The little incident in Defense Against the Dark Arts class didn't dampen Rove's mood; in fact, it made him more certain of his training direction.
Early Saturday morning, Rove got up, as Harry had told him earlier that the Gryffindor Quidditch team had an exceptionally early practice today.
"I'm going to watch."
"I need to observe your aerial tactics. After all, the enemies we face might possess flying mounts."
When he walked out of the castle gates, he was surprised to find a group of people already gathered there.
"Rove! Harry!"
Susan waved excitedly. She was wearing a thick yellow cloak, her face flushed red from the cold, looking like a cute little apple.
Behind Susan were members of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team and a few second-year students. Cedric was among them, looking as sunny and cheerful as ever, chatting with Justin beside him.
"What are you all doing here?" Harry was somewhat surprised.
"To spy on the enemy, of course." Cedric winked with a smile. "Heard Wood got up early today, so we wanted to see Gryffindor's secret tactics. And to cheer on a certain 'Light of Hufflepuff'."
He patted Rove on the shoulder as he spoke. The Hufflepuff team members burst into good-natured laughter.
Rove rubbed his nose sheepishly. His popularity in the Badger House was surprisingly good. Even though everyone still thought he was a bit batty, his bravery and cooking skills had won everyone's respect.
"Welcome to observe, allies." Rove nodded seriously. "We can discuss defensive strategies against air raids together."
The large group marched to the Quidditch pitch.
Rove stood on the edge of the field.
Harry and the other Gryffindor players were circling in the air.
Susan stood beside him, watching curiously as he scribbled in a small notebook.
"What are you writing, Rove?"
"Captain Wood's tactics are a bit like the flanking maneuvers of the Riders of Rohan." Rove pointed to the red figures in the sky and explained. "But Fred and George's coordination is more like Dwarven catapult tactics—lacking a bit of elegance, but full of destructive power."
Susan nodded as if she understood, though she had no idea what Rohan or Dwarves were, but she thought Rove looked handsome when he was serious.
Just then, a group of figures in green robes strode onto the field.
> [Warning: Hostile Faction Approaching]
> [Target: Slytherin Combat Squad]
> [Equipment Check: Elite Warg Mounts / Isengard War Machines]
> [Threat Level: Medium]
Rove narrowed his eyes. The Slytherin players each held a brand-new broomstick—the Nimbus 2001.
Wood landed and stormed furiously toward the Slytherin captain, Marcus Flint.
"Flint! This is our practice time! We got up specially early!"
"I have a special note from Professor Snape." Flint waved a piece of parchment triumphantly. "We're training our new Seeker."
Draco Malfoy stepped out from behind the tall players, an arrogant smile on his face.
"Malfoy?" Rove walked over, standing beside Harry. The Hufflepuff crowd also gathered around, Cedric frowning as he stood behind Rove.
"Your father bought you these?" Rove looked coldly at the "Warg" in Malfoy's hand. "It seems that in Isengard, gold coins can indeed buy honor."
Malfoy instinctively took a step back. Even though he held the latest model broomstick and was surrounded by tall Slytherin players, facing Rove Baggins, he always felt a lingering shadow in his heart.
After all, this lunatic really dared to get physical.
In first year, Malfoy had tried to trip Rove in the corridor, only to have Rove backhand him with a frying pan, swelling up half his face under the pretext of "dodging an Orc ambush." That experience left a deep psychological scar on Malfoy—the fear of facing a "psycho" who couldn't be judged by common sense.
"At least my honor isn't picked up from the trash, unlike some people." Malfoy tried to maintain his bravado, looking venomously at Rove, then glancing at the Hufflepuffs behind him. "Look who it is? A bunch of dirt-digging Badgers following a trash-picking lunatic. Did you Hufflepuffs run out of places to go?"
"Watch your mouth, Malfoy," Cedric said in a low voice, placing a hand on Rove's shoulder to signal him to stay calm.
Just then, Hermione and Ron ran over.
"Is that the latest Nimbus 2001?" Ron's mouth hung open in envy.
"Something your wretched family could never afford, Weasley," Malfoy sneered.
"No one asked for your opinion, Malfoy," Hermione said sharply. "At least the Gryffindor players got in on talent, not by buying their way in."
Malfoy's face darkened. He took a threatening step forward, his eyes flashing with genuine malice.
