"The match is over," Kael thought silently as he watched the changes on the field.
He could roughly guess what was going on.
Maybe influenced by the commentator, or perhaps because Snape was also watching the match, during the first twenty minutes, the Slytherin team was indeed holding their breath, hoping to create a miracle.
Thus, they naturally gave it their all while playing.
But when they found out that despite trying their hardest, they still couldn't surpass Hufflepuff on the scoreboard, the breath they'd been holding dispersed.
Simply put, they tried hard... it didn't work... so they gave up.
Moreover, in their view, while it's a pity their house couldn't win the championship, they'd rather not see Gryffindor win.
Since they couldn't surpass Hufflepuff's three hundred points, they might as well make things difficult for Gryffindor by handing a few more points to Hufflepuff.
By the time the final match comes around, every point they give today could pierce Gryffindor's championship dreams like a spear.
That's enough.
Slytherin started to act, but they weren't foolish. They couldn't just blatantly act in front of everyone, so they only showed it slightly at crucial moments.
Most young wizards didn't notice anything amiss, thinking Slytherin was just unlucky, or perhaps exhausted and slow to react.
But not everyone was oblivious.
On the Gryffindor stand, Charlie angrily pounded the stone steps in front of him, "Damn Rosier, I thought they had changed!"
"This is cheating!" Fred and George were equally furious, shouting loudly from the stands, "They're rigging the match and should be disqualified immediately!"
Despite Fred and George's efforts to shout, compared to the deafening cheers around them, their voices couldn't even stir a ripple.
Apart from a few around them, no one else could hear.
After realizing that their shouting had no effect, Fred and George exchanged a glance and simultaneously headed towards the commentator's booth.
The match surely couldn't be annulled, but they just wanted to expose Slytherin's despicable match-rigging through the commentator.
Just as they approached the booth, someone stopped them.
"Weasley, what are you doing here?"
Professor McGonagall looked at them sternly and said, "This isn't where you should be; go back and watch the match."
"But Professor McGonagall..." Fred shouted, "Slytherin is rigging the match, they're deliberately losing points!"
George shouted as well, "They're doing this just to stop Gryffindor from winning the Quidditch Cup, aren't you going to do something?!"
Professor McGonagall paused for a moment, "That's just your speculation, Mr. Weasley, there's no evidence proving they're deliberately losing points."
"But..."
Fred tried to say more, but Professor McGonagall interrupted him.
"Go back and watch the match," she said sternly, "During a Quidditch match, except for the commentator, no one else is allowed to touch the microphone, that's the rule."
"But..."
"Forget it, Fred," George tugged on Fred's robe, slightly shook his head, and said, "Sorry, Professor McGonagall, we'll return now."
Professor McGonagall didn't say anything, just nodded slightly.
Before leaving, the two turned their eyes to the commentator with a last glimmer of hope.
Their voices had been exceptionally loud just now; being so close, the commentator must have heard them. If he would help...
Fred and George stood in place for a minute, but the commentator kept passionately describing the situation on the field without any intention of stopping.
The two were completely disheartened, returning to their original place wordlessly.
They realized that someone capable of commentating would naturally understand Quidditch well. How could they not see such obvious rigging? They didn't need reminding.
Evidently, both the commentator and Professor McGonagall had chosen silence.
When they returned to the Gryffindor stands, Lee Jordan quickly approached and asked, "How did it go?"
Fred and George shook their heads simultaneously.
"Despicable Slytherin, cowardly commentator, how can they do this?"
Lee Jordan was furious, "I was originally thinking of competing for the Seeker position next year, but now I've changed my mind, I want to become a commentator."
"Go for it!"
"We support you!"
Fred and George simultaneously put their hands on Lee Jordan's shoulders, "We need to have our own voice!"
On the field, the Hufflepuff players had also noticed Slytherin's odd behavior.
Harris glanced at the opponent's goal, a trace of hesitation in his eyes.
After a moment, he suddenly took a deep breath, and his gaze became resolute.
Thereafter, under Harris's lead, the Hufflepuff team's speed likewise slowed down. They stopped trying to attack and instead pulled back into a defensive posture.
"These fools!"
Rosier gritted his teeth and hurled the Quaffle towards Hufflepuff's goalpost.
With a crisp sound, the Quaffle hit the frame and bounced away.
Harris received the ball, leisurely flew to the other side of the field, and similarly struck the ball against Slytherin's frame.
"Such a pity, it seems after a long match Hufflepuff is starting to make mistakes too."
The commentator said in a light tone, "Now it's the battle between the Seekers, whoever catches the Golden Snitch first will win the match."
Kael was no longer interested in watching the rest of the match.
He quietly retreated to the back row of the stand, and took a parchment from the pocket of his robe.
The Marauder's Map, which he had deliberately borrowed from Fred and George before the match started.
Kael took out his wand and gently tapped on the parchment.
"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."
Unlike Fred and George's only-half incantation, Kael recited the full phrase.
In fact, Fred and George had found seven of the words, and with their intellect, they could have guessed the full incantation long ago if they wanted.
But they hadn't done so, and when Kael found an excuse to tell them, they had refused.
They were extraordinarily determined about this matter, vowing to 'find' all the clues rather than guess them.
But Kael didn't care.
As ink lines spread, the real Marauder's Map unfolded before him.
Kael first noted down some secret passage locations, like the one leading to the eighth floor and the one leading to Honeydukes' basement; these would come in handy in the future.
After memorizing these, Kael redirected his gaze to Hufflepuff's common room.