Ron's Suspicions
It's 7 o'clock, outside the castle.
"Wait, Harry, although Professor Snape has been very good to you, is there any possibility?" Ron suddenly asked doubtfully, after all, Snape had never been very nice to him, in his opinion.
"What? Ron, are you crazy?" Harry stopped walking back to the castle and turned to look at Ron.
"Do you remember Snape's tone in our first lesson, when he said those words—'I can teach you how to raise reputation, how to make glory, and even how to stop death.' You heard it, stop death!"
"Professor Snape may be a good man, but good men also have desires, especially when it comes to the Philosopher's Stone. Maybe he just wanted to steal it to study it and then quietly return it." Ron vividly imitated Snape's usual tone of voice.
"Come on, if you're going to doubt Professor Snape, you might as well doubt Quirrell!"
"He used to be said to be very talented, but now he's suddenly changed. Also, regarding the effect of my Red Spark, Professor Dumbledore mentioned purification. In my opinion, he must have been cursed and then coerced into stealing the Philosopher's Stone."
"That's why he forgot Crabbe and didn't answer Professor McGonagall's question about where he was at that time. He was very likely in the forbidden area on the fourth floor."
"Did you notice? He was the first one to arrive from the fifth floor. Professor Snape must have sensed something and went to the fourth floor, so he was quick too. As for Professor McGonagall, she's not that kind of person," Harry guessed. Ryan was secretly surprised; he was almost right.
Ryan is a time traveler, but is Harry Potter a time traveler?
"So Quirrell is indeed a prime suspect, but why couldn't the one who coerced him be Snape? Quirrell was once his student, and he might have some secret about Quirrell. He just happened to know about the Philosopher's Stone, so he cursed and coerced him." Ron still suspected Snape.
"Come on, Ron, I think you just think Professor Snape is targeting you all the time," Harry teased.
"Alright, it's too late. I got kicked out by Hagrid because of you guys. I was hoping to ask my mother some funny stories from her youth," Ryan said, feigning frustration.
"You can do that too. I'll ask my mom and dad about embarrassing things they did, and when they talk about me about it someday, I'll... hehe." Ron's attention was immediately diverted.
Harry also looked thoughtful.
The next morning, the weather was clear and chilly. The restaurant was filled with the enticing aroma of roasting sausages, and everyone was excitedly chatting, anticipating an exciting Quidditch Match.
Ron was eating small sausages one after another, seemingly venting his frustration at not getting Hagrid's sausages yesterday.
"Harry, eat up," Ron mumbled, his mouth full of sausage.
"I don't want to eat anything," Harry said.
"Have some toast," Anthony coaxed.
"I'm not hungry." Harry felt terrible. In another hour, he would be heading to the arena.
Although Quidditch was a minor problem for him—he'd been to the ocean depths and even single-handedly defeated Troll—the unreliable team, the elusive goalkeeper, and the fear of tarnishing the reputation of the Seeker genius James Potter's son made him lose his appetite.
Ryan understood this perfectly. However, if Harry's teammates were the Gryffindor Quidditch Team from the original timeline, he wouldn't be in this state after experiencing so much.
"Harry, you need to maintain your stamina," Michael said. "The Seeker is always the opponent's primary target."
"Thank you, Michael," Harry said, watching Michael spread a thick layer of ketchup on his sausage.
By eleven o'clock, it seemed that the entire school's teachers and students had gathered in the stands around the Quidditch Pitch.
Many students also brought binoculars.
The seats were practically raised to mid-air, but sometimes it was still difficult to see the game clearly.
Ryan and Hermione moved to the top row and Ron, Neville, Anthony, and his two underlings Terry and Michael.
To surprise Harry, they used a sheet stained with the mouse Scabbers to create a giant banner that read "Potter Win!" Terry drew an eagle with outstretched wings, and then Anthony cast a clever spell to make the paint on the banner shimmer with different colors.
Soon after, Draco arrived with two henchmen and sat down next to Ron. Ron gave a soft hum, signifying his acceptance.
Meanwhile, in the locker room, the goalkeeper finally appeared. He was very strong, like an adult version of Dudley. Thinking of this, Harry felt a nausea in his stomach. Dudley belonged to Hufflepuff; if he failed, Dudley would be humiliated.
So Harry absentmindedly changed into their sky-blue Quidditch uniforms with the other team members (the Hufflepuff Team wore yellow), completely ignoring Roger's words.
"Relax, everyone. Our opponent this time is Hufflepuff, and we have no chance of losing."
"Harry, remember your tactics: when the ball comes, cling to it like a sloth and dodge it. Also, try to fly in a zigzag pattern. Harry, Harry!" Roger boasted, patting Harry on the shoulder.
"Come on, Roger, you little kid, don't be ridiculous. If Harry goes in a zigzag pattern, how is he supposed to steal the Golden Snitch?!" Henry was furious. He usually disdained participating in tactical training, and when he heard about this "tactic" for the first time, he was so angry he felt like his lungs were about to explode.
"I am the captain!" Roger roared.
Before they could even start arguing, time was up. Harry was completely bewildered; he still didn't know the Beater's or goalkeeper's names.
According to his observation, both Chaser directly expressed their dissatisfaction with Roger, while the two Beater and the goalie remained silent, seemingly indifferent to worldly affairs.
Harry followed Roger out of the locker room and onto the roaring pitch. The crowd was nothing to him, but Dudley, sitting in the front row watching the game, made his legs feel weak.
Madam Hooch acted as the referee.
She stood in the center of the field, holding her flying broom, waiting for both teams.
"Listen, I want everyone to compete fairly and Honesty," she said as her teammates gathered around her.
Harry forced his gaze away from Dudley, then caught sight of the banner fluttering high above the crowd, its words "Potter Will Win" shining brightly.
And then there's Malfoy, who stood up and waved, his pale blond hair Winky in the sunlight—no, and Ron, who also stood up, not to be outdone.
Malfoy, looking defiant, had Goyle and Crabbe lift him high in the air.
Pfft! Harry couldn't help but laugh, all his worries vanishing.
"Very good, as expected of Harry Potter. Do it your way from now on, this is based on my experience," the blond, robust, and kind-looking Henry said in his ear.
"Please hop on your flying brooms," said Madam Hooch, then blew her silver whistle loudly.
Harry straddles his Nimbus 2000.
Fifteen flying brooms rose from the ground and soared high into the sky.
The match has begun.