This was undoubtedly a terrible Saturday.
Harry had not rested well all night and had even had a nightmare that morning, yet he still had to get up early for Quidditch practice.
By eleven o'clock at noon, the entire school's students and staff began heading toward the Quidditch pitch.
The weather was somewhat hot and humid today, with faint rumbles of thunder sounding in the sky.
Harry greeted Ron and Hermione, who had hurried over to wish him luck, then suddenly came to his senses and said to Ron:
"Remember to tell Hermione about that!"
"Mate, today's an important day. Can you stop thinking about that for now? I'll tell her afterward."
Ron gave Harry some encouragement and quickly left.
Harry was a little angry at his careless attitude, and his gaze instinctively turned toward the professors' stands. Professor Li Wei was standing among them with a blank expression.
The shadow cast by yesterday's nightmare had yet to fade. Just looking at him made Harry feel afraid.
Meanwhile, in the teachers' viewing area, Snape was speaking with Li Wei.
"I never thought you would come to watch a Quidditch match too."
His voice was calm, lacking the usual mockery that always clung to it.
"Yes, my state of mind has changed somewhat lately."
Amid the deafening cheers, Li Wei watched fourteen Quidditch players shoot into the lead-gray sky, while Harry immediately drew everyone's attention by flying at the highest altitude.
It had to be said that he was quite dazzling when playing Quidditch, possessing at last a little of the bearing worthy of the honorific The Chosen One.
"What a novelty—talk as if no one ever changes."
A glint flashed in Snape's eyes. He continued staring straight at the Quidditch pitch without looking at Li Wei.
"You never change, do you?"
"..."
Snape turned his head slightly. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Li Wei standing tall, still watching the match, as if he had only spoken those words casually.
He suddenly realized that ever since his last conversation with Dumbledore, Li Wei truly seemed different. When had this man ever spoken to him in such a conversational manner before?
Thinking of what he had said yesterday, an idea in Snape's heart began to stir. "Don't think you know me that well."
He first tried to save face for himself.
Li Wei ignored him. From the stands, the voice of Quidditch commentator Lee Jordan took center stage:
"Slytherin is far ahead, with the score currently sixty to zero! I heard they got hold of a batch of super brooms from who knows where.
Obviously, they have an enormous advantage in flight. This is an unfair victory—Professor McGonagall! I understand."
The commentator's bias was painfully obvious, but after being warned by his own Head of House, he obediently quieted down.
Listening to Lee Jordan, Snape was not angry in the slightest. Instead, his mood improved by several degrees.
Seeing that Li Wei had not responded, he thought for a moment, lightly cleared his throat, and asked:
"How long are you planning to stay at Hogwarts this time?"
"I don't know—perhaps a year, perhaps several years—but that is not up to me.
Maybe when the year is over, I will be lucky just to pack up and leave safely."
"Isn't that just a legend? Even you believe it?"
"A legend? Before me, more than thirty professors have rotated through this position. Do you expect me to attribute all that entirely to coincidence?
Rather than believe that, I would prefer to see it as the result of both magic and human intervention.
As far as I know, quite a few Professors of Defense Against the Dark Arts met bad ends after leaving Hogwarts. Many quietly died in some unknown corner within just a few years—I suspect that has much to do with the Death Eaters still loyal to Voldemort."
After hearing Li Wei's analysis, Snape clicked his tongue irritably.
If it were himself, he certainly would not believe in this curse. After all, he himself was a Death Eater.
But now that Li Wei was facing this curse, Snape found himself unable to ignore the possibility of the spell's existence.
So for now, it was best to assume that he could only work with Li Wei for one school year.
Rumble—
Accompanied by muffled thunder, the rain fell harder, and the match entered an increasingly crucial phase.
Gryffindor had only scored ten points so far, while Slytherin had already scored one hundred and twenty thanks to the brand-new Nimbus 2001s funded by the Malfoy family.
If they scored any more points, then even if Harry caught the Golden Snitch, he would not be able to turn the match around.
Snape's mood grew even better.
But that good mood soon vanished—the Golden Snitch, the most crucial element of the entire match, was just inches above Malfoy's left ear, yet he had not noticed it at all.
And Harry was already charging toward Malfoy—Snape's smile vanished completely.
Through the hazy curtain of rain, Harry reached out before the eyes of the entire crowd and grabbed fiercely—his fingers closed around the Golden Snitch, but the flying broom clamped between his legs plunged straight toward the ground!
With a bang, water splashed everywhere.
Everyone rushed over, while Harry excitedly raised one hand high—the Golden Snitch was clenched tightly in his left hand.
"A spectacular comeback! Harry Potter! Our Chosen One has saved the Gryffindor team once again!"
Lee Jordan's voice rang throughout the pitch.
"What an idiot. He was so busy taunting his opponent that he did not even notice what was right beside him!"
Snape was clearly dissatisfied with Malfoy's performance and muttered an unhappy curse under his breath.
Then he casually glanced at Li Wei—he swore that if the other man dared mock him by even one word, he would leave immediately.
Yet what made Snape feel strangely unsettled was that Li Wei was neither looking at him nor at Harry on the pitch. Instead, his gaze rested on Professor McGonagall—ever since he had noticed signs of Harry's comeback a minute ago, he had been watching her.
"You do not usually get to see Professor McGonagall like this, do you?"
Following Li Wei's line of sight, Snape saw her cheering and clapping in delight over Gryffindor's victory, the smile on her face impossible to hide.
Watching Professor McGonagall like this, Li Wei felt her image become much more vivid in his mind. She was no longer merely a pen pal he communicated with through letters.
He seemed to be understanding more and more what Dumbledore meant by "moments."
"Ahem—Li Wei."
Just as he was quietly thinking, Snape's voice suddenly sounded again.
"What is it, Snape?"
"Look at him."
Li Wei followed his gaze—Harry was currently surrounded by everyone and being tossed high into the air again and again.
"Students these days are getting worse and worse. Such a trivial little achievement is enough to make them so full of themselves."
"They are only celebrating. Are you not being a little too sensitive?"
Snape was rebuked by him and immediately forgot his earlier purpose. He sharply turned to glare at Li Wei, then suddenly stepped closer and said through gritted teeth:
"Speaking of which—we represent the House that clearly lost, yet you seem rather happy. Have you figured out which side you are supposed to be on?"
"The middle."
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