After offering his hint, Ryze seemed to recall something else and turned back to Harry with a more serious expression.
"Also, you should get some proper rest this morning," he said. "If I remember correctly, your Gryffindor versus Slytherin Quidditch match is this afternoon, isn't it?"
Harry nodded, slightly surprised by the sudden shift in topic.
"I picked up some subtle signs while doing a bit of Divination just now," Ryze continued. "You might run into trouble during the match."
Ron immediately leaned forward, clearly intrigued.
"What kind of trouble?" he asked.
Ryze shrugged lightly. "Nothing precise, just a vague sense. But I did hear from Michael that Marcus Flint, Slytherin's captain, plays very aggressively—especially against Gryffindor. Last year, he sent Angelina, one of your Chasers, straight to the hospital."
Harry frowned at that.
"He's definitely going to keep an eye on you today," Ryze added. "You're considered Gryffindor's 'secret weapon,' after all. So be careful."
There was a brief pause before Ryze sighed.
"It's a pity I have to meet Professor Flitwick for guidance this afternoon," he said. "I'll probably only be able to cheer you on at the beginning of the match."
He patted Harry's shoulder reassuringly.
"Anyway, I should get going. If I'm any later, Snape will definitely have something unpleasant to say."
With that, Ryze gave them a small wave and turned toward the direction of the dungeons.
As they watched him leave, Ron let out a long breath.
"Divination is seriously amazing," he said. "He just taps your shoulder and suddenly knows everything. I swear, he's going to become a top-tier Divination Master one day."
Harry gave a small smile, though his thoughts were clearly elsewhere.
Ron continued, his tone shifting slightly. "It's a shame he promised Hagrid not to look into whatever's hidden in that fourth-floor room. If he helped us, we'd probably figure it out in no time."
He paused, then added thoughtfully, "Honestly, if I had his ability, I'd never go anywhere near Snape's class."
Hermione, who had been listening quietly, immediately rolled her eyes.
"That's exactly why Ryze is more outstanding than you," she said sharply. "He came to Hogwarts to learn magic—not to avoid difficult subjects."
Ron opened his mouth to argue, but Hermione didn't give him the chance.
"He told me himself that Potions is an essential field of magic," she continued. "And regardless of his attitude, Professor Snape is undeniably a highly skilled potions master."
Although Hermione would never admit it directly to Ryze, she had already accepted a difficult truth: she was currently behind him in several areas.
Aside from Flying Class, which didn't count toward their academic performance and in which Ryze performed only averagely, he excelled in nearly every core subject.
In History of Magic, Hermione still had a slight advantage due to her exceptional memory. In Herbology and Astronomy, the two were roughly equal.
But in Potions, despite neither of them earning praise from Snape, Ryze had successfully passed his test—something Hermione hadn't managed. Even if he relied on unusual methods like Divination, she couldn't deny that he was ahead.
In Defense Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, and Charms, the gap was even more obvious.
Overall, Hermione had to admit—at least to herself—that she still had a long way to go.
Ron, however, clearly disagreed with her assessment of Snape.
Among Gryffindor students, Snape's reputation had always been terrible. To Ron, the title of "potions master" carried little significance.
Moreover, the incident from two nights ago—when Snape had been bitten by Fluffy—had not been explained. In Ron's mind, Snape remained the primary suspect in whatever scheme surrounded the mysterious treasure.
Deciding not to argue further, Ron turned back to Harry.
"Ryze's warning makes sense," he said. "Forget about Nicolas Flamel for now—you can think about that later. Right now, you should talk to Wood about how to deal with Slytherin's dirty tactics."
He leaned in slightly, his expression serious.
"Whether Gryffindor wins this year depends on you."
Harry nodded slowly, clearly absorbing the weight of those words.
Seeing the two boys shift their focus entirely to Quidditch, Hermione sighed softly.
At least they had finally made some progress regarding Nicolas Flamel. If Harry could recall everything from the day he first arrived at Hogwarts, they might finally uncover his identity.
For now, though, she decided to focus on something more immediate.
"I'm going to the library," she said. "I need to catch up on what I missed last night."
Meanwhile, near the Potions office in the dungeons, Ryze found himself surrounded by a number of familiar faces.
Prefects from all four houses had gathered, along with several older students—most of whom appeared to be in their fourth or fifth years. In total, there were fourteen participants.
After greeting those he recognized, Ryze quickly realized that this was indeed the group assembled for the Potions Tournament.
Snape had summoned students with Outstanding results in Potions from the fourth and fifth years, as well as all sixth-year students qualified for Advanced Potions.
"Ryze, you actually passed Professor Snape's test?" Penelope exclaimed, clearly impressed.
Having studied under Snape for years, she knew just how difficult it was to earn an Outstanding rating—especially from someone as critical as him.
What made it even more remarkable was that Snape clearly didn't favor Ryze. Yet despite that, he had still managed to succeed.
The surrounding students, who had initially been unaware of the test's specifics, began to murmur among themselves.
"A first-year?" someone whispered.
"He's competing with us?"
Their surprise was obvious.
Among them, Gemma Farley, the Slytherin prefect, observed Ryze with quiet curiosity.
She had heard of him through Professor Babbling and had even borrowed Ailey from him a few times. She knew he was considered the most talented student in his year—but she hadn't expected Snape to allow a first-year to join the tournament selection.
Still, her interest was purely professional.
As the top-performing fifth-year student in Potions—and a Slytherin—she had access to notes from previous senior participants. In her mind, she had already secured one of the available spots.
The remaining students were merely competing for what was left.
If Ryze truly had exceptional skill, she wouldn't mind offering some minor guidance. After all, recognizing and investing in talent early was a defining trait of a Slytherin.
She gave him a slight nod before speaking.
"Of the fourteen students here," she said calmly, "at least half will be eliminated before Christmas."
The room grew quieter.
"By the end of the school year, there will likely be only three or four remaining."
Her gaze settled on Ryze.
"As the youngest participant, you'll have a difficult path ahead. But if you can persist, you might become the youngest contestant in the Potions Tournament in centuries."
Her tone was neutral, but there was a hint of acknowledgment in it.
What she didn't say, however, was even more telling.
Among the final three participants, only one would be chosen as the primary competitor.
The other two would serve as reserves—trained, but not prioritized. Their role would simply be to avoid finishing last.
In Gemma's mind, that primary position already belonged to her.
She didn't believe anyone present could truly rival her capabilities.
Still, she remained composed.
After all, in a competition like this, confidence was expected—but results were everything.
And soon enough, the tournament would reveal the truth.
For more chapters
patreon.com/Liamlivingstone