Chapter 293: The Quidditch Finals
Chapter 293: The Quidditch Finals
Chapter 293: The Quidditch Finals
If Gryffindor won the game, this team would go down in history as a legend.
For Harry and the rest of the team, winning the Quidditch Cup would bring them glory, ensuring that they would be remembered and their signatures would be permanently present in the Trophy Room.
This is almost the highest honor a school wizard could get. After all, not every young wizard can win a special contribution award like Voldemort.
Of course, Evan was an exception.
Not only did he receive a special contribution award in his first year of school, he broke the record and made himself the youngest wizard to enter the Trophy Room in history.
Not long ago, he also received the Order of Merlin, Second Class.
Anyway, his family did not know what the Order of Merlin, Second Class represented, and Evan himself did not value this honor at all. Because of this medal, for a long time, Filch’s attitude towards Evan was surprisingly respectful.
Evan was just an exception. Not everyone had the opportunity and strength to fight against Voldemort, the Basilisk, the Dementors and the evil Dark wizards while being just students. For ordinary students, the Quidditch Cup was the only chance for their names to enter the Trophy Room.
Especially considering that after seven years, Gryffindor was once again likely to win the Quidditch Cup and Wood was about to graduate, the victory of this match was particularly meaningful.
The game was still going on, and now all the focus was on Harry. He apparently realized this. After Lee announced that Gryffindor was 50 points in the lead, Harry gave up on following Malfoy and flew to the sky alone in search of the Golden Snitch.
Malfoy chased after him and looked a little impatient.
On the pitch, Angelina made persistent efforts and achieved great success.
She punched the air as she soared around the end of the field; the sea of scarlet below was screaming its delight.
Just then, the accident suddenly occurred.
Without any warning, Slytherin’s Marcus Flint suddenly rushed to Angelina as fast as he could, like a giant cannonball leaving a cannon, and under everyone sight, he nearly threw Angelina from her broom.
As the crowd below booed, Flint shrugged his shoulders and explained in an understatement, “Sorry, didn’t see her!”
This seemed to be a signal. Fred was very unhappy with Angelina being attack.
A moment later, he chucked his Beater’s club at the back of flint’s head.
Flint’s nose smashed into the handle of his broom and began to bleed.
“That will do!” shrieked Madam Hooch, zooming between them. “Penalty shot to Gryffindor for an unprovoked attack on their Chaser! Penalty shot to Slytherin for deliberate damage to their Chaser!”
Mrs. Hooch’s punishment did not stop the anger of both sides, but made the situation worse, or more accurately, it was Slytherin’s plan of action, they began to use various excuses to attack the Gryffindor players frequently.
Everyone was very angry about what Slytherin was doing.
Ron was screaming at Flint, Hermione frowned and wanted to stop him, and he heard Li Jordan yelling, “DAMN, YOU DIRTY, CHEATING…”
“Jordan, if you can’t commentate in an unbiased way…!” Professor McGonagall stopped.
“I’m telling it like it is, Professor!” said Lee Jordan, “look at the performance of these guys. It’s really disgusting.”
Indeed, this was the dirtiest ball game Evan had ever seen.
Because of Slytherin’s frequent fouls, the gap was quickly narrowed.
They were rapidly resorting to any means to take the Quaffle. Bole hit Alicia with his club and tried to say he’d thought she was a Bludger. However, Angelina was the main target…
The Slytherin players, who were as strong as bears, seized every opportunity to rush at Angelina, hoping to knock her off her broomstick.
In the face of Slytherin’s provocation, Fred and George were not to be outdone. Fred waved his club around Alicia and Angelina to protect both of them. George retaliated by hitting Bole in the face with his elbow.
But it didn’t work. Flint and Derrick took advantage of Fred’s and George’s absence to aim both Bludgers at wood. They caught him in the stomach, one after the other.
Wood rolled over in the air, clutching his broom, completely winded.
Madam Hooch was beside herself, and she yelled at Flint and Derrick. “YOU DO NOT ATTACK THE KEEPER UNLESS THE QUAFFLE IS WITHIN THE SCORING AREA! Gryffindor penalty!”
The penalty was not a punishment for Slytherin, they didn’t care at all, but frequently used the advantages brought by the foul to narrow the gap between the two sides.
Gryffindor’s players were obviously not adapted, and Wood’s training and tactical arrangements never considered that this would happen.
And they couldn’t give up the game; they could only cling to their teeth.
The wave of anger on the audience floor was higher than the waves, and Ron and several other boys even wanted to rush to the opposite stand and teach the Slytherins a lesson.
Fortunately, Gryffindor was still sixty points in the lead, and they could get the Cup as long as Harry caught the golden snitch!
In midair, Harry could almost feel hundreds of eyes following him as he soared around the field. He was flying higher than anyone else, and Malfoy was speeding along behind him.
All the tension before the start of the game disappeared. He was in a better condition than ever before. As he flew past the Ravenclaw bleachers, he saw the Golden Snitch sparkling 20 feet above him.
Harry put on a huge burst of speed; the wind was roaring in his ears.
He stretched out his hand and was about to touch the golden snitch, but at that moment, the Firebolt suddenly slowed down!
Horrified, Harry looked around.
He saw Malfoy rushing forward, grabbing hold of the Firebolt’s tail and pulling it back.
“What are you doing?” Harry was angry enough to hit Malfoy, but he couldn’t reach him.
Malfoy was panting with the effort of holding onto the Firebolt, but his eyes were sparkling maliciously. He had achieved what he wanted to do. The Snitch had disappeared again.
“Penalty! Penalty for Gryffindor! I’ve never seen such tactics!”
Madam Hooch screeched, shooting up to where Malfoy was sliding back onto his Nimbus Two Thousand and One.
“YOU CHEATING SCUM!” Lee Jordan was howling into the megaphone, dancing out of Professor McGonagall’s reach. “YOU FILTHY, CHEATING B…”
Lee Jordan did not need to stop; Professor McGonagall did not even bother to tell him off.
She was shaking her finger in Malfoy’s direction, her hat had fallen off, and she too was shouting furiously.
Beside her, Sirius was even more furious, and without saying a word, pulled out his wand directly. A red light flew straight down to Malfoy. No one knew what the curse was.
This kind of behavior was obviously irrational, but it was in Sirius’s style.
All the audience screamed hoarsely. They saw Sirius’s spell blocked by a silver light in mid-air, and the two collided with each other in a brilliant light. It was Snape’s magic, and he looked back provocatively at Sirius with a grim smile on his face.
Professor McGonagall was very surprised at what they had done. She quickly stopped Sirius and told him not to make any more drastic moves.
This unexpected event allowed the game to move on. Under Madam Hooch’s instructions, Alicia took Gryffindor’s penalty.
But she was so angry she missed the goal by several feet.
The Gryffindor team was losing focus and the Slytherins, delighted by Malfoy’s foul on Harry and Snape’s strong performance, were being spurred on to greater heights.
Their whole team was encouraged to fly higher and faster.