Magical Studies at Hogwarts...

Chapter 121 A Devastating Victory

Roger learned in January that Harry had acquired a new Firebolt.

Roger was initially happy that Qiu had acquired Nimbus 2000, but upon hearing this devastating news, he nearly collapsed.

"Don't worry too much, Roger. I heard that Professor McGonagall took Harry's Firebolt to check if it had been cursed," someone comforted him.

"Our match against Gryffindor isn't until February, by which time he'll definitely have won it back."

Not long after the start of the second semester, Ravenclaw will face Slytherin, followed by Gryffindor. The Slytherin match will be fine; Malfoy, the Galleon player, isn't particularly skilled, and his Cho's Charm and Nimbus 2000 are enough to make up for any shortcomings in broomsticks.

But Gryffindor is different. As the most talented Seeker in recent years, the combination of Harry and Firebolt is terrifying just to think about.

"Oh no, oh no, I was hoping to fight for second place."

In the common room, a devastated Roger slumped on the sofa, surrounded by his teammates who offered words of comfort, but it was clearly to no avail.

The facts are there, and everyone knows them, it's just not as serious as Roger's.

On the second weekend of '94, Ravenclaw faced off against Slytherin.

The weather was unusually fine, with clear skies, and Ike even unusually came to the stadium. According to Roger, this match was a do-or-die game for Ravenclaw; if they could win, they would basically secure a top-two finish, and might even be able to look forward to the championship.

If they fail to win, they might end up at the bottom again.

Therefore, in this extremely important match for the entire Ravenclaw team, Ike certainly couldn't be the one to stand out.

With Mrs. Hooch's whistle, the competition officially began.

Despite Slytherin's overwhelming advantage of having all their players using Nimbus 2001, Ravenclaw held their own, with the score seesawing back and forth, keeping the game very close. Stuart was in excellent form, displaying great chemistry with fellow Pursuer Roger, their quick, short passes flowing smoothly. Beater Terry was also very aggressive, hitting every runner with the intention of supporting Slytherin players.

Lee Jordan, the official commentator, clearly favored Ravenclaw; in fact, whenever Slytherin played, he would invariably side with the other team. Under his commentary, Stewart and Roger were practically the future stars of English Quidditch, saviors—the exaggeration couldn't be more extreme.

Of course, everyone is used to it. He used to talk about Gryffindor in the same way, he just changed the name.

Soon, the score reached 70-60, with Ravenclaw leading by one goal. This is a good sign, but it also means the Hawks need to be more vigilant.

Based on Slytherin's usual style of play, once the score is close or they are behind, their actions become "brutal" to increase the intensity of their attacks; this is their standard practice.

Sure enough, the match, which was originally intense but smooth, suddenly became fragmented. Stuart and Roger were seriously injured one after another and had to undergo simple treatment before returning to the match.

Of course, the Slytherins weren't having an easy time either. Terry and another batter seized the opportunity and caused one of the Slytherins to fall off the broomstick and be carried away for treatment.

The game continued intermittently, and the score reached a tie at 110-110.

Suddenly, Qiu accelerated and swooped down, flying rapidly towards the ground. Malfoy followed closely behind and quickly caught up. When they were less than two meters from the ground, the two of them grabbed brooms and climbed straight up, then circled around the field.

"The Golden Snitch! They've spotted the Golden Snitch!" Lee Jordan's voice rang out, and the audience's attention immediately turned to the two figures locked in mid-air.

"Aki is very fast; she stays right behind the Golden Snitch and firmly blocks Malfoy's flight path..."

"...A beautiful spin! Autumn dodged the treacherous Slytherin's 'Walking Ball'!"

"...Good heavens! Foul! Foul! Those despicable Slytherins, they actually knocked Cho off his broom!"

"Wait, wait! Wait! What's that?!"

"The Golden Snitch!"

"Choi caught the Golden Snitch! Ravenclaw scores 150 points!"

"It's over! It's over! Ravenclaw has won the match!"

It was a hard-fought victory, and almost every one of the seven team members was injured. Qiu was particularly badly injured; she was knocked off her broom during high-speed flight and luckily landed in a sand pit on the ground, but she still broke an arm and a leg and suffered a concussion.

Based on past experience, such an injury would require her to stay in the school hospital for about a month. It could be said that even if she recovered, it would be time for her to compete against Gryffindor.

More likely, she was still lying in the school hospital at that time.

Ravenclaw's victory was a huge blow to the young lions. Having already lost one game, they must win all their remaining games and accumulate as many points as possible to have any chance of winning the championship based on point differential. Another loss would eliminate their chances of winning.

Wood is under immense pressure. He desperately wants to win another championship before graduation. Harry's Firebolt gave him hope, but the current situation has almost dashed that hope.

In the days that followed, Gryffindor players could be seen training on the pitch almost every day, and Wood's shouts could even be heard inside the castle.

"Poor Gryffindors, they're under so much pressure right now," Stuart said, looking out the window of the common room at the young lions still training in the pouring rain.

"I think you're getting excited too soon," Ike said, petting the cat while looking at a thick book. "Roger was just saying he was going to apply for the stadium's usage rights for tomorrow."

"Based on past experience, this rain won't stop tomorrow."

In a single sentence, Stuart's mood was easily made to mirror the weather outside the window.

Recently, Ike has slowed down his use of the time converter, reducing it from maximum efficiency to just enough to keep up with his classes.

Firstly, after a holiday, Ike's research has basically reached its current bottleneck, and it can no longer be improved by simply grinding proficiency; secondly, even with conscious rest, his body and mind are already close to their limits.

Take a proper rest so you can work harder tomorrow.

It's definitely not because of cat-petting addiction.

It has to be said that Crookshanks are a bit ugly, but their fur is amazing—soft, shiny, and feels fantastic to the touch. Besides, you get used to appearances after a while, and there's even a term called "ugly-cute," which, in Ike's opinion, is tailor-made for Crookshanks.

Since being handed over by Hermione, Crookshanks has been living a very comfortable life, perhaps even better than when it was with Hermione. After all, Ike doesn't restrict its movements, and no one scolds it with a cold face every day.

With cat-raccoon blood, it is very intelligent and knows very well that its current life is the true life of a cat.

Food and drink, massages provided; such is the life of a cat...

Meow meow meow meow?

(End of this chapter)