Chapter 384: An Unexpected Visitor on the Pitch
Chapter 384: An Unexpected Visitor on the Pitch
The strong winds and heavy rain showed no signs of abating, just as they had been the day before, even with the Quidditch match about to commence.
However, as the most popular sport at Hogwarts, the entire school turned out to watch the game despite the downpour, just as they would on any other day.
They ran towards the pitch, and some people's umbrellas were blown away along the way, leaving them no choice but to bow their heads against the fierce gale.
It was at this moment that Kyle's waterproof badges proved their worth. The Hufflepuff team stood at the very front of the stands, braving the storm without umbrellas. Yet, not a single drop of rain touched their bodies, and even their hair remained dry.
Their peculiar situation naturally drew the attention of the others.
Draco Malfoy ran over from the direction of the changing rooms, still wearing his green team robes.
"Kyle... how are they doing that? Have you come up with something new again?"
"You could say that." Kyle pointed to the shiny object on Cedric's chest.
"Waterproof and moisture-resistant badges—a must-have for rainy days."
"I'll take one." Malfoy said without even asking the price, his decision instant.
"A wise choice." Kyle handed him a new badge, "That will be... ten galleons."
Malfoy took the badge and reached for his pocket... only to have his face turn slightly embarrassed the next second.
He had forgotten that he had changed into his Quidditch robes, which had no pockets, meaning he hadn't brought any money with him.
"As our valued customer, you're welcome to try it out first," Kyle said at that moment.
"You can decide whether or not to pay after the game if you like," he added.
Malfoy's expression eased considerably, and he casually made some face-saving remarks.
The gist of it was that... he hadn't forgotten his money; he just suddenly wanted to experience the treatment given to valued customers.
Also, no matter the outcome, he would pay, as the Malfoy family would never disappoint a friend when it came to galleons.
After Malfoy left, quite a few young witches and wizards came forward to inquire about the badges.
However, the lowest price of five galleons meant that the sales of the waterproof badges were not as high as they could have been.
But there was no other way; that was just how the magical item pricing worked, and five galleons was already considered a low price.
Of course, the maps were an exception; those were part of the freshmen welcome package and were essentially a welfare item.
In the last few minutes before the game began, Malfoy returned.
"I'll take six more," he said, handing seventy galleons to Kyle. "And for the one I bought before... I just tried it out, and the effect is excellent."
Coincidentally, Oliver Wood also arrived at that moment.
"I heard from Professor McGonagall that there's something here that can repel rainwater," he asked. "How much is it?"
"Five galleons for the regular one and ten for the dragon scale version," Kyle replied.
"I'll take two regular ones," Wood said, handing over ten galleons.
Malfoy snorted derisively beside him, looking down at Wood with disdain.
But Wood didn't seem to mind at all.
"Props don't represent true strength, Malfoy. You're going to lose for sure."
Malfoy wanted to retort, but at that moment, Madam Hooch had already started walking towards the middle of the pitch, so he had to rush back.
As for Wood, he simply jumped off the stands onto his broomstick and handed the waterproof badges to two of the younger Chasers.
A few minutes later, the game began with a whistle from Madam Hooch.
Cheers erupted from the stands.
"This feeling is amazing," Hufflepuff's new Keeper walked over from the front, "At least a hundred people were watching me just now, and that Angelina Johnson from Gryffindor looked over here three times. I'm sure she was charmed by me."
"You must have misread the situation; she was clearly looking at me..."
The group laughed and chatted as they sat down next to Cedric, and one of them turned and asked,
"Kyle, are you really giving these badges to us?"
"Of course." Kyle nodded. "We agreed on that before."
"But these are worth ten galleons..." The person exclaimed, "Next time you have something like this, be sure to call me. I could stand here all day."
Slytherin had scored their first goal, and some of the Slytherin students were so excited that they threw their umbrellas aside.
Amidst the cheers, Qiu and Mikkel pushed their way through the crowd and joined them.
"Did we miss anything?"
"Perfect timing. Slytherin just scored their first goal," Kyle said, looking at them. "How are you feeling?"
"Great," Mikkel grinned. "The Sleeping Draught worked like a charm, although I did bang my head on the table pretty hard. It hurts a bit."
"I took the other half of the Swelling Solution," Qiu added. "Madame Pomfrey didn't suspect a thing."
"That's good to hear."
"All thanks to your Lumos spell," Mikkel said as he sat down, half-joking. "To be honest, I always thought I was the only one who could pull that off without fainting, but I didn't expect you to manage it too, and without passing out."
"It's nothing," Kyle waved his hand dismissively. "It's all thanks to the help of the magic runes."
The group chatted while watching the game, though they spent most of the time talking.
The heavy rain affected not just the players but also the spectators in the stands.
Through the curtain of rain, they could barely make out a few shadowy figures darting back and forth, but it was difficult to identify who they were.
In the commentary booth, Lee Jordan found himself unable to crack jokes for once. He had to concentrate all his energy on guessing, from their blurry silhouettes, who had the Quaffle.
"Nice... Gryffindor equalizes... good work, Angelina... or maybe Spinnet..."
The sky grew darker, and with the first flash of lightning, the conditions on the pitch worsened.
Lee Jordan had never hoped for a Quidditch match to end so quickly, but in this situation, it was incredibly difficult to spot the Golden Snitch.
"This match isn't going to last until evening, is it?" Mikkel asked. "It's freezing. I should've worn a thicker robe."
"If the Snitch isn't caught... it might!" Cedric replied. "Although school matches are much simpler than professional ones, the rules are the same.
I recall the longest Quidditch match in Hogwarts history lasted two days... and it produced the worst Seekers in the school's history."
"No..."
Kyle suddenly said, "I don't think it'll last until evening."
He looked up at the gloomy sky.
Another flash of lightning briefly illuminated the sky, revealing hundreds of hooded figures.
Dementors, standing there, a terrible chill began to spread across the pitch.
The cheers from the crowd suddenly vanished, replaced by terrified screams.
"Damn, I knew it was getting colder!"
Mikkel jumped up from his seat. "Why are these creatures here?"
"The cheerful atmosphere on the pitch probably attracted them," Kyle said. "Dementors feed on people's happiness, and the current atmosphere is like a grand feast for them... not many Dementors could resist such temptation."
"What should we do...?" Mikkel asked, shivering, as he pulled his robe tighter around him, hoping to find some warmth.
"It's alright," Kyle reassured him, looking at the approaching Dementors. "Professor Dumbledore wouldn't let them come here."
"But Professor Dumbledore isn't in the castle," Mikkel said anxiously.
"This morning, Professor McGonagall went to the hospital wing to get some energizing potions, and I overheard her talking to Madame Pomfrey while pretending to be asleep..." Mikkel continued, "Professor Dumbledore had already left for London, and he won't be back until evening."
(End of Chapter)
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