Chapter 87: Conflict, Gossip

On the weekend, Hogwarts seemed completely empty—almost all the students were at the Quidditch stadium. This time, it was a match between Ravenclaw and Slytherin. As a member of Ravenclaw, Wade naturally joined his classmates in the stands. In truth, Wade had never been interested in Quidditch as a sport—not even a little. Flying freely on a broom in the sky certainly felt great, but risking a broken neck to compete fifty feet above the ground? He thought that was just plain foolish. Being a spectator wasn't much better. The Golden Snitch was so small that apart from the occasional glint of gold, you couldn't see it at all. Most of the time, the Seekers seemed to just be idly flying high in the air. The other players moved at speeds faster than cars on highways, and the Quaffle and Bludger zipped between players so quickly that Wade doubted most people could even follow the match. Everyone probably relied on the commentary to know when to cheer. Still, the students loved the sport—of course, anyone trapped in a boarding school studying all day would love any group activity unrelated to school work—even if it involved weeding the lawn or picking up litter on nearby streets. Wade was an exception, as the joy and sense of accomplishment he got from studying magic surpassed any form of competition. Suddenly, the stands erupted in cheers. Wade was momentarily stunned before joining his classmates in polite applause— Ravenclaw had won the match. The Seeker, an older boy, held his right hand high, with the wings of the Golden Snitch fluttering between his fingers. He flew around the stadium on his broom at high speed, showing the Snitch to everyone. Countless people reached out, trying to high-five him as if he were a celebrity. "Ravenclaw! Ravenclaw! Ravenclaw!" Even the Gryffindor students in the stands joined in the cheering—it thrilled them to see Slytherin lose more than anything else. The Slytherin students left with dark expressions. "We're not far behind Hufflepuff in points, and now we've beaten Slytherin—" On the way back to the castle, Michael excitedly calculated the scores from both matches, saying, "Maybe this time Ravenclaw can win the Quidditch Cup!" "You aren't this enthusiastic about the House Cup!" Wade teased. "How is that the same?" Michael said dismissively. "I heard Shulaya, a third-year, say that even if you win the House Cup, all that happens is they change the hall decorations to your house colors at the end-of-year feast—what's the point of that?" In fact, many Ravenclaws, like Michael, had an indifferent attitude towards the House Cup. If their points were high, that was fine, but if they were low, it didn't really matter, and even coming in last place didn't bother them. They wouldn't go out of their way to earn more points for their house during class. "But the Quidditch Cup doesn't have any other rewards either!" Wade said. "This is Quidditch!" Michael's eyes widened. "Winning the Quidditch Cup is the greatest honor." Suddenly, a loud sneer came from nearby. Malfoy, accompanied by his two cronies, approached and lowered his voice, saying, "You're getting so full of yourselves over just one win? Don't forget, the House Cup has been ours for the past six years! Ravenclaw's—" He glared at Wade with malice, spitting out the word, "—Mudblood." Michael angrily pulled out his wand. "How dare you—" Malfoy jumped back, threatening, "The professor is right behind us. You dare make a move?" "Why wouldn't I!" Michael shouted furiously. "Let the professor hear exactly what you just said!" He was about to cast a curse when Wade held him back. "Malfoy," Wade said calmly, "you really should take a look in the mirror—see how ugly and disgusting you look with your petty, evil behavior." For a moment, Malfoy didn't know how to respond. It took him a while to remember he could attack Wade's bloodline again. "You—you filthy—" But Wade and Michael had already walked away, as if Malfoy and his group were nothing more than weeds on the side of the road. Malfoy overheard Wade say, "Michael, when a vicious dog bites you, just kick it away. You wouldn't get down and bite it back, would you?" Michael either had a low tolerance for jokes or couldn't help but picture the scene, bursting into laughter. Even some students passing by couldn't hold back their laughter and glanced mockingly at the Slytherins. Hearing their chuckles, Malfoy felt as though sharp knives were scraping across his face. Trembling with rage, he almost cast a curse in retaliation. But the presence of a professor nearby was too strong a deterrent, forcing Malfoy to suppress his temper. He stormed toward the castle, head down, teeth clenched in hatred, stewing over the two humiliations Wade had dealt him. Crabbe and Goyle hurried after him, looking clueless as if they didn't understand a thing. Malfoy overheard the voices around him and felt as though everyone was mocking him. Suddenly, he really did hear his name— "Malfoy had another conflict with Wade... He must really hate Wade now, right?" A girl's voice sounded a bit worried. Malfoy recognized the voice as Padma from Ravenclaw, who seemed to be quite close with Wade. Instinctively, he hid behind a pillar to eavesdrop and gestured for Crabbe and Goyle to hide as well. The two chubby boys glanced at each other and reluctantly squeezed themselves behind Malfoy, looking like a string of sugar-coated haws on a stick. Another similar voice—Parvati's—said, "Of course, after all, he is pure-blood Malfoy!" "Do you think Malfoy is still using the 'Book of Friends' Wade invented?" Padma asked. "Hmm?" Parvati hesitated, mumbling, "Well... he probably would..." "I don't think so," Padma said with a mischievous smile. "Otherwise, it'd be ridiculous if he's insulting Wade while still using something Wade invented, don't you think?" "R-right... right?" Parvati stammered. She didn't quite understand—who would stop using something so useful just because of a quarrel? Plus, the 'Book of Friends' isn't cheap... But seeing Padma's confident expression and thinking about her own unfinished Potions homework, Parvati wisely decided to keep her mouth shut. Padma glanced over and caught a glimpse of the shadows behind the pillar, and a sly smile formed at the corner of her lips. ... The girls left, arm in arm. Malfoy stepped out from behind the pillar and his pale face turned crimson. He pulled out the 'Book of Friends' and, without hesitation, tore it into pieces, throwing the scraps onto the ground. "Keep an eye on Wade Grey for me!" Malfoy snarled. "Watch when he goes to the Potions classroom! I won't let that guy get away!" His mind was racing with the nastiest, most vicious curses he knew— Killing Curse... Cruciatus Curse... Entrail-Expelling Curse... No, I can't do any of these... Teeth-Growing Hex... Leg-Locker Curse... Blazing Fire curse... -------------------------------- ????????Please consider supporting this translation project by becoming a P@treon member!!! Your support is greatly appreciated! Available on my P@treon page for just $4!! Early access to the following translations:- ⭐Harry Potter: Becoming a Study God (HP:BSG)- +73 Chapters & 2 Chapters/Day ⭐MCU: Druid's Adventures (MCUDA)(⭐COMPLETE⭐) - Total Chapter 460 ⭐Famous Police Detective in Detective World (FPDDW)- +165 advance chapters ⭐Marvel: Little Genius (MLG) (⭐COMPLETE⭐) - Total Chapter 450 [email protected]/Lightreaper457 --------------------------------