"Senior Hermione." Seeing Amanda turn her gaze toward the Quidditch Pitch, Ginny reached out and carefully poked Hermione on the shoulder.
"Hmm? What's wrong?" Hermione turned back to look at Ginny.
Ginny glanced at Amanda's back and leaned closer to Hermione, lowering her voice. "Did you understand everything Senior Lin Yue just said?"
The expression on Hermione's face stiffened for a moment, then she nodded somewhat helplessly and shook her head. "I only understood the first half; the second half was completely incomprehensible and impossible to learn."
"Being able to understand the first half is already amazing!" Ginny looked at Hermione with starry eyes; she had only understood the first two sentences.
Hermione smiled and patiently explained to Ginny, "Actually, the first half is just a relatively simple function problem from Muggle mathematics."
"Ah?" Ginny was stunned. function? What is a function?
"As long as you apply the correct function model, you can understand the theory Amanda mentioned—that above a certain red line, the lower one's physical fitness data, the higher their overall strength."
"As for the second half," Hermione fell silent for a few seconds before sincerely adding, "I think besides a few rare geniuses and Amanda, almost no one can do it."
How many geniuses could there be in the world who could subconsciously calculate data for everything they saw? Amanda could do it only because she had been forced to over many years.
In fact, it was because her situation was so special, a 'coincidence' forced out under various conditions; if it were any other ordinary person, no matter how much you forced them, they wouldn't be able to achieve this.
"Alright, thank you Senior Hermione." Hearing this, Ginny completely gave up on trying to understand the problem. She felt it was simpler to just find ways to improve her strength as a Chaser and help the team achieve victory.
Under the watch of Amanda, Hermione, and Ginny, the selection for the Gryffindor House Team Beaters ended smoothly. The result was exactly as Amanda had said—no one could compete with the Weasley Twins.
The two of them undoubtedly secured the positions of Beaters for the Gryffindor House Team.
Immediately after, Harry announced the start of the Keeper selection. As the candidates for the Keeper position took to the sky one after another, each candidate showcased their skills in the air.
Amanda's gaze followed every Little Lion participating in the Keeper selection, timely adjusting the estimated data in her mind.
Fortunately, even though some data underwent further fine-tuning, Ron's advantage still existed.
Because he arrived last, Ron's selection was placed at the very end. When he took to the sky, Amanda could clearly see several hints of nervousness in his micro-expressions.
However, those hints of nervousness slowly disappeared after he successfully saved the first and second balls.
Seeing Ron's state getting better and better, the three girls in the stands all showed relieved smiles. Harry, on the Quidditch Pitch, also smiled with relief and clapped, even giving a thumbs up to Amanda and Hermione in the stands.
With Ron performing like this, there was no doubt that the final Keeper for the Gryffindor House Team would be him.
After Harry announced the final result and the others dispersed, Amanda, Hermione, and Ginny all rushed down from the stands.
"Congratulations, Ron, you successfully achieved your goal."
Amanda's voice was flat but carried a hint of a smile as she looked at Ron and expressed her heartfelt congratulations.
Hermione and Ginny also each offered a word of congratulations beside her.
"Thank you, Amanda, and thank you, Hermione and Ginny."
Ron smiled brilliantly as he thanked them. Being selected for the Gryffindor House Team was definitely the thing that made him feel the happiest today.
"Let's go, Ron," Harry patted his shoulder hard, "to the Great Hall for a good dinner to celebrate!"
"Okay!" Ron nodded vigorously and walked toward Hogwarts Castle with Harry, smiling.
The three girls followed behind the two, discussing Ron's performance just now.
After entering the Great Hall, Amanda and Hermione separated from Harry and the others and sat at the Ravenclaw Table.
As soon as they sat down, Cho Chang and Marietta Eckmore leaned over curiously. "How was it? Did Ron succeed?"
Cho Chang's beautiful eyes blinked as she looked curiously at her two juniors.
