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Chapter 384: Unexpected Visitors on the Pitch
Chapter 384: Unexpected Visitors on the Pitch
The raging wind and heavy rain showed no signs of abating with the arrival of the Quidditch match, remaining as fierce as the day before.
However, as the most popular sport in Hogwarts, even in such heavy rain, the entire school still turned out to watch the match as usual.
They ran towards the pitch, and some of them had their umbrellas blown away halfway, leaving them to hunch over and brace against the fierce wind.
At this moment, Kyle's Water-Repelling Badge proved its worth. The Hufflepuff team members stood at the front of the stands, braving the torrential rain without umbrellas, yet not a drop of water touched their bodies, and even their hair remained dry.
Their peculiarity naturally caught the attention of others.
Malfoy ran over from the direction of the changing room, still wearing his green team uniform.
"Kyle... How did they do that? Have you come up with something new again?"
"You could say that." Kyle pointed to the shiny object on Cedric's chest.
"Water-Repelling Badge, a must-have for rainy days."
"I'll take one." Malfoy said without even asking the price, his decision firm.
"A wise choice." Kyle handed him a new badge, "So... ten Galleons."
Malfoy took the badge and reached for his pocket... The next second, his face suddenly turned slightly embarrassed.
He had forgotten that he was wearing the team uniform, which had no pockets, in other words, he didn't bring any money.
"As our valued customer, you can also try it out first."
Kyle added in a timely manner, "You can also decide whether to pay after the match ends."
Malfoy's expression eased significantly, and he casually made some face-saving remarks.
In essence, he wasn't saying he didn't bring money; he just wanted to experience the treatment of a valued customer first.
Furthermore, regardless of the outcome, he would pay. The Malfoy family would never disappoint friends when it came to Galleons.
After Malfoy left, several young wizards approached with inquiries.
However, the sales of the Water-Repelling Badge weren't that good due to the minimum price of five Galleons.
But there was no other way; magic items were priced like this, and five Galleons was already considered low.
Of course, the map wasn't included; it was a welcome package for new students, a kind of welfare.
In the last few minutes before the match began, Malfoy returned.
"I'll take six more." He said, then took out seventy Galleons and handed them to Kyle, "And the one I bought earlier... I've already tried it, and the effect is excellent."
Coincidentally, Oliver Wood arrived at that moment.
"I heard from Professor McGonagall that there's a rain-resistant item here." He asked, "How much is it?"
"Five Galleons for the regular one, and ten Galleons for the Dragon Scale one." Kyle replied.
"I'll take two regular ones." Wood handed over ten Galleons to Kyle.
Malfoy snorted beside him, looking at Wood with disdain.
Wood, however, didn't seem to mind.
"Props don't represent strength, Malfoy. You're definitely going to lose."
Malfoy wanted to mock him, but Madam Hooch had already started walking towards the center of the pitch, so he had to rush back quickly.
As for Wood, it was much simpler. He directly jumped off the stand on his broom and handed the Water-Repelling Badges to two younger Chasers.
A few minutes later, the match began with Madam Hooch's whistle.
Cheers erupted from the stands.
"This feeling is amazing." Hufflepuff's new Keeper walked to the front, "At least a hundred people were watching me just now, and that Angelina Johnson from Gryffindor, she looked over here three times. I'm sure she was captivated by me."
"You must have mistaken her gaze; she was definitely looking at me..."
Several people laughed and sat down next to Cedric, and one of them turned to ask:
"Kyle, are you really giving us these badges for free?"
"Of course." Kyle nodded, "We agreed on that before."
"But these are ten Galleons each..." The person exclaimed, "Next time if there's another opportunity like this, make sure to call me. I can stand here all day."
"No problem," Kyle said with a smile.
At that moment, cheers erupted from the stands once more.
Slytherin had scored their first goal, and some of the Slytherin students were so excited that they threw their umbrellas in the air.
Amidst the cheers, Autumn and Michael pushed their way through the crowd.
"Did we miss anything?" Autumn asked.
"Just in time, Slytherin just scored their first goal," Kyle informed them as he looked at the two of them. "How are you guys doing?"
"Great!" Michael replied with a grin, "The Sleeping Draught worked wonders, but I hit the table a bit too hard, and my forehead hurts a little."
"I ate the other half of the Swelling Solution," Autumn said, "Madam Pomfrey didn't notice anything unusual."
"That's good."
"It's all thanks to your Lumos charm," Michael sat down and said half-jokingly, "To be honest, I always thought I was the only one who could do it. I didn't expect you to be able to as well, and without fainting."
"It's not a big deal," Kyle waved his hand, "I just relied on the help of magic words."
The group watched the match while chatting, or rather, spent most of their time chatting.
The heavy rain not only affected the players but was also unfriendly to the spectators in the stands.
Through the rain, they could barely make out a few shadows darting back and forth, but it was difficult to identify who they were.
In the commentary stand, Lee Jordan, for the first time, refrained from making witty remarks. He had to concentrate all his energy on guessing who had the Quaffle based on their blurred silhouettes.
"Nice... Gryffindor scored ten points... Well done, Angelina... Um, it might also be Spinnet..."
The sky grew darker, and as the first lightning bolt flashed across, the conditions on the pitch worsened.
Lee Jordan had never wished for a match to end so badly, but in this situation, it was incredibly challenging to spot the Golden Snitch.
"This match won't last until nightfall, will it?" Michael asked, "It's too cold, I should have worn a thicker robe."
"If the Golden Snitch isn't caught..." Cedric said, "Although school matches are much simpler compared to professional ones, the rules are the same.
I remember Hogwarts' longest Quidditch match record was two days... and it also produced the two worst Seekers in school history."
"No..."
Suddenly, Kyle said, "I think it won't last until nightfall."
He looked up at the gloomy sky.
Another lightning bolt flashed, briefly illuminating the sky and revealing hundreds of hooded figures.
They were Dementors, standing there, and a chilling aura began to spread across the pitch.
The crowd's cheers suddenly vanished, replaced by terrified screams.
"Damn, I knew it was getting colder all of a sudden!"
Michael jumped up from his seat, "Why are these monsters here?"
"Perhaps the cheerful atmosphere on the pitch attracted them," Kyle said, "Dementors feed on people's happiness, and the current pitch is almost like a grand feast for them... Not many Dementors can resist such temptation."
"What should we do..." Michael shivered and tightened his robe, hoping to warm himself a little.
"It's fine," Kyle reassured Michael as he watched the approaching Dementors, "Professor Dumbledore wouldn't let them come here."
"But Professor Dumbledore isn't in the castle."
Michael said with a hint of panic, "This morning, Professor McGonagall went to the Hospital Wing to get some Stimulating Potion. I pretended to be asleep and overheard her conversation with Madam Pomfrey... Professor Dumbledore had already left for London and wouldn't be back until tonight."
(End of Chapter)
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