On the pitch, several students hoping to make the team took turns trying out under the direction of the team captain, Benjamin Bruce.
In the stands, Eddie kept up a running commentary on their performances.
"Ha! Andrew got a worse grade than me in Flying Class back in first year, and he still has the nerve to try out? Just look at him! He's flying slower than a woodcock!"
"Is that Chambers? His technique is really good. Maybe he can fill the vacancy at Chaser and pair up with that pest Roger to make an unpopular duo."
"Beautiful! Look at Cho Chang—she's flying beautifully, isn't she? If you ask me, Bruce should just make her the Seeker. It's not as if our current Seeker has been doing much good in past matches..."
"Thanks for the commentary, Eddie," Scott said irritably. "Though only one sentence was useful. It reminded me of a fun fact I read in the Encyclopaedia Britannica when I was little."
Milton asked in a breezy tone, "Scott, which fun fact do you mean?"
"Oh, of course, 'Andrew flies slower than a woodcock.' Woodcocks are the slowest-flying birds in the world," Eddie answered smugly.
Milton blinked, then turned to Scott. "I think I should do some extra reading about Muggle books, like that Encyclopaedia Britannica you mentioned. It might help me understand the Muggle world better."
Eddie looked astonished. "You've never read the Encyclopaedia Britannica? Hmm... if I remember correctly, you're a Half-blood?"
Milton said, "Yes. My mother's a Muggle, but she's never expressed an opinion about my education."
"All right." Eddie knew better than to ask more. "But I should warn you: it has a lot of volumes. They'd already expanded it to thirty-two volumes by 1985. And every one of them is thick."
Milton, however, seemed excited. "Well, I've found something to do over Christmas break: buy thirty-two books."
"I recommend reading the whole set, Milton," Scott said. "Once you've finished, you'll understand more about the world we live in."
"I will..."
"Hey, look over there!" Eddie suddenly cut Milton off. "The Slytherin team's here too."
Scott looked up and saw a group of Slytherin students in green robes crossing the grass outside the pitch, brooms in hand.
Benjamin Bruce had spotted the Slytherins too. He went over with several Ravenclaw players.
"Do you think they'll start fighting?" Eddie asked eagerly. He had already gotten to his feet.
"No," Scott said calmly. "We're Ravenclaw, not Gryffindor."
Sure enough, after Benjamin Bruce spoke with Slytherin team captain Marcus Flint, the two teams each took up half the pitch.
A while later, Eddie started complaining. "This is boring. They've been flying cautiously ever since the Slytherins showed up. I think we should head back to Ravenclaw Tower."
Scott agreed. "This isn't a practice or a match. There's no reason to sit here watching Bruce and Flint keep their guards up."
Milton had no objections either.
Without telling Roger, the three of them left the stands and headed off the pitch.
Just then, another group of Slytherin girls came over from the other side of the grass.
"Hey, do you see that blonde girl walking beside Parkinson?" Eddie said suddenly, excitement creeping into his voice as he lowered it. "Jasmine Travers. She's the prettiest of this year's first-years."
Scott glanced over and happened to meet Jasmine Travers's eyes.
The girl did have a stunning face: shining blonde hair, deep silver-gray eyes, pale skin, and rosy lips.
When Scott accidentally met her gaze, she didn't look away. Instead, she smiled faintly.
She looked like a little princess straight out of a fairy tale, with a proud yet vulnerable expression in her eyes.
The three Ravenclaw boys and the Slytherin girls passed one another in silence.
Once the three boys had crossed the grass, Eddie immediately began chattering again. "Did Miss Travers just smile at you, Scott? You really have a way with girls—just like that, you've won Miss Travers's heart."
Scott frowned. He stopped and spoke to Eddie seriously. "You'd better keep your mouth shut, Eddie. That girl isn't as simple as she looks."
"I know what you're getting at, Scott," Eddie said, unconcerned. "The head of the Travers Family is a Death Eater who followed You-Know-Who, and he's locked up in Azkaban now?"
Scott continued walking. "Good. Just make sure your jokes don't reach Miss Travers's ears. Otherwise, you'll cause trouble for both yourself and me."
"Hey! You're making it sound far too serious." Eddie hurried after him. "You should take a good look at Miss Travers. How could a girl who looks so beautiful and fragile..."
"Eddie."
Scott stopped again, turned around, and looked Eddie in the eye.
"I'm giving you a serious warning!"
"Eddie." Milton patted him on the shoulder. "You should trust Scott. Don't forget the gift he gave Professor Flitwick."
"The gift? That painting?"
Eddie remembered what the painting meant, and his expression changed at once.
Scott's painting for Professor Flitwick had become one of the hottest topics in Hogwarts Castle in the past few days, second only to "Potter's Flying Car."
"You... you're serious?" Eddie still seemed unable to believe it. "You sensed her magic?"
"At least I don't think any student at Hogwarts can hide what they are from me." Scott gave him another look, then turned and headed for the castle.
Milton patted Eddie on the shoulder again and followed Scott.
"Got it. Wait up!"
Eddie snapped out of his shock and hurried after them.
"I never would've guessed..." he said in amazement. "Miss Travers looks like a fragile little thing, like porcelain, but Scott says she's dangerous."
"This isn't the Muggle world, Eddie."
Since Eddie usually knew where to draw the line, Scott said a little more.
"Your little hobbies are mostly harmless, but you should remember when to keep your mouth shut."
"Besides, Miss Travers isn't just dangerous. She..."
Scott lowered his voice and added something, making Eddie and Milton both change expression.
Before you continue