Chapter 80: The Highly Anticipated Slytherin vs. Hufflepuff
Draco Malfoy walked out of the suitcase behind Audrey, still in a daze.
He had seen a dragon. Touched a dragon. Even held a dragon in his arms.
Something he had never experienced before—not even in his own family's dragon reserve.
And yet…
Instead of excitement, what lingered in his mind was something else entirely.
A towering steel beast.
A blinding flash.
A rising mushroom cloud.
His cousin… felt like something that could explode at any moment.
Dazzling like the sun.
Terrifying beyond reason.
"Alright, you can go now," Audrey said casually. "Think of a good excuse for why you were here."
Draco blinked, still slow to react. "Huh? Oh… helping you reply to fan letters?"
Audrey nodded approvingly. "Not bad."
She waved him off.
At that exact moment, the two-way mirror in her hand began to heat up.
Audrey picked it up and connected the call without hesitation.
On the other side, Gellert Grindelwald spoke calmly:
"Your room has been breached. Pansy Parkinson triggered the protective array and has been teleported to the Black Sea Shipyard."
Audrey frowned slightly. "Did she see anything?"
"I'm afraid she did."
She clicked her tongue in annoyance. "What a nuisance… bring her here. I'll handle it."
"Understood."
Ten seconds later—
With a soft pop, Pansy Parkinson appeared in the room, clutching a rather undignified spittoon.
Her entire body trembled.
"A-Audrey! I—I don't know anything! You're not part of the Witch Purity Party! You don't have secret bases abroad!"
Draco: ???
Audrey sighed.
She raised her wand and spoke lightly:
"Obliviate."
A thread of silver light extended from her wand, connecting to Pansy's forehead.
The girl collapsed instantly.
Now came the creative part.
Audrey tapped her chin thoughtfully.
"How should I rewrite this…?"
Her lips curved into a mischievous smile.
"Let's say you and Draco were helping me reply to fan letters… and you fell asleep from exhaustion."
She paused.
"Hmm… too plain."
Another idea struck.
"Draco flirted with you while replying to letters. Very romantic atmosphere."
Still not enough.
"We need realism. A kiss, perhaps? Yes—Draco stole a kiss, and you felt guilty for misunderstanding me, so now you admire and obey me wholeheartedly."
Draco stood frozen.
She really is an evil witch…
He opened his mouth—ready to protest—
And then remembered the hydrogen bomb.
He shut it immediately.
Some things… simply weren't worth arguing about.
Audrey, meanwhile, was completely satisfied.
Her "story" had depth, emotion, and dramatic tension.
A masterpiece.
What she didn't expect, however, was what she glimpsed in Pansy's memories—
Beneath all the jealousy and resentment…
Pansy had been her fan.
For three years.
Audrey raised an eyebrow slightly.
Interesting.
After finishing the memory modification, she straightened up and turned to Draco.
"Forget everything she said earlier. Or I won't mind using the charm on you too."
Draco instantly snapped into action.
"What? Cousin, I didn't hear anything at all!"
His acting was terrible—shaking legs, darting eyes—but the attitude was there.
And that was enough.
Audrey nodded slightly.
"If any strange rumors start spreading… I'll assume it was you."
Draco immediately covered his mouth with both hands and nodded frantically.
"Good. Take her back to the dormitory."
"Yes! Right away!"
---
This little incident faded as quickly as it came.
March moved on.
Because Audrey had taken Nobeta under her wing—and kept Draco occupied—the usual chaos never unfolded.
No midnight dragon smuggling.
No Forbidden Forest punishment.
No encounter with Quirinus Quirrell drinking unicorn blood.
Instead, suspicion quietly shifted.
Harry and Ron were now completely convinced that Severus Snape was the one trying to steal the Philosopher's Stone.
And this time…
It almost felt intentional.
As if Albus Dumbledore himself was guiding that suspicion.
---
After Easter, the long-awaited Quidditch match arrived.
Slytherin vs. Hufflepuff.
The stands were packed.
"Where's Audrey?" Harry Potter asked, scanning the field. "I haven't seen her in weeks."
Ron snorted. "Probably locked in her dorm. Snape's been overworking her—assigning ridiculous potion tasks and handing Slytherin free points."
Hermione clenched her fists. "It's unfair! We can't catch up at this rate—Slytherin is almost seventy points ahead!"
Then she hesitated, worry creeping in.
"Her OWLs… she has twelve subjects. If she fails even one, she won't advance."
Harry frowned. "That's insane. One year to learn five years' worth of material?"
Ron shook his head. "I'd fail everything."
Then he blinked. "Wait… if that's the case, why is she even playing today?"
Harry lowered his voice. "Snape forced her."
Hermione looked furious. "He's obsessed with winning!"
Ron suddenly asked, "How do you even know that?"
Harry grinned. "Fred and George were spying on Slytherin tactics… they overheard Flint complaining."
"Complaining about what?"
"That Snape did everything possible—only to end up with a player who never attends training."
---
By the time they reached the stadium, it was overflowing.
Not just students—
Professionals.
Scouts.
Entire teams.
The professors had even expanded the seating.
Ron squeezed in awkwardly beside two goblins, whispering, "Why are they here?"
"I don't know," Harry replied.
Then—
"LOOK!"
Ron suddenly shouted, grabbing Harry.
"That's the Chudley Cannons! Their manager too!"
His voice rose with excitement.
"They must be here for Audrey! If she joins them—they'll win everything!"
Harry laughed. "You're getting ahead of yourself."
But Ron was already spiraling.
"And over there—Merlin's beard—those are the Kenmare Kestrels!"
"And that's the Wigtown Wanderers!"
"And—no way—the Wimbourne Wasps!"
He looked like he might faint.
"Half the professional teams in Britain and Ireland are here!"
He turned to Harry, completely overwhelmed.
"She's still a student… so why—"
"How is this even possible?"
Because this—
Was no ordinary match.
This—
Was Audrey Astray's stage.