Chapter 405: Malfoy and Harry

After leaving the eighth-floor corridor, Kyle and Kanna started heading down the stairs toward the common room. But just as they reached the landing, Kyle noticed Professor McGonagall emerging from the direction of the Gryffindor common room.

This wasn't unusual; as the Gryffindor Head of House, it made sense for Professor McGonagall to be around. However, what caught Kyle's eye was the elegant broom she was holding. Its streamlined ash handle and the subtly curved birch twigs at the end made it unmistakable—the world's fastest broom, the Firebolt.

Professor McGonagall looked positively pleased, a rare smile on her face that she made no effort to hide.

"Good afternoon, Professor McGonagall," Kyle greeted, with Kanna chiming in politely beside him.

"Good afternoon…" Professor McGonagall nodded, her smile widening. "Have either of you seen Potter? I have some good news for him."

"No," Kyle replied. "We've been practicing the Patronus Charm in an empty classroom, so we haven't noticed what's happening outside."

"I see. And how is it going?" Professor McGonagall asked, glancing at Kanna. She had already heard from some Hufflepuff students about Kyle summoning his jellyfish Patronus on the Quidditch pitch, so she didn't need to ask him.

"It's still not quite there," Kanna said, taking out her wand.

"Expecto Patronum!"

A fist-sized silver light flew out of her wand, darting around her in lively circles.

"Oh, you're just setting your expectations too high," Professor McGonagall said, pleasantly surprised. "For a fourteen-year-old student, conjuring a Patronus is quite an impressive feat. And you shouldn't feel discouraged just because Kyle managed it first—that's hardly fair."

Professor McGonagall was in such a cheerful mood that she not only praised Kanna warmly but even made a lighthearted remark to encourage her.

"Don't pressure yourself too much," she added gently. "The Patronus Charm isn't on any exams, and you won't need it for now… Professor Dumbledore has already ensured that, unless Sirius Black's whereabouts are confirmed, the Dementors won't enter the castle again of their own accord."

Kanna nodded, visibly comforted.

After Professor McGonagall had walked away, Kanna turned to Kyle and whispered, "Looks like we're in for a tough match next week."

"Yeah," Kyle agreed, scratching his head thoughtfully. Professor McGonagall had come out of the Gryffindor common room carrying the Firebolt, clearly on her way to return it to Harry. Given her deep commitment to the Quidditch Cup, she wouldn't be in such a good mood if there had been any real issue with the broom.

The two of them hurried back to the common room and shared the news with the others. The previously lively chatter died down in an instant, as if Snape himself had walked into the room. Cedric and the other team members were especially affected; though they had suspected this would be the outcome, hearing it confirmed left them at a loss.

Without a word, Cedric grabbed Kyle and headed straight to the pitch for extra practice. The other team members followed their lead, returning to their dorms to fetch their brooms.

The weather outside was bitterly cold, with a sharp wind that seemed to cut straight through to the bone. Even Wood, known for his relentless training sessions, would have hesitated in such conditions. But Hufflepuff had an advantage—Kyle's warming badges—so they pushed on without worry.

They trained from the afternoon well into the evening. Eventually, the Gryffindor team showed up as well. With many people already aware of the Firebolt, Wood no longer bothered to keep it a secret. They were there to test out the new broom, and Wood couldn't resist showing it off; Gryffindor hadn't beaten Hufflepuff in years, and he was eager to change that.

The two teams didn't fight over the pitch but settled at opposite ends, with Hufflepuff practicing with stones instead of Snitches to stay out of Gryffindor's way. Meanwhile, Harry, mounted on his Firebolt, flew like a flash of lightning. No matter how difficult a throw Wood made, Harry caught the stone in an instant. Even when multiple players threw from different angles, none of the stones managed to hit the ground.

Gradually, the Hufflepuff players lost focus, casting more frequent glances over their shoulders to watch Gryffindor. Eventually, Cedric decided there was little point in continuing and ended practice early.

As they walked out of the dark stadium, Kyle kept a tight grip on his broom, pacing beside Cedric in silence. The mood was heavy.

They'd known about the Firebolt's speed before, but witnessing it firsthand drove home just how much of an advantage Gryffindor would have. It made any hope of winning feel more distant than ever.

"It's all right…" Cedric tried to lift everyone's spirits. "Rocks are different from Golden Snitches. Honestly, even without a Firebolt, I could've done what Potter just did. If you don't believe me, we can test it out somewhere. And if I miss even one, I'll buy everyone their choice of sweets from Honeydukes."

"We believe you, Captain," Mikel said, laughing. "We were just… hungry and didn't feel like talking."

"Yeah, that's all…"

"Exactly. My stomach's been growling since earlier…"

"I heard there's pudding today—I can't wait for dinner…"

The previous gloom vanished in an instant, and everyone strolled back into the castle, chatting and laughing along the way.

The Great Hall was as lively as ever. By the time they had finished putting away their brooms, the Gryffindors had already arrived, the Firebolt proudly displayed in the center of their table with the brand name clearly visible. A crowd had gathered around, congratulating Harry on his incredible new broom.

However, Malfoy didn't seem quite as enthusiastic.

Kyle entered the Great Hall just in time to see Malfoy, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle, approaching Harry.

"This broom has quite a few special features, doesn't it?" Malfoy sneered, a glint of malice in his eyes. "It's a pity it doesn't come with a parachute for when you get too close to a Dementor."

Crabbe and Goyle snickered.

Harry ignored him, continuing his conversation with Fred, which only made Malfoy's face flush with irritation.

Watching from a distance, Kyle found the scene oddly amusing. Ever since Malfoy had accidentally saved Harry, the two hadn't exchanged words. Kyle had expected Malfoy to use the incident as ammunition to taunt Harry, but instead, Malfoy seemed to consider the incident an embarrassing blemish on his record, something he never mentioned. This time, he'd merely fallen back on his usual jabs about Harry's fear of Dementors.

Seeing he wasn't getting a reaction, Malfoy narrowed his gray eyes, snorted, and strode away. As he passed Kyle, he called out loudly, "You know, you should invent a fall-proof robe. Gryffindor would surely chip in to buy one for their Seeker…"

Without waiting for a reply, he rejoined the other Slytherin players, who immediately huddled close, as if grilling him about whether Harry's broom was truly a Firebolt.