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Chapter 730: Dumbledore: It Must Have Been Scabbers
Chapter 730: Dumbledore: It Must Have Been Scabbers
On Saturday, the first Quidditch match of the new school year was about to take place.
That morning, the Hufflepuff table was awash with yellow, while the Gryffindor side was a sea of scarlet and gold.
The tension that had been building between the two houses all week was finally coming to a head.
"I thought you weren't going to play in this match." Mike handed Kyle a cup of pumpkin juice. "But when I saw your name on the roster, I knew we had this one in the bag."
"That might be jumping the gun a bit," Kyle replied, taking a sip. "It's best to stay humble; losing would be embarrassing."
"I don't think so," Mike said nonchalantly.
"How are you feeling? Everything alright?" Autumn approached to wish Kyle luck.
"I feel good," Kyle smiled. "Harry and I joined the teams in the same year, so we're old rivals by now. I don't think I'll lose to him this time."
Conner, sitting beside him, shot him a look. Earlier, Kyle had been telling Mike to stay humble, but now he was being anything but.
Of course, she and the rest of Hufflepuff felt the same way.
"That's good to hear," Autumn said. "But be careful of Harry's Firebolt. I think your new Seeker might not be as good as Cedric."
"Don't worry, Grace has a plan," Kyle assured her. "And our new Seeker isn't that far behind. I know Cedric's looks are a bonus, but you can't let personal feelings get in the way."
There were knowing chuckles all around.
"Well, we'll see about that," Autumn said, her cheeks reddening as she glared at Kyle before turning away.
"I was worried she'd punch you then and there," Conner laughed.
"It's fine," Kyle shrugged, taking a bite of his toast. "I can always punch Cedric later if I want."
...
"Time to go," Grace announced ten minutes later, standing up.
The group left the Great Hall and made their way towards the pitch.
The weather outside was pleasant, still a bit chilly but much better than it had been a week ago.
They changed into their Quidditch robes in the locker room.
"The conditions are in our favor," Grace noted. "Our most experienced Chaser, Katie Bell, is still at St. Mungo's, and Gryffindor had to bring in a new Chaser."
"Who is it?" Mike asked.
"Dean Thomas."
"Who?"
"Potter's classmate."
"Oh, a sixth-year," Mike relaxed.
Usually, the younger the player, the more talented they were. Take Harry, for example, who had joined the team in his first year.
On the other hand, sixth-year newcomers were typically those who hadn't made the cut in previous years and were chosen now due to their physical advantages.
There could be exceptions, but most followed this pattern.
As for this Dean Thomas, Mike had barely even heard of him.
"Alright, this is our first match, so don't get complacent," Grace warned. "We have about five minutes until the game starts. You should get your brooms ready."
They stepped out onto the pitch, and the stands erupted with deafening cheers. The Hufflepuffs, clad in matching colors, formed a golden sea.
And it seemed that Hufflepuff had a clear advantage in terms of supporters, filling about two-thirds of the stands.
This was largely thanks to Slytherin, who had a clear agenda—they unconditionally supported whoever was against Gryffindor.
Grace and Harry approached Madam Hooch and shook hands.
There was none of the usual animosity between the two captains; they appeared polite and respectful.
"Mount your brooms... three... two... one!"
With the sound of the whistle, everyone took to the air.
"And they're off!"
A completely unfamiliar voice came from the commentator's box—it was Zacharias Smith, a new Hufflepuff commentator who had taken over after Lee Jordan's graduation.
"Quite a surprise to see Ron Weasley here. I thought he wouldn't make the team after last term's dismal performance... Oh, but of course, his close relationship with the captain certainly helped his case."
There were snickers from the Slytherin side, and within the first minute, they had already approved of the new commentator.
Harry looked annoyed, but he had no time to dwell on it now.
"Grace has the Quaffle... What a charming young lady... Kyle is flying alongside her, with no one near him. This is a great opportunity, she just needs to pass it to...
"Oh my, she didn't pass it to Kyle, she passed it to Tos! Wait!"
Zacharias Smith suddenly exclaimed, "What an unexpected strategy! Kyle isn't a Chaser, he's the Seeker!"
In fact, many had already noticed this. Since the start of the game, Kyle hadn't paid any attention to the Quaffle and had flown straight to the highest point... something only a Seeker would do.
