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Professor Hooch went near the two captains, spoke a few words to encourage the two teams to play nicely, and then mounted her broom. One by one, the red and the green players imitated her, launching regards to their counterparts of the other side which in spite of the distance could be seen as particularly venomous.
One trill in the referee's whistle and fifteen brooms soared in the air, pursued by the two black Bludgers and the Chasers trying to pass the Quaffle between themselves.
"And here we go!" Shouted Jordan. "Bell who passes to Johnson, Johnson to Spinnet, Spinnet to Bell! Nice feint of Bell who tries to shoot...no! The Quaffle is intercepted by Pucey who gives to Montague, Montague passes Johnson and gives to Pucey again. Pucey races to the posts defended by Wood, he's so fast with his Nimbus 2001... Pucey scores! 10-0 for Slytherin!"
Like a single man, one quarter of the stands, covered in green and silver, stood up to celebrate the goal. A magical animation rose in the rain, a great snake planting his fangs in the throat of a dying lion. Faster than arrows, the seven members of the Slytherin Quidditch team made a lap of honour before taking back their positions.
"This is going to be a thrashing..." Groaned Nigel to the left of Alexandra. After a small moment of deliberation, he and Hermione had decided to sit with Morag, Alexandra and the rest of the Ravenclaw second-years. Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw were sporting red and gold banners, decorations and clothes today, therefore it was not a betrayal of their own House. On the other hand, Alexandra did not expect this very logic to reach the brains of the house supposed to be noble and the symbol of chivalry. Especially if Gryffindor lost the match.
"Flint avoids Bell and misses throwing Bell off her broom! Flint passes to Pucey, Pucey passes to Montague, Montague shoots and scores! 20-0 for Slytherin!"
"Have you seen that?" Asked Alexandra.
"What? Flint killing one of our Chasers?" Demanded bitterly Nigel. "Or the second goal of a long series we are about to receive?"
"No, I was speaking about Flint missing shattering the stands by inches."
"Yeah, I saw it." Said Morag. "He might have done it on purpose."
"Don't think so. Look!" Graham Montague had just narrowly avoided smashing on the Slytherin goal posts.
"They have problems with their speed and their braking." Realised Morag.
"Normal. We knew from the start of October skilled professional players had difficulties with the 2001. Flint and his band of bullies are many things, but they are not professionals."
The next ten minutes of the game proved her assumption right. The formations of the Slytherins were becoming more and more erratic. For all their training during September and October, the House of the cunning and the ambitious had not played a match in real conditions before this and now they had major difficulties controlling their world-class brooms against the skilled Gryffindor girls playing Chasers. Adrian Pucey marked another goal, but Angelina of Johnson answered one minute later by a feint which left Miles Bletchley without reaction. The score was now 30-10 for Slytherin.
Just as three-quarters of the Quidditch stadium began to wonder if Gryffindor was going to counter the play of their opponents, all the eyes went into the direction of Neville Longbottom. The Gryffindor Seeker had until this point contented to search for the Snitch and ignore the loud mockeries of his Slytherin counterpart, but this strategy was destroyed as one of the Bludgers was now focusing on the Boy-Who-Lived and ignoring all the other players.
Immediately, one of the Weasley Twins tried to intercept the Bludger but his efforts turned out to be insufficient for the challenge he was asked for. The red-haired Beater managed to protect Longbottom, but only barely, soon forcing his Twin to come helping him. The Slytherins, now at six against four, did not leave this opportunity pass and marked three new goals by the intermediary of Flint and Pucey. Oliver Wood called for a time-out. The score was now 60-10 for Slytherin.
"The Slytherins have tampered this Bludger." Affirmed Morag. "What does Wood wait to declare a tie?"
"There's a rule for Bludgers targeting a single player?" Asked Alexandra, regretting the words just as they left her mouth. Of course Quidditch had a rule like that! This was a sport which had had to officially ban decapitation of an opponent with a broadsword! Or an axe. Or a club. Or...the more she thought about it, Quidditch fanatics were really...fanatics.
"You have not read Quidditch Through the Ages, haven't you?" Morag rhetorically replied. "Tampering a Bludger happens all the time in League competitions. Most of the time, it's bloodthirsty supporters who are responsible and good luck to find the culprits in the stands. The thousands of witches and wizards gathered are staying tight-lipped."
"All right. So Wood should have called to replay the match another time with a normal Bludger?"
"Yeah. Or opened an inquiry. I mean, the one who enchanted this Bludger did a sloppy job. The Bludger has become predictable, no matter what happens, he goes after Longbottom."
"No subtlety, just brute force. Like Flint."
"Look, the Gryffindors are mounting their brooms again. They intend to continue playing."
"That's...insane." Said Alexandra, not adding loudly 'like this entire school'. "With a Bludger constantly on him, Longbottom can't catch the Snitch."
"They must have figured a new strategy." Said Hermione, who had stopped reading her book and now watched with worry the drama unfolding in the air.
"I hope for them it's a good one." Said Nigel in a dark tone. "Or we are going to assist to Longbottom's funeral."