章 134: Quidditch
The Ravenclaw captain returned, shaking his head as a collective sigh of disappointment rippled through the audience. Madam Hooch raised her hand, and with a sharp whistle, the players mounted their broomsticks and kicked off from the ground.
The Ravenclaw Seeker quickly ducked under an incoming Bludger—his captain shouting at the Beater, who was still distracted by the serpent looming in the sky—before shooting upward, away from the shadow cast by the massive Slytherin flag. High above, the Seeker hovered lightly, scanning the skies.
"Yes, that's it!" Hagrid exclaimed, holding up his telescope. "Catch the Golden Snitch, and it'll all be sorted!"
Anthony glanced up at the small figure of the Ravenclaw Seeker, now just a dot in the distance, before noticing Harry Potter watching with a strange expression. There was something eerily familiar about the scene.
"What happened with your broom?" Anthony asked in a low voice. He had heard Minerva McGonagall had almost dismantled it in her investigation, but hadn't heard what came of it.
Harry shook his head. "I don't know."
"You don't know?" Anthony echoed, confused.
Harry shrugged. "Professor McGonagall checked the broom, but there was nothing wrong with it."
"As I said," Hermione interjected, glancing at Anthony, "someone must have cursed it. I'm sure of it."
"Malfoy, it must've been him!" Ron chimed in, glaring. "He had that look on his face when Harry made the Quidditch team."
Anthony frowned. "No, I don't think it was Malfoy."
It wasn't just about whether first-year Draco Malfoy had the skill or nerve to pull off such a stunt. The fact that the current Slytherin advantage was clearly bought with money, as evidenced by the giant flag dominating the sky, made it unlikely that Malfoy had resorted to more subtle, magical sabotage. Besides, after the Black Lake incident, Malfoy had been punished by Anthony, McGonagall, Dumbledore, and possibly Snape. He was isolated by his peers at the time, desperate to go unnoticed. Trying to knock Harry off his broom then would have been reckless even for him.
Harry and Ron exchanged glances, clearly unconvinced by Anthony's reasoning. They turned their attention back to the match, muttering quietly to each other.
"Lif!" shouted Neville suddenly, as his toad leapt onto the seat in the front row. Before it could hop away, Harry and Anthony both reacted quickly, pinning it down gently.
Harry handed the toad back to Neville, who looked relieved. Anthony smiled and offered some advice. "You might want to keep it in your pocket, Neville," he suggested, thinking back to his own experiences with his wraith rat.
...
As the Ravenclaw Seeker drifted out of the intimidating range of the giant Slytherin snake, the serpent seemed to slither lower, its menacing form rippling along the edges of the flag as it glided just above the stands.
Anthony raised his binoculars and focused on the Seeker. She leaned over her broom, face intense, scanning the pitch for the elusive Golden Snitch. In the sunlight, she moved gracefully, gliding effortlessly through the air like an eagle, her movements so fluid that they almost seemed dull in their smoothness.
Suddenly, Hagrid let out a loud, "Oh!"
Anthony quickly redirected his attention to the action below, now under the looming shadow of the dark green flag. The score had shifted: eighty to ten, in favor of Slytherin. One of the Ravenclaw Chasers, fist raised triumphantly, zoomed across the field. From the Slytherin stands, groans and jeers could be heard.
"What's happening?" Anthony asked, turning to Harry.
"Ravenclaw scored!" Harry cheered, clapping his hands.
Anthony didn't need any further clarification. The Ravenclaw Chaser, beaming as the Slytherins scowled, flew confidently past the snarling serpent depicted on the flag.
Slytherin's Captain, Marcus Flint, barked instructions to his Seeker, Terence Higgs, who immediately circled the field, eyes darting as he scanned for the Snitch while making efforts to block the Ravenclaw Seeker's path.
Ravenclaw's newfound momentum was palpable. Despite the snake's continued intimidation, hissing and baring its massive fangs as Ravenclaw players entered the scoring zone, the team pressed forward. They zipped past the glaring jaws and repeatedly sent the Quaffle crashing toward the Slytherin goalposts. Slytherin's Keeper, Miles Bletchley, managed to block two shots but faltered on the third. Startled by the snake's sudden lunge from the flag, he wobbled on his broom just long enough to let the Quaffle slip by.
