Chapter 60. Under the guard of the lion
The Horrors of the New War: Who Will Stop the Terror of the Death Eaters?
As our reporters have learned, last night the gang of Death Eaters launched an attack on the magical village of Crackleton in North Yorkshire.
The perpetrators, hiding their faces behind masks, set fire to several houses and spread panic among the local residents. According to witnesses, the Death Eaters used Unforgivable Curses against anyone who tried to resist them.
Fortunately, thanks to the timely intervention of King Arthur's forces, the Death Eaters were forced to flee, unable to achieve their goals.
"The King saved us! If not for him, these monsters would have killed everyone!" shares survivor Mr. Albert Higgs with the Prophet.
According to the Ministry of Dark Arts Control, this is not the only instance of supporters of You-Know-Who becoming more active. The Death Eaters are becoming increasingly audacious in their attacks.
While King Arthur stands guard to maintain order, ordinary wizards and muggles have protection against this lawlessness. We urge all concerned individuals to unite against the terror of the Death Eaters and their leader, whose name we dare not speak!
At breakfast, there was a tense atmosphere. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were discussing the latest troubling news.
"Stan Shunpike has been arrested for being connected to the Death Eaters... And poor Hannah lost her mom to them," Hermione said quietly.
"I heard her relatives took her home," Dudley joined the conversation. "Will she be homeschooled now?"
Harry nodded grimly. He sympathized with the students who had lost their families and loved ones. He also thought about the fate of the unlucky Stan Shunpike and remembered how, after the Quidditch World Cup, Stan would babble nonsense in front of the Veela, which he would usually laugh about. But now, everything was much more serious. No matter how much of a chatterbox Stan Shunpike was, his words had gotten him sent to Azkaban. It seemed like the darkness was growing with each passing day. Voldemort was summoning mysterious and powerful allies for help. And no one knew how long King Arthur's protection would hold.
Recalling his brief conversation with the king in Diagon Alley, Harry felt a sense of unease. What did King Arthur mean when he warned him that he was being led into a pit? How much longer would this fragile illusion of safety last?
"Let's hope the king's help will allow us to endure," he said quietly. But his heart clenched with bad premonitions. What awaited them ahead?
Laughter from the Slytherins could be heard from the nearby table.
"This imaginary king won't be able to do anything against the Dark Lord!" someone's voice said.
"His views are probably as ancient as the legends about him!"
"I wonder if he'll show us the way to Avalon if we ask? Or does Avalon only exist in his mind?"
Dudley immediately stood up from the table, his face as red as a freshly boiled crab. His hands clenched into huge, powerful fists. He displayed, with his entire being, that he was willing to personally accompany anyone to Avalon who dared to say a word from the Slytherin table. The entire Slytherin table burst into laughter at the sight of the enraged Gryffindor, and only Masha grabbed him by the sleeve with a look that begged him not to start a fight.
Harry turned around. Draco sat silently surrounded by giggling classmates. His face remained inscrutable.
"Don't say that!" Neville objected. "The king protects us from the Death Eaters!"
The Slytherins only sneered in response.
Harry felt annoyed by their remarks. But at least Draco didn't join in the bullying. What was happening in his mind?
Getting up from the table, Harry and Ron headed to the Quidditch field for Gryffindor team tryouts.
They met Hermione at the entrance to the stands.
"Harry, Ron, Jeanne! Good luck at the tryouts today!" Hermione said.
"Thanks! We'll try to make it onto the team!" Ron replied.
"I hope to make a good impression," Jeanne nodded seriously. "We trained a lot this summer at the Burrow."
"You'll definitely do great!" Ron encouraged her.
They climbed up to the stands together. Harry felt a rush of excitement - today, they would give it their all, all together!
On the field, those aspiring to join the team had gathered. Harry saw familiar faces - Ginny, Dean, Jimmy Peakes, and others.
It was a clear autumn day, perfect for Quidditch tryouts. The stands of the stadium were filled with eager spectators – students waiting to see the candidates' performances. The wind rustled the robes and waved the scarves in the colors of the different houses.
Harry nervously surveyed the crowd – as the team captain, he had a responsible decision to make. Ron, standing beside him, shifted impatiently, eager to get on the field.
"Well, let's begin the selections!" Harry announced, waving his hand to signal the first participant...
Ginny was the first to take the trial. She was focused and ready to showcase her best hunting skills. Everyone knew Ginny was an excellent player, but Harry couldn't let friendship cloud his judgement.
Ginny swiftly darted towards the hoops, skillfully avoiding the enchanted training bludgers. Her red hair billowed behind her like a fiery tail. The crowd gasped as she narrowly dodged a bludger collision, but Ginny didn't lose her composure and confidently scored a goal.
"Excellent!" Harry cheered, applauding along with everyone else. Ron and the other team members loudly cheered for Ginny as well. Her flight had made an impression on the audience.
After successful performances from the seekers, it was time for the beaters' trials.
Sam Brightwood was the first to fly out. His face was concentrated, and his shoulders were tense – he was clearly nervous, but determined. Sam skillfully hit the bludger, demonstrating strength and accuracy.
"Well done, Sam!" Agatha Sunspark shouted from the stands. He smiled in response and returned to the ground.
Next came Jeanne. Her back was straight, and her gaze serious. She charged towards the bludger and deflected it with a precise strike. Harry and Ron applauded loudly – it was evident that her summer training had paid off.
Harry and Ron applauded along with everyone else – they had seen Jeanne's dedication during the summer practices. Katie Bell, Demelza Robbins, Dean, and other candidates took their turns.
Lastly, Dudley flew out as a beater. He looked nervous but determined. He carefully polished his Nimbus 2001 broom and held it tightly in his sweaty palms filled with excitement.
