Quidditch Season

By November, the weather had begun to turn cold.

The mountains surrounding the school had turned a bleak gray, and the lake was frozen like cold steel. Every morning, the ground was covered in snow. Hogwarts Castle looked especially lonely beneath the winter sky, its tower spires piled high with snow that reflected a blinding white glare in the sunlight. From the upper windows, Hagrid could be seen pacing along the edge of the Forbidden Forest, wrapped in a moleskin coat, wearing rabbit-fur gloves and enormous beaver-fur boots, like a clumsy, shaggy bear.

Every morning when Su Yu emerged from the Slytherin common room, he had to hunch his neck in the corridor. The dungeons were already cold, and winter made them bone-chillingly so. Daphne had knitted him a silver-and-green scarf, which Su Yu wore every day. Kurama had one too, but she still preferred to lie on Su Yu's scarf to keep warm.

Quidditch season was about to begin.

The entire school was talking about it. In the corridors, the Great Hall, and classrooms, people everywhere were discussing which House would win.

Someone had leaked the news that Harry was a Seeker. Some people told Harry he was brilliant, while others said they ought to carry a mattress beneath him in case he fell.

Su Yu heard from Hermione that she had often been tutoring Harry with his homework lately. She had also found him a copy of the Quidditch Compendium. Harry had been reading it with such relish that he even read while eating.

"He really likes Quidditch," Hermione said to Su Yu as she sat at the Slytherin table. She often came over to eat with Su Yu now, and she knew the aisle between the Gryffindor and Slytherin tables better than the corridors. "I think he's interested in everything except studying."

Su Yu leaned against Daphne's shoulder and listened to Hermione speak.

"Oh, right." Hermione lowered her voice and leaned closer. "Harry said Snape seemed to be stealing something."

Su Yu raised an eyebrow.

"Do you remember that Three-Headed Dog we talked about before?" Hermione's eyes lit up. "The one I told you about that night? Later, I found that the Three-Headed Dog was standing on top of a trapdoor. Harry said Snape wanted to steal whatever was beneath it."

Su Yu rubbed her little head.

"Sometimes, what your eyes see isn't the truth," Su Yu said.

Hermione blinked her large eyes, not understanding what Su Yu meant.

On the morning of the Quidditch match, dawn came early, and it was terribly cold.

When Su Yu crawled out of bed, it felt as though outside the blankets was another world. Kurama was still curled up beneath the covers, with only the tip of her nose exposed, her nine tails wrapped tightly around herself. Ka-jie had already washed and dressed. She needed to arrange today's Quidditch plans first, so she could not go with Su Yu and the others.

She kissed Su Yu on the face, then left the dormitory.

When Su Yu fished Kurama out from beneath the blankets, her tails puffed up into a ball.

The Great Hall was filled with the delicious scent of fried sausages. The long tables were piled with steaming breakfast: toast, fried eggs, bacon, sausages, and a huge pot of hot porridge. The students chattered excitedly, eagerly awaiting the spectacular Quidditch match. Su Yu noticed that almost none of the food in front of Harry at the Gryffindor table had been touched—he was too nervous. Ron patted his shoulder and said something beside him, while Hermione was also there, holding a small booklet and apparently explaining tactics to Harry.

Su Yu ate a great deal. He liked winter, though paradoxically, he did not like it being too cold. Fa-jie even fed him several sausages, while Daphne helped him wrap up his scarf.

Around eleven o'clock, it seemed as though every student in the school had gathered in the Quidditch stadium stands.

Many people had brought binoculars. The stands were high, and the seats seemed to have been raised somewhat, but with so many people, it was still difficult at times to see what was happening on the pitch. The flags of all four Houses fluttered in the stands—a red lion, a green serpent, a blue eagle, and a yellow badger—crackling in the cold wind.

Su Yu was a little cold, so he said he needed to hug Fa-jie to warm up.

Naturally, Fa-jie did not refuse. The two of them sat in the front row of the stands. Fa-jie wore a high-collared sweater today, along with a thick dark robe and a fur-collared coat over it. Su Yu hugged her from the side, buried his face in her chest, and practically collapsed into her arms. Fa-jie's body temperature was high; hugging her was like hugging a stove.

"Still cold?" Fa-jie asked, looking down at him.

"I'm okay," Su Yu's voice came muffled from against her chest.

Fa-jie smiled, pulled Su Yu more firmly into her arms, then tucked the hand he had wrapped around her waist beneath her sweater.

Ka-jie stood nearby with her arms crossed, watching the pitch below. She wore a dark green robe today, with a silver snake-shaped brooch pinned to her collar. Her hair was swept up, revealing her slender neck. Her expression was focused, her gray-green eyes narrowed against the cold wind, her lips pressed slightly together. Her entire presence radiated an unmistakable air of don't talk to me.

