Chapter 98: Fierce Quidditch (2)
Chapter 98: Fierce Quidditch (2)
The snow had stopped, but the rain was coming down harder.
A bone-chilling cold permeated the air, yet it failed to dampen the audience's enthusiasm for Quidditch. Cheers and shouts of support for their respective teams filled the air.
In an inconspicuous corner of the stands, Albert and a few roommates huddled together, watching the game alongside a soaked Hagrid. Ignoring the icy rain, they cheered loudly whenever Gryffindor scored.
Albert lowered his monocle and withdrew his wand, casting a Water-Repelling Charm on the lens to prevent his vision from being obscured by the rain.
On the Quidditch pitch, the intense confrontation continued. Slytherin never backed down, and they soon seized an opportunity to counter.
Chaser Montague, shielded by his teammates, carried the Quaffle into the scoring area. From a distance, Beater Rook seized the moment and struck a Bludger towards Gryffindor's Keeper, Wood.
Wood, focused on Montague, attempted to block the opposing team's score. However, he failed to notice a stray Bludger flying towards him. Hearing the whooshing sound, he dodged hastily, narrowly escaping the Bludger's assault.
Before Wood could fully recover from his momentary panic, Montague seized the chance. He broke through Daniels' blockade, clutching the Quaffle as he rushed towards Wood's face.
A wave of "Foul!" echoed from every section of the stands except Slytherin's, momentarily drowning out the sound of the pouring rain.
In the audience, Albert winced as if his own face hurt. Being hit directly in the face by the Quaffle couldn't feel good.
"Being a Quidditch player sure is a dangerous job!"
"What? I didn't quite catch that," Hagrid said, his binoculars fixed on the sky. "What were you saying?"
"It's nothing," Albert replied. Before he could say more, Fred exclaimed, "Oh no! Wood's falling!"
At that moment, most of the audience jumped to their feet, their eyes glued to the spiraling descent of Wood. Some screamed in terror, while others closed their eyes, not wanting to witness the gruesome sight.
Wood, who had just been struck in the face by Montague and the Quaffle, was still dizzy. Instinctively, he reached out to grasp his broom, sliding down the railing of the goal hoops. He tumbled onto the grassy pitch, but his injuries weren't too severe.
Madam Hooch immediately blew her whistle, halting the game. She rushed to Wood's side to assess his condition.
An annoyed Madam Pomfrey strode onto the pitch, her face grim. She healed Wood's cheek with a spell and gave him a bottle of potion to help him recover and regain his focus for the game.
However, the violent nature of this Quidditch match had displeased Madam Pomfrey. The matron warned that if anyone else got injured, they would be spending a few days in the hospital wing.
"Slytherin's Seeker, Montague, has assaulted Gryffindor's Keeper. Such despicable behavior is unprecedented," the commentator shouted excitedly. "Slytherin scores, bringing the score to 80-50 in their favor... Wait, the referee has just declared a foul! The last goal doesn't count, so the current score is 80-40, with Gryffindor still in the lead." The commentator continued, his voice full of excitement: "Gryffindor has pulled ahead by 40 points! Both Seekers are now searching for the Golden Snitch. Who will catch it first? Which team will emerge victorious? Let's wait and see!"
Unfortunately, the poor weather conditions made it challenging to spot the Golden Snitch, and the game continued.
Wood's recovery boosted the morale of the Gryffindor supporters, and cheers for the team resonated through the stands.
"Madam Hooch has blown her whistle again, and the game resumes. Let's see how Gryffindor will counter-attack," said the Ravenclaw commentator, his voice filled with enthusiasm as he momentarily forgot he was supposed to be impartial.
"Take down Slytherin! Take down Montague!" The Gryffindor supporters shouted with unprecedented fervor, making Albert feel as if he were watching a duel rather than a Quidditch match.
A few minutes later, the Gryffindor players lived up to expectations. They launched a new round of attacks on Slytherin, targeting Chaser Montague, who had just assaulted Wood.
