Chapter 65: New Broomstick, Nimbus 2000?
Chapter 65: New Broomstick, Nimbus 2000?
The evening after, the Hufflepuff players held a small party in the common room to celebrate Cedric's discharge from the hospital wing.
The fact that Cedric was unhurt was undoubtedly good news for the team, and Harris, the team captain, had even procured some Butterbeer from Hogsmeade Village, which he enjoyed with the others.
Of course, he mostly wanted it for himself.
As the team captain, Harris was under immense pressure. Especially after the first round of the tournament, he had been stressed to the point of noticeable hair loss.
Their opponents were just too formidable.
Gryffindor boasted the highest-caliber players with hardly any weaknesses.
Slytherin, well-equipped and lacking in sportsmanship, was another formidable foe.
And then there was Ravenclaw with their seven players...
For Hufflepuff, Cedric, their genius Seeker, was practically their only hope for the championship.
Harris raised his Butterbeer and clinked his mug with Cedric's. "Don't worry, that situation won't happen again. I plan to assign one Beater to specifically protect you. Next time the Slytherin players dare to lay a hand on you, that sturdy bat will smash into their faces first."
Cedric frowned, not entirely agreeing with this approach.
With only two Beaters on the team, assigning one to protect him would negate their advantage in the offensive. If the opposing team took a substantial lead, even catching the Golden Snitch wouldn't help them win.
It just didn't seem worth the trade-off.
Cedric shared his concerns with Harris.
"You don't have to worry about that," Harris said after some thought. "This is just a preliminary plan. We can gradually improve it during our practice matches."
Cedric tried to persuade him a few more times, hoping to abandon the idea altogether, but to little avail.
No matter how compelling his arguments were, Harris would deflect them with, "We'll talk about it again after the practice matches."
Upon realizing that he couldn't change Harris's mind, Cedric decided to drop the subject for the time being.
It would have to wait until after the practice matches.
Kyle also attended this banquet, but as he wasn't part of the team, he didn't have to worry about strategy and could simply enjoy the food.
He was curious about the taste of Butterbeer, but as he reached for it, an older student stopped him.
The reason given was that first- through fourth-year students were not allowed to drink alcohol.
Kyle felt a bit disappointed but understood that there was nothing he could do about it. Even Cedric, the guest of honor at this banquet, was drinking pumpkin juice instead.
After the party, everyone returned to their respective dormitories.
The following days proceeded as usual.
Kyle, like the other young wizards, attended classes, ate meals, and went to the library to do his homework, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
Even Fred and George Weasley of Gryffindor had become remarkably well-behaved, losing only ten points in several days.
This pleased Professor McGonagall immensely, and she no longer treated them with the same strictness as before.
This state of affairs continued until mid-November when the second Quidditch match was set to take place.
On that weekend, a piece of gossip began spreading through Hogwarts.
"Have you heard? The Gryffindor team has a new broomstick."
In the Great Hall, a first-year Slytherin student was sharing this news with his housemates.
"A new broomstick?" The Slytherin team captain, a seventh-year student named Selwyn Rolzier, heard this and his expression turned gloomy.
"Nimbus 2000?!"
Someone exclaimed in surprise, "That's impossible. My uncle works in the Magical Sports Department at the Ministry of Magic, and even he can't get his hands on a Nimbus 2000. How did those Gryffindors manage that?"
Another student chimed in, "I heard it was Bill Weasley who got it from Egypt. Apparently, he did a big favor for the Nimbus company."
"Damn those Weasleys!"
Someone angrily pounded the table. "What are we going to do about the match this afternoon? The Nimbus 2000's performance must be way better than our Nimbus 1700 brooms."
The Slytherin student who had been speaking stood up and said, "I'm going to write to my uncle right now and see if he can get me a Nimbus 2000 too."
"Will there be enough time?"
"It should be fine."
...
Nearby, the Slytherin Quidditch team members heard these words and wore grim expressions, their appetites suddenly gone.
Rozier slammed his plate onto the table, furious. "Damn it! Why did this have to happen now?"
Slytherin and Gryffindor were longtime rivals, and he couldn't bear the thought of losing to them in the match.
"Don't panic," said someone calmly. "We don't know for sure if the news is true. Nimbus 2000 isn't some toy that can be handed out easily, and this information came out of nowhere. It could very well be a ruse to throw us off our game."
"Oooooohhhh..."
Suddenly, exclamations of surprise filled the Great Hall.
"Look over there! What is that?!"
As if in defiance of his words, six long-eared owls flew into the hall, carrying a long, slender package that landed on the Gryffindor table.
From its shape, it was clear that it was a broomstick.
Despite the tight wrapping, they could still make out that the broom's tail was longer than that of the Nimbus 1700, and its shape was unlike any model currently on the market.
The Weasley twins were holding the package, chatting excitedly with their housemates.
Although their words were inaudible from a distance, it was evident that everyone was thrilled.
The Quidditch players, in particular, kept glancing their way, their expressions strange.
Rozier felt like they were mocking him, and he couldn't take it anymore. Just as he was about to slam his plate in frustration, he realized there was nothing left on the table in front of him.
So, he flipped over a nearby first-year student's plate instead.
"Everyone, go find out what you can!" Rozier said through gritted teeth. "No matter what it takes, we must confirm whether or not that thing is a Nimbus 2000."
"What if it is?" someone asked.
"Then write to your families and get them to pull some strings to get us one, too!" Rozier roared. "What are you waiting for? Go!"
The Slytherin players scattered, and the other Slytherin students quickly followed suit, leaving the Great Hall.
Rozier was in a foul mood, and they didn't want to be around when his temper flared.
...
(End of Chapter)
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