"Listen, everyone," Roger said with a stern face, "we won the Quidditch Cup last year. That wasn't because every one of us was stronger than the players on other teams. It was because we were more united than anyone else—and smarter!
We're willing to come up with a hundred different plans, and we carry them out exactly as intended!"
He gathered everyone in for one final pep talk before the match.
"We prepared two complete game plans, including the one we've been drilling this whole time.
But now—forget those plans!
Forget the defensive counterattack strategy! We attack! Attack! And keep attacking!
We hit them so hard they won't have the attention left to care about our Seeker—"
Roger's voice rose sharply.
"We'll give everything we've got for Ravenclaw, and then we'll win that damned Quidditch Cup!"
The Ravenclaw Quidditch team exploded with energy. Their morale hit a whole new level.
"Wood. Davies. Shake hands," Madam Hooch said briskly.
Wood and Roger shook hands.
Both of them squinted as they sized each other up.
"Mount your brooms… wait for my whistle… three—two—one—"
Madam Hooch blew the whistle.
Sean swung lightly onto his broom. The Nimbus 2001 flew faster and climbed higher than the others.
At his side was Harry, tense as if facing a mortal enemy.
"Good luck, Harry. I'm going all out."
Sean said it, then shot forward like a streak of light across the horizon.
"I know."
Harry clenched his jaw and flew alongside him.
The entire stadium was watching the two of them tear through the sky at breakneck speed.
"The match has begun! And the biggest thrill of this game is still them!
Harry Potter and Mr. Sean Green!
They've already given us so many brilliant matches—
Yes, we all know it. They're absolute stars of tomorrow. If someone told me they'd go pro, I'd agree on the spot—"
Lee Jordan sounded like he was about to leap out of his seat.
"Jordan, could you try telling us what's happening in the actual match?"
Professor McGonagall cut in.
She looked even more excited than usual, clutching a pair of binoculars, her eyes never leaving the two flyers.
"No problem, Professor—we can see Ravenclaw attacking now—Merlin, this is absolutely insane aggression!"
Lee shouted.
"Roger nearly scored—are they crazy? At this rate they'll burn through all their stamina in no time…"
In the stands, Lee's commentary was drawing everyone's attention. On the pitch, the two wizards flying a whole level above everyone else were drawing the players' attention.
They were moving so fast the Beaters could barely track them, let alone hit them—especially now that the Beaters themselves were practically fighting a battle of their own.
"The Golden Snitch has appeared! Right now Sean Green is in the lead—he's too fast! Harry Potter needs to get more aggressive now, even if he has to smack dear Mr. Green with his broom—"
Lee urged anxiously.
"Jordan!"
Professor McGonagall jolted and snapped at him.
"Professor—there's no time, no time—"
Lee was practically hanging out of the commentary box.
McGonagall watched the sky intently, feeling the same old tension and excitement rise in her.
"So close again!"
Lee screamed.
"Harry's finally making his move! He's accelerating recklessly—both of them are tangling together—they've both lost direction—Merlin, Harry recovered first—this is his chance—"
Lee shouted in delight, while McGonagall looked worried sick.
"No—Green has surged ahead again—"
Lee's face fell, but McGonagall secretly pumped a fist.
"This is it—they're about to decide it—they're both accelerating with everything they've got—collision, turn, too fast, I can't see—"
The whistle suddenly rang out across the Quidditch pitch.
Madam Hooch signaled that the Golden Snitch had been caught.
The stadium froze.
Everyone looked up into the sky, waiting for the two Seekers to come back down. The stands went silent for one brief moment as everyone waited for the result.
"Who was it? Who got it? It was Sean Green—oh!"
Lee Jordan let out a howl of frustration.
"Well done!"
Professor McGonagall didn't scold him this time. She was shaking her fist toward the two players as they descended, shouting excitedly. Her hat had fallen off.
"Professor?"
Lee Jordan stared blankly. Hadn't they just lost the match?
Or had he somehow forgotten they weren't Gryffindor?
The whole stadium erupted.
Sean flew high above the crowd, a strange buzzing filling his ears. The tiny golden ball was clenched tightly in his hand, its wings fluttering weakly.
The first thing he did was look for Harry. Harry was flying on his own, annoyed and frustrated, until Sean moved closer to him.
"I was that close…"
Harry was still muttering it to himself.
"Yeah. It was close. You did great, Harry."
Sean admitted it plainly.
"Next time, Sean, I'll be stronger than I was today."
Harry said it seriously, without looking at him.
"I'm looking forward to that."
Sean nodded.
When he turned back, he instinctively spotted Professor McGonagall in the stands, still pumping her fist at him excitedly.
She looked years younger—full of energy.
"Well done."
Sean knew what she meant.
He shifted his gaze again and saw Professor Snape's faintly lifted mouth, that nearly invisible nod, and Justin and the others cheering wildly.
The moment he landed, Roger and Toya charged at him like lunatics, grabbing him around the neck and screaming and crying all at once.
Then everyone else piled on:
"We won the cup! We won the cup!"
Arms wrapped around each other. The Ravenclaw players collapsed into one giant hug, shouting themselves hoarse.
A wave of blue surged over the barriers and flooded onto the pitch.
Countless hands landed on their backs like rain.
In the middle of the chaos, Sean only felt bodies and voices crashing in from every direction—and then he and the other players were hoisted up by the crowd.
He was suddenly lifted into the light, and Roger, hoarse and ecstatic, was shouting at the top of his lungs:
"The mercenary plan worked perfectly—Ravenclaw back-to-back champions!
We're the champions! We're the champions!"
Over there, Justin and Hermione were struggling to push their way toward Sean. Harry had been dragged along with them. All of them were laughing, flushed with excitement.
Sean was carried toward the stands, where Dumbledore was waiting with the enormous Quidditch Cup in his hands.
~~~
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