Roger and Jeremy stuck to the game plan. Instead of covering Wyzett, they swung their broomsticks around, blocking the Hufflepuff Chasers head-on.
"I see what they're doing!" cried Lee Jordan, a sly grin in his voice as if he'd unraveled the whole match. "They're putting all their hopes on Wyzett!"
Just as he spoke, Hufflepuff's two Beaters teamed up, swinging their bats in perfect sync. The Bludger rocketed toward Wyzett near the scoring zone, its already fearsome speed kicked up another notch by the double strike.
"A double hit!" Lee Jordan shouted. "Looks like Hufflepuff's been practicing hard! No wonder Wood said they had a secret weapon!"
"Oh no! Ravenclaw's Beaters aren't anywhere near Wyzett—they're busy with the other Bludger! The Bludger's closing in fast!"
"He's not slowing down! Has he lost his mind? He's going to crash right into it! At the very least, he should change course—Merlin's pink stockings! He dodged it!"
"He actually flipped his broom—head down, feet up—to slip past the Bludger! Is he an eagle or a wizard? That's agility you just don't see on a Quidditch pitch!"
"That's right! He really is an eagle—the sky is his domain! Ravenclaw scores again!"
In less than two minutes, Wyzett had put another ten points on the board.
The Ravenclaw stands exploded with wild cheers, the students' excitement reaching fever pitch.
"This can't be real, can it?" Lee Jordan sounded almost dazed. "Why does it feel like I'm watching a professional Quidditch player giving a masterclass?"
"Hufflepuff's got to come up with something, or they'll have to rely on Cedric to end this with the Golden Snitch. If this keeps up, things are going to look grim for them!"
In just ten minutes, Wyzett's relentless fast-break tactics had forced Hufflepuff to score only once—the scoreboard now read seventy to ten.
With their strategy in tatters, Hufflepuff had no choice but to call a timeout and regroup.
Wyzett touched down to a crowd of jubilant teammates.
Roger's face was flushed with excitement. "Wyzett, that was brilliant! Sixty points up in ten minutes! I wouldn't have dared dream of this last year!"
Duncan seized Wyzett's hand and pumped it in the air. "We've got Lovegood! Wyzett Lovegood!"
"We're not done yet!" Arsenal interjected, pouring a bit of cold water on the celebration—though he couldn't quite hide his grin. "This is just our first match of the season!"
"They're definitely going to target Wyzett next—we planned for this! Stick to the drills—keep running the plays!"
"But what if Hufflepuff… tries to end it with the Snitch?" asked Cho Chang, her brow furrowed with concern.
"I was up high just now and saw Cedric's movements. I think he's already spotted the Snitch," she said.
"That's something we need to watch for," Arsenal agreed, rubbing his chin. "He was outstanding last year—almost as good as Charlie…"
"Don't stress yourself out, Cho." He clapped her on the shoulder. "They called the timeout, so they'll have lost sight of the Snitch for now."
"The Snitch?" Wyzett perked up, inspired by their conversation. He activated his Oculus Magicae and scanned the sky.
A tiny black dot zipped past his vision—the Golden Snitch that Cho and Arsenal had been discussing.
If not for his Oculus Magicae, he'd have needed to fly much higher and focus intensely just to catch a glimpse of it.
Just then, Madam Hooch blew her whistle, calling both teams together.
"Five minutes are up." She set down the box containing the Bludgers. "If you need another timeout, you'll have to wait until after takeoff."
"Just so you know, Ravenclaw still has two timeouts left, Hufflepuff only one. Keep that in mind!"
"We're all set!" Hufflepuff's players nodded and mounted their brooms.
"Good!" Madam Hooch nodded, then released the Bludgers and cradled the Quaffle in her arms. "Three… two… one—game on!"
"Back to the action!" Lee Jordan's voice was electric. "Wyzett's stellar play has really put Hufflepuff in a bind!"
"Wyzett's got the ball again! To reach these speeds on a Cleansweep Five… I bet every team in the league is studying his game right now!"
"Wait a minute… Why aren't Hufflepuff's players defending?" He swept his gaze across the pitch, noticing something odd. "Let's look at the other end…"
Every Hufflepuff player—except Cedric, who was high above searching for the Snitch—was hovering just outside their scoring zone.
"Ah, a clever move… if not the most thrilling," Lee Jordan sighed. "But it fits Hufflepuff's reputation for caution to a T!"
"Wyzett's just too fast—they haven't found a way to contain him yet. Pure defense, no offense—that's a strategy too."
"Use the Bludgers to harass them!" Arsenal bellowed from the sidelines. "Force a gap! Break through their lines!"
He felt a rising frustration—Wyzett's breakthrough skills were incredible, but the rest of the team still lacked that last bit of chemistry.
Hufflepuff's defensive formation clustered around the scoring zone, content to wait and wear down Ravenclaw's attack.
Jensen and Duncan, Ravenclaw's Beaters, did their best to smash Bludgers into Hufflepuff's defense, trying to open up holes for Wyzett to exploit.
But with so many rookies on the squad, Ravenclaw could only create scoring chances occasionally.
The match lost some of its earlier excitement, leaving Lee Jordan to dig deep for commentary to keep the crowd engaged.
"Hufflepuff's double Bludger strikes are clearly well-practiced! They've repelled the attack again without breaking formation…"
"It's a classic clash—young eagles versus honey badgers. Ravenclaw seems to have the upper hand, but Hufflepuff's still got a shot!"
"The score now is one hundred seventy to forty… If Cedric catches the Snitch, Hufflepuff could still take the win!"
Just as Lee Jordan worked to liven up the mood, Cedric suddenly sprang into action, wrenching his broom around and diving hard toward a spot on the pitch.
"Look at that! Cedric's seen something! Remember, last year he caught the Snitch right after joining the team!"
"Cho Chang is right on his tail! She's riding a Comet 260—top-notch performance! The two are neck and neck!"
… ~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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