Harry Potter: The Idle Wizard Chapter 101 101: The Avery Incident and the Bathroom Brawl

The ignominious defeat of the Slytherin Quidditch team beca the preferred subject of ridicule across Hogwarts almost instantly. After dinner, students from all four Houses were eagerly sharing the story of the unfortunate substitute Keeper, Vicky Avery.

Even though Madam Pomfrey had used a quick counter-charm to nd his knocked-out tooth, Vicky's face now served as a permanent reminder of the match. Whenever anyone saw him, they inevitably heard the mocking whisper of the new Gryffindor catchphrase: "He knocked his tooth out by colliding with my elbow."

Albert was the master of plausible deniability. He knew the absurdity of the statent was precisely why it was so effective. Nobody actually believed a first-year's elbow could be that perfectly placed and lethal, but the claim itself was annoying enough to stick. The point wasn't truth; it was psychological warfare.

The animosity between Gryffindor and Slytherin, fueled by the brutal ga, reached a critical peak. Albert even saw a new entry pop up on his internal task panel, confirming he had achieved maximum disruption in the rivalry:

Achieve Maximum Slytherin Disdain

Status: Complete.

The corridors beca minefields. Minor skirmishes and hexing incidents beca a daily occurrence, much to the furious despair of Filch, the caretaker, whose small supply of reporting parchnt was being rapidly depleted.

The tension culminated in a particularly nasty incident. A group of older Slytherins managed to corner Mark (the Gryffindor Chaser) in a deserted passageway. Just as the Slytherins drew their wands, a tily appearance by several Gryffindor students—who "just happened" to be passing—turned the ambush into a full-scale brawl.

The chaotic exchange of curses resulted in a Gryffindor student montarily sprouting strange, iridescent scales on his face, while a Slytherin suffered the indignity of leeks aggressively sprouting from his nose.

Professor McGonagall was apoplectic. She hit both Houses with massive point deductions. The net result: Gryffindor plumted back to the bottom of the House Cup standings, and Slytherin settled in just above them at second-to-last place.

Naturally, many Slytherins felt their deepest sha stemd from being defeated by a Muggle-born freshman. Albert quickly beca a frequent, if challenging, target for retribution.

However, opportunities to isolate Albert were vanishingly rare. He was almost always accompanied by his core group of three friends, or he was ensconced in the impregnable sanctuary of the Library. One persistent Slytherin spent an entire afternoon lying in wait outside the library entrance, only to give up in frustration when Albert failed to erge before closing ti.

When attempts were made, they often backfired spectacularly.

A second-year Slytherin, emboldened by dark thoughts, attempted to trip Albert in a crowded corridor. The result: Albert simply adjusted his step, and the would-be assailant's outstretched leg was trod upon by the heel of Albert's boot.

The boy cried out, clutching his throbbing foot. His friend, who had been laughing, received a sharp, calculated kick to the calf that sent him collapsing to the floor in genuine, tearful pain.

The worst part for the attackers was Albert's reaction. He would stop, gaze down at them with an expression of utterly harmless concern, and ask in a calm, asured voice: "Are you alright? Why is your leg sticking out like that?"

The implication was clear: I am innocent. You injured yourself through sheer stupidity. It was an infuriatingly irrefutable defense. You cannot argue that you were trying to foul soone when you are the one lying on the floor.

The attempts grew more desperate. Not long after, a third-year Slytherin thought he'd finally caught Albert alone, shadowing him into the boys' bathroom. However, seconds after entering, the Slytherin was discovered by a passing student, having apparently slipped on a puddle, fallen hard, and promptly fainted.

But the most humiliating incident of all was yet to co.

George Weasley, humming a cheerful tune, was strolling alone down the second-floor corridor, not far from the abandoned girls' bathroom. He appeared oblivious to the silent, stealthy figure stalking him—a fifth-year Slytherin senior, his face set in a grim mask of intent, his wand already slipping from his robes.

As the Slytherin raised his wand, ready to deploy a curse, George suddenly spun around. He didn't look scared; he looked completely at ease, offering the senior a wide, knowing smile.

Before the unlucky Slytherin could process this unsettling sight, a near-silent **thwump **sound erupted directly behind him. He registered the final, fleeting thought—fainted to the ground—just before the Stunning Spell connected, knocking him instantly unconscious. He crumpled heavily onto the cold, wet stone floor.

George walked forward and prodded the still form with the toe of his boot, grinning savagely. "Another one down. You didn't expect the backup, did you?"

"Less comntary, more moving," ca a low, disembodied voice from nearby. It was Fred, having just erged from behind a tapestry where he had been concealed by the Disillusionnt Charm. "Into the girls' room with him. Ti to provide the student body with so highly creative gossip."

Minutes later, a group of curious Hufflepuff girls passed the entrance to the abandoned girls' bathroom. They froze. Half-in and half-out of the doorway lay a boy, a Slytherin student, his robes rumpled.

A truly unsettling sight was the second figure: another Slytherin, who was positioned near the door but mostly concealed, his robes pulled up and covering his head, seemingly trying to dig his way out with frantic, crawling movents.

Filch, drawn by the girls' shrieks, hurried to the scene. He saw the soaked corridor floor and the spectacle in the doorway, and his facial muscles twitched in fury. Another self-inflicted injury? And worse, what was a boy doing in that notorious girls' restroom, and why was he trying to crawl out in such a state of panic?

The girls, whose imaginations were already running wild, imdiately fabricated multiple dramatic and scandalous scenarios. By the ti Filch managed to summon two prefects to assist in hauling the thoroughly humiliated, dripping senior to the Hospital Wing, the rumors were already circulating wildly.

The Albert quartet, who "happened" to be walking by and witnessed the entire recovery effort, had to lean against the wall, their ribs aching from the struggle to contain their laughter.

Later, when they were safely back in the Common Room, Fred enthusiastically outlined future plans. "Next ti soone decides to target us, we won't stop at the floor. We'll—" He made a vigorous plunging motion. "—head first into the nearest commode!"

"Let's not go quite that far into the plumbing," Albert suggested, still chuckling. "However, a perfectly executed Stunning Charm, followed by stuffing them into the nearest locked stall in the girls' restroom, would be highly effective. The rumors alone will be punishnt enough."

"A beautiful idea," George blinked. "I'm genuinely looking forward to the next ambush."

Lee Jordan, who was listening in, pointed out their strategic advantage. "They'll definitely be watching out now. They know the corridors are dangerous."

"Of course, they will," Albert agreed. "But they have fundantally misjudged their enemy. They can't possibly suspect that a first-year, and a Muggle-born at that, has already mastered the Disillusionnt Charm."

Indeed, the Slytherin students, caught completely off-guard by the silent attacks from behind, never suspected the seemingly harmless freshman. To them, the Stunning Spells were too advanced for first-years. The bla, naturally, fell back on the senior Gryffindors like Mark, who already had a well-established reputation for mayhem.

The quartet's tactics had transford the pursuit into a ga of fear. The hunters were now the hunted, and the Slytherin students could no longer walk the corridors without looking over their shoulders.

Albert's ability to master advanced, non-verbal magic, like the Disillusionnt Charm and the Stunning Spell, combined with the strategic brilliance of his friends, ensured that any attempt at revenge quickly beca a source of lasting humiliation.

With the intense rivalry now boiling over, and both Houses suffering substantial point deductions, do you think Professor McGonagall will try to enforce a ceasefire, or will Dumbledore intervene?