Hermione's Stubbornness

Harry vanished from everyone's sight along with Professor McGonagall.

Since there were no classes that evening and dinner was still some time away,

everyone returned to the common room first.

Hermione seemed a little absent-minded as she dazedly leaned against Basil's thigh.

The nineteenth of last month had been her birthday. She was already twelve.

For the House Cup, as the oldest person in the class, she ought to have stepped up and persuaded everyone.

But nobody appreciated it.

When Basil said the same things, everyone accepted them.

She felt so wronged.

So, tilting her head, she could not help asking, "I don't understand. Harry and Malfoy's actions clearly violated school rules. Why did neither Madam Hooch nor Professor McGonagall do anything?"

Basil stroked Hermione's fluffy head. "Silly girl."

Hermione (╬￣皿￣): "I'm not silly!"

Basil said, "And you say you're not silly. You've been in this House for over a month now. Don't you understand what the students in our House are really like? Let me ask you another question, then. Who is the most popular in Gryffindor House?"

Hermione frowned. "Fred and George."

Basil nodded. "Right! Gryffindors value courage most. So, in the public eye, the Weasley twins, who dared to break school rules and brought everyone joy, were undoubtedly true Gryffindors. The points deducted and the secondary matter of the House Cup simply weren't important."

Hermione sat up and leaned against the back of the sofa, deeply puzzled. "But Professor McGonagall said the House Cup was the embodiment of House honor."

"No," Basil quickly denied. "Silly girl, think about the school song and compare it to reality. Think again—what does each House value most?"

"Hufflepuff: eating and unity. Ravenclaw: wisdom and knowledge. Slytherin: bloodline and power. Gryffindor: courage and adventure," Hermione answered gloomily.

Now that she knew the answer, her mood sank again.

Then didn't that make everything she had done before a joke?

As she thought that, she suddenly noticed a large hand resting on her head again.

It was Basil!

Her heart began to flutter with joy.

"Still, Hermione, Gryffindor needs someone like you. Among Gryffindors who are easily carried away, there needs to be someone to throw cold water on them. That's also why Percy was a prefect. In Harry's father's year, it was Lupin. But you must also remember that when faced with people who don't appreciate it, a verbal reminder is enough."

"Give up the urge to save others. Respect their fate."

"You're only a student, not a prefect or a professor."

"Other people won't obey advice from someone they see as their equal."

"Besides, some of them even see this as cowardly, un-Gryffindor behavior," Basil comforted her.

Hermione did not ask who Lupin was.

She smiled and nodded. "I understand! From now on, I won't meddle in anyone else's affairs. Only you, um, Harry, and Ron—I'll remind you when you make mistakes."

"If I tell the teachers on you in the future, don't get mad, okay?"

You don't understand a thing!

Basil only wanted to say that.

An eleven-year-old child really understood nothing.

Unless she personally crashed into a wall, she probably would never understand.

At dinnertime, everyone arrived in the Great Hall.

Only then did Harry return, his face brimming with excitement.

He had also brought back two pieces of news.

One was that he had become the youngest House team player in a century.

"You two weren't joking earlier?" Ron said, pulling a steak-and-kidney pie back out of his mouth halfway through taking a bite.

In fact, after the flying lesson ended, Basil had already shared his guess.

Since Hermione did not understand Quidditch—what she did not understand were the unwritten conventions—she had nodded along as well.

"What's the other piece of news?" Ron looked at Harry.

Harry was stuffing pies into his mouth like mad.

After taking a large gulp of chilled Pumpkin Juice, he said, "Draco Malfoy joined the team too. Luckily, his birthday is in June, or I wouldn't be the youngest House team player."

"How is that possible? That's not fair!" Ron slapped the table.

He racked his brains, wondering whether Malfoy had used his family connections.

But Malfoy's recent miserable circumstances left him unable to say such a thing.

Didn't that mean Malfoy had done it on his own?

At that thought, Ron felt worse than dead.

Harry gave Ron an understanding look.

Then, while continuing to eat, he said, "For some reason, Snape was there too. Beside him stood an older Slytherin student named Flint who looked like a troll. Ron said he was the Slytherin House team's Chaser and captain, and that he suspected Flint had some troll blood. When he heard I'd become a team player, he immediately decided to let Malfoy join the team too."

Basil began to doubt his own memories.

His memories of his Previous Life were not like high-definition images.

Had Draco Malfoy joined the team in his first year?

Or had the film changed things?

Or had Harry and Malfoy's duel, with Madam Hooch's permission, become an official Slytherin versus Gryffindor match?

Had it drawn Snape and Flint's attention?

That wasn't right. Snape did not like Quidditch, did he? He did not value it at all.

Basil was completely confused now.

Suddenly, a huge group of Slytherin students headed this way.

Judging by their direction, they had just come in from outside the castle.

At the front were Malfoy and a burly man whose head looked like it was made of muscle too.

For Malfoy to master the Jelly-Legs Jinx in his first year was indeed impressive.

But this was a bit much, wasn't it?

Basil was speechless.

He coughed softly and tightened his grip on his wand.

Then he saw them walking toward Harry.

Are they insane? They aren't looking for me?

Looking at the Draco Echo in his mind, which was already blue enough to nearly turn purple,

Basil had nothing to say.

If Harry had a system, would his Draco Echo turn gold right away?

"Well, well. You're Harry Potter, right?" that troll Flint was the first to sneer. "Thank you for giving us such an excellent Seeker."

"While you were talking with that idiot Wood, our new player, Draco Malfoy, was training and adjusting his grip."

"You understand, don't you? Before he adjusted it, the two of you were evenly matched. Once he does, hmph!"

The Slytherin students behind him cooperatively let out a synchronized cold laugh.

"Hmph, hmph, hmph. Hahaha, hmph, hmph, haha."

"Harry Potter." Malfoy slowly and rhythmically spoke Harry's name as though he were speaking the name of a lover.

Basil's magic was silent and wandless—something even some older students could not do.

Perhaps not even his father could...

For now, he'd start by cutting down this scarhead!!!

"Once the official match comes, you'll understand who the finest Seeker really is!"

At that moment, Fred and George Weasley entered the Great Hall. The moment they saw Harry surrounded, they hurried over.

Bracing one hand on the table, they leaped down in front of Harry from either side in a very cool pose.

The two pressed close, nearly sticking themselves to Flint.

The sexual tension was palpable!

"Get the hell away from our new player!"

"Marcus Flint, is this all your troll brain can come up with?"

Flint sneered coldly and lightly sniffed the top of Fred's head. "A first-year? You think we'd be afraid of him? Ours is better!"

Hermione covered her eyes, leaving a large gap between her fingers. "Is that Flint a pervert?"

Basil said, "Don't see everything through shipping goggles. He's just insulting Fred's height through his actions."

Thanks to all the Food Wars classmates who gave monthly tickets, and to the classmates there for their monthly tickets, as well as to everyone else for their recommendations and continued reading!