Chapter 73: Overwhelming Skill
Chapter 73: Overwhelming Skill
"Three minutes and forty seconds!"
Marcus looked at the pocket watch in his hand and couldn't help but rub his eyes.
"Impossible!"
The other six members of the Slytherin team let out a collective gasp when Marcus announced the time.
Catching the Golden Snitch in three minutes and forty seconds was a joke. Even if this wasn't an official match, that time was definitely record-breaking.
"It must have been luck, pure luck!"
Seeing Jerry return with the Golden Snitch in hand, the seven of them simultaneously tried to reassure themselves.
Someone who had only been on a flying broom for a few days couldn't possibly have the skill to catch the Golden Snitch in three minutes and forty seconds.
So, luck was the only explanation for what had just happened.
Marcus took the Golden Snitch Jerry handed him with a smile, took a deep breath, and then threw it into the air again.
This time, the Slytherin team members were no longer as relaxed. They all fixed their eyes on Jerry, determined to prevent him from using magic to cheat while chasing the Golden Snitch.
However, Jerry's feet pushed off, and he accelerated on his flying broom. After a few swift turns in the air, he quickly spotted the Golden Snitch.
Then, the famously fast and agile Golden Snitch was snatched out of the air by Jerry's lightning-fast hand.
"Three minutes and five seconds!"
Marcus announced Jerry's time again, which was thirty-five seconds faster than the first time.
This time, all the team members fell silent.
If the first catch could be attributed to luck, the second one was much less likely to be just luck.
They had also observed closely, and Jerry's handling of the flying broom was undoubtedly very skilled. The tactical flips and accelerations he performed were beyond what an average wizard could manage.
Most importantly, his final catch of the Golden Snitch was quick, precise, and decisive, with no hesitation.
"I can't match him!"
Terence, the Seeker who had been on the Slytherin team for four years, let out a long sigh as he watched Jerry return with the Golden Snitch.
Marcus, feeling somewhat numb, caught the Golden Snitch Jerry handed him and threw it out for the third time.
"Two minutes and forty-five seconds!"
The time had shortened again, now under three minutes. It was truly terrifying.
Was this really something a human could do?
Looking at Jerry, who was smiling as if he didn't realize how astonishing his performance was, all the Slytherin team members felt a mix of emotions.
On one hand, they were thrilled to have such an incredibly powerful Seeker on their team.
On the other hand, compared to Jerry, a first-year who had only just started flying, they felt their years of practice had been for nothing. This was a significant blow to their pride as Slytherins.
"So, how about it, seniors? Does this mean I win the bet?"
Jerry looked at the seven Slytherin team members, who were all in a daze, and gently reminded them.
Marcus, the first to snap out of his stupor, looked at Jerry with glowing eyes.
"You win. From now on, you don't have to attend any Quidditch training sessions. You just need to show up for the matches!"
As the new Captain of the Slytherin team this year, Marcus could already envision the future. With Jerry, such an outstanding Seeker, the team would undoubtedly secure the Quidditch Cup every year until his graduation.
So, a mere request to skip training, of course, can be granted.
"But I have a condition, and I hope you can agree to it!"
"Go on!"
Jerry raised an eyebrow.
Marcus, excited, said:
"Don't tell anyone that you've become our new Seeker, and don't mention what happened here today to anyone else. I want to surprise the other three houses at this year's Quidditch match!"
Jerry thought for a moment and nodded.
"Alright, no problem!"
He was already excellent in Slytherin, and Snape had promised to give him extra tutoring. Joining the Slytherin Quidditch team would just be an added bonus.
After leaving the Quidditch pitch, Jerry went straight to the library.
He had been self-studying a lot of Magic knowledge recently and had accumulated many questions. Now, he wanted to find some answers in the library and perhaps exchange ideas with Hermione.
Two minds are better than one, especially when one of those minds belongs to a "plain and unremarkable" Magic prodigy like Hermione.
Not long after Jerry left the Quidditch pitch, Marcus hurried to Professor Snape's office.
He intended to give a detailed report of Jerry's performance to Snape.
"Jerry, look, there's a new spell here. Do you want to write it down?"
In the library, Hermione pointed to a spell she had come across while browsing a Magic book.
"Of course!"
Jerry immediately took out his notebook and recorded the page with the "Arrow Charm."
Although both Hermione and Jerry were reading in the library, their focus areas were different.
Hermione primarily read about the history and general knowledge of the wizarding world, along with various miscellaneous and peculiar topics. She wasn't specifically studying spells.
Jerry, on the other hand, focused on Magic theory and various functional spells.
However, not all spells are recorded in spellbooks. Many spells are hidden in biographies and historical texts.
For instance, the relatively ancient "Arrow Charm" appeared in the book Hermione was reading, which detailed the history of Quidditch.
The Arrow Charm was a very common offensive spell during the medieval period, especially useful against Muggle armies.
Without needing a bow and arrow, a wizard could simply wave their wand, and arrows would shoot at the enemy according to their will, with power comparable to a strong bow.
Powerful wizards could even create a terrifying scene of thousands of arrows flying at once.
However, due to the Secrecy Act and the policy that wizards cannot attack Muggles, the spell fell out of use.
If an arrow accidentally killed a Muggle, the wizard would end up in Azkaban, which was not worth it.
Using the spell against wizards was also not very effective.
After all, for wizards, even if thousands of arrows were shot at them, a simple Shield Charm or Transfiguration Charm could easily deflect them. Full Body Bind and Sleeping Charm were more effective.
Moreover, unless an arrow hit a wizard's brain, it wouldn't kill them. Wizards can even regrow limbs with Magic.
So, the Arrow Charm later became a spell used by wizards to shoot arrows into the sky during Quidditch matches, as a way to support their favorite teams.
However, after an incident where an arrow accidentally pierced a referee's nose, the spell was banned from use.
(End of Chapter)
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