Chapter 436: Breaking Records
Chapter 436: Breaking Records
"Aren't you going to watch the Quidditch match today?"
In the Room of Requirement, Katrina packed up her finished homework and looked up at Albert, who was still busy with his own tasks across the table. She reminded him, "I remember it's Gryffindor against Hufflepuff today."
"I know, no hurry. You go ahead, we'll meet up soon," Albert said, keeping his head down as he focused on his work.
Katrina understood that he was planning to use a Time-Turner.
Not long after, the door to the Room of Requirement opened, and Isabelle walked in with a light, cheerful step, apparently having just returned from outside the castle.
"Faster than I imagined. Looks like Gryffindor won," Albert said without looking up.
"How did you know Gryffindor won?" Katrina couldn't understand where Albert's confidence came from; Hufflepuff wasn't a weak team.
"Gryffindor did win," Isabelle confirmed as she sat down next to Albert. She took out a thermos from her backpack, poured herself some freshly brewed milk tea, and handed a cup each to Albert and Katrina.
"Would you like some cake?" she offered.
"No thanks, I haven't had lunch yet," Albert took a sip from his cup but declined the cake. "By the way, help me test this later."
He handed Isabelle a quill.
"Is this the self-writing quill you mentioned last time?" Isabelle examined the quill Albert gave her; it looked no different from an ordinary quill. However, she could guess how it worked, as Albert had explained the manufacturing principle to her before.
"It's still a work in progress," Albert said as he tidied up the parchment on the table and continued reading his book. It was nearly noon when he finally closed the book and prepared to head to the kitchen for lunch.
After eating, Albert asked the house-elves to prepare some pastries. He knew that Fred and George would come to the kitchen for some celebratory treats after the match.
The two of them found a secluded spot and together used the Time-Turner to go back one hour, to the time when everyone was getting ready to head to the Quidditch stadium.
"But didn't Professor McGonagall say that Time-Turners shouldn't be abused for anything other than classes?" Katrina was astounded by Albert's skillful use of the device. Shouldn't he be worried about being discovered?
Before Katrina could finish her sentence, Albert interrupted, "As long as it's done right, there won't be any problems. At this point in time, we're still in the Room of Requirement, so there won't be two of us running around. I've always told you to make better use of this place." Albert believed that Katrina should be bolder when using the Time-Turner instead of being timid about it. Her reluctance to use the device to create more time for herself was why she was always so exhausted.
Katrina was left speechless, especially when she saw Isabelle come over to greet them soon after, realizing that Isabelle's situation was similar to Albert's.
"I really don't understand why Professor Snape would volunteer to be the referee," Katrina said, puzzled as she watched Snape's gloomy face.
The audience was surprised to see Snape replace Madam Hooch as the temporary referee, and the Gryffindor students' reaction was particularly intense. Someone even started throwing things onto the pitch in protest.
"Perhaps Snape wants to prevent Gryffindor from winning," Albert said.
Of course, Albert knew why Snape had become the referee, but he wasn't going to tell anyone else. Anyway, it wasn't the first time Snape had been misunderstood, and he didn't mind it continuing.
In fact, many people, including the other teachers, believed that Snape wanted to stop Gryffindor from winning.
Who could blame them when Snape was so unpopular at Hogwarts?
To be honest, Snape's actions were a bit laughable. He didn't need to go to such lengths.
Who would make the same mistake twice?
With Dumbledore himself in attendance, Albert was certain Quirrell wouldn't be foolish enough to make a move against Harry in the same place, especially not under the headmaster's watchful eye.
The match eventually started amidst the chaos. George "accidentally" aimed a Bludger at the referee, forcing Snape to dodge and earning Hufflepuff a penalty.
A few minutes later, Snape awarded another unjustified penalty to Hufflepuff, giving them an early scoring advantage.
Lee Jordan's sarcastic commentary made even the excited Hufflepuff students feel embarrassed. Snape's obvious bias was difficult to agree with.
If Snape continued like this, Hufflepuff would likely win the match before either team caught the Golden Snitch.
"Does Snape want Slytherin to keep winning the Quidditch Cup?" Katrina thought she had guessed Snape's motive. If Gryffindor lost just one match, Slytherin would have a chance to turn the tables.
"The key lies with Harry Potter," Isabelle said.
Albert and Katrina fell silent, as they both knew the outcome—Gryffindor would win, and there was no doubt that Harry Potter would catch the Snitch.
In unison, the three of them turned their binoculars towards Harry Potter, the savior, who was soaring like an eagle around the pitch, seemingly searching for the Snitch.
Suddenly, Harry shot downwards like a bullet, causing the audience to stand up in a flurry of gasps and cheers.
"What is he trying to do?" someone screamed.
Harry dove straight towards Snape, looking ready to knock the professor off his broom.
Just as Snape adjusted his broom to avoid the collision, a golden flash whizzed past his ear, and Harry halted his dive, his hand stopping just inches from Snape's side.
Snape, who had been about to award another penalty to Hufflepuff, saw the mischievous smile on Harry's face and then watched as Harry triumphantly raised his arm, the Snitch securely in his grip.
The match was over.
The stands erupted in cheers, and there was no doubt that a new, unbeatable record had been set.
The entire match had lasted less than five minutes.
"We won! We won!"
As the Gryffindor students rushed onto the pitch to lift Harry onto their shoulders, a pale-faced Snape also landed and glared at the celebrated Harry Potter, spitting angrily on the ground.
(End of Chapter)
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