Chapter 290

Once a solution to the matter was in place, Harry's attention gradually shifted back to his studies. The good news was that, since Professor Binns was teaching, Harry easily returned to class; the bad news was that, since Professor Binns was teaching, Harry deeply regretted returning to class.

When he stumbled out of class with bleary eyes, revived after lunch, Zhang Qiu came again to inquire about the resolution.

"It's not hard," she said. "I can write a letter to Tonks later, explaining some things about Tianchao so she won't be exposed."

"Then I'm in your debt," Harry said, feeling more at ease. "It's fine—most Europeans don't understand Tianchao anyway."

For the entire afternoon, Harry was distracted in class. Much of it was because he couldn't accept merely resolving the crisis after being slandered—he wanted to strike back. But who to strike back at, and how, were questions that needed thought.

The simplest first reaction was to immediately exploit the Torchwood and diary incidents to stir up chaos among the Death Eaters, making everyone uneasy. But Harry believed this move should wait for a better opportunity; more importantly, he felt the true source of his current troubles might not be the Death Eaters at all.

True, Bellatrix was desperate to infiltrate the Order and reclaim the ring. But such a malicious scheme likely wasn't her idea—based on William's remarks and the book's orchestrator, Bai Gong was the one pulling the strings behind the scenes. Their goal was also clear: having lost faith in Dumbledore, they only intended to help Bellatrix resurrect Voldemort to establish a new deterrent for Great Britain.

Given the current "facts," Harry couldn't blame the Ministry of Magic too harshly—they merely aided Britain, not the Order. Thus, his enemy shouldn't be the Ministry, but William, the villain using vile methods to achieve his ends.

Harry quickly recalled the temporarily silent Donald Fontroy. He had previously guessed that, within the Ministry's internal power struggles, Donald was aligned with Harry, opposing William, who favored Voldemort. If Harry resented the rumors against Albus and wished to retaliate, a more rational and profitable approach would be to help Donald regain his standing in the Ministry, replace William as the executor of Britain strategy, and use his influence to reshape the Ministry's overall policy.

Yet when Harry voiced this idea to Zhang Qiu, she countered it.

"Have you considered that Donald, as the richest man in the Muggle world, has no reason to meddle in these political games?" Zhang Qiu rubbed her forehead. "Isn't that just exhausting and thankless?"

"Uh…" Harry suddenly realized his idea was flawed. "For justice?"

"Even if he truly cared about justice, this isn't the way he'd choose to uphold it," Zhang Qiu rolled her eyes. "If it were Donald, he'd rather lead a few agents to steal Horcruxes, then go all out against the Death Eaters—like a classic American popcorn movie."

"What if we target Hermione instead?" Harry switched tactics. "For example, invite her to join the Order—then Donald would follow?"

"First, Hermione may not want to join; second, the Order may not want her," Zhang Qiu sighed. "Why are you so fixated on Donald? If you want to give Bai Gong a slap, there are other ways."

"What other way?" Harry paused.

"You can nudge the Order slightly toward the other side—not enough for Yanayev to notice, but enough for Bai Gong to notice," Zhang Qiu suggested. "Then they'll reconsider how to assist the Order. And if Donald finds out, he'll panic—and once he panics, he'll act."

"Why would Donald panic?" Harry didn't understand.

"He may not love his country," Zhang Qiu smirked, "but he's a capitalist—he absolutely doesn't want Hermione exposed to red ideology."

Harry nodded in agreement, yet shook his head helplessly. Perhaps the inevitable path to becoming a major figure is turning once-cherished ideals into useful tools.

"Then let's try adjusting the Order using the logic of party-building," Harry said. "It'll pressure Bai Gong into reconsidering their strategy in Britain, and also strengthen cohesion and discipline among those stirring unrest."

"Third," Zhang Qiu added, "it might catch Yanayev's attention and get you some benefits. My master and senior uncle are working on something big—better not let Yanayev find out."

Harry didn't ask what it was. He trusted Zhang Qiu—whatever this "big thing" was, it wouldn't harm him.

"Alright," Harry glanced at his watch. "I'll head to Quidditch training now."

After leading Gryffindor to two consecutive Cup victories, Oliver Wood retired contentedly and entered the professional league. As a result, the pressure on the new captain, Angelina, was immense. She naturally hoped to extend the championship legacy and build a three-peat dynasty—but if Gryffindor declined under her leadership, the fans would tear her apart.

As Harry donned his robe and sat on the bench, Firebolt in hand, a sudden unease stirred within him. How long had it been since he seriously thought about Quidditch tactics? His mind had been filled with schemes and intrigues.

"The match environment has changed drastically," Angelina said sternly. "Without Cedric, Hufflepuff has become soft targets. Our key to victory lies in how many points we score against them—that's our focus: rapid-scoring defensive sweeps and extreme suppression through Beater-Seeker coordination."

"We may need to field Ginny against Hufflepuff," Angelina said to Harry. "We need to train her suppression skills. Since you're the strongest Seeker, you'll help her."

Ginny's face flushed red as she gripped her Nimbus 2000 tightly.

"Here's the drill," Angelina instructed. "You pretend to be the Hufflepuff Seeker, focused solely on catching the Snitch. Ginny doesn't need to catch it—she just needs to suppress you, prevent you from catching it. Clear?"

"Fred, you assist Harry; George, help Ginny. Then we switch," Angelina clapped. "Now, take to the air."

Not bad, Harry thought. If he didn't have to play in the first Hufflepuff match, he could delay worrying about Quidditch. And if Ginny tightly suppressed the Hufflepuff Seeker, dragging the match out for seven or eight hours while Gryffindor scored a thousand points, he could forget Quidditch entirely this term.

"Hey, Ginny," Harry said. "Want to swap brooms? I can lend you the Firebolt during the match."

Ginny's eyes lit up. "Really?"

"Of course," Harry said generously. "Once you try it, you'll see how much a good broom boosts suppression. I really want you to shine against Hufflepuff—it'll ease my pressure in front of Slytherin."

In flight, Harry noticed Ginny had clearly studied Seeker techniques, but her flying skill wasn't outstanding, and she hadn't fully unlocked the Firebolt's potential. Drawing on his prior knowledge of Muggle aerial combat theory, Harry explained his suppression techniques in detail, even demonstrating hands-on several times—he genuinely wanted Ginny to shoulder Gryffindor's burden.

Though one night couldn't master all the skills, Harry believed Ginny had strong talent and trained earnestly. Eventually, entrusting her with the Seeker position might be feasible.

After training ended, Harry noticed Zhang Qiu waiting for him at the door.

"It's late. What's up?" he asked casually.

"Nothing," Zhang Qiu said indifferently. "I just thought of something. If you spark something new between Ron and Hermione, Donald will panic—he won't be able to find another Elena now."

"Ah, that's true," Harry paused. "But Ron and Hermione barely interact now—we only consult her on big matters, like a political advisor."

"Create some interaction," Zhang Qiu's gaze drifted. "Borrow something personal—a wand, a cauldron, a broom. Hermione's Prefect status offers plenty of opportunities. Have Ron talk to her about student management, public opinion control, unwritten rules, or her opinion on Weasley's Wizard Wheezes."

"But Ron might not care about those things," Harry now seriously considered the proposal's literal meaning. "Why not use Dumbledore's Army? Tomorrow's its first official meeting—you'll come, right?"

"Yes," Zhang Qiu raised an eyebrow. "I'm curious what this Klaister will pull off next."