Gryffindor vs. Hufflepuff

Back in the Hufflepuff common room, which was rarely crowded with students, Zacharias Smith and Ernie Macmillan were in a hurry, working on the Hufflepuff flag. Hannah Abbott and Susan Bones were using magic wands to dye their black robes yellow.

"Jon, come and help!" Zacharias called out as he saw Jon return. "Tomorrow is the Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff, a matter of life and death!"

"Life and death battle?" Jon walked over, raising an eyebrow.

"This afternoon's game... Slytherin was defeated by Ravenclaw with a 140-point lead!" Zacharias exclaimed excitedly. "They have lost two games in a row, so their chances of winning the championship are pretty much gone!"

"So tomorrow, we'll be playing against Gryffindor, and if we win, we'll almost secure the Quidditch Cup!" Zacharias continued.

While Zacharias went on about the game, a group of Hufflepuff Quidditch players in their shirts returned to the common room.

"Jimmy, during the match, make sure you keep an eye on Potter and use the Bludger to disrupt him as much as possible!" Cedric Diggory addressed the players. "Bob, you take care of it!"

Cedric didn't forget to give the final tactical instructions.

"Cedric, go for it!" The Hufflepuff students cheered upon their return. "Long live Hufflepuff!"

Jon also stood up and approached Cedric Diggory. "Cedric, I believe in you. You'll definitely win!"

"Thank you, Jon!" Cedric smiled and nodded. "We can't guarantee the outcome, but we'll give it our best!"

"That's not what I meant," Jon shook his head. "I mean, you'll have a definite advantage in tomorrow's game... Because Gryffindor's seeker, Harry Potter, won't be able to play!"

"What!" Cedric was taken aback. "Is this information reliable, Jon?"

"Of course," Jon nodded without hesitation. "While I was at the school hospital, I overheard a conversation between Potter and his friend."

Based on his understanding of the characters' personalities, Jon was confident that Madam Pomfrey would never allow Harry Potter to participate in Quidditch matches before he was fully recovered. And no matter how much Harry and Ron insisted, Hermione would definitely intervene—she might even go and tell Professor McGonagall.

Therefore, he was certain that Harry wouldn't be able to play.

"Awesome!" Cedric exclaimed, clenching his fists in excitement. "Potter is Gryffindor's trump card, and without him, Wood won't be able to find a decent substitute Seeker..."

He waved his hand, gathering the Hufflepuff players again. "We need to adjust our tactics... Jimmy, you don't have to focus on Gryffindor's Seeker anymore. Instead, target their Chaser, Angelina Johnson. She's the core of Gryffindor's offense..."

...

Early the next morning, Jon woke up very early and left a little after six o'clock. He didn't want a repeat of last time when he was forcefully dragged to the Quidditch Stadium by Zacharias. With Cedric leading the team against Gryffindor without Harry Potter, victory was practically guaranteed. Catching the Snitch would be a breeze. There was no need to watch the game; it would undoubtedly be another big win in a few hours.

Leaving the dormitory, Jon made his way to the kitchen first. The restaurant was still closed at this time. As soon as the house elves in the kitchen spotted him, they shouted excitedly:

"Mr. Jon Hart... Mr. Jon Hart is here!"

The house elves quickly surrounded Jon, filled with enthusiasm and eager cheers.

"No need for all that... I mean, you don't have to be like this!" Jon smiled wryly.

Ever since he gave some presents to the house elves before Christmas, they treated him with such "passion" every time. After finally persuading them to disperse, Jon noticed a house elf who could call his name:

"Good morning, Klein!" Jon waved his hand and greeted him.

"Mr. Jon Hart..." Klein, the house elf, burst into tears with excitement and rushed over to hug Jon's trousers.

Jon noticed that Klein was wearing a peculiar bronze headband on its head.

"What's this... Professor Dumbledore rewarded us! Every house-elf who participated in catching the Gryffindor girl thief received a reward... I chose this!" Klein took off the headband, stroking it fondly. In a hoarse voice, he lowered his tone and said, "Mr. Jon Hart, Klein didn't tell anyone that you suggested I take the thief who tried to break into the Hufflepuff common room to see the teacher..."

"Thank you, Klein!" Jon bent down and expressed his gratitude.

"You actually said thank you... a wizard said thank you to Klein..." The house elf cried excitedly.

...

Once again, his pockets were filled with all sorts of snacks, and Jon headed to the eighth floor. He was already familiar with the route, but it was indeed a bit tiring to climb from the basement to the eighth floor in one go.

Once again, he took out "Summoning the Joy in Your Heart." Jon raised his wand, attempting to contact his Patronus.

"Expecto Patronum!"

"Expecto Patronum!"

"Expecto Patronum!"

Jon even used some vaguely "happy" memories from his previous life.

Unfortunately, the memories were too distant, and the feeling of "happiness" wasn't accurate or strong enough. The Patronus charm still had little effect... or rather, no effect at all.

"It's a real dog!" Jon complained around noon as he left the Room of Requirement.

Returning to the Great Hall, he found it had turned into a sea of yellow and black. Cedric Diggory was at the center of the crowd.

"We won!" Hannah Abbott and Ernie Macmillan saw Jon's arrival and pulled him into the celebration.

"Hannah, where have you been? I haven't seen you in ages," Hannah exclaimed.

"Jon, we won! A resounding victory... We beat Gryffindor to a pulp, ending the match with a score of 510 to 40!"