The winter wind swept across the Quidditch pitch with its chill, the blue-and-bronze and green-and-silver banners whipping wildly in the cold wind, as if drumming for this confrontation.
Perhaps due to the weather, the entire stadium was filled with a somber atmosphere.
The match between Ravenclaw and Slytherin entered its intense phase right from the start.
Just as Cho Chang had told Harry before the match, Ravenclaw was taking this game very seriously.
Since the new term began, captain Roger Davies had led by example, leading all team members in rigorous training.
When the match officially started, the Ravenclaw players' broomstick trails wove a dense net in the air as they surged onto the field in unison.
Although most Ravenclaw players' brooms were from the Cleansweep series, a notch below Slytherin's Nimbus 2001s, the Slytherin players clearly hadn't anticipated such a fierce offensive from their opponents.
Several Chasers hadn't even reacted before being thrown into confusion by this wave of coordination.
Ravenclaw's three Chasers exchanged a knowing glance—after Randolph Burrow seized the Quaffle, he used another teammate's cover and with a side turn passed it to Jeremy Stretton.
Jeremy Stretton caught the ball and did a nimble somersault in the air, avoiding an incoming Bludger while flicking his wrist to send the ball toward the goal.
The final attack was completed by captain Roger Davies.
He extended his arm straight, his fingertips almost brushing the inside of the goal post, sending the ball through the hoop.
"Goal! Ravenclaw scores first! The captain really leads by example!"
Following Lee Jordan's commentary, the stands erupted in a wave of blue-and-bronze cheers.
When Davies landed, he pounded his teammate's shoulder hard.
In the following match, Ravenclaw firmly grasped the initiative, directly scoring a 70-0 run.
Don't let the score fool you—since each goal scored ten points, it was actually just seven consecutive Quaffle scores, so it really could only be called a small surge.
But Slytherin wasn't to be underestimated either.
They quickly tightened their formation, adopted man-to-man tactics, and soon broke the deadlock, successfully breaking zero.
Then, like unleashing a storm, they scored multiple times in succession.
The scoreboard numbers jumped wildly, and they quickly returned the favor to Ravenclaw, tying the match at 90-70.
Faced with this situation, Ravenclaw decisively called a timeout, disrupting Slytherin's rhythm.
When the timeout ended and they returned to the field, there was more calmness in the Ravenclaw players' eyes.
Soon, they regained the advantage and pulled the score gap wider again.
"Look at that feint! Merlin's beard! Ravenclaw's Beater is like a Bludger himself!
Oh! Slytherin's Beater swings!
Two inches away from hitting the Bludger!"
Commentator Lee Jordan was spitting with excitement, full of passion and eagerness.
Seeing the unfavorable situation, Slytherin also decisively called a timeout.
In the spectator seats, Wood frowned tightly, watching the two teams' fierce contest.
Whether Ravenclaw or Slytherin, both were their upcoming opponents, so he observed very carefully.
Taking advantage of the timeout, Wood withdrew his gaze and turned to Harry. "Harry, what do you think?"
Suddenly called on by the captain, Harry was startled, then answered thoughtfully.
"Just looking at both teams' strength, Slytherin is still stronger.
If the match continues, Slytherin's score will definitely catch up to Ravenclaw, and might even overtake them."
"Ah, is that so?"
Hearing Harry's words, Hermione was somewhat surprised.
From her perspective, Ravenclaw clearly had the upper hand right now.
She instinctively looked toward Sherlock beside her.
Seeing this, Harry also looked toward Sherlock, wanting to hear what he had to say.
Sherlock nodded. "Harry's right. When both sides are close in strength, seven Nimbus 2001s provide a significant advantage."
After Malfoy's Nimbus 2001 was destroyed by the Whomping Willow, he brought a new Nimbus 2001 this term.
Clearly, his parents had purchased a new one for him during the holiday.
Just as Sherlock had analyzed before, in his parents' view, the Nimbus 2001 was sufficient for Hogwarts' Quidditch Cup matches, so they hadn't paid extra for a Nimbus 2001 Super.
Normally their thinking was perfectly correct.
