Knock, knock, knock!
A series of urgent knocks broke the silence of Lynn's dormitory.
Lynn, who was fully focused at his workbench meticulously crafting "Magic Engine No. 2," didn't even look up as he called out casually:
"Edgar, go get the door."
Edgar ran to open the door, grumbling under his breath, only to see a panting and anxious-looking Cedric standing there.
"Cedric? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at the Quidditch Pitch warming up for the match against Ravenclaw?"
Edgar asked in confusion.
Cedric leaned against the doorframe, gasping for air, with "bad luck" written all over his face.
"It... it was supposed to be like that! But Merlin played a joke on me!
I don't know what got into my broom, but it suddenly started on its own and crashed uncontrollably into a boulder at the corner of the pitch... it's completely smashed to pieces!
Not even a Mending Charm could save it!"
"What? Then what are you going to do? We were planning to go cheer for you in a bit!"
Edgar also started to worry for him.
"So... so I had no choice but to come find Lynn."
Cedric's gaze moved past Edgar to Lynn, who was tinkering with strange parts in the dorm, his tone pleading.
"I want to borrow his broom just this once, just for the match! I promise I'll return it in perfect condition immediately after! Please!"
Lynn stopped what he was doing as he listened to their conversation.
He looked at the "First Generation Prototype" on the table, which looked plain on the outside but held hidden secrets within.
Then he looked at the "No. 2" in his hand, which was being upgraded for higher power.
'Alright,' Lynn thought, 'it's fine to lend out the "old girl." It's a good chance to collect some real combat data.'
"Here, take it."
Lynn readily handed the prototype to Cedric, tapping the broomstick lightly with his wand to temporarily disable the Owner-lock function.
He was about to give a warning—
"Cedric, listen, this broom I made... its performance might be a bit... well... special, especially regarding the speed. You'd better get used to it first..."
However, before he could finish, Cedric had already taken the broom like a precious treasure and shouted hurriedly:
"Thank you so much, Lynn! You've saved my life! I've got to go—time is tight! I'll thank you properly after the match!"
With that, he turned and ran like the wind, moving so fast he left only an afterimage in the corridor.
Lynn's hand reached out in a futile gesture, frozen mid-air, as his crucial warning was swallowed back...
---
At the Quidditch Pitch stands, it was as noisy as ever, with flags fluttering.
"Go Hufflepuff!"
"Ravenclaw will win!"
Cheers rose and fell. Lynn and his roommates stood in the Hufflepuff stands, but their hearts were like fifteen buckets in a well—all up and down.
'Cedric didn't have any time to get used to the broom's performance. Is this really going to work? I hope he doesn't lose the match because he's not familiar with the controls and ends up blaming my broom for being difficult to use...'
The players from both sides began to enter the field.
Lynn watched Cedric closely, who was riding with the "Cleansweep Seven" skin. Seeing his takeoff and circling posture seemed stable enough, he breathed a small sigh of relief.
With a blast of Madam Hooch's whistle, the match officially began!
The Quaffle was passed rapidly through the air, Bludgers zoomed around causing trouble, and the Chasers and Beaters from both sides fought back and forth with extreme intensity.
Meanwhile, the Seekers—Cedric and Ravenclaw's Cho Chang—circled high above, their sharp eyes searching for that single speck of golden light.
(I'm not sure if Cho Chang had joined the Quidditch team at this point, but let's assume she did; her age fits anyway.)
"Cedric Diggory has spotted the Golden Snitch!" the commentator suddenly shouted excitedly.
Almost simultaneously, Cho Chang spotted the target as well!
Two figures instantly dove toward the Golden Snitch, engaging in a fierce race!
"Look! Cedric's broom! Its appearance... it's changing!" someone in the stands exclaimed.
"It's not just the look! Its speed... Merlin! How did it suddenly get so fast?! Is that really still a Cleansweep Seven? It feels even faster than a Nimbus 2000! Is it just my imagination?"
As Cedric was diving at high speed, his arm accidentally brushed against an extremely well-hidden Runic mark on the broomstick—it was the Skin-switching button Lynn had designed!
The broom beneath him transformed instantly!
The originally dull wooden exterior was replaced by a streamlined gold-and-red finish that shimmered with a metallic and glass-like texture!
The tail of the broom changed even more drastically; no longer a bundle of neat twigs, it transformed into a large cluster of magnificent, long golden feather phantoms, just like a Phoenix's tail feathers.
Brilliant sparks of light, like dancing embers, flickered along the edges!
"Qiang-qiang—!"
A clear, melodious, and majestic Phoenix cry rang out—Lynn had mischievously recorded Fawkes's cry for it.
This sudden, cool transformation and the Phoenix's cry left the entire audience stunned!
Even the players on the field couldn't help but look over.
The broom's speed surged after the transformation!
Cedric felt a powerful thrust from behind, instantly widening the gap between him and Cho Chang! The Golden Snitch was within reach!
Wild with joy, he sprinted with all his might toward the Snitch, which was flying close to the wall!
Just as his fingertips were about to touch those rapidly fluttering little wings—
Buzz—!
The broom shuddered violently, as if it had hit an invisible wall. It transitioned from extreme motion to absolute stillness in an instant, freezing dead in mid-air!
No matter how Cedric urged it or leaned his body forward, the broom remained motionless, as if welded to the air!
The emergency anti-collision braking system Lynn had installed had kicked in.
Right before Cedric's despairing eyes, the Golden Snitch made a nimble right-angle turn, brushed past his fingertips, and zipped away!
Cho Chang, who was right behind him, reacted quickly. With a graceful lean, she firmly caught the Snitch in her hand!
"She's caught it! Cho Chang has caught the Golden Snitch! Ravenclaw wins, one hundred and sixty to ten!"
The commentator's voice carried unbelievable excitement and a hint of regret.
The whistle blew, signaling the end of the match.
The Ravenclaw stands erupted in deafening cheers, while the Hufflepuff side was filled with sighs of regret and confusion.
However, at this moment, the focus of the entire stadium was neither the winner nor the hero who caught the Snitch.
Cedric was still frozen in mid-air, riding that broom that was incredibly cool yet now as stubborn as a rock.
He gripped the broomstick tightly with both hands, leaning forward, trying to use his weight and willpower to make it move even a single millimeter, unable to stop himself from "debating" with the broom:
"Buddy! Move! Just move a little! Weren't you just flying so well? How could you drop the ball at the most critical moment?!
You can't just focus on changing skins to look cool and ignore the actual 'user experience'! My victory just flew away!"
His expression of gnashing teeth and helplessness toward the broom, along with that incredibly flashy yet stubborn "Phoenix-brand" broomstick beneath him, drew the eyes of everyone in the stadium.
From the Professors to the students, everyone's expression was extremely complex—a mix of shock, curiosity, sympathy, and... intense confusion.
Lynn covered his face in the stands, unable to watch. He knew this would happen. Well, great—his "Lynn-brand" broom had made its "grand" debut before the entire school in an extremely dramatic and embarrassing fashion.
---
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