บท 49: Chapter 49: Let's Have a Game of Quidditch
After receiving the broom, Tom didn't have much time to get used to it. He received it on a Sunday, and next Saturday, Tom would be participating in his first-ever Quidditch match, Ravenclaw versus Hufflepuff. It was also the first Quidditch match of the school year at Hogwarts, with the second match being Gryffindor versus Slytherin the Saturday after that.
Ravenclaw had lucked out in the scheduling, as beating Hufflepuff would put them at the top of the points table. Slytherin and Gryffindor, no matter who won, would only be able to secure second place.
Although Tom hadn't had much time to adjust to the modified broom, he had been training with the Ravenclaw Quidditch team for several weeks now, so he was already familiar with the team's dynamics. Captain Ritchie didn't treat him as a secret weapon; he simply kept Tom's training sessions hidden from the rest of the team.
Joining the Quidditch team as a first-year was quite remarkable, but even more astonishing was Harry. Tom played as a Seeker, while Harry played as a Seeker as well, so most of the attention was on him. After all, two teams, one with a talented Chaser and the other with a talented Seeker, naturally garnered more attention towards the Chaser.
Oliver Wood had wanted to keep Harry as a "secret weapon" for the Gryffindor team, but that plan was impossible to hide. Rumors spread quickly around the school, with some saying that Harry was an excellent player and others joking that Gryffindor had prepared a mattress to catch him if he fell off the broom - Tom couldn't believe that anyone would suggest such a thing. Were these wizards? Even Muggles didn't resort to such rescue methods! Falling from fifty feet in the air was the same whether you landed on the ground or a mattress. They should probably open "Standard Charms - Beginners" and review the Levitation Charm page.
To be honest, Quidditch training hadn't disrupted Tom's daily life too much. Captain Ritchie was quite laid-back and only held practice sessions once a week. Tom also found the schoolwork manageable, especially with Hermione's help. So, his life remained fairly regular.
However, it seemed that things were different for Gryffindor. Wood pushed his team to train for Quidditch relentlessly. If Tom had to compare, Gryffindor's training intensity was at a Korean-level while Ravenclaw's was more like a European or American standard. Harry's life, in particular, seemed difficult, as he had to juggle Quidditch training with completing a significant amount of homework. Tom had encountered Harry a few times in the common room, and he looked significantly worn out.
Early on Saturday morning, the weather was cold, and the surrounding mountains appeared gray and frosty, covered with snow on their peaks. The Black Lake was frozen, and frost clung to the windows. In the Great Hall, the fireplace was roaring, warming the room like a church, and the scent of sausages filled the air.
Every time Tom looked at the cold world outside, he couldn't help but think: if the living standards in medieval Hogwarts were like this, then Hogwarts must have been a paradise. Considering the territory of modern European and East Asian countries, they had pretty much achieved the Promised Land described in the Bible. After all, even if the Bible glorified it, who would find "a land flowing with milk and honey" attractive anymore? Milk and honey were no longer luxury items.
Tom devoured sausages, ham, bacon, and toast in large mouthfuls.
"You should eat a bit less. We have a match coming up..." Hermione tried to advise him.
Tom wanted to eat less, too. While the food entered his mouth, it didn't seem to make its way into his stomach. The basilisk inside him seemed to have developed a voracious appetite, and if it grew any larger, Tom wondered if he'd be able to eat at all. Besides, it had gotten to the point where it was stuck in his mouth. The basilisk wasn't a pixie; it was massive!
So, Tom ended up eating three large servings of breakfast. Roger and Cho were amazed by how much he could eat. Roger Davies was a Chaser for the team and the acknowledged successor to Alexander Ritchie, who was about to graduate. Cho Chang was the team's Seeker and had long, flowing black hair and freckles on her nose. She was also around the same height as Tom.
However, Tom began to worry. If the basilisk's appetite continued to grow, would he even get to eat anymore? And keeping it in his mouth all the time was also problematic. The basilisk wasn't a Horklump!
So, Tom discreetly took an empty teapot, placed a chicken wing inside, and opened his mouth. With a swish, the basilisk darted into the teapot, and Tom quickly closed the lid, then stuffed the teapot into his backpack.
From Roger and Cho's expressions, it seemed that the upcoming match hadn't put too much pressure on them. When Tom and Hermione left the Great Hall, they encountered Harry, Ron, and Neville. The three of them were engaged in a serious discussion, and Tom overheard part of their conversation.
"Snape still won't give me my book back, but I saw him in the Forbidden Forest, treating his leg as if it had been bitten by some fierce beast."
"Hey! Do you remember the day Malfoy tricked us into that duel? Maybe it's related to the corridor on the fifth floor..."
"Let's go to Hagrid's... last time, Harry... that big dog... Dumbledore... something from Gringotts..."
The trio gradually moved away, and their conversation faded. Tom and Hermione exchanged glances. It seemed that more than just the two of them had ventured into that corridor.
Previously, Hermione had noticed a trapdoor beneath Fluffy's paws, but she didn't know what was hidden behind it. Now, she had critical information: there was something of Dumbledore's behind that door.
"So, why did Professor Snape break into that corridor? Could it be related to the creature on Halloween?" Hermione began to ponder. She had been unable to deduce much before due to a lack of information, but now she could piece together the clues.
"Maybe Snape was testing the strength of the security measures for Dumbledore," Tom suggested, trying to reduce Snape's suspiciousness.
"But if he's injured, why didn't he go to the hospital wing?" Hermione still couldn't make sense of it all. "But yes, you're right. Professor Snape wouldn't steal anything from Dumbledore."
In Hermione's eyes, every teacher was a good person, even Snape. Of course, after attending a few of Snape's classes, she would have no positive feelings left for him.
"Alright, instead of thinking about that, let's focus on today's match," Tom changed the subject. "Hufflepuff is not strong, but neither are we..."
As it stood, the Ravenclaw Quidditch team was somewhere between second-rate and bottom-tier at Hogwarts. Currently, Slytherin was
considered the strongest on paper, followed closely by Gryffindor. Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were at the bottom together.
Hermione was indeed drawn into the topic, and she started analyzing Hufflepuff's team for Tom.
"...So overall, they don't have any particular strengths or weaknesses; they're a pretty solid team. You guys need to do your best!" Hermione continued to analyze the opponent, and even when they reached the changing room, she was still reluctant to stop talking. She felt like she hadn't finished yet!
Word count: 2333 words. This word count is something else.
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(End of this chapter)
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