บท 54: Why Are You So Familiar?
"What are you two doing?" Professor McGonagall's sharp voice rang out across the field as she appeared at the edge of the grass. The Gryffindor students froze.
Hermione turned to David in a panic. "David, what do we do now?" she whispered anxiously.
David gave her a calm look and motioned for her to stay quiet. He blinked reassuringly, though inwardly, he was bracing himself.
Professor McGonagall marched up to Harry with a stern expression, her lips pressed tightly together. "I've worked at Hogwarts for many years," she said, her voice cold and controlled, "and you are the first student I've seen with the audacity to pull such a stunt. You should be glad your neck didn't break."
"But, Professor, it was Malfoy—" Harry began to explain, but Professor McGonagall interrupted him with a glare.
"I don't want to hear excuses!" she snapped. Then her sharp gaze fell on David, who attempted a sheepish smile. McGonagall was unimpressed.
"David," she said severely, "not only did you fail to stop Harry, but you encouraged him with that reckless stunt! Because of you two, Gryffindor will lose 10 points. I suggest you reflect on that."
David bowed his head, accepting the rebuke, but his mind was racing.
"Potter, come with me," Professor McGonagall added, giving Harry no chance to argue. With her robes swishing behind her, she strode toward the castle, leaving Harry no choice but to follow. He glanced back at David and Ron with a defeated look before lowering his head.
As soon as Professor McGonagall and Harry were out of sight, Hermione burst out, "David, Harry's going to get expelled! She's probably going to call his family and have him sent home!"
Ron, who had been cheering Harry's flying minutes ago, now looked equally alarmed. "David, you've got to do something! Should we go to Professor Dumbledore?"
David grinned slightly and shook his head. "Don't worry," he said calmly, "Harry will be fine."
"Fine?" Hermione exclaimed. "How can you possibly say that? Professor McGonagall was furious!"
"She was," David admitted, "but trust me, Harry's in no danger of being expelled."
Hermione narrowed her eyes. "How do you know that?"
David hesitated for a moment before saying with a sly smile, "Harry's a natural Seeker."
Hermione frowned in confusion. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"It's simple," David said confidently. "Professor McGonagall loves Quidditch, and Gryffindor hasn't won against Slytherin in years. Last year's loss was so bad, she stayed upset for days. Gryffindor needs a new Seeker, and Harry just proved he's perfect for the role."
"Wait," Hermione said, realization dawning on her face, "you used a sound-amplifying charm during Harry's stunt… You wanted Professor McGonagall to hear about his flying talent, didn't you?"
David just shrugged with a knowing smile. "Let's just say I have my reasons."
Hermione sighed, her anger giving way to reluctant admiration. "But do you really think McGonagall would let Harry's talent excuse what he did? She's always fair and strict—she never plays favorites."
"Maybe not in most cases," David admitted. "But when it comes to Quidditch? Well…" He trailed off, not wanting to reveal too much. The truth was, he had seen a different side of Professor McGonagall once, during the Quidditch World Cup. She had been so caught up in the excitement that she'd shouted herself hoarse, and even dragged him into the cheering.
That memory remained a closely guarded secret—David wasn't about to let Hermione or anyone else know just how passionate McGonagall could be about the sport.
Later that evening, in the Gryffindor common room, Ron was brimming with excitement. "Do you think Harry will be the first first-year to join the Quidditch team in years?" he asked eagerly.
David nodded. "I think it's almost certain."
"Brilliant!" Ron exclaimed. Then, after a moment's thought, he added, "Do you think we should thank Malfoy? If it weren't for him, Harry might not have had the chance to show off."
David and Hermione exchanged incredulous looks, and Ron quickly backtracked. "I mean, not thank him, but… you know what I mean."
After dinner, Ron stayed in the Great Hall, eager to hear whether Harry had officially joined the team. Hermione, on the other hand, was still annoyed. "It's not fair," she grumbled. "Harry broke the rules, and McGonagall didn't punish him. It's like the rules don't apply to him!"
Unable to deal with her frustration, Hermione stormed off to the dormitory. David, meanwhile, decided to visit the library to do some reading. He found a quiet corner and immersed himself in a book until an unexpected thud startled him.
Looking up, he saw Hermione standing before him, her face flushed with irritation. She had slammed a book onto his desk.
"Harry's not getting punished at all!" she hissed. "McGonagall let him join the Quidditch team, and now he and Ron are acting like heroes in the common room!"
David smiled knowingly. "I told you this would happen."
But Hermione wasn't finished. "And now," she continued, her voice low but furious, "they've agreed to a midnight duel with Malfoy! They're going to break the rules again!"
David blinked in surprise. "A duel? Seriously? What are they thinking?"
Hermione crossed her arms. "That's what I said! They're going to get caught by Filch, and Gryffindor's house points will drop even further. We'll never win the House Cup at this rate!"
David considered this for a moment before replying, "Filch patrols the first and second floors at night, right? If they avoid those areas, they should be fine."
Hermione's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Why are you so familiar with Filch's patrols?"
David froze. Her tone was calm, but her gaze was sharp and unrelenting. He realized he might have said too much.
Now, how was he going to explain this?
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