69novels Chapter 205 Ravenclaw vs. Gryffindor
Chapter 205 Ravenclaw vs. Gryffindor
Chapter 205 Ravenclaw vs. Gryffindor
Mrs. Hodge's whistle was like igniting a powder keg. Fourteen flying brooms roared up from the ground amidst the deafening sound, transforming into fourteen streaks of light that swept through the air at breakneck speed, instantly disrupting the airflow above the stadium.
"Central crystal ball full-view capture normal! Magic trajectory modeling initiated!" On the commentary panel, the seventh-grade girl in charge of monitoring spoke rapidly, her eyes fixed on the crystal plate in front of her where light points were jumping.
"Stable signal transmission on the multi-angle replay screen! Screen 3 locks onto Gryffindor Seeker Potter! Screen 7 tracks the trajectory of the wandering ball B!" Edgar Burns's instructions were concise and powerful.
Karen was completely focused, his fingertips dancing lightly across the rune control panel floating in front of him, as if playing an invisible piano. His "Eye of Truth" was not fully activated at the moment, but his powerful dynamic vision and magical perception instinctively assisted him, taking in every subtle movement on the field and every acceleration fluctuation of magical power, precisely fine-tuning the focus and parameters of the recording system.
Inside the central crystal ball, the light spots representing the players, the magical trajectory lines representing the Quaffle and the Rune, and the rune data streams marking speed and altitude intertwine and flow like a galaxy, constructing a three-dimensional model of this high-altitude battle in real time.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" Professor Flitwick's voice resounded throughout the hall through the magical microphone, trembling slightly with excitement. "Welcome to the Quidditch House Cup Final of this academic year! Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw! Now, thanks to the 'Quidditch Eye' system, jointly developed by the faculty and students of the Hogwarts Charms Club, we will bring you an unprecedented viewing experience! Please look at the central magic screen!"
As he spoke, the largest floating screen instantly switched, clearly displaying four distinct images: a panoramic view, a close-up of Gryffindor Chaser Arya dribbling past defenders, Ravenclaw captain Butt's hand gestures directing the defense, and a high-speed slow-motion replay of a wandering ball being violently struck away by one of the Gryffindor Weasley twins, Wolf! The images were clear and stable, with sharp angles, even showing the beads of sweat splattering on the players' faces and the slight tremor of the broom handles due to the rapid changes in direction!
"Wow!" A tsunami of exclamations and praises erupted from the stands.
"That's amazing!"
"That slow motion! I saw it! George's bat was practically a blur!"
"What does Captain Butt's gesture mean? Oh! Look at the tactical markings on the screen!"
At the right moment, a small tactical board appeared on the screen next to Butt's image, outlining Ravenclaw's current defensive formation with glowing lines—a deformed eagle head formation, clearly marking each player's position and possible running routes.
"Eagle's beak retracted! Watch the left wing!" In the Ravenclaw stands, Ernesto slammed his laptop shut and shouted into the air, as if the players on the field could hear him. Fabian next to him was startled and almost dropped the potted moss plant in his hand.
Wesley, completely enraged, waved his fists and shouted hoarsely, "Block her! Roger! The right! The right is open!"
"Merlin's beard! Spread the word!"
On the pitch, Gryffindor's offensive was like a raging fire. Chaser Katie executed an incredibly daring bicycle kick, narrowly avoiding Ravenclaw batter Blaise's vicious run, while simultaneously throwing the Quaffle under her arm, precisely to the onrushing Angelina! Without hesitation, Angelina swooped down, accelerating like a golden-red arrow, piercing the right corner of the Ravenclaw goal!
"Danger!" Professor Flitwick's voice suddenly rose. "Jansen breaks through! Extremely fast! Ravenclaw goalkeeper, come out!"
On the light and shadow model of the central crystal ball, the red dot representing Angelina and the blue dot representing Rogers rapidly approached each other. On the replay screen, Angelina's eyes were sharp, her body pressed extremely low, and scorching air gushed from the tail of her broom; Rogers spread his arms, his massive body blocking the angle, his expression solemn.
Just as Angelina raised her hand to shoot, a blue figure shot out from the side like a ghost! It was Ravenclaw's Chaser, Cho Chang!
