Chapter 92: I Solemnly Swear I'm Up to No Good
Chapter 92: I Solemnly Swear I'm Up to No Good
"The game is over," Kyle murmured to himself as he witnessed the unfolding events on the pitch. He could guess what was happening.
Perhaps influenced by the commentator or the presence of Snape in the audience, the Slytherin team had started the game with a vengeance, aiming to create a miracle in the first twenty minutes.
Their initial gameplay was fervent and spirited.
However, when they realized that despite their best efforts, they were still unable to surpass Hufflepuff's score, their motivation waned.
In simpler terms, they had given it their all, yet it amounted to nothing. So, they decided to give up.
Moreover, from their perspective, while it was unfortunate that their own house couldn't clinch the championship, they were even more unwilling to witness Gryffindor's triumph.
Since they couldn't surpass Hufflepuff's 300 points, they might as well make things difficult for Gryffindor and score a few extra goals for Hufflepuff.
By the time the final match arrived, every goal they conceded today could potentially be the spear that pierced Gryffindor's dream of the Quidditch Cup.
That was enough for them.
Slytherin began their act, but they weren't foolish enough to blatantly throw the game in front of everyone. Instead, they only made subtle mistakes at critical moments.
As a result, most of the young witches and wizards in the audience failed to notice anything amiss, attributing the developments to bad luck or sluggish reflexes due to fatigue.
However, not everyone was oblivious to what was happening.
On the Gryffindor stands, Charlie angrily pounded the step in front of him. "Damn Rozier, I thought they had turned over a new leaf!"
"This is cheating!" Fred and George were equally outraged, shouting at the top of their lungs, "They're throwing the game! They should be disqualified immediately!"
Despite their efforts, their voices were drowned out by the deafening cheers and celebrations around them, failing to make even a ripple in the sea of noise.
Only a handful of people in the vicinity could hear them over the commotion.
Realizing that their shouting was to no avail, Fred and George exchanged a glance and simultaneously rose to their feet, making their way toward the commentary booth.
They knew the game couldn't be invalidated, but they intended to expose Slytherin's despicable actions to everyone with the help of the commentator.
However, their plan was cut short as they were intercepted before they could reach their destination.
"Weasley, what are you two doing here?" Professor McGonagall fixed them with a stern gaze. "This is not a place for students. Return to the stands and watch the game."
"But Professor McGonagall..." Fred shouted, "Slytherin is throwing the game! They're deliberately losing points!"
George echoed his twin's sentiment. "They're doing this to prevent Gryffindor from winning the Quidditch Cup! How can you just stand by and do nothing?!"
Professor McGonagall remained silent for a moment before responding. "This is merely your speculation, Mr. Weasley. There is no evidence to support the claim that they are intentionally losing points."
"But..." Fred attempted to interject, only to be cut off by the professor.
"Return to the stands and watch the game," she said, her face stern. "Only the commentator is allowed to touch the microphone during a Quidditch match. That is the rule."
"But..." Fred persisted.
"Never mind, Fred," George said, giving his brother's robe a slight tug and shaking his head. "Apologies, Professor McGonagall, we're heading back."
Professor McGonagall didn't say anything further, merely nodding slightly.
As they turned to leave, the twins spared one last glance at the commentator, their faces filled with lingering hope.
They realized that someone who was a commentator would naturally have a good understanding of Quidditch and would be able to spot such obvious match-fixing. There was no need for them to point it out.
It seemed that the commentator, like Professor McGonagall, had chosen to remain silent.
When they returned to the Gryffindor stands, Jordan Lee hurried over and asked, "Well?"
Fred and George shook their heads simultaneously.
"Despicable Slytherins, and a gutless commentator! How could they do this?"
Jordan was seething. "I was thinking of trying out for the Seeker position next year, but now I've changed my mind. I want to be a commentator."
"Go for it!"
"We're behind you!"
Fred and George placed their hands on Jordan's shoulders. "We need our own voice out there!"
On the pitch, the Hufflepuff players also noticed something amiss with Slytherin's behavior. Harris glanced at the opposing goal, a hint of hesitation in his eyes.
After a moment, he took a deep breath and his eyes hardened with determination.
Following Harris' lead, the Hufflepuff team slowed down, no longer attempting to attack. Instead, they retracted their formation, focusing on defense.
"You cowards!" Rozier growled, throwing the Quaffle at the Hufflepuff goal post.
The Quaffle hit the edge of the goal post with a crisp sound and bounced off.
Harris caught the Quaffle and slowly flew to the other side of the pitch, hitting the Quaffle off the Slytherin goal post as well.
"What a pity," the commentator said in a cheerful tone. "It seems that after a long game, Hufflepuff is starting to make mistakes as well."
"Now it's a showdown between the Seekers. Whoever catches the Golden Snitch first will bring victory to their team."
Kyle lost interest in the match after that.
He quietly moved to the back of the stands and pulled out a piece of parchment from his robe pocket—the Marauder's Map, which he had borrowed from Fred and George before the game.
He tapped the parchment with his wand.
"I solemnly swear I'm up to no good."
Unlike Fred and George, who only knew half the password, Kyle recited the complete phrase.
In truth, Fred and George had already figured out seven of the letters, and with their intelligence, they could have easily guessed the full password if they wanted to.
But they refused to do so, insisting on "finding" all the clues instead of guessing.
Kyle, however, didn't share their sentiment.
As the ink lines spread across the parchment, the true Marauder's Map was revealed before him.
Kyle first noted the locations of some secret passages, such as the one leading to the eighth floor and the one to the basement of Honeyduke's. These would surely come in handy in the future.
After marking those down, he turned his attention to the Hufflepuff common room.
(End of Chapter)
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