Draco, instead of being annoyed, laughed and looked at Ron provocatively:
" Ron, don't speak too definitively."
"Maybe you'll get selected for the second team too. If you're trying to belittle yourself now, what if you actually get selected? You'll be so embarrassed you'll have nowhere to hide!"
Ron choked, and after stammering for a while, he said:
"I... I don't care about any second team! I just... I just think you guys are unreliable!"
Draco chuckled softly, asking with a disbelieving look in his eyes:
"Really? Captain Wood was going to open up the second team selection next."
"I think we can expand the selection to the entire grade level. Maybe Ron, you'll actually be chosen."
Upon hearing this, Ron muttered weakly:
"Even if I get selected, I won't go! I don't want to be stuck with you guys..."
Wood thought for a moment, then suddenly clapped his hands and said:
"That's a good idea!"
"Open selection for the entire grade, no grade or experience restrictions. Anyone who can fly steadily and has potential is welcome to apply!"
"This will allow us to assemble the second team and also stockpile Gryffindor. It's settled then!"
After Wood finished speaking, Lavender said with great interest, "So, even someone like me who just flies around casually has a chance to try?"
Ron pouted with a look of disgust:
" Lavender, don't even dream about it. You couldn't even control a broomstick in Flying Class, and you want to join the Quidditch team?"
"Don't let it crash halfway down and drag the second team down!"
Lavender, unconvinced, put her hands on her hips and started arguing with him on the spot:
" Weasley, don't underestimate me! That was an accident!"
"Besides, Draco dared to hold auditions for the entire grade, so why can't I give it a try?"
It's better than some people saying they don't care but secretly practicing flying!
"You, you're talking nonsense! I would never practice secretly!" Ron blushed, his voice rising a notch.
"Whether I'm lying or not, you know perfectly well!" Lavender said.
The two of them argued back and forth, making a lively scene, and the surrounding classmates all burst into laughter.
Parvati tried to pull him away but couldn't, while Neville stood there dumbfounded, completely unsure of who to help, and could only nervously pick at his fingers.
Draco glanced at the two arguing incessantly, too lazy to waste any more time with them, and casually tossed out a sentence:
"You two can keep arguing, we're going back now."
As he spoke, he naturally reached out and gently took Hermione's wrist, then firmly grasped her hand, and turned to walk towards the stadium exit.
Hermione was slightly taken aback, her face flushed, but she didn't struggle and obediently followed him away.
The others nearby laughed and chimed in:
We're leaving now.
"Take your time arguing, don't let it interfere with training."
See you later, and remember not to go too far with the argument!
The group left in twos and threes, leaving only Ron and Lavender frozen in place, glaring at each other.
They were arguing for a bit when they suddenly realized everyone had left, and they stopped talking in embarrassment.
After tonight.
The news of the Quidditch Second Team's open selection process for all students spread throughout Hogwarts overnight.
The next day at breakfast, as soon as the news spread from the Gryffindor table, the entire Great Hall erupted into a boiling pot of potions.
An unprecedented first-year student was admitted to the team, a core player from the first team voluntarily relegated to the second team, and now even the entire grade can openly compete for substitutes.
The Quidditch rules of Hogwarts seem to have been completely overturned in the past few days.
"Really? Gryffindor is going to hold open auditions for their second team? First-year students can join too?"
" Malfoy abandoning his starting position to coach the second team? That's insane!"
"I heard Potter went to the first team, Granger stayed on the second team. Malfoy must have done it for her!"
The murmurs spread from under the desks of the four deans to the long tables of each college.
Ron kept saying things like, "I don't care about the second team," and "I'm not going to mess around with them."
But in the quiet of the evening, he would always secretly practice with his old broom.
Despite her clumsy movements, she practiced with extraordinary seriousness, afraid of being seen, yet secretly hoping that she would actually be selected.
Several times Harry caught him, and he frantically made excuses. "I... I was just stretching! It wasn't for the selection!"
On the day of the selection, the Quidditch Pitch was packed with people from first grade to seventh grade.
People flocked over, some wanting to try their luck, some just to watch the excitement, and some to support their friends.
Wood stood on the platform with a whistle, while Draco stood to the side, dressed in a neat Quidditch uniform, in charge of selecting players on the spot.
He was the de facto core of the second team; who would be promoted or demoted was almost entirely determined by his word.
Hermione stood beside him, also wearing her trial uniform. Her cheeks were still slightly flushed, but she had gained a lot of composure.
One batch of students after another took to the air for tests, and those who were unstable in flight, clumsy in controlling the broom, or too timid were all eliminated.
Draco has an extremely keen eye; he only looks at takeoff posture, balance, and reaction speed.
He never wastes time with words; those who pass are kept on, and those who fail are immediately dismissed—his efficiency is astonishing.
After a round of trials, Hermione's roommate Olivia was chosen, both unexpectedly and logically.
She signed up as Chaser, and was only given a try by Lavender and Parvati.
Even she herself had no hope, but unexpectedly, things turned out very well, and Draco specifically named her to be a second-team Chaser.
Lavender and Parvati cheered from below, even more excited than if they had been elected themselves.
Not far away, Cho Chang stood with his arms crossed, gazing at the court, and smiled regretfully:
"If I weren't Ravenclaw and couldn't participate in the Gryffindor Selections from another house, I would definitely have come to join the fun."
Hermione, standing beside Draco, secretly breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.
She herself didn't realize it, but she was somewhat relieved that Cho Chang wasn't Gryffindor.
Besides Olivia, the two key Beater have also been chosen, and it's the combination that no one expected.
George Weasley and Fred Weasley.
Even Draco raised an eyebrow slightly at this, secretly wondering:
These two are clearly at the level of the first team in terms of flying skills, reaction time, and combat awareness, so why were they left out and assigned to the second team?
Are they busy playing pranks or doing weird tricks...?
However, Draco didn't bother to delve into it, only thinking to himself: whatever the reason, he's gotten off easy now.
Two strong, aggressive, and daring players are a godsend for a newly formed second team.
Just as the selection process was nearing its end, Draco spotted a red-haired figure in the back of the crowd who was trying to sneak in and get away with something.
Draco slightly raised his chin, his voice carrying clearly throughout the entire arena:
" Ron Weasley, what are you hiding for? Come up here."
The entire audience burst into laughter. Ron stood frozen in place, wishing he could disappear into the ground.
Under everyone's gaze, he reluctantly stepped onto the broom, almost falling off as he took off, which drew another round of good-natured laughter.
Surprisingly, he didn't fly too badly.
Draco watched his clumsy yet earnest movements in the air and spoke softly:
"Qualified. Team Two, stay."
After landing, Ron remained defiant. "I... I didn't do it willingly! You insisted on choosing me!"
Draco raised an eyebrow, too lazy to call him out, "Say what you want, but from today onwards, you're on the second team."
A senior girl was selected as the Chaser after Ron.
Thus, the Gryffindor Quidditch Second Team was officially formed.
Wood looked at this energetic new team, mainly composed of first-year students, and felt both amused and excited.
"Alright! Everyone's here! Draco, you're on time to lead the second team in training."
"OK."
It's a pity Ginny Weasley wasn't old enough to go to school, otherwise Draco would have really brought the Weasley family under his wing, and that scene would have been truly...