Daphne was not beside Su Yu today. Holding a hand warmer, she sat in the topmost row with Malfoy, Pansy, and several other Slytherin students. They held up a large flag that read, "For the Glory of Slytherin!" Pansy and Daphne held the flagpole while Malfoy shouted slogans beside them. Crabbe and Goyle stood behind them with their mouths open, and it was impossible to tell whether they were shouting or yawning.

Kurama poked her head out from Su Yu's arms, glanced at the pitch below, then tucked herself back in.

"So many people," Kurama said. "Isn't it just riding brooms and chasing a ball?"

"You don't understand. Actually, I don't understand either. What's so interesting about it...?" Su Yu said.

Kurama snorted and buried her face in the crook of Su Yu's arm.

Referee Madam Hooch's whistle sounded, and the match began.

Fourteen flying brooms shot up from the ground and soared into the sky.

The Slytherin players wore silver-and-green uniforms, while the Gryffindor players wore scarlet, making them especially conspicuous against the gray-white sky. Su Yu squinted upward. The sunlight was somewhat glaring, and he could only barely make out the rapidly moving figures.

Slytherin completely dominated from the start.

Their captain and Seeker, Marcus Flint, was a tall, powerfully built sixth-year student who looked like a small mountain atop his broom. His flying style was rough and direct—not the nimble, evasive kind, but more the sort that said, I'm right here, and you can't crash into me. Several Gryffindor players were shoved aside by him and nearly fell from their brooms.

Slytherin's Beaters were also the best in the school. The two older students—Adrian and Peregrine—worked in perfect coordination, their bats whistling through the air. Under their blows, the Bludgers flew like two black cannonballs, accurately hurtling toward the Gryffindor players. Although the Weasley twins, Gryffindor's Beaters, were quite skilled, Adrian and Peregrine were more experienced. Several times, they drove the Bludgers near the Gryffindor players' brooms, forcing them to dodge.

Less than ten minutes after the match began, Slytherin had scored twice.

Slytherin's Chasers worked together as smoothly as flowing water—Montague broke through on the left and passed the Quaffle to Pucey in the center. Pucey feinted past Gryffindor's Keeper, Wood, then gave a light toss. The Quaffle passed through Gryffindor's goal hoop.

Deafening cheers erupted from the Slytherin stands. Malfoy raised the flag even higher, Pansy screamed, and Crabbe and Goyle finally reacted, shouting along a few times.

"Slytherin! Slytherin!"

Su Yu noticed Ka-jie's expression change.

She was not cheering. Her gaze remained fixed on the pitch, her brows slightly furrowed, her lips moving. Su Yu listened carefully—she was directing them.

"Montague, your left side is open! Stop charging through the middle!"

"Adrian, that Bludger was too high! Keep it lower!"

Ka-jie stood at the very front of the stands, one hand gripping the railing and the other clenched into a fist, her gray-green eyes tracking every Slytherin player on the pitch. Her voice carried an unquestionable command that worked even better than Madam Hooch's whistle.

Hearing her voice, the Slytherin players immediately adjusted their tactics. Montague began breaking through on the left, while Adrian's strikes lowered. Several times, he nearly hit Gryffindor's Seeker—that first-year newcomer, Harry Potter.

But Gryffindor was not crushed.

Their Keeper, Wood, played magnificently, blocking three consecutive Slytherin shots. The Weasley twins also began their counterattack. The red Bludgers flew all over Slytherin's half of the pitch, nearly knocking Montague from his broom several times.

And Harry Potter—that first-year newcomer—flew all over the pitch on his Nimbus 2000.

Su Yu watched him.

Harry's flying posture was completely different from the way he usually walked. The Nimbus 2000 gleamed gold beneath the sunlight, moving at astonishing speed—faster than any of Slytherin's brooms. Yet accidents kept happening to him.

"That Potter flies pretty well, but why does it always feel like his broom isn't listening to him?" Fa-jie said.

"Yeah, probably some other accident," Su Yu said.

The match had gone on for nearly an hour, and Slytherin was leading by fifty points. The Gryffindor players looked somewhat exhausted, but Harry's energy seemed inexhaustible. He kept circling high above, his eyes sweeping every corner of the pitch in search of the Golden Snitch. For some reason, though, his broom was being a little disobedient today.

Ka-jie shouted herself hoarse from the sidelines.

"Pucey! Someone's on your right! Move!"

"Montague, pass! Don't carry it yourself!"

"Flint! The Golden Snitch is on your left! Left!"

Marcus Flint abruptly turned and charged in the direction Ka-jie indicated. He saw it—the Golden Snitch was hovering less than two meters above the ground, over a patch of low grass, its wings beating rapidly with a buzzing sound.

