It was another Saturday, and the Quidditch pitch was once again packed with a sea of people.
Before the match began, there was typically a classic segment for pre-game trash talk. However, between the House of the Eagle and the House of the Badger, there was only a harmonious exchange of handshakes.
Even Madam Hooch's usual warnings against fouling turned into something softer for these two houses: "I hope both sides will play with skill and style."
Kyle couldn't have agreed more with Madam Hooch's words.
When the Ravenclaw team's newly appointed Seeker, Cho Chang, came up to shake his hand, Kyle said to her:
"From your neat uniforms and friendly eyes, I can fully feel your sincerity and sportsmanship."
"Thanks," Cho replied with a beaming smile.
However, as soon as her voice fell, a massive, silver-shining wrench fell out of Kyle's robes.
The players on both sides were drawn to the noise. They looked down, and instantly fell into silence.
Kyle picked up the wrench without a hint of embarrassment on his face.
"Don't be nervous, everyone. I have a Muggle car, and I use this wrench to tighten its screws. That's very reasonable, right?"
Very reasonable, very reasonable. The young eagles of Ravenclaw nodded blankly.
The next second, a hammer fell out of Kyle's robes. The two teams plunged into a weird silence once again.
"Just as I said just now, I have a Muggle car, so it's only logical to have a hammer with me."
"Alright, alright, Mr. Dumbledore," Madam Hooch said impatiently. "Hand over all the contraband in your clothes."
"Okay."
Kyle unhooked the ninja tool pouch hanging at his waist and handed it to Madam Hooch.
Madam Hooch opened the pouch to check the contents, and her face instantly crumpled into an expression of sheer bafflement.
She had refereed countless Quidditch matches; what storms had she not weathered?
Apologies, but she really hadn't weathered a scene like this before.
Kyle's pouch contained everything from sickles and hammers to wrenches, axes, a suona, an erhu, and all manner of sabers, spears, swords, and halberds.
Ever since Dumbledore used the Undetectable Extension Charm to expand Kyle's ninja tool pouch, Kyle had thrown all his belongings into it—including things he rarely used but might need at critical moments.
A mountain of messy odds and ends was piled up inside.
Fortunately, Madam Hooch was professionally trained. She quickly controlled her facial expression and announced the start of the match.
This match had far fewer highlights than the last one.
Hufflepuff's Chasers and Keeper were performing atrociously, losing points in quick succession.
Ravenclaw was also a team of pushovers. However, their ball-handling skills were generally a bit better than Hufflepuff's, so they quickly opened up a fifty-point gap.
Kyle, who had been slacking off on the field, narrowed his eyes. If they continued playing like this, even if Cedric caught the Golden Snitch, it would be a wasted effort.
They had originally planned for Kyle to hide his skills first, only revealing his true strength when they went up against veteran powerhouse teams like Gryffindor and Slytherin.
But looking at it now, Kyle had no choice but to act.
He suddenly urged his broomstick forward, flying toward the black ball dancing in the air in the distance.
"Ravenclaw has taken possession of the Quaffle again! Roger Davies has broken through Hufflepuff's blockade! He's going to shoot!"
Lee Jordan roared at the top of his lungs, "He shot! He shot!"
Clang!
A stream of black light tore through the air. Just a moment before the Quaffle could pass through the goal hoop, it precisely knocked the Quaffle away.
The audience went quiet for an instant, and in the next second, a tsunami of cheers erupted from the Hufflepuff stands.
"What did I just see! Hufflepuff Beater Kyle!" Lee Jordan's tone was thick with shock. "He actually used a Bludger to knock away the Quaffle! Was it a fluke?!"
Wait and see if it's a fluke.
Riding a Nimbus 2000, which far outperformed the Cleansweep brooms, Kyle shuttled across the Quidditch pitch like a Yellow Flash, precisely intercepting every Bludger flying toward his teammates.
Clang!
Two blurs, one black and one red, collided once again.
"A brilliant steal! Kyle has actually used the Bludger again! He interrupted Ravenclaw's pass!
"Hufflepuff's Cadwallader has the Quaffle! There is only the Ravenclaw Keeper in front of him! He's going to shoot!"
It was a perfect scoring opportunity. The bright red Quaffle left Cadwallader's hand, yet its trajectory was veering a bit far from the goal hoops.
Lee Jordan couldn't stop a sigh from escaping, but in the next second, his eyes nearly popped out of his head.
Another familiar stream of black light charged out from a corner and collided with the Quaffle.
Under everyone's incredulous gaze, the Quaffle drew an arc in the air and slashed diagonally through Ravenclaw's goal hoop.
Explosive shouts of excitement, far exceeding the previous times, instantly burst from the Hufflepuff stands.
Hannah stood at the very top of the Hufflepuff stands, her face flushed red with agitation, looking as if the player on the field pulling off all those bizarre and unpredictable maneuvers with the Bludger was her.
"Kyle! Kyle! Kyle!" she screamed in excitement.
Led by Hannah, the little badgers of Hufflepuff began to chant Kyle's name in unison, waving flags and cheering for him.
Professor Sprout, Head of Hufflepuff House, couldn't suppress the smile on her face. This was the first time she had seen hope for Hufflepuff to hoist the Quidditch Cup.
Beside her, Professor Flitwick did not look so good.
We agreed to lay flat and be mediocre together; what is this sudden rise to power?
Soon, Kyle pulled the score even between Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, and then overtook them.
"Cedric is accelerating! He's spotted the Snitch!"
Because of the intense state of the game, the match point now lay entirely with the Golden Snitch. Whoever caught the Snitch would take the match.
Cho Chang, also a Seeker, immediately followed Cedric's movements.
The two flew parallel at a dangerous distance, chasing that streak of golden afterimage ahead.
"Ced!" Kyle's roar came from behind.
They were only half a meter away from the Golden Snitch, but upon hearing Kyle's voice, Cedric instantly gave up the chase and retracted his hand with lightning speed.
He violently yanked his broom handle to the left, performing a barrel roll under the confused gazes of the crowd.
The instant Cedric dodged, Cho Chang was hit by a beam of black light and fell directly off her broom.
Judging by the force of that Bludger, Cho probably wouldn't be returning to the pitch today.
"Hurry up! It's time for the hero to save the beauty!" Kyle shouted at Cedric.
Cedric immediately chased after the falling Cho Chang below. What a godly assist from Kyle!
When he grabbed Cho Chang's hand, he felt as if his entire life had been sublimated.
To be able to hold Cho Chang's hand—even if Hufflepuff lost the game, he would accept it.
Up in the sky, Kyle watched as Cedric delivered Cho Chang to Madam Pomfrey in a bridal carry.
He felt that after this maneuver, the romance between Cedric and Cho should be in the bag.
Without leaving a trace, he tucked a round, golden little ball deeper into his pocket.
Looking at the young eagles before him who had lost the ability to end the match, Kyle reined in the smile at the corners of his mouth.
"Know pain."
————
Supporting me on Pa-treon to gain early access to advanced chapters and enjoy expedited updates. Your support is greatly appreciated.
pat-reon .c-om/Dragonhair
(Just remove the hyphen - and space, to access Pa-treon normally.)