When Harry came to find them yesterday to say Ron was participating in the selection, he hadn't avoided her or Marietta Eckmore, so he probably didn't mind them knowing the result.
After all, they were also very curious about whether Ron had actually succeeded.
"He succeeded." Amanda nodded expressionlessly, and both Cho Chang and Marietta Eckmore showed happy expressions for Ron.
"That's really impressive," Marietta Eckmore praised, while Cho Chang raised her eyebrows and looked toward the Gryffindor Table.
"It looks like during the Quidditch matches this year, the Ravenclaw Team will encounter another powerful opponent."
That one glance made Cho Chang freeze, because she clearly saw that right by the Gryffindor Table, right behind Harry, Umbridge was standing there with a sickly sweet smile, leaning over to say something to Harry. Harry himself looked completely disgusted, though if one looked closely, hints of paleness could be seen in his disgusted expression.
"What's going on?" Cho Chang pointed at what was happening at the Gryffindor Table. "Why has Umbridge cornered Harry again? And Harry's face looks so terrible."
Amanda, Hermione, and Marietta Eckmore immediately looked over upon hearing this. Seeing the pink-clad figure of Umbridge, they couldn't help but frown.
"Merlin knows what that Umbridge wants to do now, but I'll bet she's up to no good."
Marietta Eckmore poked the steak on her plate twice with her fork, as if wishing the steak were Umbridge so she could just stab her to death with it.
"To make Harry's face turn this white," Hermione looked toward the Gryffindor Table with some concern, "what Umbridge is talking about shouldn't be a typical point deduction or detention."
"detention?" Marietta Eckmore curled her lips in a sneer, her eyes full of disdain as she looked at Umbridge. "I thought she would have learned her lesson and wouldn't dare give students—at least not Harry and Ron—detention anymore."
"No," Amanda shook her head decisively, watching Umbridge while using lip-reading to identify her words and explaining to Hermione, Cho Chang, and Marietta Eckmore beside her. "At this stage, Fudge's main targets for precaution and harassment are me, Hermione, Headmaster Dumbledore, and Harry."
"And it's very obvious now that he can't afford to provoke the first three. Picking an easy target among the four leaves only Harry."
"So as long as Fudge doesn't step down and doesn't give up on dealing with us, Umbridge's petty moves against Harry won't stop for a single day."
"Merlin's nuisance," Cho Chang rolled her eyes, disregarding her usual elegance. "Those two, Fudge and Umbridge, are simply as disgusting as can be!"
"What is she saying to Harry? Amanda, can you tell?"
Hermione turned her head to look at Amanda; she remembered Amanda had once said she knew lip-reading.
"I can." Amanda nodded, staring intently at Umbridge's mouth as it moved, translating her words directly.
"I think it's very important to change the way you are educated, don't you think, Mr. Potter?"
"The education Harry received at Hogwarts was basically very successful before he met her." Hermione looked at Umbridge by the Gryffindor Table with a cold face, her tone even colder than her expression.
"Regarding previous matters, I have also... realized I made a mistake." At this point, Amanda could clearly see Umbridge's facial muscles twitch for a moment; quite obviously, she wasn't willing to say this herself.
However, it was only for a moment. In the next instant, the twitching expression on her face was replaced by a look of schadenfreude and the look of a successful scheme.
It seemed she had some bad plan again and thought she was about to succeed. "As I said just now, through the last incident, I realized that the punishment of detention is outdated—too outdated. it's not enough to help Mr. Potter realize his mistakes, and it's easy for me to do something not quite right."
She looked at Harry with a smile. Harry was gripping his dinner knife and fork tightly; it seemed he was using all his strength to restrain himself from punching Umbridge right in the face. Ron, sitting opposite him, had the same expression.
Even the three girls sitting at the Ravenclaw Table, just listening to Amanda's emotionless translation, couldn't help but feel their hands itching to strike.
This Umbridge—even without hearing her sickeningly sweet tone or seeing her expression that was purely meant to provoke others—just hearing what she was saying could make someone half-dead with rage and utterly disgusted.
