Chapter 272: Harry's look at Qiu is a little different?
Harry instinctively paused. He could see Qiu Zhang's tightly pursed lips, messy hair, and pale cheeks. She looked like she was trying to hold back the pain.
But this half-second pause was all it took. The Golden Snitch buzzed and shot into the sky, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
"Harry!!" Oliver Wood's roar came from the other end of the pitch. He was clutching the goalpost, and the bronze post was groaning under his grip. "Now is not the time to be a gentleman! If she's in the way, go through her! Knock her off her broom!" Wood's voice was anxious. He watched helplessly as Harry missed a perfect chance to catch the Golden Snitch. Although he wasn't hot, sweat was streaming down his face, and his neatly combed hair was a mess.
In the stands, Dylan heard this and couldn't help but shake his head. He reached into his pocket and took out a rose pastry. He had grabbed it from the dining table this morning. Since it was a new item and looked a lot like the flower pastries he used to eat in his past life, he tried a bite and liked the taste, so he took a few more.
Well, he took the whole plate. The pastry was still a little warm. He took a bite. It was sweet, but not sickeningly sweet. It was a light, sugary sweetness. He found the taste quite addictive. He planned to ask Rowena to try and replicate it when he returned to his briefcase space tonight.
Dylan said to Cedric beside him, "I feel like Wood's temper will keep him from ever finding a girlfriend. Look at him; all he cares about is Quidditch. It would probably be more suitable for him to spend his life with his goalpost."
Cedric's mouth twitched, and he didn't reply. His eyes were still on the pitch, and he tapped the stone railing with his fingers from time to time. Dylan turned to him, suddenly remembering their earlier conversation, and handed him another pastry. "By the way, Cedric, if you were to go up against Qiu Zhang and she was in your way and the Snitch, would you run into her like Wood said?"
Cedric took the pastry and took a small bite. His eyebrows raised slightly. "Of course I would, and I wouldn't hesitate for a second." He looked at Dylan, his expression very serious. "Cho is a top-tier Seeker. She would never want her opponent to take it easy on her out of sympathy."
Cedric smiled. "If you let her win, she would just feel like you're insulting her skill."
"How do you know that for sure? Got a story?" Dylan also raised an eyebrow.
"Last time, in a practice match, I purposely slowed down and waited for her. When she got down, she literally poked her wand into my chest. I felt like she really wanted to hit me with a Reducto spell. It took me a long time to get her to calm down." Cedric finished the pastry in a few bites. "Is this a new pastry that came out this morning? You brought it with you? I should bring some next time too."
Dylan blinked, shrugged, and then turned his attention back to the pitch. Qiu Zhang was circling high in the sky on her broom. The sun shone on her blue uniform, making it look like it was blending into the sky. She adjusted her posture from time to time, her gaze sharply scanning her surroundings. There was no sign of the weirdness from when Harry had let her by.
Dylan tilted his head and stuffed the rest of the pastry into his mouth. "Alright, you Quidditch players definitely have a different way of thinking." He remembered what Harry had told him last week.
Qiu Zhang had been injured during practice and had been recovering for a while. She had only recently gotten better. But from her sharp turns just now, Dylan couldn't tell that she had been seriously injured. So why did Harry back off?
Dylan also thought that it was a good thing that the wizarding world had such good medical potions. A potion like Skele-Gro could make bones heal in three days. In the Muggle world, if a bone was broken, they would be bedridden for half a year. Not to mention Cho, just Malfoy alone. With that kick he got, he would have to lie down for a year. It would have been impossible for him to recover so quickly.
"But, Dylan," Cedric stopped tapping the railing with his finger. His gaze, which had been wandering, suddenly landed on Harry again, and he frowned slightly.
"What?"
"Don't you think Potter's look at Cho is a little strange?"
