Chapter 47: (47) Quidditch Match
In the afternoon, Ian and the other members of the team arrived early at the Quidditch pitch.
They had just finished changing into their uniforms in the locker room when loud cheers erupted from outside.
"It seems there are a lot of people here today," Marcus said as he adjusted his protective gear.
"Many of them are girls here for Potter," Lucian Bole said, nodding in Ian's direction.
"What? For me?" Ian asked reflexively. "Why would they be here for me?"
Draco looked surprised. "Ian, don't you know? A lot of girls think you're the school idol of Hogwarts."
"When did this happen?" Ian asked, his mouth twitching. He genuinely had no idea.
"Recently," Chloe Foley, the team's only female member, said with a smile. "I've even heard that the good girls of Ravenclaw discuss you in their dormitory every day."
Draco nodded, his tone tinged with envy. "Some of them even say you're more handsome than Cedric Diggory from Hufflepuff."
"..." Ian was left speechless, unsure how to respond.
"Alright, that's enough talking. It's time to get out there," Marcus said, clapping his hands to interrupt their conversation. "Remember, we're Slytherin. We can't lose!"
"For Slytherin!" everyone shouted in unison before heading out of the locker room together.
Ian followed behind the group, feeling surprisingly calm.
As he walked out onto the field, his gaze drifted to the Gryffindor stands, and just as he expected, he spotted Hermione holding a "Go Ian" banner high in the air.
Ian turned his head to look at the Slytherin stands. Cassandra was seated there, her eyes fixed on him intently.
Ian chuckled and waved toward both Hermione and Cassandra.
Hermione, noticing Ian, lit up immediately and waved back enthusiastically.
Cassandra smiled softly, her lips pressed together as she gazed at Ian with a gentle expression.
"Ian, what are you looking at?"
Draco asked, following Ian's gaze before exclaiming, "Wow, Ian, you're so lucky!"
Ian retracted his gaze and, with a scowl, gave Draco a light smack on the back of his head. "Don't talk nonsense."
What would happen if those two little witches heard him?
Draco clutched the back of his head, looking aggrieved. "But I'm not wrong. So many girls like you—it's obvious you're lucky."
"Tsk!" Ian glared at Draco and raised his hand as if to smack him again.
Draco quickly ducked out of the way. "Alright, alright! I won't say anything else. Don't hit me!"
As the two continued bickering, the referee's whistle for the start of the game echoed across the field.
Ian immediately refocused, shaking off any distractions, and threw himself into the game with determination.
As a Chaser, his sole mission was to score points by throwing the Quaffle through the opponent's hoops.
With his agility and sharp judgment, Ian evaded the blocking efforts of several Gryffindor players and skillfully sent the Quaffle soaring through the hoop.
"Yeah! Slytherin scored!" Cheers erupted from the Slytherin stands.
Cassandra stood up excitedly, her eyes filled with admiration as she looked at Ian.
Lee Jordan, the Gryffindor commentator, was far less enthusiastic. "Oh! Slytherin's Potter scored! Meanwhile, Gryffindor's Potter is still searching for the Golden Snitch!"
"Slytherin's tactics—aside from Potter—are dirtier than ever! Look at that! They just pushed Anna off her broom! Oh, come on!"
"Jordan!" Professor McGonagall's stern voice interrupted him. "You're supposed to be commentating on the match. Mind your attitude!"
Lee Jordan slumped in defeat. Why was it always him that Professor McGonagall caught?
The game continued, but Gryffindor was clearly struggling under the relentless pressure of the Slytherin team.
Harry, as Gryffindor's Seeker, was growing increasingly anxious. The Golden Snitch had been nowhere in sight since the start of the game.
Just then, out of the corner of his eye, Harry spotted a glimmer of gold.
He turned quickly and saw the Snitch hovering in a corner behind Ian.
Elated, Harry immediately directed his broomstick toward it, speeding up as he chased the elusive prize.
"Huh?" Ian felt a sudden gust of wind behind him. Glancing back, he saw Harry flying straight toward him.
In an instant, Ian understood and shouted, "Draco! Golden Snitch!"
Hearing Ian's call, Draco followed his gaze and spotted the Snitch hovering behind Ian.
