Chapter 290: Whispers by the Ear
After class, Kyle hurried to the Great Hall for a quick bite before heading off to the Quidditch Pitch. Even Harris, normally calm, was feeling the pressure now that Slytherin had upgraded their lineup with seven Nimbus 2001 broomsticks. Those things were fast. Fred and George had secretly observed a Slytherin practice, and according to them, the players looked like seven pale green blurs streaking through the sky.
It was troubling news for Hufflepuff. The skill gap between their team and Slytherin's had previously been balanced by technique and teamwork, but now that Slytherin's equipment had advanced, Hufflepuff's skills couldn't be improved fast enough to close the gap. Faced with no other choice, Harris had focused on creating strategies that might outsmart Slytherin's "green bigwigs" through relentless practice.
But this approach was not going smoothly. None of the tactics Harris had devised managed to last beyond a single day. Without fail, each one was scrapped halfway through practice. Today was no different.
As dusk settled, Kyle trudged back to the castle, worn out. After nearly a month of intense studying and training, he was starting to feel the effects. His head felt heavy, and he could think of nothing but crawling into bed and sleeping for hours.
If only there was a Time-Turner... Kyle thought wistfully.
Just as he entered the castle, he encountered Professor McGonagall.
"I was hoping to find you," she said, handing him a letter. "I'm afraid your second application for a Time-Turner has been denied."
"Again?" Kyle took the letter, feeling his headache worsen. "Because there aren't any left?"
"Exactly," replied Professor McGonagall, nodding. "They've informed us that this year is an exception—all Time-Turners are in use."