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Chapter 789: The Great Quidditch Battle
Chapter 789: The Great Quidditch Battle
The Gryffindor and Slytherin teams had emerged from their respective changing rooms and now marched onto the field in neat formations. As the two teams took their places, the tension in the air thickened. Just before the game commenced, Wood and Marcus shook hands vigorously, as if each intended to crush the other's fingers.
Lee Jordan, as always, took on the role of commentator for the Quidditch match. His introduction of the teams, with a slight bias towards Gryffindor, immediately elicited boos from the Slytherin students.
Moments later, Madam Hooch's whistle rang out, only to be quickly drowned by the roar of the crowd, marking the official start of this unsavory match.
As Albert had anticipated, the Quidditch pitch had transformed into a battlefield.
When Angelina Johnson seized the opportunity to score the first ten points for Gryffindor, enthusiastically pumping her fist as she flew, she became the target of Marcus, the Slytherin captain. He nearly knocked her off her broomstick.
The initial excited screams turned to anger, and a wave of "fouls" echoed from the sea of scarlet.
Although Marcus claimed he hadn't seen Angelina and offered a less-than-sincere apology, he couldn't escape the penalty.
Amid the cheers of the crowd, Gryffindor scored another goal.
Of course, the Slytherins wouldn't let this slide, and retaliation soon followed.
Fred "accidentally" flew past Marcus and "unintentionally" tapped him on the back of the head with his bat, causing the still-smug Marcus to slam his head into the handle of his broomstick. A red mark appeared on his forehead, and blood started trickling from his nose.
Fred was penalized by Madam Hooch for his unprovoked attack on a Slytherin player.
The game continued, and the conflicts on the pitch escalated.
"That guy is disgusting. That move was definitely intentional," Isabelle said irritably, holding a pair of binoculars. She wasn't the only one annoyed; the girls on the field shared her sentiment. Moments ago, Montague, the Slytherin Chaser, had reached out and pulled Katie's hair, claiming that he had mistaken her head for a Bludger.
If Katie hadn't clamped her legs tightly around her broomstick, she would have surely fallen off.
"Even the spectators noticed Montague's despicable act of pulling a girl's hair," Lee Jordan shouted into the microphone. "Ladies, let's wish Montague a lifetime of loneliness without a girlfriend."
"Jordan, can't you be impartial in your commentary?"
"I am being impartial, Professor!" Lee Jordan quickly moved the microphone away, preventing Professor McGonagall from taking it. "The ladies also agree with my point of view."
"That commentator is your friend, isn't he? He's quite an interesting character," Penelope said to Albert, laughing. It wasn't so much the commentary of the game that was amusing, but rather how Lee Jordan described the mutual assaults.
The Slytherin team was unhappy about Gryffindor's lead in the score and began employing underhanded tactics. Bole even struck Alicia with his bat, attempting to prevent her from scoring and claiming that he had mistaken her for a Bludger.
Not long after, Bole faced retaliation from George, who struck him squarely in the face with his elbow, causing him to fall while clutching his face in pain.
Naturally, both teams were penalized by Madam Hooch for these actions.
"They're just brawling," Isabelle frowned.
"There's been a lot of pent-up resentment lately," Albert said nonchalantly. "That's why I suggested they should have a fight before the game to let off some steam and reduce the tension during the match. Slytherin obviously has no intention of holding back today."
From the start of the game until now, most of the time had been spent on penalties. Gryffindor had the advantage when it came to penalties, as Wood was significantly better at catching than the Slytherin Keeper.
However, Madam Hooch was infuriated by the behavior of both teams and had to restrain herself from sending everyone off the field.
"Despicable... shameful... disgusting..."
Lee Jordan jumped out of Professor McGonagall's reach and screamed into the microphone, "They just attacked the Keeper directly!"
Wood was rather unlucky. After saving several goals in a row, he became the target of the Slytherin Beaters. He took blows to his stomach and arm, but fortunately, his quick reflexes allowed him to grab the end of his broomstick and prevent himself from falling.
Of course, even if he had fallen, Albert would have used a spell to catch him, which he did.
The whistle blew again, and Madam Hooch unleashed a torrent of curses at the two Slytherin Beaters, but the punishment was once again merely a light penalty.
