Cast a Bait

Tom walked over and sat down. Hermione immediately leaned closer and asked in a hushed voice.

"I forgot to ask you yesterday. That night, you suddenly appeared as if you'd turned invisible. Did you use some kind of magic?"

Tom glanced at Madam Pince, who was sitting not far away, then leaned to Hermione's ear and whispered, "The Disillusionment Charm. It makes you invisible by altering the light. It's more useful than an ordinary Invisibility Cloak."

"Where did you learn it?" Hermione's eyes lit up, her curiosity piqued.

"Advanced Practical Spells on the innermost bookshelf. It's also in the fifth-year textbook."

As soon as Tom finished speaking, Hermione hurried off to find the book. She picked it up and began poring over it, so engrossed that she forgot to thank him.

After a while, Tom nudged Hermione with his elbow. She looked up with a frown, wearing an unmistakable "don't bother me" expression.

"Can I ask you something?" Tom raised an eyebrow. "Did Harry and Ron make up their minds about my suggestion yesterday?"

Hermione instantly grew wary. "Tom, you definitely have something up your sleeve. There's a catch here. What are you really up to?"

"Oh, why are you accusing me?" Tom put on a wounded, utterly innocent look.

"I only helped them because you asked. We're good friends, and being in different houses doesn't change that, right?"

Tom had meant to swear by Slytherin's reputation, but he swallowed the words before they left his mouth.

Forget it. Slytherin's reputation was worth even less than a house-elf's promise. Saying that would only make her more suspicious. He'd have to play the friendship card.

A few sweet words later, Hermione's cheeks flushed. She coyly tapped Tom twice with her little fist. "I don't believe you, you big liar. You're definitely up to no good."

"You can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want." Tom smiled and caught her hand, gently lowering it. "I was just curious, that's all."

Hermione couldn't get rid of him, so she murmured, "When I was leaving, I saw Harry and Ron go to find George and Fred. Ron looked thrilled, so I guess they did what you suggested."

Tom's lips curled into a sly grin. The fish had finally taken the bait.

Meanwhile, in the Gryffindor Common Room, Harry and Ron were surrounded by a crowd of little lions.

Ron stood on the sofa, spraying spittle as he spoke. "That shameless Malfoy challenged Harry to a duel just because Harry beat him in Flying Class!"

"Harry's a brilliant flyer. Even Wood said he had talent!"

"Ask Wood for the details. Malfoy just couldn't stand losing face, so he challenged Harry. Lots of people saw him come over with Crabbe and Goyle, right?"

Several boys nearby immediately nodded. "Yeah! He stormed over on Thursday afternoon, said a couple of things to Harry, then left!"

"See? We've got witnesses!" Ron exclaimed, pounding his chest.

"We waited half an hour, but he never showed. Then Filch turned up with that mangy cat of his!"

He nudged Harry with his foot, and Harry immediately put on a heartbroken, furious expression.

Harry jumped onto the sofa. "Ron said wizard duels are sacred. Someone like Malfoy, a Pure-blood, should care most about his family's honor."

"If it had been any other kind of trap, I never would've fallen for it. But it was a duel challenge from the Malfoy family, and he actually... actually didn't show up?"

Harry stumbled over his words, then suddenly drew a blank, forgetting the line Tom had taught him.

Luckily, George and Fred reacted quickly and filled in for him. "What a sad state of affairs! He's brought shame on every Pure-blood!"

The Common Room erupted in laughter and curses. Ron lifted his chin smugly, while Harry quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

Gryffindors had plenty of good qualities: they were brave, steadfast, and valued honor.

But to put it bluntly, they were reckless, oblivious to danger, stubborn, and proud.

Human nature was complicated, and opposite traits could coexist. But the Sorting system magnified these qualities until young wizards fit their house labels more and more closely.

These little lions had already been thoroughly steeped in the house atmosphere. When they heard that Harry and Ron had been sneaking around the castle after only a week at school, they didn't scold them. They admired them instead.

They praised the boys for being gutsy and having backbone. Only Percy frowned, wanting to lecture them, but he'd gotten caught up in the story and couldn't bring himself to interrupt.

When they heard that Malfoy had stood them up, the little lions erupted, hurling increasingly nasty insults and looking thoroughly pleased with themselves.

See that? The haughty Slytherins didn't even have the courage to duel a Gryffindor. They were nothing but cowards!

Watching his classmates erupt, Harry suddenly felt a little afraid of Tom, a Slytherin. He'd read them so perfectly, as if he'd known all along how they'd react.

If Tom had known, he would've scoffed. There was no need to make a fuss. It only took a little sense to manipulate a bunch of reckless, prideful fools.

When the Common Room quieted down a little, Harry cleared his throat and called out loudly.

"I'm not trying to show off. I just want to warn everyone: if a Slytherin challenges you to a duel, don't fall for it. They won't show up!"

Another burst of laughter followed. The remark made Harry sound magnanimous while taking a jab at Slytherin. Of course, Harry and Ron hadn't come up with it; it was all George and Fred's idea.

And were they worried the story wouldn't spread? They were underestimating Gryffindor.

If they didn't take this chance to smear Slytherin and mock Malfoy, could they even call themselves Gryffindors?

As soon as Harry finished speaking, several students rushed out to spread the story.

Harry and Ron exchanged a look, their eyes full of triumph. It worked!

All weekend, the story of Malfoy dodging the duel spread through the castle.

The Gryffindor little lions became walking megaphones. Whenever they ran into Hufflepuffs or Ravenclaws, they told Harry and Ron's story in vivid detail.

When they met Slytherins, they made sarcastic remarks and spoke in vague hints, leaving the young snakes tearing their hair out in frustration.

The Hufflepuff students were laid-back. They just gathered around and chuckled. The Ravenclaws, however, couldn't hold back. They'd had plenty of grudges against Slytherin over the years.

Everyone knew how Slytherin had won the House Cup six years in a row.

Gryffindor lost points by getting into trouble without anyone's help, and Hufflepuff kept to themselves and barely stood out. The only house that could hold its own against Slytherin was Ravenclaw.

If Ravenclaw had a head of house as protective as Snape, the House Cup might not have been Slytherin's to win.

With such a good chance to kick someone while they were down, Ravenclaw naturally wasn't going to let it pass. They played to their strengths, digging through records and dredging up dirt to deal Malfoy a devastating blow.

A disheveled Ravenclaw girl in glasses held up a book. Her lenses flashing, she pushed into the crowd and shouted.

"Don't think Malfoy's cowardice is just a personal failing. It's a family tradition, passed down through generations!"

"His great-great-great-grandfather dueled a Muggle knight and won by feeding the knight's horse a powerful laxative. What a dirty trick!"

"And his great-great-great-grandfather's brother bribed people and rigged the betting when he dueled a powerful wizard. He made a fortune, laying the foundations for the Malfoy family's wealth!"