Chapter 92: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good
Chapter 92: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good
"The match is over," Kyle said quietly, observing the changes on the pitch.
He could guess what was going on.
Perhaps influenced by the commentator, or because Snape was also watching the match, the Slytherin team was indeed holding their breath for the first twenty minutes, hoping to create a miracle.
So, they played with all their might.
But when they realized that despite their best efforts, they still couldn't surpass Hufflepuff in the score, the breath they were holding dissipated.
In simple terms, they tried hard... to no avail... and gave up.
Moreover, in their eyes, it was a pity that their house couldn't win the championship, but they were even less willing to see Gryffindor take the title.
Since they couldn't surpass Hufflepuff by 300 points, they might as well give Gryffindor some trouble and send a few more goals to Hufflepuff.
By the time the final match arrived, every goal they conceded today could potentially be the spear that shattered Gryffindor's championship dream.
That was enough.
Slytherin started to act, but they weren't stupid. They wouldn't openly cheat in front of everyone; instead, they would only leak a bit at critical moments.
Therefore, most of the young wizards didn't notice anything amiss, thinking it was just bad luck or fatigue slowing down their reactions.
But not everyone was oblivious.
On the Gryffindor stands, Charlie angrily pounded the stone steps in front of him, "Damn it, Rozier! I thought they had improved!"
"This is cheating!" Fred and George were also furious, shouting loudly from the stands, "They're throwing the match! They should be disqualified immediately!"
Despite Fred and George's loud shouts, compared to the deafening cheers around them, their voices couldn't even create a ripple.
Except for the few people nearby, no one else could hear them.
Realizing that their shouting had no effect, Fred and George looked at each other and stood up, walking towards the commentator's booth.
The match couldn't be voided, but they wanted to expose Slytherin's despicable match-fixing through the commentator to everyone.
However, just as they approached the booth, they were stopped.
"Weasley, what are you doing here?"
Professor McGonagall looked at them sternly, "This isn't where you should be. Go back and watch the match."
"But Professor McGonagall..." Fred shouted, "Slytherin is match-fixing! They're deliberately losing points!"
George also shouted, "They're doing this to prevent Gryffindor from winning the Quidditch Cup, and you're not going to do anything about it?!"
Professor McGonagall fell silent for a moment, "This is just your speculation, Mr. Weasley. There's no evidence to show that they're deliberately losing points."
"But..."
Fred wanted to say something more, but Professor McGonagall interrupted him.
"Go back and watch the match." She said sternly, "During the Quidditch match, only the commentator is allowed to use the microphone. That's the rule."
"But..."
"Never mind, Fred." George tugged at Fred's robe, shaking his head slightly, "Sorry, Professor McGonagall. We'll go back."
Professor McGonagall didn't speak, only nodding slightly.
Before leaving, the two turned their heads towards the commentator with a glimmer of hope.
They had been speaking very loudly, and at such a close distance, the commentator must have heard them. If he was willing to help...
Fred and George stood in place for a minute, but the commentator continued to enthusiastically describe the situation on the pitch without any intention of stopping.
Disheartened, the two returned to their original positions without a word.
They realized that the commentator, being well-versed in Quidditch, would have noticed such an obvious act of match-fixing. There was no need for them to point it out.
Clearly, the commentator had chosen silence, just like Professor McGonagall.
After returning to the Gryffindor stands, Jordan Lee hurried forward and asked, "How was it?"
Fred and George both shook their heads.
"Those despicable Slytherins and that cowardly commentator! How could they do this?" Jordan exclaimed.
Jordan was furious, "I was thinking of competing for a Seeker position next year, but now I've changed my mind. I want to be a commentator."
"Go for it!"
"We support you!"
Fred and George simultaneously placed their hands on Jordan's shoulders, "We need our own voice!"
On the pitch, the Hufflepuff players also noticed something amiss with the Slytherin team.
Harris glanced at the opposing goalposts, a hint of hesitation in his eyes.
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After a moment, he took a deep breath, and his eyes became determined.
Following Harris's lead, the Hufflepuff team also slowed down. They stopped attempting to score and instead contracted their formation, assuming a defensive stance.
"What a bunch of idiots!"
Rozier clenched his teeth and threw the Snitch towards the Hufflepuff goalposts.
With a crisp sound, the Snitch hit the frame and bounced out.
After catching the ball, Harris flew leisurely to the other side of the pitch and hit the ball against the Slytherin frame.
"What a pity, it seems that after a long match, Hufflepuff is starting to make mistakes."
The commentator said in a light-hearted tone, "Now it's a contest between the Seekers. Whoever catches the Golden Snitch first will win the match."
For the rest of the match, Kyle had no interest in watching.
He quietly retreated to the last row of the stands and took out a piece of parchment from his robe pocket.
The Marauder's Map, which he had specifically borrowed from Fred and George before the match.
Kyle took out his wand and gently tapped the parchment.
"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."
Unlike Fred and George's half-uttered incantation, Kyle recited the complete phrase.
In fact, Fred and George had already found seven words, and with their intelligence, they could have easily guessed the rest if they wanted to.
But they didn't do that, and when Kyle tried to tell them under the pretext of finding the clues, they refused.
They were unusually firm in their stance on this matter, insisting on 'finding' all the clues instead of guessing.
However, Kyle didn't mind.
As the ink lines spread, the true Marauder's Map appeared before him.
Kyle first noted down the locations of some secret passages, such as the one leading to the eighth floor and the one leading to the cellar of the Honeyduke's store, which would be useful in the future.
After noting these down, Kyle turned his attention to the Hufflepuff common room.
(End of Chapter)
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