Chapter 123: Baiting Plan

"To be honest, I think Ravenclaw is sleepwalking through this match." Ron couldn't hold back halfway through the game.

"Their Seeker's been invisible the whole time—I have no idea what's going on." Neville shrugged.

"Because their Seeker graduated last year," Harry explained. "The current Seeker is a Chaser who switched positions. Ravenclaw just can't find a talented enough Seeker."

"I'm really curious how they beat Hufflepuff," Ginny asked.

"Hufflepuff's weakness is that their goal hoops are too easy to breach, and direct offense is the only thing Ravenclaw's current team has going for them," Wood said. "Watch this match closely—it's vital for our analysis of Ravenclaw."

Ravenclaw lost the match 60 to 150 against Slytherin. While the other children scattered, Wood called his team back to the locker room, bringing Ron and Ginny along—he said he was holding a strategy meeting.

"First, let's get real. Let's review Ravenclaw's match against Slytherin, discuss their current tactical struggles in position, and identify what problems exist with their Seeker, matchups, and team operations," Wood said slowly, flipping through his notebook.

"For Ravenclaw right now, the biggest problem is finding a suitable Seeker. The only options are backup Chasers or inferior new Seekers," Wood tapped the table. "So they have two strategies: score pressure or four-protect-one."

"Going with four-protect-one means betting victory on an average-talent rookie—that's extremely risky. Score pressure has serious drawbacks too. Though Ravenclaw won against Hufflepuff using score pressure, that only worked because Hufflepuff's offense was weak and Cedric himself was team-oriented. That kind of win isn't replicable."

"Slytherin can adapt flexibly. If Ravenclaw puts in a backup Chaser to score pressure, Slytherin can go defensive and wait for Malfoy to catch the Snitch. If Ravenclaw puts in a rookie Seeker to run operations, Slytherin can switch straight to four-protect-one. Malfoy may be slightly worse than Harry, but he's still a top-tier Seeker—handling a rookie is child's play."

"Ravenclaw, without a Seeker, has lost all real threat to us this year," Wood continued. "We need to figure out how to score more points in this match to ease pressure for the finals."

"And Harry, you still have to play. Only our Seeker being excellent enough can suppress their lineup—that's critical," Wood concluded. "When you're on the field, focus on applying pressure through direct duels—don't rush to catch the Snitch."

"I understand," Harry nodded. After Wood's analysis, he now saw the situation clearly.

But for Harry right now, the back-to-back championship wasn't his only goal. Since learning the Patronus Charm, he'd been thinking about other things.

For instance, the Dementors that appeared in the last match—they showed up on the pitch, meaning Black was there. But why was Black there?

Harry believed Black was probably very familiar with Hogwarts' match schedule. When Harry appeared on the pitch again, Black would likely show up once more. Even if Black couldn't find a chance to attack Harry directly, just releasing a hint of his presence to draw Dementors could inflict serious harm.

Of course, Black probably didn't yet know Harry was no longer afraid of Dementors.

If the pressure from the Ravenclaw match was high, it would be best to have professors set up full protective wards around the pitch in advance to scare Black away and give Harry space to focus. But since the pressure wasn't high now, they could consider having the professors pretend to lower their guard and secretly set an ambush—giving them a strong chance to capture Black.

With this idea in mind, Harry immediately thought of consulting Lupin, because Lupin was likely the professor who understood Black best.

"I admit your reasoning makes sense, Harry," Lupin mused. "But I don't want you taking risks. There's something I haven't asked you yet."

"What is it, Professor?"

"Where did you hear our nicknames?" Lupin asked.

"Huh?" Harry paused. "I heard it from Mr. Thistlewood—he owns a Gobstones shop in Hogsmeade and was in our year."

"Ah…" Lupin fell into thought.

"I think the reason you're asking is because of the Marauder's Map?" Harry guessed Lupin's line of thought.

"Oh, so you know where the Marauder's Map is," Lupin said cheerfully. "Then we can monitor Black's movements at all times."

