Professor Delfino allowed them to form teams freely, regardless of house.
Harry looked around—although his classmates were all very interested in the Protect the Captain game, surprisingly, the atmosphere wasn't that enthusiastic.
The reason was—
"Are you going to give it a try, Harry?"
Ron leaned close to Harry's ear and whispered.
"I want to try, Ron—"
Harry responded, his tone carrying a hint of grievance.
"But I've never touched a broomstick before. I don't know how to handle it... Professor Delfino said he recommended people with some basics to participate."
"Oh, it's actually not hard... well, I have a few Shooting Stars at home. When Fred and George played Quidditch, they needed a Keeper..."
Harry heard Ron muttering, and he also noticed that Ron's ears and cheeks were turning red and steaming.
"I remind you—a friendly reminder—"
Hermione Granger, who had overheard their conversation, put on airs and glanced sideways at Ron.
"Judging by the rules of the game, you also must master the Trip Jinx to use against the Nogtail."
"Thanks a lot!"
Ron shot her a look and rolled his eyes.
"It seems you're very good at dealing with wild boars, so why don't you sign up?"
A critical hit!
Hermione's fair cheeks flushed too, and she stammered, falling silent.
Harry knew Hermione Granger was a "good student." Perhaps she had already mastered the Trip Jinx proficiently. But mastering it was one thing; using the spell against a monster was another.
Moreover, Hermione, like him, had surely never ridden a broomstick before.
"You can raise your hand to sign up, Ron—"
Thinking for a moment, Harry encouraged Ron.
"The rules didn't say everyone on a team has to learn the Trip Jinx... one or two is enough. The most important thing is that you can ride a broomstick!"
"Yeah," Ron's tone weakened again. He hesitated, nodding without confidence. "That's what I thought too, Harry..."
"Oh, the first team has been successfully formed!"
Just as Harry was about to continue persuading Ron, Professor Delfino's voice suddenly rang out.
"They are Draco Malfoy, Blaise Zabini, Theodore Nott, Daphne Greengrass, Millicent Bulstrode, Pansy Parkinson, Morag Bletchley, and... er—Goyle... No problem, I believe my broomstick can support you."
Professor Delfino nodded.
"A completely Slytherin team... Okay, no problem, this works... So, who is the captain?... Oh, Draco Malfoy!"
For Slytherin to form a team entirely of their own, the new students from the wizarding world weren't too surprised—most students in this house came from "prominent families."
"Ron!"
Seeing Malfoy looking at him provocatively, Harry couldn't help but get anxious.
"Show some courage!"
"I intend to form a team."
Unexpectedly, before Ron could state his position, the brown-haired girl from earlier—Parvati Patil—spoke up.
She had obviously heard the exchange between Harry and Ron, so she looked straight at Ron.
"You can ride a broomstick, right? Don't worry about the Nogtail, we'll find someone who can deal with it."
Parvati Patil said calmly.
"Then... okay, I'm in."
Under Harry's repeated encouragement, Ron finally nodded, looking like... he was facing death with equanimity.
"Can we form a team?"
After the Slytherin team was formed, the other three houses watched each other's movements. When Parvati proposed forming a team and roped Ron in, those interested immediately moved closer.
A boy asked hopefully, "I'm Ernie—Ernie Macmillan. This is Susan Bones. We are both Hufflepuffs."
Ernie pointed to a girl beside him. She had a somewhat baby-faced look, but determination showed between her brows—Susan smiled at them too.
"Welcome!"
Parvati nodded happily. From the jostling crowd, she pulled out a little girl who looked exactly like her.
"Plus my sister... She's Padma Patil from Ravenclaw. We're twins—now we have five people!"
"We'll join too!"
A brown-haired boy who looked cheerful raised his hand, pulling along a quiet girl.
"I'm Terry Boot."
He said, then lowered his voice and glanced sideways at the Slytherin team conspiring nearby.
"I don't find Slytherin very pleasing... you know, hope to teach them a lesson."
"I'm not very good with broomsticks."
The quiet Ravenclaw girl looked a bit uneasy and said softly.
"But in the first half of the class, I tried the Trip Jinx—um, it worked."
Wow!
Everyone in the team looked at the girl named Mandy with admiration... Hermione Granger, watching from the side, looked a bit unconvinced.
"Now it's..."
"Seven people!"
Harry had been counting for Patil, so he said immediately, in high spirits.
"You're still short one person!"
"We have seven people now, still need one more—anyone want to join?"
Patil immediately raised her hand high, looking around.
"Requirement is knowing how to ride a broomstick... those who can use the Trip Jinx get priority!"
Harry thought someone would choose to join immediately... because he himself really wanted to try... especially since he didn't want to lose face in front of Malfoy—Malfoy kept looking at him with mocking eyes, as if he were a coward!
But the reality was, even if he joined, he wouldn't be of any use.
Neither knowing how to ride a broomstick nor the Trip Jinx.
I must master these two skills as quickly as possible—Harry pursed his lips, swearing to himself.
"No one else?"
Patil shouted anxiously.
With so many young wizards from the three houses combined, surely they could find eight who could ride broomsticks. It was just that they were timid.
First, fear of making a fool of themselves. Second, the Slytherin team looked too powerful, while Patil's team looked like a motley crew cobbled together...
The others in the team were getting anxious too... If they couldn't get eight people, they would have to face Slytherin with a team of seven.
"Just knowing how to ride a broomstick is enough; we have someone who knows the Trip Jinx!"
Ernie shouted breathlessly, looking anxiously at Patil.
"Any more Gryffindors... Aren't you the house of courage? Show your courage!"
This sentence undoubtedly dealt "critical damage" to all Gryffindor students present. Harry felt a rush of blood to his head, and he was about to raise his hand!
Worst case, I'll just make a fool of myself—Harry told himself.
"Neville can ride a broomstick!"
Hermione Granger suddenly grabbed Neville's hand and raised it.
"What?!"
Seeing the anxious looks on Patil and the others, Neville indeed seemed very hesitant... but he hadn't expected to be "backstabbed"!
"You can?"
Patil immediately pushed Harry aside.
"Can you, Neville?"
"Er—"
Looking at Neville's face, Harry remembered the rubies weighed by the goblins in the hall when he went to Gringotts with Hagrid.
"I only—my gran said it could ex—exercise—"
"That'll be you then!"
Patil said decisively.
"Good job!"
Feeling that someone even more likely to make a fool of themselves had appeared, Ron patted Neville's arm excitedly.
"You are the savior, Neville, a god!"
"Alright, the other team has appeared—the captain is... oh, Mr. Longbottom... You guys are really picking on the honest one!"
Professor Delfino cracked a joke. Then, he took a deep breath.
"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry—Year '91, the first Protect the Captain Mist Valley Confrontation Match—Start!"