In February, Hogwarts was hit by a rare blizzard.
The lake surrounding the castle was frozen thick, and even the Whomping Willow was bent low under the weight of the accumulated snow.
At 6:00 AM, the sky was still dim. By the Black Lake, a solitary figure was trudging with difficulty through knee-deep snow.
Rove, dressed in his robes, sank deep into the snow with every step, then struggled to pull his leg out. His breath condensed into white mist in the freezing air, and fine ice crystals clung to his eyelashes.
"Maintain body temperature... cannot stop!" Rove gritted his teeth, feeling the burn in his calf muscles. "If I fall here, I'll be buried by the snow and won't be found until the thaw in spring, just like those poor souls who fell beneath Caradhras."
Just then, another figure struggling through the snow appeared ahead.
It was Oliver Wood, the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain. He looked like a snowman, broomstick in hand.
The two met in the snow. Wood paused, then an expression of admiration crossed his face.
"Hey, Rove!" Wood shouted, his voice drifting in the wind and snow. "You're out for morning training too? I knew you had the heart of a Quidditch player! This weather is the best for training willpower, right?"
In his heart, he gave Rove a thumbs-up: Even though he's a Hufflepuff, his passion for sports is more Gryffindor than Gryffindor!
Rove stopped, looked warily around the white wasteland, then nodded solemnly.
"You're right, Wood," Rove said, his voice low and hoarse. "To avoid freezing to death while crossing the snowy mountains, we must condition our bodies to this harshness. Only the strongest warriors live to see the White Tower of Gondor."
Wood: "...Huh? Gondor? Is that a team's home stadium?"
Before Wood could figure it out, Rove had already started moving again, running deeper into the blizzard.
...
Two hours later, Hufflepuff Common Room.
The atmosphere here was completely different from the icy world outside. The round room was filled with warm orange firelight, and the intoxicating aroma of toast, hot chocolate, and gooseberry jam.
This was the most "Shire-like" place in Hogwarts.
Students sat in small groups around the fireplace, enjoying a lazy weekend. Justin Finch-Fletchley was discussing the latest Chocolate Frog cards with Ernie Macmillan, while Hannah Abbott was braiding Susan's hair.
Rove sat in the armchair closest to the fire, a frying pan resting on his knees. He was carefully polishing the bottom of the pan with a piece of deerskin.
"Rove, are you sure you don't want to go to the Hospital Wing?" Susan looked at Rove's bright red ears and asked worriedly. "Your hands are frozen stiff."
"It's just flesh wounds, Susan."
"Compared to being swallowed by that blizzard, a little frostbite is nothing."
"Where did you go, anyway?" Hannah asked curiously. "Wood said you ran ten miles in the snow."
"I was patrolling the borders," Rove said flatly, hanging the gleaming frying pan back on his belt. "In times when darkness approaches daily, someone must remain vigilant."
Just then, the common room door was pushed open, and Cedric Diggory walked in, bringing a gust of cold air with him. He didn't look happy.
"Bad news, guys," Cedric shook the snow off his cloak. "Snape is refereeing today's Quidditch match."
The common room exploded instantly.
"Snape?"
"Gryffindor is doomed!"
"He'll definitely find an excuse to send Harry off!"
Rove froze. His pupils constricted slightly, and the System interface on his retina refreshed instantly.
> [WARNING! Enemy Unit Deployed.]
> [Unit Name: Severus Snape]
> [Threat Level: High.]
"I knew it."
"That black-robed wizard... he finally can't resist taking the field himself."
Susan looked at Rove uneasily. "Rove, you're not going to do anything stupid, are you? Like rushing onto the pitch with a frying pan?"
Rove turned to look into Susan's worried eyes. He took a deep breath, trying to make his expression look less ferocious.
"Don't worry, Susan," he forced a smile. "If that black-robed wizard dares to lay a hand on Harry, my frying pan will speak for justice. But for now, all we have to do is witness."
...
The Quidditch Pitch.
Though the snow had stopped, the wind was still biting. The stands were packed with students bundled in thick scarves.
Rove stood in the Hufflepuff stands, watching below.
Snape, dressed in black robes, hovered on a broomstick in the center of the pitch like a giant bat. His face was grim, his eyes fixed dead on Harry Potter.
> [Enemy Unit Locked Target: Ring-Bearer.]
> [Malice Detected: Extremely High.]
The match began.
"Foul by Gryffindor! Penalty to Hufflepuff!"
"What is that Seeker doing? Points deducted!"
Even though they were playing against Hufflepuff, Snape was obviously targeting Gryffindor—or rather, targeting Harry.
"Shameless!" Ron waved his flag angrily in the Gryffindor stands. "He's biased!"
Rove gripped the railing tightly, muttering to himself.
"Hold on, Harry. Don't let his dark aura affect you... you are the hope of the free peoples..."
At that moment, Harry suddenly moved. Riding his Nimbus 2000, he dove toward the ground like a golden lightning bolt.
Snape tried to block him, but Harry was too fast.
Amidst the gasps of the crowd, Harry shot past right under Snape's nose. In that split second, he reached out and snatched the golden speck of light.
The match was over.
The crowd went wild! Gryffindor students cheered frantically, and even Hufflepuff students applauded the spectacular play.
But amidst the noisy crowd, Rove's reaction was the most unique.
"PRAISE THE RING-BEARER!"
Rove suddenly threw his arms up and roared to the heavens.
"He did it! He conquered the power of darkness with speed! He broke the blockade of the Demon Eye!"
Susan jumped, spilling her popcorn all over the floor.
"Rove?" She poked Rove's arm cautiously. "Are... are you okay? We (Hufflepuff) lost."
Rove turned his head, looking at Susan with teary eyes.
"Winning or losing doesn't matter, Susan," he choked out. "What matters is that the fire of hope still burns. As long as the Ring-Bearer hasn't fallen, Middle-earth can still be saved!"
Susan: "..."
She decided it would be best to send Rove to Madam Pomfrey to have his brain checked.
> [System Settlement:]
> [Observed Battle: The Miracle of Helm's Deep.]
> [Achievement Unlocked: The Witness.]
> [Reward: [Cold Resistance] Lv1 (Acquired from long-term snow training).]
Rove wiped his tears, feeling a warm current surge through his body.
"Worth it," he told himself internally. "Running until my legs broke was worth it for this moment."
In the wind and snow, watching Harry being tossed into the air by his teammates, he felt as if he were seeing the moment Frodo was rescued by the Great Eagles at Mount Doom.
The tyrant's whistle, though shrill, could not stop the wind of freedom.