Professor McGonagall had indeed been overthinking things. Ludo Bagman neither mentioned the Wimbourne Wasps to Lewis nor said anything about gambling on Quidditch.
She had underestimated Gianna's influence within the Ministry of Magic. Ludo was practically fawning over her. How could he possibly drag Lewis into the Wasps' pit?
Not to mention betting.
What if Lewis lost money and, in his displeasure, whispered a few words into Gianna's ear...
Wouldn't all his efforts be wasted?
But this couldn't really be blamed on Professor McGonagall.
A professor's main job at a university was to educate students. It was perfectly normal for her not to be adept at politics.
However, she had been right about one thing: Ludo's test for Lewis was merely a formality.
He didn't even require the original situation to be recreated, with several people surrounding Lewis again—which, according to the rules, was an essential part of the assessment.
Ludo only needed Lewis to perform the Man-Takeover once more without any interference.
He had already decided that even if Lewis needed a dozen or twenty attempts before barely reproducing it once, he would still let him pass.
Then he truly witnessed Lewis's flying skills.
He personally watched as Lewis lightly jumped off a Firebolt flying at high speed, only to be perfectly caught by the Firebolt again.
The sheer precision with which he controlled his broomstick nearly left Ludo dumbfounded.
"If Britain had had a player like this back then, there probably wouldn't have been any need for me."
That was the only thought running through Ludo Bagman's mind as he witnessed everything.
And then he made a decision.
Regardless of what Hamish thought, he would do everything in his power to get Lewis onto the British national team.
With a secret weapon like this, Britain's performance at this year's World Cup would certainly exceed everyone's expectations.
After all, even now, most people in Britain were still backing Ireland.
But being underestimated was actually a good thing for Britain.
Everyone was betting on Ireland, while only they knew there was a dark horse waiting in the wings. In that case...
Not only could he pay off his gambling debts, he might even make a fortune.
Thus, when Lewis left the field, Ludo's feverish gaze made him feel a little uncomfortable.
However, Lewis's move had finally been officially registered.
From now on, the Quidditch Committee's Detailed Explanation of Quidditch Moves would contain a tactical maneuver called "Green's Man-Takeover."
The move was simply too difficult.
Even Lewis had only managed to complete it by using his psychic abilities to control his broomstick.
For other players, under the rule forbidding the use of magic, it was practically impossible to reproduce the maneuver.
This move was destined to become a legendary feat in Quidditch history.
The next day arrived quickly.
Early in the morning, the Great Hall was already buzzing with excitement. Everyone was looking forward to the upcoming match.
When Lewis entered the Great Hall, the question he heard most often was:
"Will he use the Firebolts again?"
The question wasn't limited to the anxious Slytherins. Even Gryffindor and Hufflepuff were discussing it enthusiastically.
The Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs greatly admired Lewis's fairness and courage.
But the Gryffindors hoped Lewis would use his Firebolt during the match, because Harry also had one.
If Lewis really voluntarily gave up his advantage as he had claimed, then how could the little lions shamelessly use Firebolts to bully the other teams in the future?
As their opponents, most Slytherins believed that Lewis wouldn't give up the use of the Firebolt.
They believed winning was what mattered most, and they found the idea of voluntarily giving up an advantage difficult to understand.
But when they arrived at the Quidditch pitch and saw Lewis, Shireila, and Cho Chang walking onto the field alongside their teammates, all three carrying Nimbus 2001s, they received a thunderous welcome from the spectators.
Almost every student stood up to pay tribute to them.
Regardless of what they had previously thought, when they witnessed the three Ravenclaws voluntarily give up their Firebolts and choose to compete fairly, they felt genuine respect for all three of them.
Even the Slytherins stood up and cheered for Lewis.
Their perspective differed somewhat from that of the other houses.
In the eyes of the Slytherins, the Ravenclaws must have possessed absolute confidence in their own abilities to dare compete like this.
And, in fact, they did.
For Lewis, he wanted to ensure the match was fair and just, with everyone relying on their own abilities to determine the winner.
Only then could he truly demonstrate his strength.
"The two captains, shake hands!" Madam Hooch said.
Roger and Flint shook hands. Although their expressions appeared calm, both men's eyes revealed an intense desire for victory.
