[Chapter Size: 2100 Words.]
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As soon as she returned to the Slytherin dungeon, two figures rushed toward her.
It was Draco and Harry, they ran straight to her and wrapped her in a tight embrace.
The impact was so strong it nearly knocked her off her feet.
"Amanda… I'm so glad you're safe… wuwuwu…"
Harry choked out as he hugged her tightly. His green eyes were red and swollen, as if he had been crying.
"Amanda, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry… It's all my fault…"
Draco's eyes and nose were red too. He looked torn between laughing and crying, forcing an awkward expression.
Amanda was caught in the middle of it all, feeling completely helpless.
Finally, before she was about to suffocate, she freed her hands from their arms and gently patted their heads.
"It's all right now. Relax a little, you almost strangled me to death."
Harry wiped his eyes and smiled through the tears. "Okay!"
…
Draco and Harry had been eating lunch in the Great Hall when they heard screams outside.
At first, they didn't think much of it, assuming it was just the Quidditch team practicing.
But soon, several upper-year students came rushing in, spreading the news of Amanda's fall.
Both Draco and Harry froze, their hearts sinking as they exchanged horrified looks.
No one wanted to believe what they had just heard.
Before they could question anyone, Professor Snape stormed in, ordered all Slytherin students back to their dormitory, and demanded to know where Pansy and Daphne were.
Draco and Harry had already guessed what must have happened.
They felt as though a heavy blow had struck them and returned to the dungeon in a daze.
The waiting was unbearable.
Even though some older students reassured them that Amanda was fine, they couldn't calm down until they saw her with their own eyes.
Harry kept blaming himself. "We shouldn't have let her go to the library alone. We shouldn't have ignored it when she didn't show up at lunch. We shouldn't have left Pansy by herself…"
He paced back and forth anxiously until tears finally broke free.
Draco was equally distraught. Staring blankly at the teacup before him, he muttered, "It's all because of me. If something had happened to Amanda…"
He couldn't finish the sentence, only rubbing the ring on his finger until his knuckles turned white.
…
When Amanda appeared again, Draco and Harry acted as though they were seeing her for the first time, hovering around her, asking endless questions, treating her like something precious.
"Amanda, are you sure you're really all right?" Harry asked for what must have been the thirtieth time.
Amanda raised her eyebrows, they were sore from frowning.
"I'm fine."
She then told Draco and Harry everything that had happened that afternoon.
Draco clenched his fists when she mentioned Daphne inviting her to meet Pansy. The veins in his hands stood out.
"I should've realized it earlier," he hissed. "During Herbology this morning, when Pansy didn't apologize, I should've guessed she might try something worse. And Daphne—she's no saint either."
Draco gritted his teeth.
"Amanda, sometimes I wish I were a girl, just so I could stay with you all the time, even share a dorm with you, so I wouldn't have to worry about anyone hurting you."
Harry was mid-sentence when Draco shot him a glare.
Harry fell silent, confused as to why Draco seemed so angry.
Didn't he feel the same way?
When Amanda explained how Pansy had grabbed her hand and pulled her over the Astronomy Tower railing, Draco's expression darkened.
"She asked you to pull her up, and you actually did?" he demanded.
Harry bit his lip and muttered, "Someone like her… just let her fall."
Amanda frowned slightly, feeling a little offended.
"Draco was worried about Pansy during Herbology. Honestly, I didn't want to get involved. But I did it mostly for your sake," she said, looking at Draco. "I was afraid that if Pansy really died, you'd blame yourself."
In truth, she didn't care much about Pansy. Her only concern had been keeping Draco out of trouble, maybe because of friendship, or maybe because of all the sweets and books he had given her.
Draco's face turned bright red, even his ears flushed pink.
Whatever he was thinking, he couldn't form a coherent sentence.
"Still… you shouldn't have…" he mumbled.
Amanda went on to explain how, with the power of the Sage's Ring, she had used wandless magic to summon a broomstick during her fall from the Astronomy Tower.
She'd mounted it, grabbed her wand, and flown a full circle around Hogwarts before landing safely in front of the castle gates.
When Draco and Harry heard about the Sage's Ring, they looked somewhat composed, but at the mention of her summoning and flying a broom, both of them were stunned.
"You've never flown before?" Harry asked quickly.
Amanda shook her head.
Their jaws dropped as if they were staring at a creature from another world.
"How could you learn so fast? That's impossible! You've never even had proper practice!" Draco exclaimed.
Amanda shrugged.
"It was an emergency. I didn't have time to think. I haven't even learned that many spells yet."
Even recalling it now made her heart race, the rush of adrenaline, the sheer thrill of escaping death by a hair's breadth.
Thankfully, she had some natural talent for flying. Otherwise, she'd have been nothing more than a smear on the ground.
"You'd make a great Quidditch player," Harry said admiringly.
"It's a pity first-years aren't allowed to bring brooms or join the team," Draco muttered.
Amanda shook her head and told them what Dumbledore had said in his office, about her past, the Philosopher's Stone, and Voldemort's true motive for sneaking into Hogwarts.
"Forget the Stone for a moment… Amanda, it's amazing that you've actually lived for hundreds of years," Harry breathed.
Everything Amanda had told them that day sounded unbelievable, yet this revelation left them both speechless.
"No wonder I've always thought you seemed kind of timeless," Draco mused.
"Ahem." Amanda cleared her throat and steered the conversation back.
"I suspect Voldemort is hiding in Professor Quirrell's turban right now. Dumbledore must have hidden the Philosopher's Stone somewhere in Hogwarts. Voldemort came here to find it, to rebuild his body."
"The power of the Philosopher's Stone is truly immense."
Draco studied Amanda's appearance carefully but couldn't tell that she was any different from anyone else.
