Gryffindor's team captain, Wood, had requested Madam Hooch to pause the game, and both teams landed on the ground.
"Glenn, is there something wrong with that Bludger?" Harry, who had been chased around in the air by that peculiar Bludger like a headless chicken, was a sight that everyone in the audience could clearly see. Hermione, evidently noticing the problem, pointed out that the Bludger's trajectory was completely unnatural.
No matter how many times the Bludger flew past Harry, whether or not someone struck it, it would always come back to crash into Harry again.
"Another mishap, and the protagonist is once again this unlucky kid." A sense of déjà vu rose in the young girl's heart.
It seemed... perhaps... maybe... around this time last year, Harry had also encountered problems during a Quidditch match.
"Yes." Glenn casually transmuted an umbrella using alchemy and placed it between the two of them. Without even looking up, he replied. He had clearly noticed the anomaly on the field but showed no intention of investigating further. He continued flipping through the book in his hands, searching for any trace of the giant serpent.
"Come on, just take a look~ Please, take a look~" Seeing Glenn's lack of response, Hermione glanced around. Everyone's attention was focused on the game, leaving no one to notice them. Taking advantage of this, the young girl clung to Glenn's arm, softly pleading and reasoning with him. "Maybe Harry has drawn the attention of the Heir of Slytherin?"
"Think about it. Didn't Harry help us uncover that bad guy Quirrell last year? Maybe he can do the same this year?"
"Hmm, it's possible. But even if Harry weren't being harassed by that Bludger, Gryffindor still wouldn't be able to win." Glenn closed his book and stated matter-of-factly.
He wasn't wrong. The current Slytherin team, equipped with Nimbus 2001 broomsticks, was like a tiger with wings. Their already formidable strength, honed through rigorous training, was on full display during this first match. Not even the cold rain pelting down on them could extinguish their fiery determination.
They wanted to prove their true strength with results. For this, they wouldn't ride their Nimbus 2001 broomsticks...
...Yeah, right. Only an idiot wouldn't use superior equipment when they had it.
The argument that relying on external gear was cheating was inherently flawed. Winning a Quidditch match involved more than just equipment; it also required individual skill, teamwork, offensive strategies, formation setups, luck, timing, and many other factors. Equipment was merely part of the preparation, and being able to secure advanced gear was itself a testament to a team's capabilities.
The gap in equipment could naturally be bridged by individual talent and timing, much like the terrifying talent Harry displayed in Quidditch. He could control his Nimbus 2000, a model one generation behind the Nimbus 2001, to catch up to Draco.
And while the Gryffindor team generally rode slightly outdated broomsticks, they could still rely on...
Sorry, I can't keep making this up.
The Slytherins weren't trying to prove anything! They just wanted to win! Win at all costs!
For revenge! To resist Dumbledore's behind-the-scenes manipulation! To crush their rivals' smug, foolish expressions!
For our glory!
Didn't your team use the latest broomstick model last year?
Look at this! (Points)
This year, our team has seven of them!
You couldn't beat us in Quidditch last year, and you won't this year either!
This was the collective sentiment of all the Slytherins.
Glenn, however, didn't share their excitement but agreed with their perspective.
I don't care about the outcome, but I agree with your approach.
Something like that.
"Well, I can tell."
Hearing Glenn's words, Hermione pouted. Despite her continued support for her team, the young girl could see that the situation had completely tilted in Slytherin's favor. Before the game was paused, the Slytherins had been relentlessly scoring against the Gryffindors, combining brute force with tactical finesse. Their aggressive plays left the Gryffindors dazed while they calmly analyzed the game, adjusted their strategies, and kept scoring.
Wood's face was flushed red, looking like he was on the verge of a stroke. He was giving it his all to block the shots but still let many through, allowing Slytherin to widen the score gap.
And the Slytherin goalkeeper?
Under the dual magical torment of pouring rain and biting cold wind, the Slytherin goalkeeper sat on his broomstick, shivering with his arms crossed, occasionally sneezing, his face pale.
It seemed inevitable that he'd catch a cold after the match.
In stark contrast to the intense battle on Gryffindor's side, Slytherin's half of the field was eerily quiet. With the Slytherins' tight defense, the Gryffindor players couldn't even break into their half. The back-and-forth attacks had turned into a one-sided siege. The Gryffindors' only scoring opportunities lay in counterattacks and Harry's ability to catch the Golden Snitch.
But with Slytherin's impenetrable defense, counterattacks seemed unlikely, leaving Harry as their only hope for victory.
And then Harry got tangled up with the rogue Bludger.
"But maybe Harry will catch the Golden Snitch? Then our Gryffindor team might still have a chance to win..."
"Ahem, no, no! The most important thing is that we might find the true Heir of Slytherin."
"...Fine, I'll take a look."
Glenn lifted the black silk curtain, revealing his eyes.
Obscurials and dark magic could erode magical energy, making them highly sensitive to it. According to records in the magical book, there were even techniques capable of directly eroding others' spiritual energy.
Glenn's eyes, altered by the power of the Obscurial, allowed him to see manifestations of magical energy—a prerequisite for some of the spells described in the magical book.
Glenn had already begun studying that section.
Focusing slightly, his vision filled with various manifestations of magical energy in dazzling colors. Some appeared as single-colored lines, others as multicolored halos, all chaotically mixed together.
Glenn fixed his gaze on the rampaging Bludger in the air. A conspicuous silver magical chain was guiding its erratic movements, and at the end of that chain was a peculiar, diminutive creature hiding under the seats.
"A house-elf?" Glenn recognized the creature, thanks to the magical creature guides he'd been reading recently.
"That Bludger has indeed been tampered with. I've found the culprit's location."
"Really? Where is it?" Hermione's excitement surged. Gryffindor's chance at victory was within reach!
But just as the young girl was about to get up, Glenn pulled her into his arms and held her tightly.
"You can't go." Glenn's expression was blank. "I've confirmed that the culprit cannot be the Heir of Slytherin."
The young girl struggled, but to no avail.
After a while, she stopped struggling.
...Glenn smells so nice~
No, wait! Damn it! I almost got distracted by Glenn. Such a calculated move! No, I must resist!
Hehe, Glenn smells so nice~
No, Hermione! You can't get lost in Glenn's embrace! Gryffindor's Quidditch victory depends on you!
Hehe~
...
...
To hell with Gryffindor's Quidditch team. I don't care anymore.
Hermione buried her head deep in Glenn's chest, found a comfortable position, and stopped struggling.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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