Gryffindor Chaser Katie Bell caught the Quaffle. However, instead of rushing toward the goal hoops, she circled wide, with two Slytherin Chasers trailing closely behind her.
She was playing extremely cautiously, completely abandoning the bravado she had boasted in the changing room. She could feel Damian's terrifying presence on the pitch. While keeping an eye on the Quaffle, she constantly had to watch his movements, terrified that a Bludger would hit her with pinpoint accuracy.
Suddenly, Katie's eyes lit up. She noticed Damian hurling a Bludger straight at her.
She had been watching him like a hawk, and now her opportunity had finally arrived.
She focused intently on the heavy iron ball. Just as it was about to strike, she sharply pulled her broom aside, flawlessly evading the speeding Bludger.
A triumphant smile curled on her lips. Her moment to shine had arrived, and she was going to score Gryffindor's first goal!
"Katie Bell catches the Quaffle! Can she hold onto it?" Lee Jordan's magically amplified voice boomed over the stadium.
"Huh? What is she doing? She isn't flying toward the goal hoops! The two Slytherin Chasers are following her from far behind. Wait! Damian Black just sent a Bludger straight at Katie! But she sees it! She dodges!"
"I get it, her attention has been on Damian the whole time! Wait—oh no! Damian threw a spinning Bludger! My word, that's a boomerang technique you only see in professional leagues!"
"Katie is hit from behind by the returning Bludger! She falls to the ground—Gryffindor loses another player!"
The Quaffle was instantly snatched by Slytherin Chaser Adrian Pucey, who sped toward the Gryffindor goal hoops.
George Weasley sent a retaliatory Bludger, but Pucey easily ducked under it. Fred and Angelina moved in to intercept.
"Oh, what a pity! Slytherin sends three players to block Fred and Angelina—Pucey scores! Slytherin gets another ten points!"
"The score is now 20 to 0!"
Lee Jordan shouted with all his might, clearly distressed. "Since Damian entered the game, Slytherin's offensive pace has skyrocketed, just like last year! The Slytherin team is showcasing brutal fast-break tactics!"
"The match barely started, and Gryffindor has already lost two players; I think it's time they seriously consider a change in tactics!"
High in the air, Angelina's palms were sweating; Damian's pressure was entirely overwhelming. She hadn't expected Captain Oliver Wood to be the first one knocked out of the game.
Now, the team's command fell entirely to her. But she couldn't figure out how to break through Slytherin's ironclad defense with so few players remaining.
Angelina forced herself to calm down. She shouted to her remaining teammates over the roaring wind.
"George, Fred, we can't keep playing defensively; Damian's hits are too hard to predict! Both of you go on the full offense. Try to knock some Slytherin players out of the sky!"
"Alicia, you and I are the only Chasers left; you and I will try to draw Damian's attention, we'll hold him off and give Harry some time."
"Harry! Keep searching for the Golden Snitch; once we catch it, we can turn the game around!"
The other four players quickly nodded in agreement... "My goodness! Slytherin scores again—the score is now an absurd 140 to 0!" Lee Jordan wailed.
This kind of blowout was extremely rare in Hogwarts Quidditch Cup history. Ever since the Gryffindor Keeper was knocked out by Damian, they had been completely unable to stop Slytherin's relentless onslaught.
Lee Jordan shouted hoarsely into his magical megaphone. "Gryffindor can now only place its last hope in their rookie Seeker, Harry Potter!"
"If he can catch the Golden Snitch right now, they'll earn 150 points and end the match with a win! Unfortunately, he doesn't seem to have spotted the Golden Snitch yet!"
Harry was incredibly nervous; senior Damian's Bludgers were terrifyingly accurate. His team now has only four players left on the field, unable to fend off Damian's assault.
Harry's eyes suddenly light up; he finally spots the Golden Snitch! He quickly activates the Nimbus 2000 beneath him and darts toward the Snitch at high speed.
Damian also notices the suddenly appearing Golden Snitch. The Snitch can cloak itself, and when hidden, even his Magic Sense cannot locate it.
Nevertheless, his Magic Sense had already given him a massive advantage on the pitch; his almost flawless Bludger strikes benefited directly from this ability, essentially giving him a full-field radar and an aim-assist cheat.
Damian subtly shifted his broom to the right, evading a Bludger that George had sent at him from his blind spot, then swiftly swings his bat, directing the passing Bludger toward Harry.
George saw his own attack sent flying toward his Seeker and shouted frantically. "Harry! Get out of the way!"
Hearing the warning, Harry violently yanked the handle of his broom. Fortunately, the Nimbus 2000's handling was world-class, allowing him to pull out of the dive just a split second before the heavy iron ball smashed through his previous airspace.
"Slytherin scores another ten points!" Lee Jordan announced miserably, before his voice spiked with sudden excitement.
"Wow! Harry Potter has found the Golden Snitch! But Damian Black notices Harry's dive and hurls George's Bludger right at him!"
"How did Black even detect the Bludger coming from his blind spot?! This isn't the first time he's done that today; I'd love to interview him about his situational awareness!"
"Harry dodges! The Nimbus 2000 truly is a spectacular broom, saving him from disaster at the critical moment!"
"He's still maneuvering! He's already evaded two more of Damian's Bludgers!"
"Where are the Gryffindor Beaters to run interference? Let me see what the Slytherin Chasers are doing..."
"My word, they're STILL scoring!"
"The score is now 160 to 0; even if Gryffindor catches the Golden Snitch now, they won't have enough points to claim victory!"
Harry heard the commentator's despairing voice, but he gritted his teeth and pushed his broom faster. Even if they couldn't win the match anymore, he was going to catch the Snitch and make the final score look a little less humiliating!
Down in the stands opposite the Gryffindor section, Professor Snape was watching the match intently; a slight, rare smirk curled the corners of his mouth, showing he was in a rather excellent mood.
Suddenly, Snape's brow furrowed slightly as he noticed Harry's broom acting erratically. The Nimbus 2000 was rolling, twitching, and bucking wildly in the air, trying to throw the boy off.
Snape instantly realized someone was casting a dark jinx on the boy's broom!
Without hesitation, he drew his wand beneath his cloak, keeping his eyes fixed on Harry as he muttered a rapid counter-curse.
Just as Harry was clinging to the handle for dear life, a sudden commotion erupted behind Snape.
"You're on fire!" a voice shrieked.
Snape's concentration broke. He leaped up, hurriedly slapping at his robes to smother the magical blue flames that had suddenly engulfed his hem.
By the time he looked back up at the pitch, the dark jinx had been broken. Harry's broom was flying perfectly smooth once again.
Breathing heavily, Harry pulled himself back onto his broom as if nothing had happened and resumed his high-speed chase after the Golden Snitch.
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