During dinner, Ron and Harry were still treating Malfoy's goofy grins as the highlight of the day, regaling the table with their observations.
George and Fred lapped it up, craning their necks to peer down the Slytherin table. The twins spent a solid few minutes scrutinizing Malfoy, and finally, with the solemnity of seasoned pranksters, confirmed their little brother and Harry's story.
"He's smiling once every two minutes, on average."
"And there's no warning. Just—bam!—that weird grin."
The twins volleyed their comments back and forth.
"Exactly!" Ron nodded vigorously.
"Right, absolutely no warning." Harry chimed in, equally earnest.
Hermione rolled her eyes, exasperated. "Honestly, you two—haven't you stared at him enough? Can't you find something better to do?"
"Malfoy probably just ran into something that made him happy," Qin Yu offered with a shrug, then waved his hand dismissively. "Alright, enough about other people. Focus on your own business—that's what matters."
"Exactly! You've already been scolded by Professor Quirrell once. Haven't you learned your lesson?" With Qin Yu backing her up, Hermione fixed the boys with a stern glare.
Chastened by both Qin and Hermione, Harry and Ron hunched their shoulders, exchanged sheepish looks, and pulled funny faces to lighten the mood. The topic drifted away.
After all, no matter how annoying Malfoy was, he didn't deserve to be the center of their universe. There were plenty of other things worth their attention.
Soon, the conversation shifted.
Ron remembered something he'd spotted yesterday in the Trophy Room—a cup inscribed with the name "James Potter." Everyone at the table knew that was Harry's father.
"You're bound to be a great Seeker, Harry. Your dad was one of the best," Ron said, voice full of conviction.
The words made Harry's face cloud over with a complicated mix of emotions. "Father" was a word that was both precious and painfully unfamiliar.
Here he was, at the very school where his parents had once studied, and now, out of nowhere, he was hearing about one of them. Excitement, confusion, and a quiet ache tangled together inside him—feelings too tangled for words.
"I hope you're right…" Harry murmured, almost to himself.
"If you want to be a top Seeker, you've got to put in the work. Quidditch isn't something you can just talk your way through," Qin Yu said, half as a lecture, half to steer the conversation elsewhere.
"Mm! I'll work hard, Qin!" Harry replied, suddenly very serious.
When it came to Qin's advice, Harry listened as if to a favorite teacher or a hero—he looked up to him that much.
Seeing Harry's earnest expression, Qin Yu nodded, then added, "You won't be able to keep up with the regular team training, so Captain Wood has set up some crash courses for you. That way you can get up to speed quickly."
"Will you teach me, Qin?" Harry pushed his glasses up, eyes full of hope.
Thanks to Ron's enthusiastic explanations, Harry already had a pretty good grasp of Quidditch—and a growing sense of just how skilled Qin Yu was.
No contest: Qin was the best.
If he could get some of Qin's coaching, it would be a dream come true.
"We'll see. Might be me and Wood taking turns, depending on who's got time," Qin Yu replied.
"That's brilliant!" Harry beamed.
Just having Qin as a coach was more than enough. He wasn't about to push his luck by demanding more.
In his good mood, Harry piled his plate high and began eating with gusto.
Ron, meanwhile, looked on enviously, wishing he could join the Quidditch team too. But he could barely stay on a broomstick, let alone play for the team. It was probably just wishful thinking…
That thought soured his mood a little.
But then, as he glanced up, his eyes met Qin's across the table.
Qin Yu gave him a small, encouraging nod. "Once Wood graduates, the team'll need a new Keeper. If you're interested, you can start preparing—tryouts'll be next year or the year after."
"M-me? Really?" Ron stammered, so excited he almost dropped his fork.
"I'm just saying, if you're interested, you can give it a shot," Qin Yu clarified.
"I—I get it! I'll practice flying every day!" Ron said, brimming with determination.
"Good. Keep it up," Qin Yu encouraged.
"Thanks, Qin!"
Ron's mood instantly lifted. He loaded up his plate with even more food than Harry, and began shoveling it in with wild enthusiasm.
Watching this, Qin Yu nodded to himself in quiet satisfaction.
"You're such a softie with kids…" Hermione whispered, leaning in close.
Qin Yu couldn't help but laugh. "Aren't you a kid too? And you're calling others children?"
"I am not! Hmph!" Hermione huffed, cheeks puffing out in protest.
"Alright, alright, you're not a kid. You're a big kid," Qin Yu teased, nodding solemnly.
"I'm an adult!" Hermione lifted her chin, not to be outdone.
"Dear Miss Granger, only children long to become adults."
With that, Qin Yu popped a piece of mousse cake into her mouth, effectively silencing her.
"Eat up—growing girls need their strength," he added with a grin.
So Hermione could only puff her cheeks and chew, unable to retort.
…
…
Autumn nights at Hogwarts were growing colder. The ancient castle loomed in the starlight, its silhouette as dark and grand as it had been a thousand years ago.
Down a shadowy corridor, a small figure draped in a thick black cloak crept along—judging by his size, almost certainly a first-year.
From the way he moved, it was clear he was heading out of the castle.
The silent night and empty grounds made him look even more suspicious. But clearly, he had a reason compelling enough to risk breaking the "No Wandering After Hours" rule.
"Midnight, under the oak tree between the greenhouses and the vegetable patch."
The figure muttered these words, and as he did, his eyes seemed to glint in the darkness.
Of course, it was Draco Malfoy, Slytherin's first-year.
That phrase was something he'd seen during today's "encounter."
"That must be a really powerful and mysterious person…"
Remembering the words spelled out by those leaves, Malfoy felt another surge of excitement.
If the other party was such a formidable mystery, why seek him out?
Could it be—just like in the legends—he was the chosen one?
As he turned over the possibilities, Malfoy's heart pounded faster, his eyes shining even brighter.
——Dimensional Wall——
Ahem, it's been so long since I last wrote, I almost forgot the plot. Had to go back and reread earlier chapters just to catch up.
No idea if anyone's still reading, but oh well—I'll keep writing anyway. Still hope to see this story through to the end.
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