Despite the terrible weather, the stands of the Quidditch pitch were filled with students. Gusts of wind could tear umbrellas from hands, but the children did not despair, already raising noise, although the Hufflepuff and Gryffindor teams were just walking to the center of the pitch. Madam Hooch, the flying instructor and today's match referee, was waiting for them there. Some students, like the teachers, were wrapped in raincoats. Here and there, various posters enchanted against water could be seen—only this saved them from getting soaked, and the paint from running.
"I see," Hermione heard a familiar voice nearby, "no bad weather keeps you in the castle."
"Malfoy?" the girl was surprised, as were her nearby Housemates.
Although, there was no reason to be surprised—this time the Slytherins had moved close to the Gryffindors—from this side of the stands, the wind blew not in the face, but in the back, allowing them to watch the game.
"And what are you doing here with your friends?"
Malfoy, in his green and silver raincoat, looked disgustingly dry and satisfied, as did his classmates.
"I became curious who the loyal friend of the Boy-Who-Lived would root for? And I couldn't miss the opportunity to witness the grief of defeat on your faces."
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Hermione was indignant.
"Look closely."
Hermione looked closely at the players, tormented by a strange feeling of slight fear and anxiety, but the bad weather prevented her from really seeing what she was supposed to see? Was it something with Harry, or the twins, or the Chaser girls?
"…And meanwhile our players have taken the field!!!" the voice of Lee Jordan, the permanent commentator, was somewhat muffled by the riot of the elements, but remained very audible to everyone in the stands.
"…More than half of the Hufflepuff team has changed this year! Let's see what the newcomers will show us! So, Oliver Wood and Cedric Diggory shook hands! The players mounted their brooms…"
The sound of Madam Hooch's whistle was heard even here, and all the players soared into the sky on brooms, and a moment later two Bludgers and the Snitch, instantly disappearing from sight, went there too.
"The referee releases the Quaffle, and…" Lee Jordan shouted, infecting everyone with his enthusiasm as always. "Quaffle with Granger!.."
Hearing the surname, Hermione choked on the air she had taken in for an encouraging shout for her House team.
"…He deftly bypasses Angelina, Katie. Come on, girls, just a little bit lacking in agility! George sends a Bludger towards the Hufflepuff Seeker! Oh! Excellent feint, I must admit!"
It wasn't very easy to see in minute detail what was happening on the field, so many had to compare what they saw with Lee Jordan's commentary to build a complete picture.
"…Granger breaks through to the Gryffindor hoops, what speed! Wood is fully armed to meet him… Incredible acceleration and a curveball Quaffle opens the score in favor of Hufflepuff!!! And why am I rejoicing, anyway?!"
"How could he, anyway!" Hermione was indignant. "Without even consulting anyone!"
"Without consulting you, you mean?" Lavender Brown smirked standing next to her, only her face peeking out of her raincoat.
"Excellent," Malfoy smirked maliciously. "It only remains to wait until your team is smashed on all fronts."
"And they won't be smashed," Lavender pouted, elbowing Hermione standing next to her. "Tell them. We have the best lineup!"
"…Wood puts the Quaffle into play! Pass to Alicia, and the Gryffindor Chaser rushes forward! Beaters of both teams started an active fight with Bludgers, trying to beat them into each other and into the opponent's Chasers! What tension from the first minutes of the game! Alicia is forced to pass to Katie, but she has nowhere to break through—threat from Beaters! Pass to Angelina… Granger breaks through like an arrow from the very ground and intercepts the Quaffle! Magnificent loop and pass to Preece, the second Chaser! What is Malcolm doing?! Why did he throw the Quaffle into empty space towards the Gryffindor hoops?! Our Chasers are rushing to their half of the field for the Quaffle…"
A bright lightning bolt lit up the sky, blinding everyone for a brief moment.
"…Granger! The Hufflepuff Chaser managed to accelerate to huge speed, diving from the sky for the Quaffle! The Quaffle is with him, but that's a terrible trajectory! How will he avoid colliding with the ground now? And on what basis is he maneuvering almost at a right angle?!"
Heavy rain and wind noticeably reduced the flight speed of the players, depriving them of visibility and ease of maneuvering. But Hector, it seems, wasn't bothered by this at all. Like a yellow dot, jerking left, then right, he rushed towards the hoops. Another lightning bolt close to the field hit the eyes with a bright flash. Hector's reaction and the broom's capabilities allowed him to make a sharp, instantaneous jerk to the side, disappearing from Wood's field of vision. The Keeper's experience suggested to Oliver Hector's trajectory, but he wasn't where Wood expected to see him.
"…Another goal, and Granger brings the Hufflepuff team twenty points already! Unheard-of impudence!" Lee Jordan shouted fervently.