This could be considered her talent, right? Probably... The translation continued, and with Amanda's next sentence, Hermione and the others couldn't help but take a sharp breath in unison.
"So I have made the decision I mentioned to you just now: suspension. Until you correctly recognize your mistakes and realize that you should not lie to the entire British Wizarding World, you will be banned from participating in Quidditch matches."
"What?!" Cho Chang stared incredulously at Umbridge not far away. Marietta Eckmore's reaction was the same; it looked like she really wanted to throw the dinner knife in her hand.
"She can't do that! She doesn't have the authority!"
"She just gave herself that authority," Penelope's haunting voice came from behind the three girls. This gentle and elegant senior was being helped onto the bench by Luna.
"On the wall right across from the Great Hall, there's a new notice saying she can decide to ban any student from participating in Quidditch within the school to ensure they have time for their character education."
"That wall really should be torn down!" Hermione said through gritted teeth. It looked like if that wall weren't at Hogwarts but at the Ministry of Magic, she would immediately rush up and use an Explosion Charm to blow it, along with those so-called notices, into ash.
"Obviously, she thinks she's grasped Harry's weak point." Marietta Eckmore took a deep breath to calm herself down.
"Heh," Cho Chang sneered, looking down to take a bite of salad and chewing it indignantly. "As long as Harry doesn't listen to her, it'll be fine. No matter what she says, Harry should just go to the match as usual. Let's see what she can do. Is she going to grab Harry's leg to stop him from taking off?"
"That would definitely disgust Harry to death." Hermione imagined the scene; even though it wasn't her own leg being grabbed, she couldn't help but shudder. Too disgusting... "But if it's like that, maybe that Umbridge could be fallen to her death," she added immediately with a change of attitude, narrowing her eyes somewhat maliciously.
"Although it might not be good to say so," Marietta Eckmore followed up silently, "I quite agree with Hermione's idea."
It couldn't be helped; it wasn't that they were too cruel, but that Umbridge's very existence was a massive disaster.
The basic information had all been interpreted. After confirming the last piece of useful information, Amanda withdrew her gaze. Umbridge... she didn't want to look at her for even one more second.
"Umbridge's planned method to stop Harry from participating in the matches is to lock his flying broomstick in her office."
"Oh, Merlin, what a genius idea," Hermione praised Umbridge sarcastically. "I think she's completely overlooked the Accio Harry used during the Triwizard Tournament in his fourth year."
Lock Harry's flying broomstick in her office? When it's time for the match, Harry just needs to stand on the Quidditch Pitch, raise his wand, and shout 'Accio firebolt.' How could Umbridge possibly lock up a flying broomstick then?
"A toad living in the mud always fantasizes about trapping a lion that should be running on the plains," Luna's ethereal voice sounded beside Penelope. She was gently rubbing Penelope's waist with one hand, while slowly turning the radish earrings on her ears with the other.
At the same time, at the Slytherin Table, because they were close to the Gryffindor Table, they didn't need to know lip-reading to hear what Umbridge said to Harry.
That sickly sweet voice and that truly unpleasant tone made even the Little Snakes feel utterly disgusted.
What made them feel even more disgusted was that after Dolores Umbridge finished telling Harry Potter she was banning him from Quidditch, she actually looked over toward them and even gave them a smile!
What did that mean? Was Umbridge implying that she was indirectly helping the Slytherin House Team win the championship?
The always-proud Little Snakes were immediately displeased. Did they need that kind of help from you?! Did they need you?
Moreover, who didn't know that Harry Potter was Amanda's friend? Now Umbridge had clearly come up with such a dirty trick against Harry Potter to win over Slytherin—or rather, the Pure-blood families behind them—and even publicly'signaled' them.
But the problem was, they were all on Amanda's side now. They couldn't wait to gain impression points with Amanda, and now Umbridge was doing something that might cause them to 'lose points.' Was she trying to kill them, or kill them, or kill them!
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