pertwk Chapter 120 The Quidditch Season Ends
Chapter 120 The Quidditch Season Ends
Chapter 120 The Quidditch Season Ends
On the day of the Hufflepuff vs. Slytherin match, a tense, almost tragic atmosphere permeated the castle. Cullen didn't go to the pitch, choosing instead a window seat in the common room, where only a few older students remained. The faint, ever-growing waves of sound from outside, like invisible tides, constantly crashed against the glass; the cheers and sighs, even from this distance, clearly conveyed the atmosphere of the match.
When Wesley, Fabian, Ernesto, and the other Ravenclaws who had gone to watch the game rushed into the Ravenclaw common room, the entire room fell silent instantly, all eyes were on them, and everyone wanted to know how the game would turn out.
"We lost! Just a hair's breadth away! Cedric and the others fought tooth and nail!" He slammed his fist on the table, pumpkin juice splattering everywhere. "Those Slytherin bastards! Were they here to play ball? They were here to beat people up!"
Fabian, unusually agitated, exclaimed, "More than once! Their batter, that Warrington, was trying to grab the bat from Cedric's back! If Cedric hadn't dodged quickly, and if it weren't for their chaser deliberately ramming into Hufflepuff's player, almost knocking him off his broom! But they're good at finding angles, always fouling in Mrs. Hodge's blind spot!"
Ernesto's face was so dark it seemed to drip water. He leaned back in his high-backed chair, his eyes filled with undisguised contempt: "Tactics? Their only tactics are fouls and intimidation. The referee called two free throws, but what good did it do? They didn't care! Hufflepuff managed to pull back some points with the free throws, but at the crucial moment when Cedric was catching the Snitch, one of their chasers deliberately blocked his path, seriously interfering! The Snitch slipped right under his nose!" He clenched his fist tightly. "Despicable! Shameless! Winning by such means, even if they win the House Cup, it will be a disgrace to Hogwarts!"
A murmur of discussion arose in the common room, a mixture of angry denunciations of Slytherin and regret for Hufflepuff.
"So, what was the result?" an older student pressed.
"Slytherin won, 170 to 130," Fabian announced the score, his voice filled with resentment. "They caught the Snitch. Slytherin is now firmly in first place in the standings, and the House Cup is practically theirs. Even if we beat Gryffindor in the end, and Gryffindor beats us, we still won't surpass them; they've already beaten Gryffindor before."
Ernesto let out a short, chilling laugh: "Yes, the championship is in hand. In the dirtiest way. Just wait and see, tomorrow—no, right now—their common room will be a green swamp, celebrating their 'glory.'" The sarcasm in his words was palpable.
Wesley slammed his empty glass down on the table. "Cedric and the others really did their best! They fought incredibly hard! They were just a bit unlucky, and the referee was a bit blind! Those Slytherin bastards!" His voice rose a few decibels with excitement.
Karen listened silently, his gaze drifting across the Quidditch pitch in the distance. He could imagine Cedric's disappointment, the Hufflepuff boy who always smiled so gently. He wasn't surprised by Slytherin's methods, but this way of securing the victory was indeed, as Ernesto had said, very Slytherin-esque. The House Cup was decided, but the battle for Quidditch itself was far from over.
It was the weekend, match day between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. Although the College Cup winner had already been decided, the Quidditch pitch stands were still packed, filled with the roar of the crowd. The sun blazed brightly, making the crimson Gryffindor flag and the blue-bronze Ravenclaw flag stand out vividly. The air was thick with the warm aroma of popcorn, pumpkin juice, and fresh grass, and a pure anticipation unlike that of yesterday's match.
Karen was practically dragged by her roommates to sit in the front row of the stands where the Ravenclaw students were gathered. Wesley and Ernesto sat on either side of her, while Fabian held a small notebook, seemingly about to jot something down. The deafening cheers nearly lifted the roof off the stands.
