When Ryan and Hermione hurried back to their seats, they found the game had already ended. According to Ron, Harry's broom had returned to normal just minutes after they disappeared. He managed to catch the Snitch in one dive, and Gryffindor won 170-60.
At that moment, Ryan received a system prompt:
"Changed the course of the game, making Hermione suspicious of Quirrell. Get 2 offset points."
That was a nice catch. Ryan cheerfully greeted a few friends, and they decided to head back together.
As Ryan, Hermione, and Ron were about to head back to the castle, they ran into Harry, who was on his way to Hagrid's for tea. The four of them then made their way to Hagrid's cabin together.
A few minutes later, they were sitting by the warm fire, each with a cup of fragrant black tea.
"Snape did it," Ron was explaining. "I saw it! He was casting a spell on Harry's broomstick, muttering and staring at Harry."
"No, it's not just Snape that's suspicious," Hermione added, raising her voice. "Ryan and I saw Quirrell sitting behind Snape, chanting a spell."
Ryan also spoke up: "One of them must be cursing, while the other is protecting. Otherwise, Harry wouldn't have been in the air for so long."
"Bullshit," Hagrid grumbled. "Why would the professors do such a thing?"
The four of them exchanged glances, and Harry motioned for Ryan to explain.
"Both professors have something to do with the events before Halloween," Ryan said carefully, choosing his words. "Professor Quirrell was involved with the troll incident, and the way the troll escaped is based on Quirrell's own account. There were no witnesses to back up his story."
At this point, Harry couldn't hold back. "I found something about Snape. On Halloween, he tried to pass by the three-headed dog, but it bit him. We think he was trying to steal something the dog was guarding…"
Hagrid put down the teapot with a heavy thud.
"How do you know about Daisy?" he asked, sounding surprised.
"Daisy?" Harry asked, confused.
"Yeah, that's mine," Hagrid said gruffly. "I bought her from a Greek at a hotel last year. I lent her to Dumbledore to guard something."
"What?" Harry asked eagerly.
"Alright, no more questions," Hagrid said firmly. "That's a top-secret matter, understand?"
"But someone tried to steal it!"
"Bullshit," Hagrid muttered. "Snape and Quirrell are both professors here, they wouldn't do such a thing."
"Then why would anyone want to kill Harry?" Ron asked loudly.
"That could just be a coincidence," Hagrid said irritably. "You've misunderstood. I don't know why Harry's broom behaved like that, but there's no way these teachers, chosen by Dumbledore, would want to harm a student. Now, listen to me, all three of you—this is none of your business. It's dangerous. Forget about Daisy and what she's guarding. It's between Professor Dumbledore and Nicole May…"
"Aha!" Harry interrupted. "So there's someone named Nicole May involved, isn't there?" Hagrid, now furious with himself, quickly fell silent.
The four were soon unceremoniously kicked out of Hagrid's hut. Afterward, they returned to the common room, where Harry had to deal with a throng of well-wishers congratulating him. They eventually found Ryan and the others talking in a quieter corner.
Harry leaned over, and Ron turned to him. "I think Snape is behind it. Everyone else seems to think both Quirrell and Snape are suspicious."
After hearing Ron's theory, Harry said to Ryan and Hermione, "I feel more like Snape's the one to watch. I can feel his hatred toward me."
Ryan couldn't help but silently complain, Of course he hates you—you look just like your father, who won over everyone's favor. He stopped Hermione, who was about to argue with Ron, cleared his throat, and said, "What matters now isn't who might want to steal something. We got some important information from Hagrid today."
"We now know that Daisy, the three-headed dog, belongs to Hagrid and was loaned to Dumbledore to guard something. This something is linked to a person named Nicole May."
"Also," Ryan added, "the troll that attacked us was wielding a weapon suited to it. From what I read in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, some trolls can be trained as guards. This suggests the troll was meant to protect something that day. After all, if it was just a teaching tool for Defence Against the Dark Arts, it wouldn't have had a weapon."
"So, it's very likely that there's a large area beneath the trapdoor where Daisy stands, and more than one set of defenses," Hermione chimed in, continuing Ryan's line of thought.
"Alright," Harry interrupted, "but what we need to know now is: who is this Nicole May?"
"I don't know," Ryan said. "I've never heard of them. Wait… I think I've heard the name before. My father might have mentioned it."
The three others turned to Ryan, and Ron was the first to ask, "How is that possible? Your family doesn't have wizards."
"Some wizards aren't just known in the wizarding world," Ryan explained. "Take Merlin, for example. He's famous even in the Muggle world. My father's a writer, and he looks up a lot of information. If Nicole May is famous enough and has been active in the Muggle world, my father might have encountered the name while researching."
"Based on what you're saying, Nicole May can't be someone from the past two hundred years," Ron mused. "After all, the secrecy law has been strictly enforced in that time. But… who could live that long?"
"It's possible someone has the same name in the Muggle world," Ryan replied.
"Could you write a letter and ask your father?" Harry suggested.
"I think I'll wait until Christmas," Ryan said. "I'll go home then. Besides, if it's a professor trying to steal something, they might be intercepting our messages."
As the group became a bit quiet, Hermione spoke up. "Well, we can still research this person in our spare time. Remember, Hagrid mentioned that it's a matter between Professor Dumbledore and Nicole May. Though he didn't finish his sentence, we can deduce that Dumbledore knows this person. Let's start with Dumbledore's peers."
"That's a good idea," Harry said. "Anyway, I won't have any more games until Christmas. We can use that time to go to the library and look for books. When Ryan visits his family for Christmas and asks his father, we'll be ready for the next step."
With that, Ryan stood up. "Alright, today was our first Quidditch win, and Harry, it was your first victory." He gestured to the noisy crowd in the lounge. "So let's figure out what to do tomorrow—it's time to celebrate."
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