Chapter 21 A Good Thing Not a Good Thing (Patreon)

Maca's encounters with Willie had always ended with him being outsmarted, leaving him feeling defeated for the first time. He returned to his dormitory after silently escorting Willie to the entrance of the Slytherin common room, flopping onto his bed.

"What's wrong? It's rare to see you looking so downcast!" his roommate Ernie asked curiously.

"It's nothing," Maca weakly waved his hand, "I'm just a little tired."

"Mentally exhausted!" he added in his mind.

The next morning, as soon as Maca entered the Great Hall, he saw Hermione approaching him with a worried look on her face.

"Are you okay from yesterday?" She assessed Maca's appearance, and seeing no visible changes, she continued her chatter, "I mean, you were too impulsive! I heard from Ron last night about the meaning of that word, but I don't think we should even care about it! Malfoy is just a dimwit! There's no need to stoop to his level..."

"...Well, and thank you," Hermione added a bit sheepishly at the end.

"No need to thank me. Remember, we're friends!" Maca shrugged and smiled, "And by the way, you need to work on your habit of rambling."

With that, Maca walked cheerfully towards the Hufflepuff table, greeting Harry and Ron with a "Good morning" along the way.

"What's gotten into him? He looks so refreshed. Did something good happen?" Ron responded to Maca's greeting, then exchanged a glance with Harry.

"How would I know? I heard he enjoys taking care of the plants in the greenhouse. Maybe the punishment he received yesterday suited his taste!" Harry shook his head, playfully responding.

"You two! Aren't you both Maca's friends? Don't you think you should be concerned about him?" Hermione approached them and sat down across from them, speaking loudly and efficiently.

"It's enough that you care about him!" Ron mumbled with a mouthful of bacon, his words somewhat muffled.

"Maca is capable, he can handle trouble," Harry thought for a moment and added, "At least better than us."

"Yeah! He defeated a giant on his own! Oh, Merlin, it's unbelievable to think about it now," Ron said eagerly, a look of longing on his face, "I wish I could do that too."

"Then you should focus on your homework!" Hermione said, "Stop casually skimming through them."

"Oh, here we go again," Ron groaned involuntarily.

From a distance, Maca watched the trio from Gryffindor and thought that if life could continue in this peaceful and stable manner, it would be perfect. This leisurely life, so different from his past, was exactly what he wanted.

"Maca, come to my office after morning classes," he was thinking when he heard a voice calling him.

"Oh! Professor Sprout?" Maca saw her smiling face and guessed it was probably good news, "Alright, Professor."

The first class in the morning was History of Magic, taught by Professor Binns. With his hypnotic tone, he was explaining the evolutionary history of self-stirring cauldrons to the students in the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw classes. While it seemed particularly boring to the other students, Maca gained some inspiration from a few examples. He wanted to try improving this type of cauldron, which might bring his grand plan of potion-making fortune into a semi-automated era.

Of course, it wasn't going to be that easy.

The second class was currently Maca's most challenging subject: Transfiguration.

To be honest, he always enjoyed

this course, but his progress in it was nowhere near his skill in Charms, let alone his expertise in Potions.

Especially recently, when he came across some fascinating records in the Restricted Section, it became even more unbearable for him.

He discovered that ancient demon summoning magic was surprisingly connected to Transfiguration!

Not to mention the obvious taboo of summoning demons, Maca speculated that even the act of summoning itself was inseparable from Transfiguration. It was one of the powerful White Magic categories known for its destructive force and had been the main focus of many skilled White Witches and Wizards throughout history.

But now, the relevant theories were almost completely lost, yet it was an enchanting subject that was well worth exploring.

Such tempting and profound magic was like a luxurious feast that he could see but couldn't taste. How could he not feel anxious about it?

In Transfiguration class, Maca effortlessly transformed a matchstick into a needle and then back. While receiving praise from Professor McGonagall, he appeared even more distressed—clearly, his slow progress wasn't solely due to his personal talent, but rather the root of the problem.

Did he need to go and ask Dumbledore about what he saw in the Restricted Section, the records of demon summoning, and express his desire to study and understand it quickly? That would be a joke!

After class, Maca hurriedly walked towards the greenhouse. He wanted to fill the sadness in his heart with the unknown good news that Professor Sprout had brought him.

