Chapter 687: 687: Malfoy's Debut

Two days later.

More than twenty different hats were laid out in front of John.

He examined one that looked somewhat like a leprechaun’s hat, then waved his hand and sent it flying aside.

John put on a flat cap, glanced at the mirror beside him, and felt that it did not quite suit him.

He was dressed casually and trying to find a hat that matched.

Tommy picked up a black top hat with a small green-and-white flag stuck into it.

“How about this?” Tommy asked. “Silverhand’s newest product, the Protection Flag Hat.”

John glanced at it, thought for a moment, then said, “Maybe you should just make me a cup of black tea.”

Tommy: “…”

Is he saying my taste is terrible?

Today was the match between Puddlemere United and the Chudley Cannons, two teams of roughly equal strength.

It was also Malfoy’s debut after joining Puddlemere United.

What?

Wasn’t he a substitute?

Well, that story began with a certain Seeker who had been fired for getting drunk and assaulting a teammate.

Due to certain unavoidable circumstances, Puddlemere United had made a last-minute change and taken the extremely bold decision to make Malfoy their starting Seeker.

At the same time, the captaincy had been handed over to another Chaser who understood the bigger picture.

Espen was injured and could only “regretfully” sit on the bench.

This bizarre decision to cripple themselves before the match even began left the Chudley Cannons completely baffled.

The Chudley Cannons’ captain said he did not understand it, but he was deeply shocked.

With two starters gone, wasn’t this practically the same as forfeiting?

“Harding Puddlemere Jr. really is decisive when it comes to pleasing Lucius.”

John put a tweed newsboy cap on his head, looked at himself, then tossed it to Tommy.

“This suits you, Tommy.”

Tommy caught it and put it on.

For some reason, it fit him remarkably well.

After putting it on, he lowered the brim, making his eyes look even more ruthless and intimidating.

John placed a top hat with a white feather on his head, then snapped his fingers.

The remaining hats flew away.

“I think it’s time we left.”

Dressed in a waistcoat and suit, John adjusted the brim of his hat.

Tommy shrugged and followed him outside.

The owner of the Silverhand clothing store and three beautiful female employees were waiting outside, smiling as they struggled to contain their excitement.

They bowed respectfully.

“Lord Wick, it is an honour to serve you.”

The girls had completely put away the flirtatious manner they usually used to tease innocent young men.

They could not bring themselves to entertain such thoughts toward their King.

“It’s a very good hat.”

John flicked the brim of the top hat and smiled faintly.

“I think I’ll buy it.”

“That is its honour.”

The shop owner bowed respectfully.

Tommy’s gaze drifted toward a beautiful blue ladies’ hat made of black silk.

He glanced at his boss, then silently took a large step to the side, removed the hat from the display, and pretended nothing had happened.

John looked at him speechlessly.

At the very least, he was a senior executive of Silverhand.

Tommy silently rubbed his fingers together, signalling that he did not have a single Knut.

The two left the shop and headed toward the portal.

The portal was permanently fixed in place and maintained and inspected daily by the Ministry of Magic.

“The wizarding world needs an explosion of magical technology.”

John thought as he walked.

The current wizarding world had fallen into stagnation.

Muggle technology would be disrupted and eroded by the magical world, eventually losing control. So developing magical technology was a good choice.

For example, the Hogwarts Express and magical cars.

These things had been recognised by the rules of magic, so they were accepted as magical products.

Even the car in Mr. Weasley’s home had originally been modified from an ordinary Muggle vehicle.

As long as magic was incorporated into technology, there was no need to worry about the item becoming unusable in the magical world.

John already had plans for this.

He had begun developing it.

The storage device created alongside the Young Wizard Card was the first generation.

The queue heading toward the stadium stretched a long way.

Ron, who was selling tickets, had changed out of his previous clothes and was now wearing an orange Chudley Cannons goalkeeper uniform.

He was anxious.

As a Chudley Cannons fan, he definitely did not want to miss the match.

Unfortunately, the capitalist Weasley twins mercilessly exploited their younger brother’s freedom and forced him to remain at his post.

Mrs. Weasley had originally refused, but Fred claimed that this would help little Ronnie ease his longing for Hermione and stop him from acting like an idiot in front of the Ministry by pretending to “accidentally run into her.”

Mrs. Weasley thought that made sense.

And so Ron lost his human rights.

John passed through the portal and looked at the grand spectacle of the match before him.

Ernie was still diligently working in the commentary booth, though his partner had been replaced by another retired legend, Mrs. Katrina McMahon of the Pride of Portree.

She had once served as captain and Chaser for the Pride of Portree, leading the team to win the League Cup in the 1960s.

