Dudley's broom initially dove downward, but he quickly leveled off and hovered in midair, watching Harry and Ron plummet toward the rapidly falling stone.
"Compared to actually playing Quidditch myself, I much prefer watching," Dudley said with a light chuckle, crossing his arms.
Harry and Ron were both giving everything they had, neither willing to concede defeat. Since Dudley had started this impromptu game, no one had been prepared, leaving them far behind the falling stone. Catching it before it hit the ground would be an enormous challenge.
Wood and Madam Hooch below clearly noticed the situation, their attention fixed on Harry and Ron, caught up in the excitement despite themselves.
"Go! Go!" Students flying at lower altitudes spotted them and the falling stone. Without needing to think, they immediately understood what was happening and began cheering the two on.
The stone plummeted rapidly with Harry and Ron in close pursuit. They were already dangerously close to the ground—after catching the stone, they would need to adjust their position instantly to ensure a safe landing, an extremely difficult maneuver.
Seeing this, Madam Hooch quickly drew her wand. If either boy couldn't brake in time, she would need to cast a spell to stop them before they crashed.
Suddenly, Harry broke away from Ron, who had been keeping pace beside him. Harry surged forward, reaching for the stone. Ron hesitated for a crucial moment—at this speed and distance, he wasn't entirely confident he could land safely after making the catch.
Whoosh.
Harry stretched out his right hand and snatched the stone from the air, then immediately pulled up on his broom, executing an emergency landing. He stumbled forward awkwardly upon touching down but managed to stay upright, stone clutched triumphantly in his fist.
"Magnificent!" Wood leaped up excitedly from the sidelines. This was exactly the kind of Seeker he needed—absolutely brilliant.
"Harry! Harry! Harry!" Everyone chanted his name, and Harry himself broke into a wide grin as the reality of what he'd accomplished sank in.
Ron touched down looking somewhat deflated, but he managed a genuine smile as he congratulated his friend.
"Harry, that was incredible! You're a natural-born Seeker!" Wood rushed over, barely containing his enthusiasm.
"I need to speak with Professor McGonagall immediately. We have to get you on the Gryffindor team as an exception—right now. We might still have a shot at this year's Quidditch Cup."
As Wood turned to leave, he noticed Ron's crestfallen expression.
"Ron, you were excellent out there too, but what we desperately need right now is a Seeker. That said, I think your real strength lies in defense. You might make an outstanding Keeper someday—perhaps you could even take over my position eventually. Don't give up!" Wood said encouragingly.
"Really?" Ron's face brightened considerably.
"Absolutely," Wood said with conviction.
In certain areas, Ron simply couldn't match Harry's natural talent, especially as a Seeker, where Harry's performance had been extraordinary. But that didn't diminish Ron's own abilities. They just happen to need Harry's specific skills right now. If they needed a Keeper, Ron would undoubtedly be an excellent candidate.
"Oh, and there's Dudley too." Wood remembered the third boy and glanced up at the sky.
Dudley was still flying leisurely above them, descending slowly without any sense of urgency.
"I think he's better suited to be a referee—someone who makes and enforces the rules from outside the game, rather than a player," Wood observed quietly.
He could tell that while Dudley flew exceptionally well, he had little genuine interest in Quidditch as a competitive sport. The impromptu game had clearly been designed to showcase Harry and Ron's abilities, while Dudley remained completely detached from the competition.
Wood hurried off without waiting for the lesson to end. He needed to have a serious conversation with Professor McGonagall about securing Harry an early spot on the team.
At dinner, when Wood announced that Professor McGonagall had agreed to his request, everyone was delighted.
Wood even mimicked Professor McGonagall's exact words:
"Since Mr. Potter's talent is so exceptional, he may indeed join the Quidditch team early. At least this way, Mr. Potter should be able to channel some of his excess energy and stop causing me additional headaches."
Everyone burst into laughter at the imitation.
"But I haven't caused any trouble for an entire month," Harry protested, looking wounded.
"So Professor McGonagall is worried you're planning something spectacular for her," Wood said with a wink.
Harry: "..."
Ron, Hermione, and Dudley: "Hahahaha..."
"That goes for you three as well," Wood added, turning to the laughing trio.
All three: "..."
After dinner, Harry and the others wanted to celebrate. Dudley declined to join them—he had more pressing matters to attend to. He needed to speak with Professor Dumbledore about Quirrell.
After bidding farewell to his friends, Dudley made his way alone to the eighth floor, where Dumbledore's office was located. Passing the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy, he couldn't resist examining it once more.
As his abilities had grown stronger, he increasingly sensed something unusual about this location, but he still couldn't pinpoint exactly what was wrong or detect any specific magical traces. Even though Dudley had now reached Sequence 7 in both pathways, this place remained a mystery.
Yes, just two days after Halloween, Dudley had successfully digested the Barbarian Beyonder characteristic and had also advanced to Sequence 7 in the Black Emperor pathway—becoming a Briber.
"I hope Professor Dumbledore can provide some answers today," he thought.
Finding nothing suspicious, Dudley continued toward Dumbledore's office.
"Lemon Drops," he called out, trying the password.
The gargoyle statue remained motionless.
"He changed it?" Dudley frowned.
He began cycling through various candy names.
"Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans."
Nothing.
"Chocolate Frogs."
Still nothing.
"Sherbet Lemons."
The statue sprang to life with a low rumble. Dudley quickly stepped onto the revolving staircase, which carried him upward to Dumbledore's office door.
Taking a deep breath, Dudley retrieved the box of sweets he'd brought as a gift for the headmaster and knocked.
"Come in," came Dumbledore's warm voice from within.
Dudley pushed open the door and entered.
"Ah, Dudley. What brings you to see me this evening?" Dumbledore asked with a smile, setting aside the book he'd been reading.
[Chapter Complete]
***
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