From Hogwarts to Sturhaven

Ivy remained noncommittal, while Harry nodded in agreement.

“By the way, Harry,” Ivy called out to Harry before they returned to the castle, “I completely disassembled your Nimbus 2000, but managed to put it back together, and even added a few spells to protect against dark magic. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Of course,” Harry said cheerfully. “We’re friends, even if you’re Slytherin.”

Harry soon began to regret what he had said.

With November approaching, the Quidditch season began. Wood trained them like a madman, while Harry also had to squeeze in time to complete his heavy homework.

To make matters worse, Gryffindor's first opponent is Slytherin, and if they win, Gryffindor will rise to second place in the House Cup rankings.

In order to end Slytherin's seven-year reign, everyone worked hard in secret. Infected by this atmosphere, Harry felt an even greater burden on his shoulders.

"Look! That's Scarface Potter, Gryffindor's Seeker!" One day after Potions class, Malfoy was still chasing after Harry, standing on the side of the corridor and loudly mocking him. Snape, who was hurrying past them, didn't even glance at Malfoy, let alone stop to deduct points from his score.

Harry told himself to be patient. Snape wasn't far away yet, and taking action now would only cause Gryffindor to lose points.

"What do you think of his flying?" Malfoy asked, somewhat bored, when Harry didn't answer. He quickly gave his answer, "If you ask me, Gryffindor would better send a group of people running under him with the mattress on their backs to prevent Scarface Potter from falling off the broom and dying. I think Longbottom's size is just right; even if Potter hits him squarely, he won't be seriously injured."

“Ignore him, Harry.” Hermione gave Malfoy an overbearing look, and he took a slight step back.

The story of Hermione blasting a troll to pieces with a spell spread throughout all four houses, and it was getting more and more outlandish, especially in Ravenclaw, where students were very keen to discuss what spell Hermione had used, with many insisting it was dark magic.

While the students of the other two houses were skeptical, Slytherin had no reason to provoke a little witch who could actually kill a troll.

Therefore, Malfoy said, "What? Going to your mother bird for protection again? Potter? If you ask me, you're a cowardly wimp!"

"Looks like you want another punch to your nose, Malfoy?" Harry didn't rush up to Malfoy and roll around in a ball, but asked coldly.

Many people in the corridor looked over. Malfoy's face first turned ashen, then quickly returned to a smile: "Looks like you never learn, Scarface Potter? Then let's do it again, whatever we have to do, just you and me."

"Oh? Another prize display room?" Harry wasn't intimidated at all and continued to ask.

"Don't agree to him, Harry! He's trying to get you into a bad mood. Don't forget the Quidditch match tomorrow!" Hermione tried anxiously to stop him.

“It’s okay, Harry! I can take your place! It won’t stop you from catching the Golden Snitch tomorrow!” Ron said, rubbing his hands together eagerly.

"After dinner, right at the clock tower!" Malfoy chuckled. "There aren't many people there, it'll be a perfect venue."

After Malfoy left, Hermione looked furious. She growled at Ron, "You should have stopped him! Obviously, tomorrow's Quidditch match is more important!"

Ron nonchalantly replied, "Come on, consider this a warm-up before the game. But seriously, are you coming or not?"

"Of course!" Hermione's voice was filled with rage. "I want to make sure you don't get any points deducted!"

Chapter 50 Cassandra's Raid

After having dinner in the Great Hall, Hermione, along with her two useless men, rushed to the Clock Tower first, which, in her words, was to prevent being ambushed.

“Thank you for coming with me, Hermione.” Harry looked at his friend. He knew very well how much Hermione valued school rules and house points, yet she still risked losing points to come with him to face Malfoy.

"Come on, Harry," Hermione said, naturally not in a good mood. "I just chose Quidditch over you being put in detention. Even if I hadn't come along, I might not have been able to stop you. So, to prevent you from causing any more trouble, and to make sure you don't miss tomorrow's Quidditch match, I have to stay here and watch you!"

"Don't worry! Leave everything to me!" Ron said confidently. "I've been wanting to beat Malfoy up for ages!"

