his gaze landed on Kenneth Towle. Ever since he had successfully pulled down Towle's pants the last time, he could sense the boy's unconcealed hostility towards him.
However, this was only to be expected.
Just before Flint turned to leave, a mischievous smile tugged at his lips, and he made several provocative gestures towards Kenneth Towle before strutting out of the Great Hall.
Flint knew that Towle wouldn't give up on seeking revenge, and he intended to give the boy an opportunity.
Ten minutes later, in a third-floor boys' restroom in Hogwarts Castle, Kenneth Towle was disarmed and pinned to the cold floor, while Marcus Flint stood beside him with a malevolent grin.
"You're quite the fool. Did you really think I'd make the same mistake again?" Flint asked.
After being ambushed the last time, how could Flint possibly be unprepared for another Sneakattack Charm? As expected, Towle couldn't resist and prepared to use the Sneakattack Charm on him. As expected of Gryffindors, always acting without thinking.
Bloody hell! Kenneth Towle, pinned to the floor, was fuming. He wasn't afraid of Flint, but he hadn't anticipated that the other boy would have backup. It was he who had been ambushed this time.
If only he had brought more people to help; then, he wouldn't have ended up in this predicament.
"Alright, my time is limited, so I hope you don't mind having your head in the toilet," Flint said, his voice laced with amusement, as he grabbed Towle by the head and dragged him towards the nearby toilet.
"You seem quite resentful," Flint remarked.
"I was just deceived. How could I have believed the nonsense spouted by Albert and the Weasley twins?" Towle said through gritted teeth.
His head was forced into the toilet by Flint, who then flushed it. A sense of suffocation washed over Towle, and his head was pulled out, but he had already been knocked unconscious by a Stunning Spell.
"What do you plan to do now?" Montague asked.
"What else can I do?" Flint shrugged helplessly at his friends before shoving Towle's head back into the toilet. "We haven't even gone to settle the score with them, and yet they've taken the initiative to come to us."
In truth, they all knew what Kenneth Towle was thinking. By mentioning Albert and the Weasley twins, he was trying to instigate them to create trouble for those boys.
Regardless of who won or lost in the end, Towle could vent some of his pent-up anger.
Marcus Flint had no intention of backing down, and he had indirectly learned quite some time ago that all of this was very likely related to Albert Anderson's little group.
He intended to settle the score from the last time, along with this incident, in one go.
"Albert Anderson isn't someone to be trifled with."
While they looked down on Muggle-born wizards, even they had to acknowledge Albert's genius. Moreover, Slytherin had never held the upper hand when dealing with him.
"I know," Flint said, his expression turning ugly. "I admit he's a genius, but he's just a third-year student. No matter how talented he is, there's a limit."
No one dared to deny Albert's magical prowess, but Flint had never worried about this issue. Even if he couldn't defeat Albert in a one-on-one duel, what about a group against one? As long as they took care of Albert's friends and stripped him of his support, they could all rush him at once. Even if Albert was an exceptionally talented wizard, he wouldn't stand a chance against their numbers.
As for being despicable?
That group was more despicable than they were, and he hadn't forgotten that those bastards had gathered a group to threaten them first.
Now, he was merely using the same tactics against them.
"That guy is touted as the next Dumbledore, and while there might be some exaggeration there, his strength is undoubtedly exceptional. I suggest we gather more people and come up with a detailed plan when we get back," Montague proposed. As someone in the same year as Albert, he was well aware of the other boy's reputation. Although he was reluctant to admit it, he had to acknowledge Albert's prowess; otherwise, how could he have made so many Slytherins lose face when they were just first-years? And now, Albert had been at the school for almost three years, so he was undoubtedly even more formidable.
All the Slytherin students in the restroom fell silent, and not one of them refuted Montague's words. It seemed that even they felt apprehensive about facing Albert.
(End of Chapter)
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