Professor McGonagall was delighted. As a lifelong Quidditch enthusiast, she had received a most treasured gift from her favorite student—a ticket to a Chudley Cannons match.
With Dana Emrys's fame soaring, Chudley Cannons tickets had become incredibly hard to come by. Though the value of these tickets might not last long—Dana's matches often ended in mere moments—fans didn't mind. They bought them eagerly, just for a chance to witness Dana possibly breaking the legendary record of catching the Golden Snitch in 3.5 seconds.
Settling into her seat, Professor McGonagall gently patted the soft armrest as if activating Piertotum Locomotor, then adjusted her posture with satisfaction, sitting up straight to await the match's start.
To her right were six empty chairs, which puzzled her—the match was moments away. Where were these spectators? Dana's reputation for speed meant the match could end before they even arrived.
Luckily, the six finally showed up.
"Mom, it's just ahead! Row three, seats three to eight!" a little girl's voice rang out excitedly.
Her mother gently scolded, "Slow down, Ginny. The match hasn't started yet—no need to rush!"
Two nearly identical voices joined in immediately:
"Mom, buy us some snacks!"
"Yes! Count Dantes bought that huge plot of land at the base of our mountain for such a high price—we're rich now! Surely buying a few treats for your two favorite sons isn't too much to ask?"
"Exactly! Just buy for us and Ginny. Ron and Percy don't need any!"
"Yeah, Percy doesn't even like snacks, and if Ron eats them, his cavities will hurt."
A teenager's voice snapped irritably: "Fred, George! I don't have cavities!"
Professor McGonagall smiled knowingly—just by their voices, she knew exactly who had arrived. "Molly, over here!"
Mrs. Weasley looked up, surprised, and walked briskly forward. "Minerva! What are you doing here? Did Dana send you a ticket too?"
"Yes," McGonagall replied, "he did. I didn't expect, though, that Dana would send tickets to your whole family."
Molly Weasley smiled warmly. "Dana sent a letter saying he was grateful to Fred and George for looking after him at school. So he sent tickets to everyone who's home for the summer. I didn't expect him to know our family situation so well."
Arthur Weasley was at work at the Ministry of Magic, Bill was in Egypt deciphering pyramid mysteries, and Charlie was off researching dragons. But aside from those three, the rest of the Weasleys were all present.
In light of the Ministry of Magic's announcement about the truth behind Dana Emrys's imprisonment, those who knew Dana felt sympathy and admiration for him—including the Weasleys.
Well, all except Ron. Ever since the Hogwarts Express incident where Dana's wand emitted a frightening green light, Ron had been left with psychological scars.
"I see," Professor McGonagall said, glancing at Ron, then turning her approving gaze to Fred and George. "Dana has faced a difficult path. He was always a good child, even when other students excluded him. Fortunately, he had the two of you."
Unaccustomed to McGonagall's praise, the twins awkwardly scratched the backs of their heads in unison.
Molly beamed. The twins might be mischievous, but they had kind hearts—just like their father.
"Fred, here's two Sickles. Go get something to eat."
A rare reward from their mother. The twins cheered and dashed off with the silver coins, Ginny calling after them, "Hurry up! The match is about to start!"
Professor McGonagall, in rare form, teased Molly: "Molly, your family really must be wealthy—you spent two Sickles just like that."
Molly blushed. A few days ago, Moody had visited and told her that McGonagall had once given Dana ten Galleons over Christmas without blinking. Compared to that, her two Sickles seemed miserly. But she was used to such teasing and didn't mind.
Instead, she nodded. "Yes, all thanks to Count Dantes. He's building a Wizarding city in Ottery St. Catchpole and bought two plots of land near our mountain—at twice the market price! Arthur used that money to buy land behind our mountain and still had a fair bit left over!"
"You'll have to thank that Count properly. I heard he just closed his eyes, drew a circle on a map, and happened to land on Ottery St. Catchpole. Your family's luck has surely arrived."
"Indeed it has!"
Just then, the twins returned noisily, tossing two Chocolate Frogs to Ginny before sitting down.
Professor McGonagall noticed the twins had brought nothing for themselves—aside from the two Chocolate Frogs, which cost only 1 Knut each. That meant they had pocketed 1 Sickle and 27 Knuts.
She raised an eyebrow but turned her attention to the stadium. The players were entering the field.
"Now entering are the players of the Caerphilly Catapults! First up is Dai Llewellyn III, grandson of the Catapults' legendary Seeker! He's an outstanding talent and a worthy rival to our rising superstar—Dana Emrys!" the commentator's voice boomed.
When it came time to announce the home team, the commentator's voice shot up three octaves—
"Now, let's welcome the Chudley Cannons to the field!"
Ron eyed Ginny opening her Chocolate Frog with envy.
She squealed with delight, showing off a Morgan le Fay card before popping the frog into her mouth.
Ron wrinkled his nose but fulfilled his older brother duties: "Ginny, eat slower. Don't choke."
Ginny nodded absentmindedly, flipping through her card.
Then the commentator's voice rose again—
"Now entering is our star player—young, dazzling, and already a legend among legends—Da—na—Em—rys!"
Ron muttered, "This commentator's worse than Lee Jordan."
Fred laughed. "If Lee Jordan shouted like that, he'd lose his voice in one match!"
George, however, pointed excitedly. "Look! Dana's out!"
The stadium erupted in cheers. Professor McGonagall and the Weasleys rose to their feet, clapping loudly.
Even Percy was grinning—after all, Dana was a Gryffindor. He turned to the elderly wizard beside him and proudly said, "Did you know? I was the one who assigned Dana's dormitory!"
Only Ron looked conflicted. Though he stood and clapped, no joy showed on his face. His expression seemed to say: Everyone else is drunk, but I am sober.
"I won't be bought by a ticket," he muttered, "But since you gave me one... I'll cheer for you."
Dana soared into view on a Nimbus 2000, his Chudley Cannons uniform gleaming orange, hovering like a comet above the stadium.
"Dana! Could you maybe catch the Snitch a little slower? Let your teammates play a bit too!"
"Haha, what performance? Without Dana, the Cannons would lose a hundred to zero!"
"Yeah! Before Dana joined, they won once in twelve games. If not for him, I wouldn't have bought a season pass!"
The crowd chattered excitedly as Dana suddenly dived.
He streaked toward the stands, prompting screams of excitement. Then he pulled off a precise tail-whip, hovering perfectly in front of Professor McGonagall and the Weasleys.
With a grin, Dana thumped his chest and gave McGonagall a thumbs-up.
No one knew exactly what the gesture meant—but one minute later, it no longer mattered.
Because Dana Emrys caught the Golden Snitch in two seconds.
He broke the record.
Professor McGonagall leapt to her feet, eyes brimming with tears. The dignified Transfiguration professor was, at heart, a Quidditch fanatic. She threw her arms around Molly Weasley and cheered with abandon.
The Weasley children had never seen their stern Head of House so animated. Their faces froze in astonished delight.
Only Ron seemed unfazed by the chaos around him. His hand shot up in triumph, and he shouted louder than anyone:
"The Cannons won! The Chudley Cannons won!"
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