She used a teammate's brilliant screen to shake off her defender and cut into Angelina's passing lane at an incredible angle, her long arm outstretched and her fingertips barely brushing the Quaffle!
boom!
The Quaffle was deflected and flew out, grazing the outside of the goalpost!
"A brilliant steal! Cho Chang! Cho Chang from Ravenclaw!" Professor Flitwick screamed excitedly. "The 'Record Eye' captured this lightning-fast moment! Please watch the slow-motion replay on screen 7!"
The screen immediately replayed Zhang Qiu's thrilling interception. In slow motion, her body was almost parallel to the ground, her fingertips just inches from the Quaffle, the movement a perfect balance of power and beauty. The Ravenclaw stands erupted in cheers, a surge of blue cheers.
It seems that Ernesto also joined the Seeker competition, and Ravenclaw's Seeker preparations were so thorough that Cho Chang was also reassigned. This actually allowed her to enter the official games earlier than in the original story. Previously, she and Wesley rotated, but by the next semester, they would both be starters.
"Well done! Cho!" Wesley pounded the back of the seat in front of him excitedly, even more excited than if he were playing himself.
Gryffindor wasn't going to give up either. "Don't be discouraged! Angelina! Come on!" Wood roared from the goal area, pounding the goalpost.
High in the sky, Harry was experiencing unprecedented pressure. Ravenclaw's Seeker, Captain Boot, was experienced and a skilled flyer, clinging to him like a stubborn plaster. This graduating senior was clearly prepared—to keep a close watch on Potter at all costs, giving him no chance to calmly search for the Snitch. The two were like two hawks locked in a silent yet fierce struggle, circling, diving, and swerving in the highest point of the stadium. Every time Harry tried to create distance to observe the entire field, Boot would always manage to block his flight path or force Harry to slow down with a seemingly casual change of direction.
"Porter is being closely marked!" Edgar stared at the trails of light representing the two Seekers, which traced intricate and tight spirals at the top of the model. "The captain's defensive strategy is very clear: sacrifice their own chances of spotting the Snitch to completely contain Porter!"
"A brilliant tactic!" Professor Flitwick commented. "Using Butt's experience, we're temporarily pinning our bets on ground scoring! Ravenclaw's chasers need to capitalize on this opportunity!"
Ravenclaw was indeed looking for an opportunity. A successful counter-attack saw the Quaffle pass through several hands before landing in the hands of vice-captain Carl.
He glanced around and noticed that Gryffindor's right wing defense had been stretched open by the previous attack, creating a brief opening!
"Brace! Pick and roll!" Karl yelled, hurling the ball forcefully into the open space ahead and accelerating forward. Ravenclaw's batter, Blaise, understood immediately, ignoring the running ball and slamming his broomstick across the Gryffindor chaser who was trying to help.
He made a strong physical block!
"Beautiful tactical combination!" Professor Flitwick shouted. "Karl, get out of there! Go straight for the kill!"
Like a falcon freed from its chains, Carl instantly accelerated to his maximum speed, charging towards Gryffindor's undefended left flank! Ravenclaw's cheers from the stands were already rising in their throats.
"Wood!" A cry erupted from the Gryffindor stands. Gryffindor's goalkeeper, Oliver Wood, a man who considered Quidditch his life, displayed astonishing judgment and courage. Instead of defending the goal, he dove to the left with his broomstick the instant Carl took his shot! It was a gamble of anticipation!
boom! ! !
The Quake slammed into Wood's chest as he lunged forward, making a dull thud! The immense impact sent Wood tumbling through the air several times before he could barely steady his broom, his face pale, but he had succeeded! He had blocked this seemingly inevitable shot with his body!
"Incredible save! Oliver Wood!" Professor Flitwick's voice was filled with amazement. "The 'Record Eye' captured this split-second moment! A perfect combination of strength, courage, and anticipation! Please see the power analysis!"
The main screen immediately displayed a graph of the magic shockwave from the moment the Quaffle hit Wood, with astonishingly high values. Simultaneously, slow-motion replays showed Wood's desperate dive from multiple angles.
"Wood! Wood! Wood!" A unified chant rang out from the Gryffindor stands, and the gold and red flags waved wildly. Even the Ravenclaw students couldn't help but applaud the save.
"Damn it!" Wesley cried out in frustration, clutching his head.
