Hogwarts at Four in the Morning, Mudblood (4000 words)

Early in the morning, as dawn was breaking.

Harry was then called out by Oliver Wood, the captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team.

Forced to get out of bed, wash up, put on training clothes, and carry the Nimbus 2000, I headed outside.

Before he could even leave the lounge, he was blocked by Colin Creevey.

Harry is now a little scared and annoyed by this junior. The junior has memorized his class schedule, and Harry has to ask him about it six or seven times a day!

Despite emphasizing that Quidditch practice was boring, Colin insisted on going along to watch, chattering away the whole way, asking Harry all sorts of questions.

With a cool morning breeze in the air, Harry, followed by Colin's little tail, walked toward the Quidditch Pitch.

Harry was still sleepy and couldn't help but yawn.

"Hey Lucien, good morning!"

Hearing Colin's excited greeting, Harry looked up and saw Lucien's familiar figure walking towards them from the direction of the pitch, carrying a...

Nimbus 2001?

Harry snapped to attention. When did Lucien buy a broom? And the latest Nimbus 2001 at that, even faster than the Nimbus 2000? Was Lucien going to Ravenclaw's team this year?

They're already back from training? Surely not this early?

Harry immediately sensed something was wrong. Although Ravenclaw wasn't strong in Quidditch due to their numbers and gender ratio, Lucien was strong. What would happen if they faced off against him in a match?

Good morning, Colin, Harry.

Lucien waved to them and went straight back to the castle.

Phew, I've finished training with Malfoy, time for breakfast.

Lucien, always eager to eat, walked quickly, and Harry didn't have time to ask him anything. Remembering that the team was waiting for training, he quickened his pace.

When Harry arrived at the locker room, he found the team members were all there. Wood was analyzing tactics and training plans for them, saying that he had studied them diligently over the summer.

Harry was very sleepy, but he tried his best to stay awake and listen because he felt quite guilty. He had missed last year's final, which led to Gryffindor's humiliating defeat.

After Wood finished his long speech, everyone finally arrived at the stadium.

Harry saw Ron Hermione in the stands, and Colin holding a camera, ready to take pictures at any moment.

"This is breakfast that Lucien asked us to bring you. Eat it after training."

Ron held up a lunchbox, the very same Christmas gift Lucien had given him last year.

Hearing Ron's call, Harry felt a surge of warmth in his heart and waved to show that he had heard him.

They had just taken off, and before anything even started, Wood saw Colin snapping photos and assumed the kid was a Slytherin spy. He was about to rush down to stop him, but George stopped him.

"Don't worry, Slytherin doesn't need to send spies..."

George gestured angrily downwards.

They came on their own.

An enraged Wood landed in front of the group of Slytherin in green robes, staggering slightly from the sudden movement, and roared at Flint:

"Flint! We're practicing now. I've booked the entire court; you guys should get out!"

Flint, who was even more muscular than Wood, stared at Wood defiantly, his tone mocking:

"Really? Then let me read this note to certain people..."

"Ahem, I, Professor Snape Severus Snape, grant the Slytherin Quidditch Team permission to practice at the Quidditch Pitch today in order to develop their new Seeker."

Wood's face was grim.

Where is the new Seeker?

Flint smiled and waved his hand.

"Come on, let everyone see our new Seeker, who has made a huge contribution to the team!"

The other team members stepped aside, revealing the slender Malfoy behind them.

But Malfoy seemed very sleepy, yawning repeatedly, and didn't hear what Flint had just said.

Seeing that Malfoy didn't come over on his own, Flint frowned, clearly displeased. He reached out and pulled Malfoy to his side, giving Malfoy a few sharp slaps on the back.

"Draco Malfoy, Slytherin's new Seeker."

"Thanks to him, our team has gained another powerful weapon!"

After saying that, the team member raised the Flying Broomstick in his hand.

The brand-new Nimbus 2001, its gleaming surface reflecting the morning light.

This inevitably put pressure on the members of Gryffindor.

Malfoy, stung by Flint's slap, cursed the man inwardly as a brute who had no sense of restraint. His drowsiness, coupled with the urge to cry, made him reach into his pocket and begin rummaging.

These days, Lucien is giving him special training, getting him up at four in the morning every day, saying:

How can you become a good Seeker if you've never experienced Hogwarts at four in the morning?

