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Chapter 341: An Exciting Final
Chapter 341: An Exciting Final
The stands erupted in cheers and applause, the atmosphere electric.
However, the mood in the small box had not yet thawed from its icy state, everyone's faces were tense. Harry felt the pain in his forehead lessen, but his mind was a jumbled mess, filled with baseless suspicions. He didn't know if the pain in his scar was related to Barty Crouch, or if it was all just a coincidence...
'But what if it isn’t?' a voice in his head whispered. Harry knew what he was thinking—Professor Quirrell from first year.
'But Mr. Crouch isn’t wearing a large turban on his head!'
Ron placed a hand on Harry's shoulder, "Hey, Harry, are you okay? That was quite a surprise... but, um", he looked around, trying to find something interesting, "I mean, how did Bagman get so energetic all of a sudden?"
Indeed, just moments ago, Ludo Bagman had looked terrified, but now, as he hosted the Quidditch World Cup final, his voice was filled with passion and joy, as if he had completely forgotten about Fudge.
"... Let's welcome the Bulgarian National Team's mascot!"
Harry, feeling rather ill, glanced at the field, not particularly interested in the pre-game mascot performance that Hermione had mentioned. However, he was soon captivated—“They're Veela!” Mr. Weasley hurriedly wiped his glasses, speaking with authority.
A hundred Veela glided onto the pitch. They were women, incredibly beautiful women, so much so that more than one person wondered if they were even human. Their skin glowed, their hair flowed gracefully behind them, and they exuded a powerful charm. Especially when they began to dance, their charm effortlessly captured the attention of the entire audience.
Felix smiled as he pulled down Alec Mcgee, who had suddenly stood on his chair, trying to dance along. He wasn't the only one to lose composure; those who were seeing Veela for the first time and were unprepared were the most susceptible.
Felix's gaze swept over the crowd. The appearance of the Veela had warmed the atmosphere in the box. Hermione made a loud smacking sound and pulled Harry and Ron back to their seats. "Oh, what are you doing!" she said.
The performance by the Irish Leprechauns was equally unforgettable. These little men in red waistcoats and beards darted back and forth above the massive stadium, forming various shapes like fireworks. Finally, they created a giant, shimmering shamrock that hovered above the audience, showering them with a rain of golden coins.
"Fake", Crimi said, grabbing a coin, but she was still enthusiastically collecting them.
Next, Ludo Bagman introduced the two teams with great enthusiasm, focusing on their Seekers. The names of Krum and Lynch were met with enthusiastic responses from the crowd.
The match began.
Both national teams displayed incredible skill. They were so fast that their faces were a blur, a chaotic mix of red and green streaks. Ludo Bagman could only manage to call out their names and tactical maneuvers.
"The Quaffle is with Mullet! He passes it to Troy! Now to Moran! Dimitrov! Mullet! Troy again!"
Bagman screamed, "Hawkhead Array! Watch... Goal! Troy scores, the tactic worked, 10-0, Ireland leads!" He shouted with passion, and the crowd erupted in cheers.
The game continued—
"Again, Troy! The Quaffle is still with Ireland! You should notice—oh, my! Ireland is organizing another attack! Moran! Mullet!"
"Pokrov Feint! It didn’t work... Reverse pass! Brilliant! This time, Moran!"
Soon, Ireland was leading 30-0. Bagman suddenly shouted, "Look at the Seekers—Krum and Lynch, they've spotted something, they're tangling—oh, no! A healer is on the field! Lynch has fallen! It was a feint! The match is paused!"
Crimi, holding a telescope, asked curiously, "What happened? Where’s the Golden Snitch? What were those two just doing?"
Alec Mcgee, excitedly, explained, "It was a Lonski Feint, pretending to spot the Snitch, then diving to draw the opponent in, and then—" he pointed to Lynch, who was dazed and floating as if on a cloud, his nose and face covered in blood, "that’s the result of failure, this damned misfortune." He muttered under his breath.
Felix stared at the pitch, where Krum, having gained the upper hand in the contest of raw skill, was hovering high above the stadium, using the rare moment of undisturbed time to search for the Golden Snitch.
A few minutes later, Lynch recovered, and the game resumed.
"Intense..." Felix said. In just a few minutes, Ireland had scored ten more goals, now leading 130-10.
"Yes, intense, I've never seen such an exciting match", Alec Mcgee agreed.
"...If it ends too quickly, the fireworks won't be as impressive", Felix finished his thought. Alec was taken aback by Felix's comment, opening and closing his mouth a few times, unsure how to respond. Crimi giggled.