Ernesto frantically jotted something down in his notebook, his brow furrowed: "Wood's defensive coverage is even wider than the data predicted. Next time, we need to make Karl shoot more tricky shots, or use feints."
The game flew by in this breathtaking back-and-forth of offense and defense. Gryffindor constantly created threats with the impact of their Chasers, while Ravenclaw relied on their tight overall defense and Butt's orchestration to organize counterattacks. The "Quidditch Eye" system perfectly fulfilled its function, presenting every exciting moment, every tactical maneuver, and every magical trajectory of the players' runs clearly, accurately, and from multiple angles to the audience. In the VIP seats, Director Kettleburn watched intently, occasionally excitedly talking to his assistant beside him, clearly extremely satisfied with the system. Minister Fudge was also captivated by the tense and exciting game and the unprecedented viewing experience, his chubby face frequently showing expressions of tension or amazement.
Time ticked by, and the score slowly climbed in a close contest: 60-50, Gryffindor held a temporary lead. Both teams were rapidly exhausting themselves; sweat soaked their robes, and their rapid breathing was torn apart by the air currents during high-speed flight. All eyes were focused on the intense ground battle and the two Seekers locked in a fierce aerial struggle.
Just then, something unexpected happened!
A ball that George had slammed away was either too powerful or too angled. Instead of flying towards the intended Ravenclaw player, it shot straight towards Harry and Boot, who were locked in a fierce aerial battle, with a sharp whooshing sound, like an out-of-control cannonball!
"Watch out!" Fred shouted from below.
Harry was focused on dodging a wolf's shove from Boots, trying to push him away from a blindingly sunny area. A deadly whistle rapidly approached from below! The shadow of death loomed over him instantly. With almost no time to think, driven entirely by instinct honed through countless training sessions and matches, Harry slammed the broom handle down!
Nimbus 2000 let out a groan of despair and plummeted almost vertically downwards! Harry hung upside down on the broom, his hair pointing straight to the ground, the high-speed descent tearing at his robes! The black ball whistled past his flying hair, the force of the wind stinging his cheeks!
"Merlin!" The entire audience erupted in terrified screams.
In the instant he was upside down, the rapidly magnified view of the ground and the inverted world made Harry dizzy. However, at the edge of this startlingly chaotic vision, a faint golden light, almost swallowed by the blinding sunlight, suddenly flashed by!
On the edge of the GG sign on the side of the stadium near the Ravenclaw stands!
The Golden Snitch!
The instinct for survival and the Seeker's talent instantly overwhelmed his fear. Just as Harry was about to completely lose control of his body due to gravity, his waist and abdomen burst with astonishing strength, his legs gripped the broom handle tightly, and at the same time, his hands pulled hard!
call!
Nimbus 2000 let out a painful screech, tracing a terrifying, near-right-angle arc less than ten feet from the ground! The broom's tail even scraped against the grass, kicking up a trail of grass clippings and dirt! Harry barely escaped his upside-down position, his body slammed against the broom by the massive, momentum-driven wolf, feeling as if his internal organs had shifted. But he couldn't care less; his burning gaze was fixed on that fleeting glimmer of golden light. He spurred the broom, like a wounded but even more ferocious hunter, and charged recklessly towards the GG sign!
"Potter! He saw it! He saw the Snitch!" Lee's commentary was hoarse, filled with unbelievable elation.
"Upside-down pendulum! Merlin above! Harry Potter has executed a textbook upside-down pendulum maneuver! And spotted the Snitch!" Professor Flitwick's voice cracked with excitement. "'The Eye of the Record'! Quick! Capture him!"
In the commentary booth, all the magical screens instantly switched focus, all on Harry! On the model of the central crystal ball, the red dot representing Harry traced a breathtaking, almost vertical, trajectory! The slow-motion replay screen clearly showed him hanging upside down, falling, discovering the golden light, and that incredible right-angle pull that pushed the broom's performance to its limit! Every detail of his movements, every burst of muscle, the degree of bending of the broom handle, even the fleeting pain on his face followed by extreme focus, was perfectly captured, magnified, and presented by the "recording eye"!
