0277 The Match


    Bathed in the bright sunshine, the Quidditch pitch was not as joyful as usual, but rather tinged with a sense of seriousness. The reason behind this was none other than the fact that this match would determine the winner of this year''s Quidditch Cup.


    Hufflepuff had already lost to Ravenw, so their chances of winning the championship were slim. The presence of their students at the pitch was merely for the sake of joining in the excitement. They wore their yellow and ck scarves and cheered for both teams, but without much enthusiasm. However, Ravenw was different. They were still strong contenders for the championship, and if they defeated Gryffindor today, they would earn the opportunity to challenge Slytherin.


    Slytherin, the defending champions, obviously hoped for Gryffindor''s loss. Not only were the two houses bitter rivals, but Gryffindor with Potter posed a greater threat than Ravenw. Slytherin knew that Potter was the best Seeker in the school, and that his Firebolt broomstick gave him an edge over anyone else. They also feared the power of the Weasley twins, who were notorious for their pranks and tricks on the pitch. For Slytherin, if Ravenw won today, their captain, Marcus Flint, could confidently pat his chest and dere that the glory belonged to Slytherin. He had already prepared a speech to mock Gryffindor''s defeat and praise his own team''s brilliance. The Slytherins, dressed in green and silver, were booing and jeering at every Gryffindor move, hoping to distract and demoralize them.


    One of the four houses hufflepuff had no stake in the matter, while the other two hoped for Gryffindor''s defeat. This atmosphere of watching the match was not exactly friendly towards Gryffindor. However, Gryffindor, known as the house of courage, was not afraid of such a situation. Most of the students from this house were shouting at the top of their lungs, hoping that their team could feel their determination to support them. They wore their red and gold colors with pride and chanted the names of their yers.


    "Oh, sorry, Remus–"


    Hagrid walked up from the stairs behind the stands, eyeing a seat behind Hermione and Ron. He tiptoed carefully past Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick, but identally bumped into Professor Lupin, nearly causing him to fall off the stands. Lupin, who looked pale and tired, had been watching the match with a faint smile, but now he gasped and grabbed the railing to steady himself.


    "It''s alright, Hagrid–"


    Remus rubbed his almost dislocated shoulder and smiled bitterly. He was about to ask Hagrid why he arrived sote when a small ck puppy suddenly popped out from Hagrid''s messy hair on his shoulder. The puppy had a shaggy coat and bright eyes, and it looked around with curiosity and excitement.


    In that instant when their eyes met, Remus recognized the true identity of the ck puppy. He opened his mouth in surprise, and the response he received was a slightly smug look.


    At that moment, Hermione, who had been attracted by themotion behind her, turned around and also saw the small Sirius perched on Hagrid''s shoulder.


    "Why did you bring it here, Hagrid? What about Crookshanks?"


    "He''s catching gnomes in the vegetable patch with Fang. It''s not like I didn''t want to bring him here, Hermione."


    Hagrid poked the cheek of the small ck dog with his finger and said irritably.


    Remus smiled bitterly. He had heard from Bryan that Sirius was living in the Forbidden Forest, but he didn''t expect that he had be so familiar with Hagrid.


    "Oh, damn!"


    Ron suddenly eximed in regret, and the nearby young wizards also showed the same reaction. Professor McGonagall clenched her fists against her chest, holding her breath nervously.


    "What just happened?"


    Hermione asked anxiously, looking at Harry who was quickly stretching his distance from one goalpost to another.


    "Harry almost caught the Snitch, but Ravenw''s Beater hit the Bludger towards him, interrupting his chance!"


    Ron said angrily. He had seen the Ravenw Beater, a burly boy named Davies, swing his bat and send a ck iron ball, the Bludger, flying towards Harry. The Bludger almost hit Harry''s broomstick, making him dodge it and the Snitch was lost again.


    The pace of the match was extremely intense. Less than twenty minutes had passed since the start, and the score between Gryffindor and Ravenw had already reached eighty to zero. Gryffindor''s Chasers, Angelina Johnson, Alicia Spi, and Katie Bell, had scored eight goals in a row, passing the Quaffle, the red leather ball, to each other with remarkable coordination and uracy. Ravenw''s Keeper, had tried her best to block the goals, but she was no match for Gryffindor''s offense. Gryffindor''s Beaters, Fred and George Weasley, had also done a great job of protecting their team and attacking the other, using their bats to hit the Bludgers towards the Ravenws. Ravenw''s Chasers, a trio of boys named Bradley, Chambers, and Boot, had barely touched the Quaffle, as they were constantly dodging the Bludgers and the Weasleys.


    However, the match was not over yet. The only way to end the match was to catch the Snitch, which was worth one hundred and fifty points. Moreover, Ravenw''s Seeker seemed to have found a way to deal with Harry. She had given up thepetition with Harry to catch the Golden Snitch first and was now flying around him, trying to interfere with him.


