Chapter 407: Four Protectors, One Seeker
Chapter 407: Four Protectors, One Seeker
Harry turned to Cedric, who had obviously heard the same thing.
"Wood is right..." Cedric smiled, "Bring it on."
For a moment, Harry thought Wood must have lost his mind.
The Seekers on the other teams were generally smaller and more agile, with the exception of Hufflepuff.
Cedric was tall and sturdy, and if he collided with someone at this speed, either of them could be knocked off their broom.
Harry turned the Firebolt upwards, soaring higher into the sky.
The game had now reached its climax...
"Hufflepuff leads 90 to 10... Potter seems to be in trouble... Oh, the Firebolt has taken off, keep an eye on its turn... Diggory's Nimbus 1700 is no match for it, especially when it comes to the Firebolt's precise balance during long flights..."
"Jordan, did the Firebolt pay you to advertise for them? Get on with the commentary!"
"Yes, Professor..."
What was happening in the stands was now the least of their concerns.
As Kael threw the Quaffle into the goal once again, George frowned and whispered something to Fred, then tentatively hit a Bludger towards Cedric's direction.
At the same time, Fred aimed at another Chaser.
However, Hufflepuff's Beater merely glanced up and made no move to help. Even as the two Bludgers flew off in different directions, they remained close to Kael.
Cedric spun in the air, dodging the Bludger, but the other Chaser wasn't so lucky. It hit her arm, causing her to grimace in pain, but fortunately, she managed to stay on her broom.
"This strategy of targeting Kael is useless! They're protecting him like he's in an iron barrel, there's no opportunity!" Fred shouted.
"Then target someone else!" George said, "Once he's the only one left, we can still catch up to the score!"
The two of them hit the Bludgers towards Grace, but she dodged them skillfully.
The month of Bludger-dodging training they had undergone was paying off now.
With Fred and George's reminder, Gryffindor also realized Hufflepuff's strategy... Four players protecting their Seeker, leaving only the Keeper and the remaining Chaser to fend for themselves.
The three Chasers rushed forward together, attempting to block Kael.
But before they could get close, they found their path blocked by Hufflepuff players.
Not enough Chasers? No problem, the Beaters could make up for it... Their intention was clear: collide as much as you want, at most we'll all be out together...
"This style of play is too rogueish, who on earth came up with it!" Angelina was so angry her face turned red.
Of course, she couldn't afford to be knocked out along with the Hufflepuff players. Without their obstruction, Kael would score even more smoothly.
In the moment that they hesitated, Kael had already flown past, using a feint to trick Wood and throwing the Quaffle into the goal post.
"100 to 10!"
Jordan shouted, his attention diverted from the Firebolt for the first time.
"Hufflepuff has paved a path for Kael, no one can stop him from scoring, no one!
The speed of the Nimbus 2000 is being utilized to its fullest, with crisp and efficient catches, and flexible flying techniques... He's like a fire-breathing dragon in a sheep pen, a scoring machine! The gap in the score is widening... Can the Firebolt turn the tide... Potter doesn't have much time left."
Listening to the commentary, Harry grew more and more anxious.
But he couldn't shake Cedric.
Harry tried various methods, but the other boy seemed determined to treat him like the Snitch, always sticking close and not letting go.
Helpless, in order to get rid of Cedric's interference, Harry could only keep accelerating, searching for the golden glint while flying and looking around.
Although it was difficult to focus completely on finding the Snitch this way, it was still much better than having his vision blocked repeatedly.
Wait... something was wrong! He saw the Quaffle still in Katie's possession, and Cedric, who had been right on his tail, was now diving towards the ground.
"Did he spot the Snitch?!"
Without thinking, Harry turned his broom and gave chase. Cedric abruptly stopped his dive, but Harry couldn't slow down in time and continued descending.
He managed to stop just a foot above the ground, his face reddening with embarrassment.
He had just been fooled by a feint, the same move he had used himself just minutes ago.
"Darn it..."
Cedric sighed, as this was the limit of his diving capability; any lower and he might not have been able to stop.
Nevertheless, he had bought himself some time.
He had indeed spotted the Snitch, but it was in the opposite direction, above Harry's head... He had been flying too fast to notice.
A few seconds later, a humiliated Harry soared upwards like a bullet once more.
At that moment, two Bludgers flew towards Cedric from either side, passing harmlessly between him and Harry.
Fred and George had thought that Harry, with the Firebolt, would easily overpower Cedric, but it seemed they were mistaken.
Wood had fantasized about racking up points before the game, but that was just a pipe dream! If Cedric continued to hold them off, they might actually lose.
With their help, however, Harry was finally free.
Cedric was occupied with the Bludgers and couldn't afford to pay any attention to Harry, who could now concentrate on finding the Snitch.
And there it was... near the Slytherin stands, the glimmering golden Snitch.
Harry accelerated, and this time, nothing could stop him... He was going to win, the Snitch was within reach... and then...
"Oh!" George shouted, pointing downwards.
Harry's attention wavered, and he looked down.
Three hooded figures, resembling Dementors, stood there, their faces turned towards him...
Strange, what were Dementors doing in the stands?
Harry had no time to ponder this. He reached into his robe, pulled out his wand, and yelled, "Expecto Patronum!"
A silvery form erupted from the tip of his wand, shooting towards the Dementors, but Harry didn't linger to watch. He kept his eyes forward, stretching out the hand that still held his wand, and grasped the struggling Snitch.
At that moment, Madam Hooch's whistle rang out...
Simultaneously, the Quaffle grazed Wood's fingertips and dropped neatly into the goalpost.
The scoreboards on both sides flashed.
160:160
The roar of the crowd was deafening, as if they would bring down the stadium. People applauded enthusiastically, their hands stinging from the force of their clapping.
"Incredible... Hufflepuff did it, I can hardly believe it! They beat the Firebolt!" Lee Jordan shouted.
Professor McGonagall stood behind him, clapping excitedly, not even bothering to correct his mistake.
According to the rules, since Harry had caught the Snitch last, Gryffindor should have been declared the winner.
But none of that mattered now.
In most people's hearts, Hufflepuff was the true victor.
Cedric had held off Harry, who possessed the Firebolt, with his old Cleansweep 1700.
And with the help of his teammates, Kael had single-handedly racked up 150 points...
In their eyes, this was one of the best Quidditch matches in recent years.
Kael turned in the air and saw six blurry yellow figures flying towards him.
Each of them bore injuries—Grace and the other Chaser's arms hung limply by their sides... Mickel had a clear Bludger imprint on his face, and he was missing a few teeth.
Despite their wounds, everyone looked ecstatic as they hugged Kael tightly, nearly squeezing him off his broom.
...
(End of Chapter)
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