HP: The Arcane Thief

Chapter 85

"With that, this painful match finally ends, and I can NOT believe the numbers on the scoreboard! 1140 to 90 in Slytherin's lead! With a MASSIVE 1050 point difference!"

"Axel Hunt, the star of the match, finally lands on the ground, and his feet are looking a little bit shaky. Well, can't tell what state he must be in, cause no one else is even capable of doing what he did today."

"And OH! A hug from the Stunning Slytherin Captain, boy is he lucky. And here comes the rest of the team! The Slytherin team is having a moment right now, but Axel Hunt doesn't seem to be in a good state…"

Axel, as the main attraction of the whole match, was of course being shown on the big screens. And by now, people were obviously starting to take notice that something was wrong.

"Honey, there are wards out here! Only reporters, professors and players are allowed entry into the pitch," said Evelyn, putting a hand on the panicking Daphne's shoulder.

"Can't you do something about it mum? He's clearly not alright!"

Daphne was trying her best to get into the pitch. But students or civilian entry was forbidden, with all kinds of wards set up.

"That idiot! I knew he wasn't alright." Said Martina in half worry and half annoyance.

"And here comes… Professor Lockhart?" Commentated Lee. "Woah, didn't see him coming, but looks like he's getting everyone off of Axel. And… Now he is hugging him?"

On the big screen, pure vexation was clearly written all over Axel's face which was considerably paler, while Lockhart was waving his hand to the cameras with his brilliant smile, making outlandish claims.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, my Student, Axel Hunt! Came to me for some Quidditch tips. He's learnt a lot from me! So proud of you, Axel." Axel felt the person rubbing his head as if they were very close. "I think your parents must be proud, huh? Tell them that they don't need to thank me much, I was only—"

*Snap*

Axel had had enough. He had been feeling nauseous for a while and there was only so much he could take. The teammates couldn't really be blamed for their reaction, he had won them a match and they were just thanking him. So even if he didn't like it, it didn't piss him off too much.

But what the heck is up with this guy? Is he really doing this right now?

Even though Axel's body and his senses weren't working properly, his mind was. And he knew what had just happened. This person, Gilderoy Lockhart, is a very popular, well-established, and very experienced adventurer. His skillset includes being great at pretty much everything. And who is Axel? Before today, a fucking nobody. So, if Lockhart claims he's got some great insights in Quidditch and he trained Axel, and Axel says otherwise, who's the majority of people going to believe? Of course Lockhart.

It means this man is trying to piss on all of what he did today.

Today, when Axel woke up, he wanted nothing more than to sleep a bit more. It wasn't like his usual 'tired-to-bone' kind of tired state... it was even worse, due to the [Limit Break] backlash, but he still forced himself. He came here, and did everything he needed to do, even exposing many of his cards, even if he needed rest, and even if it was so risky for him to show off.

And here is this bastard, trying to take that all away? For what? Simple fame? How infuriating is that?!

Plus, Axel didn't really like the comment about his parents. They will be proud? Well their son is a thieving murderer. Axel was sure they couldn't be prouder. But it's their fault for abandoning him.

And lastly, 'This guy's sticking too close! And he's too creepy,' thought Axel in revulsion, trying to move his body to push the bastard away.

Usually, Axel would be pissed with even one of these things. But right now, they're all happening together while he can't do anything. So, he could not be blamed for what he did next.

[Limit Break]

Raising his hand, Axel gripped the hand that was rubbing his hair. And—

*Crack* *crick-CRACK*

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

In the next moment, Lockhart found himself lying on the ground, screaming like a little girl, with many of his bones broken.

"You have an extreme talent for pissing people off," spat Axel. In terms of being infuriating, this guy couldn't rival Umbridge, but yeah, he comes pretty close. And that was saying something.

*Ding*

Red messages started popping up in front of his eyes, and Axel felt like his head was splitting off. But he couldn't leave as bright flashes of lights started to come from all around him, as the reporters who had been on the ground began to surround him for a close up shot on what had just happened while asking him questions.

