Chapter 730: Dumbledore: It Must Have Been the Niffler
Saturday was the day of the first Quidditch match of the new school year.
That morning, the Hufflepuff table was almost a sea of yellow, while Gryffindor's was a vibrant golden red. The tension between the two houses, building steadily throughout the week, was about to reach its peak.
"I thought you weren't going to participate this year." Mikel handed Kyle a glass of pumpkin juice. "The moment I saw your name on the player list, I knew we were going to win."
"That's a bit premature," Kyle replied, taking the pumpkin juice and sipping it casually. "Better to keep a low profile—losing after all this hype would be embarrassing."
"I don't think so," Mikel said with a shrug, sounding completely unconcerned.
"How do you feel? Are you okay?" Cho asked as she approached, offering Kyle a supportive smile.
"I think I'm okay," Kyle said, returning the smile. "Harry and I joined our teams the same year, and we've been rivals ever since. I don't think I'll lose to him this time."
Kanna, who was standing nearby, shot him a sharp glance. What do you mean you won't lose this time? Just a minute ago, you were telling Mikel to keep a low profile, but now that it's your turn, you're full of confidence.
She wasn't the only one to notice his contradiction; several other Hufflepuffs nearby seemed to share the same thought.
"That's good," said Cho. "But you still have to watch out for Harry's Firebolt. I don't think your new Seeker is quite at Cedric's level."
"Don't worry, Grace has a plan," Kyle said confidently. "And our new Seeker isn't that much worse than Harry. Sure, Cedric had the face, but we can't let personal bias cloud our judgment."