"Doesn't this work in your favor?" Michael asked nonchalantly.
"Well, yes, but I think Cedric and the others would still prefer a fair match," Ryan said earnestly.
"Hmm... that's so Hufflepuff," Michael remarked.
Ryan shot back, annoyed, "Don't think I don't know you're just trying to call me stupid."
"Hahaha, how could I?" Michael laughed awkwardly.
After all, if it were Ravenclaw, he knew his house wouldn't miss such a great opportunity.
"Actually—Wade—I wanted to ask—" Hermione said hesitantly, with a hint of a plea, "Can Harry join the SSC too?"
The air suddenly went still.
Ryan looked a bit uneasy.
He noticed that the smile on Michael's face had vanished; Michael was just staring at the brown-haired girl, then looking toward Wade.
Wade's expression remained unchanged, and he even agreed without hesitation, "Of course he can. Harry Potter isn't a difficult person to get along with. The issue is you—Hermione."
"—Me?" Hermione looked over, feeling anxious.
"Have you forgotten how Ron Weasley made you cry? Potter and Weasley are inseparable. If he joins, he probably won't keep it a secret from Weasley—are you ready to forgive him?" Wade asked gently.
It seemed he had no objections; all his considerations stemmed from his concern for Hermione's feelings.
"Oh, that!" Hermione sighed in relief and smiled.
"That's long in the past, and he did try to warn his friends during the troll incident, didn't he? Even if it didn't help much—after spending time together recently, I've realized Weasley isn't so bad. You can't hold a grudge forever over one argument, right?"
"Turning enemies into friends sounds great to me," Ryan said, trying to ease the tense atmosphere from before. "Plus, Ron Weasley's brothers are all outstanding; he must have some remarkable qualities too, right?"
On that point… Hermione probably didn't entirely agree.
After relaxing a bit, Hermione couldn't help but try to explain further:
"Actually, I hadn't originally planned on bringing them in... Ron noticed how much Neville was improving and kept asking him about it, but Neville didn't say anything...
But you all know Harry—if the Death Eaters and You-Know-Who make a comeback, Harry would be the first they'd target.
But when it comes to academics, Harry's not exactly exceptional; his grades are average, and he's not proficient with the spells taught in class. Plus, he often has to go to Quidditch practice—"
In Hermione's eyes, Harry Potter was initially a "famous but completely unmotivated slacker."
Then he became a "decent person but still a slacker who doesn't try hard enough."
When she finally realized that Harry Potter had lost his parents because of the war and was still constantly threatened by Voldemort and his followers—
Harry Potter became a "poor little soul" in Hermione's eyes.
—So what if his grades aren't great and he's a bit playful? Seeing him so happy and healthy, wouldn't his parents be so relieved?
But then a deeper anxiety grew in Hermione's heart—she was already a naturally anxious person.
The thought of Voldemort looming nearby, Quirrell watching like a hawk, and Dumbledore having mysterious plans, while Harry was spending his days playing and eating mindlessly, piecing together homework or borrowing others' to copy...
Hermione practically wanted to crack open his skull and stuff her bundle of anxieties inside!
Without a doubt, in future, Harry Potter would face immense challenges and dangers, and those could never be handled just by copying homework.
Hermione tried to teach Harry and Ron the spells she had learned at the Umbrella Room, but the problem was—when Wade taught them, everything seemed clear and easy to understand.
However, when she taught Harry and Ron the same way, it was like the two of them had been smacked in the head by a troll; they just couldn't grasp it.
Hermione couldn't understand why and felt incredibly frustrated. Sometimes she doubted their intelligence, but seeing Neville's progress, she had to admit that perhaps her teaching method was at fault.
If Harry was to quickly improve his skills, joining the SSC seemed like the only option. The only better scenario would be if Dumbledore himself were willing to personally tutor Harry... but that was impossible.
So, despite knowing how presumptuous her request was and that it might even upset the others, Hermione still asked.
Fortunately, Wade agreed.
After being in the SSC for so long, Hermione knew that if Wade agreed, the rest wouldn't be an issue.
...
"Why did you agree?" Michael couldn't help but ask when it was just the two of them left.
"You mean Harry Potter?" Wade asked, though he already knew the answer.
"Of course." Michael said seriously, "Wade, I think you know just how much trouble Harry Potter brings—I thought you wouldn't like that kind of trouble."
"Yeah, I definitely don't like it," Wade said, leaning back in his chair. "But if it's Harry Potter, then naturally, there can be an exception."
"But—" Michael frowned, confused. "After all this time, even Neville should have figured it out—he's just an ordinary boy who somehow survived the Killing Curse…
And for some reason, the Dark Lord disappeared that night, and the whole world just slapped the title of 'Savior' on him, like the Dark Lord was defeated by a baby. I used to think he was born with great magical power, but—"
Michael hesitated.
"But after starting school, you realized that his intelligence and abilities don't match up to the reputation of the 'Boy Who Lived'?" Wade looked out the window and said the words Michael couldn't quite voice.
Michael let out a breath. "Exactly, that's what I mean."
He paused before adding, "You must see that clearly too, so it's not like you'd have any special expectations of Potter. Then why—?"
"But Michael—" Wade turned his gaze back from the window and looked at his friend.
"You haven't forgotten, have you? Potter's parents died fighting the Dark Lord. They fought bravely to the very end. That night, Harry Potter didn't just become the 'Boy Who Lived'—he also lost his closest family."
"Yes—that's true—" Michael's face reddened with shame, and he stammered.
"So no matter what he did—or didn't do—that has nothing to do with any of this," Wade sighed. "Harry Potter… is the orphan of martyrs."
"The orphan… of martyrs?" Michael mulled over the phrase, suddenly understanding why his parents had never allowed him to speak ill of Harry Potter whenever he gossiped about him.
"Yes." Wade finished. "All of us who were lucky enough to escape the shadow of war, who now enjoy a life of peace, have a duty to look after him—and other children like him, don't we?"
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