Mark and Erin, a couple known for their exceptional teamwork, exchanged a glance in mid-air. Mark accelerated and collided with Beater Rook, while Erin, with her boyfriend's assistance, struck a Bludger towards Montague, who was blocked by the Weasley twins.
Montague, blocked by the three Chasers, thought they were about to attack him. He never saw the Bludger coming from behind.
"Oh my! Violent Beater Erin has struck Montague with a Bludger! That must hurt. I hope he breaks a few ribs... Ahem, I mean, I hope he's okay!" The commentator coughed lightly and quickly corrected himself. "The referee hasn't blown the whistle, so there's no doubt this counter-attack is within the rules."
Although Slytherin managed to score ten points, their Beater was injured and fell to the ground, making it a losing trade-off.
"What's going on? Why hasn't Madam Pomfrey shown up? Could it be..." The commentator's tone turned gleeful. "...that our matron doesn't like Slytherin players?"
Montague was forced to leave the game. Madam Pomfrey, in a huff, had returned to the hospital wing, and without her treatment, Montague was clearly unable to continue.
Through his monocle, Albert saw a scowling Snape wave his wand and conjure a stretcher. Several students carried Montague away from the pitch to the hospital wing on the second floor of the castle.
It was said that Madam Pomfrey had taken only a few seconds to mend Montague's broken ribs, but the unfortunate player wouldn't be returning to the game.
According to the official rules set by the Department of Magical Games and Sports: In the event of a disability, no substitute athletes are allowed to enter the game.
This meant that Slytherin was now one Chaser short.
However, most of the Gryffindor audience regretted that it wasn't Slytherin's Seeker, Marcus Flint, who had been taken out. Nonetheless, this dirty Quidditch match had only just begun.
With one less player, Slytherin was at a disadvantage, and they started to blatantly assault the Gryffindor players.
Albert was stunned by the series of events unfolding on the pitch. Through his monocle, he saw the four Beaters, riding their brooms in the pouring rain, dueling with their bats as if they were swords.
Fred and George whispered violent suggestions like, "Hit him! Yes, aim for his head... Go for his eyes..."
Slytherin players ganged up on Charlie, intending to take him out first. If Gryffindor lost their Seeker, they would likely lose the game.
In the sky, a chaotic brawl ensued as the players on their brooms engaged in a fierce melee. The Beaters on both sides were the most formidable, using their bats to strike their opponents with force. Erin, the Gryffindor Beater, knocked Locke's bat out of his hands with a powerful swing, causing him to stumble. Before he could recover, Jack delivered a kick that nearly unseated him from his broom.
A few Gryffindors also sustained minor injuries in the scuffle.
Professor Hooch, seething with rage, ordered the four Beaters to leave the game, despite this being outside the rules. In her opinion, their behavior brought shame upon Hogwarts, and they did not deserve to remain on the pitch.
With the departure of the Beaters, the once bustling pitch now felt emptier with only ten players remaining.
However, the Gryffindor Chasers adapted quickly to the absence of their Beaters. They executed a seamless relay, passing the bat between them as if performing a ritual. Danny, the talented acrobat, excelled in this strategy, seamlessly transitioning between the roles of Chaser and Beater.
This time, their target was Marcus Flint, the Slytherin Seeker.
Charlie, Jack, and Mario closed in on Marcus from three directions, compressing his flying space and forcing him to the edge of the pitch. They each employed Mark's feint, waving their fists and feet in menacing gestures.
Did they hit their target?
Unfortunately not; it was a tactical blunder.
But no one seemed to care about the penalty.
As long as they could take out the opposing Seeker, victory would be theirs.
"Hey, Charlie, I thought you said no using Mark's feint?" Jack teased his captain as he swung his elbow towards Marcus's kidney, only to have his own nose punched from the side.
