The hardest day at Hogwarts is always the first day of term; except for a handful of people, everyone else just can't muster any joy on that day.
Because not only does it mean the end of a delightful holiday, but students also have to stay up all night to catch up on homework... nearly every common room in each house keeps its lights burning through the night.
But this year is different.
On the first day of term, a notice on the bulletin board by the entrance of the Auditorium made everyone instantly forget all those unpleasant things.
Professor Lupin's Patronus Charm Club was finally starting, scheduled for eight o'clock the following evening, and just like last year, the location would again be the Auditorium.
"I can't wait any longer..."
"Wish it could just begin already..."
"Why can't it be tonight..."
The crowd discussed the event excitedly.
Although Dementors are barely ever seen on campus nowadays, the last time they appeared at the Quidditch Pitch, it was so unforgettable that nobody could get the image out of their heads.
Especially those Patronuses radiating shimmering silver light, like graceful elves—everyone was utterly captivated by them.
"Oh, is it finally starting?" Cedric was excited too.
His Patronus Charm always got stuck at the very last step; no matter how hard he worked, he just couldn't get the silver light to form a real Guardian God.
"Are you going, Kael?" Conna asked. "Or will you stay in the common room?"
"Let's all go, treat it like an extra learning session," Kael said. "I guess there won't be many people left in the common room tomorrow anyway, so there's no point going back alone."
At Hogwarts, big events like this are rare, definitely not to be missed.
"Harry, look! Professor Lupin is going to teach us a charm to ward off Dementors."
Just then, Ron's excited voice piped up next to them.
"Once you master the spell, plus the world's best broomstick—the Firebolt—you'll surely crush the other houses in Quidditch…"
Hmm?
Cedric's ears perked up, quickly catching the key detail.
He spun around and asked, "Ron, did you just say Harry bought a Firebolt?"
"Uh, no..."
Ron was startled and immediately denied, "You heard wrong—didn't say anything."
That's when he remembered Wood wanted to keep the Firebolt as their secret weapon, not to be mentioned to anyone.
And Gryffindor's next Quidditch match was, coincidentally, against Hufflepuff.
In other words, the secret weapon was meant for Cedric, Kael, and their team.
Ron quickly scrambled for an excuse, preparing to brush them off.
But before he could speak, Harry just came out and said:
"It wasn't bought—I couldn't afford a broom that expensive." He said, "The Firebolt was a Christmas gift."
"Hey, Harry!" Ron tugged at Harry's sleeve, whispering anxiously, "Are you sure you should tell them? Don't forget our next match—Hufflepuff is our opponent."
"It's fine, Ron." Harry shook his head gently. "The Firebolt is the fastest broom there is; even if they know, I won't lose."
"Alright then..." Ron sighed.
On the other side, when Cedric heard the Firebolt was a Christmas gift, he inhaled sharply, face full of envy.
"I remember you live with your uncle and aunt, right? They must be really good to you..."
"You've got it wrong."
At the mention of his uncle and aunt, Harry's smile vanished, his expression collapsing—he looked like he was staring at Snape's cruel sneer—quickly explaining:
"They wouldn't even give me a basic broom for chores, unless it was broken and useless."
"Not your uncle and aunt?" Cedric was puzzled, "Then who'd give you such a valuable gift..."
"No idea," Harry shook his head. "But Hermione thinks maybe it was Sirius Black who sent it—to, uh, make me crash during the match."
"That's nonsense!" Ron said angrily. "Black's busy dodging Dementors—he wouldn't go shopping for brooms in Diagon Alley!"
The tips of Ron's ears turned red from his outrage.
"And Professor McGonagall believed it, too! She even said she'd open up the Firebolt! It's a Firebolt—open it up? Ridiculous!"
Kael noticed Hermione wasn't with them; the trio who were always inseparable were rarely split up like this.
"It's not impossible, though," Cedric shrugged. "For a mysterious gift, no matter how valuable, it's wise to check it thoroughly.
Just to put everyone's mind at ease. Don't forget, Harry flies fifty feet up—if they discover a problem with the broom at that height, it would be too dangerous."
Ron curled his lip, clearly unconvinced, muttering, "Anyway, Professor McGonagall took the Firebolt away. You guys are probably hoping there's something wrong with it, so that…"
He said something else afterward, but his voice was too low for anyone to catch.
Harry looked a tad awkward. "Don't misunderstand—Ron didn't mean it that way."
"I get it," Cedric didn't pay much attention to Ron's words either.
"He's not entirely wrong; if I claim I haven't thought like that at all, even I wouldn't believe it.
But Harry, losing a match is still better than falling out of the sky again.
Anyway, there's still plenty of time before the game—enough for Professor McGonagall to finish her inspection."
"Yeah, I know," Harry said.
The conversation just about ended there.
As they were leaving, Kael suddenly looked at Ron and asked, "What if the broom really was sent by Black?"
"Then I'll apologize to Hermione and Professor McGonagall," Ron said, "but that's impossible."
"Let's hope you're right."
Kael walked past Ron, and Harry looked like he had something to say, but held back in the end.
Back in the common room, Cedric suddenly slapped his thigh and began pacing around aimlessly.
He didn't say it aloud, but he clearly cared a lot about Gryffindor getting a Firebolt.
He'd investigated: the Firebolt could accelerate to one hundred fifty miles per hour in ten seconds, with a top speed of three hundred miles per hour.
His Nimbus 1700 topped out at one hundred miles per hour, so it stood no chance against a Firebolt. Unless he could snatch the Golden Snitch before Harry even reacted.
But that was no easy feat.
After three years as rivals, Cedric knew Harry's skills well.
He was an excellent Seeker; it wasn't likely he'd make such a mistake. If it were Malfoy from Slytherin, maybe, but not Harry.
Are we going to lose this year after all?
"Kael..."
After a few laps, Cedric suddenly asked, "Do you think that Firebolt, could actually have something wrong with it?"
"Not very likely," Kael thought for a moment before answering, "Tampering with a broom isn't that easy, especially a Firebolt, the broomstick coveted by every professional team; its safety features are top-notch.
Besides, what would be the point? Every Hogwarts match is watched by professors—even if Harry did fall, he'd be fine.
Black studied here before; he knows that perfectly well."
"Oh..."
After hearing Kael's analysis, Cedric sighed quietly and resumed his pacing.
He'd have to figure out some way to counter the Firebolt.