Saturday, the day of the first Quidditch match of the new school year.
That morning, Hufflepuff's table almost turned into a sea of yellow, while Gryffindor's was red and gold.
The powdery atmosphere between the two houses over the past week was finally going to have a resolution today.
"I thought you weren't going to take part in this match." Mikel handed a cup of pumpkin juice to Kael, "When I saw your name on the team roster, I knew we were definitely going to win this time."
"Saying that is a bit premature." Kael took the pumpkin juice and drank, "It's better to be humble; it would be so embarrassing if we lost."
"I don't think so." Mikel replied nonchalantly.
"How do you feel, no problem, right?" Cho also came over to cheer for Kael.
"I feel okay." Kael said with a smile, "Harry and I joined the team in the same year, so we are old rivals by now. I don't think I'll lose to him this time."
Conna glanced back at him, wondering what he meant by "won't lose this time" when he had just advised Mikel to be humble, but showed no courtesy for himself.
Of course, including herself, all of Hufflepuff thought the same way.
"That's good." Cho said, "But you should still be careful of Harry's Firebolt; I feel your new Seeker can't compare to Cedric."
"Don't worry, Grace has a plan." Kael said, "And our new Seeker isn't much worse than him; I know Cedric's looks are a bonus, but you can't always carry personal biases."
A tacit laughter spread around.
"I'm looking forward to it." Cho said with a slightly red face, giving Kael a playful glare before turning and leaving.
"I was worried she might hit you in frustration just now." Conna said with a laugh.
"No worries, I can beat up Cedric later, same thing." Kael said carelessly, taking a bite of toast.
...
"Time to head out." Ten minutes later, Grace stood up and said.
The group left the auditorium, striding toward the pitch.
The weather outside was great, slightly cold but much better than a week ago.
They reached the locker room and changed into their Quidditch robes.
"Conditions are favorable for us." Grace said, "The most experienced Katie Bell is still at St Mungo's, so Gryffindor had to replace a Chaser."
"Who is it?" Mikel asked.
"Dean Thomas."
"Who?"
"Potter's classmate."
"Oh, a sixth-year student." Mikel immediately relaxed.
Generally speaking, the younger new players are, the more talented they are. For instance, Harry, who was exceptionally allowed to join the team as a first-year.
However, a sixth-year new player usually indicates they were not selected in previous years, and only got in this year due to lack of other options and physical advantage.
Exceptions might always occur, but this is mostly the case.
As for Dean Thomas, Mikel had barely heard of his name.
"Alright, it's our first match, don't underestimate them." Grace said, "The match starts in five minutes, so you better hurry and put on your boots."
They came out into the bustling pitch, greeted by deafening cheers from the stands, mainly from Hufflepuff supporters, all wearing the same colors, looking like a golden sea.
In terms of supporters, Hufflepuff clearly outnumbered Gryffindor, occupying about two-thirds of the stands.
Thanks mostly to Slytherin, who clearly identified the opponent of Gryffindor as their choice to support unconditionally.
Grace and Harry walked up to Ms. Hooch and shook hands.
There was no tension at all; both captains appeared quite courteous.
"Mount your brooms, listen for my whistle... Three... Two... One!"
With the whistle's sound, everyone immediately soared into the air on their brooms.
"Alright, they're off now."
An unfamiliar voice drifted over from the commentary stand, the new commentator after Lee Jordan's graduation, Hufflepuff's Zacharias Smith.
"What a surprise, seeing Ron Weasley here; I thought he wouldn't stick around after last term's disastrous performance... Oh right, his personal ties with the captain have certainly helped him a lot."
Snorting laughter erupted from the Slytherin side; they quickly appreciated the new commentator less than a minute into the match.
Harry seemed a bit annoyed but had no time to address it now.
"Grace has got the Quaffle... quite a charming girl... Kael flew over, no one's beside him, it's a great chance, just need to pass to...
"Oh dear, she didn't pass to Kael, but to Thomas... Wait!"
Suddenly, Zacharias Smith shrieked: "What an unexpected strategy; Kael is not a Chaser, he's a Seeker!"
In fact, many had already noticed without his reminder; since the start of the match, Kael hadn't even glanced at the Quaffle, flying straight to the highest point... something only a Seeker would do.
They need a wider view to locate the Golden Snitch!
In the stands, Cho looked at the pitch in shock, unable to resist turning and asking: "Why didn't you tell me Kael went to be a Seeker!"
"I thought you'd guess it earlier." Conna said with a smile.