"Mr. Hunt! Why did you injure a professor?"

"Axel! Is what Professor Lockhart said really true?"

"Were you really taught by him?"

Now after using Limit Break once again, even his mind was having problems working, since all of his concentration was spent on not passing out. At this moment, a commotion started in the crowd as the reporters slowly parted to reveal a familiar figure.

"Professor Lockhart is only trying to wrongfully claim the credit," said the person sharply. "The man can't even replicate 5% of Axel's skill and neither does he know how to perform even half of the tricks Axel performed today. He hasn't taught anything to Axel. In fact, before today, that man didn't even know about Axel's existence, much less teach him anything," said the person, spitting facts in everyone's faces. But, it wasn't just the words that had a high impact. It was also the person who had spoken those words.

"""Martina... Valentino?!"""

"Miss Valentino herself has come to Axel Hunt's defense!"

"Miss Valentino, why are you defending Axel Hunt?"

"Miss Valentino, are you accusing Gilderoy Lockhart of blatantly lying in front of the whole world?!"

Yep, the person was Martina herself, who came to stand beside Axel. Martina nodded at the cameras. "Yes, Gilderoy Lockhart is lying and it's very easy to prove it. You can test him anytime. He won't be half as skilled as Axel, not to mention the fact that he's only been here for barely 2 months, not really enough to learn anything of that level," she said matter of factly, thoroughly crushing Lockhart's claims and also showing his stupidity.

"After Axel has shown his talent today, Lockhart is just one of the many who are going to try and take advantage of him. But Axel is my friend, and I won't let anyone make use of him like that," she said sternly, radiating a powerful presence.

She then turned to Axel and her brows furrowed in worry, noticing his pale face and unsteady feet.

"Are you alright? You shouldn't have pushed yourself so hard last night!" she said, trying to support him.

""!!!!!""" Last night? Shouldn't have pushed himself? The reporters realized that they had struck gold.

"I'm… fine… and thanks," muttered Axel. He was really grateful to her for stepping up. Between Lockhart and Axel, Lockhart would have won. But between Lockhart and Martina? The fraud doesn't stand a chance.

Martina could clearly tell he wasn't "fine" as she came forward and tried to support him.

*Whoosh*

Just then, a gust of wind blew, as someone appeared right behind him, and even in his woosy state, Axel still recognized the familiar presence easily.

"Hah… you're here too?" He asked, without even turning back. He thought that student entry was forbidden?

"You were amazing... just like last night." said Akiko, her hand landing on his shoulder to support him too. She had, of course been watching the match too and knew about Axel's condition.

The reporters: """!!!!!!!!!""" Nani?!! Another one?! This is Jackpot!

Axel nodded, now the red messages in front of his eyes finally fading, and the noise around him also getting lower. His body was no longer able to hold on. "Then… guess I'm in safe hands..." he managed, as he finally let go of his consciousness.

...

That day, the name Axel Hunt made big waves around the world. Catching the snitch wasn't the same as scoring a goal. No matter how many goals you score in minor leagues or in school Quidditch, it wouldn't be comparable to scoring in a World Cup or a Major League. Because scoring goals depends more on the level of the opponent team than personal skill. But, catching the Snitch is almost the same in any format. Because the snitch is always difficult to catch.

And someone catching the snitch 22 times in a single match… anyone with even a little Quidditch knowledge would be interested.

Video and articles, all with colorful titles began appearing within hours after the ending of the match.

"HOGWARTS STUDENT CATCHES THE SNITCH 22 TIMES IN A SINGLE MATCH!"

In an Inter-house Quidditch match at Hogwarts, a student named Axel Hunt (13) managed to make History by catching the snitch a total of 22 times in a single match. This is reportedly the highest number of time anyone has ever caught the snitch in a single match, the second highest being a measly number of 8 by another student named Victor Krum. This was… Click here to continue.

