Chapter 165: The Brawl Incident
Quidditch, as Hogwarts' most beloved sport, always drew passionate interest. Shortly after the selection trials, the news that Kyle had scored 21 goals in ten minutes spread like wildfire. Over the following days, it became the hottest topic of conversation, with reactions ranging from shock and excitement to outright disbelief.
"This is totally exaggerated," Zabini scoffed at the Slytherin table. "I'll admit, Kyle is decent, and that map he made is respectable enough for me to approve of it, but there's no way he's that good at Quidditch. Twenty-one goals in ten minutes? Even I can't do that, so how could he?"
"Are you saying you're better than Kyle?" Malfoy asked, giving him a sidelong glance.
"Do you doubt it?" Zabini replied smugly. "My fifth stepfather was a professional Quidditch player. He said I'm a rare Quidditch prodigy, and that the moment I graduate, professional teams will be clamoring to sign me."
Several students nearby couldn't help but stifle their reactions, some twitching the corners of their mouths. Mrs. Zabini was famously beautiful, and she'd had seven husbands—all of whom had died mysteriously, leaving her substantial inheritances.
"I've heard things like that before, more than once," Malfoy sneered. Since childhood, he'd recognized such praise as hollow flattery, and he couldn't believe anyone actually took it seriously.
"It's true! He wouldn't lie to me!" Zabini protested, his chin jutting out defensively.
"In that case..." Malfoy replied, eyeing him with a hint of challenge, "why don't you try out for the school team?"
"What are you talking about, Draco? I'm only a first-year; I'm not even allowed to play."
"But Pot—" Malfoy started, then clamped his mouth shut. He knew perfectly well that Harry Potter had joined the team, and every time he thought about it, it irritated him to no end. Even worse, he was the one who had inadvertently set it in motion. Just thinking about Potter and Weasley's smug faces this morning made him feel queasy, like he'd eaten a spoiled Cockroach Cluster. If he'd known things would turn out this way, he would never have grabbed that oaf's Remembrall.
Zabini, unaware of Malfoy's discomfort, thought Malfoy was conceding his point. His confidence swelled, and he announced, "Just wait. Next year, I'll definitely join the team, and I'll show Kyle what real Quidditch looks like."