The situation on the field was exactly as Draco had said.
Most of the wizards in the stands didn’t just dislike them—they outright loathed them, as if the Slytherin team had disgraced the very sport of Quidditch.
After all, young wizards at this age often carried a strong sense of heroism and justice.
In truth, even a few Slytherins themselves looked down on Marcus Flint’s brutish behavior and never fully approved of his foul-heavy tactics...
This animosity was reflected clearly in the overwhelmingly one-sided cheers. Even though Flint was no longer captain, it didn’t seem to change a thing.
Even the commentator—who was supposed to remain neutral—was openly biased toward Gryffindor.
Of course, that might have had something to do with the fact that he was from Gryffindor himself.
“This season’s opening match is led by none other than Hogwarts’ finest Keeper, Oliver Wood, at the helm of... Gryffindor!!!”
“Roar!!”
“Let’s not forget they’ve also got the incredibly talented Harry Potter!!”
“Potter! Potter!”
It had to be said, there was a reason Lee Jordan, still just a student, had been chosen to commentate.
His ability to fire up a crowd alone proved his worth as a Quidditch commentator.
At the very least, not just anyone could rattle off five lines per second with such ease.
His only real flaw... was a tendency to be just a little too biased.
“And now, let’s welcome the most shameless, foul-playing team in all of Hogwarts...”
“Jordan!!”
“Ahem, sorry, Professor McGonagall. That would be the team formerly led by Marcus Flint—wait, what? Slytherin has a new captain?”
Halfway through his sentence, Lee Jordan glanced toward the Slytherin side and finally realized something was off. The scene before him didn’t match the notes in his hand at all.
Only after a staff member leaned in to explain did Lee finally understand what had happened.
“Ahem, according to the latest information, it turns out Slytherin’s new captain is Draco Malfoy, who only just joined the team. And what’s more—he’s playing Chaser, a position that relies heavily on team coordination. That does raise some concerns... Will there be chemistry issues? And is Draco Malfoy really up to the task of leading the team?”
That comment immediately spotlighted the potential pitfalls facing Slytherin, prompting the Gryffindor-supporting students to burst into excited applause.
Pansy, upon hearing someone badmouth Draco, very nearly drew her wand and fired a hex at the commentary booth...
Personal bias aside, Lee Jordan was actually quite competent as a commentator. His analysis was well-structured—even if it carried a subtle tone of favoritism toward Gryffindor.
At least, that was usually the case...
“Concerns?”
Noticing the sudden gleam in the opponents’ eyes—as if they’d just discovered a weak point—Draco quietly curled his lips into a smirk.
Even the teammates behind him broke into mocking smiles after hearing Lee Jordan’s commentary.
If anyone knew what Draco was capable of, it was them—the ones he had defeated one by one in merciless practice matches...
...
At that moment—
The whistle blew!
Beeeep—
"The Quidditch season opener begins now!!!"
"And the first to grab the Quaffle is Gryffindor's Angelina Johnson! What an incredible Chaser—and so stunning, too..."
"Jordan!!"
"Sorry, Professor."
With another warning tossed his way, Lee Jordan sheepishly rubbed his nose, pulled his eyes off Angelina, and returned to narrating the game.
"She’s flying straight up the pitch—no one can stop her! A beautiful pass to Alicia Spinnet, a talent discovered by Oliver Wood. She was just a substitute last year, but now she’s Angelina’s perfect partner. I have to say, these two work seamlessly together."
As a Gryffindor and someone clearly smitten with Angelina, it was only natural for Lee Jordan to be full of praise.
Slytherin, on the other hand, didn’t get the same treatment...
"Although they’ve broken into the scoring area, let’s hope they haven’t forgotten Slytherin’s usual dirty tactics. Wait—what’s going on with Slytherin? Could it be a lack of practice? They haven’t been able to stop those two Chasers at all! They can’t even find an opening to ram Alicia Spinnet!"
It was only the first drive, but the entire stadium was already on their feet, roaring with excitement. It was clear they couldn’t wait to see Gryffindor score on Slytherin.
But while the crowd's attention was locked on the two coordinated Chasers, no one had noticed Draco flying just above them. The Gryffindor players tailing him had already been left far behind.
“Can’t find an opening?”
Listening to the clueless commentary while keeping track of his teammates’ positions, Draco let out a quiet snort.
There was a reason he hadn’t launched an immediate attack. Just as others suspected, their coordination and chemistry couldn’t compare to the other houses.
After all, Draco had only just joined the team, and his practice time had been pitifully limited. There was no way they could outmatch the more seasoned squads in that regard.
Which is why Draco had chosen a defensive counterattack strategy.
And the core of that strategy—aside from using fast breaks to stretch the opponent's formation—was having the right players to execute it.
“Speed is our greatest advantage!”
With that, Draco suddenly accelerated, diving like a green-and-silver comet streaking toward the pitch.
"Here it is! Angelina Johnson's about to shoot! Can Slytherin's Keeper block it? Wait—what’s that? Watch out, Angelina, there’s an attack from above!!"
"Lee Jordan!!"
No one paid any attention to the emotional outburst or what kind of punishment Professor McGonagall might dole out. All eyes were locked on the brilliant green-and-silver blur plummeting from the sky...
It was Draco Malfoy, launching a surprise assault.
The captain of Slytherin!