Gryffindor's Seeker, Harry, saw it too.

The two brooms dived at the same time. The Nimbus 2000 was visibly faster, Harry's body practically pressed against the broom as the wind made his robes snap loudly. Flint's broom was from the Cleansweep series and was no match in speed.

But Flint was closer to the Golden Snitch.

The two reached out at the same time, their fingers grasping for that tiny golden ball—

Suddenly, Harry's broom abruptly accelerated out of control and nearly threw him off.

Then the spectators saw Harry collide with Flint. Harry plummeted rapidly from the air and finally fell from his broom.

It turned out that Harry had swallowed the Golden Snitch in midair. He covered his mouth with both hands and coughed. Then a golden object dropped into his hand.

"I caught the Golden Snitch!" he shouted, waving his hand over his head.

The whistle blew.

Madam Hooch's voice spread across the stadium under the effects of the Sonorus Charm. "The Golden Snitch has been caught by Gryffindor Seeker Harry Potter! The match is over! Gryffindor wins!"

The Gryffindor stands exploded.

The red flags churned like a sea of fire. Cheers, screams, and whistles mixed together, making Su Yu's ears hurt. The Weasley twins high-fived in the air, while Wood was so excited that he jumped off his broom and was caught by his teammates.

When Harry returned to the Gryffindor stands surrounded by Gryffindor players, he wore an expression that said, I can't believe it. Hermione rushed in front of him, too excited to speak, and simply patted his shoulder hard. Ron jumped around beside them.

The Slytherin stands fell silent.

Su Yu looked at the scoreboard—Gryffindor had won one hundred and seventy to sixty. Harry had caught the Golden Snitch, earning Gryffindor one hundred and fifty points, overturning the score in an instant and ending the match.

Ka-jie released the railing, her hand dropping to her side. Her lips were pressed together, and her expression was calm.

"So close," Ka-jie said. Her voice was slightly hoarse.

Malfoy cried that it was impossible, but there was nothing he could do.

Su Yu straightened up from Fa-jie's arms, walked to Ka-jie's side, and patted her shoulder.

"They played well," Su Yu said.

"They lost," Ka-jie said.

"They can win next time."

Ka-jie turned to look at him. In her green eyes was reflected the crowd gradually dispersing from the pitch. Her lips moved, but in the end, she said nothing and merely nodded slightly.

Daphne walked over and handed the hand warmer in her hands to Ka-jie. Ka-jie accepted it, held it in her hands, lowered her head to look at the little brass warmer, and said nothing.

The Slytherin players came down from the pitch. Montague's hair was a mess, Pucey's robe was torn, and Flint's face was livid. They walked beneath the stands and looked up at Ka-jie and Su Yu.

"Sorry," Flint said.

Ka-jie looked down at him.

"It's not your fault," Ka-jie said. "Win it back next time."

Flint nodded and left with the players.

Su Yu stood in the stands and watched Gryffindor continue celebrating. Harry was hoisted onto Ron's shoulders, Hermione clapped beside them, and Percy wore a rare smile. In the distance, Professor Snape stood in the teachers' stand, his expression as gloomy as the sky before a storm.

Su Yu turned around and looked at the people beside him. Fa-jie, Ka-jie, and Daphne all stood quietly by his side. There were no complaints, no dejection, no blaming one another. They simply stood there in silence, watching the flags over the pitch slowly droop in the wind.

"Let's go," Su Yu said. "Let's head back and eat."

He started walking toward the bottom of the stands. Fa-jie and Ka-jie followed behind him, while Daphne walked beside him.

By the time they returned to the castle, the Great Hall was already full. However, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were nowhere to be seen.

Su Yu sat down, with Fa-jie on his right, Daphne on his left, and Ka-jie seated beside Fa-jie. Kurama jumped onto the table, and a slice of cheesecake was soon placed in front of her.

"I want three slices," Kurama said.

"Why two fewer slices?" Su Yu asked.

"Because we lost. Losing puts me in no mood to eat too much."

Su Yu looked at Kurama. Kurama buried her face in the cake and did not look at him.

Daphne poured Su Yu a cup of hot tea. Ka-jie placed a sausage on his plate, while Fa-jie removed his scarf, folded it neatly, and set it aside.

Su Yu lifted the teacup and took a sip.

"Is there another match next week?" Su Yu asked.

"No," Ka-jie said. "The next match is Gryffindor against Hufflepuff."

"Then we can get some proper rest."

Fa-jie smiled and reached out to ruffle Su Yu's hair. Su Yu did not dodge.

Outside the window, the sky was gray and snowflakes began to drift down. Hogwarts Castle stood quietly in the winter afternoon, its torches swaying on the stone walls in the wind and casting the long corridors into shifting light and shadow.