"It would be terrible if Voldemort could reshape his body like Amanda's..." Harry muttered under his breath.
Then, a memory suddenly surfaced in his mind.
"I think I know where the Philosopher's Stone is!"
Harry eagerly shared his discovery with Amanda and Draco.
He told them about his visit to Diagon Alley on August 1st, when he and Hagrid went to Gringotts to collect a mysterious package.
A low, silky voice sounded behind them.
"As a qualified professor and head of house, I expect you not to discuss matters that should remain secret, especially you, Potter."
The three heads that had been huddled together quickly separated.
"Godfather," said Draco.
"Professor," Amanda and Harry muttered, lowering their heads guiltily.
Snape wore a half-smile, the corners of his thin mouth curving into an almost imperceptible smirk.
"Moreover, I do hope you'll use that brilliant mind of yours to think more carefully, but it seems we have a more urgent matter to attend to."
"Miss Merlin, come with me."
"Yes, Professor."
Amanda quickly stood and followed Snape, his black robes billowing like waves. She glanced nervously at Draco and Harry.
But Draco and Harry looked even more confused than she did. Amanda had no choice but to accept her fate and follow Professor Snape.
Why had Snape suddenly summoned her? Hopefully, it wasn't for something bad.
"Have you ever ridden a broomstick before?"
Snape, striding ahead, suddenly turned and asked.
"No, Professor," Amanda replied honestly.
"Then I must admit—you have a certain talent for flying."
Could it be?
Because of what had happened earlier, had Snape discovered her flying talent? Was he planning to let her join the Slytherin Quidditch team?
In the original story, she remembered that Hogwarts later offered flying lessons. During the first class, after being provoked by Draco, Harry demonstrated an extraordinary gift for flying and was recruited by Professor McGonagall as Gryffindor's Seeker.
But now, Harry was in Slytherin and had befriended Draco.
Things had clearly changed long ago, yet Amanda never expected that she, too, would display the same natural talent for flying, and attract the Quidditch team's attention.
Snape led her through much of the castle, finally stepping outside toward the Quidditch pitch not far away.
On both sides of the pitch stood tall stands filled with hundreds of seats, and at either end rose three golden goalposts, fifteen meters high.
Several Slytherin players were practicing on their broomsticks.
Spotting Snape and Amanda approaching, they descended swiftly and walked toward them.
"Professor!"
"Amanda Merlin! I saw you earlier flying over the castle, what an incredible flight!"
A tall boy in front strode forward, his eyes filled with interest as he looked at Amanda beside Snape.
"It was her first time on a broomstick," Snape stated coldly.
"My word… I was on the balcony and saw her dive, catching her wand midair dozens of meters above the ground!" a boy with earrings said in amazement.
The tall boy's eyes gleamed with excitement. "A prodigy! A real prodigy, Terence could never pull that off!"
The boy with the earrings stuck out his tongue. "Well, Terence's been taking time off lately, says he wants to be with his girlfriend, so I was thinking?"
He glanced at Amanda's build.
"Agile and compact, perfect for a Seeker."
"I'm Marcus Flint, captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team," the tall boy said, extending his large hand. Towering before her, he looked like a mountain.
Amanda shook his hand, and the boy with earrings followed suit.
"Adrian Pucey, team Chaser."
Marcus suddenly remembered something and turned to Snape.
"Professor, the rules don't allow first-years to join…"
He looked at Snape pleadingly, his small black eyes gleaming with hope.
"I've already discussed this with Dumbledore," Snape said evenly. "He has agreed to make an exception and allow a first-year on the team."
"Amanda, what do you think?" Adrian tilted his head, watching her curiously.
"I'm fine with it," Amanda replied helplessly.
It was clear they had already made the decision before asking her opinion.
Her consent was little more than a formality.
She didn't mind joining the Quidditch team, but two people might feel jealous.
"She'll need a proper broomstick. The Seven Stars or the latest Nimbus?" Marcus and Adrian debated seriously.
"The Nimbus 2000 is obviously the best, but it's rather expensive... The team's budget is tight. The Comet 260 isn't bad either."
"That won't be an issue," Snape said dryly. "I suspect a certain vain peacock who loves to flaunt his wealth will handle that."
His tone dripped with sarcasm, suggesting he was displeased with someone.
"Miss Merlin, I hope you don't let a few compliments go to your head. Train hard, and don't lose to those Gryffindor trolls."
With that, Snape turned, his robes swirling as he strode back toward the castle.
"Do you know how Quidditch works?" Marcus asked.
Amanda shook her head.
"All right, let's start from the beginning then," Marcus said, dragging a large wooden chest over.
"Before this afternoon's practice begins, let me give you a brief introduction to the sport."
He opened the chest, revealing four balls of different shapes, sizes, and colors.
"A Quidditch team has seven players," Marcus explained. "Three of them are Chasers. The Chasers pass the Quaffle among themselves and score by throwing it through the goal hoops."
Adrian crouched and patted a red ball about the size of a football. "This is the Quaffle. Marcus and I handle this one."
"There are also two Beaters," Marcus continued. "Bludgers fly around, attacking players and trying to knock them off their broomsticks. The Beaters protect their teammates and try to send the Bludgers toward the opposing team."
Adrian pointed to another, smaller black ball gleaming in the sunlight. "This is a Bludger."
"The last player is the Keeper," Marcus said, gesturing toward the three hoops at each end of the field. "He guards the posts and stops the Chasers from scoring."
"And finally, we have the Seeker," Adrian said, picking up the last ball, a small golden sphere with silver wings. "The Seeker's job is to find the Golden Snitch. Once it's caught, the game ends."
He handed the glittering ball to Amanda.
"Amanda, this one's your responsibility."
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