Chapter 49: Pitch Conflict

When Harry loudly announced that he had won the game, even though he knew this was a training match, Luo En still couldn't help jumping up and shouting. Zhang Qiu pulled him with a smile, just about to say something to celebrate, when at this moment, she heard the Slytherin girl beside her let out a low sigh.

So, she changed her words: "Don't be so excited, it's just a training match."

Luo En was also a bit embarrassed. He sat down again and whispered: "I knew he could do it, Harry flew very well last semester."

"Yeah, Harry he..." Zhang Qiu's words suddenly stopped. She felt a burst of heart palpitations that made her feel cold, as if she was being stared at by something.

She looked back and found that it was a black dog. The dog's body was not small, and a pair of pitch-black eyes stared at Zhang Qiu. Although no expression could be seen on the dog's face, Zhang Qiu's intuition told her that this dog was ill-intentioned.

"Luo En, look over there." Zhang Qiu was a bit guilty, she couldn't help but sit closer to Luo En, "Do you see that dog?"

"Dog? Where is the dog?" Luo En looked in the direction Zhang Qiu pointed, and he only saw a piece of empty lawn.

"Strange." Zhang Qiu blinked. After the black dog stayed in her vision for a few more seconds, it suddenly disappeared.

"A large black dog, this big... that kind of black is pure black, just like a color block..." Zhang Qiu tried hard to describe what she had just seen, and Luo En's face started to become strange.

"I've heard that black dogs indicate bad luck," He said, "What's more, this dog seems to be only visible to you, Zhang, I'm a bit worried."

Hearing such a statement, Zhang Qiu was relieved instead: "Master told me that there would be danger in school this year, perhaps this is a foreshadowing."

The two saw Harry walking towards the auditorium with a face full of joy, and tactfully stopped the topic about bad luck, turning to greet him instead.

At this time, Harry noticed that the girl beside Zhang Qiu also stood up and waved at him. With a hint of doubt, Harry subconsciously looked back. He only then discovered that just as he was walking towards the auditorium, Ma Erfu was also following behind him. The two walked their own ways, not talking to each other, very awkward.

Zhang Qiu deliberately made a bad move, she asked loudly: "Harry, what does it feel like to be on the line with Ma Erfu?"

Harry could feel that the Slytherin girl was looking at him with vigilance, her appearance just like a bulldog examining prey.

"Still okay, five-five split." Harry bit the bullet, trying to make his words sound not so harsh, "I did defeat him, but this is a training match, he might not have been too serious."

"Don't you have to play two more games later?" Luo En asked.

"Not necessarily, we only have one morning, if it's too late, the third game won't be played." Harry said.

"Training matches have to be hidden. To be honest, I'm already studying the Ravenclaw team." Ma Erfu's voice, not too loud or too small, came over. He seemed to intend for Harry to hear this sentence just right.

Harry glanced at him. Ma Erfu and that girl didn't look very close. He stood straight, trying to make himself look like a gentleman, and the girl was also holding her hands, posing as a gentle and quiet appearance. If you consider their aristocratic background, Harry felt that it was indeed done quite like that, but the lady's etiquette matched with her bulldog-like face, Harry wanted to laugh again.

Harry turned his head away, greeted Colin a few words, and picked up his broom, ready for the second game.

The second training match made Harry miserable. The Slytherin team also changed their tactics. They always divided one or two sturdy big men from time to time to surround and intercept Harry's flight path. He always wanted to do something, but no idea could succeed. No matter if he really saw the Snitch or planned to bluff, as long as Harry's broom accelerated, there would be at least one Bludger greeting him, or two players standing in front of him. And Ma Erfu could accelerate and change direction without interference. Harry had to overcome heavy difficulties just to keep up with him, let alone game.

Of course, the Slytherin team paid a price for this tactic. Because the front formation was often short of people, their defense would always have loopholes. Several Gryffindor Chasers seized the opportunity and launched a fierce attack like a storm, and the score was widening little by little, which made Harry's mentality relax a lot.

But soon, Ma Erfu proved with practical actions that he could join the team not just by sponsoring a few new brooms. At the critical moment, he did not live up to the resource tilt given by the team. Ma Erfu caught the Snitch before the score was irredeemable and ended the game. Finally, the points were fixed at 140:160, and the Slytherin team won the second training match with a slight advantage of twenty points.

Taking advantage of the halftime break, Harry came to the auditorium again and was pleasantly surprised to find that Colin had left, and Neville and Hermione had also come to cheer for him. It's just that Hermione seemed to have greater enthusiasm for Quidditch, while Neville just accompanied her politely.

