Chapter 765: The Six-Time Champions
Chapter 765: The Six-Time Champions
"Have you heard? Malfoy has been picked up!"
In the Gryffindor Common Room, Harry burst through the door, his face lit up with excitement as if he had discovered a treasure. He found Hermione and Ron, who were working on their assignments.
"What did you say?" they both asked, looking up simultaneously.
"Malfoy has been taken away from school, and he's dropped out," Harry repeated. "I just saw the Slytherin team; they're selecting a new Seeker."
"That's impossible," Hermione said, looking back down at her copy of the 'Advanced Transfiguration Guide' and shaking her head. "There's no reason for Malfoy to drop out."
"What else could it be? It must be because of what he's been up to," Ron said, looking as excited as Harry. "I've been suspicious. How could Death Eaters sneak into the school unnoticed? There must be someone helping them, and that person is most likely Malfoy!"
Harry mentally applauded Ron's deduction.
He had promised Dumbledore not to tell anyone about what happened in the Tower, but he never expected Ron to guess it.
"I think so too," Harry said firmly. "Now that the school is taking action, he had to run. I should have told the professors earlier and asked them to keep an eye on Malfoy."
"It doesn't matter. At least we won't have to see him again," Ron said happily. "I can't imagine how amazing Hogwarts will be without Malfoy."
"Is that so?"
Hermione still had her doubts, but seeing Harry and Ron's excitement, as if they were celebrating Christmas early, she didn't say anything more.
Whether Malfoy was responsible for letting Death Eaters into the school or not wasn't something they should be concerned about.
Within Hogwarts, Malfoy's departure didn't attract much attention, as he wasn't the only one who had left.
Ever since the news of the Death Eaters' intrusion spread, many parents came to take their children home.
Even Hufflepuff had someone leave—the Quidditch commentator Zacharias Smith, who left the castle with his arrogant father during breakfast.
The professors didn't stop them.
They had too much on their plate—strengthening the castle's defenses, patrolling around Hogsmeade, preparing for the upcoming exams, and more. They hadn't had a moment's rest since they opened their eyes.
So, for those parents who didn't trust the school, the professors could only respect their decision.
Of course, there were also students with strong opinions who convinced their parents to let them stay.
"Only fools would leave school at a time like this," McMillan shouted as Zacharias Smith and his father walked past the Entrance Hall while he was eating. "Those self-righteous idiots, they can't possibly think there's a safer place than Hogwarts!"
Zacharias Smith was the only Hufflepuff student to leave.
Half an hour ago, McMillan had been chatting with Gryffindor's Simon, confidently stating that no Hufflepuff would leave.
Now, this situation was undoubtedly a slap in the face, and McMillan wasn't pleased.
However, the father and son outside walked past as if they hadn't heard a thing.
Unlike McMillan's anger, Harry and Ron were almost jumping for joy.
First, Malfoy, and now their most disliked Quidditch commentator, Zacharias Smith, had also left the school. It was like a double celebration.
Harry even silently thanked the Death Eaters; after this attack, all the unpleasant elements in the school seemed to have disappeared.
The only regret was that they were also approaching the end of the term.
"I hope it stays like this next semester," Harry secretly wished.
...
As if in tune with his mood, the June weather was glorious, with a gentle breeze carrying a faint fragrance.
Harry and Ron often leaned by the window, enjoying the breeze while flipping through their books, preparing for the upcoming exams.
It wasn't until Hermione informed them that the fragrance came from fermented Mooncalves' manure that they closed the windows with grim faces.
"Hermione, you should have told us earlier!" Ron grumbled.
"If you paid attention in Potions class, you wouldn't need me to tell you!" Hermione replied without looking up.
Harry's good mood lasted until the first weekend of June.
It was the day of the Quidditch match between Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, also the Quidditch Final.
Half a month ago, they had played their last match against Ravenclaw. Without Harry as the Seeker, they still won thanks to Ginny's outstanding performance, leading with a total of 660 points.
Hufflepuff was in second place with 500 points.
In other words, if Hufflepuff didn't score 160 points in this match, they would win their first Quidditch Cup in ten years.
Early in the morning, almost all of Gryffindor had gathered at the Quidditch pitch, eagerly awaiting the start of the match.
Professor McGonagall's presence was a surprise to those in the stands, as she hadn't attended a Gryffindor match in over half a month. But today, she had made an appearance.
Of course, it was also possible that Professor McGonagall had been too busy in the past half-month to spare any time for matches.
Harry and his friends took their seats in the stands, waiting for the game to begin.
"Hermione, can't you put that book down?" Ron couldn't help but ask. "How can you focus on reading in a situation like this?"
"Why not?" Hermione calmly turned a page.
"This match determines whether we win the Quidditch Cup or not!" Ron exclaimed. "We haven't won it in over a decade."
"I think you should be more concerned about the final exams next week than the Quidditch Cup," Hermione replied.
"I know, but they're two different things. We..."
Ron was about to say something more, but a deafening cheer interrupted him.
He turned his head instinctively and saw that the entire Hufflepuff crowd was on their feet, filled with excitement.
Then he understood the reason.
Kyle appeared among the starting players, and judging by his position, he seemed to have returned to his old role as a Chaser.
"Oh no!" Ron exclaimed, covering his forehead. "Kyle was supposed to be on leave. Why is he playing in the match?"
"Don't you know?" Hermione glanced at him. "After the Death Eater attack, Kyle started attending classes again."
At that moment, Madam Hooch blew her whistle, signaling the start of the match.
"It's okay," Harry said beside him, though it was unclear if he was comforting Ron or himself.