Poppy Pomfrey was also displeased by the behavior of both teams.
Before the game, the tension between Gryffindor and Slytherin had been palpable, so Albert suggested that Madam Pomfrey be present at the game to prevent any unforeseen incidents. Wood was the first to benefit from this suggestion, as he was given a bottle of potion to drink before returning to the game, riding on Albert's broomstick.
As for Professor McGonagall, she was too agitated by the unsportsmanlike conduct of both teams to pay attention to Lee Jordan anymore, and she joined in the chorus of angry shouts, clearly infuriated by the dirty game.
After the incident with Wood, the Gryffindor team became more aggressive, seemingly no longer concerned about winning or losing.
Angelina charged with the Quaffle and collided with Marcus, smearing the Snitch all over his face.
Fred and George picked up their bats and started hitting anyone within reach, reminiscent of the infamous violent Beater couple from years past. The twins soon targeted the Slytherin Beaters, using their bats as weapons and launching a fierce assault. As twins, Fred and George had impeccable coordination, and they quickly gained the upper hand in this confrontation.
As for the two Bludgers, let them entertain themselves! Madam Hooch was shaking with rage, ready to blow her whistle to stop the riot, but to her surprise, she found that the whistle in her hand produced no sound.
The chaos wasn't confined to the Quidditch pitch; it had spread to the spectator stands as well. Someone had thrown dungbombs into the Slytherin seating area, igniting the powder keg.
The two sides started throwing objects at each other, and someone even took off their boots and hurled them. The Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff students, caught in the middle, were unfortunate victims of this crossfire.
Snape, sitting in the front row of the Slytherin section, looked as if he was about to burst a blood vessel from anger. Several dungbombs had exploded nearby, filling the air with the nauseating stench of rotten eggs.
The professors also realized the situation was deteriorating, and if it wasn't stopped soon, it could escalate into a full-blown brawl—something they desperately wanted to avoid.
They turned to Dumbledore, waiting to see how the headmaster would handle this mess.
Dumbledore, too, was taken aback by the chaos unfolding before him. He was aware of the frequent clashes between Slytherin and Gryffindor students, but he hadn't expected the situation to deteriorate to such an extent.
In the densely packed stands, chaos was absolutely forbidden.
"Quiet, the game is paused!"
Professor Dumbledore's loud voice drowned out the commotion above the pitch, and the ruckus gradually subsided.
Taking the opportunity, Madam Hooch blew her whistle, its shrill tone reverberating across the field.
The members of both teams were sternly reprimanded by Madam Hooch, who was seething with rage. They were then instructed to line up and visit Madam Pomfrey for treatment. Anyone who dared to fight during this time would immediately be disqualified.
After that, they were further chastised by an irate Madam Pomfrey.
In the chaotic stands, the initial riot gradually calmed down as the professors paced back and forth, ensuring no further unrest.
Professor McGonagall finally managed to snatch the microphone from Lee Jordan and gave them all a stern telling-off, warning everyone that if they couldn't behave, the school would cancel the Quidditch final for the year.
Well, threatening to cancel the Quidditch match did work to some extent, as both sides settled down. They even deliberately created a wide gap between them, forming a clear division of the two colors.
"I thought they would start brawling in the stands," Penelope said.
"Albert, as a Prefect, how could you..." Isabelle began.
"Even the Head Boy wouldn't be able to do anything if a real fight had broken out," Albert interrupted with a smile.
About half an hour later, the game resumed, and this time, everyone exercised more restraint. Even if they accidentally bumped into someone or inadvertently hit someone's mouth with their bat, they would immediately offer a sincere apology—it was all very harmonious... or not.
The rogue Bludgers, previously ignored, became the target of both teams, as taking them out was undoubtedly the most gentlemanly approach at the moment.
Harry Potter was hit in the lower back by a rogue Bludger and fell straight off his broom. Fortunately, he was only about five or six feet from the ground, otherwise, it could've been disastrous.
"How dare you!" Professor McGonagall shouted angrily, shaking her fist at Malfoy. As Harry chased after the Snitch, Malfoy had clamped his legs around his broom and grabbed the tail of the Firebolt, attempting to pull it back.
