Just as Monnie, the former commentator, had noticed, Qin Yu was currently drifting through the match in what looked like a leisurely haze—bat of pale red oak in hand, gliding on his broomstick as if he hadn't a care in the world.
Not that he wanted to be this passive. But honestly, what choice did he have? After so many dazzling performances, the opposing teams had started treating him like a one-man army. Man-marking was the least of it—sometimes it felt like half the team was shadowing him, and even the Seeker would swoop in to block him if things got dicey.
I mean, a Seeker abandoning the hunt for the Golden Snitch just to defend against a single Beater—wasn't that a bit much?
—Well, to be fair, the Snitch was notoriously elusive, so Seekers did have a lot of downtime. That didn't help.
The point was, Qin Yu's reputation had forced the opposition to abandon all conventional tactics. Now it was chaos—anything to keep him in check.
As the saying goes, a flurry of wild punches can take down a master. With the match this unpredictable, Qin Yu couldn't do much except drift, intervene when disaster loomed, then drift some more. Occasionally, he'd sidle over to the true rookie, Harry Potter, offering a few calming words.
"Don't worry about the Quaffle or the Bludgers—that's our job. You just keep your eyes on the Golden Snitch. The moment it shows, you go for it. If anyone tries to block you, we'll clear the way!"
He grinned, voice light. "So really, there's no need to be nervous. Save your energy—you'll need it soon enough."
"Yeah—yeah, I got it!" Harry nodded so hard his glasses nearly slipped off, some of the tension leaving his face—but not all of it.
Qin Yu knew a pep talk could only do so much. With a shrug, he resumed his lazy patrol.
Of course, to the many eyes watching from the stands, this brief exchange looked like the plotting of some secret, devastating tactic. Why else would Harry Potter nod so solemnly?
...
"Marcus, what's going on? What's that guy scheming?" Adrian Pucey hissed, flying up alongside Marcus Flint.
Of course, Marcus had seen Qin Yu's little huddle with Harry—he'd been watching the Gryffindor Beater like a hawk all match. This obvious "whispered strategy" could only mean trouble.
"Don't lose your head, Adrian! He'll stoop to anything, but that's exactly what we expected, isn't it?" Marcus replied, keeping his voice steady as he maintained his speed.
"But—" Adrian hesitated, flashes of last year's carnage flickering in his mind—he'd been one of Qin's victims, after all.
"No buts! Keep your eyes on him—and on Harry Potter too!" Marcus barked, cutting him off.
"Right. Whatever you say." Adrian could only nod.
Marcus zipped off, circling the pitch to bark out different instructions to each teammate.
By the time he'd finished, sweat beaded his brow. Even with all this frantic maneuvering, his expression remained grim.
...
"What's Slytherin playing at?"
"I get it—they're changing tactics on the fly!"
"I get it too—Marcus is adjusting! I told you, Qin's up to something sneaky—er, I mean, he's laying out a clever strategy. Just look at Harry Potter's flight path! Notice anything?"
"Nope!"
"What flight path? Isn't he just flying around?"
"Knew you'd miss it. Let me give you a hint—look at his position."
"His position? He's just flying above everyone else."
"Now that you mention it, at that height... the wind must be brutal. Bet his face is getting sandblasted."
"You lot are like Merlin with his pants over his head—can't see a thing!"
"Stop mocking us and explain already!"
"Yeah, yeah, you're the only one with clear vision—so spell it out."
"Fine, I'll make it simple. You know there's a Quidditch move where you dive straight down from way up high?"
"You mean... that one?"
"That's impossible—it's way too hard!"
"Nothing's impossible! Qin's the one calling the shots, and that's Harry Potter out there—you know his reputation!"
In one corner of the stands, a group of self-proclaimed experts were deep in heated debate, gesturing wildly as they analyzed the match. To the bystanders, they sounded like true professionals—even if none of them could name the "diving from the clouds" move, it sure sounded impressive.
