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Finally, Erwin dragged his tired body to the door of the Ravenclaw common room.
Although the physical exertion hadn't been severe, he'd been channeling magic constantly to control the broomstick, coupled with the overload acceleration during Hermione's rescue.
His mental exhaustion was considerable.
He decided to return to his dormitory and take a proper nap to recover.
But when he entered the common room, he noticed something was wrong.
It was too quiet.
The moment he walked in, every Ravenclaw in the space looked up at him simultaneously.
The attention made his skin prickle with unease.
"Brilliant. Erwin."
At that moment, a senior witch spoke, and then the entire common room suddenly erupted with noise.
"Yes, that was absolutely brilliant."
"Yeah! If you're that good in your first year, you should join the Quidditch team."
All the students were excited; the heroic rescue combined with the thrilling chase sequence had mobilized the emotions of most Ravenclaw students, particularly the girls.
Erwin stared blankly at the excited crowd, still somewhat dazed.
'Did the news spread that quickly?'
Before he could process this development, a figure rushed to his side and hugged him.
It was Cho.
Erwin hurriedly embraced her, and before he could speak, her voice reached him.
"Erwin, are you alright?"
Cho pulled at him nervously, anxiously checking for any signs of injury.
"I'm fine, Cho. Really, I'm perfectly fine."
He gently stroked the girl's hair, warmed by her obvious concern.
Seeing that Erwin was truly unharmed, Cho breathed a sigh of relief.
Immediately afterward, she pinched the soft flesh at his waist in annoyance, expressing her displeasure.
Erwin knew this was the little witch's jealousy manifesting; he had, after all, risked his life to save Hermione.
He could only smile ruefully, attempting to deflect her irritation.
Looking at the crowd surrounding them, Cho understood that now wasn't the time for that.
She stepped back sensibly.
The other Ravenclaws immediately surged forward.
"Erwin, how did you make the Comet fly so fast?"
"Erwin, was this really your first time riding a broomstick?"
"I heard you caught the Gryffindor girl in midair. Is that true? Can I touch your arms and see how strong..."
'Hiss!'
Erwin panicked.
'They're actually trying to feel my muscles? I'm going to get mobbed.'
At that moment, Roger Davies pushed through the crowd.
He was the captain of Ravenclaw's Quidditch team, the same student who'd asked Erwin at the welcome feast to teach him how to pursue girls.
Roger struggled to push the crowd aside and shouted to Erwin.
"Erwin. Professor Flitwick asked you to come to his office."
Erwin immediately seized the lifeline. He shouted.
"Everyone, please! I need to see Professor Flitwick."
"If you have questions, we can talk when I return."
Seeing that Flitwick had summoned Erwin to his office, the other students reluctantly made way.
Erwin breathed a sigh of relief and fled through the common room door as if running for his life.
If he'd stayed any longer, he didn't know how much more inappropriate attention he'd have to endure.
****
At the same time, news of what had happened in flying class spread to the other three houses.
First, Erwin's Levitation Charm saving Neville, then Harry and Malfoy's aerial chase, and finally Erwin's heroic rescue of Hermione.
With so many dramatic events occurring in one class, how could the students not be curious?
****
Gryffindor Common Room.
"Harry swooped down from a height of twenty feet! Just a few inches from the ground, he grabbed Neville's Remembrall and stopped instantly."
Ron was enthusiastically recounting Harry's deeds in flying class, gesturing wildly as if he'd performed the feat himself.
Suddenly, George and Fred draped their arms over Ron's shoulders.
"Alright, Ronnie, you've talked plenty about Harry. Now tell us about Erwin."
"Yeah, Ron, tell us how Erwin saved Hermione."
A witch nearby also spoke to Ron.
Her name was Angelina Johnson, one of Gryffindor's Chasers.
"Fine." Ron looked slightly deflated, but with the twins' arms still weighing on his shoulders, he reluctantly recounted how Erwin had caught up to Hermione and caught her midair.
****
Hufflepuff Common Room.
After learning what had happened, many Hufflepuff students developed a favorable impression of Erwin.
As a house that valued honesty and loyalty above all else, they appreciated his selfless behavior in risking himself to save another student.
****
Slytherin Common Room.
Slytherin's attitude toward Erwin was considerably more ambiguous.
On one hand, Erwin had publicly rejected their house during the Sorting Ceremony, and now he'd drawn attention to himself once again.
Many students were looking for an opportunity to teach him a lesson.
On the other hand, numerous witches found themselves quite taken with Erwin's feats.
Moreover, he'd proven capable in both academics and athletics, excelling in class while also demonstrating impressive flying skills.
Slytherin's natural tendency to respect strength made it difficult for them to maintain pure hostility toward him.
As a result, two opposing factions within Slytherin actually began a heated debate over Erwin.
****
Erwin had no idea his actions had generated such widespread discussion.
He'd already arrived at Professor Flitwick's office door and knocked gently.
"Please come in."
Flitwick's voice came from inside, and Erwin pushed open the door and entered.
The office looked the same as during his last visit. After a quick glance around, Erwin approached the desk.
"Sit down, Mr. Gaunt."
Seeing it was Erwin, Professor Flitwick smiled and gestured to the chair.
"Mr. Gaunt, you performed exceptionally well today."
"Using the Levitation Charm with such precision at that speed is something many adult wizards couldn't accomplish."
Obviously, Professor Flitwick had learned the full story, and he clearly appreciated the expertly cast charm.
"You're too kind, Professor. I simply did my best."
Erwin spoke modestly.
Flitwick didn't continue the topic, but instead changed direction.
"Mr. Gaunt, how much do you know about Quidditch?"
Erwin's interest piqued at the question.
'What's this? Did I get the same script as Harry? Is he about to recruit me for the Quidditch team?'
"Professor, I understand the general rules, but today was my first time actually flying. I haven't had a chance to properly practice."
Erwin explained that he had a friend who was a Quidditch fanatic, so he'd naturally learned the rules.
After all, Cho often dragged him into enthusiastic discussions about Quidditch regulations and passionately advocated for the Tutshill Tornados.
"Excellent, Mr. Gaunt."
Professor Flitwick looked even more pleased. Then he asked the crucial question.
"Would you be interested in joining the Ravenclaw Quidditch team?"