"No one asked your opinion, you filthy little Mudblood."
Instant silence fell over the field.
Hermione's face went pale instantly, while fury erupted on Ron and Harry's faces.
Rove frowned. The Hufflepuff students behind him also showed expressions of shock and anger. Susan covered her mouth, and Cedric's knuckles cracked as he clenched his fists.
"And you, Baggins." Malfoy seemed to think that wasn't enough, turning to look at Rove. "You're just like her, a lowly Mudblood, a bastard who doesn't even know who his parents are."
At this moment, a blood-red translation box popped up on the System interface:
> [Extreme Racial Slur Detected: Mudblood]
> [Middle-earth Context Translation: Half-Orc Mongrel / Inferior Creature / Filthy Blood]
> [Explanation: This is the most vicious curse of the Dark Forces against Free Peoples, implying the other party doesn't even deserve a soul.]
"What did you say?"
"You heard me, lunatic. I said you are Mud..."
"Eat slugs!" Ron roared, drawing his wand and firing a green jet of light at Malfoy. But the wand exploded backward, blasting Ron off his feet, and he fell onto the grass, starting to vomit.
Simultaneously, the melee erupted.
"Get him!" Some Hufflepuff shouted.
Rove was the first to charge. After a year of study and training, especially reflecting on the "Battle Mage" positioning this semester, his combat style had evolved.
"Holy Light Impact!" Rove shouted.
Of course, this was actually a modified version of [Lumos], but he cranked the wand's output to maximum, exploding a blinding light like a flashbang right in front of Malfoy.
"Ah! My eyes!" Malfoy screamed, covering his eyes.
Rove didn't pause. His left hand kept his wand pointed at Malfoy to interfere with his vision, while his right hand shot out, grabbing Malfoy by the collar, pulling him forward, and driving his right knee hard into Malfoy's stomach.
> [Skill Combo: Gandalf's CQC Arts]
> [Combo: Blind + Knee Strike]
Thud!
Malfoy doubled over, letting out a shrill scream.
"Protect Malfoy!" Flint roared, raising his broomstick to smash Rove.
But Cedric was faster. The Hufflepuff prefect, usually gentle and elegant, displayed amazing explosive power at this moment. He grabbed Flint's broom handle, twisting hard, making the big guy stumble.
"Don't touch my team member!" Cedric roared.
Immediately after, more Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors charged in. George and Fred leaped at the Slytherin players with excited whoops, and Susan, though scared, bravely pointed her wand at Pansy Parkinson.
The scene spiraled out of control instantly. This was a true "Three-Army Melee."
"I don't understand your wizard dueling etiquette," Rove said, holding Malfoy by the collar with one hand while his wand in the other sparked dangerously as he scanned the chaotic battlefield around him. "But in Middle-earth, mages never fear close combat. If you insult a lady's bloodline, be prepared to have your bones broken by a 'staff'."
"STOP IT, ALL OF YOU!!!"
A roar cut through the air.
Professor McGonagall strode over furiously, her lips pressed into a thin line, followed by a gloomy-faced Snape.
---
Twenty minutes later, Professor McGonagall's office.
Rove, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Malfoy, Cedric, Flint... a large group crowded the office to the brim.
"This is one of the worst brawls in Hogwarts history!" Professor McGonagall was shaking with rage. "Three houses! Dozens of students! Fighting on the Quidditch pitch like Muggle street hooligans!"
"Malfoy insulted people first!" Ron kept burping up slugs, but he insisted. "He called Hermione and Rove 'Mudbloods'!"
Professor McGonagall paused. She glanced at Hermione and Rove, the anger in her eyes subsiding slightly, though her sternness remained.
She turned to Malfoy: "Is this true, Mr. Malfoy?"
Malfoy whimpered, clutching his nose, afraid to look Professor McGonagall in the eye. Snape gave a cold snort from the side but said nothing.
"But that is no excuse for violence!" Professor McGonagall said severely. "Especially you, Mr. Baggins! Beating a classmate... like that? This is barbaric behavior!"
"This is Gandalf's art of combat, Professor." Rove straightened his back. "A staff is not only a casting tool but also a melee weapon."
Professor McGonagall took a deep breath, seemingly trying hard not to deduct five hundred points from Gryffindor. Looking at Rove's righteous demeanor, she suddenly remembered a certain student from years ago who also liked solving problems physically (though that one later became a legendary Auror).
