Draco spoke first, getting straight to the point:
"The other three colleges haven't held any internal matches yet, which means they don't plan to field their second teams."
Hermione put down her knife and fork and calmly added:
"In other words, their starting lineup, substitutes, tactical style, Beater habits, and Seeker weaknesses are all based on last year's intelligence, which is very advantageous to us."
George, resting his chin on his hand, said, "Then let's just take them apart one by one."
Fred chimed in, "Let's start with the most annoying Slytherin."
Draco spoke first, making a precise entry:
Slytherin's style is dirty, ruthless, and steady.
" The Beater will intentionally target the opponent's Seeker, Chaser uses many subtle tactics, adept at delaying, disrupting, and drawing fouls."
"Their goalkeeper reacts quickly, but he's vulnerable to high-speed, continuous shots."
Hermione nodded:
"Their biggest strengths are their Seeker and brooms, but who knows what will happen when they run into us."
Hermione glanced at Draco.
"As long as we avoid their Bludger traps and don't let them disrupt our rhythm, their psychological advantage will crumble first."
George continued, "To deal with their Beater, Fred and I can switch on defense and force them to make mistakes."
Fred added, "And let's add a little 'surprise' to their brooms."
Wood added, " Slytherin excels at psychological warfare. As long as we don't act impulsively, don't break the rules, and maintain a steady pace, they can't win."
After analyzing Slytherin, Olivia continued:
" Ravenclaw is a tactical academy; it doesn't rely on brute force, but on teamwork, positioning, and anticipation."
"Their passing is extremely accurate, with almost no mistakes, and their Chaser make very clever runs."
Sam agreed, "Their weaknesses are poor stamina and weak physical strength; once they're pressured, their passes become Transfiguration."
Hermione suggested a strategy. "To deal with Ravenclaw, you can't outsmart them; you have to outrun them, outmuscle them, and out-intimidate them."
"Speed up from the start, forcing them to make mistakes and denying them time to devise tactics."
"I'll tie down their Seeker and prevent them from launching a sustained attack," Draco said.
Ron, unusually thoughtful, said, " The Hufflepuff aren't strong, but they're the most resilient, the most consistent, and the most persistent. They don't attack relentlessly, but their defense is impenetrable, and they're particularly good at stalling for time."
"Playing against them is the easiest way to get worn down and mentally broken," Lavender said.
"And their goalkeeper is incredibly reliable, making it very difficult to score," Parvati added to the analysis.
Hermione summarized the strategy. "There's only one way to deal with Hufflepuff —start strong and quickly widen the gap."
"Don't give them a chance to slow down the game; use speed and attack to break through their defense directly."
Draco finalized the plan. " The Hufflepuff won't actively hunt the Golden Snitch; they'll prioritize securing the score."
"I will end the contest for the Golden Snitch early on, giving them no chance to stall."
Draco looked around and finally concluded:
"Other colleges are holding back their cards, while we've already finished the scrimmage, figured out our weaknesses, and identified our opponents' strategies. Now, all we need to do is address our shortcomings, refine our teamwork, and maintain a stable mindset."
Wood looked at the group of people in front of him and a relieved expression appeared on his face. " The House Cup is ours."
There were no jokes or jeering at the long table, only a group of Gryffindor Quidditch players, who quickly locked onto the same target in the twilight.
That means we must win the House Cup!
On this day, the Hogwarts Quidditch House Cup officially began.
This day was more grand than ever before, and the stadium was decorated in a solemn yet enthusiastic manner.
This time there were even more people; by 11 o'clock, the stands were already packed.
Students from various colleges, clutching scarves and holding binoculars, huddled together in dense crowds, with even the castle windowsills filled with people peering out.
On the Gryffindor side of the stands, Lavender was the captain of the spontaneous cheerleading squad.
Early in the morning, he led a group of people to hang up a huge banner, red with gold lettering, imposing and eye-catching, which read:
" Gryffindor prevail! Hermione and Draco are invincible!"
Although Gryffindor is guaranteed to win, the latter line of text feels more prominent.
Dean, who was good at drawing, squatted beside the banner and carefully painted a majestic golden lion with its mane flying.
The lion instantly gave the banner a powerful and imposing presence.
Seamus, holding a small magic wand, enthusiastically added dancing sparks to the edges of the banner.
But every now and then, due to the instability of the magic, a small puff of green smoke would burst out, causing laughter from those around.
Parvati held a bouquet of flowers and carefully tied gold and crimson ribbons to the four corners of the banner, then hung a circle of Winky little fairy lights around it.
Even the usually shy Neville mustered his courage to help, nervously holding onto the banner stand, afraid it would be blown askew by the wind.
He also carefully smoothed out every single wrinkle.
The banner shone brightly in the sunlight, and as soon as it was hung up, the entire Gryffindor stands erupted in cheers and jeers.
Meanwhile, our protagonists Draco and Hermione are in the dressing room, changing into their brand-new, bright red Gryffindor Quidditch Team.
The tight-fitting team uniforms accentuated their lithe figures, and the golden lion badges on their chests shone brightly. This was their first appearance as official team members for the House Cup.
When the time came, the entire Gryffindor Second Team pushed open the locker room door and strode towards the bustling stadium.
Having learned from the experience of the last competition, even with the stands packed with people and the cheers deafening, they were not intimidated in the slightest.
In the center of the field, Madam Hooch stood quietly, holding a flying broom, her expression solemn.
She will still serve as the referee for the official House Cup.
The moment today's matchups were announced, the entire stadium erupted in cheers: Gryffindor vs. Slytherin.
This was decided by drawing lots, as if it were a cruel joke played by fate.
This newly formed second team faced off against the Slytherin Quidditch Team, the strongest team in all of Hogwarts, who had achieved an unprecedented seven-year winning streak in their first match.
In the commentary booth, Lee Jordan, the official commentator, was already seated, while his brother Lee Rock, stood by in preparation.
Lee Jordan cleared his throat, his gaze fixed on Draco and Hermione on the field, and he immediately launched into a string of witty remarks:
"Dear viewers! Welcome to the opening match of this year's Quidditch House Cup! Seven-time champions Slytherin face off against Hogwarts' latest dark horse."
" Gryffindor Second Team pulled off an incredible comeback with just a pair of broomsticks! Look at this golden couple, Seeker Malfoy Chaser Granger, teammates on the field, and off the field... oh dear!"
Before he could finish speaking, Professor McGonagall shot him a cold glare, and Lee Jordan immediately shut up, obediently adjusting the microphone and daring not to make any more jokes.
"Ahem... The match is about to begin, and both teams are preparing for takeoff."
He honestly added a sentence, but the gossipy glint in his eyes was still impossible to hide.
The air was thick with the smell of gunpowder.
Slytherin's seven-time champions and Gryffindor's miraculous comeback from a one-point deficit.
A major battle is about to break out.