"The Marauder's Map is with me," Harry said. "But it doesn't show your name—I suspect it won't work on Black either."

"Because the Marauder's Map doesn't reveal the Marauders' movements to outsiders," Lupin smiled mysteriously. "But among us, there's nothing to hide."

"Oh, so you mean…" Harry had suspected this before. "If you hold the Marauder's Map, it would show Black's movements when he sneaks into the school?"

"Exactly. You can play normally," Lupin said. "I'll ask Professor Dobby to join me—we'll catch Black before he reaches the pitch."

"Good idea. Wait a moment—I'll go get it." After brief consideration, Harry decided to return the Marauder's Map to Lupin. First, it would help capture Black; second, he had a more vivid map at Torchwood.

Harry then realized that since the Torchwood map had been built, they could've used it to monitor Black all along. But Torchwood's children weren't eager to stare at the map day and night, and even if they spotted Black, reporting to professors and rushing to the scene took too long—Black would've vanished by then.

Before dinner, Harry retrieved the Marauder's Map. Lupin traced the worn parchment, his expression nostalgic.

"Where did you find this map?" Lupin said. "I remember it was stolen during our sixth year."

"The Weasley twins gave it to me. They found it in Filch's drawer," Harry explained.

"Ah, so the thief who stole the map got caught after all," Lupin chuckled. "Actually, the map wasn't that useful to us—most of the time, James could outwit Filch right under his nose."

"You can keep it until the match starts. Watch the professors' positions during snack time," Lupin didn't immediately take the map back. "I believe it still holds meaning for you."

In the days that followed, life went on as usual. Harry was certain the baiting plan was nearly perfected: Dumbledore secretly guarded the pitch for Harry, other professors pretended not to attend the match but had already taken positions around the field to form a cordon, and Professor Dobby and Lupin would act together to capture Black. They were chosen as the primary operators because, either out of Auror duty or old student friendship, both were eager to personally apprehend Black.

By late January nearing February, Zhang Qiu suggested Harry take the Firebolt for a walk around the common room. She didn't say why—only that the divination had written so.

Though Harry thought it pointless, he complied. Zhang Qiu looked so anxious she seemed on the verge of depression.

As soon as Harry entered the common room, the Firebolt drew everyone's attention. The students praised the broom's perfection, declaring Ravenclaw's Comet series utterly inferior, and even began celebrating Gryffindor's imminent victory for the House Cup.

Later, on the way back to the dormitory, Ron found Scabbers lying in a pool of blood. He was startled at first—but after closer inspection, realized someone had just splashed red paint on it as a prank.

Whether it was Neville on his bed or Professor Dobby in the wardrobe, all insisted they knew nothing—leaving Ron thoroughly confused.

After this prank mystery, Harry saw Zhang Qiu performing strange divinations again after a Care of Magical Creatures class. Hagrid had introduced them to the proud, winged horse-eagle, Buckbeak. Harry remembered Professor Dobby had warned it was dangerous, so he kept a safe distance and didn't approach.

But after class, Zhang Qiu insisted he must "find a chance to ride it," and whispered something to Malfoy. Later, Malfoy told Harry that Zhang Qiu wanted him to pick a fight with the beast and get it expelled. Such contradictory behavior made Harry increasingly worried Zhang Qiu might be suffering from nervous exhaustion.

Fortunately, aside from these two odd incidents, Zhang Qiu did nothing else confusing—though she still looked deeply melancholy.

Finally, the long-awaited match day arrived. All Gryffindor students had full confidence in the Firebolt; it was rumored Percy and Penelope had bet ten Galleons on it.

At 10: 5 a. ., the Gryffindor team gathered in the locker room. The weather was clear and cool, with only a light breeze and excellent visibility.

Harry tucked his wand inside his Quidditch robe. He knew he'd need the Patronus in this match—no need for Zhang Qiu to keep emphasizing her divination results.

Because Black would surely come—and with him, the Dementors. He had prepared everything.