This morning was Potions class, couldn't skip it.
Audrey got out of bed unwillingly and headed to the Great Hall.
Ah, days without ghosts haunting her were good days!
"Morning, Audrey!"
"Morning!"
Just as she sat down, Audrey heard the little snakes opposite discussing Quidditch.
"Did you hear? Gryffindor is going to select a new Seeker!"
"I know. It seems their Seeker fell too severely in the last match, got scared, and refuses to play anymore."
"Hahaha, and still Gryffindor! Where's his courage?"
"Don't make fun of them. Our Terence isn't much better! He also submitted a resignation application to Flint!"
"Huh? Why is that?"
"His mother won't let him continue playing Quidditch. She said he's the only heir in their family; they can't afford to lose him."
"So our team doesn't have a Seeker? The substitute Seeker seems to be that Avery from third year. He doesn't fly as well as I do! Oh dear, doesn't that mean we're sure to lose the match against Ravenclaw after the Christmas holidays?"
"I think Professor Snape will definitely organize a tryout. There will always be a way."
Listening to the little snakes discuss Quidditch, Audrey bit into a large meat bun nonchalantly, and meat juices squirted out with a pssh.
Her eyes focused, and those juices gathered in mid-air and flew back into her mouth.
Quidditch?
What did it have to do with her? Better to concentrate on eating buns.
"Audrey!" Isaline walked over. "Why are you so early today! When I went to your room, you had already left!"
Audrey shook her head. She couldn't exactly say her right eyelid was twitching terribly this morning and she couldn't sleep at all, so she just came out for breakfast!
"Am I that lazy of a person in your heart?"
Isaline tilted her head.
'Aren't you?'
"Isaline Windsor! I am very hardworking! Otherwise, where do you think my singing skills came from?"
Isaline hesitated slightly.
'Right, Audrey sings so well; she must have undergone arduous training!'
"Isaline," Audrey said faintly. "Have you seen Hogwarts at 4 a.m.?"
Isaline's beautiful eyes widened. 'So that's it!'
'It turns out Audrey gets up very early to practice singing. Seeing her lazing in bed was just her taking a nap after hard training!'
"Audrey!" Isaline's eyes were full of little stars. "Next time you get up early to practice singing, take me with you!"
Audrey: ...
'Oops, overacted!'
Audrey laughed awkwardly. "We'll see, we'll see!"
Fortunately, the flock of owls flying in saved Audrey. These little cuties delivered letters and items accurately to the little wizards' hands.
Draco Malfoy happily opened a package sent from home, filled with some of his favorite candies.
"Malfoy," Audrey had sharp eyes and saw her favorite, so she shouted, "Give me all the Sherbet Lemons!"
Draco felt no shame at being dominated by a "Mudblood." He picked up a box of candies and trotted all the way to Audrey.
"Here! I specially asked Mom to buy these!"
He whispered, "My father remembers you like eating this the most!"
Audrey was stunned and whispered back, "You told your father about me?"
"Don't worry, Cousin," Draco's voice was lowered even further, ensuring only the two of them could hear. "My father won't blab about it to outsiders!"
Audrey frowned slightly, not because of Lucius, but because she felt an extremely aggressive gaze.
The gaze came from Pansy Parkinson.
'Heh, little yellow-haired girl, what business is it of yours that I'm chatting with my cousin?'
"Cousin, about restoring your reputation, Dad also put in some effort!"
Draco's words pulled Audrey's thoughts back. Just then, she heard Isaline cry out in surprise, "Audrey, look quickly at today's Daily Prophet!"
She handed the newspaper in her hand to Audrey.
The front-page headline read: "Hydrus Lestrange, Wanted for Five Years, Was Actually Framed!"
"Another Unjust, False, and Wrongful Case Manufactured by the Ministry of Magic!"
"After Bode Gray was caught, he confessed the fact that he framed Miss Lestrange in order to seize the Lestrange family fortune! Our reporter has ample reason to suspect that the Ministry of Magic used Veritaserum during the interrogation!"
"Former Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, current Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, Barty Crouch, also provided relevant evidence from that year."
"Hydrus Lestrange's killing of Norson Gray and Daniel Gray back then was an act of self-defense."
"..."
Isaline clicked her tongue. "This Gray family, offending their superiors—they're completely finished this time."
Draco interjected, "My dad has already taken over all of the Lestrange properties. We're just waiting for Miss Lestrange's return to return everything to its original owner!"
Audrey glanced at Professor Quirrell at the staff table.
'Heh, if not for the deterrence of my cheap dad, Lucius probably wouldn't be so diligent!'
Isaline asked in surprise, "Why is your family managing the Lestrange family assets?"
Draco tilted his head back proudly. "Because Hydrus is my cousin!"
He finally said it! Although he didn't say "Audrey is my cousin," was there a difference?
Sooner or later, you bunch of idiots will know that the greatest singer, Audrey Astley, is my, Draco Malfoy's, cousin!
Thinking of this, Draco trembled with excitement.
Audrey face-palmed. 'Stupid cousin!'
Pansy Parkinson slammed the table hard, startling Daphne beside her. Then she stood up, face livid, and stormed off!
Just because of that woman! She had to accept two months of detention! Damn it!
...
Isaline suddenly seemed to remember something. "By the way, speaking of Gray, do you remember that Alan Ash?" She looked at Audrey. "The sixth-year whose mother is a Gray!"
Audrey nodded. "Of course I remember."
Isaline said, "That group of people who attacked you that night was brought in by Alan Ash through a secret passage in Hogwarts!"
"Oh, how do you know?"
Isaline sighed. "You hide in your room all day, of course you don't know. He has been expelled by the school and left Hogwarts yesterday."
...
...
Audrey somewhat looked down on Snape.
Clearly full of suspicion and hostility towards her, yet when it came to using her to add points to Slytherin, he enjoyed it tirelessly!
In one class, Snape used her as a reason to add twenty points to Slytherin again.
'Man, have some backbone!'
"Astley, stay behind!"
Isaline gave Audrey an "I'll wait for you at the door" expression and left the Potions classroom, while Audrey walked up to Snape.
"Is something the matter, Professor?"
No expression could be seen on Snape's face, which made Audrey seriously suspect if he was using Occlumency.
'Is there a need to be so cautious? I don't know Legilimency.'
"I want you to serve as our house Quidditch team's Seeker."
Audrey: ...
Audrey: ???
Audrey: EXCUSE ME????
Σ(ﾟдﾟlll)
Audrey was so shocked she blasted out the first emoji of this book.
"I refuse, Professor. I don't think I'm suitable for Quiddit—"
"Exemption. I can approve your application for exemption from classes."
Audrey: ...
'Can't have one's cake and eat it too?'
Audrey began to struggle.
Although class exemption was very appealing, she really didn't want to play Quidditch.
"Professor, why do you want me to join the team?"
"I saw you flying last time."
"Professor, I don't have a broom!"
"Although I do not believe you have no money to buy a broom," looking at this eccentric little witch who paved her bed with Galleons, Snape remained expressionless, "I will solve this problem for you."
"Professor, I thought about it, and I might still not be suitable to join the team..."
"Five hundred Galleons. I'll give you an extra five hundred Galleons." Snape felt a bit of a pinch. Although he wasn't short of money, his money didn't grow on trees. "If you still don't agree, then get out!"
"Agreed, agreed!"
Audrey hurriedly agreed. A free broom, getting paid, and most importantly, class exemption!
She really didn't like Quidditch, but alas, Snape gave too much!
Whose Galleons didn't grow on trees?
Sorry, hers did.
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]