"Ravenclaw will win! Go Charlie!" Wesley waved the Ravenclaw scarf he had prepared beforehand and shouted at the top of his lungs, his voice drowned out by the even louder noise.
Ernesto, on the other hand, seemed much more professional. He stared intently at the players warming up on the field, analyzing rapidly: "Judging from Gryffindor's formation, Charlie will definitely launch a fast break at the start, using the momentum of their chasers to tear apart Ravenclaw's defense. Our advantage lies in our defensive layering; our goalie is experienced, and our two batters work well together. As long as we can withstand the onslaught for the first ten minutes—"
Fabian pushed up his glasses and quickly sketched out a formation in his notebook: "But the most crucial position is the Seeker. Charlie is widely recognized as the strongest Seeker. Although Butt is quite good, Charlie is still stronger. The key lies in contesting the Quaffle and controlling the Runner."
The referee, Mrs. Hooch, blew her whistle sharply, piercing the air. All the brooms shot up like arrows, instantly rising into the azure sky!
The match began at a breathtakingly fast pace. Gryffindor's red figures blazed like flames, the three Chaser players frantically weaving and passing under Charlie's direction, the Quaffle transforming into a red streak of light as it hurtled towards the Ravenclaw goal! Ravenclaw's goalkeeper, Ben...
Cooper put on a spectacular performance, making three incredible saves that seemed certain to go in! Each save drew a deafening roar from the Ravenclaw stands.
"Beautiful! Fantastic!" Ernesto exclaimed, pumping his fist in excitement.
"Ravenclaw! Defense! Defense!" Wesley shouted passionately.
Commentator Lee Jordan's voice was full of passion:
"Look! Gryffindor's lightning fast break! Charlie directs, Hopkins dribbles past Ravenclaw's Collins with a beautiful feint! Pass! Carl receives the ball—shoot! Oh—Merlin's stinky sock! Cooper! His fingertips touched the ball! The ball grazed the post and flew out! An unbelievable save! Ravenclaw held on!"
The Gryffindor offensive was contained, and the Ravenclaw Chaser began to organize a counterattack. A fierce battle raged in the midfield, with the Quaffle changing hands rapidly. The batters also engaged in a hard-fought contest, with the runners whistling and colliding, forcing players to make difficult dodges.
"This is Quidditch!" Lee Jordan exclaimed. "Smooth teamwork! Precise passing! Intelligent positioning! Beautiful dodges and interceptions! No unnecessary collisions, just a pure contest of skill and speed! The ferocity of Gryffindor, the wisdom of Ravenclaw! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the kind of game we want to see! Not just mindless fouls!"
Before the words were even finished, Gryffindor intercepted the ball! Charlie didn't directly participate, but instead directed the play with composure. Hopkins made a high-speed run, drawing a double team, and at the crucial moment, with a flick of his wrist, delivered a concealed diagonal pass with a Quake! Jones, unmarked and making a run from behind, received the ball, aimed, and unleashed a long-range volley!
Goal! The Gryffindor stands erupted in cheers!
"Gryffindor gets a perfect 10! Brilliant teamwork! Hopkins' breakthrough and pass! Jones' ruthless finish!"
Ravenclaw responded quickly. Utilizing a throw-in, they patiently passed the ball around until Balby capitalized on a defensive lapse, skillfully nutmegging past goalkeeper Oliver Wood and slotting the ball into the top corner! The score was equalized!
"Great! Ravenclaw's response was equally brilliant!" Lee Jordan exclaimed.
The match was a back-and-forth affair, full of thrills and suspense. Every brilliant attack and defense drew cheers or sighs from the crowd. The score remained neck and neck, trading baskets. Time ticked by, and nearly an hour into the game, the scoreboard showed Gryffindor 110-100 Ravenclaw. Sweat soaked their uniforms, their panting could be heard, but their fighting spirit remained undiminished. Everyone awaited the golden flash that would change the course of the match.
