Chapter 463: These Tickets Are Definitely Worth It
Chapter 463: These Tickets Are Definitely Worth It
After the team introductions, Ludo Bagman proceeded to introduce the referee for the match—the President of the International Quidditch Association... a short and slender wizard.
To thunderous applause, he strode onto the field, a large wooden crate tucked under his arm.
The crowd fell silent, everyone holding their breath.
Mounting his broom, the referee kicked the crate open with one foot... and then the whistle blew.
"They're off! Malone has the Quaffle, Troy! Moran! Back to Malone! Moran!" Bagman screamed.
Up in the top box, Harry had completely forgotten his previous embarrassment. He pressed the Omnioculars tightly to his eyes... for only then could he follow the match.
Kyle, too, was transfixed by the action on the pitch. The speed of the professional players was incredible; Chasers were constantly passing the Quaffle to one another as if it might explode at any moment.
The three Irish Chasers flew in tight formation, swooping toward the Bulgarian goalposts together, the Quaffle zipping between them so rapidly that even Bagman, who was commentating, could barely follow.
Eventually, he gave up on names and simply shouted, "Ireland's in a classic eagle-eye formation... their signature move... Bulgaria doesn't know who to mark... Oh! A Borskoff tactic... Moran draws Bulgaria's Beater, Ivanova... she passes the Quaffle to Troy..."
"Troy scores!" Bagman bellowed, and the entire crowd erupted in cheers and applause, the stadium shaking with the force of their enthusiasm.
"Ten-nil, Ireland!"
"Wow," said Hermione, waving her flag. "School matches are nothing compared to this... though I could've sworn the Bludgers were faster..."
She frowned, trying to remember.
During school matches, she could clearly see the path of the Bludgers, but now she could only make out two blurry streaks.
"They're using competition Bludgers," Cedric explained. "The Firebolt's too fast. If they'd kept using the old Bludgers, the match might've been over in five minutes. So the International Quidditch Association sped up the Bludgers and the Golden Snitch months ago to cope."
"I see," said Hermione, turning back to the game.
Just as they had predicted, Ireland, with their three exceptional Chasers, quickly took the lead. Within ten minutes, they had scored twice more, bringing the score to thirty-nil.
Mr. Weasley cheered, but for Harry, Ron, and Charlie, who were supporting Bulgaria, their smiles were strained.
Fortunately, a few minutes later, Bulgaria's Beaters took advantage of the Bludgers to force the Irish Chasers to break formation, preventing them from executing their best moves. Ivanova seized the opportunity to break through their ranks, dodged the Keeper, and scored Bulgaria's first goal.
"Quick, block your ears, the Veela are dancing again," said Mr. Weasley.
This time, he didn't need to remind them. As the Veela rose, Harry immediately bowed his head and closed his eyes, ensuring he didn't embarrass himself further.
However, Bulgaria's supporters didn't have much else to cheer about... as the match progressed, the score became increasingly lopsided.
Ireland scored five goals in quick succession, leaving Bulgaria dazed.
On the other side, Krum also took advantage of a feint by Lansky to deceive Ireland's Seeker, Lynch, who fell heavily to the ground due to his forceful move.
The entire stadium heard the dull thud, and a chorus of groans and angry shouts rose from the Irish supporters' section.
Well-trained mediwizards rushed onto the pitch to examine Lynch, while Krum circled a hundred feet above him, his dark eyes scanning the field.
"Ideally, it'll last for five days like last time," George chimed in.
"Oh, I certainly hope not..." Percy interjected, raising his voice as if to ensure someone heard him. "Five days away would mean my inbox being inundated with paperwork. Just thinking about it sends shivers down my spine."
"Yeah, and who knows, maybe someone will send you some dragon dung in an envelope again," Fred teased.
"That was a fertilizer sample from Norway, and it wasn't addressed to me personally!" Percy retorted, his face reddening.
"Oh, really?" Fred laughed, leaning closer to Kyle and whispering, "We were the ones who sent it."
His voice was soft, masked by the din of the crowd, ensuring that only Kyle heard him.
Finally, Lin Qi stood up, spurred on by the cheers of his supporters. He mounted his Flame-winged Dragonsteed and soared back into the air.
The Irish Chasers swiftly reorganized their offense, their seamless coordination rendering the opposing defense virtually non-existent, as if the area in front of Hogwarts had become a mere passage for them to traverse...
Twenty minutes later, Ireland had scored five more goals, bringing their lead to 130-10.
Desperate to turn the tide, the Bulgarians started playing more aggressively, and the match gradually took on a different tenor.
In an attempt to halt Malone near the goal post, the Bulgarian seeker, Zograf, elbowed her, but the excessive force drew the referee's attention, resulting in a penalty for Ireland.
Subsequently, Bulgaria's Beaters transformed into relentless, merciless battering machines, swinging their bats wildly without regard for whether they struck people or Bludgers.
On more than one occasion, Moran barely avoided being hit by their frenzied swings.
Bulgaria incurred another foul.
The leprechauns took to the air, seemingly both in celebration and to mock the veela with a crude gesture.
The veela, already brimming with anger, erupted.
Instead of dancing, they took flight, hurling fiery projectiles at the leprechauns.
Their beauty vanished, replaced by elongated, sharp-beaked bird-like faces and scaly wings sprouting from their shoulders...
"Now you understand, kids," Mr. Weasley's voice rose above the din of the crowd. "That's what veela truly are underneath. So, never judge by appearances alone!"
Harry and Ron nodded in unison.
Only Kyle's eyes sparkled with increased fervor, his hand instinctively reaching for the pouch containing his chameleon lizard skin... safely tucked away in his trunk.
The battle between the mascots escalated, with wizarding officials rushing onto the pitch in a futile attempt to separate the veela and leprechauns.
The skirmish below now rivaled the intensity of the match above. Though the leprechauns lacked fireballs, they made up for it by hurling handfuls of gold coins.
A well-aimed clump of coins could leave a nasty bump on a veela's head.
Veela shrieks, the explosive cracks of spells, and the roars of the crowd wove together into a chaotic symphony, making for an incredibly entertaining spectacle.
The spectators couldn't have been happier, as they had certainly gotten more than they'd bargained for. A single ticket price for two shows—what a bargain!
Kyle alternated between watching the match above and sneaking glances at the veela and leprechauns engaged in their magical skirmish with the Ministry officials. He was thoroughly entertained.
In hindsight, he wished he'd bought a pair of Omnioculars for himself.
...
(End of Chapter)
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