The mastermind behind Hogwarts

Chapter 38 Quidditch Match: Gryffindor vs. Slytherin!

Moriarty's experience of almost being discovered during his first nighttime stroll did not deter him from investigating Peeves; he simply made his investigation more secretive.

Jericho remained silent about the nighttime outing, but secretly hoped that Moriarty would teach him the Disillusionment Charm.

At that moment, Jericho was sitting at the table with a large plate of Lincolnshire sausages, his head buried in a large bowl of Scottish porridge.

Moriarty, on the other hand, ate a set meal of bacon and fried mushrooms, a combination of meat and vegetables that ensured health while providing rich nutrition.

William sat next to him, gulping down his oatmeal porridge with bread stuffed in his mouth.

After shaking his head in disapproval of William and Jericho's eating habits, Leon began to enjoy his baked beans and cheese.

Every player on the Slytherin team had a special breakfast, which they enjoyed with smiles.

"Thank you, Senior Tonks, for letting us enjoy such unique cuisine!" Jericho mumbled.

"Seriously, Mr. Moriarty, please thank Tonks for us," William said with a smile to Moriarty. "Thanks to her for instructing the house-elves to cook us such a delicious meal, we were able to enjoy a wonderful feast. Oh, Merlin's oatmeal, Hufflepuff's food is like a mother's embrace!"

Moriarty nodded, but Leon frowned and warned the players, "Don't eat too much, or you might throw up during the game."

"Such a serious face," William shrugged, then laughed. "With Mr. Moriarty around, do you think we can't win?"

The players laughed, but then a discordant voice came from the back of the auditorium: "Don't be too happy yet, Gryffindor is a lion, not a sick cat!"

The little snake peered around cautiously, trying to see who this contrarian was, only to see Tonks walking over, her hair now gray.

William stood up and solemnly expressed his gratitude.

Tonks winked playfully at Moriarty: "It was nothing, just a small favor, consider it our fan club's support for Moriarty!"

The little snakes let out a meaningful squeak, and at that moment, a snow owl flew into the hall, its little claws clutching a long package.

"Poseidon!" Moriarty called to his owl, and Poseidon quickly flew to the Slytherin table, put down the package, and flew away.

Jericho exclaimed excitedly, "Look what's inside!"

Tonks stroked his chin, revealing a sweet smile: "I bet any of you that there's a flying broom inside."

"Correct!" Moriarty opened the package, and inside was the Nimbus 1700.

The little snakes let out a sigh of admiration, their anticipation for Moriarty's performance in the game growing even stronger.

Tonks said goodbye to Moriarty, mysteriously telling him before leaving that he would give him a surprise.

At eight o'clock, all the teachers and students gathered in the stands around the Quidditch pitch.

The grandstand is divided into the towers and viewing platforms of the four colleges, as well as a faculty tower and faculty viewing platform.

The teachers and students quickly took their places, and students from all four houses wore the corresponding scarves. The little lions drew many huge banners on the bed sheets, which read "Gryffindor will win".

Each of the little snakes held a small silver flag with a snake coiled around a lion on it.

Almost all the students brought binoculars, and their seats were even raised halfway up the hill, but sometimes it was still difficult to see the game clearly.

Inside the locker room, the players from both sides changed into their team uniforms. Moriarty looked at the dark green robe and wondered if he should modify the design and change the color.

"Come on, look over here!" William said in his pre-match pep talk: "This year we have Moriarty joining us, and to be honest, I don't believe we will lose! But we can't let our guard down either!"

Charlie Weasley is our main target! The batters and goalie are marking him closely!

And—Oliver Wood! Yeah, the new second-year goaltender! I bet Charlie's grooming him to be the next captain. Our Chaser?

"Here!" Jericho straightened his back.

William looked at him: "You're a new player too, so? Crush Wood! Turn his goal into a sieve!"

"No problem, Captain!"

"Very good, then, who else would like to add something?" William glanced at the players.

No one spoke, but Moriarty cleared his throat: "Don't commit fouls intentionally. I don't want my game tainted—any game."

