"Thanks for your hard work, Miss Seeker."
Kate handed her a towel. "If you participate in the selection in this state, you will definitely get into the team."
"Thank you." Cho Chang's small face was still flushed red, and she refused to let go of the broomstick in her hand.
It was obvious that she genuinely liked Quidditch, unlike Kate, whose original intention for understanding the sport was full of ulterior motives.
Hermione stood somewhat reservedly beside them, tilting her head slightly to carefully examine this girl who was covered in sweat yet looked particularly dazzling.
Unlike the Cho Chang she had seen before, the version of her on the Quidditch pitch was filled with a kind of athletic beauty.
It made it impossible for people to look away.
"Senior, drink some water." She took the initiative to step forward and handed over Cho Chang's water cup.
Only at this moment did Cho Chang's gaze shift away from Kate, looking at her with quite a bit of pleasant surprise: "Are you Kate's younger sister?"
"My name is Hermione." She managed to squeeze out a small smile, then emphasized, "I am not her sister; we are in the same year."
Cho Chang smiled, turning her head to look at Kate, just in time to see her wink at her.
The two exchanged a knowing smile.
"I didn't know you were preparing to join the team before, so I even wanted to ask you to teach me how to use a flying broomstick."
Kate spread her hands helplessly: "It seems I can only practice by myself now."
Now that Cho Chang had to prepare for the selection, and would have to practice coordination with team members after passing, she naturally wouldn't have time to teach her.
"You still don't know how to ride a broomstick?" Cho Chang asked with some surprise. "Is it because of physical reasons, or something else..."
Kate hurriedly waved her hand: "It's just that I haven't really been in contact with it before, and I've always been bad at sports."
A shut-in, staying at home every day; the time she exercised the most was when she helped take care of magical creatures at Newt's place last year.
Asking her to fly on a broomstick now was truly not easy.
"Since that's the case, I just happened to finish practicing. I can teach you some techniques now, and you can practice slowly afterwards," Cho Chang proposed.
Kate's eyes lit up. Just as she wanted to nod in agreement, she heard Hermione snatch the conversation away: "Then I want to learn together too!"
After speaking, she looked at Kate with a face full of sincerity: "I'm not very good at controlling the broomstick either, you know."
True, Hermione was similar to her, not good at sports, but she was also stronger-willed than Kate and certainly couldn't stand the situation of lagging behind others in Flying Class.
Kate didn't think too much about it. After asking for Cho Chang's opinion, she nodded and agreed.
They practiced all the way until before dinner. Hermione could be considered to have successfully mastered the knack of riding a broomstick. As for Kate...
"I think it is necessary to install a seat on the broomstick." Someone muttered with resentment.
It was just such a thin stick; didn't it feel painfully constricting?
Hermione laughed at her while walking: "Senior Cho Chang, it seems Kate really isn't good at sports."
"Indeed. I suggest you master your balance on the ground first, then try getting on the broomstick slowly." Cho Chang covered her mouth, echoing Hermione's teasing.
Kate's cheek twitched, and she glanced at the two of them resentfully.
How was it that in just one afternoon, their relationship had advanced by leaps and bounds as if equipped with rockets?
Was roasting the same person really that happy?
Kate didn't know, because she was the one being roasted and couldn't feel their joy.
The three of them talked and laughed all the way into the Great Hall, then returned to their respective Academy long tables to sit down.
"Look who this is, isn't it our Academy's diplomatic ambassador, Shafiq?"
As soon as she sat in her seat, Malfoy, who had already been discharged from the hospital, began to mock her with all his might.
"What? Being with Gryffindor people isn't enough, and now there's someone from Ravenclaw too?"
The smile on Kate's face gradually faded. She picked a steak on the long table and cut it methodically.
"Hey, Shafiq!" Seeing her silence, Malfoy glared with some annoyance. "Because I exposed your collusion with people from other Academies, do you have a guilty conscience?"
The silver knife in her hand was pressed onto the table with a snap. Kate raised her eyes slightly, chuckling softly to remind him: "Before saying such things, why not observe the surrounding environment first?"
Malfoy frowned, looking around inexplicably.
Only to find that the Slytherin students were all staring at him with annoyed expressions.
"W-what's wrong?" He shrank back with some guilt.
"Student Malfoy," the previous female prefect, Senior Cooper, stood up and reminded him with a solemn face, "please mind your language."
Previously, the little snakes went their own way and never interacted with people from other schools, so they hadn't noticed it for so long.
But after Kate's reminder that day, they realized with hindsight that the parents of most pure-blood wizards also came from these so-called "other Academies."
Although just these few small remarks wouldn't change their xenophobic tradition.
But, at least when seeing someone use a word like "collusion" to describe students making friends with other Academies, they would instinctively think of their own parents.
Their moms and dads were being scolded by insinuation; could they be in a good mood?
It was a pity that Malfoy was still staying in the hospital that day and completely didn't know what Kate had said to these senior students that night.
The smile on Kate's face widened a few degrees. "I reminded you, Student Malfoy. There are some things you cannot say carelessly."
So what if you are from the Malfoy family?
These people couldn't compete with a single family, but if they really united, the one to suffer wouldn't be her.
Malfoy's already pale face turned green and then white. He gripped his fork tightly, gritted his teeth, and asked, "What exactly did you say to them?"
"Don't you have wide connections in the Academy? Go ask yourself." Kate raised an eyebrow, ignored his glaring gaze, and began to eat her meal in a happy mood.
The argument about bloodlines she made regarding Malfoy that day had indeed been effective. At least today, from start to finish, he hadn't mentioned words like Muggle or half-blood.
It was just that this guy was still unwilling to give up and wanted to use the usual Academy rivalry to cause trouble. Unfortunately, he was a step too late.
Presumably, after suffering setbacks several times in a row, letting him witness her martial prowess on the weekend should be enough to make this pampered Young Master feel fear.
Wilson was right. In the wizarding world, no amount of connections or talk is enough; one still has to speak with hard power.
"Hmph!"
After being glared at by the senior students of the entire long table, Malfoy stared at her through gritted teeth: "Don't think this is over. I've already told the Head of House what you did to me!"
"He said, wait until Wilson's detention is finished, then it's your turn!"
Kate nodded calmly upon hearing this: "I know."
If she could go to tattle, naturally Malfoy could too.
However Snape wanted to punish her, she could accept it.
Don't think that confinement is a painful thing. Being in confinement by the side of the Potions Master, there are always things one can steal and learn.
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