"Go! Hufflepuff! Go! Hufflepuff!" came from most students.
Such a scenario, of course, could not please the Gryffindors, and they began to support their own even more actively, and herd instinct is strong in teenagers, no matter how you twist it. Hermione couldn't resist either, supporting Gryffindor and Potter, who so far hadn't been able to spot the Golden Snitch in the sky.
"Pfft," Malfoy snorted. "I didn't doubt it…"
"…Granger caught up with Alicia! Alicia tries to make an evasion maneuver, but Granger seems glued to her! Fred, judging by the number, sends a Bludger at the Hufflepuff Chaser with a powerful blow—what aggression! What a lightning-fast barrel roll under the Chaser, and the Quaffle is with Granger again!!! Bludger!"
Due to Hector's maneuver, who a moment ago was between the Gryffindor Chaser and the Bludger, and now ended up on the other side of the Chaser knocking the Quaffle out of her hands, the Bludger found Alicia as its victim instead of Hector. The girl stayed on the broom, but her ribs, if not broken, were at least cracked.
No one stopped the game, because this is a natural phenomenon—injury in Quidditch. The Gryffindor team has no reserve players, so they just have to play on. It took only a few seconds for Hector, Malcolm, and Tamsin to carry the Quaffle to the Gryffindor hoops with completely crazy passing, and Hector scored a goal with a kick, having previously spun very sharply and quickly on the broom and giving the kick more force—the Quaffle was like a projectile and even Wood's hand couldn't stop it.
The match continued, the weather worsened, it became colder and colder, and lightning flashed more often, only occasionally giving everyone a respite. It was getting dark, but not because of the time of day—clouds were thickening worse than before. Many Gryffindors considered the situation extremely symbolic, because they were losing, and losing enchantingly. Thanks to the coordinated work of Hufflepuff Chasers along with Hector's incredible maneuverability, who had not yet shown his maximum, thanks to the no less coordinated work of Beaters, who for once didn't need to cover all three Chasers, but only two… Thanks to all these factors, the Hufflepuff team led with a score of one hundred and sixty to ten—once the Keeper gaped, for which he paid.
"Oliver Wood takes a five-minute timeout for the team!" Lee Jordan announced loudly, and two opposing teams began to fly down to their exits onto the stadium, stepping on the ground completely covered with puddles, restless from the mercilessly pouring rain.
"How does it happen," Lee continued, and all fans and other spectators in the stands heard him distinctly despite the bad weather. "That the Gryffindor team is losing with such a crushing score? Professor McGonagall?"
"Obviously, Mr. Jordan, the Hufflepuff team not only acquired an extremely maneuverable player in the person of Mr. Granger but also prepared for the game specifically against the Gryffindor team. As I have repeatedly pointed out to the team, their weakness is playing in one plane and neglecting tactics in emotionally difficult moments."
"But before we didn't have such obvious problems, Professor."
It seems the commentators decided to occupy the audience with reasoning.
"The Hufflepuff team leveled the tactics of the Gryffindor team associated with mass play in one plane, mainly the hoop plane, by playing in strict formation. Lining up players at the vertices of an imaginary bipyramid, they simply rotate it, and the plane of the Gryffindor game shifts following the Quaffle. It is also worth noting that great emphasis in this game is placed on goal difference, and the game is built around Mr. Granger. But the leading Chaser of the team himself does not go on the attack on Wood without the cover of at least one Bludger."
"Simply put, Professor, Gryffindor players are smeared on a plane, and Hufflepuff—everywhere: above, below, and on the sides. At the same time, shifting, they change their position as convenient for them, while ours chase back and forth after the Quaffle."
"Precisely, Mr. Jordan. Also worth noting are the weather conditions, in which the Gryffindor Seeker is not particularly productive. The tactics of the Hufflepuff Seeker consist of strictly following side by side with Potter, distracting him and stretching time. In such conditions, Mr. Potter is simply unable to see the Snitch first and realize his speed advantages."
"Which, to my great, deepest regret, are not so many compared to Cedric. And Potter's broom is better. Professor McGonagall, it turns out Hufflepuff relies purely on goal difference?"
"It seems to me, with its help they create a safe buffer of one hundred and sixty points. Even if Mr. Potter catches the Snitch, the victory will go to Hufflepuff, albeit with a minimal increase in points."
"But the difference so far is one hundred and fifty."
"The Gryffindor team has already started playing on the verge of tough violations. But this didn't even slow down the frequency of scoring goals. I am forced to admit that increasing the difference in the score is a matter of time."
"Well, even if the forecast is disappointing, the teams are already ready to return to the field. Just look at the Gryffindor Seeker—he is just beaming with happiness! It seems this team will still fight!"
