《Harry Potter: My Life as Hermione》Chapter 38: Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans—Last One to Spit Wins

The Quidditch tryouts stretched on for nearly the entire day, transforming the pitch into a lively, all-school spectacle.

Young witches and wizards threw themselves into the excitement, their cheers and laughter echoing across the grounds. It was pure, unfiltered youth—restless, exuberant, and seemingly tireless.

By four in the afternoon, the event was winding down. Students began to drift away, leaving behind a handful of upperclassmen and professors to tidy up the field.

From afar, Qin Yu spotted Professor Swenton at the edge of the pitch, wand in hand. With a gentle wave, the floating black-and-white owl models began to wobble downward. As they neared the grass, each shrank abruptly and zipped into a cloth bag Professor Swenton held open. With a quick tug, he cinched the drawstring, slung the bag over his arm, and strode off.

Watching that bag—no larger than a Potions textbook—Qin Yu couldn't help the envy flickering in his eyes.

That's definitely got an Extension Charm or some sort of space magic on it. Imagine fitting all those giant owl models inside… What a treasure! If only it were mine! He smacked his lips, daydreaming for a moment.

Almost as if sensing his covetous gaze, Professor Swenton tucked the bag deep inside his robes and vanished from sight.

Qin Yu let out a small sigh of disappointment.

Just then, he noticed Fred and George Weasley trudging toward him, both looking even more dejected than he was.

"So? Got turned down, didn't you?" Qin Yu raised an eyebrow, unable to hide his mischievous grin.

As the saying goes, "Never expose someone's failings or slap them in the face"—but Qin Yu had absolutely no intention of following that advice.

"Oh, don't make it sound so dire! Angelina was perfectly polite—she just said she'd already made plans with friends, that's all!" Fred protested.

"Yeah, we were just a little late, that's all," George added with a sigh.

A few minutes earlier, the group had decided to celebrate the successful tryouts with a small gathering at Hagrid's hut. Fred and George had been all fired up about inviting Angelina—after all, they'd all made the team together, and it seemed like the perfect chance to bond as new teammates.

But… well, that was that.

"Don't worry, there's always next time. You'll be training together soon enough—plenty of opportunities to get to know each other," Qin Yu offered, trying to sound sympathetic.

The twins bounced back immediately, leading Elvis, Jimmy, Wilson, and Burke down the path toward Hagrid's.

Watching the Weasley twins animatedly recount tales of Hagrid's magical creatures, Qin Yu realized his attempt at comfort was pointless. Those two were born optimists—nothing could keep them down for long.

Of course, you'd have to be a little extraordinary to stand out in the Weasley family.

Lost in these idle thoughts, Qin Yu followed the others to Hagrid's hut.

…

By the time they arrived, Hagrid was just finishing preparations in his cozy, cluttered living room.

Seeing his young guests, he rubbed his hands together and beamed. "Boys! Welcome! Come on in, make yourselves at home!"

"Thanks, Hagrid!" the kids chorused, grinning from ear to ear.

Their eyes were instantly drawn to the mountain of sweets piled high on the table.

Before coming, Qin Yu had sent an owl to ask Hagrid to pick up some treats. Hagrid, ever thoughtful, had bought a whole assortment—enough to tempt even the most disciplined student.

The Hogwarts feasts were delicious, sure, but no child could resist a heap of magical sweets.

Gulp.

Someone swallowed audibly.

Then another. And another.

"Let's not stand on ceremony—dig in!" Qin Yu declared, grabbing a Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Bean and popping it into his mouth.

He bit down. Instantly, his mouth was on fire.

"Hhsss—"

He sucked in a sharp breath, face scrunched in agony, but forced himself to chew and swallow.

Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans—if you eat one, you're not allowed to spit it out. Whoever spits loses!

The others followed suit, each bracing themselves for the roulette of flavors. Their faces twisted through a spectrum of emotions—bitter, spicy, sour, sweet—every reaction laid bare.

Wilson was the luckiest, pulling a strawberry-flavored bean. The rest weren't so fortunate; George's eyes watered as he choked down something truly vile.

After the bean challenge, everyone picked out their favorites and started feasting in earnest.

Of course, there's only so much sugar anyone can eat before hitting their limit. Soon, the sweets lost their appeal, and attention shifted to the steaming tea Hagrid had brewed.

Say what you will about Hagrid's cooking (disastrous), but his tea was actually quite good. Each child cradled a mug, sipping contentedly as they peppered Hagrid with questions about his odd decorations—especially the magical creature fur and horns scattered around the hut.

Qin Yu was the exception. He carried his tea out to the stoop, settling on the steps to watch the sun sink toward the horizon, savoring the quiet.

At some point, a golden baby unicorn trotted up, hooves barely making a sound on the grass. She paused near the hut and whinnied happily at Qin Yu.

It was Anna.

Her arrival sent the kids inside into a frenzy.

They watched from a respectful distance, too awestruck to approach the elegant little creature.

George and Fred—looking quite pleased with themselves—each produced a freshly washed, towel-dried carrot and approached.

But Anna ignored them completely, heading straight for Qin Yu.

…

The gathering at Hagrid's hut wrapped up right on time, just before dinner.

As everyone was getting ready to leave, Charlie arrived after finishing up at the Quidditch pitch.

He started by warning his precious little brothers not to cause Hagrid any more trouble, earning twin raspberry noises from George and Fred.

Then he turned to Qin Yu to chat about the tryouts.

"Professor McGonagall thinks you'd make a better Seeker than a Beater," Charlie said.

"Why?" Qin Yu blinked in surprise.

"Because you're fast. Really fast." Charlie shrugged.

"No way!" Qin Yu shook his head vigorously, rejecting the idea outright.

Before the tryouts, he'd been intrigued by the Seeker position. It was glamorous—catch the Golden Snitch and you could swing the entire match by 150 points. But after today, he knew in his bones: he wanted to be a Beater.

Since Qin Yu was adamant, Charlie didn't press the matter. The team didn't need a new Seeker just yet. Worst case, when he graduated next year, Professor McGonagall could try again.

So, before Hagrid could get any bright ideas about showing off his cooking, Qin Yu quickly herded the others out of the hut.

~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~

Explore More Amazing Fanfiction on My Patreon!

Unlock 30+ Advance Chapters and Enjoy Exclusive Stories Early!

��� patreon.com/GoldenLong