Conner smiled and replied, "I thought you would have guessed by now."
Only then did Autumn recall Kyle's words in the Great Hall earlier.
What a way to give a heads-up! After all, during Hufflepuff's practice sessions, their Seeker had been someone else, and no matter what, she wouldn't have been able to guess that they would make a direct substitution during the match!
"That's the benefit of having substitutes," Conner explained. "They can be swapped into different positions freely."
"Did you know about this beforehand?" Autumn asked.
"No, I only found out yesterday," Conner said. "This was their strategy session last night."
"I have to say, this tactic is brilliant." Autumn couldn't help but comment, "Hufflepuff has truly given everyone a big surprise!"
Indeed, as she spoke, the stands erupted into a frenzy upon realizing that Kyle had substituted as the Seeker.
Everyone knew that the only thing that could counter a Firebolt was another Firebolt, and now Hufflepuff's only weakness had been addressed.
As for Kyle's skills as a Seeker... it seemed that no one was concerned about that at all.
"Bang!"
Just as the cheers in the stadium reached their peak, in a distant tower, Snape pushed open the oak door to Dumbledore's office, storming in angrily.
He slammed a cup onto the table; half-filled with tea, it still had five or six round, grayish-brown balls within.
Dumbledore, who had been watching the game through the window, was startled and turned to see Snape, his face flushed with anger.
It was rare to see Snape so flustered.
"Severus, what's the matter?" Dumbledore asked curiously.
"Look at this!" Snape pointed at his cup. "And tell me what you see."
Dumbledore approached the table and took a sniff, immediately recoiling at the pungent smell. "Oh, Severus, are you offering me a new potion tea? Thank you for your kindness, but I'm afraid my old palate might not appreciate this flavor... Perhaps you should enjoy it yourself."
"Please, take a closer look and tell me what you think this is," Snape said coldly.
"Hmm?" Dumbledore reluctantly leaned in for a closer inspection. "This looks familiar... Aren't these the fertilizer pellets Pomona uses? I have a pot of crab-claw orchids on my windowsill that I tend to with these, and they've been thriving.
"But I didn't know these could be used for tea."
"Of course, they can't," Snape narrowed his eyes. "It's obvious that some student sneaked these into my cup. And I'm certain..."
Snape turned toward the window, his gaze fixing on the lively Quidditch match outside. "The culprit is out there, among the players."
"Perhaps you're overthinking this, Severus," Dumbledore suggested. With a slight movement of his finger, a brown fluff floated out of the cup.
The fluff was fine, similar in thickness to a strand of hair, and one might not notice it without looking closely.
"What is this? Whose hair is this?" Snape wondered, trying to recall anyone at Hogwarts with brown hair.
"No, Severus, that's not hair," Dumbledore corrected. "It belongs to a rather peculiar creature. I can tell you with certainty that this is a niffler's fluff."
"A niffler?" Snape furrowed his brow.
"Yes, a niffler's fluff, no doubt about it," Dumbledore affirmed. "In pursuit of anything shiny, they can squeeze through almost any gap, even narrower than the width of this fluff."
"It seems we have a little intruder from the Forbidden Forest," he added, glancing at Snape. "And I suspect that you must've inadvertently displayed something shiny, catching its attention, and it followed you all the way to your office."
"I don't carry such foolish things on me," Snape said expressionlessly.
"Not necessarily," Dumbledore shook his head. "Coins, glass bottles, or even a silver knife for potion-making could attract them."
Snape took a few steps forward.
"So, what you're implying is that a niffler from the Forbidden Forest entered my office, took nothing, and simply dumped fertilizer into my tea? Quite a tale. Do you believe that yourself?"
"It's not impossible," Dumbledore said calmly, without changing his expression. "I happen to know someone who is an expert on nifflers, and they wouldn't lie about this."
"Hmph..." Snape was almost amused by his anger now, and he stared at Dumbledore without saying a word.
Under his gaze, Dumbledore didn't even blink, his expression unchanged. "And Severus, this is a good thing."
"How is this a good thing?" Snape asked, dragging out the words.
"Of course," Dumbledore explained. "Nifflers won't revisit a place where they've found nothing. From now on, you can go about your business without worry."
Snape's expression softened slightly.