"Hi, Neville, Hermione, thank you for coming to see my training." Harry said politely.

"Although a bit unbusinesslike," Neville said, "I still think that Mr. Savior shouldn't lose."

Harry's face was visibly frustrated, he whispered: "Indeed, I didn't perform well just now."

Hermione glared at Neville and said: "It's okay, Harry. We can all see that it's the Slytherin team that used despicable means and has been targeting you."

"Tactics are not despicable." A Slytherin girl on the side said angrily, "Quidditch is not a one-on-one game."

"Alright, Pan Xi." Ma Erfu said again in a voice not too loud or too small, "No need to argue with this Mudblood."

The Gryffindor boys changed their faces instantly, several boys pulled out their wands, looking at Ma Erfu with gloomy faces. Crabbe and Gao Er, who had been acting as background boards for silly smiles, saw that the situation was not good and also clenched their wands.

"How dare you say that to me," Hermione screamed, "Crucio!"

Ma Erfu was so scared that he rolled to the side and ran a few meters away before cursing with a gasp: "You little Mudblood, you used an Unforgivable Curse, just wait to go to Azkaban!"

"Look at him." Hermione laughed. Harry only then noticed that what she was holding was not a wand, but one of Zhang Qiu's chopsticks.

"And I didn't chant the Cruciatus Curse, one syllable was wrong." She said, "Ma Erfu's reaction was so intense, should I say he is a coward, or say that his Death Eater father also cast this spell, so he is guilty?"

"Oh!" Luo En suddenly hit one of Pan Xi's spells. He screamed, his face turned pale all at once, and he couldn't help vomiting.

Pan Xi put away the wand in her hand, snorted coldly, and turned away with disdain. Harry wanted to counter-attack, but Crabbe and Gao Er looked very nervous, and he was a bit worried about the escalation of the situation.

"Don't." Luo En spat out a slug, and he said with difficulty: "Professor..."

He had only spat out one word before he had to spit out more slugs.

"I guess what he means is," Harry said, "we notify the professor directly. After all, they were the ones who provoked and started it first."

Zhang Qiu and Hermione nodded in agreement, while Neville didn't speak.

It was close to lunch time, and because of such a conflict, Wood decided to cancel the third training match and take Luo En back to the castle first.

"Actually, I know a spell to lift this spell." Hermione whispered, and Luo En's face looked much better.

"No need!" Fred said with a grin, "It would be better to let the professor solve it for him."

"That's right." George raised his eyebrows, "As long as you endure it for a while longer, you can add another week of detention to Slytherin, it's too cost-effective."

Luo En glared at his brother, but didn't speak out against it.

"Actually, I have an idea." The twins completely ignored that look and discussed as if no one else was there, "What would be the effect if this spell was combined with Silencio?"

The few people on the scene couldn't help laughing, only Neville had a thoughtful look, as if he had been touched.

Soon, Luo En, under the protection of the team, successfully met Professor McGonagall. For an old teacher like her who had seen a lot, although the Slug-Vomiting Curse was rare, it did not exceed the scope of Finite Incantatem. She just waved her wand lightly, and Luo En's symptoms were reduced a lot. He spat out another large mass of mucus, then coughed a few times, and was almost recovered. He also stood up and cast a Scourgify on himself, removing the stains on his clothes.

McGonagall looked at these students and said: "This matter is indeed Slytherin's fault. You didn't violate school rules from beginning to end. I will talk to Professor Snape, at least give them two weeks of detention."

Harry nodded with a smile. Luo En's face was not very good-looking, but he didn't say anything. Everyone said goodbye to the professor and swarmed to eat.

McGonagall looked at the group of people going away, feeling a bit strange in her heart. This time Harry's handling was indeed very standardized, hitting Slytherin hard within the scope of school rules. But such Harry was a bit different from the Harry in her heart. This didn't look like something a Gryffindor would do. By comparison, she still hoped to hear Harry not hesitate to violate school rules to get back at his friends, and even if she gave Harry detention then, she would be gratified. Instead of being like this now, full of indescribable incongruity.

When eating lunch, she saw Hannah and Trigger, the two little wizards who were eating at the table, and McGonagall couldn't help but mutter: "These two children are more like Gryffindors, Harry looks like a Slytherin."

Donald on the side chimed in: "In love, anyone can be a Gryffindor; in politics, anyone can be a Slytherin." ===== CHAPTER 50 =====