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Chapter 639: The School’s New Brooms
🕑 Added 2025-03-20 13:06:54 +0000 UTCAs Cedric had anticipated, every DA meeting for the next two weeks brought a fresh challenger. Each time, someone new tried their luck against him.
The good news was that Fred and George, his primary concern, had remained surprisingly quiet so far—which only meant Cedric kept an even closer eye on them.
Another challenge quickly became apparent: scheduling. With Quidditch practices needing to avoid bad weather, it was difficult to set a consistent day for their meetings.
Fortunately, a solution was soon found.
Inspired by Kyle’s reward idea, Hermione used the Protean Charm to create a batch of fake gold coins. These coins were enchanted so that when the number on the main coin changed, all the others would update as well, allowing them to quickly inform everyone of the next meeting’s time.
The method proved remarkably convenient.
Fred and George, of course, saw potential in this charm for other purposes—namely, cheating. However, Cedric discovered their idea before it went too far, putting a stop to it.
Cedric wasn’t about to allow them to risk using the coins for mischief. While the twins were often inventive pranksters, cheating was a step too far. The consequences of being caught—demerits, detention, or even expulsion—were far more severe than those for their usual antics.
Expulsion would be disastrous for their future plans. The Weasley twins knew that running a joke shop as "brilliant graduates of Hogwarts" sounded far better than doing so as expelled troublemakers.
One morning at breakfast, Cedric handed Kyle one of the fake gold coins.
“This is for you,” Cedric said. “You haven’t been in recently, but I thought you should have one.”
Kyle took the coin and examined it, turning it over in his hand. “Is this Leprechaun gold?”
“To be precise, it’s Leprechaun gold duplicated with the Doubling Charm,” Cedric explained. “Leprechaun gold usually lasts only half a day, but the Doubling Charm extends its life to about a year.”
“Not a bad idea,” Kyle remarked, impressed.
“There’s no way we wouldn’t know what the Doubling Charm can do,” Cedric said with a nostalgic smile, recalling a specific memory. “Remember how we spent hours in that empty classroom years ago, desperately copying that map?”
Kyle chuckled, sharing the memory, before pocketing the coin. “So, are you having another meeting soon?”
“Probably not this week,” Cedric said, shaking his head. “Gryffindor’s first Quidditch match is on Saturday, so their evenings are fully booked.”
“Yeah, makes sense,” Kyle said.
The upcoming Quidditch match was the first one in over a year, and it had everyone buzzing with excitement—even the professors.
The Quidditch Pitch had rarely been quiet in recent days, with broomsticks flying back and forth nearly every hour. Gryffindor and Slytherin teams were both pushing hard to prepare for their face-off.
Cedric himself had tried to book the pitch recently, only for Madam Hooch to inform him it had already been reserved for the week by Professors McGonagall and Snape.
Though it wasn’t technically within the rules, it wasn’t as though Madam Hooch could refuse when both heads of house came to her in person.
The Hufflepuff team didn’t mind too much. Cedric knew that if Hufflepuff had been playing, Professor Sprout would have done the same for them.
For now, though, it felt like a well-earned break—a small holiday in the midst of a busy term.
...
As the game drew closer, the tension between Gryffindor and Slytherin escalated to new heights, with the air practically crackling like gunpowder.
No matter their year or standing, students from both houses couldn’t resist hurling taunts whenever they crossed paths in the corridors.
Warrington, in particular, was loudly boasting in the Great Hall about his plans to knock Harry off his broom. Kyle, however, was skeptical. Warrington’s confidence aside, there was no denying the disparity between their broomsticks. A Nimbus 2001 trying to outpace a Firebolt? It would need a dragon’s push to stand a chance.
It didn’t take long for Kyle to notice that the Slytherins had a clear strategy: they were targeting every Gryffindor player except Harry. Ron, in particular, became the focus of their taunts.
Millicent, Pansy, and Malfoy even rehearsed a crude stage play mocking Ron, mimicking how he might bungle a save as Keeper. This relentless ridicule left Ron visibly on edge, his nerves fraying as the days went on.
And so, November arrived.
The weather turned bitterly cold, with the wind outside the castle biting at cheeks like a blade. Inside, however, the atmosphere was buzzing with excitement. Today marked the start of the Quidditch tournament.
Early in the morning, Kyle, Kanna, and Cedric left the Hufflepuff common room and headed toward the Great Hall, all wearing gold and red scarves adorned with lion crests to show their support for Gryffindor.
The Great Hall was livelier than usual. The match itself was reason enough for excitement, but something else had captured everyone’s attention.
At the front of the hall, where the teachers’ table usually sat, was a gleaming row of brand-new broomsticks.
Thirty of them in total, their polished handles still glistening with the scent of fresh pine oil.
“My goodness, those are Cleansweep Elevens!” someone exclaimed as a crowd gathered near the display, their faces glowing with awe.
“I saw these at Quality Quidditch Supplies in Diagon Alley. They’re brand-new this year.”
“They’re incredible…”
“Are these brooms for all the Quidditch players?”
“Ahem.”
A soft cough cut through the chatter. The students turned to see Umbridge standing in the Great Hall, unnoticed until now. The sight of her caused the crowd to scatter quickly, everyone hurrying back to their tables, though their gazes remained fixed on the brooms.
Umbridge cleared her throat again, demanding attention as she stepped forward with her signature saccharine smile.
“Yes, there’s no doubt about it,” she began, her voice syrupy with false charm. “These broomsticks are all yours.”
The announcement was met with an eruption of cheers and applause. For a moment, it felt like Christmas had come early.
Umbridge had to amplify her voice with a charm to cut through the noise.
“As Hogwarts High Inquisitor, I have observed that the school’s broomsticks are nearly thirty years old."
“The Ministry of Magic has determined that the increasing number of injuries during Hogwarts’ annual Quidditch tournaments is primarily due to the poor condition of the broomsticks."
“Therefore, the Ministry has decided to replace the school’s entire stock with these new, superior broomsticks. They will be used not only for Quidditch but also for flying lessons.”
Another wave of cheers swept through the hall, with students shouting their approval and praise for the Ministry.
Umbridge, clearly basking in the reaction, turned toward the faculty table to savor her moment of triumph. Her gaze settled smugly on Professor McGonagall, expecting irritation or jealousy.
To her discomfort, McGonagall looked utterly unbothered, even pleased. She nodded politely in acknowledgment, her expression perfectly neutral but radiating quiet confidence.
The lack of a negative reaction unsettled Umbridge, but she quickly masked her discomfort.
“Did you have something to do with this?” Kanna whispered, eyeing Kyle with suspicion.
She found it unlikely that the Ministry of Magic would spend such a considerable sum purely out of concern for students’ safety. And Umbridge, of all people, hardly seemed the type to care about reducing injuries.
“Well…” Kyle murmured, giving her a sly wink. “I couldn’t afford this many broomsticks myself. But let’s just say I made a… small suggestion.”
