The Start of Quidditch

As November approached, the Scottish Highlands grew cold.

The mountains around Hogwarts were shrouded in thick gray clouds, their peaks blanketed in heavy snow. The lake, frozen solid, reflected the wintery chill, and every morning, frost covered the ground.

In such weather, the Quidditch season began.

On the pitch, gamekeeper Hagrid, wrapped in a thick moleskin coat, with rabbit fur gloves and massive beaver fur boots, was busy defrosting his broomstick. Outside the pitch, the Quidditch team captain gathered the players, giving them tactical instructions in a low voice.

But two Gryffindor beaters were not doing their part. Instead of listening to their captain's orders or warming up for the game, they had sneaked into the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor's office.

The pair of red-haired twins sat in front of Dracula's desk, watching their professor, who was leaning back in his chair with sharp, piercing eyes.

"Professor, today is our first Quidditch match of the season. You have to come and watch!" the twins exclaimed.

Dracula glanced at the clear weather outside and shrugged. "I'm not interested in Quidditch. You go ahead and play."

"Professor!" Fred slammed the table in frustration. "Today's match is worth forty galleons, and Harry, your favorite student, will be playing! Are you really not going to watch?"

Dracula gave Fred a pointed look as the red wine on his desk trembled from the table slap. With a flick of his hand, Fred was lifted into the air and suspended from the chandelier.

"Attempting to damage a professor's property? That's your punishment," Dracula said nonchalantly, sipping from his goblet.

George glanced at his brother dangling from the chandelier, then quickly backed away from the table.

"Professor, are you really so cruel?" George asked, changing his approach.

He dropped to his knees, feigning distress, with tears streaming down his face. "Poor Harry, raised by his nasty aunt, never knowing his parents, and only finding solace in you, his devoted professor. Quidditch without you watching, will be incomplete for him!"

Dracula's mouth twitched as he watched George's dramatic display. It was becoming hard to remain impassive.

"Alright, no need for the theatrics," Dracula said, cutting George off. "I'll go watch the match."

George's face immediately brightened as he wiped away his fake tears. Fred, still hanging from the chandelier, gave him a thumbs up.

However, Dracula wasn't one to admit defeat easily. He added, "But you have stained the professor's office floor, so you deserve punishment too."

Without hesitation, George was lifted and hung next to Fred, the two red-haired boys now suspended side by side like identical string dolls.

Dracula, ignoring the two mischievous twins, opened a pure black parasol and walked out of the office, stepping into the long-awaited sunshine.

The twins sighed with relief once he was gone. They exchanged a knowing look.

"Wow, that was close!" George exclaimed. "If I hadn't been quick, we'd be in real trouble! Why did we even come here to provoke Professor Dracula?"

Fred, still hanging from the chandelier, scowled. "Are you stupid? We spent all our Galleons betting against Slytherin's big dog! If Harry doesn't catch the Golden Snitch, we're done for!"

Just as the two started to bicker, they suddenly realized something felt wrong.

"Wait, we're in big trouble!" George blurted out, his eyes wide.

"What now?" Fred grumbled, still annoyed.

"....Fred!" George snapped. "We're still hanging from the CHANDELIER!!"

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In today's Quidditch match, the members of the Gryffindor team were full of confidence.

Why? Because they had a secret weapon—Harry Potter!

After several weeks of intense training, Harry was about to participate in his very first Quidditch match. The game was Gryffindor vs. Slytherin, and if Gryffindor won, they would climb to second place in the House Cup Championship.

As Gryffindor's secret weapon, Wood had decided to keep Harry's participation strictly a secret. He didn't want anyone to know that Harry would be playing. Almost no one saw Harry on the field in the weeks leading up to the game. But, of course, the news of Harry's role as Seeker somehow leaked out.

Thanks to the Weasley twins, the news spread faster than a broomstick in flight. In their attempt to get the Slytherin students to place bets with them, Fred and George had casually let slip that Harry Potter was the secret weapon and would catch the Golden Snitch in his very first game, ending the match before anyone could blink.

The Slytherin students, who were convinced that a first-year student with only two months of training couldn't possibly be a match for their seasoned players, were delighted to hear about Harry's role. They immediately began placing bets—mostly on Harry falling off his broomstick before the match was over.

As the news spread like wildfire, some of Harry's admirers, ever eager to offer their support, came up to him and wished him luck. Others, particularly some Slytherins, couldn't help but be a little condescending. They assured Harry that they would be following him under his broomstick with a mattress just in case he fell.

Harry, unsure whether to be flattered or embarrassed, didn't know how to respond. He was uncertain about what was worse—The overly enthusiastic well-wishers or the Slytherins who were mocking him. What he didn't know, though, was that the Weasley twins were the ones behind the leak of this information.

Meanwhile, Fred and George had been busy before the match, not paying much attention to the actual game. They had spent quite a bit of time hanging from the chandelier in Dracula's office, still recovering from their earlier antics.

It wasn't until they thought about the Quidditch game that they finally realized that they could use the Flying Curse to summon their broomsticks to the office and simply fly out. No more chandelier gymnastics for them.

So, they flew out of Dracula's office just in time to join the team. Fred and George certainly received an earful from Wood, who had been anxiously awaiting their arrival.

Finally, amid the laughter of the Weasley brothers, Wood's serious warnings, passionate cheers, and the roaring excitement of the stadium audience, Harry followed Fred and George out of the locker room and walked toward the pitch, the cheers of the crowd growing louder.

The Quidditch match was finally about to begin!

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