"Hooray!!!" Gryffindors in the stands shouted over themselves, competing in volume with the thunder.
The match continued. The sky became gloomier, the wind became cold, and the rain poured practically icy. But the fans only dispersed even more, seeing a much more active position of Potter in the game—he no longer flew like a blind kitten, and this inspired hope.
Gryffindors started playing very tough, trying to knock out Hufflepuff Chasers, press, carefully ram, without violating rules too obviously. But Hector didn't need protection, he is too agile, and it was impossible to get close to him—he seems to see players, Bludgers, and generally everything with his back. This allowed delaying, but not preventing Hufflepuff from getting a difference of one hundred and sixty points.
This morally decisive goal was scored, unsurprisingly, by Hector. They wanted to box him in, and he even allowed it. On one side two Chasers pressed, and on the other, a Bludger was sent by the twins. But the guy literally merged with the broom shaft, sharply and without any prerequisites dropping speed—for some reason no one expected this. The Bludger hit Katie Bell, the Gryffindor team Chaser.
Wishing to catch up and prevent another goal, the Gryffindors chased Hector again. The guy put them on his tail, wagged, gained altitude, allowing pursuers to catch up with him—he still has the Quaffle. Contrary to himself, he smoothly went into a dive and acceleration.
"What is Granger doing?!" Lee Jordan got more worked up. "Why execute a Wronski Feint, and he is aiming precisely for it?!"
"He plays on excitement and emotions," McGonagall barely restrained her excitement. "Even I have a desire to win such a pursuit at any cost."
Meanwhile, Hector developed a very decent speed, allowing pursuers to literally grab his yellow uniform, angering and teasing with the Quaffle in his hands.
As Lee Jordan expected, Granger came out of the dive near the very ground, and rushed at wild speed to the Gryffindor penalty area. Angelina couldn't cope with the broom and plowed the ground with herself. Alicia came to her senses, or rather simply chickened out, braking to the ground and coming out of the dive softly, but slowly.
"Not flying, but skimming!"
Along the very ground, Hector flew to the central Gryffindor hoop, and sharply soared up, twisting like a snake close to the post with the hoop, thereby neutralizing all threats from the side.
At the very hoop, Wood rushed to intercept him, seeing no other chance, but Hector moved aside too sharply, sending the Quaffle into the defenseless hoop.
"A-a-and, Hufflepuff leads with a score of one hundred and seventy to ten! But what is this? It seems Cedric Diggory spotted the Snitch! He and Potter rushed after it into the very clouds! Ah, how low these clouds are!"
Lightning flashed between the clouds, and a moment later a tumbling Cedric fell out of there on a broom, but quickly stabilized the flight, returning to the clouds, disappearing from view. Meanwhile, the game on the field escalated to the limit, but Gryffindors had only Alicia left, covered by the Weasley twins. But their cover wasn't enough—Hector like an invisible shadow overtook them at the moment when Hufflepuff Beaters sent a Bludger each and thereby distracted Gryffindor Beaters.
"Cedric Diggory catches the Snitch!" Lee Jordan screamed, looking at the special signal lamps in front of him. "Even if we don't see it, ladies and gentlemen, but…"
At that moment, another lightning flashed in the clouds, illuminating the outlines of many Dementors rushing down in a funnel. A moment later, a tumbling unconscious Potter without a broom fell out of the clouds, and one of the Dementors appeared following him.
All spectators jumped from their seats, gasping and sighing. Dumbledore didn't waste time taking out his wand—he just pointed his hand at the falling boy:
"Arresto Momentum…"
Potter's fall speed began to decrease, and he touched the ground with approximately the speed and force of a fall from two or three meters—not critical. But the Dementors, slowly "falling" from the cloud, caused much more fear among both spectators and professors. Now Dumbledore had already taken his wand, silently casting a Patronus wave. It was so powerful that it went far beyond the field, drove the Dementors back into the cloud and further, away from the surrounding territory.
The referee ran up to the unconscious Potter, and a moment later, a couple of teachers and members of the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff teams.
"Unconscious, slight bruises," stated referee Hooch, a white-haired witch with yellow eyes.
Stretchers were already conjured, Madam Pomfrey arrived in time, the bustle with the evacuation of the victim and other measures began.
"He had a chance," Diggory approached Madam Hooch. "If not for the Dementors, he could have caught the Snitch before me. Need a replay…"
"Everything is within permissible limits," the referee cut off the indignation. "Proceed to your locker rooms."
---------------
Give me Powerstones if you like the story.
If you want to read 60+ advanced chapters, you can do so on my Patreon.
Patreon(.)com/TheRedSpell