Good Boy Tom, the Dark Lord with the Highest Credit Rating

"You two lackeys actually dare block Grandpa Harry's path again! You used such filthy tricks on my brother—are you tired of living?!"

Harry straddled his broomstick, holding Hermione's unused broom in one hand as he flew straight toward Tom, intending to support him.

But Crabbe and Goyle blocked his way like a pair of guardian generals.

"Hmph, last time you escaped our hands only thanks to Tom's help. Now that he isn't nearby, let's see how we don't beat you to death!"

The two had been thoroughly humiliated in the train battle last time. Now, they finally had a chance to wash away their shame—though only part of it.

With that, they immediately drew their wands, intending to use the Floating Charm to throw Harry off balance and make him fall from his broom.

"Wah-yah-yah-yah!!! Take my spear!"

Harry directly used his broomstick as a lance, spinning it through the air like a windmill and sweeping everything before him.

As a magical item, the broomstick itself possessed a certain degree of magical resistance. The weak spells of ordinary first-years could not possibly break through Harry's windmill-like defense.

Before the two could come up with a response, Harry had already closed in on them.

The spear shot forth like a dragon!

The two guardian generals only felt darkness descend before their eyes.

By the time they came to their senses, they had already fallen to the ground. Their entire bodies ached, and beside them lay Draco, whom Tom had knocked down as well.

Slytherin had instantly lost three people, further widening the gap in numbers between them and Gryffindor. At that point, even superior flying skills were meaningless.

With their absolute numerical advantage, Gryffindor soon knocked every Slytherin student out of the air.

Although a few Gryffindor students had been knocked down as well, Gryffindor had won overall.

"Ha ha!! Normal College wins!"

"You crybabies from Serpent House should go home and train for another ten thousand years!"

Amid the cheers, two women hurried over. Seeing the mess covering the ground, they cried out, "What on earth are you doing?!"

Because the school grounds were protected by magical wards that prohibited Apparition, McGonagall and Hooch would have arrived much sooner otherwise.

"Tell me, why were you fighting? And who started it?"

McGonagall and Hooch each went to one side and immediately began checking the students' injuries.

Fortunately, the flying practice field was covered in grass, and the ground was relatively soft. As long as they had not fallen from too high up, their injuries would not be too serious.

"Professor McGonagall, you have to stand up for us!"

Draco struggled to his feet, then limped over while wailing.

Although he had been flying quite high before, he had cast the Floating Charm on himself before landing. As a result, he had merely broken both arms and suffered a few superficial wounds.

"It was Tom! He suddenly went mad and started attacking me! Even when I fled into the air, he chased after me all the way!"

Seeing Draco do this, the remaining Slytherins all followed the same approach.

"When we saw Draco being bullied, we only wanted to go up and help break up the fight. But those Gryffindors took advantage of the chaos within Slytherin to launch a sneak attack on us."

"That's right, Professor McGonagall, you have to seek justice for us!!"

"Please expel every Gryffindor!"

Seeing the Slytherins actually dare to accuse them first, the Gryffindors' temples bulged with veins. Some of the more impulsive ones even wanted to start punching again.

As the situation grew increasingly chaotic, Professor McGonagall immediately waved her wand.

"Muffliato Charm!"

At once, everyone's ears filled with a buzzing sound, and no one could hear anything outside.

Only after the scene had finally quieted down did Professor McGonagall lift the spell.

McGonagall raised her head and looked toward Tom at the back of the crowd. He was handing a transparent crystal ball to Neville.

"Mr. Riddle, please tell me what happened here."

"Draco snatched Neville's Memory Ball. I helped him take it back, and then a series of chain reactions followed," Tom answered simply.

Professor McGonagall immediately understood. "I see. Then this matter ends here. Slytherin loses fifty points for deliberately causing trouble. Mr. Riddle gains ten points for standing up for justice. Gryffindor also stood up for justice, but they were too heavy-handed, so their score will remain unchanged."

"Why? Professor, why do you believe only his side of the story?" Draco protested.

Why did Tom earn the professor's trust with no evidence, just by casually saying a few words, while he was covered in injuries and she would not even spare him a glance?

It was unfair. She was playing favorites.

"Was Mr. Riddle wrong?" McGonagall lowered her head, her square glasses fixed tightly on him.

"He..." Draco felt a chill creep into his heart and could not say a word.

"Mr. Malfoy lied to and deceived a professor. Another ten points from Slytherin," Professor McGonagall said decisively.

The reason she believed Tom was simple: Dumbledore had told her some things about him.

She knew that this child was kind-hearted. He could firmly refuse even the vault the Potter Family had offered him. On the train, he had bravely stepped in over another person's racial insult. When Neville's toad had gone missing, he had taken the initiative to search the entire train for it.

How could such a good child possibly be the sort of bad person who picked fights for no reason?

And Draco's subsequent reaction made it clear that he was indeed the one in the wrong.

"Everyone stay where you are and don't move, in case you've suffered internal injuries. I'll notify the school hospital right away," Madam Hooch instructed before immediately heading off the training grounds.

"Madam Hooch, come to my office after class," Professor McGonagall called after her.

Madam Hooch shuddered all over, then continued on her way.

The conflict between Gryffindor and Slytherin had not started yesterday, and fights between students from the two Houses had happened more than once or twice. Yet when arranging Flying Class, Madam Hooch had actually put these two most antagonistic Houses together.

Putting them together would have been one thing, but she had even left the children from the two Houses alone while departing the scene herself. Eleven was the most impulsive age for children, and they often acted without considering the consequences.

Clearly, Madam Hooch's teaching ability was severely lacking. She needed to consider whether to replace her with another professor.

After that.

Since nothing too serious had happened, Professor McGonagall did not linger. She was about to leave as well, but then seemed to remember something. The corner of her lips lifted slightly as she turned back. "Tom, Harry, come with me."

"?"

"?"

Tom and Harry exchanged puzzled looks, but immediately followed her anyway.

"Hmph, Professor McGonagall must think they went too far. She's taking them away to punish them in private," Draco secretly cursed from behind.

"Ah!!" A scream rang out.

Ron had made his move, secretly squeezing Draco's broken arm.

Things were not as Draco had imagined.

Professor McGonagall did not take Tom and Harry to her office for punishment. Instead, she brought them to the Quidditch pitch.

Several Quidditch players in green robes were currently warming up and training on the pitch.

"Headmistress McGonagall?"

Marcus Flint stepped forward. He was the Slytherin Quidditch captain.

"I've selected two children for you. They have considerable talent as Beaters."