The entire stadium erupted in utter madness! Students from Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and all other houses were utterly stunned by this unimaginable spectacle and the subsequent clues to the thief's disappearance! The deafening roar was like a tangible tsunami, nearly threatening to overturn the entire Quidditch pitch! Wesley's mouth gaped open, forgetting to shout; Ernesto's notebook fell to the ground; Fabian clutched his chest; in the VIP section, Chief Kellburn abruptly stood up, his eyes wide with disbelief; even Fudge instinctively joined the crowd in clapping, his chubby face filled with astonishment.
Cullen was equally stunned by the breathtaking scene and Harry's displayed talent. Her fingers moved rapidly across the rune disk, ensuring all cameras were glued to the swooping golden-red figure. However, at this peak moment, when the entire stadium erupted in cheers and all attention was drawn to Harry in a corner of the court—the pouch at his waist suddenly began to vibrate. He then swiftly pulled out the specially made lead box Nico had sent—containing a secondary fragment of Voldemort's soul. It was the fragment within that was pulsating.
It wasn't thought, but intuition! His "eye of truth" wasn't even activated on his own; his gaze habitually and quickly swept across the direction of the castle, like radar scanning a supposedly calm airspace.
A faint, fleeting magical fluctuation rippled through the castle, like a pebble thrown into a deep pool, creating an almost invisible ripple.
Faint, yet carrying a familiar feeling that chills and disgusts the very soul—yes, it's him, Voldemort!
He didn't run away but stayed at Hogwarts, and he endured it until this point.
The soul within the basilisk was indeed bait! Voldemort's true soul had never left! He had been lurking, waiting for this moment—waiting for everyone's attention, including Dumbledore's, to be completely captivated by this grand finale and Harry's thrilling performance! His target had always been that "forbidden zone"! The Philosopher's Stone was fake, but Voldemort didn't know it!
Thoughts explode, connect, and arrive at conclusions in the blink of an eye!
"Professor!" Karen's voice was hoarse from the sudden tension. He abruptly turned to Flitwick, his eyes sharp as knives, filled with an undeniable urgency. "There's an unusual magical fluctuation in the castle! It's from the same source as the fluctuation in Quirrell's head! It could be Voldemort! The target is the forbidden zone!"
Professor Flitwick's excited smile froze instantly, his small eyes widening in shock and disbelief: "Wh-what? Now? Voldemort?" He instinctively glanced down at the stadium, a sea of people immersed in celebration, then at Dumbledore in the VIP section, applauding Harry. To cause such a commotion in front of the Minister of Magic to arrest "Voldemort"? Absolutely not! It would cause panic and unpredictable chaos!
Karen had clearly considered this as well. Without waiting for Flitwick's response, the wand slid into his palm the instant he finished speaking!
"Protect the Gods!"
A burst of silvery-white light suddenly erupted from the tip of the staff! Even knowing the Philosopher's Stone was fake, Voldemort rarely showed himself, so now was the perfect time to strike! A magnificent silver Guardian Angel emerged from the dazzling silver light!
It did not let out a bright cry, but instead, with an extremely nimble flap of its wings, it swiftly and accurately darted across the noisy and bustling stadium, landing precisely on Dumbledore's shoulder in the VIP section, like a silent silver lightning bolt!
The entire process was lightning fast, barely attracting anyone's attention amidst the deafening cheers and dazzling lights of the magical screens. Only Dumbledore, in the VIP section, who was speaking to Kelburn, trembled slightly. He didn't turn around, but the fingers on the armrest tightened imperceptibly for a moment, and a cold, sharp glint flashed in the depths of his azure eyes behind his half-moon spectacles.
"Professor Flitwick, I'll leave this to you! I'll go check it out!" Karen spoke rapidly, not even waiting for Flitwick to nod before leaping down from behind the commentary box like an arrow! He didn't choose the crowded stands, but rushed directly to the players' tunnel entrance leading to the castle at the edge of the stadium! The hem of his blue robe fluttered behind him, disappearing instantly into the dim tunnel entrance.
Below, Harry Potter was sprinting towards the edge of the GG sign, his finger almost touching the mischievous, shimmering gold. The atmosphere in the entire stadium was drawn to its peak by his sprint, the cheers forming a solid wall. No one noticed the figure that vanished from the commentary booth in an instant.
Unbeknownst to anyone, a hidden crisis concerning the safety of the castle had quietly begun at the height of the revelry.