Laughter erupted from the Gryffindor stands, Ron and Dean guffawing as Slytherin supporters booed loudly in frustration.
"Snitch!" Harry suddenly shouted, gripping the railing and leaning forward, eyes wide as he focused on a distant corner of the pitch.
But before anyone could react, Madam Hooch's silver whistle pierced the air. Flint, fuming, had signaled for a timeout after the latest Ravenclaw goal. He stomped toward the Slytherin team, broom in hand, muttering darkly as he approached his teammates.
"Did you see the Snitch?" Ron asked Harry, frantically scanning the pitch, searching for the elusive golden ball worth one hundred and fifty points.
Harry nodded, though uncertain. "For a moment. I thought I saw it, but it's gone now."
Ravenclaw's Seeker landed alongside her captain, clearly deep in thought. She gestured toward the area where Harry had spotted the Snitch but shook her head, looking unsure. Her captain gave her a reassuring pat on the back, while the rest of the team gathered around to celebrate their latest Chaser's impressive goal.
The Seeker glanced up at the Ravenclaw stands, where her classmates cheered wildly. A smile broke across her face, and with a grin, she raised both thumbs in the air, drawing a roar of approval from the crowd.
Anthony adjusted his binoculars and finally caught sight of Professor Flitwick, who was standing at the highest point of the Ravenclaw stands, bouncing on his toes as he waved joyously at his team.
The giant Slytherin snake, resting in the flag above the professor, stared blankly at the Ravenclaw Seeker's jubilant gesture. Slowly, it began to rise again, its coiled form lengthening as it prepared to resume its intimidating display.
...
When the game restarted, Higgs flew high into the air, closely tailing the Ravenclaw Seeker. Meanwhile, Slytherin resumed their usual rough and aggressive tactics, smashing into the Ravenclaw Chasers without any regard for the rules.
"Snitch!" Harry suddenly yelled, slapping the railing again. Following his line of sight, Anthony spotted the little golden ball fluttering its wings. It was hovering in mid-air, right above the Slytherin goalpost where the action was most intense.
Thanks to Harry's shout, nearly everyone in the stands turned their attention to the Snitch, standing up in excitement. Ravenclaw's Seeker saw it too. She spun her broom around and dove after it at full speed—
Slytherin Seeker Higgs was caught off guard for a split second, then quickly followed, but he was already too late—
As the Ravenclaw Seeker in her blue robes flew under the shadow of the massive Slytherin flag, a sudden golden light flashed across the stadium.
The giant snake depicted on the flag raised its tail and moved, its glittering scales catching the sunlight, creating the illusion of dozens of golden Snitches flitting through the air.
Then, as boos erupted from the crowd, real golden Snitch decoys flew out from the edges of the enormous flag. They flapped their wings, shimmering from every direction. The spectators were momentarily dazzled, unsure of where the real Snitch was amidst the glittering confusion.
Some pointed above Professor Flitwick's head, shouting excitedly, while others pointed to the opposite side of the pitch.
"Where is it?" Anthony, Ron, and Hermione asked Harry simultaneously. Hagrid, gripping his binoculars tightly, echoed the same question.
"It's still there!" Harry shouted, pointing towards the Slytherin goalpost, where the Snitch continued to hover, its golden gleam mixing with the green, blue, and flashes of metal from the brooms and players.
"Right there—wait, Slytherin… Ravenclaw… what are their Beaters doing?"
Anthony raised his telescope again, following Harry's directions. After adjusting the focus, he finally spotted the real Golden Snitch, hovering quietly next to the goalpost, waiting for the Seekers to descend upon it. The decoys danced around it, creating confusion, but Anthony increased the magnification of his telescope and confirmed it—this was the real Snitch.
There was a collective cry of dissatisfaction from the Ravenclaw stands.
"That's nearly a foul!" they shouted. "Nearly!"
