[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-wizard-war-at-hogwarts":3,"chapter-wizard-war-at-hogwarts-wizard-war-at-hogwarts-chapter-49":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Wizard War at Hogwarts",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2358022,4612,"Chapter 49: Courtroom Conflict","wizard-war-at-hogwarts-chapter-49",49,"\u003Cp>When Harry loudly declared victory in the match, Ron, even though he knew it was only a training session, couldn’t help leaping to his feet and cheering loudly. Zhang Qiu smiled and pulled him back, about to say something celebratory, when she heard a soft sigh from the Slytherin girl beside her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So she changed her words: “Don’t get so excited—it’s only a training match.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ron felt a little embarrassed, sat back down, and muttered, “I knew he could do it—Harry flew well last term too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, Harry…” Zhang Qiu’s voice suddenly halted. A chilling tremor seized her heart, as if something were watching her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She turned around and saw a black dog. It was not small in size, its jet-black eyes fixed unblinkingly on Zhang Qiu. Though the dog’s face showed no expression, her instinct told her it meant harm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ron, look over there.” Zhang Qiu felt uneasy and unconsciously moved closer to Ron. “Did you see that dog?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A dog? What dog?” Ron followed her gaze but saw only an empty lawn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Strange.” Zhang Qiu blinked. The black dog had remained in her vision for a few more seconds before vanishing suddenly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A large black dog, about this big… the black was pure, like a solid block…” Zhang Qiu struggled to describe what she’d seen, and Ron’s expression grew strange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve heard black dogs foretell misfortune,” he said. “And especially since only you seem to see it, Zhang—I’m worried.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Zhang Qiu actually felt relieved: “My Master told me there would be danger at school this year. Maybe this is a sign.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Harry walked toward the stands, beaming with joy, they wisely dropped the topic of omens and greeted him instead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Harry noticed the Slytherin girl beside Zhang Qiu had also stood up and was waving at him. Confused, he instinctively glanced back—and realized Malfoy had been following him all along. They walked separately, saying nothing to each other, awkwardly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Qiu deliberately provoked: “Harry, what’s it like dueling Malfoy?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harry could feel the Slytherin girl watching him with wary intensity, her expression like a lion dog sizing up prey.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not bad—fifty-fifty,” Harry gritted his teeth, trying to sound less abrasive. “I did beat him, but it’s just a training match—he probably wasn’t serious.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Aren’t you supposed to play two more matches after this?” Ron asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not necessarily. We only have one morning. If we run out of time, we’ll skip the third.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Training matches always involve some hiding,” Malfoy’s voice carried clearly, as if meant just for Harry to hear. “Honestly, I’ve already been studying Ravenclaw’s team.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harry glanced at him. Malfoy and the girl didn’t seem particularly close—he sat rigidly upright, striving for gentlemanly poise, while the girl held her hands demurely, posing as refined and quiet. Given their noble backgrounds, Harry thought they carried it off well enough—but the ladylike manners clashed absurdly with her lion-dog face, and he nearly laughed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harry turned away, exchanged a few polite words with Colin, then picked up his broom, readying for the second match.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The second training match left Harry exhausted. The Slytherin team changed tactics, repeatedly sending out bulky players to block and harass his flight path. He tried everything—nothing worked. Whether he genuinely spotted the Snitch or feigned a feint, the moment his broom accelerated, at least one Beater’s Bludger would strike, or two players would cut him off. Meanwhile, Malfoy glided freely, accelerating and veering without hindrance. Harry struggled just to keep pace—let alone outmaneuver him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, Slytherin paid a price for this tactic: their front line was often understaffed, leaving gaps in defense. Gryffindor’s Chasers seized the openings, launching a storm of attacks. The score widened steadily, easing Harry’s tension.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But soon, Malfoy proved he earned his place on the team not just through sponsorship of new brooms. At the critical moment, he repaid the team’s investment. Before the score became irreversible, he caught the Snitch and ended the match. Final score: 140–160. Slytherin won the second training match by a narrow twenty-point margin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During the next halftime break, Harry was delighted to find Colin gone—and Neville and Hermione had come to cheer him on. Though Hermione seemed genuinely enthusiastic about Quidditch, Neville merely sat politely beside her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hi, Neville, Hermione, thanks for coming to watch my training,” Harry said politely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Though it’s a bit unorthodox,” Neville said, “I still think the Chosen One shouldn’t lose.