THE FASTEST CATCH IN THE HISTORY OF QUIDDITCH

The fastest catch! A player caught the snitch in just 11.2 seconds, creating a world record! The player' is Axel Hunt, 13 year old, and he caught it using the very difficult technique, the Launching Boom.

"A 13 YEAR OLD SEEKER BREAKS MORE THAN 20 RECORDS IN A SINGLE MATCH: ANOTHER RECORD!"

Axel Hunt, a member of House Slytherin at Hogwarts, managed to break the record of most records being broken by a single player in a single match. Watch the highlights of his spectacular performance here.

"THE MOST BRILLIANT CATCH IN QUIDDITCH HISTORY"

We guarantee you have never seen a catch like this. In an iconic match, the seeker catches the Bludger with one hand and the snitch with the other, but it doesn't end here. Watch in high quality ➜

"GILDEROY LOCKHART GETS THRASHED BY 13-YEAR-OLD BOY"

The Well-established Defender Against The Dark Arts, Best seller Author, and famous Adventurer and influencer Gilderoy Lockhart, who is currently teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts subject at Hogwarts gets brutally beaten on by 13 year old student. Reportedly, the students was not in a right state after his match and Lockhart pushed his buttons further by claiming credit for the boy's achievements, causing the boy to lash out.

There were thousands of videos and articles like this started appearing, making Axel's name resound not only in Britain but also in different parts of the world. And various Articles of Axel began to come up as well.

"WHO IS AXEL HUNT? EVERYTHING ABOUT THE QUIDDITCH PLAYER AXEL HUNT IN A NUTSHELL."

Suddenly, a name has become very popular by taking the Quidditch world by storm by breaking more than 20 world records in a single game. So naturally, the questions have begun to arise. Who is Axel? What kind of person is he? What is his family background?

In this article, we will cover everything we have managed to find about the rising Legend.

The first thing we discovered, is that Axel Hunt is a mystery. His birth is not registered in the ministry or Hogwarts website like all other students. There's no information about what his life was like before coming to Hogwarts and neither is there any information about his parents or legal guardian. According to our sources, the boy has always arrived and left the Kings Cross Station alone, and nor has anyone come to visit him on the visiting days either.

In his first year, the boy had come to Hogwarts heavily injured, and his performance at his classes were consequently affected as well, including his performance at Quidditch. "He used to fly without gripping the handle. His hands were always all shaky,'' said one of his anonymous classmates.

"His spells used to be very weak. And his hands were always shaking. Also, his aiming was horrible," was what another source confirmed.

The cause, origins, nature of Hunt's injuries remain undisclosed but it was something that even Hogwarts' finest medical staff couldn't heal, and it caused him to have problems with his magic casting, dexterity, and balance… almost everything a good wizard and Quidditch player needs.

But Hunt didn't let this bring him down, as over the year, he made steady improvements in his health and studies, becoming one of the top students at Hogwarts. He finished his Hogwarts first year as the Valedictorian, coming first in almost many subjects… click here for more.

"MOST POPULAR BOY AT HOGWARTS?"

(Below were pictures attached of Axels. One of him being supported by Martina and Akiko, one of him face to face with Rose, one of him being hugged by Rose and one of him and Daphne.)

Click here to read⁠➜

…

While these kinds of articles were appearing all over the internet, unaware of all this, Axel was blissfully asleep in the VIP ward with no disturbances. When he finally woke up, it was already the next day.

Looking around, Axel found himself in an empty room with no one present, only a large pile of letters, and various chocolates and other kinds of trinkets. As soon as he sat up, a bell on his bedside began ringing, causing him to try and shut the thing down.

While he was still fiddling with the thing, the door opened and Madam Pomfrey entered. "I have to say Mr. Hunt, you continue to suprise me," she said in exasperation, to his bedside with a writing pad. "How did your crippling injuries from last time get healed? It's like… there were never there," she said, slight intrigue and frustration slipping into her tone.

