Madam Hooch, the referee, stood at the center of the pitch holding her broomstick. Quidditch referees had to fly alongside the players, which was no easy task.
The players from both teams entered the field, and old rivals exchanged tense glances. Madam Hooch called her players together to begin their pre-match preparations.
"All right, I won't say much. Today, I only expect everyone to play fairly," she said, glancing at Slytherin captain Marcus Flint as if to warn him.
"Get ready! Everyone mount your broomsticks!" Madam Hooch commanded loudly.
Everyone stepped onto their brooms.
"Whooosh!" The sharp sound of the whistle marked the official start of the match.
Fifteen broomsticks shot into the air, and Lee Jordan and Professor McGonagall began providing commentary.
"Gryffindor's Angelina Johnson caught the Quaffle right at the start of the game! She's an excellent Chaser and quite a sight to behold," Lee Jordan's commentary leapt energetically from point to point.
"Jordan," McGonagall gestured.
"All right, Professor," Jordan replied. He disliked rigid explanations, but who could force someone to be a professor?
"Angelina speeds forward, passing a beautiful shot to Alicia. This is another talent discovered by Oliver Wood. Last year she was just a substitute, and this year she's become a key player for the team."
She passed the ball to Johnson—oh, too bad—Slytherin rushed forward and snatched the Quaffle. It was Slytherin captain Marcus Flint. Tall, strong, and unstoppable, Marcus was about to score.
"Too bad, Gryffindor keeper Wood blocked the shot. He's always so reliable. Now Gryffindor has possession again, Chaser Katie Bell takes the Quaffle… oh, Marcus charges forward again. Katie Bell gets hit on the back of the head by a stray ball while dodging Marcus. That stray ball ends up in Slytherin's hands."
Lee Jordan's commentary, combined with the players' high-speed flight, sent the stadium into a frenzy. George, who had never been interested in Quidditch, suddenly began to appreciate the excitement of the sport.
The speed of flight was already at its limits, and even the strange rules of the game became compelling. Fourteen players soared through the air like speeding trains, narrowly avoiding collisions, and even George felt his heart pound at each near-miss.
The players moved like high-speed trains, weaving and dodging in a field without traffic rules, brushing past each other repeatedly. George's heart thumped loudly with every near-collision.
"Looks like my dynamic vision still needs work," he thought. The Quidditch match thrilled him while also revealing a personal weakness: even though spells were faster than flight, reacting in real time was still challenging.
"Derian Pus charges toward Gryffindor's goal but is knocked down by a Beater. Fred dodges the Beater, Johnson grabs the Quaffle, with no one in front of her. She speeds up, dodging a rolling ball and the Keeper—she scores! Gryffindor scores!" Gryffindor students erupted in deafening cheers, drowning out Slytherin's roars.
Watching the players speed through the air, dodging balls and scoring, George grew eager to try it himself. He thought, If players wore armor, their speed would be even greater, and the game would become a fast-paced, ping-pong style showdown—it would be way more exciting than football.
Meanwhile, Harry soared through the high-altitude stadium, squinting to spot the Golden Snitch.
Catching the Golden Snitch ended the game. In other words, controlling the Snitch was the heart of Quidditch. The faster and more elusive it was, the harder it was to catch, making the Seeker the team's key and secret weapon. The responsibility of leading the team to victory rested entirely on that one player. This both excited and terrified Harry.
Luckily, as he glided through the wind, he felt completely at ease, like a fish in water.
With Gryffindor taking the lead, Harry became even more excited. He chased the golden flash, only to realize he was heading in the wrong direction. Dodging fast-flying balls, he continued searching for the nearly invisible Snitch.
The Golden Snitch appeared, darting past Derian Pus' ear.
Harry saw it too and dived toward the golden winged ball. Terence Higgins, Slytherin's Seeker, saw it as well and chased it, equally eager.
The Beaters forgot their original plans, hanging in the air and watching the Seekers' movements. Once the Snitch appeared, the game would end as soon as it was caught; only afterward would attention return to the Beaters.
Harry sped up, watching the tiny winged ball flap and bounce up and down, accelerating his chase.
"Bang!" Marcus Flint deliberately collided with Harry, trying to fight for his teammate. Gryffindor fans erupted in cheers, and Harry nearly caught the Snitch.
"That's a foul!" Gryffindor students shouted in protest.
Madam Hooch angrily scolded Flint and awarded Gryffindor a free shot. Unfortunately, in the chaos, the Golden Snitch vanished from sight.
In the stands, Dean Thomas shouted, "Ref! Penalize him! Show a red card!"
George found this amusing. Quidditch rules didn't allow players to be sent off, yet players had no protective gear and collisions were forbidden.
These flimsy rules gave teams that broke them a huge advantage. However, because the wizarding population was small and Quidditch drew limited attention, these odd and cumbersome rules persisted.
Commentator Lee Jordan was furious, calling Flint's actions "disgraceful cheating," which greatly displeased Professor McGonagall.
Harry dodged another fast-flying ball when suddenly his broom began to wobble. He nearly lost control, feeling himself about to fall. He gripped the broom tightly with his hands and clamped his knees around it.
Harry lost control of the broom as it swayed left and right, jolted up and down, threatening to throw him off.
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