Chapter 17: Face to Face

After the flying lesson, Jane's situation seemed to worsen.

For Slytherins, helping an opposing house was absolutely unforgivable.

Therefore, Jane, who had saved Neville, was seen as a traitor in their eyes - a spy sent by Gryffindor.

However, given her demonstrated abilities, the professors' favor, and the Head of House occasionally awarding her points, they didn't directly bully her. Instead, they resorted to snide remarks and cold mockery whenever she appeared.

Millicent, Pansy, and Daphne were the ringleaders of this behavior.

But Jane typically kept to herself, moving only between her dormitory, classrooms, and Snape's office.

Moreover, she was a loner who needed no friends, so the trio's attempts to isolate her had no effect.

This infuriated them, yet they could do nothing about it.

...

Meanwhile, the other protagonist of the flying lesson, Draco Malfoy, was also troubled.

Losing to Harry in front of everyone and letting him steal the spotlight had left him unable to hold his head high in Slytherin.

On one hand, all his previous boasting had been exposed as lies. On the other hand, he kept hearing whispers these days, with older students discussing what happened during flying lessons.

Though they didn't dare criticize him directly due to his status as the Malfoy heir, the underhanded rumors still made him sick.

It's all Potter's fault! Draco gritted his teeth.

His anger reached its peak during dinner that evening.

Harry unexpectedly approached the Slytherin table, followed by a terrified Neville.

All the first-year snakes bared their fangs, watching the pair warily.

They walked straight to Jane.

"Um... we came to say thank you. For the other day," Harry explained awkwardly.

Neville, hiding behind his robes, stammered, his teeth chattering in fear:

"M-miss... Jane... thank you... for saving me..."

Before Jane could respond, Draco jumped up:

"Ha, the Gryffindor crybaby can't even say thanks properly. What's wrong - do the words burn your tongue?"

Harry shot back immediately: "Still better than being a sly, cunning snake. I heard you've been bullying Jane?"

The word 'sly' instantly angered the surrounding Slytherins.

Hearing Jane's name, Pansy's sharp voice rang out:

"Oh my, Saint Potter rushing to defend his girlfriend!"

Millicent and Daphne burst into laughter.

Harry's face darkened. As he prepared to say something, Draco continued his assault:

"Miss the expulsion train, Potter? When are you heading back to your Muggle heap?"

At that moment, a panting Ron arrived, worried his best friend might be at a disadvantage. Having just heard Malfoy's words, anger immediately clouded his judgment.

"Harry's not like you! You'll probably go mad with jealousy when you find out he's been made - mmph!"

His voice cut off abruptly as Harry clapped a hand over his mouth.

Draco looked at them suspiciously.

He sensed something was off. Then Blaise whispered something in his ear.

Damn it... Potter... had joined the house team!

He stood up abruptly, forcing words through clenched teeth:

"One-on-one, Potter." He sneered. "I don't know what tricks you used to fool the professors and avoid expulsion, but I bet you've never heard of a wizard's duel?"

"Of course he has," Ron stepped forward, standing beside his best friend, facing off against Malfoy. "I'm his second."

Harry also spoke coldly: "What time?"

"Midnight tonight, trophy room. Wizard's duel. Wands only - no contact."

A glint of cunning flashed in Draco's grey eyes: "Crabbe will be with me."

Harry and Ron's eyes blazed with fury, looking ready to pounce and tear through Draco with lion's fangs.

"I accept, Malfoy," Harry said coldly.

...

Jane had no interest in Harry and Draco's confrontation.

She understood story patterns - usually the protagonist needs an obstacle on their path to growth. Obviously in the Harry Potter series, this obstacle was Draco Malfoy from the opposing house. And after overcoming this obstacle, there would need to be a final boss - that noseless baldy.

Poor child, she sighed inwardly about Draco.

Give up, as a minor villain, no matter how hard you try, you can't compete with the protagonist's halo.

But then she thought about herself - sorted into the protagonist's opposing house right from the start, clearly destined to be cannon fodder.

She couldn't help feeling melancholy.

She mentally repeated three times: Stay away from the protagonist, get expelled at light speed.

Trying to resist her growing interest in magic.

Picking up her knife and fork, she continued stuffing pudding into her mouth.

Her gaze inadvertently swept to the side, where she saw Pansy, Millicent, and Daphne sitting together.

The three were chattering away, occasionally throwing contemptuous looks in her direction.

She knew they were surely spouting their usual blood status rhetoric.

Jane curled her lip disdainfully. She didn't care what her housemates thought of her.

After all, she would be expelled soon, and their lives would never intersect again.

Besides, they stood in opposition to protagonist Harry, so they would surely all become minor villain lackeys in the future.

She thought to herself.

Tonight's dinner happened to include many steaks, prepared in a way she didn't like, with no improvement in cooking method.

Perfect for feeding dogs.

She had promised the three-headed dog on the fourth floor corridor on her first day that she would bring it something tasty.

This was the perfect time to fulfill that promise.

Wrapping six or seven steaks in a napkin, she left dinner early.

She didn't notice the little snakes gaping at her retreating figure.

"Merlin! Is she so poor she hasn't eaten for generations?"

"Six steaks, she's gone mad!"

Draco and Blaise exclaimed one after another.

"A proper lady would never take greasy steaks to eat in bed."

"How crude, an uncivilized savage!"

Pansy wrinkled her nose in disgust, echoed by her followers Millicent and Daphne.

...

Theodore sat beside them, not saying a word.

He mechanically cut the steak on his plate, barely tasting it.

He came from a pureblood family; his father had been a Death Eater.

The family upheld pureblood supremacy, and his father had raised him with these beliefs.

I should despise this Muggle-born girl's conduct, he thought.

Yet in his heart, he felt a secret admiration.

Strong abilities, independence, free spirit, indifference to others' opinions...

Those were all things he longed for but had never obtained.