Who could have imagined that Harry had a godfather who didn't play by the rules and got Harry a Firebolt?
"Then Ravenclaw is definitely going to lose?"
Hearing this, Ron immediately said with displeasure, "I really don't want to see Malfoy's smug face again."
Wood looked intently at the field. "Not necessarily. The key still depends on the Golden Snitch. The timeout's over!"
Facts proved that Sherlock and Harry's analysis was completely correct.
After the match resumed, Slytherin indeed caught up to the score.
As time passed, Ravenclaw gradually showed signs of decline.
As the deciding factor of the match, both Seekers Cho Chang and Malfoy desperately searched for traces of the Golden Snitch on the field.
Once, Cho Chang had clearly seen the Golden Snitch, but unfortunately was disrupted by a Bludger thrown by a Slytherin Beater.
When she tried to search again, the Golden Snitch had vanished.
Then Ravenclaw's Beaters returned the favor, several times sending Bludgers after Malfoy.
But this meant Slytherin's three Chasers scored repeatedly, rapidly closing the score gap.
After a while, Sherlock suddenly said, "Ravenclaw is going to lose."
"What?"
The nearby companions all showed surprised expressions. "Aren't they tied right now?"
"It's no use."
Sherlock said calmly. "Ravenclaw can no longer stop them from scoring. The gap will only widen further."
As he spoke, Slytherin scored again, and the score became 140-150.
"Flint scores! Slytherin gets another ten points! This is Slytherin's first lead in this match!"
All the Gryffindor Quidditch team members looked at each other.
Their professional understanding already made them grasp Sherlock's meaning.
But Hermione, Ron, Ginny, and Luna blinked, not understanding.
Harry's gaze was fixed tightly on Cho Chang flying on the field, his concern evident.
In first year, Ron had once said to Malfoy that a Comet 260 was pretty flashy, but couldn't compare to a Nimbus at all.
Remember, at that time Harry's broomstick was still a Nimbus 2000.
Malfoy's current broomstick was the superior Nimbus 2001.
From Harry's perspective, Cho Chang was also a formidable opponent.
With her excellent technique, she had agilely shaken off Malfoy's pursuit at times.
There was even one moment when she was just a little short of catching the Golden Snitch, which would have ended the match and helped Ravenclaw win.
Unfortunately, a little short was still short.
Especially in the fiercely competitive field, the smallest difference leads to vastly different outcomes.
Watching the match progress, Harry had a growing sense of unease.
His keen judgment for Quidditch told him that Cho Chang might very well meet defeat on the field this time.
"Two hundred seventy points, two hundred eighty points, two hundred ninety points—this is bad!"
Harry had been calculating the score gap between both sides. When the score between Ravenclaw and Slytherin became 150-290, Harry couldn't help but stand up.
"Time is running out for Ravenclaw."
Fred Weasley said with a frown, his hand rubbing his red hair, a hint of regret in his tone.
Just then, a deafening cheer came from the field.
Slytherin's Chaser had successfully scored again, and the score became 150-300.
"There's no chance now." George Weasley sighed, his eyes full of helplessness.
By now, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny also understood.
Ravenclaw's situation was hopeless.
If Cho Chang could catch the Golden Snitch before the score gap widened to one hundred fifty points, they still had hope of victory.
Now it was too late!
"The Golden Snitch!"
Just then, Ginny, who hadn't spoken much, suddenly called out, drawing everyone's attention.
They saw Cho Chang lower her body and fly toward the other end of the field.
Malfoy reacted half a beat slower, but also followed closely behind, pursuing directly.
Cho Chang knew very well in her heart that if she continued to let the match proceed, the gap would only widen.
So, she had to seize this opportunity to catch the Golden Snitch and end the match.
That way, both sides could still tie.
Otherwise, it would be a loss!
The Beaters from both Ravenclaw and Slytherin saw Cho Chang and Malfoy's movements and tried to use Bludgers to interfere with the opposing Seeker.
However, both were in peak condition at this moment, nimbly adjusted direction in the air and avoided the Bludgers attacking them.