Thinking of Lucien's excellence, Malfoy felt that his hard work was definitely justified, so he had no complaints.

Malfoy checked his pockets and found that the Ox-Horse Potion seemed to be finished.

The Ox-Horse Potion is a magical potion invented by Lucien. It's a coffee-colored solution that's said to refresh the mind and replenish energy.

Malfoy also asked Lucien curiously why he chose such a strange name.

The explanation obtained is:

"After drinking it, you will have the strength of an ox and the speed of a horse, as well as extraordinary stamina. It is specially prepared for students who are busy with their studies and lack physical strength."

Malfoy thought about it and decided to forget about it; after all, Lucien said it would be available for sale at the Seventh Workshop today.

"Just buy a case when the time comes, "Malfoy thought, not bothering to offer any "friendship price" or discounts just because of his relationship with Lucien.

Pure-blood nobles haven't fallen to that level of destitution.

But Malfoy was really sleepy, and thinking about the training he had to do later, which would be even more tiring, he unconsciously drifted off to sleep.

Flint, being tall, didn't notice Malfoy's posture and only mocked Wood and his group:

"Tsk tsk, what Comet Cleansweep everything away... Sigh, maybe they'd be good for sweeping the floor, but as for Quidditch..."

Flint gently stroked the Nimbus 2001 in his hand, as if it were a rare treasure.

"We should use a real Flying Broomstick!"

After exchanging insults for a while, Hermione and Ron came over and, after asking around, learned what had happened.

Hermione glanced at Malfoy, only to find him nodding off, so she looked up directly at the tall, burly Flint, without the slightest fear:

"If winning or losing could be decided by brooms alone, then there would be no need for competitions; everyone could just compete to see whose broom is more expensive and faster. I don't think Gryffindor players need something like this to bolster their confidence."

Upon hearing this, Gryffindor cheered, and the twins whistled, saying in unison:

"That's right, I hope these shiny brooms can comfort your young hearts~~"

The Slytherin ' expressions darkened, and Flint, their leader, glared down at Hermione.

"You sharp-tongued little brat, I thought those front teeth would affect your speech, ha, you lowly Mudblood!"

silence.

After that word was uttered, the entire room fell silent.

Malfoy, who had been drowsy, became more awake. He had a feeling that he had missed something, but also dodged something.

Mudblood? Who's calling Mudblood?

"Bang!"

A muffled sound rang out, followed by a roar of pain mixed with rage:

"Ah! My broom!"

Malfoy opened his eyes wide and saw that Ron was holding an alchemical device that looked like Air Gun.

Turning my gaze, I saw that Flint had already flown several meters away, and was now kneeling on the ground, hugging the broken pieces of the Nimbus 2001.

Malfoy's first reaction was, "This thing seems pretty useful, should I get one too?"

Great Hall.

Lunchtime.

Malfoy and Lucien sat at one corner of the long table.

"Flint flew up right then and there. I must say, Weasley's Air Gun was pretty interesting. Of course, it's all thanks to Lucien's excellent teaching that we were able to make that kind of gadget. I think Muggle have something similar, what's it called, a metal wand?"

Lucien picked up a piece of crispy roast duck and muttered to himself, "What metal wand? That's a gun."

After listening to Malfoy's account, Lucien learned the general outline of the conflict on the field.

"So, you guys had a free-for-all kickboxing match afterwards?"

"Fighting? Oh, Lucien, you mean fighting with fists? Well, some people use fists and kicks, and some use wands."

Malfoy scooped up a spoonful of Mapo Tofu and continued:

"Oh dear, it was such a mess back then. Some people were even hitting it with brooms, and they almost broke another Nimbus 2001. It was really..."

Lucien pondered that this change was quite significant.

Upon closer examination, the fact that Ron's reinforced Flying Ford Anglia prevented his wand from breaking meant there would be no backlash from the spell. Therefore, without Ron's comical act of spitting out a slug to stop the conflict, the two sides ended up fighting.

With his own guidance, Ron created an Air Gun, and he's been getting better and better at it lately. In wizarding combat, his first instinct isn't to draw his wand, but to pull out his gun...

Well, alchemy tools are also magic, thankfully the art style isn't too off-topic.

