The Gryffindor Seeker was suddenly struck by a Bludger.
Without warning, the heavy iron ball smashed directly into him mid-flight, sending both broom and rider spiralling violently toward the ground.
The Slytherin Beater responsible looked completely stunned.
He distinctly remembered aiming for Wood.
So how in Merlin's name had the Bludger curved halfway across the pitch toward Gryffindor's Seeker instead?
Had he somehow awakened legendary professional-level control overnight?
Could Bludgers actually change direction now?
"Oh!"
Lee Jordan's amplified voice exploded across the stadium.
"Gryffindor's Seeker has been knocked off his broom by Slytherin!"
"I sincerely hope he survives!"
Then, lowering his voice slightly—
"Typical evil Slytherin behaviour—"
Professor McGonagall immediately coughed loudly beside him.
Lee shut up instantly.
The Gryffindor stands erupted with furious outrage while the Slytherins cheered shamelessly.
Ron looked ready to murder someone.
As one of Hogwarts' most fanatical Quidditch supporters, seeing a Gryffindor player taken down like that nearly made him start screaming curses publicly.
Madam Hooch quickly blew her whistle and suspended the match.
The injured Gryffindor player was rushed toward the hospital wing while both teams returned temporarily to the ground.
…
Inside the Gryffindor changing room, the atmosphere was grim.
"Wood," Harry asked nervously, "how bad is Moxley's injury?"
Wood looked toward Harry seriously.
"Harry."
"You need to get ready."
Harry blinked.
"…Me?"
He looked down at himself instinctively.
Compared to the older Quidditch players around him, Harry looked tiny.
"You're frightened?" Wood asked.
"…A little."
Wood immediately slapped him on the shoulder.
"It's fine. Everyone's terrified during their first real match."
"Anything important always has a first time."
Then Wood grinned.
"Come on, Potter."
"You'll do fine."
…
Not long afterward, Madam Hooch returned from the hospital wing.
"The match will resume immediately!"
Excitement exploded through the stadium once more.
"Look!" Lee Jordan shouted dramatically. "Gryffindor has sent out a replacement Seeker!"
"The Boy Who Lived himself—Harry Potter!"
Harry gripped his broom tightly as he rose into the sky.
Excitement and nervousness battled violently inside him.
Not far away, Draco hovered calmly in the air before smirking slightly.
"Potter!" he shouted across the pitch. "Looks like we finally get a proper match!"
Harry straightened instinctively.
"Definitely!"
Whoosh!
Madam Hooch's whistle shrieked again.
The match resumed instantly.
Compared to before, the atmosphere had become far more brutal.
Slytherin no longer bothered pretending to play cleanly. Their Chasers and Beaters repeatedly slammed into Gryffindor players with near-foul aggression.
Harry barely paid attention.
His eyes constantly searched the air.
Then suddenly—
A flash of gold appeared ahead.
The Golden Snitch.
Harry dove after it instinctively.
At almost the exact same moment, Draco spotted it too.
Although Draco reacted slightly later, the difference in broom quality was overwhelming.
The Nimbus 2000 surged forward effortlessly, rapidly closing the distance between them.
Within seconds, Draco had already drawn level beside Harry.
Back in the stands, Slytherin prefect Amiri Caro finally gathered enough courage to speak to Lucien.
"Who do you think will catch the Snitch?" he asked nervously. "Draco or Potter?"
Ever since seeing Lucius Malfoy's attitude toward Lucien earlier, Amiri felt inexplicably pressured whenever speaking to him.
"Draco," Lucien answered casually.
"His broom is superior, his mentality is steadier, and although his flying talent isn't exceptional, it's more than enough."
Truthfully, however, Lucien's attention barely rested on the Quidditch match at all.
His eyes occasionally drifted toward the professors' section instead.
Noticing Lucien's lack of interest, Amiri wisely stopped talking and focused back on the game himself.
Meanwhile, Draco's advantage became increasingly obvious.
The Nimbus 2000 rapidly pulled ahead.
Harry was gradually falling behind with no way to catch up.
Then suddenly—
Harry felt his broom twitch violently beneath him.
His expression changed instantly.
The previously obedient broomstick suddenly began shaking uncontrollably.
And the shaking kept getting worse.
The broom was actively trying to throw him off.
Gasps erupted throughout the stadium.
From the stands, Lucien could vaguely see Quirrell staring intently toward Harry while muttering beneath his breath.
His hands were clasped tightly together in a false prayer gesture.
Lucien immediately understood.
Teacher.
You finally lost your patience.
