https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-200-Neville-You-Need-to-Have-More-Confidence/12538316/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-202-The-Dark-Wizard-in-the-Forbidden-Forest/12538318/
Chapter 201: The Interrupted Game
Chapter 201: The Interrupted Game
On Saturday, the Quidditch match was finally about to begin, with the first game featuring Slytherin against Ravenclaw.
As the Slytherin team entered the Great Hall, enthusiastic cheers erupted from the far-right table, as if they were already celebrating their impending victory.
Even the players wore relaxed expressions, showing none of the tension usually associated with pre-game jitters.
In their eyes, the previous match, where Ravenclaw had been shut out, was merely an opportunity for other teams to gain experience and boost their scores. They believed their own victory was a foregone conclusion, with no possibility of any surprises.
Marcus even began practicing their post-game victory dance with his teammates.
He awkwardly shook his body in the middle of the hall, resembling a baboon that had ingested Cheering Charm candies.
"Pay no attention to him, Qiu," Cedric consoled the girl next to him. "Believe me, your team isn't that weak."
Qiu shot him a glance but remained silent.
Although she knew Cedric meant well, hearing those words from him felt strange.
It was like a top-scoring student telling those who had failed, "It's not that you're unintelligent; the exam was just very difficult."
Even with good intentions, it made one want to punch him.
"To be honest, your Chasers are quite mediocre," Kyle suddenly spoke up. "So the key to this game lies with you, Qiu. You must catch the Golden Snitch before Ravenclaw falls behind by one hundred and fifty points."
"I'll try my best," Qiu sighed.
Of course, she was already aware of this, but catching the Golden Snitch wasn't as easy as choosing a Bean from a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans.
"Kyle is right," Cedric nodded in agreement. "And your broomstick is another issue. It's too old. Even if you spot the Snitch first, it will be difficult to maintain an advantage. If you don't mind, I could lend you my..."
Before he could finish his sentence, a flock of owls flew into the hall, their raucous hooting interrupting his words.
Kyle noticed that six Long-Eared Owls carried a slender package, which they dropped right in front of Qiu.
"This can't be..." Qiu's heart skipped a beat, and she reached out a trembling hand to touch the package.
"You guessed it. It's a new broomstick," Kyle smiled. "I recognize those owls. They're the same ones that delivered Cedric's broomstick last time. Why not open it and take a look?"
"But... I've never bought a broomstick before," Qiu said anxiously. "I wanted to buy a Cleansweep Eleven, but I'm still a few Galleons short."
"What if it's meant for someone else and the owl made a mistake?"
Kyle shook his head. "Impossible. Owls don't make such elementary mistakes."
As if to prove his point, another owl flew over and dropped a letter on top of the package.
Qiu nervously tore open the letter.
"Enclosed is your new Nimbus 2000 broomstick. Good luck with the match.
...Professor Flitwick"
At this point, Qiu could no longer contain her joy. She handed the letter to Kyle and eagerly unwrapped the package.
Just as the letter had stated, inside was a brand-new Nimbus 2000.
Forgetting about her meal, Qiu grabbed her new broomstick and rushed out toward the Quidditch pitch, with the rest of the Ravenclaw team following close behind.
After Qiu had left, Kyle stood up and returned to the Hufflepuff table with Cedric.
He held the letter in his hand and shook his head with a hint of amusement.
It seemed that Professor Flitwick had been deeply affected by the previous match's shutout. To avoid a repeat of that embarrassment, he had taken it upon himself to provide Qiu with a new broomstick.
He had intended to lend his broom to Qiu, but it was clear that it was no longer necessary.
He glanced at the content of the letter and then looked towards the Slytherin table.
Everyone had noticed Qiu receiving the new broom, and they were no exception.
At that moment, the cheers had ceased, and Marcus had stopped dancing, leaving everyone with unpleasant looks on their faces.
...
Before long, the match began.
The stands were still packed, with Kyle and Cedric sitting in the front row, holding a banner to cheer for Qiu.
Slytherin seemed determined to pull the score up to one hundred and fifty points, displaying extreme aggression from the start.
Marcus rode his broomstick recklessly, and in his pursuit of scoring, he deliberately knocked the Ravenclaw Chaser off their broom.
Professor Hooch blew her whistle, indicating that the goal didn't count, and she awarded a penalty shot to Ravenclaw.
Roger Davies remounted his broom and made a powerful long-distance throw, sending the Quaffle straight into the goal post.
Not only did they fail to gain an advantage, but they also lost ten points, which made Marcus even more agitated.
In the following game, although Slytherin scored repeatedly, they never managed to pull away by a large margin.
After the previous zero-point incident, Ravenclaw had also undergone intensive training for a long time, resulting in a significant improvement in their skills.
Moreover, Qiu's new broom gave them hope.
For a while, Ravenclaw was on a roll, and every time Slytherin scored, they found a way to catch up and even the score.
Although Slytherin maintained the lead due to their broom's advantage, they were only ahead by thirty points, far from the desired one hundred and fifty-point gap.
Everyone was discussing the outcome of the game when Professor McGonagall suddenly arrived at the pitch, holding her wand to her neck and shouting, "Pause the game! Everyone, return to the castle immediately!"
Soon after, the other professors arrived as well.
Before many students realized what was happening, they were led away from the stands by their prefects and professors.
The Quidditch players hovered in mid-air, unsure of what to do.
"Everyone, do not linger. Follow the professors and prefects and leave the Quidditch pitch immediately!" Professor McGonagall reminded them once more.
"We're about to win!" Marcus complained.
He had just taken the opportunity to score several goals, but the scoreboard remained unchanged.
"If you'd like to stay here forever, I wouldn't mind..."
Snape appeared at some point, standing behind Professor McGonagall, and said coldly.
This time, Marcus had no objections.
He quickly jumped off his broomstick and left the pitch with his head down.
The corridor was enchanted to accommodate as many people as possible without feeling crowded, and within minutes, the pitch was empty, with everyone following the professors back to the castle.
On their way back, they also spotted Professor Flitwick, who was inspecting the surroundings intently with his wand.
The complaints in the crowd gradually faded, replaced by a tense atmosphere, and many unconsciously quickened their pace.
(End of Chapter)
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