"Given the extreme vileness of Mr. Malfoy's provocative language," Professor McGonagall finally announced, "Fifty points from Slytherin. Mr. Malfoy, detention for a week."
"However," she turned to the others, "your participation in the brawl is also a fact. Thirty points each from Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. Everyone who threw a punch will polish trophies in the Trophy Room tonight—no magic allowed!"
"Mr. Baggins," Professor McGonagall stared at Rove. "As for you... given that this is your first offense, and considering certain reasons, you will assist Mr. Filch in organizing the archive room."
Walking out of the office, although everyone faced punishment, the atmosphere was surprisingly relaxed.
"Worth it." Cedric rubbed his bruised wrist, smiling at Rove. "Seeing Malfoy looking like a pig's head, any point deduction is worth it."
"It was for honor." Rove nodded solemnly.
Susan walked over, took out a handkerchief, and carefully wiped a spot of blood from Rove's forehead.
"You scared me to death, Rove," she whispered, her eyes full of worry. "So many people just now..."
"Do not worry, my Lady." Rove let her wipe it, his tone softening. "A Ranger is used to taking the enemy general's head amidst the chaos of battle."
Susan blushed, then saw Hermione standing nearby with her head down and red eyes. She walked over and gently hugged Hermione.
"Don't listen to that bad guy, Hermione," Susan said gently. "You are the smartest witch, everyone knows that. That word is just an excuse they use to cover up their own incompetence."
Hermione looked up, glancing gratefully at Susan. Though tears still swirled in her eyes, she felt much better with her companions' support.
"Right, we should head back." Cedric clapped his hands. "Got to polish trophies tonight. Rove, Harry, Ron, see you later."
The Hufflepuff students left. Harry supported Ron, who was still vomiting slugs, and the friends smiled at each other.
"Let's go," Harry said. "Let's get Ron to Hagrid's first. He's throwing up too much."
---
Inside Hagrid's hut, a warm fire dispelled the chill of late autumn.
Ron was retching into a large copper basin while Hagrid busied himself pouring tea.
"Mudblood..." Hagrid said furiously. "He really said that? That little scumbag!"
"What does it mean?" Harry asked.
"It's the foulest name for a Muggle-born wizard," Hermione explained in a low voice, still trembling slightly. "It means dirty blood. Only the most twisted pure-bloods say it. But... he wasn't wrong, I really don't have..."
A hand landed heavily on her shoulder.
Rove crouched down, looking straight into Hermione's eyes, his expression incredibly serious.
"Look at me, Miss Granger."
Hermione looked up to see a determined fire burning in Rove's eyes.
"In Middle-earth, Elves are the oldest and noblest race. But did you know? Some Elves never saw the light of Valinor and are called 'Dark Elves,' but that doesn't diminish their greatness. And some high-ranking Númenóreans, with pure bloodlines, eventually fell to become Sauron's lackeys."
"And you, Hermione, your wisdom and talent are enough to shame any so-called 'Pure-blood'."
"Do not mind the barking of Orcs, Elven Princess."
"In Rivendell, we value the brilliance of the soul, not the color of the blood. Your magical gift is a blessing from Ilúvatar, something no filthy word can tarnish."
Hermione froze. After a moment, she broke into a tearful smile. Although tears still flowed, the gloom in her eyes had mostly dispersed.
"Thank you, Rove... even though I have no idea what you mean by 'Rivendell' and 'Ilúvatar'."
"You will understand." Rove stood up. "As long as you keep reading those books."
Hagrid blew his nose loudly, incredibly moved. "Well said! Rove! That's the spirit!"
Ron lifted his head from the basin, weakly raising a thumb: "Though... urgh... I don't understand either... but that knee strike... was awesome... Blergh..."
> [Mission Settlement: Defend Companion's Honor]
> [Defeated Targets: Draco Malfoy (Magic Blind + Physical Knockdown), Marcus Flint (Suppressed)]
> [Evaluation: You successfully practiced Gandalf's combat philosophy—a mage's body is the final line of defense.]
> [Reward: Strength +1, Close Combat Experience +50]
> [Reputation Change: Hermione Granger Affinity Greatly Increased (Tag: Loyal Knight); Slytherin Hatred +50]