https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-146-The-Birth-of-a-Legend-Third-Update-/13459209/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-148-Earning-a-Salary-Second-Update-/13459211/
Chapter 147: An Invitation from the National Team! (First Update)
Chapter 147: An Invitation from the National Team! (First Update)
"This must be Mr. Jerry Carmen. I just watched your match, and it was truly spectacular. I’m Myle Bus, the coach of the English Quidditch team!"
As Jerry walked into the office, the tall, middle-aged wizard immediately stood up and extended his hand to Jerry.
The shorter, stocky middle-aged wizard, seeing this, twitched his lips slightly. He sighed inwardly at the national team coach’s lack of reserve, but he didn’t dare to be negligent. He quickly followed suit and stood up next to Jerry:
"Mr. Carmen, hello. I’m Hunter Lamson, the coach of the Scottish Quidditch team!"
"Um, hello!"
Hearing their introductions, Jerry had a vague understanding of the situation. He smiled and shook hands with both of them.
It turned out that the legendary feat of Jerry catching the Golden Snitch in less than a minute during the match between the Slytherin and Gryffindor teams last semester had not only spread throughout Hogwarts. It had also reached the ears of the coaches of the two British national Quidditch teams through the wizards from Hogsmeade who had come to watch and the young wizards who had returned home for the Christmas holidays.
This led to their meeting today.
"I think we should all sit down and have a cup of honey lemonade while we talk. Mr. Carmen needs to understand the situation before making a decision!"
Dumbledore, sitting at the table, smiled and waved his hand. Six cups of honey lemonade immediately appeared on the table.
"We were a bit too excited!"
Both coaches nodded hurriedly.
The Scottish Quidditch team and the English Quidditch team were both part of the British national Quidditch teams, but that didn’t mean they didn’t have a competitive relationship.
The two coaches had come today to confirm if Jerry was as talented as the rumors suggested and to try to recruit him as a Seeker for their respective teams.
Of course, according to the rules, Jerry, at his age, was not eligible to join the national Quidditch team. However, the Scottish and English teams had not won the World Quidditch Cup in years. The best they had achieved was the Scottish team’s second-place finish two years ago, losing to Canada. The English team’s performance was even worse and not worth mentioning.
Moreover, Jerry’s talent was truly astonishing. Although the Golden Snitch used in school matches wasn’t as fast as the one used in world competitions, the fact that Jerry could catch it in less than a minute had genuinely impressed both coaches. No national team Seeker had ever achieved that.
Thus, after applying for an exception, they had come to Hogwarts to recruit Jerry for their teams.
Rules were made for the ordinary, but for true geniuses, there were always people willing to break them.
After taking a few sips of lemonade and listening to Dumbledore’s brief explanation of why the two coaches had come to Hogwarts, Jerry looked at the two expectant coaches and firmly replied:
"I’m sorry, gentlemen, but I don’t plan to join the national Quidditch team at the moment. After all, I’m still just a first-year student, and I need to focus on my magical studies at school rather than leaving to train and compete every day!"
Now, his time for learning magic is very tight. How could he possibly spare the time to join a national Quidditch team? Wouldn’t that just be a waste of time?
No matter how legendary a Seeker is, they’d still be killed by a Killing Curse if they encountered Voldemort.
While becoming a national Quidditch team Seeker would certainly boost his fame and benefit his future plans, fame is only a secondary factor. The most important thing is still his strength. He can prioritize what’s essential and what’s not.
"You don’t need to worry about the time issue. We’ve already discussed it with Headmaster Dumbledore. We’ll have a dedicated fireplace at Hogwarts, and you can use Floo Powder to directly reach our team!"
The tall coach quickly explained.
The short coach chimed in as well:
"Mr. Carmen, we won’t interfere with your study time. Our training sessions will be scheduled for weekends when you don’t have classes, or during long holidays.
Besides the Quidditch World Cup, we don’t have many matches against other countries each year!"
"Sorry, but I need to use my weekends and holidays to study magic. My dream is to become a righteous Auror. Quidditch is just a hobby, and I don’t plan to become a professional Quidditch player."
Jerry politely declined again.
Training on weekends and holidays? Are you kidding me?
The two coaches were immediately flustered. They had only been concerned that Jerry might not be as skilled as rumored, never imagining that he would refuse to join the national team.
At his age, how many young wizards could resist the allure of participating in the Quidditch World Cup and becoming a world-renowned Quidditch player?
"If you think the training will take up too much time, I can waive the weekend requirement. You only need to come during long holidays, like the summer break!"
Scottish coach Hunter Lamson thought for a moment and relaxed the conditions.
Weekend travel might indeed interfere with studies, but two months of summer break shouldn’t be a problem.
English coach Myle Bus glanced at Myle with surprise, hesitating for a while before finally making an even more flexible offer.
"You don’t have to come for training on weekends or during the summer. Just like now, I’ll come to pick you up for matches, and all the matches will be scheduled during your holidays, so it won’t interfere with your studies!"
At the last Quidditch World Cup, the Scottish team had at least secured second place, while the English team didn’t even make it into the top five.
So for a Seeker of Jerry’s exceptional talent, Myle Bus was determined to secure him this time.
However, Jerry’s answer was still a refusal.
He felt that national team matches often required traveling abroad, and the events were not as straightforward as those at Hogwarts.
A few trips to other countries each year would be quite time-consuming. A major match could take four or five days, including travel time.
The two coaches were dumbfounded. If Jerry really didn’t want to join the national team, there was nothing they could do.
"Jerry, national Quidditch players are different from school Quidditch players. They receive a salary, at least 300 gold Galleons a month, and there are additional bonuses for winning matches!"
At that moment, Snape’s deep, emotionless voice sounded in Jerry’s ear.
"Cough, cough, actually, I think I can reconsider this!"
Hearing Snape’s deliberately lowered voice, Jerry’s attitude did a complete 180-degree turn.
(End of Chapter)
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