Slug Party

Before September was over, Gryffindor's Quidditch team trials finally came to an end.

Ginny Weasley, Demelza Robins, and Dean Thomas were chosen as Chasers; Jimmy Peakes and Ritchie Coote became Beaters; and Ron Weasley remained the Keeper.

On the day the list was posted on the notice board, the Gryffindor common room did not erupt into the usual enthusiastic cheers.

Instead, quiet murmurs quickly spread.

"Another Weasley."

"Harry and Ron, aren't they in the same dorm as Dean?"

"Ginny too... Isn't that a bit too much of a coincidence?"

The voices were not loud, but they were piercing enough. No one challenged Harry's decision to his face, yet whispers were everywhere—in the corridors, on the stairs, even at the far end of the dining table. Students from other Houses began discussing "Harry Potter's team of his own people" with knowing smiles.

Harry quickly realized how serious the problem was.

This was his first time serving as captain, and the first major decision he had made had already been branded as favoritism. No matter how he explained it to himself—Ron was the most experienced Keeper, while Dean and Ginny had truly performed well in the trials—those reasons seemed feeble in the face of public opinion.

He knew that as long as they lost a single match, every doubt would be confirmed.

When that happened, no one would look back at the training records or remember the trial performances. Every failure would be reduced to one sentence—Harry Potter had abused his authority.

This pressure did not come from professors, nor did it take the form of any overt punishment. It was a constant scrutiny that made it hard to breathe. Harry became exceptionally harsh during training, and nearly ruthless with himself, terrified that any mistake would be magnified without end.

It was