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Chapter 425: The Quidditch Finals
Chapter 425: The Quidditch Finals
The day of the match arrived, and after breakfast, Kyle and the Hufflepuff team made their way to the Quidditch pitch.
"Good luck, Kyle!" Connor waved and shouted, and Kyle waved back.
After changing into their uniforms, they left the locker room and stepped out onto the pitch, greeted by a deafening roar from the crowd.
This was the final match of the year, and the stands were packed with spectators, almost the entire castle population in attendance.
Even Dumbledore was seated in the middle of the staff box, chatting amicably with Professor McGonagall.
Meanwhile, Professors Snape and Sprout were noticeably absent, having taken their places at the forefront of their respective House sections, their allegiances clear.
"And here comes the Hufflepuff team!" Lee Jordan, as usual, was the commentator, shouting into a megaphone, "Leading the team is Captain Cedric, followed by Kyle... This is a team that never fails to surprise, and I predict they'll break the record for the fastest Golden Snitch capture today!"
"And on the other side, we have Slytherin, captained by Marcus Flint..."
As he spoke, both teams had already taken their positions in the center of the pitch.
"Shake hands, captains!" instructed Madam Hooch.
Flint and Cedric stepped forward and shook hands firmly.
Then, with a blast of Madam Hooch's whistle, the game began, and fifteen brooms soared into the sky, including that of the referee.
"Hufflepuff is in possession, and as always, Kyle is dominating. He's the first to go after the Quaffle... Warrington of Slytherin attempts to intercept... Ooh, nice Bludger hit, Warrington's down... Beautiful move by Kyle, he dodges Montague and scores! Hufflepuff takes the lead!"
A cheer went up from the Hufflepuff supporters as the Quaffle flew through the hoops...
In contrast, the Gryffindor side was a little quieter... They were hoping for a close match, as that would give Gryffindor a chance to win the cup at the end.
Back on the pitch, Kyle, who had just scored, turned to fly back when he suddenly found Flint barreling towards him at full speed.
Kyle swiftly adjusted his broom, narrowly avoiding a collision.
"Sorry!" Flint shouted, his mouth twisting, "Didn't see you there!"
"It's fine." Kyle smiled, "It's all part of the game."
Flint didn't think much of it at first, but soon he understood what Kyle meant.
During one of their attacks, he was struck hard by the Quaffle, with such force that he almost thought it was a Bludger.
"Foul!" Flint pointed at Kyle and roared at Madam Hooch, "He did it on purpose! Slytherin should get a penalty shot!"
But his request was denied.
"No, that was a normal pass!" Madam Hooch shouted back, "You suddenly appeared in the way! Play on!"
Flint's face turned red with anger, and he waved his fists furiously.
A pass?
Was there a need for such force in a pass? He felt that the Quaffle could have been thrown out of the pitch!
Meanwhile, Kyle had already scored the second goal.
20-0.
With Hufflepuff taking an early lead, the Slytherin team was frustrated and soon resorted to underhanded tactics to gain possession of the Quaffle.
Bole hit Grace with his bat, and when caught, he claimed he had mistaken her for a Bludger. Mickel, unable to contain his anger, kicked Bole in the face while supporting himself on his broom with both hands.
"Oh, what a brilliant move! I must learn that... Just kidding, Professor McGonagall... I mean, that kind of behavior is wrong, you should secretly use your elbows..."
"Jordan!" Professor McGonagall stood up.
"Sorry, Professor, sorry, I won't do it again..." Lee Jordan quickly added, "Madam Hooch has awarded a penalty shot to each team..."
Both penalty shots were successful, bringing the score to 30-10.
Slytherin continued with their aggressive tactics.
Montague flew towards Kyle, pretending to go for the Snitch but reaching for Kyle's broom instead...
Just as his hand touched the broom, a tiny sprout-like creature emerged from the twigs.
Strange, why was a Bowtruckle on the broom... Before Montague could process this, he felt a sharp prick as the Bowtruckle lashed out with its claws.
Montague instinctively pulled back his hand, and due to the sudden movement, his body wobbled, nearly causing him to fall off his broom.
"Foul!" Montague shouted triumphantly after regaining his balance, "Hooch, there's something in his broom, it's against the rules!"
Madam Hooch flew over but found nothing, and due to Montague's obvious grab, Hufflepuff was awarded a penalty shot instead.
"What a pity..." Kyle whispered as he flew past Montague after scoring the penalty.
Montague was shaking with rage, his eyes blazing with fury.
Kyle and Grace each scored another goal.
60-20.
Hufflepuff's lead widened.
Silence fell over the Gryffindor stands, devoid of the previous cheers that accompanied each goal.
Wood gripped his hair, while Fred and George sat there, transfixed by the match.
With Hufflepuff at 60 points, it meant that if they added the 150 points from catching the Snitch, their total would surpass Gryffindor's.
Fred and George's emotions were mixed.
They wanted to win the Quidditch Cup, but they didn't want to see Slytherin victorious...
They weren't alone in this thought, and even Lee Jordan's commentary grew quieter.
However, the game continued...
Kyle scored again, 70-20.
Shortly after, Mickel used a Bludger to knock the Quaffle out of Warrington's hands, and Grace seized the opportunity, swooping in to catch the Quaffle and sending it into the Slytherin goal post.
80-20.
The Hufflepuff fans below were hoarse from cheering, and Professor Sprout, at the forefront, was using her wand to draw a massive Hufflepuff badger in the air.
Suddenly, a flash of gold caught everyone's attention.
The Golden Snitch! It hovered just a few feet above the ground.
Almost simultaneously, Malfoy and Cedric reacted.
They accelerated towards the Snitch, diving down.
As they neared the ground, they were side by side, both leaning forward to grab it...
The surrounding area fell silent, everyone anxiously awaiting the outcome.
Finally, Cedric stretched out his hand, revealing a glimmer of gold between his fingers.
With his height advantage, he caught the Snitch first.
"Congratulations to Hufflepuff..." Lee Jordan's voice was hoarse, but he continued, "They've won the final match and claimed the Quidditch Cup!"
Hufflepuff supporters rushed past the barriers and onto the pitch,
Kyle had just landed when he and the other players were lifted onto their teammates' shoulders.
He spotted Hagrid wiping his tears, and Professor Sprout jumping up and down in excitement... She didn't look like a professor at that moment.
Dumbledore stood in the stands, holding the massive Quidditch Cup, smiling at them.
...
(End of Chapter)
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