Danny, clutching the Snitch in one hand and his bat in the other, had caught up from behind. He was hotly pursued by two Slytherin Chasers, but he tossed the Snitch to Jack and swung his bat at Marcus's back, aiming to knock him out of the game for good.
However, Danny was unaware that Jack, having just caught the Snitch, was about to suffer some bad luck. One of the pursuing Chasers rammed into him, while the other delivered a kick that sent him tumbling from his broom. Fortunately, Jack managed to grab hold of his broom with one hand, crashing into the stands instead of falling all the way down.
It was a lucky break that he didn't crash into the Slytherin stands, or a massive brawl might have ensued.
"Danny, you jerk! You set me up!" Jack cursed, clutching his injured waist.
Meanwhile, things weren't looking good for the Slytherin Seeker either. Marcus, cornered by three opponents, was on the receiving end of a brutal beating.
A sharp whistle cut through the rain, signaling Professor Hooch's furious intervention. She summoned both teams and gave them an earful.
"Have you forgotten what I said at the start?" she spat, spraying spittle in their faces. "If you can't play fairly and honestly, then get off the pitch! I'm giving you an hour to send in your substitute players to finish this match."
"What's going on?" Albert wondered, furrowing his brow as he watched both teams being reprimanded by Professor Hooch. The game had come to a halt, with the players returning to their respective rooms and the commentator left clueless about the sudden turn of events.
However, everyone soon learned the latest development.
"We've just received shocking news," the commentator exclaimed, "Due to the appalling conduct of both teams, which severely violated numerous rules of Quidditch, all players have been disqualified! Honestly, I've never heard of an entire team being disqualified before. Both sides will have an hour to select a new set of players to continue the match."
"Let's go to the changing room," said Fred, his voice brimming with excitement despite his drenched state. "It's our turn to shine!"
As Albert turned to leave, he caught a glimpse of the unlucky Slytherin Seeker being helped into the changing room, followed by a grim-faced Snape.
"What's the meaning of this?" Professor McGonagall's voice rang out as Albert and his friends entered the changing room. The stern-faced Head of Gryffindor House glared at the players, demanding an explanation.
"Apologies, Professor, but as you can see, Slytherin made the first move," Charlie, the Quidditch captain, spoke up without hesitation. "They showed no intention of playing fairly or honestly, so I had to take alternative measures to ensure the safety of our team. Rest assured, I've made the necessary arrangements, and victory will be ours."
Professor McGonagall paused, taken aback by Charlie's assertiveness.
"Look, our substitutes are here," Charlie added, gesturing to the newcomers.
"So, you plan to put us in the game?" Fred asked, winking at Charlie. "That last swing of yours was brilliant. I saw Marcus being escorted away."
Professor McGonagall's gaze immediately shifted to Fred, who quickly fell silent.
"Kyle, you'll take over as Keeper in Wood's place," Charlie instructed the freckle-faced boy. "You're the only one with Keeper experience among the substitutes."
"You two will be our new Beaters," Charlie continued, addressing Fred and George. "Albert, you're our Seeker, and where's Angelina? Danny, go find her, and..."
Despite the last-minute substitutions, Gryffindor managed to field a complete team. Although they lacked the skill of the regular players, they had all played together before and were confident they could outperform Slytherin's hastily assembled squad.
"Give it your all, Albert!" Charlie exclaimed, clapping Albert on the shoulder. "You're our secret ace. Don't let me down. Catch that Snitch, and victory will be ours."
Albert's mouth twitched at Charlie's words, knowing that his designation as the "secret ace" was more of an encouragement than a reflection of his actual skills.
Professor McGonagall, standing nearby, furrowed her brow as she observed the substitute players. She couldn't help but wonder about Charlie's unusual lineup.
"They're our substitutes," Charlie explained, anticipating her concern. "They were meant to join the selection for the official team next year. Don't worry, they've all received excellent training."
"Very well," Professor McGonagall said, addressing the substitutes. "I don't expect you to perform exceptionally, but at least don't cause any more trouble."
(End of Chapter)
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