Anthony thought to himself that if the school didn't step in, chaos would surely break out. Professor McGonagall and the other Heads of House had recently introduced a new rule to control the madness. Banners and sheets now only displayed supportive slogans, with anything inappropriate removed. Where students learned certain words was anyone's guess.
Of course, this only increased the demand for Weasley's paint.
But that's beside the point. Let's focus on the Quidditch match now.
Amidst the excited commentary and the mixed cheers and boos from the audience, the two Seekers dived towards the pitch like falling stars.
Higgs, anticipating this moment, continued his mad dash for the Snitch, while the Ravenclaw Seeker squinted through the confusion and locked her sharp gaze on the prize. She flew faster and faster, her body perfectly aligned on her broom, arm outstretched, ready to grab the elusive Snitch.
...
"Good girl!" Hagrid roared, pressing the telescope firmly to his eyes. Harry turned his head quickly, surprised to see the giant snake hissing above them on the flag. He glanced at Ron and Hermione to his left, then at Anthony on his right, before refocusing his gaze on the Quidditch pitch.
Anthony also had his binoculars fixed on the two Seekers, following their every move. The Golden Snitch was within reach. Slytherin currently held a 110-point lead over Ravenclaw, but if Ravenclaw caught the Snitch, the point gap would vanish, rendering Slytherin's advantage useless.
The psychological resilience of the Ravenclaw team was proving stronger than Slytherin had anticipated, and Anthony was pleased to see their tactics failing. Although winning is important in any match, Anthony never appreciated underhanded methods to secure victory.
Suddenly, one of the Ravenclaw Chasers collided with Anthony's view through the binoculars. He had the Quaffle tucked under his arm, gripping his broom with one hand, his face a mixture of surprise and anger, and he inadvertently veered into the Seeker's flight path.
They collided in midair, the brooms spinning wildly. Their robes tangled together as their shoes and brooms caught on each other. Both players held tight to their brooms, and the Seeker even kicked at his teammate's broom to free himself. Higgs, who was right next to the Ravenclaw Seeker, pulled up sharply to avoid becoming part of the tangled mess.
Mrs. Hooch blew her whistle furiously, but it was too late.
The Ravenclaw Chaser – not the Seeker – had exposed his arm from his sleeve during the collision, and in the chaos, his bare skin brushed against the flapping Golden Snitch.
"He..." Harry murmured in disbelief just before the uproar from the crowd. "He wasn't wearing a jersey lining."
Anthony, ever practical, remarked, "I suppose it's warm today."
Harry glanced at the professor, noting the cold wind, and replied dryly, "I doubt he feels that way now."
…
As the shouting and protests continued, it took Anthony some time to fully grasp what had happened.
According to the British Ministry of Magic's Department of Magical Law Enforcement and the Office for the Control of Magical Devices, a Golden Snitch has a physical memory that allows it to recognize the first person to touch it with bare skin. Before each match, the Snitch must be brand new and untouched by anyone's exposed skin.
Quidditch rules, as outlined by the Department of Magical Games and Sports, state that it is a foul for any player other than the Seeker to touch or catch the Snitch. Teams committing this foul are immediately disqualified.
Therefore, the contact between the Ravenclaw Chaser's bare arm and the Golden Snitch was an illegal touch, and Ravenclaw was automatically disqualified.
…
"But Slytherin's Beaters treating the other team's players like Bludgers isn't a foul?" Anthony asked, having just heard the details from Neville.
"Of course it is!" Seamus replied. "But it only results in a penalty shot."
As the Gryffindors vented their frustrations, Ravenclaw's students had devised a clever form of protest. Weasley's enchanted paint was now flying over the Slytherin flag, painting blood-red letters that spelled out various messages. The massive emerald snake on the flag occasionally lunged at the paint tubes, snapping at them like flies, but could only writhe futilely in the enchanted fabric.
"The paint tubes have improved fast," Dean noted. "I don't think they could fly this high last week."
Seamus agreed. "Yeah, the ceilings at Hogwarts are pretty high."
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