The Slytherin Beaters took advantage of the momentary slowdown of Harry's broom due to Malfoy's actions and directed a Bludger at his lower back, aiming to knock him out of the game completely.
The stands erupted with boos, jeers, and angry shouts, and someone took the lead in throwing things onto the pitch, cursing the Slytherins for their underhanded tactics.
"I've never seen such a despicable person," Lee Jordan shouted into the microphone. "He actually tried to hurt Harry to beat the Firebolt. Such a person should have been kicked out of the game long ago."
"Look, karma's a bitch," someone commented.
Malfoy, who had been hovering nearby, relishing in Harry's misfortune, also fell victim to a rogue Bludger. It struck the handle of his Nimbus 2001, causing him to lose control and veer off course, crashing into the stands nearby, right into the Gryffindor section.
The enthusiastic spectators closed in on Malfoy, and one could only guess what they were up to.
A few seconds later, the crowd dispersed, and everyone saw Malfoy stumbling to his feet, his clothes now bearing the marks of several footprints.
"Look at our enthusiastic audience," Lee Jordan shouted at the top of his lungs. "They seem to be offering their blessings to Mr. Malfoy in a rather unique way."
Laughter engulfed the entire stadium, even drowning out the discontent and anger of the Slytherins.
Malfoy returned to the pitch, Harry's injuries were healed once more, and the game continued.
Currently, the Gryffindor team was leading by more than fifty points, largely thanks to the penalties incurred during the scuffles between the two teams.
As long as Harry caught the Snitch, they would secure the final victory, which put immense pressure on Slytherin, forcing them to adjust their strategy and assign more players to hold Harry back, preventing him from catching the Snitch.
The game went on for over an hour, and by then, the players were all battered and bruised. However, the spectators below were thoroughly enjoying the match, and even Albert had to admit that today's Quidditch final was truly exciting. Both teams had pushed the boundaries, completely surpassing his understanding of Quidditch, and to make matters more surprising, such outrageous behavior wasn't prohibited.
Oh, it seemed like Madam Hooch's whistle had become ineffective once again.
The commotion and noise on the pitch suddenly ceased, and all eyes were on Malfoy as he dove, with Harry accelerating close behind. Though he was slightly behind, the Firebolt's acceleration was formidable, and he was quickly catching up.
A Slytherin player knocked Harry aside, and just as Malfoy was about to reach out and grab the Snitch, his broom began to shake violently.
Alicia burst out from the side, kicking Malfoy's broom, causing the Seeker to lose his chance at the Snitch completely.
The atmosphere became strange as, after the two Seekers were taken out of the equation, two Chasers were now vying for the Snitch.
In the end, Slytherin Chaser Marcus successfully caught the Snitch, and as he raised his arm in victory, the Slytherin stands erupted in loud cheers.
The Slytherin team had caught the Snitch.
"Oh my, I really don't know how Slytherin chooses their captains," Lee Jordan's voice suddenly rang out. "Don't they know that besides the Seekers, if any other player touches or catches the Snitch, it's considered a foul?"
The atmosphere on the pitch froze for a moment, soon to be replaced by uproarious laughter.
Marcus's expression stiffened, and the Snitch slipped from his loosened fingers, spreading its wings and flying away.
After the penalty, the game continued, and the score gap between the two teams gradually widened. The competition for the Snitch also became more intense.
The Gryffindor team abandoned their pursuit of scoring and employed a one-on-one marking strategy, giving Harry the opportunity to duel with Malfoy.
As it turned out, this tactic was highly effective.
Soon enough, the two were once again vying for the Snitch.
This time, without any interference, Malfoy lost miserably. His broom simply couldn't compete with Harry's, and even when Malfoy jumped off his broom and tried to cling to Harry's Firebolt, he failed to disrupt his opponent's Snitch-catching attempt.
Harry was more decisive, diving forward and, after a few rolls on the ground, he stood up, the Snitch held triumphantly in his palm.
As for Malfoy, he clung to Harry's Firebolt and fell to the ground, staring blankly at the figure of Potter, hand raised in victory.
He had lost.
He had lost! (End of Chapter)
Chapter end
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