Chapter 163: Score, Score, and Score Some More!
Chapter 163: Score, Score, and Score Some More!
On the pitch, as the first player was eliminated, the pressure on the remaining two intensified significantly.
They had to be at their best, dodging the two Bludgers while creating opportunities to trouble their opponent.
After a tense back-and-forth that lasted several minutes, a winner finally emerged.
Surprisingly, the last one standing was an underdog third-year student who, with his agile positioning, managed to counter-attack and defeat his towering fifth-year opponent at a critical moment.
On the stands, everyone started clapping and cheering.
Harris stepped forward, extending his hand with a smile, "Warner, welcome to the team."
"It's my honor, captain," the third-year student replied, shaking Harris's hand.
Another round of applause echoed through the crowd.
Next up was the selection of Chasers. Kyle stood up, holding his broomstick, and made his way to the pitch.
"Go, Kyle!"
Cedric shouted, lighting a firework simultaneously.
The firework exploded above the stands, forming a massive banner with a running badger and the words 'Go, Kyle!' sparkling in the air.
It was unclear where Cedric had gotten the firework, but it was clearly visible even in broad daylight.
This was a bit over the top...
Amidst this unique display, Kyle arrived at the center of the pitch.
He was competing with two others for the Chaser position, both of them fifth-years.
"As a Chaser, accuracy in throwing is crucial..."
Harris held the Snitch and addressed the three, "I'll be the Keeper, and you'll take turns throwing. Whoever scores the most points within the time limit will make the team.
So... who's first?"
"I'll go..." Kyle stepped forward.
Although it was a disadvantage to be the first one up without knowing Harris's goalkeeping style, he had the advantage of his broomstick, which evened the odds.
"Then it's settled. Remember, don't get nervous; just play your game."
Harris gave Kyle a few words of encouragement and took his position in front of the goalposts.
Kyle mounted his broomstick and lifted off with a gentle kick.
"Can we start?" Harris asked.
"No problem," Kyle replied.
As soon as he finished speaking, someone below threw the Snitch up.
Kyle dove and caught the Snitch, then quickly flew towards the goalposts.
Before Harris could react, Kyle had already arrived.
With an open goal, he casually tossed the Snitch into it.
"Ten points!"
Someone below teased, "Captain, what were you doing standing there? Were you letting him score?"
"Get lost!" Harris's face turned red.
Of course, he wasn't letting him score; he simply hadn't reacted in time.
He knew the Firebolt 2000 was fast, but he didn't expect it to be so much faster than the Firebolt 1700. These brooms, only two years apart, were on completely different levels!
How strange... Was this the same Firebolt company he knew, which could only squeeze out a little toothpaste?
"Again!"
Harris regained his composure and became more serious. He didn't want to be accused of letting the other team score again.
Soon, another Snitch was thrown up.
Kyle, just like before, caught the ball and flew towards the goalposts.
With his previous experience, Harris reacted this time, blocking Kyle's path.
Kyle gently tossed the Snitch with his right hand...
"It's the right goal post!" Harris thought, and instantly flew towards the right side.
But to his surprise, the Snitch didn't fly to the right at all. It just spun in the air a few times before returning to Kyle's hand.
By this time, Harris had flown quite far away, and it was too late to turn back.
Kyle scored again.
"Twenty points!"
"Look, Harry, that's a Reversal Throw."
On the stands, Ron pulled Harry's arm and said excitedly, "Merlin, I can't believe I'm witnessing one of the classic feints of a Chaser here."
"Is that move difficult?" Harry asked in confusion.
This was the first time he had come into contact with Quidditch, so he wasn't very familiar with these techniques yet.
However, when it came to feints, Harry suddenly remembered something.
Professor McGonagall had mentioned on their way to meet Wood that his actions when picking up the Memory Orb resembled a classic Quidditch feint.
It was called the Strongman Feint... or was it the Lankershim Feint? He couldn't quite remember.
But they were all similar.
"Executing a Reversal Throw isn't difficult, but the challenge is to deceive the Keeper."
Ron thought for a moment and said, "The Keeper on the field is the Hufflepuff Captain, and he's one of the most experienced players at Hogwarts. It won't be easy to fool him."
Harry still didn't quite understand, but from the deafening cheers around him, he could tell that Kyle's previous move must have been spectacular.
So he joined in the cheering as well.
It didn't matter if he didn't understand... he could pretend to understand and fit in.
On the other hand, Harris's face turned redder as he heard the faint jeers coming from below.
He was well aware of the Reversal Throw and had even executed it more than once. In last year's Quidditch Cup, he had scored the final goal using this technique.
And that year, Hufflepuff had won the Quidditch Cup by a narrow margin of ten points.
But Harris never expected that he would be deceived by a Reversal Throw one day.
No wonder the Keeper had given him such a hostile look back then; it indeed felt unpleasant to be fooled like this.
"If I had known, I wouldn't have joined in the excitement." Harris thought bitterly to himself.
He had been concerned that using a real Keeper would dampen their confidence, so he had temporarily stepped in as a substitute.
Now it seemed that decision was indeed unnecessary, but Harris couldn't switch out, so he had to continue enduring it.
Kyle had only thrown two balls, and it had barely been a minute since the start of the game, which was supposed to last for ten minutes.
In the remaining time, he demonstrated what it meant to be a Firebolt 2000 from all angles.
No matter which direction the Snitch was thrown from, he would catch it in the first place, then fly to the goal post and score.
Moreover, he scored in a different way each time, sometimes using feints and sometimes relying on the speed of his broomstick to directly send the ball into the goal.
Gradually, Harris began to show his admiration.
He sat on his broomstick, his eyes glowing with admiration as he watched Kyle.
This guy was a genius Chaser! Last year's Cedric... this year's Kyle...
Harris couldn't help but smile, finally understanding why Wood had laughed so exaggeratedly before.
Anyone would have the same reaction.
(End of Chapter)
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