Dudley had become very eager about Quidditch and had practiced a lot on his own as well as with Harry and Ron. He had tried himself in different positions – as a seeker, a beater, and during the summer, he played both as a chaser and a keeper.
When the tryouts began, Dudley couldn't decide which position he should try out for.
"Let him fly as a beater first, and then as a hunter," Harry suggested. "Let's see where his skills shine the most."
Finally, it was his turn. Dudley pushed off the ground and soared into the air. His flight was slightly tense due to his nerves. But when the bludger whizzed past, Dudley composed himself and executed a difficult feint, evading the attack, intercepting the bludger, and skillfully hitting it back.
"Come on, Dudley!" Harry shouted from the stands.
Dudley confidently gained height and scored a Quaffle goal, flying through the hoop. The stands erupted in applause. The stands immediately erupted in cheers.
In the end, Dudley shone by scoring a goal like a Chaser, and then demonstrated excellent Seeker skills.
"Well done, Dudley! You're versatile!" Ron praised him after the flight.
After evaluating the Seekers and Chasers, Harry announced, "Now let's move on to selecting the goalkeepers!"
Ron was the first one on the field. He looked determined, although Harry noticed Ron gripping his broom nervously. Ron's flight was a bit tense, but overall he demonstrated good reflexes and managed to block many shots.
Next, Cormac McLaggen flew onto the field. He grinned confidently and winked at the girls in the stands, saying, "Get ready for a show! I'll show you an amazing flight!" He then turned to Jeanne, who had also risen to the stands. "And you, sweetheart, will be cheering in delight."
Jeanne pressed her lips together and stood up abruptly. Her back was as straight as a stick, and her gaze sparkled with indignation.
"Your empty words are worthy of nothing but a condescending silence from me," Jeanne sharply interrupted him. "You only impress with your own vanity."
With these words, Jeanne turned around and proudly walked away, paying no attention to the astonished looks. McLaggen blushed with anger and humiliation. Harry and Ron exchanged glances and barely held back their laughter – this arrogant guy surely doesn't know who he just messed with.
In the air, McLaggen tried to perform tricks and stunts on his broom to grab the public's attention. This often made him lose focus and miss easy shots through the hoops.
When Harry announced that Ron would be the main goalkeeper, McLaggen protested, "What?! Weasley only made it because of his connections! I'm a hundred times better than him!"
"Cormac, you should learn team spirit," Harry said sternly. "It's not about showing off, but about the team's coordinated effort."
McLaggen snorted and walked away, while the rest of the players exchanged glances. Harry was right – arrogance won't lead to victory. In team sports, humility and mutual support are much more important. After discussing, Harry appointed Ron as the main goalkeeper and McLaggen as the backup.
"Well done, Ron! You did it!" Harry congratulated his friend when he announced the results.
After all the trials, Harry announced the names of those who made it into the main team. They included Sam, Katie, Demelza, Ginny, Dean, and all three beaters!
"Harry, did you include five chasers, three beaters, and two goalkeepers in the team? Isn't that too many?" Katie Bell remarked.
"I decided to have substitutes, just in case," explained Harry. "Last year, we had to urgently find replacements due to injuries. Now we'll have a full reserve."
"But training will be harder with such a large squad," objected Katie.
"No worries, we'll manage!" Ginny interjected. "The most important thing is that now we have an excellent team! We will be the best!"
Harry and the rest nodded in agreement. Of course, it wouldn't be easy to train everyone, but they were ready to put in all their efforts because team spirit was the most important thing.
While the trials were going on, an unexpected spectator appeared in one of the stands. It was Draco Malfoy. He quietly sat at the very edge and started observing what was happening.
At first, Malfoy's face remained impassive. But gradually, as he watched the newcomers perform their flights, he became more interested.
When Ginny scored another goal, Draco smirked and even applauded. And after Dudley Malfoy's successful performance, he genuinely smiled, although he hid it behind a mocking snort.
Harry only noticed Malfoy after the end of the qualifying training and raised his eyebrows in surprise. What brought him here? But it seemed that Draco genuinely rejoiced for the newcomers in the Gryffindor team. Why? Unfortunately, Harry couldn't talk to him again as Malfoy disappeared after the training. Harry carefully circled the entire stadium and inspected all the stands several times. After that incident, he felt a buildup of new questions about Draco. What on earth was happening with this arrogant Slytherin?
Snape sat in his office, rubbing his hands in satisfaction. His gaze lingered on an ancient book with a worn-out cover, lying on the table. It seemed that this discovery brought him great pleasure. In the corner, someone's shadow flickered, but the person remained hidden in the darkness.
"Everything is going perfectly," Snape said, looking into the dark corner. "Very soon, our desired outcome will be achieved. Thanks to the information you obtained... from a reliable source."
Snape smirked smugly and stroked the tattered cover. This book, found in a forbidden place, would ensure his triumph. No one would suspect its true origin.
Snape tore his gaze away from the ancient book and looked back into the dark corner of the office.
"I must say, the potion you provided me with... Its effect is simply mesmerizing. I have never encountered such fine work in potion-making."
"You are very kind," a melodic voice with a slight accent came from the shadows, giving him a soft response. "It is gratifying that my modest talents in potion-making have been useful to you."
"Oh yes, thanks to this potion, our success is guaranteed," Snape nodded in satisfaction. "Everything is going according to plan."
Suddenly, Snape felt someone's breath and saw the glint of eyes in the darkness in front of his face. The shadow smirked cunningly at him and disappeared into the darkness.
At the threshold, Snape glanced back at the mysterious figure in the corner and smirked cunningly. Everything was going perfectly... Snape chuckled in satisfaction and left the office. The help of his guest would ensure the success of his plans.