"Uh…" Dylan thought about his earlier guess and paused. He followed Cedric's gaze. Harry was circling near Qiu Zhang on his Firebolt. He wasn't in a hurry to find the Snitch like he was before. He would even glance at Cho from time to time. His hesitation just now wasn't so much a gentleman's courtesy as it was a subtle hesitation, as if he was afraid of actually running into her.
Dylan blinked, then averted his gaze, pretending to adjust his sleeve. "Is it? I didn't notice." But even though he said that, he knew what was going on. Ever since the Christmas Ball last year, Harry's gaze toward Cho had been a little different. Every time someone mentioned the Ravenclaw Seeker, his ears would secretly turn red. This kind of feeling would probably only be missed by people like Wood, whose mind was completely on the match. Of course, he might not even notice it later.
But now, Cho was with Cedric. Even if Harry had some kind of feeling for Cho, he probably didn't even know what that feeling was yet. Also, Harry was a very moral person and wouldn't steal someone's girl.
Just then, a gasp came from the stands. Dylan looked up and saw Harry shoot up like an arrow from a bow. Qiu Zhang reacted almost at the same time, riding her Comet 260 right behind him. The two figures drew a red and a blue arc in the sun and disappeared into the clouds. It was clear that the Golden Snitch had appeared again. The chatter in the stands instantly died down. Everyone's eyes followed the two figures. Even Professor McGonagall leaned forward and tightly clutched her wand.
The air above the Quidditch Pitch was still hot. The score between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw was still a tie at 80 to 30. Harry was circling in mid-air on his Firebolt, the corner of his eye always on Qiu Zhang. Ever since she blocked him from the Golden Snitch, Harry had figured out her strategy. As long as he made any unusual move, she would immediately follow him and try to use the agility of her Comet 260 to interfere with him catching the Snitch.
Harry's fingers tapped lightly on the Firebolt's handle. He had an idea. He first pretended to nonchalantly adjust his posture, his gaze sweeping over the Ravenclaw team's goal area. Then he sharply pressed down on the broom handle. The front of the Firebolt instantly dipped down like a rock being pulled by gravity, diving toward the ground. The wind howled in his ears, and the surface of the broom became slightly hot from the high-speed friction with the air. He was low enough to even see the messy footprints left by the players on the grass.
Just then, sure enough, he heard the rush of a broom slicing through the air behind him. Without even looking back, Harry knew that Qiu Zhang had taken the bait. He could even imagine what she looked like at that moment: her eyebrows furrowed, her hands gripping the broom handle, and the hem of her blue uniform being lifted by the wind.
When he was less than ten feet from the ground, Harry suddenly pulled up on the broom handle. The Firebolt immediately stopped its descent due to inertia, as if a Freezing Charm had been cast on it. Then, it ascended at an almost vertical angle. The wooden handle left a deep imprint on his palm. His arm muscles were also a little sore from the sudden force. But that didn't make Harry stop for a second.
He heard a gasp from behind. Qiu Zhang's Comet 260 obviously couldn't keep up with this sudden turn. She was left behind by at least three broom lengths. Qiu Zhang stabilized herself in mid-air and watched Harry's Firebolt fly farther and farther away like a red lightning bolt. She couldn't help but bite her lower lip. She knew it wasn't a problem with her skill.
The Comet 260 was already a few levels below the Firebolt in terms of speed and agility. That sudden turn just now was the best her broom could do in terms of agility, and it even made a groaning sound. Her old injury on her wrist also started to ache faintly. But she took a deep breath, didn't give up, and turned to chase after him.
Harry didn't look back at the distance he had pulled away. His attention was drawn to a faint golden light in front of him. The golden light was a little brighter than before, and it was resting on top of the Ravenclaw team's goalpost. The frequency of its wings fluttering had slowed down, as if it was resting.
Now is the time!
Harry's heart pounded. He gave a slight squeeze with his legs on the broom. The Firebolt immediately understood and shot toward the golden light at full speed. Just as his fingertips were about to touch the Golden Snitch, a short gasp suddenly came from behind him. It was Qiu Zhang's voice, with a hint of panic. Harry instinctively turned his head and looked in the direction of her outstretched finger.
