Chapter 374: The New Team
Chapter 374: The New Team
As the Quidditch season approached in early October, Cedric had become increasingly tense, constantly carrying a notebook with him and jotting down notes wherever he went. He had also switched his reading material from 'The Development and Changes of Medieval Charms' to 'A Detailed Explanation of 100 Quidditch Tactics'.
In Cedric's words, "When Harris was the captain, the team never lost a game. I must ensure the Quidditch Cup remains with Hufflepuff."
On the second weekend of October, Kyle had planned to sleep in, but Cedric showed up early in the morning and dragged him to the Great Hall without a word.
"Training, Kyle! You've missed three sessions already!" Cedric exclaimed.
As they ate beef sandwiches, Cedric spoke seriously, "You don't have any other commitments this time, right...?"
"Umm... I don't think so," Kyle replied hesitantly, meeting Cedric's unfriendly gaze.
Recently, the Mandrake Roots he had planted in the Room of Requirement had become more active, a sign of their impending maturity.
Although they were a few months later than expected, but they were finally reaching maturity.
To ensure everything went smoothly, Kyle would rush to the Room of Requirement whenever he had free time.
Not only did he miss training sessions, but he also seized every opportunity during class breaks, keeping him extremely busy.
The good news was that his efforts paid off... All the Mandrake Roots matured healthily, and their voices could be described as robust.
Although Kyle wore earplugs throughout the process, judging by their performance and demeanor, this seemed to be the case.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Cedric asked, eyeing him suspiciously.
"Yes!" Kyle nodded.
The Venomous Tentacles would likely need some more time, and they should be ready by the end of the year.
But that was still a long way off.
Moreover, Cedric had been the captain for some time, and his consecutive absences from training sessions did make it seem like he was not taking his role seriously.
Some might even think he didn't respect Cedric as a captain.
Kyle didn't want to give others the wrong impression.
With the responsibilities of recruiting new members, setting training plans, and devising game tactics as the captain, Cedric was already overwhelmed. It was best to leave these tasks to him.
"That's the best way," Cedric said, taking a sip of pumpkin juice. "The match is coming up soon. No matter how busy you are, you should try to attend as many training sessions as possible and coordinate with the new players. After all, we have four new team members this time."
With a team of seven, having four new players meant replacing almost half the team, which was enough to make Cedric genuinely nervous.
"Wait..." Kyle suddenly realized something and looked up, asking, "How many did you say?"
"Four!"
"Isn't it three?" Kyle looked at him in confusion. "Two Chasers and one Keeper... I thought there were only three in that year."
"So, you haven't been paying attention to the team at all..." Cedric's expression turned unfriendly again.
However, after a moment of hesitation, he explained, "Wright, a seventh-year Beater, wants to join the Aurors after graduation, but his grades are not outstanding, barely meeting the minimum requirements. Quidditch training takes up too much time, and to obtain more certificates after graduation, he submitted his resignation from the team just yesterday."
"Yesterday?" Kyle furrowed his brows. "After all this time, would Professor Hooch approve of us replacing him?"
"She did."
Cedric continued, "As graduation approaches, many students struggle to decide between Quidditch and certificates. Wright's situation is not uncommon. Perhaps it's to avoid hindering their progress; seventh-year students can withdraw from the team at any time, even before the final match."
Kyle nodded, as he hadn't known about this before.
"Have you found a replacement for him?" Kyle asked.
"There are a few candidates," Cedric said in a low voice, "and I think your roommate, Mikel, is a good choice."
"Mikel?" Kyle was surprised.
"Yes," Cedric said, "remember when he was in second year, he held onto a Snitch and flew across half the pitch. Not many people can do that, it requires a lot of arm strength."
"Now that I think about it, he does seem to have the talent to be a Keeper..." Cedric continued, "of course, he'll need some additional training."
After that, they called Mikel, who had just finished breakfast, and two other students to go to the Quidditch pitch together.
But as soon as they arrived, another team in red robes walked onto the pitch, each holding a flying broomstick.
"Cedric?" Oliver Wood walked over, "Shouldn't your training time be in the afternoon?"
"That's right," Cedric explained, "but something unexpected happened, and Professor Hooch allowed us to book the pitch today to select new team members."
"New team members? But it's already..." Oliver began, then suddenly realized, "Your seventh-year Keeper?"
"Yes," Cedric didn't hide it, "he withdrew to have more time to study... So we must hurry and select a new Keeper.
Sorry, it might be a wasted trip for you."
Oliver Wood's face unconsciously showed a smile, but he quickly suppressed it.
"It's fine, your matter is obviously more important." He said in a light tone, seemingly unbothered by the interrupted training time.
"I guess Oliver must be delighted."
On the way back, Fred whispered to Harry, "He always thought Hufflepuff was our biggest rival."
"But this year, they're in trouble," George said, "three of their senior players graduated, plus the withdrawal of Wright."
"Which means..." Harry thought for a moment, "the Hufflepuff team we'll face this year will have mostly new players without any match experience?"
"You're right!"
At this moment, Oliver Wood turned and said, "For us, this is a great opportunity... Hufflepuff's golden age has passed, and we can take back the Quidditch Cup from them!"
He clenched his fist, "Ever since Harry joined, I've believed winning the Quidditch Cup is a sure thing, but it hasn't happened yet... This is our last chance..."
Wood is in his seventh year and will graduate next year, so any achievements the team earns from now on won't be related to him... He desperately wants a victory.
...
"I guess Gryffindor must be laughing right now," Kyle said quietly, looking at their departing figures, "but replacing so many experienced senior players at once, they had no choice."
"But they're wrong about one thing."
Cedric smiled and said, "New members don't represent weak abilities, match experience and such can be accumulated gradually during matches."
"And..." He glanced at Kyle, "we have the best Chasers in Hogwarts."
"Yeah, you're right about that," Kyle admitted without any embarrassment.
Cedric is indeed suitable to be the captain... at least his vision is good.
...
Chapter end
Report
