Draco stood to the side, listening to this string of all-too-familiar praise, silently muttering to himself:
That sounds so familiar... Isn't that the exact line Wood said when he saw him fly?
Draco couldn't help but smile as he looked at Hermione, who was still a little embarrassed in mid-air.
Alright, same captain, same compliment, saves him the trouble of finding excuses for her again.
Hermione was stunned for a moment before realizing she had actually passed, and she smiled a little embarrassedly.
The others couldn't help but cheer and rejoice for Hermione.
After praising Hermione, Wood eagerly turned to Harry, his blood boiling again:
" Potter, it's your turn! I can see your talent. Let's try the Seeker and see how sensitive you are to the Golden Snitch!"
As he spoke, he turned to the veteran player and called out, and the player responsible for placing the ball immediately nodded.
With a flick of his finger, an extremely thin and fast golden light shot into the sky, weaving through the twilight like a shooting star.
The speed was so fast, sometimes high, sometimes low, that even experienced senior team members had to squint to keep up with the slightest movement.
"Grab it! Potter!" Wood shouted, his fist clenched, his voice trembling.
Harry barely hesitated; he flipped over, mounted his broom, and charged forward, instantly leaping into the air.
Instead of blindly chasing after it, he narrowed his eyes slightly and subconsciously adjusted his center of gravity to follow the Golden Snitch's trajectory.
Every turn, every acceleration, was precisely timed to coincide with the Golden Snitch.
The Golden Snitch swooped down, then suddenly pulled up, spinning rapidly in place, using every tricky trajectory imaginable.
But Harry stayed close behind it like a shadow, getting closer and closer, his posture incredibly steady.
Everyone on the ground tilted their heads back, held their breath, and even the murmurs ceased.
The veteran players' faces were filled with shock.
Their years of training in tracking skills couldn't match that of a freshman.
Just as the Golden Snitch attempted to disappear into the clouds, Harry suddenly leaned forward, his broom bursting at top speed, and he thrust forward with precise single-handed aim.
The fingertips firmly grasped that struggling golden light.
He slowly descended, landed smoothly, and opened his palm. The tiny Golden Snitch trembled gently in his palm, its wings still shimmering with golden light.
The entire arena fell silent for two seconds.
The next second, Wood let out a wild shout of joy:
"Got it! Perfect! My God, Potter —you're Gryffindor's Seeker! A born Seeker! More talented than any player I've ever seen!"
The veteran team members also gathered around, expressing their sincere admiration:
"That's incredible! That reaction speed is unlike that of a first-year student..."
" The Golden Snitch was so fast, how come he didn't lose him the whole time? That's unbelievable."
Wood was so excited he was incoherent. He grabbed the training sheet and immediately wrote his name on the spot:
"It's settled! It's all settled! Hermione Granger, Chaser Team Two; Harry Potter, Seeker Team Two!"
At that moment, Draco suddenly spoke up, "I want to go to the second team, so let's move Harry to the first team."
The moment those words were spoken, the entire room fell silent.
Draco knew perfectly well what was going on.
The first team is undoubtedly the core of the starting lineup, and they have both the glory and the status.
But he wanted to be on Hermione's team, to start over with her, and he also wanted to personally lead this second team, mainly composed of freshmen, to defeat their upperclassmen head-on.
A slight commotion erupted on the field. The veteran players' expressions varied; some were surprised, some were taken aback, and some secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
After all, no matter how strong Draco's family background is, there will always be some resentment.
Upon hearing Draco's words, Wood was utterly shocked, and the quill in his hand fell to the ground.
" Malfoy? You... you're going to the second team? You're a ready-made starting core player, and you're going to build a team from scratch... are you sure?"
Although he was shocked, upon further reflection, considering Draco's personality and strength, it wasn't entirely incomprehensible.
The instant Wood finished asking the question, Ron said, puzzled:
" Draco, are you crazy? By going to the reserve team, you're essentially giving up your starting position on the first team! The reserve team isn't even fully staffed yet!"
Olivia rationally added to Ron's points:
"Even if the team is fully assembled later, the second team is composed entirely of freshmen and lower-year students, whose cohesion, teamwork, and match experience are far inferior to the more mature first team."
"There's no way to establish a competitive situation in the short term; if you go, you might never be able to play in any official matches."
Amidst the murmurs of the crowd, Lavender crossed his arms and smiled knowingly.
"In my opinion, whether or not he plays, or whether or not he starts, is not what Draco wants most."
"Exactly, whether he starts or not is completely unimportant to him; being able to be with someone is more important than anything else."
Parvati understood as well.
Neville stood to the side, his face full of confusion. He looked around at everyone, then at Draco and Hermione, and scratched the back of his head.
He didn't follow the train of thought, only muttering under his breath, "Huh? Isn't it for Quidditch? Then, what is it for...?"
Susan and Hannah exchanged a glance, their unspoken understanding striking them simultaneously. "He's obviously after Hermione!"
As soon as he said that, a burst of laughter immediately erupted from the crowd.
Hermione's cheeks flushed instantly, and she gave Draco an embarrassed glare, unsure how to retort.
Olivia shook her head, both amused and exasperated.
"That guy has always been so willful. I think he might have planned this from the very beginning of the tryouts, just waiting for Granger to be selected."
Draco remained unfazed by the teasing and knowing looks on everyone's faces, his gaze gently falling on Hermione's flushed cheeks:
"No, I wasn't sure Hermione would be chosen either."
"But since she was selected and stayed in the second team, of course I want to be with her."
Hermione, for Draco's sake, still tried to persuade him:
" Draco, you don't need to do this. The first team is where you belong. I can train well in the second team."
Harry replied sincerely, "That's right, your flying skills are clearly much better than mine. Team One needs you more, so it's good for me to stay in Team Two."
Draco merely smiled faintly, his gaze sweeping over the bewildered Wood and the group of veteran players, and confidently stated:
"It's alright, I'm confident that I can lead this second team to personally bring down your first team. You'd better be prepared."
"After all—when my husband and I work together, we are unparalleled."
Hermione's face instantly flushed red, and she scolded, " Draco! Don't talk nonsense..."
Ron, standing next to him, immediately rolled his eyes sourly and couldn't help but speak up to expose him:
"Stop bragging! Team Two is just the two of you, all alone. Besides dating, what else can you do? Quidditch isn't won with words!"
As soon as he said that, everyone around burst into laughter, and even the veteran team members couldn't help but smile.
The atmosphere instantly shifted from a tense trial to a lively, playful exchange.