In the shadow of the stands at the edge of the pitch, three figures wrapped in black cloaks were standing quietly. The edges of their cloaks dragged on the grass, covering their faces and revealing only empty sleeves underneath. The air around them seemed to have turned cold because of their presence, and even the sunlight that shone on them seemed to have been drained of its warmth.
Dementors! Harry's pupils suddenly contracted, and a chill crawled up his spine. The memory of being attacked by Dementors on the Quidditch pitch last time instantly rushed back. The cold feeling of despair, the suffocating oppression, and the screams of his parents… He instinctively pulled his wand from his robe pocket, his knuckles turning white from the force!
"Expecto Patronum!!" The clear spell shot from his mouth. The tip of his wand immediately burst into a dazzling silvery-white light. The light in mid-air condensed and took shape, turning into a majestic stag. The antlers shone with a soft luster in the sun. The stag raised its head, let out a clear neigh, and then charged toward the three Dementors. The silvery-white hooves left shimmering streaks of light in the air.
After confirming that his Patronus had charged toward the target, Harry immediately looked away and refocused on the Golden Snitch that was still on top of the goalpost. The delay just now had made the Snitch restless again, and it seemed to be preparing to flee again. Harry no longer hesitated. This time, he wouldn't let it go!
He leaned forward, and the Firebolt's speed reached its limit. The wind it created scraped against his cheeks, stinging them! The distance was getting shorter and shorter. Harry could even see the fine golden down on the Snitch's wings.
Now! Just as the Snitch was about to dart away again, Harry reached out with his left hand, which was still holding his wand, and his fingers formed a claw, accurately covering it! A cold metallic feeling came from his fingertips. The Snitch struggled wildly in his palm, its wings flapping against his knuckles, making a buzzing sound. But Harry's fingers were tightly closed like a pair of iron pliers, firmly holding the small ball that would decide the match.
Almost at the same time, Madam Hooch's signature sharp whistle cut through the commotion on the pitch. The Gryffindor stands instantly erupted in a deafening cheer.
Lee Jordan's voice boomed through the magical speakers. "He got it! Haha, Harry Potter caught the Golden Snitch!! Gryffindor wins! The score is 280 to 30!"
As the match ended, Harry loosened his grip on the Snitch. He looked at the small golden ball as it calmed down in his palm, and a big smile spread across his face. He turned his broom and flew toward his Gryffindor teammates. Wood was the first to rush over and grab his shoulders. His grip was so strong that it almost pulled him off his broom. Sweat from his face dripped onto Harry's hair, mixed with his excited shouts. "Well done! Absolutely brilliant !! Harry! I knew you could do it!"
In the stands, Cedric also couldn't help but applaud. "Congratulations, Gryffindor won. You'll be able to continue on and compete for the final victory," Cedric said to Dylan, his voice filled with sincere admiration. "But Ravenclaw lost. My girlfriend probably isn't very happy. I'll skip the celebration for now. See you next time!" With that, he quickly walked down the stands and ran toward the Ravenclaw team. Qiu Zhang was sitting alone next to her broom, her head down, lost in thought.
Dylan looked at Cedric's retreating back, who hadn't even waited for him to reply, and pouted. He then turned his attention to the center of the pitch, where Harry was surrounded by his teammates. He didn't bother to squeeze over. Many of the Gryffindors had already rushed down there. He didn't want to experience being crammed in with the crowd.
At the same time, his attention was drawn to a commotion on the other side. Professor McGonagall's angry voice was coming from there. He could feel the fire in her tone even from a distance. "How dare you! This is unbelievable! How could you do such a thing?!" Professor McGonagall's robes were slightly fluttering with anger. She pointed at the three writhing black cloaks on the ground, her voice full of disdain and rebuke.
(End of Chapter)
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