Chapter 232: Quidditch Finals
Chapter 232: Quidditch Finals (Request for Subscriptions, Recommendations, and Votes)
After returning from St. Mungo's, Harry found a time to properly thank Percy and Liam and convey Sirius Black's invitation for them to visit his home during the summer vacation.
Sirius's Home? Liam felt a bit unenthusiastic about this. After all, the Black Family Manor, which housed one of Voldemort's Horcruxes, wasn't really a home in Sirius Black's eyes. It was probably just where he lived after being kicked out of the family.
Time flew by, and after wrapping up the matter with Sirius Black, Easter soon arrived. However, the Easter break wasn't as relaxing as they had hoped. The amount of homework for third-year students broke records again. Neville Longbottom seemed on the verge of a nervous breakdown, and he wasn't the only one.
"This is what they call a holiday!" Seamus Finnigan shouted one afternoon in the Common Room. "The exams are still far off, so what are they up to?"
Seamus's outburst of anger was met with agreement from several other students in the Common Room. However, Liam, who was sitting by the window, basking in the sun while doing his homework, didn't feel as bad. On one hand, the amount of homework was nothing compared to the endless sea of practice problems he had faced in his previous life as a high school senior. There were no daily quizzes, weekly tests, or monthly reviews. On the other hand, after three months of rest, his meridians had finally recovered and were even more resilient than before.
Due to the unprecedented amount of homework assigned by the professors, Liam's Study Group meetings had completely transformed into sessions focused on tackling the most challenging problems. Fortunately, the professors gave the same assignments to all the houses, so there weren't as many difficult points to discuss as they had initially feared.
Moreover, this approach of collectively discussing and solving problems through the combined wisdom of the group helped stabilize the small organization. After all, helping others and receiving help in return to improve one's own skills was a great thing for everyone involved.
Additionally, Liam and his group had made new breakthroughs with Nymphadora's Gift. This was evident in Professor Mcgonagall's recent Transfiguration classes, where the task was to turn objects into animals. Almost all the points awarded in these classes went to Liam and Hermione.
"I think you both have already reached O.W.L. level in turning various objects into animals. If you can maintain this performance, my N.E.W.T. Advanced Class will welcome you with open arms", Professor Mcgonagall said with a smile at the end of one class.
Perhaps the departure of the Dementors had restored the young wizards' usual liveliness, and with the final Quidditch match approaching, the tension in public areas was growing increasingly thick.
After the Easter break, the tension between the two teams and their respective houses had reached a boiling point. Several minor scuffles in the corridors escalated into serious incidents, resulting in a fourth-year Gryffindor and a sixth-year Slytherin being sent to the Hospital Wing, their ears sprouting leeks.
Especially Harry, as a key player on the team, was constantly targeted by Slytherins. The Slytherins didn't seem to care much about the bystanders, especially when most of them were Gryffindors.
"Obstacle Charm!" Liam cast the spell, deflecting a Slytherin student who had tried to curse Harry and nearly hit him. He then asked Ron, a bit frustrated, "Aren't Purebloods supposed to have centuries of tradition? Can't they show some of that heritage and compete fairly for once?"
“I swear our Weasley family always competes fairly in these matches, but those Slytherin vipers from generations past are a different story,” Ron said as he deflected another curse.
After dealing with all the attackers and escorting Harry to the next classroom, Liam kept thinking about something. In Quidditch, the most common form of competition, Slytherin had tried every dirty trick in the book: from deliberate fouls by players to disguising themselves as Dementors to scare others, and even attacking the opposing team before matches. They had tried everything outside the rules.
This showed that Slytherin students had some serious moral issues, at least by normal standards. In a competition that should be fair, resorting to any means to achieve their goals was far from noble or elegant. It was more akin to the tactics used by street thugs.
So why did so many fan works from his past life praise the nobility of Slytherin? Liam continued to ponder this question as he walked into the next classroom, until the school bell interrupted his thoughts.
However, from the information he had, Liam drew a conclusion: at least from the current situation, the Weasley family, often despised in most fan works, seemed more like a family with centuries of heritage and dignity compared to the Malfoy family.
Amidst the chaos, the last day before the match arrived. All regular activities in the Gryffindor common room came to a halt. Even Hermione, who was always buried in her books, put them aside.
In the common room, it was clear that every team member was tense. Even the ever-optimistic Weasley twins spoke louder and more exaggeratedly to relieve the pressure. Soon, under Captain Wood's orders, the team members went to bed.
“Do you think we can win?” Hermione asked in a low voice. Although she wasn't particularly fond of Quidditch, she was very concerned about the house's honor.
“Of course we can win,” Liam replied with confidence. “Think about the months of extra training we've given Harry. Every time he comes over, he's exhausted, but he still pushes through. With that kind of determination and his talent, how could we fail?”
After reassuring Hermione, Liam studied for a bit longer before going to bed. The next morning, he got up early and headed to the Great Hall for breakfast. Not long after he sat down, the Gryffindor team arrived.
As the Gryffindor team entered the Great Hall, a loud applause filled the room. Even the students at the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables clapped for them. Only the Slytherin table responded with loud boos.
No wonder the Purebloods are doing worse and worse, Liam thought. Their open and unmasked hostility makes them unqualified even as villains. A truly formidable villain wouldn't reveal their true intentions so early. Just by looking at the applause from the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff students, it was clear how poorly the Slytherins were liked. Historically, such unpopular villains rarely get far, often ending up as mere terrorists.
After breakfast, everyone headed to the Quidditch pitch. As expected, this match turned out to be the dirtiest Liam had ever seen, with the Slytherin team committing numerous deliberate fouls.
However, perhaps because Harry had a true family now, his performance improved, and with the best broom in the game, the Firebolt, he managed to catch the Golden Snitch when Gryffindor was leading seventy to ten, securing the victory.
When Dumbledore presented the trophy to the Gryffindor team, the entire hall erupted in cheers. The sea of scarlet supporters roared in celebration, honoring Gryffindor's back-to-back championship.
(End of Chapter)
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