Another point is about Malfoy. Because of the intense flight training he underwent, he was so tired that he didn't utter the word "Mudblood" like in the original story. However, some people still mentioned it, like Flint...

"Draco, since everyone was fighting, what were you doing? Whose side were you on?"

Lucien suddenly thought of this interesting blind spot and asked Malfoy about it with a smile.

Hearing this, Malfoy couldn't help but laugh, a smug look on his face.

"I'm from Slytherin, so I can't just stand by and watch, nor can I side with Potter and his group just because we're tutoring together. Otherwise, how can I maintain my position on the team and in the house? But I can't just go and fight those Gryffindor Lions, given our relationship..."

Malfoy pointed to himself and then to Lucien, and continued:

"You're friends with Potter and the others too. If I really make a move, you'll be in a difficult position. How could Malfoy put his friends in such a predicament?"

"So, I remembered that we practiced one-on-many battles during our tutoring sessions, right? So I gave Potter and Granger the hand signals, and with Weasley on the side, the three of us pulled out our wands and started exchanging blows!"

"Then I can fight while keeping my distance from those older students. They don't hold back when they fight, so I'll be fine on both sides, right?"

Listening to Malfoy's narration, Lucien also put down his chopsticks for a moment.

This kid is really something.

The Malfoy family has a good bloodline; with this skill, it's no wonder they've been able to pass it down to this day.

Lucien found it really funny and gave the Malfoy Tree a thumbs up.

"You are this."

Seeing this, Malfoy spoke even more enthusiastically.

"I guess during the fight, Weasley told Granger what that word meant, Granger took advantage of the gap to throw several spells towards the crowd. I reckon they hit Flint."

Lucien nodded. It was good that the little girl took revenge on the spot.

That word really sounds awful.

"Mudblood" is an insult directed at wizards from Muggle families, and it is no less offensive than saying to an orphan, "You motherless thing," or calling someone a "black brother."

Hearing Lucien say that, Malfoy seemed to realize something and gave an awkward smile.

"It's all that bastard Flint's fault, he's such a foul-mouthed jerk!"

To be honest, Malfoy had a very bad impression of Flint, thinking that the guy was both crude and stupid, relying only on brute force and completely lacking in insight and foresight.

"Anyway, we all got a scolding from our respective heads of household. I'm not too sure about Gryffindor, but Headmaster Snape put Flint in solitary confinement, a really serious one. Speaking of which..."

Malfoy lowered his voice and whispered:

"The dean's expression was terrifying; we'd never seen him so angry before."

Yeah, how could I not be angry?

It's estimated that this word was what Snape hated most, and what he resented most was himself for saying it to Lily back then.

"Sigh, I've only been in the team for a short time, I haven't even had any formal training yet, and the captain is gone."

Malfoy inevitably became depressed.

Lucien: "You don't have a vice-captain?"

Malfoy: "No, Flint is an arrogant and barbaric fellow who won't allow anyone to interfere with his command."

Lucien casually mentioned it:

"Then why don't you organize the others to practice first? I noticed you're quite familiar with Quidditch during the previous special training sessions."

Malfoy was interested in Quidditch from a young age, and his family's circumstances allowed him to fully cultivate this hobby.

In fact, Lucien estimated that, given Malfoy's flying skills and Quidditch abilities, he had a chance to make it into the House team based on his own merit.

However, perhaps he was too eager for quick success, or he just wanted to compete with Harry, so he insisted on running for the Seeker position and used "sponsorship" to obtain the qualification.

Upon hearing Lucien's suggestion, Malfoy pointed to himself and said incredulously:

"Me?"

Lucien chuckled softly.

"You're knowledgeable, technically skilled, and you even donated such a nice broom to the team. The others will give you face. Anyway, it's just routine practice, and you guys are just killing time."

"Besides, if the old folks don't leave, how can the young people take over?"

Upon hearing this, Malfoy's mind began to stir. Ambition was a hallmark of Slytherin; they were born to pursue power and glory.

This seems like an opportunity, though becoming captain directly is impossible; Flint was just put in solitary confinement, not dead.

But being able to lead the Quidditch team in training for the time being is something even Potter couldn't do!

Malfoy was determined that if this succeeded, he would definitely show off during Gryffindor training!