But honestly…
What exactly did Voldemort hope to accomplish now?
Even if Harry fell from his broom, the professors surrounding the pitch would easily intervene.
And even if Voldemort somehow resurrected at full strength today, fighting directly against all of Hogwarts' professors simultaneously would still be madness.
Beneath the professors' stand, Lucius Malfoy was currently monopolizing Snape's attention while proudly discussing Draco's flying skills.
As a result, Snape never noticed Quirrell's curse in time.
Meanwhile, Ron possessed absolutely none of Hermione's observational ability.
Faced with Harry's danger, all he could do was panic helplessly.
"What's your next move, Headmaster?" Lucien wondered quietly.
"Without someone helping him, Harry's broom won't survive much longer."
Lucien watched everything unfold with complete detachment.
He wasn't Harry Potter's babysitter.
If Harry fell?
So be it.
Only Snape would recklessly expose himself trying to save him.
Unfortunately—
Lucien forgot one important thing.
Draco Malfoy was also in the air.
The moment Draco realized Harry was genuinely about to fall, he immediately abandoned the Golden Snitch entirely.
Without hesitation, he turned his broom sharply and shot toward Harry instead.
At the final second, Draco grabbed Harry's arm.
He prevented Harry from falling completely.
But Harry's violently shaking broom immediately slammed into Draco's Nimbus 2000.
Crack.
Harry's broom snapped apart instantly.
Just before the remains collapsed entirely, Draco yanked Harry onto the Nimbus behind him.
The added weight destabilized them immediately.
Both boys crashed heavily onto the ground together.
For one brief moment—
The entire stadium fell silent.
Then deafening cheers exploded everywhere at once.
Lucien watched the scene quietly before suddenly remembering another moment from the future.
The Room of Requirement.
Fiendfyre.
Harry dragging Draco to safety.
Lucien shook his head helplessly.
Well.
Consider the debt repaid early.
…
The match ultimately ended with a Slytherin victory.
After receiving praise and gratitude from numerous Gryffindors, Draco finally turned around—
Only to freeze upon seeing Lucius Malfoy's expression.
His father looked absolutely furious.
The smile vanished from Draco's face instantly.
"Father…"
"Who gave you permission to do something that reckless?!"
Lucius's voice was terrifyingly cold.
"Do you understand what happens when someone falls from that height?!"
"But Harry is my friend!"
"So what?!"
Lucius nearly exploded.
"There were professors surrounding the entire pitch! Madam Pomfrey was present as well!"
"It was not your responsibility to save him!"
After shouting those words, Lucius abruptly stopped himself.
Taking a deep breath, he barely suppressed the anger in his eyes.
"Return to the castle immediately."
"We'll discuss this properly later."
Draco lowered his head miserably before walking away dejectedly.
Only after Draco disappeared did Lucien quietly emerge from nearby shadows.
"Mr. Malfoy."
Lucius turned slightly.
"Mr. Grindelwald," he replied stiffly. "I apologise for letting you witness such embarrassing behaviour."
"Draco did well," Lucien said calmly. "You don't need to be so angry with him."
Truthfully, Lucien had been standing nearby almost the entire time.
But regardless of how close he and Draco were, interfering in Draco's relationship with his father would have been inappropriate.
Lucius rubbed his forehead tiredly.
"You saw how dangerous that situation was," he muttered. "That foolish child risked himself for some so-called friendship…"
At that moment, Lucius looked no different from any ordinary parent worried about their son.
Lucien remained quiet for several seconds before speaking softly.
"Having friends isn't a bad thing, Mr. Malfoy."
Then he asked quietly:
"May I ask you something?"
Lucius looked toward him.
"Do you still have any true friends now?"
Lucius froze.
The question hit him harder than expected.
Yes.
When exactly had he stopped having real friends?
Over the years, Lucius had become someone who constantly wore masks depending on the situation.
He spoke differently to ministers, nobles, Death Eaters, businessmen, and Ministry officials.
Sometimes even he no longer knew which version of himself was genuine.
His Hogwarts classmates had long since drifted away.
Childhood companions vanished one after another beneath politics, ambition, and survival.
Even Snape…
Snape could only barely be considered an old acquaintance now.
Not a true friend.
Lucius remained lost in thought for a very long time before finally recovering.
By then, Lucien had already begun walking away.
Watching the boy's retreating figure, Lucius suddenly spoke.
"And you, Lucien?"
"Who are your true friends?"
Lucien paused slightly.
Then he smiled faintly without turning around.
"My path…"
"Can only be walked alone."
....
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