Chapter 200: Neville, You Need to Be More Confident
Meanwhile, Kyle and the rest of the Hufflepuff team had just returned to the castle after leaving the Quidditch Pitch when Harris stopped them.
"Wait a moment," Harris said, patting his head. "Wood interrupted me earlier, and I almost forgot to mention something important." His tone grew serious. "We need to be on alert. The referee for our next match is going to be Professor Snape..."
The moment he said it, everyone's gaze landed squarely on Kyle. Thanks to Mikel and Ryan's chatter, nearly every Hufflepuff knew about Professor Snape's tendency to single Kyle out. Hearing this news, the team's first thought was that Snape had grown tired of mere point deductions and wanted a new way to cause trouble for Kyle. And Quidditch, they figured, was the perfect opportunity.
"Are you certain, Captain?" one of the players asked, frowning. "Professor Snape's never been a referee before. Are you sure this isn't some prank?"
"Madam Hooch told us herself," Harris confirmed. "All four team captains were informed."
"Then why don't you just skip this game?" Cedric blurted out. Realizing what he'd said, he quickly looked at Harris, embarrassed. Urging Kyle, one of their key players, to bow out of the match right in front of their captain... such a suggestion would be enough to stir up the whole Quidditch world. Harris was easygoing, but if it had been anyone else, Cedric might have found himself in the Hospital Wing already.
Cedric laughed awkwardly, trying to explain. "What I meant was... if Snape targets Kyle during the match, we'll effectively be down a player, which will make things even harder for us."
To Cedric's surprise, Harris didn't look upset; instead, he turned to Kyle with a serious expression. "Cedric has a point. If you don't want to play in this match, I'd support that decision."
Harris had thought it over carefully. Hufflepuff was already leading in the House points, well over a hundred points ahead of Slytherin in second place, so even if they lost this game, it wouldn't jeopardize their overall standing.
Encouraged by Harris's words, the rest of the team chimed in.
"Then we'll just need a reason for Madam Hooch to allow a substitution."