Adelaide's speed was truly too fast; in just a few dozen seconds, she successfully shook off the Hufflepuff players marking her.
After breaking free, she immediately began to calmly gauge the angle and distance between herself and Cedric, searching for the perfect moment to launch an attack.
Ever since the Ravenclaw Quidditch team trials, this kid had been looking for every opportunity to hover around Cho Chang. Did he really think Adelaide was someone to be trifled with?
Cedric noticed that Adelaide had shaken off his teammates' pursuit, and it looked like their plan was about to fail—wait!
A faint glint of gold was hovering quietly not far from the referee, Madam Hooch, as if waiting for something.
Cedric focused his gaze, and a surge of ecstasy welled up in his heart. It was the Golden Snitch!
His body seemed to react a step faster than his brain. The moment he realized it was the Golden Snitch, he turned his broom without hesitation and dived toward the Snitch like an arrow released from a bow.
Seeing Cedric suddenly accelerate, the crowd in the stands erupted like a boiling pot, their cheers and shouts echoing throughout the Quidditch Pitch.
If he successfully caught the Golden Snitch now, Cedric would directly break the record for the fastest Quidditch match at Hogwarts!
Closer, even closer!
The distance between Cedric and the Golden Snitch grew shorter and shorter. He could even feel the airflow generated by the vibration of the Snitch's wings—his eyes were fixed intently on the Golden Snitch, a look of intense longing bursting from them as if he wanted to pierce the Snitch with rays from his eyes.
Just as he leaned forward and reached out to grab the Snitch, a blurry shadow flew straight from diagonally below like a bolt of lightning, grazing Cedric's fingertips and smashing into the Golden Snitch at an incredible speed.
The shadow's speed was so fast that it was almost impossible to see what it was. In the blink of an eye, the Snitch was knocked off course by the massive impact and sent flying away.
Cedric hadn't expected this at all. He stopped his dive in a daze, his eyes wide as he looked in the direction the Snitch had disappeared, trying to figure out what had just happened.
What was that thing that suddenly flew over?
"Merlin's white stockings! Hufflepuff's Seeker Cedric Diggory was just a hair's breadth away from catching the Golden Snitch and ending the match—"
"At this critical moment, Ravenclaw's Beater Adelaide Grindelwald has shown incredible reaction speed and batting skill! She swung her bat and sent a bludger right next to her slamming into the Golden Snitch—"
The commentator in the stands was so excited his voice was nearly hoarse. After all, a Beater using a bludger to hit the Golden Snitch to save the game was a legendary move never seen before in a Quidditch match. He was witnessing the birth of a brand-new Quidditch tactic.
"That poor Golden Snitch took quite a hit from that sudden strike. It's lost its direction and is spinning as it falls—"
"Ravenclaw's Beater Adelaide Grindelwald isn't stopping there. She's maneuvering her flying broomstick over—"
"Merlin's dentures! Adelaide Grindelwald is actually using her bat to hit the bludger again, sending it to strike the Golden Snitch! The Golden Snitch has been knocked away once more—"
This series of actions happened so quickly that the audience barely had time to react before they saw the Golden Snitch flying straight toward Ravenclaw's Seeker, Cho Chang.
Cho Chang was clearly startled by this scene as well, but she quickly snapped out of it. Before the Hufflepuff keeper could block her, she reached out nimbly and successfully grasped the Golden Snitch firmly in her hand.
With the sound of Madam Hooch's whistle, the match officially ended!
"The Golden Snitch fell straight into the arms of Ravenclaw Seeker Cho Chang. She's caught the Snitch—the match is over!"
"1 minute and 47 seconds! The match between Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw ends with a total score of 0 to 150!"
"At the same time, the Ravenclaw Quidditch team has broken the Hogwarts record for the fastest Quidditch victory! Let's give them a warm round of congratulations!"
The entire stadium erupted. The deafening cheers of the crowd felt like they would burst Adelaide's eardrums, echoing relentlessly in her ears.
As soon as Adelaide landed her Nimbus 2000, Natasha rushed over like the wind and hugged her tightly, giving her an enthusiastic headlock.
This hug not only left Adelaide nearly breathless but also smeared tears and snot all over her Quidditch robes.
"Natasha!" Adelaide roared through gritted teeth. "You've made my robes dirty!"
She grumbled while trying to push Natasha away, but Natasha clung to her like an octopus, refusing to let go.
"I'm sorry, Adelaide! I'm just so excited!"
Natasha was so moved she started to cry. "We finally won once—your performance today was amazing, I'm really proud of you!"
Although Adelaide felt a bit helpless, seeing Natasha so excited made it hard for her to say anything else.
However, she secretly vowed in her heart that she would make Natasha wash her Quidditch robes clean, or she would never forgive her.
While Adelaide and Natasha were tangled up, Cho Chang rushed over with a blank expression. Without a word, she reached out and pulled Natasha off Adelaide.
Adelaide looked at Cho Chang in surprise. She had never imagined Cho Chang was so strong, "easily" pulling Natasha away with just one hand.
Then, Cho Chang took Natasha's place and hugged Adelaide tightly, pressing a light kiss onto her forehead before she could react.
This sudden kiss made Adelaide's mind go blank instantly. She hadn't expected Cho Chang to do such a thing at all and was momentarily at a loss.
She felt as if she were in the middle of a noisy whirlpool. There were too many people around, and the various shouts and clamor were a bit overwhelming—
Hermione rushed over, screaming in anger, while Alice began to argue with Cho Chang. Pansy took the opportunity to cling to Adelaide from behind, holding onto her back tightly. Adelaide didn't even have time to warn her that Natasha had just smeared snot on the back of her robes.
Amandine grabbed Pansy's collar with a dark expression, peeling her off Adelaide's back with as much effort as one would use to tear off a stubborn piece of plaster. Professor Flitwick was jumping around excitedly near their feet, constantly shooting fireworks into the sky with his wand.
Ravenclaw had won the match and broken the Hogwarts record for the fastest Quidditch game. They even managed to make it back to the Great Hall for today's lunch.
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