"Knock, knock." "Come in!"

Maca pushed open the office door and immediately noticed another person inside—the Flying class professor for first-years, Madam Hooch.

"Hello, Madam Hooch. Hello, Professor Sprout," Maca politely bowed.

"Oh, yes, you're here. Come over, child," Professor Sprout warmly beckoned Maca.

"Yes, yes, I have good news today," Professor Sprout said, "Madam Hooch recommended you to me, saying that you should join the Hufflepuff Quidditch team!"

"Oh! I was shocked to hear this news! You see, if you pass the tryouts, you'll be the youngest player on any house team in a century! I'm truly proud of you!"

As she spoke, Professor Sprout couldn't help but hug Maca. She was truly overjoyed.

"Yes! I think Mr. McClain can undoubtedly pass the tryouts. This child has unprecedented talent in Quidditch. With proper training, he might even be picked up by a professional team during his school years!"

"Um, is that true?" Maca did enjoy flying freely in the air, but he was only moderately interested in Quidditch as a sport.

"Oh, certainly! I have already consulted Dumbledore regarding whether first-year students can join the Quidditch teams. He believes it's an excellent way for students to showcase their talents." Professor Sprout enthusiastically said, "Dumbledore also enjoys the sport and often finds time to watch international matches!"

"Oh, really—I mean, I'm thrilled about it!" Maca said excitedly.

Now that the parties involved had agreed, everything would be fine. After lunch, during the break, Professor Sprout eagerly introduced Maca to Darren Chris, the captain of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team.

Speaking of which, this friendly and helpful sixth-year student was also the Head Boy of Hufflepuff!

"Maca, I already heard about it from Madam Hooch," Darren smiled and patted Maca's shoulder, "Awesome! I've never heard of a first-year joining a house team before."

"Yeah! I'm surprised too. I don't even know if I can handle it. Actually, I've only done some simple flying exercises in Flying class!" Maca replied.

Of course, sometimes he couldn't control himself and flew recklessly.

"No problem, no problem! We trust Madam Hooch's judgment—after all, she has been the Quidditch Cup referee for many years!"

"Besides, our house doesn't really care about the Quidditch Cup... at least I think Quidditch is a relaxing interlude!" Darren said with ease, "So I dislike the Slytherin team, always resorting to any means necessary to win."

"Oh, yes, I think so too," Maca smiled and agreed, "The feeling of flying freely, I especially love that!"

"Alright, lunch break is almost over! Come to the Quidditch pitch after afternoon classes, and we'll give you a tryout. Look forward to it! Hahaha!" Darren waved and left, as he had to go to class.

"Hahaha," Maca awkwardly laughed along.

He realized that his time spent in the library would probably be significantly reduced, which wasn't necessarily good news.

The afternoon classes quickly passed. As Maca walked through the hallway with many other students, crowded towards the common room, he was pulled out of the crowd by a delicate and fair hand.

"Huh?" Maca was startled, but after recognizing who it was, he breathed a sigh of relief, "Oh, Charlotte, what's up?"

"What's up? I'm here to take you to the Quidditch pitch!" Charlotte vigorously patted

Maca's back and casually said.

Take him to the pitch? Could it be...

"Are you a player on the house team, senior?" Maca asked in surprise.

"Of course! Didn't I tell you? We might be teammates in the future! If you want to see this beauty every day, you better put in some effort today."

While dragging Maca's hand, Charlotte walked downstairs with a carefree attitude. They attracted curious glances from many students. Although they couldn't hear what the two were saying, seeing Maca being led away by such a stunning beauty, which boy wouldn't be curious?

"Oh, senior! I mean, stop pulling me, I can walk on my own," Maca said helplessly.

"Showing off that you're being led by one of Hogwarts' three beauties in front of everyone, isn't that a good thing? You must be enjoying it, my little junior," Charlotte chuckled, resembling a lewd aunt coaxing a young boy.

"Give it a rest! I don't find it enjoyable at all. The only feeling I have is that I'm being paraded in front of a pack of hungry wolf cubs!" Maca smiled wryly.

"Taking advantage and pretending to be coy!" Charlotte patted Maca's head, but then let go of his hand.