Suddenly, Gryffindor's Seeker, Charlie Weasley himself, abruptly turned his broom and swooped down towards the open space behind the Ravenclaw goal! Almost simultaneously, Ravenclaw's Seeker, Butt, spotted his target and gave chase!
"The Golden Snitch! The Golden Snitch has appeared!" Lee Jordan's voice was hoarse with excitement. "Behind the Ravenclaw goal! Very low! Close to the ground! Gryffindor's Seeker Charlie Weasley has started moving first! Ravenclaw's Seeker Boot is right behind him! Both of them are diving! They're going incredibly fast!"
The hearts of the entire audience were in their throats. Tens of thousands of eyes were fixed on the two figures plummeting to the ground like meteorites, and the tiny golden dot flashing wildly in front of them!
Charlie, relying on his experience and the superior performance of his broom, gradually closed the gap. Butt pressed himself against the broom handle, squeezing out his last bit of speed. The broom's tail created a cloud of white air currents.
Fifty feet, thirty feet, ten feet—just as Charlie's fingers were about to touch the thief, the thief suddenly stopped and changed direction, flying sideways across the ground! Charlie made a superb maneuver, forcefully turning the direction to give chase! This earned him a gasp from the entire audience!
This momentary delay gave Butt an opportunity! Based on his anticipation, he chose a more direct route, slightly adjusting his position to target the thief's next possible location! He even managed to overtake Charlie by half a body length!
"Butt! Butt of Ravenclaw! He anticipated the trajectory! He got inside! He's in the lead!" Lee Jordan's commentary couldn't keep up with the changes.
The two raced side by side, their fingers outstretched towards the thief, who was less than five feet away! The outcome was decided by the slightest margin!
In that split second, Charlie, as the Seeker, displayed his true skill! He extended his broom fully, his arm stretched to its limit, and with unwavering determination, he scooped forward fiercely just tenths of a second before Butt's fingers were about to touch the Snitch!
Time froze for a moment.
Then, Charlie suddenly sat up straight and raised his right hand high! In the sunlight, within his clenched fist, a pair of tiny, frantically flapping golden wings struggled in vain!
"Got it!!!" Lee Jordan roared. "Charlie Weasley! Gryffindor's captain and Seeker! In the final moments, with incredible speed and courage, he snatched the Golden Snitch! Merlin's Mustache! It's a miracle! Gryffindor wins! 160 points! Gryffindor wins!!!"
"Boom!!"
The Gryffindor stands exploded! A crimson wave surged and leaped wildly! The Gryffindor flags burned like torches! The roar was like a tsunami!
Charlie held the Snitch aloft, hovering low over the field on his broomstick, his passing accompanied by deafening shouts of "Gryffindor! Weasley!" His face was glistening with sweat and bits of grass, his smile as radiant as the midday sun.
After a brief silence, the Ravenclaw stands erupted in enthusiastic applause. Ernesto clapped loudly: "Well done, Charlie! That anticipation and sprint was textbook perfect! Ravenclaw deserved their loss!"
Wesley jumped up and down excitedly: "That was awesome! Charlie! That was awesome! That was real Quidditch! That final charge! Absolutely amazing!" He patted Cullen on the shoulder.
Fabian put down his notebook: "A pure clash of speed, courage, and wisdom, without any dirt involved. It feels great."
Karen watched Charlie being tossed into the air and the surging red sea. The sunlight was blinding, and he squinted his grey-blue eyes. Yes, this was how the sport should be. A slight smile played on his lips, for his friend's success, and for the final curtain call of this true Quidditch spirit.
Lee Jordan's voice echoed: "Ladies and gentlemen! Gryffindor has won this magnificent game! Let us remember the field today! Remember this pure, exhilarating spiking! Remember this victory without shadows! This is Quidditch! Congratulations to Gryffindor!"
Cheers, applause, and whistles continued for a long time as the Quidditch season came to a close amidst cheers.