"I can't trust you the most!" Hermione screamed.

It was estimated that more than ten minutes had passed, and apart from the occasional older student passing by, no one else had visited the clock tower.

Of course, Malfoy, who was supposed to come, was nowhere to be seen.

"Are you sure you saw Malfoy get up from the table in the Great Hall?" The longer the time dragged on, the calmer Hermione's expression became; she was hoping this whole thing would just blow over. "If you ask me, he's lying to you, Harry. Slytherin is trying to affect your performance!"

“Maybe we should leave sooner,” Ron advised. “Don’t take it to heart. I’ll stand in the stands tomorrow and laugh at Malfoy for being a coward.”

“Good heavens. I never expected you to have a conscience, Ron,” Hermione said sarcastically.

Harry remained silent. To be honest, he really didn't know how to face tomorrow's match. The thought of possibly making a fool of himself in front of thousands of people made his stomach churn.

“Not several thousand people.” Harry looked at Hermione in surprise, whose face was full of motherly comfort. “There are less than 1000 students and teachers at Hogwarts in total. Besides, not everyone will go to watch Quidditch matches. You don’t need to put so much pressure on yourself.”

It turns out that Harry, in his extreme nervousness, blurted out what was on his mind.

“Listen, buddy,” Ron came over and patted him on the back, “In my heart, you’re the best Seeker!”

Harry felt his stomach was a little better, and he decided to stop thinking about Malfoy and instead lie down on the bed for a good night's sleep.

But before that, he needed to tease Ron: "You really think so? Even if my opponent is Calvin Gerjean, you'll still cheer for me?"

Calvin Gerjean is the Seeker for the Chadli Cannons, and Ron plastered the entire dorm room with posters of that team.

“Hmm…” Ron nodded reluctantly, “Of course, buddy! I absolutely support you.”

“Hahaha,” Harry laughed. “Then let me go back. Maybe we can find some candy in the common room.”

However, as they walked out of the clock tower, they still bumped into several Slytherins, but Malfoy was not among them, because they were a group of first-year girls.

"You're waiting for Malfoy, aren't you?" The one leading the group was a blonde girl. Even if she just stood there without saying a word, she would naturally become the center of attention. Fortunately, Slytherin also had Ivy, so her attention was reduced considerably.

The Gryffindor trio, unsure of their purpose, simply nodded without saying a word.

“Well, I have to apologize to you.” But there was no apology on her face, nor on the two followers behind her. “Mr. Malfoy can’t come. Slytherin won’t win with such childish methods, and we don’t think a first-year Seeker can really catch the Golden Snitch.”

Maybe she's right.

Harry thought in despair, "I'm just a first-year Seeker, there's no way I can actually catch the Golden Snitch."

"Let's leave it at that." The blonde girl held out a hand. "Let me apologize one last time, because Slytherin will completely defeat Gryffindor tomorrow, and also because you are Ivy's friends."

“Don’t be so sure!” Hermione retorted, taking her hand and shaking it vigorously twice. “Harry can do it! Right, Harry?”

Before Harry could answer, Hermione cried out, "Let go! You're hurting me!"

“My name is Cassandra, Cassandra Worre. Remember that name.” Cassandra showed no intention of releasing Hermione. She hissed, “Now! Do it!”

The two Slytherin girls next to Cassandra rushed forward, grabbing Hermione's arms from both sides, rendering her unable to move.

Harry and Ron were stunned by this sudden turn of events; neither of them expected that the person who had been shaking hands amicably just a moment ago would suddenly turn hostile.

"Let Hermione go!" Faced with several girls, Ron didn't know what to do with his hands and could only shout, "She took down a twenty-foot troll with a single spell, you don't want to end up like it!"

The two girls who were holding Hermione looked a little hesitant, but Cassandra had already pulled Hermione's wand out of her pocket: "Even if she can really defeat the troll, a wizard without a wand is nothing."

Harry and Ron exchanged a glance, knowing they had to step forward to help. However, before they could even begin, several figures suddenly appeared in their field of vision. These figures were covered in a color that looked like faded paint, and then their Slytherin robes were revealed.