Sigh…

Axel sighed. He had been planning on avoiding Pomfrey for this exact reason. That was also the reason he learnt [heal]. But oh well, him and dangers are old friends, and he should have known it was inevitable to avoid this place forever. Now that Madam Pomfrey has had time to scan his body, she must have noticed a lot of peculiarities about it.

"Professor, I am not telling you. And I will ask your complete discretion over the matter through the Healer-Patient confidentiality pact as well. Also, please destroy any reports you have on me."

If there was one thing everyone knew about Madam Pomfrey, it was that she was a stickler for rules. And Axel knew the rules now, he knew he could do this.

Madam Pomfrey gave him a disapproving look. "Mr. Hunt, are you aware how many people we could hel—"

"Pardon me, Madam Pomfrey," interrupted Axel, "But I couldn't give a flying fuck about how many people you could help with whatever I reveal. Besides, it is useless even if I do tell you since it was a one time thing," he said simply, flexing his fingers to check their functioning.

He could understand the Medi-witch's perspective, but the cure included the substance called the immortal elixir. There was no chance in hell he was telling her. Anyways, he wouldn't tell her even if it was cheap and easy to make the recipe. He'd rather sell the potion made from it to the rich people at high prices.

"Now could you tell me where I am? Can I leave now?" He asked, flexing his arms and legs experimentally. He was still feeling tired, but everything else seemed fine.

Madam Pomfrey sniffed disapprovingly. "You had half the school coming here to see you so you had to be shifted in the VIP room. And no, you are not leaving until you've gotten at least two more days of rest. Your condition is serious."

Axel frowned, "Serious? Isn't it just some fatigue?"

Madam Pomfrey seemed to consider hitting the boy. "Fatigue?! Your body was refusing to function properly no matter what I tried. I have never seen this level of "fatigue", or whatever it is. It is always like this with you," she said in complete exasperation. Before this, he had suffered from extreme torture, to the point his nerves had received permanent damage.

Madam Pomfrey gave him a judging look, "You don't… enjoy this, do you?"

Now Axel considered hitting her instead. Enjoy?! Enjoy your sister! He did NOT survive all that torture to be humiliated like this! But Madam Pomfrey actually smirked a little, meaning she had said it on purpose, maybe revenge for him being a snob. But Axel's eyes narrowed. Alright, he will remember this.

In a much better mood, Madam Pomfrey handed him a list containing various names. "You have quite a few visitors waiting for you. Which one would you like to meet first?"

Axel looked at the list.

"Daphne Greengrasses, Martina Valentino, Akiko Matsushima, Patricia Afonso, Rose Potter…"

"...." What's with this list?

Axel decided to call Martina and Akiko first, since he had to thank them. First they helped him out yesterday and then today as well.

"How are you now? And what exactly happened to you?" Asked Martina as soon as he entered.

Since even he didn't know, Axel checked the system notifications. But he got the chills as soon as he read.

'Risk of Soul Damage?! Fuck me sideways!'

But on the outside, he maintained his casual appearance, "As I said, just a little tired. I'll be fine after a short rest."

Akiko looked at him with scrutiny. "That's not it," she declared. "Just tell me if it's serious. I need you to be fine," she said seriously. She really needed him in top condition for her revenge.

'System, will I be fine? What's this notification about the risk of soul damage?! Explain everything!'

[Yes Axel. The skill [Limit Break] does not only draw strength from your body. It also draws strength from your soul. In a way, it's a kind of soul magic, an extremely dangerous and risky branch of magic. And by over using it, you have put strain on your soul. Thankfully, you stopped before causing any permanent damage, so yes, you will be fine.]

Axel looked at Akiko. "I will be fine. Really."

Picking up his wand from the bedside table, he gave it to Martina. "Anyways, you said you can fix this, right?"

"Um… That…" Martina hesitated, feeling quite nervous for some reason. It was time to invite him over.

…

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