    However, she soon realized that Harry was too fast and too focused for her to catch up with him. She decided to change her strategy, and instead of looking for the Snitch herself, she followed Harry wherever he went, hoping to distract him or block his view.


    "That''s a despicable move!"


    Hermione figured out what Cho Chang was trying to do and said angrily, "Why can''t they just have a fair match?" She thought that Cho Chang was being unfair and unsportsmanlike, and that she was ruining the game for Harry and everyone else.


    "Your statement is not very objective, Hermione–"


    Remus nced at Sirius and smiled. He had noticed Hermione''s reaction, and he found it amusing. He also understood Cho Chang''s tactic, and he thought that it was clever and effective.


    "Miss Cho-Chang''s choice is quite wise, isn''t it? She can''tpete with Harry''s Firebolt in terms of speed. She has to use her wits to try to throw him off his game."


    Remus said calmly, trying to sound impartial. Sirius snorted, and gave Remus a look that said he was not fooled by his tone.


    Although he said that, Cho''s actions were clearly not likable, especially for the Gryffindor wizards. They could ept being defeated head-on on the pitch, but in their eyes, strategies and tactics were not much different from conspiracies and tricks.


    "Harry, now is not the time for you to be a gentleman!"


    On the pitch, Wood shouted at Harry, who was at a loss, "If necessary, knock her off the broom!" Wood as the captain and the Keeper of the Gryffindor team, was determined to win the match and the Cup at any costs.


    "I understand, Wood!"


    Harry responded nervously. He turned his head and saw that Cho was still not far behind him. Her beautiful face was framed by her flowing hair, fluttering in the golden sunlight. She had clearly noticed Harry''s gaze, and she smiled at him.


    In that moment, Harry''s heart skipped a beat, and an inexplicable sense of suffocation rushed to his mind. He even felt a slight numbness in the hand holding the broomstick!


    <em>''This feels so weird!''</em> Harry thought, but now was the time for the match. He didn''t have time to dwell on why he felt a bit disappointed when he shifted his gaze away from her smiling face. He forced himself to focus on the match.


    Of course, he couldn''t do what Wood suggested and knock Cho directly off her broom. If it were Malfoy, he wouldn''t mind doing so.


    But he had to shake off Cho-Chang. If he let her continue to stare at him like this, he wouldn''t be able to aplish anything in this match.


    After a brief thought, Harry came up with an idea. He pressed down on the broomstick, causing himself to dive towards the ground at an incredible speed. As expected, Cho thought he had spotted the Snitch and hurriedly followed him.


    Everything in his line of sight became blurry as the two of them plummeted through the air at an exaggerated speed. The wind whipped their faces and hair, and the ground rushed up to meet them. The spectators gasped and screamed, as they watched the two Seekers dive towards the earth.


    When they were about thirty feet from the ground, Harry suddenly leveled out the broomstick. After a brief deceleration, he shot back up into the sky. He had pulled off a spectacr maneuver, known as the Wronski Feint, which was named after a famous Polish Seeker. He had faked a dive, and then quickly changed direction, leaving his pursuer behind. Cho, caught off guard, slid on the grass for a while before regaining control of her body.


    And that was exactly what Harry wanted to see. Otherwise, with his flying skills, he could havepressed the distance for "braking" by half! He had deliberately extended the dive, to make sure that Cho would follow him all the way down. He had also made sure that she wouldnd on the grass, and not on the hard ground.


    Harry shot up into the sky like a bullet. Taking advantage of Cho still trying to control her broomstick, his gaze swept across the entire pitch. And then, he saw it. The Snitch was shining in the sky above Ravenw''s side of the pitch. It was a tiny golden ball, with silver wings, and it was the most important thing in the world to Harry right now.


    The world quieted down at that moment. The only sound Harry could hear was his own heartbeat. He felt a surge of adrenaline, and a burst of joy. He flew towards the Snitch, with all his speed and skill. He reached out his hand, and felt the cold metal ball in his palm.


    He closed his fingers around it, and held it tight.


    He had done it. He had caught the Snitch.


    Madam Hooch''s whistle resounded throughout the pitch, and Harry finally heard the thunderous cheers that shattered the clouds.


    Since losing the match due to the Dementor''s interference, the Gryffindor wizards had been holding onto their frustration for two whole months. It was only at this moment that their pent-up emotions were finally released. They erupted in joy and celebration, as they congratted Harry and his team. They also taunted and mocked the other teams, especially Slytherin, who had been hoping for their defeat.


    Many people crowded around Harry to express their excitement. Harry looked around and found Ron and Hermione, who were desperately trying to push forward, as well as Hagrid, who stood like a wall. At the same time, he also noticed the small ck puppy perched on Hagrid''s shoulder.


    The behavior of the ck puppy was extremely strange. It sat on Hagrid''s shoulder, patting him with its front paws like a person would, and its eyes were filled with tears.


    This scene was incredibly bizarre. Harry rubbed his eyes and almost thought he was dreaming. But the fact was that the dog was behaving like a human, celebrating his victory.


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