"Quidditch is a team game, and even Kyle can't guarantee a win against Ravenclaw..." Harry's voice trailed off.
"Goal!"
The new commentator's scream drowned out Harry's voice.
"Kyle scored the first goal right after the match started, and the Ravenclaw Keeper didn't even have time to react.
"10-0, Hufflepuff leads!"
The stands erupted in deafening cheers once more, with several Hufflepuff fans even dancing in the stands.
It had been over a year since they last witnessed such a dominating offensive performance.
"It's okay..." Harry's voice was hoarse. "It's just one goal; we still have a 150-point lead."
Five minutes later...
"It's fine, just three goals."
...
"We still have a 100-point lead."
...
"It's okay; Gryffindor still has a 50-point advantage."
Twenty minutes later...
"It's fine; it's just a tie now. Maybe we'll catch the Snitch soon."
Harry's voice grew softer, and his expression became more dazed.
When Kyle made another long-range throw, sending the Bludger into the goalpost, Harry's heart sank.
The entire Gryffindor stand fell silent.
"It's okay..." Harry said with difficulty. "We'll have another chance next year, I mean, Kyle will graduate by then, right?"
Ron didn't respond; he sat there with his head down as if all his energy had been drained.
Hermione shook her head and continued reading her book.
From the moment she saw Kyle in the player lineup, she knew this would be the outcome.
The facts proved her right; only Ron and Harry were unwilling to accept it.
Hermione smiled and walked into the castle.
Meanwhile, the victorious Hufflepuffs had already begun their celebrations. In the common room, Michael was holding a cake-shaped trophy, jumping and shouting on the table, celebrating their sixth consecutive Quidditch Cup victory.
Of course, they might also count the consecutive House Cup wins, as the Quidditch team contributed significantly to the points, and with Kyle's recent addition of a perfect score, they were already leading Ravenclaw by over two hundred points.
At this moment, not even Voldemort could dampen their good mood.
The revelry continued into the late hours, and it wasn't until much later that Kyle managed to extricate himself from the crowd and find refuge in a corner, sitting in an armchair.
Cona handed him a bottle of Butterbeer.
"Thanks," Kyle said, taking a sip. "They're crazy; they've been celebrating for three hours."
"It's understandable," Cona said with a smile. "After all, Hufflepuff rarely gets the spotlight, and everyone has been under a lot of pressure lately. It's nice to have something to celebrate."
Kyle nodded and took another sip of Butterbeer.
"What are your plans after the exams?"
"I mean, what are your plans after graduation? What kind of work are you considering?"
"I don't know," Kyle shrugged. "For now, I plan to visit Diagon Alley, remember? Sirius gave me a shop, and it's not good to leave it empty."
"You want to open a shop?"
"It's just a temporary idea," Kyle said. "But it's too early to say anything definite. After all, there are still Death Eaters and Voldemort out there, and we need to deal with this trouble first, no matter what we do."
"So, you're considering joining the Order of the Phoenix, right?"
Kyle didn't answer immediately.
"I'm not sure," he said after some thought. "There's something I can't quite understand. Professor Dumbledore hasn't formally invited me yet, and I'm not sure what he's thinking."
"But didn't you take me to their headquarters before?"
"That's different," Kyle shook his head. "Fred and George told me that before their graduation, they signed a magical contract, which is proof of officially joining the Order of the Phoenix.
"According to them, the contract creates a connection between them and other Order members, allowing them to vaguely sense each other's locations, presumably to facilitate support."
"Is that so?" Cona asked, surprised, as she had always assumed Kyle was already a member of the Order.
"I'm not sure," Kyle said. "It could be one of Fred and George's pranks, but Professor Dumbledore hasn't mentioned it to me."
"By the way, why did you suddenly ask about this?"
"Nothing, it's nothing," Cona said. "I was just curious."
"What about you? What are your plans after graduation?"
"Professor Snape bought a potion shop in Paris," Cona whispered. "He wants me to go there and set up the shop."
"That's great," Kyle said thoughtfully. "Potion shops are quite profitable, and I know many people in Paris. I can solve problems if they arise."
Kyle was referring to Madame Maxime, the head of Beauxbatons, who still held considerable influence in France.
If they encountered any issues, seeking her help would be a sure solution.
"Is that what you're thinking?" Cona asked, looking at Kyle.
Kyle looked into her eyes and nodded.
On this matter, Kyle and Snape's thoughts rarely aligned.
Although Cona's performance was excellent, one could even say very good, her performance in Hufflepuff was second only to Kyle and Cedric. Last year, she had obtained eight O.W.L. certificates.
It wasn't that she couldn't have obtained more, but she had only taken eight subjects, and her performance in all was outstanding.
However, the enemy was Voldemort, and no matter how excellent Cona's performance was, she was only seventeen. When the final battle arrived, no one knew what would happen. Staying away from the battlefield was the safest option.
France was a good choice, not too far or too close, and with many acquaintances. Even if the Death Eaters' influence reached there one day, there would still be people to help.
"Okay, then."
There was no anger or dissatisfaction.
This surprised Kyle, as normally, shouldn't Cona be angry for being underestimated?
Why was she so calm, almost unnaturally so?
"Are you not angry?" Kyle asked tentatively.
"Why should I be angry?" Cona asked with a smile. "Or should I turn and leave, or insist on staying here... If that's what you want, I can fulfill your wish."
As she spoke, Cona cleared her throat and raised her hand to slap the table.
"No, this is fine, really," Kyle said, stopping her.
Regardless, it was good that Cona wasn't angry. If she started arguing, that would be a real problem.
(End of Chapter)
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