"The Golden Snitch is ahead! Cho Chang dodges another deadly Bludger attack!
Excellent! She's already a full body length ahead of Draco Malfoy!
But Malfoy still hasn't given up—his broomstick is a Nimbus 2001!
Without a doubt, the Comet is indeed very flashy, but it can't compare with a Nimbus!
The gap between them is constantly shrinking. Who will prevail is still unknown!"
Ron: "..."
Lee Jordan's commentary drove the entire audience into a frenzy.
The most exciting moment of this match was about to arrive!
Simultaneously spotted by two excellent Seekers, the Golden Snitch had no escape!
Now it just depended on who could catch it first, thus ending this tense match.
Cho Chang's flying technique was ultimately slightly better than Malfoy's, and having spotted the Golden Snitch earlier than Malfoy, she had gained the first-move advantage.
But Malfoy's broomstick had superior performance, and at the critical moment, he held on tight without giving up.
However, Cho Chang maintained her advantage. At the last moment, she performed a nimble flip, reached out suddenly, and grasped the Golden Snitch.
Then, just like Harry, she raised her right hand high, letting everyone see she had caught the Golden Snitch.
"Well done! Ravenclaw's Seeker Cho Chang catches the Golden Snitch first, winning Ravenclaw 150 points!
The match is over—both sides have tied!
What an intense and exciting match. Let's thank both teams' players for their spectacular performance.
I must say, that final chase was extremely thrilling. If the Golden Snitch had persisted a bit longer, Cho Chang might have been overtaken by Malfoy—"
"Phew—"
Harry let out a long breath. He was in no mood to listen to Lee Jordan's analysis anymore.
It was all correct but meaningless talk. If time had been longer, Cho Chang might indeed have been overtaken by Malfoy.
But on the playing field, there are no "ifs."
Now that both sides could tie, this result wasn't bad.
"Sherlock—"
He was about to speak to Sherlock when Lee Jordan's excited voice directly interrupted him.
"Wait, it's not a tie!
The referee has signaled that the goal just now was valid—this match is won by Slytherin!"
"What?"
Harry whirled around to see Slytherin's players embracing and cheering together.
In contrast, Ravenclaw's players all looked dejected.
The scoreboard displayed 300-310—Slytherin had suddenly gained 10 points.
"What happened? Why did the score change?"
Harry asked urgently.
"Because the second before Cho Chang caught the Golden Snitch, Slytherin scored another goal." Fred Weasley said with displeasure.
"Madam Hooch just ruled the goal valid, so the final score is 300-310, Slytherin wins." George Weasley said.
Harry stared in amazement. "How could this happen?"
The match between Ravenclaw and Slytherin finally concluded in this manner.
What they thought was a tie turned out to be a Slytherin victory—a narrow victory.
As a team that had won championships multiple times, Slytherin's players not only had strong abilities but also rich competitive experience.
It was precisely this experience and powerful ability to withstand pressure that enabled them to seize the opportunity in the final stage and win this match.
Talk about a narrow victory.
A win is a win.
This result surprised everyone. But this didn't include Wood.
He excitedly told the Gryffindor Quidditch players that this was good news for Gryffindor.
"That's not how it works, is it?"
In the Gryffindor common room, hearing this news, Ron said with confusion, "Only if Ravenclaw had won would it be good news for us, right?"
"You're absolutely right, and Wood thinks so too—so he increased team training to five times a week."
"...My condolences, mate."
Ron patted Harry's shoulder.
Harry let out a long sigh and looked at Sherlock.
With Wood doing this, it meant he only had one evening per week to write homework.
Because every Thursday he had to follow Sherlock to receive the special Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons Professor Lupin gave them—resisting Dementors.
For Harry, this was even more exhausting than the five Quidditch training sessions per week.
Because Quidditch training brought physical fatigue, while resisting Dementors training brought both physical and mental exhaustion.
Sherlock naturally noticed Harry's gaze.
He smiled slightly and tilted his head to look at Hermione sitting beside him.
Harry followed Sherlock's gaze and, upon seeing Hermione, couldn't help but sigh.
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