Chapter 268 Encounters With The Ravenclaw Seeker
After a while, Sirius also approached to cheer up Harry.
Upon learning that the Firebolt was a Christmas gift from Sirius to Harry, the atmosphere at the long Gryffindor table reached its climax.
The young wizards were talking excitedly and envying Harry.
Malfoy stood by the door with a gloomy expression, as everyone left the Great Hall to gather around Harry and the Firebolt. He seemed to be intentionally waiting there.
"Are you sure you can handle that broom, Potter?" Malfoy said coldly and languidly, closely examining Harry's broom.
"Yes, I suppose," Harry replied casually.
"It has lots of special features, doesn't it?" Malfoy said, his eyes gleaming maliciously. "Too bad it doesn't come with a parachute to stop you from falling."
Behind him, Crabbe and Goyle chuckled under their breath.
Harry recalled the last Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff when he fell off the broom because of the Dementors.
"Too bad you can't add an extra arm to yours, Malfoy!" Harry retorted bluntly. "Then it could catch the Snitch for you."
The Gryffindor team burst into laughter. Malfoy's pale eyes narrowed even more. He took a step forward and clenched his fists tightly as if he wanted to hit Harry.
Then he saw Evan approaching just behind his opponent.
Malfoy stopped abruptly, a flash of uncontrollable fear in his face, remembering the terrible magic Evan had used on him that night.
He inexplicably backed away, instinctively feeling fear, that second-year Gryffindor mudblood was too malicious.
He didn't want to provoke Evan before everything was cleared up.
"Hold on tight to your broom, Potter, today you'll have your last flight." Malfoy threatened malevolently and turned around to walk away slowly.
"What did he mean?" Hermione looked at Evan, trying to understand. "I thought he wouldn't come near us again!"
"It's just empty threats!" Ron didn't care. "After Hagrid and Buckbeak were cleared and knowing Harry had a Firebolt, he must be crazy. Look at the surprise on his face."
"Malfoy can't believe Harry got a Firebolt. This is the happiest day of my semester!" Harry nodded approvingly and said happily, "Don't worry, Hermione, he's just bluffing, he won't..."
"You better be careful, Malfoy has a plan." Evan warned. "Just in case, during the game, you should have your wand with you."
Evan remembered the last time he went to Hogsmeade; he overheard Malfoy talking to Goyle and Crabbe in Honeydukes sweet shop. Just before he pushed Malfoy, under Harry's invisibility cloak, into the barrel of jelly slugs, he heard him talking about using cloaks like Dementors to scare Harry during the game.
Although this should have little impact on Harry, protection was indeed necessary.
After a few minutes, everyone dispersed outside the castle gate.
Evan, Ron, Colin, Hermione, and Ginny went to the stands to find a spot, and Harry followed the Gryffindor team to the changing rooms.
The weather couldn't be more different from their match against Hufflepuff. It was a clear and cool day with a very gentle breeze; this time there shouldn't be any visibility issues.
Evan sat in the bustling stadium, and the rest of the school trickled in. He greeted people he knew. The most exotic attire was Luna's. She wore a large blue crystal necklace around her neck. It stood out against her black school robe. It matched her silvery-gray eyes and looked especially ethereal.
"It's a blue crystal. It can bring good luck and help Ravenclaw win the game." Luna sat next to Evan and said dreamily, "But I don't think it's very useful. After finding out that Harry got a Firebolt, Ravenclaw actually gave up. They all talked for a long time last night, studying strategies and tactics, but in the end, they didn't come up with good ideas and returned to their rooms one by one, frustrated."
Evan saw the Ravenclaw players silently on the field, hoping the Firebolt would simply outperform the other brooms.
No need to mention, among the four Houses, Harry was the finest Seeker.
In today's match, the confrontation between the two Houses was no longer crucial. All attention had shifted to the Firebolt and Harry's performance.
Discussions and remarks about the Firebolt were heard everywhere. The young wizards were thrilled to converse and cheer, and Evan was thrilled by the vibrant atmosphere around him, typical of a Quidditch match.
To his left, Luna did not return to the Ravenclaw seats.
She was uninterested in the match but shared with Evan the latest findings related to the Crumple-Horned Snorkack.
Following the financial success of the newspaper, Evan also sponsored Luna with a sizable sum of Galleons to support her research on the Babbling Bandon's and the Crumple-Horned Snorkack.
After that, she regularly updated Evan on the progress of her research and the latest breakthroughs.
Although Evan had no interest in those topics, Luna seemed not to mind. Observing her, it appeared she simply desired to converse with him.
To Evan's right, Hermione held a thick book of magic related to Centaur astrology and was engrossed in reading it quickly.
Unlike Evan, Harry, and Ron, she was greatly concerned about the venture of visiting the Centaur colony tonight for fear of any mishap.
She advised Evan to prepare himself. Between the previous night and the match, she rapidly absorbed a lot of information about the Centaurs.
Among the young wizards of Hogwarts, she was the most knowledgeable about the Centaurs.
More than 10 minutes later, the Quidditch teams of the two Houses, Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, officially appeared. Under the deafening cheers and applause, the Ravenclaw team, dressed in blue, took the lead.
They rode old-style Cleansweep Seven brooms, but they were highly skilled and had excellent technique. They flew low around the stadium filled with spectators.
A few seconds later, Evan felt someone hovering above him. He looked up in surprise and saw Cho Chang smiling and waving at him, looking very lovely.
After returning Cho's greeting, he swiftly flew to the center of the field.
"Cho asked about you!" Luna suddenly said. She smiled and glanced at Evan.
Evan did not smile. He felt Hermione, who had been reading beside him, following the conversation and looking up, appearing very intrigued.
"Why would she ask about Evan?!" Hermione said casually, narrowing her eyes and gazing at Cho, who had descended to the center of the field.
Cho was shaking hands with Harry, and Harry seemed very excited and slightly awkward.
"Probably adoring Evan, wanting to go out with him or something of the sort!" Luna said in her peculiar voice. "It's not just Cho, many girls ask about Evan. He's now the most popular person in school."
Upon hearing Luna's praises, Evan's face blushed.
He didn't know he was so popular, but if as Luna said, Cho asked him out, should he accept?!
As he gazed at the beautiful girl in the center of the field, Evan's thoughts gradually became chaotic.