Harry and Ron recognized them immediately. Goyle, Crabbe, Sabine... they were all first-year Slytherin students; apart from Malfoy, perhaps everyone else was there.

These guys were tall and strong, and they immediately pushed Harry and Ron against the wall.

Harry heard Goyle's sinister laugh: "Heh heh! We've got you, Potter!"

"Stop!" Cassandra smacked Goyle with Hermione's wand. "Remember what I said? Harry Potter can't be injured. Tomorrow, Slytherin will defeat Gryffindor with dignity."

The pain made the fat on Gore's face tremble, but he didn't dare to complain and just nodded obsequiously.

“Let’s have a good talk, Miss Granger.” Harry heard Cassandra whisper to Hermione, “Were you with Ivy on Halloween Eve? Don’t shake your head, the person sitting at the Slytherin table that day wasn’t Ivy at all.”

“Even if you don’t answer, I know the answer.” Cassandra didn’t stop asking questions. “Now I’m asking you, did Ivy help you deal with that troll?”

Harry didn't hear what Hermione replied, because all he could hear was Ron's cries of pain.

“That spell! Was it Ivy who taught you the spell that blew the troll apart?” Harry tried to hear more clearly. “I really don’t know what he saw in you, your messy hair? Your big, rabbit-like teeth? Oh! I get it, it’s your tears. That really is a girl’s most powerful weapon…”

Ivy and Hermione? My two friends are actually in that kind of relationship?

Harry was horrified and couldn't even get his attention from Ron's cries of pain.

Chapter 51: Slytherin's Crushing Defeat

The next morning, the weather was clear and chilly. The restaurant was filled with the enticing aroma of roasting sausages, and everyone was excitedly chatting about an exciting Quidditch match—except for Harry Potter, the Gryffindor prodigy first-year Seeker.

He was still brooding over what happened yesterday. It was bad enough that his two friends had done something like that behind his back, but when he later asked Hermione for confirmation, she actually said, "This has nothing to do with you. Think about what to do in Quidditch tomorrow!"

Harry poked at the grilled sausages on his plate with his fork and let out a heavy sigh.

“You must eat some breakfast.” But his friends at the Gryffindor table all thought he was worried about today’s Quidditch match.

Nobody can understand me.

Harry thought sadly, then replied to the persuasion about eating in the calmest tone: "I don't want to eat anything."

"Have some toast," Hermione coaxed.

“I’m not hungry.” Harry glanced at Hermione. He hadn’t expected that after what happened last night, Hermione could act as if nothing had happened. Even Ron had bruises on his face when he came to breakfast.

Thinking of this, Harry glanced up at Ron's dark circles again. Last night, only he was beaten. Although Slytherin also paid a 10-point penalty and two students were put in detention, they all knew that the real mastermind was still at large.

No one expected that after violating school rules, there would be a way to confess to the professor.

While all the professors were in the faculty lounge, Sabine and Crabbe voluntarily reported to Snape that they had "gotten into a fight with their classmates in a fit of anger." With Snape's extreme reluctance, Slytherin lost 10 points, and Sabine and Crabbe were sentenced to a month of solitary confinement.

Another thing that frustrated Harry even more was that Hermione had privately reported the Philosopher's Stone to Professor McGonagall, but it hadn't been taken seriously enough. Coupled with what happened in the clock tower the night before, Harry found Snape even more despicable.

Feeling a sudden tap on his shoulder, Harry turned around and met the gaze of Ron, whose eyes were dark-rimmed.

“Just imagine how ugly those Slytherins will look if we win.” Harry had never seen Ron’s eyes so determined, not even when he heard outside Hagrid’s hut that the Philosopher’s Stone could create gold. “Especially Snape! If you can catch the Golden Snitch, Harry! That will be a just and reasonable revenge!”

Makes sense!

The thought of Snape and the Slytherin students looking like they'd swallowed flies made Harry suddenly hungry.

"I'll catch the Golden Snitch!" Harry said confidently, chewing on a grilled sausage smeared with a thick layer of ketchup.

……