章 59: Lonely Road

---

The Gryffindor Seeker was hit by a sudden Bludger, falling straight from mid-air!

The Slytherin Beater looked confused. He was sure he had aimed at Oliver Wood, the Gryffindor Keeper, so how had the Bludger hit the Seeker instead? Could it be that he had accidentally mastered the legendary technique of controlling Bludgers mid-flight? A whisper of doubt crept into his mind.

"Oh no, the Gryffindor Seeker has been knocked off his broomstick by Slytherin!" Lee Jordan's voice boomed through the stadium. "Let's hope he's okay. Evil Slytherin!"

Professor McGonagall quickly silenced the commentator's last remark with a stern cough.

In the Gryffindor stands, a wave of indignation spread, and Ron Weasley, always passionate about Quidditch, looked ready to explode with anger. Madam Hooch quickly called for a halt to the game, rushing the injured Gryffindor Seeker to the hospital wing.

The Gryffindor team returned to their tent, their expressions dark and concerned.

"Oliver, how's he doing? Is he badly hurt?" Harry asked, his voice anxious as he ran up to the captain.

Oliver Wood looked down at him with a heavy expression. "Harry, you're going to have to get ready to play."

"Me?" Harry's eyes widened, a mix of surprise and worry crossing his face as he realized the responsibility suddenly thrust upon him. He was clearly shorter than the older, more experienced players surrounding him.

"Scared?" Oliver asked with a wry smile.

"Kind of," Harry admitted.

"That's normal," Oliver reassured him. "We all feel it the first time. But everyone has a first time, right? You'll do fine, just give it your all!"

After a short pause, Mrs. Hooch returned from the hospital wing, signaling the match to resume.

"And look, Gryffindor has a new Seeker on the field! It's the famous Harry Potter!" Lee Jordan's excitement was palpable.

Harry hovered nervously on his broom, adrenaline coursing through his veins as he glanced around the pitch. Not far away, Draco Malfoy smirked at him. "Ready, Potter? Let's see if you're any good at this!"

Harry grinned back, more determined now. "Of course!"

The whistle blew, and the match restarted. The rivalry between the teams intensified, with Slytherin playing aggressively, pushing the boundaries of the rules. Their strategy was clear—take down as many Gryffindor players as possible.

Harry, caught up in the chaos of the game, scanned the pitch desperately for any sign of the Golden Snitch. Suddenly, a glimmer of golden light caught his eye.

"The Snitch!" Without a second thought, Harry dove after it. Draco, realizing what was happening, quickly followed.

Draco's Nimbus 2000 was much faster than Harry's broom, and within seconds, the two were neck-and-neck.

Sitting in the stands, A Slytherin prefect Carrow hesitated for a moment before speaking to Dyroth. "Dyroth, who do you think will catch the Snitch, Draco or Potter?"

Dyroth, not particularly interested in the game, glanced towards the professor's stands. "Draco's broom is better, and he's more composed than Harry. Though their flying skills are pretty close, Draco has the edge." He returned to scanning the professor's table, his mind elsewhere.

Seeing that Dyroth wasn't interested in the match, Carrow dropped the topic, focusing back on the game. As the match continued, Draco's superior broom began to give him a clear advantage. Harry, despite his best efforts, was falling behind.

Then, without warning, Harry's broom started shaking uncontrollably! It jerked and swerved, throwing him off balance. Panic surged through him as he tried to hold on.

In the stands, Dyroth noticed Quirrell silently muttering incantations, hands clasped as if in prayer. A cynical smile tugged at Dyroth' lips. "So, teacher, you couldn't resist after all, huh? But what's the point of starting something now? With so many professors here, even if Harry falls, it won't make any difference."

Below Quirrell, Lucius Malfoy was busy chatting with Snape, proudly praising Draco's performance. Snape, distracted by the conversation, wasn't able to cast any counter-curses on Harry's broom.

Harry's best friend, Ron, stomped his feet anxiously. Without Hermione's sharp observations and quick thinking, Ron was helpless in the face of Harry's crisis.

"What are you going to do now?" Dyroth thought, watching the unfolding drama like an amused spectator. He wasn't Harry's guardian angel—Harry could handle his own problems.

But just as Dyroth was considering the possible outcomes, something unexpected happened. Draco, seeing his friend in danger, made a split-second decision. Ignoring the Snitch, he veered off course and raced towards Harry.

In a daring maneuver, Draco reached out and grabbed Harry's hand, pulling him to safety. However, the two brooms collided.

With a loud *snap*, Harry's broom broke. Draco managed to pull Harry onto his own Nimbus 2000 just as they both plummeted to the ground.

There was a moment of shocked silence before the crowd erupted into cheers and gasps. The two boys had made a miraculous save, landing hard but unhurt. Dyroth watched the scene unfold, reminded of a moment in the original timeline when Harry had saved Draco from the fire. He chuckled softly. "Guess Draco just returned the favor in advance."

The game ended with Slytherin claiming victory, but the focus was on Draco's heroic act. As he soaked in the cheers and thanks from the Gryffindors, Draco turned to see his father's cold, disapproving face. His triumphant smile quickly faded.

"Father…"

Lucius glared at him. "Who told you to pull such a reckless stunt? Do you have any idea what could've happened if you had fallen from that height?!"

"B-but… Harry is my friend!" Draco stammered.

"And so what if he is? There are plenty of professors and a school nurse to take care of him. It's not your job to be the hero!"

Lucius's frustration was clear, but after a moment, he seemed to rein in his temper. "Go. I have other matters to attend to. We'll discuss this later."

Draco left, shoulders slumped. Moments later, Dyroth emerged from the shadows.

"Mr. Grindelwald," Lucius said, forcing a smile. "Quite the spectacle, wasn't it?"

"Mr. Malfoy," Dyroth replied calmly, "I think Draco did well. There's no need to be so hard on him."

Lucius sighed. "You saw what happened. That boy risked his life for a friend."

Dyroth nodded. "But isn't it a good thing that he has friends to stand by him?"

Lucius paused, taken aback. "Friends…?" He fell silent, lost in thought. At some point, he had realized that his own friends had either drifted away or turned into distant acquaintances. He spoke with people, but there was no one left who he could truly call a friend.

After a long pause, Lucius looked back at Dyroth. "And you? Do you have any true friends, Dyroth?"

Dyroth smiled faintly. "My road is lonely but I want it to be."