Chapter 19: Chapter -19 Quidditch Match.
Chapter -19.
Before anyone knew it, another exciting Quidditch match was just around the corner. This time, it was Harry's second match, with Gryffindor taking on Hufflepuff.
Malfoy was simmering with jealousy over Potter's skills, secretly wishing he would take a tumble off his broom this time. He joked that Gryffindor would need to send a crowd of a hundred people carrying mats just to keep Potter safe from falling.
As the match drew closer, Malfoy eagerly pulled Brian along to the field, cheerfully announcing that Professor Snape would be the referee this time, which he believed would be quite entertaining.
And it certainly was! Snape wore a stern expression, always on the lookout for any little infraction by the Gryffindor team, which made Malfoy laugh heartily. He even took the chance to poke Ron on the back of the head, grabbing their attention.
"Did you see that? Your team is just pathetic, filled with players who are orphans or so poor they can only eat dirt. Are they just here to earn some sympathy?" Malfoy taunted. "With all the fouls they're making, Professor Snape won't go easy on you."
Ron brushed off the comments, knowing responding would only fuel Malfoy's fire further.
Hermione, meanwhile, couldn't hear Malfoy's jibes. She was too busy gripping her robes tightly and staring at Harry with wide, anxious eyes.
Bored, Malfoy directed his attention to Neville. "You silly Longbottom, maybe you can hope to join the Gryffindor team next year. An orphan, a poor kid, and not the brightest—Gryffindor would be complete!"
Neville's face turned a bright shade of red as he buried his head.
"Hey, Malfoy, say another word and..." Ron burst out, finally fed up with the taunting as he worried about Harry.
"Do you really think Dumbledore is your knight in shining armor? He doesn't care about you," Malfoy continued his mockery.
Brian caught a glimpse of Dumbledore looking his way, and their eyes met. Dumbledore finally blinked at him.
"Draco, why don't you just guess who's going to win this match?" Brian finally snapped, tugging at Malfoy's robes.
"Isn't it obvious? If Potter and his crew win, I'll eat my robes," Malfoy replied, shifting his gaze to Snape, who was calling another foul on Gryffindor.
Just then, they all watched as Harry performed a breathtaking dive on the field, drawing gasps from the stands.
"Looks like Potter's found some gold lying around," Malfoy sneered with a forced smile.
Hermione jumped out of her seat, cheering loudly for Harry.
Ron couldn't contain himself any longer and lunged at Malfoy. The two ended up in a tangled mess under the seats. Crabbe and Goyle rushed to help Malfoy, but brave Neville stood in their way, and soon a wrestling match broke out.
Meanwhile, Brian watched intently as Harry dove down swiftly and then halted his descent, raising his arm triumphantly to show the Golden Snitch in his grasp.
The crowd erupted in cheers. After checking his newly acquired 0.3 witness points, Brian pulled out his wand from his robe.
Matches involving the hero always brought extra rewards.
"Draco, Crabbe, Goyle, cut it out!" Brian shouted as he pointed his wand at the scuffle happening under the seats.
"Let him go!" he cried, seeing Neville being mobbed by Crabbe and Goyle.
The two awkwardly let go, leaving poor Neville looking worse for wear, his cheeks puffy and his complexion pale.
"Ron, let go of Draco's hair..." Brian noticed Ron yanking on Malfoy's blonde hair while delivering punch after punch to his face, and he couldn't help but cast the same spell on Ron.
With Ron temporarily distracted, Malfoy managed to land a punch on Ron's nose before Brian pulled him away.
"Ron, where are you? Harry won! We won!" Hermione shouted excitedly. Ron wiped his bleeding nose and shot furious glares at Malfoy and Brian.
Brian played innocent, having not predicted that Malfoy would struggle against him; his magic had given him a little edge.
"Well, Malfoy, what was it you said? If Harry wins, you'll eat your robes!" Ron pointed out, beaming at Malfoy.
Malfoy's face flushed slightly, and he shielded his bruised eye. "You think you've hurt me, Weasley? My dad will hear about this, and he'll have you expelled from Hogwarts..."
Observing Malfoy's embarrassment, Brian pulled him away from the loud crowd.
"What did I tell you, Hermione? Brian Walker is just a bad influence; he's always helping Malfoy out against us," Ron grumbled as he rubbed his sore nose while Hermione rushed over.
"Oh, Neville, you need to go to the hospital wing. Come on," Hermione said, glancing at Ron before turning to assist Neville.
"You shouldn't have stopped me, Brian. I wanted to teach that Weasley a lesson," Malfoy complained slowly, lifting his chin after they moved away from the noise of the stands.
"Well, I'm just worried you might face consequences for breaking school rules; Professor Dumbledore is right over there," Brian said, trying to give Malfoy a bit of dignity without revealing too much.
"Yeah, getting in trouble for teaching Weasley a lesson isn't worth it," Malfoy agreed.
Brian noticed Malfoy's bruised eye and eagerly raised his wand. "I've learned a healing spell recently; maybe it could help you feel better."
"Don't! I'd rather go to the hospital wing," Malfoy exclaimed, dodging Brian's wand while protecting his eye.
"Trust me, I'm reliable," Brian insisted.
"Let go of me! I don't want to open my eyes and find my head has been turned into a toad or something!" Malfoy yanked himself free from Brian's grasp and hurried off with Crabbe and Goyle.
...
Later that evening, Brian arrived at Quirrell's office, carrying a potion in a vial.
"No, I can't... I can't do it, I can't handle this... Master, please..."
Outside Quirrell's office, Brian faintly heard a quivering voice pleading.
"Okay... Alright... I understand..." The voice paused briefly before breaking into quiet sobs.
Brian lingered outside until the voice faded away before knocking and stepping inside.
"Don't come around so often; Snape is beginning to suspect me," Quirrell murmured, his complexion growing even paler as he trembled slightly.
"Got it. So, what's your plan now?" Brian nodded thoughtfully.
"Don't fret; he hasn't found any proof; he can't touch me," Quirrell sneered. "Today he warned me in the Forbidden Forest, but there's no way he can act against me."
"As a former supporter of the Dark Lord, he's indeed a traitor, always trying to show off in front of Dumbledore like a lapdog," Quirrell mocked.
"I've learned from that oaf Hagrid how to get past that giant dog; your method is really good," he complimented. "That dragon egg has him so entranced that I managed to get him drunk and ask what I wanted to know."
"So, you can retrieve what's inside now?" Brian asked, excitement sparkling in his eyes.
"Not just yet; I still need to find a way to heal my body and make sure I'm in tip-top shape," Quirrell replied, rubbing the large scarf around his head, his lips growing pale. "I might need to hunt for a unicorn in the Forbidden Forest."
"The protective barriers from the other professors are no obstacle for me," he whispered. "But what exactly does Dumbledore's barrier entail?"
"You could try finding out," he said to Brian. "Of course, it's tough; don't get too close to Dumbledore; he can read your thoughts."
"Just keep an eye out for any information; don't blow our cover," Quirrell instructed.
"Of course, Professor," Brian said with a slight bow, sporting a smile that was nearly perfect.
...
"Hagrid has gotten the dragon egg..." Brian walked out of Quirrell's office, contemplating whether he could gain some witness points from this event.
Obtaining witness points was challenging; he could only seize every storyline opportunity that might earn him some. If he simply went through things step by step, by the time Voldemort was resurrected, he wouldn't be much stronger than Hermione at that point. He needed enough power to protect himself and even steer the storyline.
As Brian was deep in thought while walking, a figure suddenly blocked his path.