The weather today was even colder than yesterday.
When Harry woke up that morning, a thin layer of condensation had formed on the window.
Even though the walls and windows kept out most of the chill,The cold still managed to creep in.
Everyone else—except Harry—was still wrapped up in their warm blankets,Deep in sleep, lost in pleasant dreams.
Even Ron, muttering in his sleep,Smacked his lips as if dreaming about something delicious.
At this hour, the air was thick with frost,And even breathing felt more difficult during his morning run.
By the time Harry had warmed up and returned to the dormitory,He wasn't the least bit surprised—When he left, a few people were still asleep in bed.Now, the same few were still asleep in bed.
"Get up already!" Harry shouted."It's time for breakfast!"
Someone mumbled sleepily,"It's too cold... just let me sleep a little longer..."
The moment the word cold was heard,Everyone instinctively curled up tighter,Wrapping themselves even more snugly in their blankets like worms.
Harry: (⊙o⊙)...
Letting out a sigh, Harry slowly pulled out his wand.
"Snowball, snowball."
Four perfectly round snowballs appeared in the air—And dropped straight into the warm blankets,Rolling right into their collars!
Being the kind person he was,Harry gently closed the door,Careful not to disturb his peacefully sleeping dormmates.
No need to thank me.You can just call me Red Scarf.
Suddenly—
A series of horrifying screams echoed throughout Hogwarts,Lingering for a long, long time.
Meanwhile, in the Gryffindor common room...
Hermione was sitting comfortably by the fireplace,Peacefully reading—
Until the bloodcurdling cries from the boys' dorm startled her so muchThat she nearly dropped her book.
"What on earth is happening in the boys' dormitory?!" she exclaimed.
In other dormitories...
Boys from different houses felt a sudden, eerie chill run down their spines.
At Hogwarts, the rumor mill was already spinning...
Students whispered among themselves,Trying to make sense of the terrifying screams.
"I think I know what happened..."A boy said confidently, his tone full of mystery.
The others leaned in closer, eager to hear.
"It must be a magical creature!" he declared.
Someone frowned, doubtful."What do screams like that have to do with magical creatures?"
The boy smirked knowingly,Twirling an imaginary feathered fan in his hand.
"Because," he said dramatically,"I read that this kind of creature... absolutely LOVES attacking men's—"
"Backsides."
Everyone in the group instantly turned pale.
"Wait, wait, wait—ARE YOU SERIOUS?!"
A deep wave of horror washed over them.
If that thing is in the dormitory...How the hell are we supposed to sleep at night?!
The Power of Hogwarts Gossip...
As soon as students flooded out of their dormitories,The rumor exploded.
And within just a few minutes,It had spread like wildfire,Twisting into something even worse.
Breakfast Time...
While Harry was eating,He overheard a group of students talking nearby—
"Did you hear? Something crazy happened in the first-year boys' dormitory this morning!"
"What happened?!" another leaned in, excited.
The first one lowered his voice,"I heard that... except for Harry Potter, who went out for a run early this morning..."
"EVERY. SINGLE. BOY. IN THAT ROOM... GOT VIOLATED!"
"WHAT?!"
The other student gasped in disbelief—Though his face also lit up with curiosity.
"I didn't believe it at first either,"The storyteller whispered with drama,"But I heard someone actually saw a bunch of first-year boys..."
"Running out of the dormitory...""PALE AS SHEETS, HOLDING THEIR PANTS UP."
"..."
Harry, who had been sipping his pumpkin juice,Nearly choked from laughing.
Shoveling a few more bites of breakfast into his mouth,He rushed out of the Great Hall before he completely lost it.
Harry was on his way to see Professor McGonagall,To give her his decision.
Knock, knock, knock.
"Come in."
Harry pushed open the door and stepped inside.Professor McGonagall was seated at her desk,Her square-framed glasses perched neatly on her nose.
When she saw Harry, she paused for a moment,Then quickly composed herself—
"Have you made up your mind?"
Her voice held a touch of tension and urgency.
"Yes," Harry said firmly, "I've decided to join the Quidditch team!"
"Excellent."
Professor McGonagall stood up,A rare smile forming on her lips.
"Your father would have been proud of you.He, too, was an outstanding Seeker."
She said it lightly,As if trying to keep the mood casual.
"Honestly, I was expecting you to turn me down.I didn't think you'd actually agree."
Of course, Harry wasn't about to tell herThat the real reason for his sudden change of heartWas a certain girl he'd met the day before.
Meeting Oliver Wood
Surprisingly, McGonagall didn't stop there.Instead, she led Harry straight to the classroom where Oliver Wood was.
The Gryffindor Quidditch captain.
"This is first-year Harry Potter," she said by way of introduction."The Seeker I mentioned to you a few days ago."
Then, turning to Harry, she added—"Harry, this is Oliver Wood, your team captain."
Wood was a fifth-year student,Tall and solidly built,With a commanding presence.
Hearing McGonagall's words,Wood's face lit up with excitement.
"Fantastic! We finally have a Seeker!"
After the introduction, McGonagall left,Leaving Wood to explain the team's training schedule to Harry.
They agreed to begin practice the next day,Then parted ways to head back to class.
Hermione's Suspicion
That evening at dinner,Hermione learned of Harry's sudden decision.
No matter how hard she tried,She just couldn't figure outWhy Harry had changed his mind so suddenly.
That Night – The Boys' Dormitory
Later that night,Harry pulled the broomstick from beneath his bed.
The brown paper wrapping was still intact.
With a swift motion,He untied the string and unfolded the package.
A sleek, finely crafted broom rolled out onto his bed.
"Wow..."
A voice gasped beside him.
Of all the boys in their dorm,The one most obsessed with Quidditch was, of course, Ron.
And naturally,The one who had just spoken was Ron.
His eyes sparkled,Glued to the broomstick gleaming in the candlelight.
Still, he hesitated before asking—
"Can I... touch it?"
Harry chuckled."Of course."
Ron immediately picked up the broom,Turning it over in his hands with awe.
It was a beautiful piece of craftsmanship.Sleek, elegant lines,A polished redwood handle,And a long, perfectly trimmed tail of twigs.
As Ron examined it from every angle,His eyes suddenly widened.
Etched in shimmering gold at the top of the handle were the words:
"Nimbus 2000"
"Th-this is..."Ron stammered, his voice trembling with excitement,"The fastest... most expensive broomstick... on the market right now!"
Hearing Ron's shout,Neville and the others immediately gathered around,And soon the dormitory had turned into a mini broomstick appraisal party.
Harry, meanwhile,Lay back on his bed,Watching the excited group crowding around the broom.
It was quite the amusing sight.
Slowly,He drifted off to sleep...