Without hesitation, Draco turned his broomstick and sped toward Ian.
Harry, realizing Draco had seen the Snitch as well, pushed his broomstick harder, desperate to reach it before Draco.
Draco was just as fast as Harry, and the two reached there almost simultaneously.
"It's mine!—Ah, wh-what is happening." Harry and Draco shouted in unison, stretching out their hands toward the Snitch.
The next second, Harry's broom suddenly lurched wildly, swinging up and down uncontrollably.
"Harry!" Draco, who was about to grab the Snitch, immediately abandoned his attempt and reached out to grab Harry's arm.
The broom's erratic movements didn't stop, and the shaking soon began to affect Draco as well.
Ian, seeing the chaos, reached for his wand, intending to cast a Finite Incantatem to stop the curse on Harry's broom. But just then, his own Nimbus 2000 started shaking violently.
All eyes in the audience turned to the three brooms wobbling dangerously in midair.
'Damn Voldemort! Damn Quirrell! At the end-of-term game, I'm giving that noseless monster a beating!' Ian thought angrily, gritting his teeth.
Struggling to maintain his balance, Ian pulled his wand from his robes, pointed it at his own broom, and shouted, "Finite Incantatem!"
His broom immediately steadied, but Harry and Draco's brooms continued to shake uncontrollably.
Without wasting a second, Ian cast another Finite Incantatem, this time on Harry's broom. It steadied instantly, allowing Harry to regain control.
Meanwhile, in the stands, a sudden flame appeared on Snape's robe, causing the professor to jump to his feet in alarm. The disruption made Professor Quirrell lose his balance and tumble out of his seat.
Back on the field, Ian, Harry, and Draco had no time to pay attention to the commotion in the audience as they refocused on the game.
"Hurry up, you two, find the Golden Snitch! I don't want this broom acting up on me again!" Ian shouted to Harry and Draco as he skillfully launched the Quaffle into the hoop for another goal.
After what had just happened, Harry didn't dare to act rashly anymore and instead focused carefully on searching for the Golden Snitch.
Draco, now equally cautious, kept a close eye on Harry, worried he might encounter another accident.
Before long, both of them spotted the Golden Snitch at the same time and urged their brooms into action to chase it.
With the earlier incident fresh in his mind, Harry didn't rush recklessly this time but waited patiently for the right moment.
Suddenly, the Golden Snitch dived sharply, heading toward the ground.
Both Harry and Draco pushed their brooms to dive after it, racing to catch the elusive ball.
As the Snitch neared the ground, Harry made a daring move—he accelerated, stood up on his broom, and stretched his hand out to grab the Snitch.
Just as his fingers closed around it, both Harry and his broom tumbled to the ground in a chaotic roll.
The audience gasped collectively at the sight, their exclamations echoing across the field.
Harry lay on the ground, clutching his chest as if he was about to vomit.
He retched a few times before suddenly spitting out the Golden Snitch. The shiny ball glistened, unmistakably wet with saliva.
"Harry Potter caught the Golden Snitch! Harry Potter! The game is over!" Lee Jordan's voice rang out, filled with excitement.
In the stands, the Gryffindor students erupted into cheers, leaping to their feet in celebration.
The Slytherin students looked disappointed at first, and even Cassandra couldn't help but frown.
"Although Harry caught the Golden Snitch and earned 150 points, Slytherin was still 130 points ahead.. Ian Potter scored three consecutive Quaffles toward the end, giving Slytherin 10 more points than Gryffindor, so..." Lee Jordan dragged out his announcement, his voice filled with suspense. Under the expectant gaze of everyone, he finally finished, "Slytherin wins!"
As soon as Lee Jordan's words landed, the Slytherin students erupted into cheers, their earlier disappointment forgotten.
The Gryffindor students, on the other hand, looked crestfallen, their cheers much quieter in comparison.
Although Hermione wanted to cheer loudly for Ian, she restrained herself, leaning over to Ron instead and whispering, "Let's go celebrate for Ian and Harry later!"
Surrounded by the happy Slytherin team and the disappointed Gryffindor team, Ian stood on the field and finally let out a small sigh of relief.
He had just scored three more Quaffles insuring the victory.
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