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harry’s expression visibly darkened. He muttered, “Yeah… I didn’t perform well just now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hermione glared at Neville. “It’s fine, Harry. We can all see Slytherin used dirty tactics—constantly targeting you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tactics aren’t dirty,” the Slytherin girl snapped. “Quidditch isn’t a one-on-one game.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Enough, Pansy,” Malfoy said, his voice just loud enough to carry. “No need to argue with this Mudblood.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Gryffindors instantly turned hostile. Several boys drew their wands, glaring darkly at Malfoy. Crabbe and Goyle, who’d been silent bystanders, now gripped their own wands tightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How dare you say that to me?” Hermione shrieked. “Crucio!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Malfoy scrambled sideways in panic, sprinting several meters away before gasping out: “You insane witch—you used an Unforgivable Curse! You’ll end up in Azkaban!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Look at him,” Hermione laughed. Harry then noticed she wasn’t holding a wand—she held one of Zhang Qiu’s chopsticks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And I didn’t even cast Crucio—the pronunciation was off by one syllable,” she said. “Malfoy’s reaction was so extreme—should I call him a coward, or is it because his Death Eater father used this curse too, and now he’s guilty?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ow!” Ron suddenly took a curse from Pansy. He screamed, turned pale, and vomited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pansy sheathed her wand, sneered, and turned away dismissively. Harry wanted to retaliate, but Crabbe and Goyle looked terrified—he feared escalation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t…” Ron gagged out a slug, struggling to speak. “Professor…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d barely uttered the word before more slugs poured from his mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I think he means,” Harry said, “we should notify the professors directly—they started the provocation and the attack.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Qiu and Hermione nodded in agreement. Neville said nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With lunchtime approaching and the conflict having erupted, Wood decided to cancel the third training match and take Ron back to the castle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Actually, I know a counter-curse for this,” Hermione whispered. Ron’s face immediately brightened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No need!” Fred grinned. “Let the professors handle it—it’ll be better.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Exactly,” George raised an eyebrow. “If we wait a little longer, we get them an extra week of detention. Perfect deal.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ron glared at his brothers but said nothing in protest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Actually, I have an idea,” the twins completely ignored his glare, discussing as if alone. “What if this curse were combined with a Tongue-Tying Curse?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone present couldn’t help laughing—except Neville, who looked thoughtful, as if struck by something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, under the team’s protection, Ron reached Professor McGonagall. For an experienced teacher like her, the Slug-Vomiting Curse was rare but well within the scope of Finite Incantatem. A simple wave of her wand eased his symptoms. He spat out another thick glob, coughed a few times, and nearly recovered. He then cast a Cleaning Charm on himself, removing the stains from his robes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>McGonagall glanced at the students. “Slytherin was clearly in the wrong. You all remained within school rules. I’ll speak to Professor Snape—at least two weeks’ detention for them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harry nodded with a smile. Ron’s face was grim, but he said nothing. The group bid farewell to the professor and hurried off to lunch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>McGonagall watched the retreating group, feeling strangely unsettled. Harry’s handling of this was perfectly by the book—he struck back at Slytherin within the rules. But this Harry felt unfamiliar. It didn’t resemble a Gryffindor’s way. She’d rather have heard he broke the rules to defend his friend—even if she’d then punished him with detention, she’d have felt proud. Now, she felt only a vague, unplaceable dissonance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At lunch, she saw Hannah and Cui Ge, two students swapping tables. She muttered: “Those two are more like Gryffindors. Harry’s starting to seem like a Slytherin.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nearby, Donald Fontroy replied: “In love, anyone can be Gryffindor; in politics, anyone can be Slytherin.”\u003C\u002Fp>",1346,"2026-06-21T04:54:27.874Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","b2cebbae28c32543ca9247349834701842e243d5c63f458a51c03e9043e0be87","wizard-war-at-hogwarts-chapter-50","wizard-war-at-hogwarts-chapter-48",528,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fwizard-war-at-hogwarts-cover.jpg"]