Chapter 85: Begin Slacking
This time, administering the medicine went surprisingly smoothly. Mikel took the potion bottle labeled with the correct number and drank it all at once without needing any prompting.
From his gradually contorted expression, it was obvious that the potion's taste remained indescribably awful, yet Mikel didn't let a single drop go to waste. Even after he finished, he smacked his lips a bit and sighed, "Good medicine." Of course, it would have been more convincing if his expression had been a little less strained; as it was, his face looked almost bruised, his features scrunched together. Paired with his earlier comment, "Good medicine," anyone unfamiliar with him might have mistaken him for some kind of poison tester.
Kyle struggled to understand what was going through Mikel's mind at that moment. Perhaps it was a blend of both pain and satisfaction.
...
As the weather warmed, the Quidditch season was already halfway through. Gryffindor held the lead with the most wins and points, closely followed by Hufflepuff. Slytherin, however, lagged far behind in third place. Ever since they were showered with Dungbombs in the last game, just the sight of a broomstick seemed to make them dry heave. But after the Christmas break, they gradually recovered and had been scoring points like mad in recent matches, fighting to close the gap with the top two.
Being Slytherin, though, they weren't about to avoid underhanded tactics in their quest for victory. In a recent game, they even knocked Gryffindor Chaser Angelina off her broom.
"This isn't over, Rosier," Charlie growled as he escorted Angelina off the field. "We'll see about this."
Rosier merely shot Charlie a mocking look, as if entirely unfazed.
That evening, during dinner, more than twenty broomstick-shaped packages were dropped by owls onto the Slytherin table. Rosier's face turned a vivid shade of green on the spot. Gryffindor students, led by Fred and George, loudly urged him to open the packages and enjoy the "surprise" they'd prepared.