“Hello, Mrs. McMahon. You previously said in the newspapers that you had been looking forward to this match for a long time. Are you still looking forward to it now?”

Ernie also had to handle some interviewing duties.

Hearing the question, McMahon gave a cold laugh.

“To be honest, I regret coming. This match has completely lost its appeal.”

“The Chudley Cannons are currently ranked ninth in the league, but their Seeker, Gavin Gudgeon, has been performing well recently. Especially when paired with Chaser Javier Bardem. The two of them managed to climb from the bottom of the rankings all the way to ninth.”

“As for Puddlemere United, I’m sorry, but I simply cannot understand the decisions they’ve made. Replacing such a crucial Seeker at the last minute, and even suspending Espen Sandberg, one of their starting Chasers, is practically the same as announcing that they’ve given up on this match.”

Mrs. McMahon continued talking without pause.

And she was not the only one.

Even Puddlemere United’s own supporters were in low spirits.

With two starters unavailable, it felt as though the team had only shown up to make up the numbers.

By contrast, the Chudley Cannons supporters were in high spirits.

After selling out the tickets, Ron stood at the edge of the stands and shouted at the top of his lungs.

John stood at the highest point, watching both teams enter the stadium.

Unlike the Chudley Cannons, Puddlemere United’s entrance was met with a chorus of boos.

“Bring Rush and Espen back!”

One supporter took the lead and threw something.

Then a whole wave of objects followed.

Malfoy swept his gaze over the crowd.

He strode forward with supreme arrogance, chin raised and chest out, completely unaffected by the boos.

“Get out there, win the championship, and make those blind fans wash their eyes out!” Malfoy directly spoke over the captain and addressed the team.

Seeing how uneasy his teammates looked, he sneered, “Don’t tell me you’re all a bunch of weaklings. Or were those two useless idiots the only reason you ever won before?”

Provoked by his words, his teammates glared at him angrily.

The new captain hurriedly stepped in front of Malfoy, afraid that the young master whom Harding Puddlemere Jr. had personally ordered them to look after might get hurt.

“If you’re not, then prove it by winning.” Malfoy showed no restraint, remaining as arrogant as ever. “I don’t need comfortable, useless people around me!”

Because of those words, when Malfoy entered the pitch, he had to endure the boos of the supporters while also feeling the furious gazes of his teammates behind him.

Once the match began, Malfoy immediately shot high into the air.

“How lucky,” the Chudley Cannons’ Seeker said with obvious delight. “I thought I’d have to fight Rush for the Snitch. Turns out I’m facing a rookie instead.”

“A rookie?” Malfoy scoffed. “Once I snatch the Golden Snitch right from under your nose, you’ll realise how childish you sound right now.”

“Let your skill do the talking, ninth place.”

Malfoy always knew exactly how to provoke people.

The Seeker, who had been relaxed a moment earlier, now wanted nothing more than to ram Malfoy off his broom.

This was a crucial match for Puddlemere United.

If they won, they would advance to the semifinals.

Within the first ten minutes, the Chudley Cannons scored first.

Their supporters erupted into cheers as though victory had already been secured.

Meanwhile, the gloomy Puddlemere United fans grew even more anxious.

They cursed Malfoy.

Someone had somehow obtained a rumour that Malfoy had used his family background to force two starters out of the team.

That made them despise him even more.

If Puddlemere lost this match, Malfoy’s reputation would be completely ruined. In the Quidditch League, he would become synonymous with being a tyrant on the pitch.

But what if they won?

John watched the match below and smiled faintly.

“Draco has grown up.”

After falling fifty points behind and spending some time adjusting, Puddlemere United unexpectedly scored.

And that goal seemed to flip a switch.

They suddenly discovered that their coordination and passing between one another were incredibly smooth.

Especially the newly promoted Chaser.

He had previously been a substitute and had spent years on the bench, which meant he had long since learned every teammate’s habits inside and out.

He became the central link between the three Chasers, distributing the Quaffle with remarkable precision.

That small change completely transformed the team.

Malfoy should not be mistaken for a reckless brute.

He had already realised that Puddlemere’s old style of play depended far too heavily on Espen and Rush, which restricted the attacking space available to everyone else.

That was why he had demanded that this pass-oriented substitute be promoted, and the change immediately altered the entire team.

Slytherins had ambition, but they also had brains.

As the score began to close, the opposition started to panic.

And panic meant mistakes.

Malfoy raised an eyebrow.

“Looks like it’s your turn to cry.”

The Chudley Cannons’ Seeker’s expression darkened.

At that moment, the Golden Snitch appeared.