"Would you care to join me, Severus? This spot really is quite excellent for viewing."
Snape remained silent, turning and leaving without a word.
"You forgot your things," Dumbledore reminded him, but Snape ignored him, opening the door and leaving.
"How absent-minded..." Dumbledore waved his wand, making the cup on the table disappear instantly. Then, a silver vessel on the table, resembling a spray bottle, emitted a large cloud of mist, dissipating any lingering odors in the room.
Meanwhile, on the Quidditch pitch...
Just as Grace had thought, the Gryffindor team was no match for Hufflepuff, and the outcome of the match was decided within twenty minutes.
However, the problem wasn't with Ron Weasley or substitute Chaser Dean Thomas, as she had mentioned before. In fact, both of them performed reasonably well and didn't do too badly.
The main issue was with the two new Beaters.
Gryffindor's Perkins, perhaps due to nerves or some other reason, had tried to block one of Kyle's Bludgers but ended up hitting it directly towards Harry instead.
Harry, who was chasing the Golden Snitch, was completely unprepared for his teammate's action, and the Bludger struck him forcefully, almost causing him to fall off his broom.
Taking advantage of Harry's moment of instability, Kyle swiftly accelerated and grabbed the Snitch in front of him.
As Madam Hooch's whistle signaled the end of the game, Perkins hurried over to Harry's side.
"I'm sorry!" he apologized repeatedly, "It wasn't intentional. It was Mick Dowd. He suddenly shouted at me from behind, causing me to hit it the wrong way."
Harry rubbed his arm, feeling the urge to scold him loudly. If it had been before, he surely would have. But now, as the captain, he could only sigh helplessly and say nothing.
Ginny, standing nearby, muttered something, but her voice was drowned out by the deafening cheers from the crowd.
...
"I knew we would win!" In the Hufflepuff changing room, Mike exclaimed excitedly, "Those two new Beaters are far inferior to Fred and George.
"It was so easy... To me, their intentions were as transparent as the frozen Black Lake in winter, easy to see through."
"I feel the same way," said the other Chaser with a smile, "Today's Bludgers were exceptionally easy to dodge."
Kyle shared the same sentiment.
Although he hadn't played as a Seeker before, he had often received "special attention" from Fred and George. As twins, they had excellent coordination, and the Bludgers would come at him from all sorts of tricky angles, making it hard to guard against.
This had forced Kyle to always stay alert during matches, keeping a close eye on the Bludgers' movements.
However, this year's Beaters were newcomers and not twins, so their coordination was limited. The Bludgers came straight at him, and as long as he saw them, he could easily dodge, reducing the difficulty by more than just a notch.
It just didn't feel very engaging.
It was his first time playing as a Seeker, and instead of the imagined chase and battle of wits, he had caught the Golden Snitch so easily...
It was boring.
"Ryan said that to celebrate our victory in the first match, they're holding a banquet in the common room," Mike said excitedly, "Let's go there quickly. I need a Butterbeer to celebrate."
"Butterbeer?" The Keeper, Wayne, asked in surprise, "Aren't we not allowed to go to Hogsmeade? Where did they get Butterbeer?"
"The house-elves helped to buy it," Mike smiled, "It's usually not allowed, but since we're neighbors and in our seventh year... we should have some privileges."
"Then let's go." After changing their clothes, they left happily towards the castle.
Kyle stayed behind, and soon, Connor approached him, looking happy but not overly excited, as if she had expected Hufflepuff to win the match.
"Autumn doesn't seem very happy," Connor said, "She also told me to tell you to be careful in the next match."
"Ha, she talks as if I'm afraid of her," Kyle waved his hand dismissively.
Someone without a Firebolt isn't worthy of being his opponent...
The two of them walked through the crowded crowd, across the grounds, and back towards the castle, with many people shouting congratulations to Kyle, to which he responded one by one.
...
"Look, who's that?" As they entered the castle's entrance hall, Connor suddenly tugged on Kyle's robe and pointed towards someone walking upstairs in the distance.
"Malfoy? That's rare," Kyle muttered, "He not only didn't go to the match, but he's also alone outside the Great Hall. That's unusual."
Connor blinked at Kyle.
"Don't look at me like that," Kyle spread his hands, "I've already promised you I won't go looking for him, and I keep my word."
...
(End of Chapter)
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