The match day arrived the next day. After having breakfast, Kael and the Hufflepuff team headed to the Quidditch Pitch.
"Good luck, Kael," Conna shouted, waving her hand, and Kael waved back.
Once they changed into their uniforms, they walked out of the locker room and onto the pitch, greeted by a wave of noise.
This was the final match of the year, and the stands were particularly packed; nearly the entire castle had come to watch.
Even Dumbledore was seated in the middle of the teachers' area, smiling and chatting with Professor McGonagall.
As for Professor Snape and Professor Sprout, they sat at the forefront of their respective houses, taking a clear stance.
"The Hufflepuff Team is on the field!" Lee Jordan, as usual the commentator, shouted: "Leading the team is their captain Cedric, and here comes Kael... This team always brings surprises, and I feel like they might set a record for the fastest capture of the Golden Snitch today!"
"On the other side is Slytherin, led by Marcus Flint..."
As he spoke, both teams had already reached the center of the pitch.
"Captains, shake hands!" Ms. Hooch said.
Flint and Cedric stepped forward and shook hands firmly.
Then, a whistle blew, signaling the start of the match, and fifteen brooms soared into the sky, including Ms. Hooch's.
"Hufflepuff is in possession now, Kael is as fierce as ever, securing the Quaffle first... Warrington from Slytherin tries to intercept... Wow, that's a beautiful Bludger, Warrington is stopped... Amazing, Kael dodges Montague again, he scores, Hufflepuff leads!"
As the Quaffle went through the hoop, cheers erupted from Hufflepuff supporters...
In contrast, the Gryffindor side was much quieter... They hoped for a tense match, allowing Gryffindor a chance to win the Cup in the end.
On the pitch, just as Kael was about to return after scoring, Flint was heading towards him at high speed.
Kael quickly steered his broom, avoiding being knocked down.
"Sorry!" Flint grinned, "Didn't notice anyone was here!"
"No worries," Kael smiled, "Playing Quidditch, this is quite normal."
Initially, Flint didn't pay much attention, but he soon understood Kael's implication.
During an attack, he was hit hard by the Quaffle, so much so that he almost mistook it for a Bludger.
"Foul!" Flint yelled at Ms. Hooch, pointing at Kael, "He did it on purpose, Slytherin should get a penalty!"
But his request was denied.
"No, that was a regular pass!" Ms. Hooch shouted, "You appeared in the middle all of a sudden, the match continues."
Flint's face turned red with anger, furiously waving his fists.
Passing?
Does passing require such force? He felt like the Quaffle might have been thrown out of the pitch!
Meanwhile, Kael had already scored a second goal.
20-0.
Seeing Hufflepuff take the lead so early, Slytherin's players were furious and soon resorted to ruthless tactics to seize the Quaffle.
Bor used his bat on Grace, and after being caught, he argued that he mistook her for a Bludger. Mikel, angered, propped himself on his broom and kicked his face.
"Oh, that move was brilliant, I have to learn it… Just kidding, Professor McGonagall… What I mean is, such actions are wrong, you should do it secretly with your elbow…"
"Jordan!" Professor McGonagall stood up.
"Sorry, Professor, sorry, won't happen again..." Lee Jordan quickly said, "Ms. Hooch has ordered a penalty shot for both sides..."
Both teams scored from the penalty shots, bringing the score to 30-10.
"Slytherin is in possession now, no, Hufflepuff steals the ball, it's Grace. No!... Slytherin takes it back, Flint almost knocks her off her broom... Flint is flying towards the Hufflepuff goal... Watch out!"
But Flint scores, and cheers erupt from the Slytherin side, with Snape showing a sinister grin at the front.
Next, Slytherin tries their old tricks.
Montague maneuvers to Kael, pretending to grab the Quaffle but reaching for Kael's broom instead...
Then, just as his hand touched the broom, a tiny sprout-like creature emerged from the twigs.
Odd, how did a Bowtruckle end up in the broom... Before Montague could figure that out, the Bowtruckle's sharp claws stabbed at his fingers.
Montague reflexively pulled his hand back, but moved so quickly, he nearly fell off his broom.
"Foul!" Montague shouted triumphantly once he steadied himself, "Ms. Hooch, there's something in his broom, it's a foul!"
Ms. Hooch flew over but found nothing. Moreover, Montague's grab for the broom was too blatant, resulting in a penalty shot for Hufflepuff instead.
"Such a pity..." Kael whispered to Montague as he passed after scoring the penalty.
Montague trembled with anger, his eyes seemingly about to burst into flames.
Next, Kael and Grace each scored again.
60-20.
The advantage was now greater for Hufflepuff.
The Gryffindor stands fell silent, no cheers followed the scores.
Wood clutched his hair, and Fred and George sat there in a daze, staring at the field.
Hufflepuff scored 60, meaning if they caught the Golden Snitch, adding 150 points, their total would surpass Gryffindor's.
Fred and George felt incredibly conflicted.
They wanted to win the Quidditch Cup, yet didn't want Slytherin to win...
This realization was shared by others, even Lee Jordan's commentary had noticeably subdued.
Yet the match continued...
Kael scored again, making it 70-20.
Soon after, Mikel knocked the Quaffle out of Warrington's hands with a Bludger, and Grace seized the opportunity, catching the ball and throwing it into the Slytherin goal.
80-20.
Hufflepuff fans were hoarse with excitement, and Professor Sprout now stood at the forefront, drawing a massive Hufflepuff badger in the air with her wand.
Then, a golden flash streaked by.
Many people saw it... The Golden Snitch was hovering just a few feet above the ground.
Almost simultaneously, Malfoy and Cedric took action.
They accelerated fiercely, diving toward the Golden Snitch.
Near the ground, the two were side by side, reaching forward at the same time...
Silence fell over the surroundings, everyone anxiously awaiting the outcome.
Finally, Cedric extended his hand, showing the golden flicker between his fingers.
Leverage by his height, he was the first to nab the Golden Snitch.
"Congratulations Hufflepuff..." Lee Jordan's voice choked slightly, yet he announced loudly, "They've won the final victory, capturing the Quidditch Cup!"
Hufflepuff supporters flooded the pitch, crossing barriers.
As Kael landed, he was lifted up with other players, raised high.
He saw Hagrid wiping his tears and Professor Sprout, excitedly jumping up and down... She looked nothing like a professor now.
Dumbledore stood on the stands, holding the massive Quidditch trophy, smiling as he watched them.
...