Chapter 319: We Are All Europeans
Chapter 319: We Are All Europeans
The next day's match between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff could be described as thrilling.
From start to finish, Gryffindor performed as if divinely aided. Their three Chasers displayed remarkable offensive prowess, consistently outscoring Hufflepuff. They even managed to widen the gap by scoring with a Snitch-sized Golden Snidget, seemingly poised to claim victory.
However, despite this overwhelmingly favorable situation, Gryffindor lost the match.
When Diggory caught the Golden Snitch, bringing the Quidditch match to an end, everyone in the audience was left astounded, their jaws dropping at the sudden twist.
It could only be said that Gryffindor's luck was less than ideal.
The Golden Snitch appeared near Diggory, and Charlie, upon spotting it, immediately pretended to have seen the Snitch and flew in the opposite direction, attempting to lure Diggory away.
If Diggory realized the Snitch's presence, Gryffindor would undoubtedly lose the game.
As Diggory prepared to switch to his Nimbus Two Thousand and One to chase after Charlie, he happened to catch a glimpse of the Golden Snitch.
And so, Diggory easily caught the Snitch, securing the win for Hufflepuff and leaving Gryffindor with the bitter taste of their third consecutive defeat.
After the match, Charlie looked dejected, as if he had aged several decades in just a moment. The other players remained silent, clearly stunned by the unexpected turn of events.
Lee Jordan, blaming Hufflepuff's win on their "lucky break," earned a stern warning from Professor McGonagall.
Albert had no idea how to comfort his teammates and, after some thought, reached into his lizard skin pouch and pulled out a handful of hard candies, distributing them to everyone.
"Have some candy; it might cheer you up a bit."
"Sigh, I just feel like the team's luck hasn't been very good this year," Fred sighed. "If Charlie had your kind of luck, how could we have possibly lost the game like that?"
Albert didn't place much importance on winning or losing Quidditch matches, perhaps due to his lack of involvement in Quidditch training.
He suddenly gained some insight into why Rowena Smith had been so obsessed.
"In a game, there's no guarantee you'll always win," Albert consoled.
"You're right about that, but it still feels frustrating," Fred replied. "It's hard to accept that someone as ridiculously lucky as you could understand..."
"There's no point in complaining," Albert interrupted. "Otherwise, think of how Lee Jordan must feel."
Ever since successfully getting rid of Rowena Smith, the villainous boss, Albert had been in a good mood. Hearing Fred mention luck, he couldn't resist teasing them with a reference from his past life.
"What does this have to do with me?" Lee Jordan shot Albert a displeased glance, clearly not understanding the meaning behind Albert's words.
"It's nothing," Albert coughed lightly. "Luck is also a form of strength. Anyway, stop complaining. Diggory does have some skill; otherwise, he would've been fooled by Charlie's feint. It's impressive that he was able to win back the game for Hufflepuff."
"Fine, let's say you have a point, but I still think we lost due to bad luck," Fred grumbled. "We tried so hard, and yet we still lost for no apparent reason. It's just frustrating."
"We won a Quidditch Cup last year," Albert said. "If you really want another Cup, just work hard again next year. Who knows, maybe we'll bring home another victory!"
"Forget about those unpleasant things. You should focus all your thoughts and energy on your exams. And after the exams, we're going on an adventure into the Forbidden Forest together. Oh, and don't neglect your dueling practice either," Albert attempted to change the subject, hoping to lift the trio's spirits.
However, his words had the opposite effect. Upon hearing Albert mention the exams, Fred, George, and Lee Jordan became even more glum.
"Next year, are you really not planning to join the team?" George brought up the topic again as they made their way back to the Gryffindor common room.
Gryffindor was in dire need of a good Seeker.
"If we really can't find a Seeker, we'll discuss it then. Besides, I still have high hopes for Harry Potter!" Albert said, signaling for the three to follow him.
"Where are we going?" Lee Jordan asked curiously.
"The Trophy Room."
Albert pointed out the Quidditch medals won by James Potter to the three.
"Even before James Potter became the Quidditch Captain, he had already won several cups for Gryffindor. That's more than enough proof that he was truly exceptional," Albert explained, pointing to the names on the medals. "I never speak nonsense. You should trust me."
The three rolled their eyes at Albert, feeling that he was pulling their legs again.
"It's frustrating that Slytherin won the Quidditch Cup again this year," Fred said, clearly remembering how that group had jeered at them when they lost the game earlier.
"The game isn't over yet," Albert said, perplexed.
"Those guys will definitely use despicable means to win the game," the three agreed.
Upon returning to the common room, Albert felt that the atmosphere was rather gloomy, so he decided to head to the library to work on his homework. Fred and the others chose to stay behind, and Albert didn't press them, guessing that they were plotting some mischief.
Albert attempted to read a book but soon gave up and put it back.
Nowadays, the task of reading a hundred books on the task panel remained far from completion. He had only managed to read thirty-seven so far, and the goal seemed distant.
To be honest, he wasn't as enthusiastic about completing this task as before.
There was no choice; the random skill acquisition from the system was simply too underwhelming.
"So?"
Albert sat down next to Isabelle and handed her his paper on the advanced Lumos spell to review.
"It's challenging," Isabelle commented after reading it.
"I didn't expect it to be published in Spell Innovation anyway," Albert shook his head. "I just wanted to discuss the application of the advanced Lumos spell with Professor Flitwick."
After obtaining Spell Mastery, Albert's understanding of spells had deviated somewhat, or perhaps he had formed some unique insights.
This paper on the Lumos spell was just one of Albert's attempts to explore new ideas. He felt it would be best to seek Professor Flitwick's guidance on more advanced topics, as it was far more beneficial than corresponding with others through letters.
This realization stemmed from his experience with the advanced Guardian Charm. Sometimes, trying to figure things out alone could waste a lot of time, and it was more efficient to seek help from others.
Professor Flitwick's attitude towards Albert changed slightly after reading the paper on the Lumos spell.
Previously, Professor Flitwick had treated Albert as a student, rarely delving into more profound topics. Their discussions were mostly centered around textbook knowledge.
Now, Professor Flitwick realized that this genius student was truly extraordinary! (End of Chapter)
Chapter end
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