It was clearly an arrogant statement, but the players took it for granted.

William nodded and said, "With Moriarty around, it's beneath us to resort to fouls. Alright, let's go, guys, let's go!"

The seven Slytherin players strode out of the locker room and onto the cheering pitch.

Jericho whispered, "Oh, I'm afraid my legs will go weak."

"It's just a small matter; you'll get used to it eventually." Moriarty looked around as if he were born to handle big events, his eyes filled with extraordinary seriousness.

His demeanor influenced the entire team, and the players unconsciously displayed a solemn and serious attitude.

"Hey! Look, the Slytherin team is coming out!" Tonks's energetic voice echoed throughout the arena, and the little snake in the stands shouted.

Jericho seemed unfazed. He turned to Moriarty and said, "Ah, it's Tonks! She's become the commentator for the match. Is this the surprise she was talking about?"

Moriarty looked toward the Hufflepuff viewing platform, and Tonks smiled at him before speaking in a passionate voice:

"Let's take a look. Leading the way is the old captain, William Romötter! And then there's Leon Minchum..."

The team that won three consecutive championships did not lose its dominance in the new school year despite the graduation of senior students. On the contrary, the addition of two talented players made the team even more formidable!

Look, there they are, Jericho Branch, bringing up the rear and making a grand entrance last, and—forever shining, Moriarty Slytherin!

Tonks's voice rose and fell, and it was the first time he had used the title Moriarty in public. The stands erupted in a deafening roar, and the girls' screams almost pierced the sky.

The Gryffindor team seemed to have deliberately chosen this time to come out, entering the field right on cue. The little lions immediately stood up and applauded enthusiastically.

Several senior lions cast a clever spell on the banner, and one after another, male lions appeared on the banner, roaring!

"Oh~ Oh~" Tonks turned his head away: "The Gryffindor team is on the field, and this is the strongest lineup in recent years!"

Captain and Seeker Charlie Weasley! He's an old friend of ours, the ever-present redhead, and even known as King Weasley within Gryffindor!

We all know that since Gryffindor's crushing defeat in the 1986-1987 school year, Charlie took over the team and quickly transformed it into one of the top teams capable of challenging Slytherin!

Gryffindor has firmly held the second place position for the past few years, but there is no denying that they are getting stronger with each battle!

Moreover, judging from the current situation, the Gryffindor team has a much better reputation than the Slytherin team!

Yes, we all know that the Slytherin team is prone to using fouls, and hopefully Mr. Moriarty's arrival will change that.

However, Charlie and William have one thing in common: they both boldly used newcomers this year.

Look at Gryffindor's young goalkeeper—Oliver Wood! Yes, I think you've realized it!

Tonks waved her arms, and the cheers grew louder. She exclaimed excitedly, "Lion versus snake! Chaser vs. goalkeeper! This is a showdown between two rookies!"

And, the showdown between the two Seekers who will decide the fate of the game—Moriari and Charlie, the eternally shining rookie vs. the Lions captain, Weasley King!!!

Tonks's explanation ignited a fire in everyone's heart. All the professors on the faculty platform, including Dumbledore, Snape, and Flitwick, nodded and applauded vigorously.

Professor McGonagall even stood up, her lips pressed tightly together, completely absorbed.

The students also stood up and shouted the players' names.

"Shining forever! Shining forever!"

"King Weasley! King Weasley!"

"Gryffindor! Gryffindor!"

"Slytherin! Slytherin!"

The heated atmosphere made the weather seem less cold. Seeing referee Ms. Hodge explaining the rules to both teams, Tonks immediately shouted, "The silver whistle blows, fifteen flying broomsticks soar into the air, the match begins!"

In the 1953-1954 school year, Minerva McGonagall suffered a concussion and several broken ribs during a Quidditch match she played in her seventh year (Gryffindor vs. Slytherin, the result of which would determine the Quidditch Cup winner) due to a foul by a Slytherin player. From then on, seeing the Slytherin team suffer a crushing defeat in a Quidditch match became McGonagall's lifelong wish.

(End of this chapter)