Harry Potter's worries vanished just a few days later—on that very morning, as Transfiguration class was about to end, Professor McGonagall announced that the Quidditch match scheduled before Easter would go on as planned.
The moment he heard the news, Harry could barely keep himself from leaping out of his seat.
This match wasn't just about making up for lost House points. More than anything, it was the one thing he felt truly good at—the only thing in his life, so far, that he could claim as his own achievement. (Beating Voldemort didn't count; he had no memory of it, so it was more like listening to someone else's story.)
Thank goodness—the match was back on.
As for any lurking dangers in the Forbidden Forest? As long as he stayed far away from there, he saw no reason to worry.
"And you need to be careful about what happened last time," Hermione reminded them as they walked from class, watching Harry and Ron animatedly discuss the coming match. "We still haven't found out who jinxed your broom. Qin and Hagrid both said it wasn't Snape, so there might be someone else out there."
Right—the last time, Harry had nearly been thrown off his broom.
That sobered their excitement in an instant. Ron glanced at his friend, concern in his voice. "Harry, maybe you should—"
"No, Ron, I absolutely won't back down!" Harry cut him off, his face set with fierce determination.
He looked every bit the stubborn hero—undaunted even if the world stood against him.
If Qin Yu had seen it, he'd probably have muttered, "Teenagers really are the kings of melodrama."
Hermione felt a bit out of place; her emotions just didn't run on the same wild frequency as theirs.
But the two boys didn't need to finish their sentences anymore. Harry could feel Ron's worry—he'd had his own moments of fear—but he was determined to face this head-on.
"Nothing happened last time, and I'll be fine this time too," Harry added, as if reassuring Ron, but really, he was propping himself up.
"That was because Qin was there," Ron pointed out.
"And Qin will be there this time, too!" Harry shot back without missing a beat.
All right, all right—the "iron shield" is still standing, is that it?
If Qin Yu had been there, he might've grumbled about "old Jiangnan's classic lines" and scolded the author for being such a tease.
[TN-Final: Original Chinese Term - "铁甲依然在" - Final Translation: "the iron shield still stands" - Justification: Preserves the metaphor of steadfast protection, with a nod to the original literary reference.]
…
As one of Hogwarts' most important sporting events, news that the Quidditch match would go ahead swept through the school in a flash, sparking heated debate and excitement.
Qin Yu was, naturally, one of the hot topics. He'd become a bona fide Quidditch star, respected and feared by both sides.
After nodding politely to a group of upper-year girls cheering him on—he had no idea what their names were—Qin Yu turned to see Hermione.
The little witch flashed him a dazzling, dimpled smile and called out, "Good luck, Qin! You're the best, Qin!"
But her composure slipped almost immediately—her face fell, and she pouted at him, earning a gentle poke on the cheek.
"Thanks for the encouragement, Miss Granger," Qin Yu replied breezily, steering her toward the Great Hall for lunch as if he hadn't noticed her little flare of temper.
Hermione could only bump her tiny shoulder into him—once, twice—pretending it was accidental, though she clearly meant it. It was her way of expressing her obvious, if unspoken, annoyance.
With her slender frame, Qin Yu could take a hundred such bumps and count it as a free massage.
That morning, Gryffindor's third-years had Herbology, planting seedlings in the greenhouses outside the castle. George and Fred arrived a little late, pushing Ron and Harry aside to plop down across from Qin Yu, faces alight with excitement.
"Good news!" they announced. "The Acromantulas have agreed to keep trading food with us!"
Qin Yu wasn't surprised. He nodded. "Looks like what happened in the Forbidden Forest reminded those spiders of the shadow that hung over them last winter."
"Haha, well, it works out for us!" The twins burst out laughing, utterly carefree.
Qin Yu let it go—no need to overthink things and risk messing up a good arrangement. "Just keep supplying them in small amounts like before. But if the apothecary ever asks for a big shipment again, let me know right away."
The twins, already used to reporting to Qin Yu, agreed without a second thought.
…
As Easter break approached, the pre-holiday Quidditch match loomed ever closer.
This time, it was Hufflepuff versus Gryffindor.
Hufflepuff was feeling the pressure—after all, their opponents had Qin, a powerhouse Beater, and Harry Potter, the famously lucky Seeker with a mysterious legend behind him. With Gryffindor's smooth teamwork, victory seemed almost impossible.
No matter how hard they trained, the Hufflepuffs couldn't shake their gloom. After losing to Gryffindor in both last year's friendlies and official matches, their captain refused Seeker Cedric Diggory's suggestion for a pre-match scrimmage. "Forget it, Cedric. Last time was just to test the waters. Now that we know what we're up against, there's no point in crushing morale further." He looked at Cedric's handsome face—a look that could make half the school swoon—and almost joked, "If it were a beauty contest, you might give Qin a run for his money. But on the pitch… let's just do our best."
"All right, you're the boss," Cedric sighed. If even the captain was this pessimistic, what could he do? All he could do was hope luck would let him catch the Snitch before that first-year, Harry Potter.
On the Gryffindor side, no one was slacking off. Their lineup hadn't changed much—just a new Seeker—but their teamwork was as sharp as ever, and their practices focused on new tactics.
"…I say we come up with a strategy to target the opposing Seeker," suggested George—or maybe Fred, it was impossible to tell. "Pretend to hit a Bludger, but really knock Hufflepuff's Seeker out of the game. That way, we keep hold of those 150 points!"
The other Weasley twin whooped, "Exactly! I've had enough of Cedric's pretty face. Hogwarts shouldn't allow anyone that handsome—except me, of course!"
"Right? I was thinking the same thing!"
The twins roared with laughter.
Qin Yu didn't comment. He just hefted his Beater's bat and chased after the two fools as they zoomed off on their brooms.
Time flowed swiftly—spring grass, dappled sunlight, and gentle rain all blending together as the days slipped by.
As both teams and all of Hogwarts waited for the big match, Qin Yu was summoned to Dumbledore's office two nights before the game—and received news and an assignment that took him completely by surprise.
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