"Mount your broomsticks!" Madam Hooch called.
Her whistle was drowned out by the cheers of the spectators, and fourteen broomsticks shot into the sky.
At the very beginning of the match, Slytherin captain Flint was still mocking Lewis and his teammates for being foolish enough to abandon their advantage and fight them head-on. He intended to teach them a lesson.
But when the Slytherins tried to rely on their physical superiority as they had in the past, they discovered that their opponents were no longer the same.
In the past, when facing Slytherin's foul tactics, Ravenclaw could only rely on Lewis and Shireila to break through the opposition.
But after Lewis's training, when confronted with Slytherin's collisions and fouls, the little eagles had no intention of relying on individual ability to fight back.
Their choice was simple:
Dodge, then execute Lewis's run-and-gun tactics to the fullest.
The broomsticks never stopped flying.
Roger immediately passed the Quaffle the moment he received it, giving the opponents no opportunity for a close-range interception.
The Beaters passed the Bludger back and forth without recklessly launching attacks. As long as they prevented the opposing Beaters from getting their hands on the Bludger, that alone was a success.
Against the run-and-gun strategy, Slytherin's tactics seemed to lose all effectiveness.
The big men were like clumsy bears trying to chase nimble gazelles, only to be toyed with until they were completely disoriented.
Then their lack of agility was thoroughly exposed.
Only twenty minutes into the match, the Slytherins were already panting heavily, yet they had accomplished almost nothing.
Meanwhile, their formation had been pulled apart by Ravenclaw's full-team run-and-gun tactics until it was completely disorganized, with openings appearing everywhere...
"Score, 50–0!"
When Madam Hooch announced another Ravenclaw goal, Flint finally couldn't take it anymore.
He seized the opportunity when Slytherin had possession and ordered the team to launch a forceful attack.
Ravenclaw might have been elusive on offense, but their defense was extremely resolute.
Facing Slytherin's assault, the little eagles immediately formed a coordinated defense without backing down. Even their Seeker, Cho, joined the defensive effort.
Flint seemed to think Cho was physically weak and treated her as a breakthrough point, attempting to force his way past her.
He nearly got knocked off his broom instead.
After all, as one of Lewis's closest girls, she had drunk the Permanent Attribute Potion.
Unable to break through Ravenclaw's defense, the frustrated Slytherins could only make a hurried shot.
But the Quaffle was immediately caught by Ravenclaw goalkeeper Grant Page.
After completing the save, the goalkeeper didn't hesitate for even a moment. Without even looking, he hurled the Quaffle toward the Slytherin half.
It was as though the ball were burning his hands.
Then the snakes discovered that Lewis Green, who had been actively defending moments ago, had somehow already reached the Quaffle's landing point.
At this moment, the Slytherin players hadn't even returned to their own half.
A perfect one-on-one opportunity.
Slytherin goalkeeper Miles Bletchley tried to charge out, but Lewis easily slipped past him and scored into the empty goal.
The next hour was a nightmare for Slytherin.
Without their opponents even using Firebolts, they suffered a devastating defeat.
190–50.
That was Ravenclaw's score before Cho Chang caught the Golden Snitch.
With Lewis protecting her, Cho effortlessly seized the Golden Snitch.
The crowd in the stands instantly surged like a tidal wave, and the wizards' cheers swept across the entire pitch.
Madam Hooch blew her silver whistle, announcing the end of the match.
Ravenclaw had conquered the field with an overwhelming victory.
That overwhelming dominance manifested in every aspect.
From the dazzling display of individual skill to the ingenious overall tactics, and from the seamless cooperation between teammates to their unwavering unity, the Ravenclaw students had displayed their strength to its fullest in this match.
On the field, they were like soldiers on a battlefield, celebrating this hard-earned victory with every movement and every shout.
Their voices had long since grown hoarse, yet the joy and pride in their hearts were brighter than ever.
"We've won the Cup with a perfect record again! We've won the Cup with a perfect record again!"
Roger accepted the enormous Quidditch Cup from Dumbledore, tears blurring his vision as he was too overwhelmed to speak.
He knew that he didn't possess enough talent or strength to join a professional club after graduation.
Perhaps this really was the final official match of his life.
Yet the glory of this moment gave him a happiness and pride unlike anything he had ever experienced.
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