...
Qin Yu, for his part, barely noticed Slytherin's shifting tactics. They hadn't played by the book all day; now, they were just getting weirder.
Case in point: one of their Beaters had just aimed a Bludger at Harry. What was the point? The Snitch hadn't even appeared—why go after the Seeker?
The only result was that Harry wobbled in midair, giving him a chance to show off his broomstick skills. At least it made for good entertainment.
CRACK!
Qin Yu swooped in, smashing the rogue Bludger with a clean, powerful swing.
The black iron ball whistled through the air in a long, perfect arc—whoosh!—and crashed squarely into the shoulder of a Slytherin Chaser.
"Hiss—!"
The whole crowd collectively sucked in a breath—Merlin's bitter tea leaves and all.
You could almost hear the dull thud as the Bludger struck home.
—Just seeing the Chaser nearly tumble off his broomstick was enough to make anyone wince.
"...And it's clear, Slytherin's Chaser, Crabbe, has just taken a brutal hit! His right shoulder must be out of commission now, so he's forced to lean forward to keep his grip on the broom... Even so, he's clinging to the Quaffle for dear life. That kind of grit is what makes Quidditch so thrilling! Let's give Crabbe a round of applause for his tenacity!" Lee Jordan's voice rang out from the commentary box, full of mock-earnest praise.
Somehow, it sounded more like a victor's pity than genuine encouragement.
The Slytherin students glared daggers at him, but there wasn't a thing they could do—not even Professor McGonagall could find fault with his words.
After all, you can't get in trouble for complimenting someone.
"...We can see that, tough as Crabbe is, he's clearly running out of steam. What he needs now is to pass off the Quaffle—and definitely not to Katie Bell or Alicia Spinnet, who are closing in fast."
The stands erupted in laughter—except for the Slytherin section, which only grew more agitated.
Katie Bell and Alicia Spinnet, Gryffindor's rookie Chasers, seized the opportunity with sharp instincts and decisive teamwork, launching a textbook attack on the wounded Chaser. Even those who didn't know them were impressed.
"...But in this critical moment, Crabbe's support is nowhere to be found. Adrian Pucey, his fellow Chaser, seems to have only just realized what's happening and is still racing over. The two Beaters who should be protecting him are miles away—one of them just tried to take out Gryffindor's Seeker, Harry Potter. I have to say, I don't understand that move at all, but color me impressed!" Lee Jordan finished, a note of amused disbelief in his voice.
"Jordan, mind your words!" Professor McGonagall snapped, unable to hold back.
With a tongue that sharp, she worried he'd be hexed by a Slytherin mob before the day was done.
At the same time, she couldn't help but think back to that other troublesome commentator, Monnie Wanda. One headache after another...
"Hm, not bad. This kid's got a bit of my old flair!" In the stands, a certain girl—whose name had just crossed Professor McGonagall's mind—spoke with a hint of pride.
...
Ron just stared at his cousin, speechless. She'd been complaining about Lee Jordan moments ago, and now she was praising him? So she gets the final word on everything, does she?
Monnie shot him a glare that said, "Keep your opinions to yourself, kid!"
Ron shrank back, wisely deciding to keep his mouth shut.
"Katie, brilliant!"
Next to Monnie, Jonna suddenly leapt up, clapping and cheering. Others quickly joined in.
Both Monnie and Ron were startled by the outburst, immediately turning their attention back to the pitch.
Sure enough, the game had shifted. The Quaffle was now in Katie Bell's hands, and the young Chaser had barreled past Adrian Pucey, heading straight for Slytherin's goal!
——Dimensional Wall——
Hermione: Send me fifty and I'll livestream the Quidditch match for everyone—right here, right now!
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
The story isn't over...🤔 Want to know what happens next to the characters?
🤫 Eager to explore the untold secrets of this world?
✍ Ready to read more of my wildest stories?✨patreon.com/GoldenLong