As the score widened, various minor infractions began to occur on the field. Ludo Bagman continued his role as commentator, "The Bulgarian team is using excessive elbowing, a clear foul... Yes, the referee has blown the whistle and awarded a penalty!"
The tension off the pitch was just as intense, with the mascots and supporters of both teams shouting angrily and waving their fists. However, the score continued to rise irreversibly to 140-10.
"This match was worth coming to!" Ron said excitedly, watching the intense game while occasionally glancing at the corner where the Veela and the Irish Leprechauns were fighting. "The Veela don't seem to look good when they're angry, but who cares! Kick that bearded guy's butt, yes!"
"Ron—"
Suddenly, a cry of surprise rippled through the crowd as the Irish Seeker, Lynch, suddenly accelerated into a dive. Through the binoculars, one could still see a trace of blood on his nostrils, with Krum closely following behind.
Bagman shouted, "Both Seekers are accelerating! Is this a feint? Is it Lynch's retaliation? Oh—they're getting faster, no signs of slowing down! No signs of slowing down! I see the Golden Snitch—"
The crowd of ten thousand held their breath, with only the two teams' mascots still fighting in the corner.
The two Seekers raced side by side, diving towards the ground, each stretching out one hand, reaching as far as they could—
"Bang!"
Lynch crashed heavily to the ground, while Krum spiraled upwards, clutching the Snitch in his hand.
The scoreboard flashed the new score: Bulgaria 160, Ireland 170. The audience seemed to be in a state of shock, unsure of what had just happened.
After a few seconds, Bagman, dazed, said, "The Bulgarian Seeker, Krum, has caught the Golden Snitch, but... the score still favors the Irish team—"
He rubbed his eyes, confirming the score, and was then enveloped in a wave of immense joy: "Ireland wins! After thirty years! Oh, I don't think any of us expected this outcome!"
"Indeed, who would have thought", Felix muttered, "the match ended in less than an hour! Alec, Crimi, Lupin... we should leave and prepare for the lantern festival. The crowd might disperse tomorrow."
"Mr. Heep, can I stay a bit longer? I want to see the award ceremony", Alec requested.
"Alright, you can come later", Felix said, "Crimi, Lupin, what about you?"
Neither of them was particularly interested in the ceremony and followed Felix as they left. As they passed the Malfoys, Draco greeted Felix politely, "Professor Heep, hello." He was dressed in a neat black suit, his hair perfectly groomed.
"Hello", Felix smiled and nodded, "I look forward to your performance this year."
He glanced at Lucius, passing by him and said softly, "Remember what we discussed... I'm still waiting for your response, Lucius."
Lucius Malfoy looked uncomfortable, involuntarily gripping his cane, "O-of course, I'll give you an answer."
Narcissa was surprised by her husband's behavior and gave him a questioning look.
Lucius shook his head, saying nothing.
As they left the box, Felix and the others heard the Bulgarian Minister calmly say, "I must say, our boys played bravely."
"You speak English!" Fudge exclaimed angrily, "But you made me gesture all day!"
"Hey, didn't you find it fun?" the Bulgarian Minister shrugged.
Fun... Fudge panted, his nostrils flaring, wishing he could punch the man. If not for him, none of those mishaps would have happened...
Calm down, Fudge thought, noticing something off about Crouch's demeanor. Could it be the recent stress?
As Crimi passed the front row, she said to Felix, "Ha, I heard this man's perfect English earlier and thought I was mistaken..."
Fudge's expression became quite colorful, and the Bulgarian Minister smiled.
Felix quickly pulled her down the stairs, passing through the layers of stands. The top box they had occupied was illuminated by magic, and Ludo Bagman had already begun welcoming the Quidditch players into the box.
The Irish supporters erupted in deafening cheers, while the Bulgarian supporters looked dejected, still in shock.
Crimi, standing in a neutral position, said, "They are indeed pitiful, trailing by a large margin... They were hoping for a turnaround, and it seemed to come, but it wasn't enough to reverse the score..."
"Vera—" Felix said.
A few Bulgarian supporters glared at her, and she instinctively hunched her shoulders, hiding behind Felix.
Lupin smiled as he followed behind.
When they reached the ground, the victorious Irish team was circling the field, accompanied by their mascots.
"At least there's no congestion", Lupin said, "We have plenty of time."
Felix muttered, "I was worried the losing fans might cause trouble. I hope the Ministry of Magic is up to the task."
(End of Chapter)
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