Slytherin's Stubborn Snake and the Quidditch Foul Showdown

The unlined Ravenclaw Chaser looked pale, raising one hand as if to show that he hadn't meant to touch the Snitch. His other hand hung awkwardly, loosely gripping the broom handle. It was clear the impact had taken its toll.

Meanwhile, the massive Slytherin snake, which had previously hissed menacingly above the stands, now coiled up miserably near the Slytherin bleachers, unwilling to let its elegant tail brush against the vibrant mess of enchanted paint splattered around it.

Some students, under the quiet approval of a few professors, had gathered with their wands raised, casting a series of Scourgify spells at the Slytherin banners to clean off the chaotic paint. However, since the banners were strung too high, they could only manage to clean the bottommost part.

A determined Slytherin student, standing near Anthony, seemed embarrassed as he tried to cast the cleaning charm. He looked around at the gathered Gryffindor students, then at Anthony and Hagrid, who stood at the forefront of the stands, before jogging up the steps toward the banners. He stubbornly raised his wand, clearly intending to remove the splattered pink, purple, and gold paint.

His attempts yielded only slight success, removing just a few smudges. Among the proud Slytherins, it was clear that household magic like cleaning charms weren't the most practiced spells.

The student's pale face grew more determined, his embarrassment turning into frustration. He took a deep breath, aimed his wand at the banner, and shouted, "Scourgify!"

A small portion of dry, cracked paint vanished under his spell, though much of the enchanted paint remained stubbornly attached. The wind caught one flake, and it drifted lazily to the ground, joining pieces of a banner that read "Ravenclaw Must Win," now broken into several pieces.

From the Gryffindor section, a mocking voice called out, "Jump higher! Maybe you'll reach that brown bit—oh wait, it's a snake. You wouldn't dare touch that, would you?"

Another voice chimed in with a laugh, "The pink one's closer. Aim for that!"

"Need a ladder?" someone else jeered. "I can conjure one if you say 'please.'"

Suddenly, the nearby paint vanished. Among the chaotic splashes of color, a large patch of emerald green shimmered back into view.

Anthony had quietly withdrawn his wand, having cast a perfect Scourgify to clean the flag. The Slytherin student, startled by the unexpected help, turned and stared at Anthony. He seemed torn between confusion and gratitude, as though "Anthony who had just undone the paint-smeared Slytherin pride" was not something he could easily reconcile. Anthony simply smiled at him, and the student mumbled a quick, "Thank you," before hurrying back to his section.

"Henry?" Hagrid asked in confusion, noticing Anthony's subtle intervention.

Anthony shook his head, choosing not to answer Hagrid's question. While he had no particular affection for the Slytherin snake and the exaggerated depiction of the Snitch on their banner, he also couldn't condone the act of defacing the flag.

The Ravenclaw students, restricted by temporary school rules from allowing the paint tubes to spell out any witty or derogatory phrases, had merely splashed colorful blotches over the silken masterpiece. However, everyone knew the kind of sharp remarks those enchanted paint tubes could make — the Hogwarts corridors had seen their vibrant, snarky handiwork before.

...

"Good play!" Flint shouted approvingly to one of the Slytherin Beaters as he set his broom down. Turning to Mrs. Hooch, he pointed out the violation of the rule that "no one but the Seeker may touch the Golden Snitch" and demanded that Ravenclaw be disqualified from the match.

But Mrs. Hooch, her face set with stern disapproval, rejected his demand: "I blew the whistle when the foul occurred!"

"Blowing the whistle is just a warning for a foul, it doesn't stop the game!" one of the Slytherin players countered.

Tensions escalated as a frustrated Ravenclaw student waved a paint tube that sputtered helplessly instead of taking off. The tube groaned in defeat, its feeble whine adding insult to injury, before dumping a large blob of blue paint onto Professor Flitwick's head. Completely unfazed by the mess, Professor Flitwick quickly descended from the stands, consulting with his team and checking on the injured players.

"You think your actions weren't a serious offense?" Mrs. Hooch shot at the Slytherin team, her voice sharp with reprimand. "If I applied the strictest penalty, I could declare a Ravenclaw victory here and now!"

...

"I'd really like to know what they're arguing about," Ron muttered, watching Mrs. Hooch intently. "Why can't Fred and George come up with something actually useful for times like this?"

"How's it going, Henry?" Hagrid asked.

Anthony glanced around at the crowd, noticing that everyone's attention was focused on Mrs. Hooch. The towering Slytherins stood around her like a barricade, while the Ravenclaws angrily stepped through gaps in the group to get their grievances heard.

"I'll go and check," Anthony said, pushing his way through the gathering throng.

Other students around the stands were buzzing with speculation about the foul play. Some were of the opinion that, had the Slytherin Beater not interfered, Ravenclaw's Chaser wouldn't have gotten near the Snitch, and therefore the foul should be dismissed. Others argued that the entire incident was simply bad luck stemming from the Chaser not wearing proper gear. If he had been properly lined, the Seeker might have reached into his sleeve for the Snitch, leading to a Ravenclaw victory.

As Anthony approached the cluster of students and Mrs. Hooch, the Slytherins made way for him. Without Snape present at the pitch, no one in the Slytherin crowd dared to stop a professor from investigating the situation. The Slytherin senior, the one Anthony had noticed earlier through his telescope, was leaning on the railing, addressing Mrs. Hooch with an air of authority.

"The touching rule is the most fundamental foul in Quidditch," he said smugly.

"I don't need a lesson on Quidditch rules from you, young man," Mrs. Hooch snapped, glaring at him. "Do you think no one has ever tried something like this before?"

She reminded the gathered students of a time when a Beater had once tried to knock the opposing Seeker right out of the sky. The Beater later defended himself, claiming that the opponent's bald head had reflected light like a Quaffle, but the Department of Magical Games and Sports took the incident seriously. A Seeker had nearly died, prompting the strict rules about Beaters hitting other players.

"You see, the regulations are designed with safety in mind," Mrs. Hooch continued sternly. "A Beater shall not hit any player with malicious intent—"

"Any player's head," the senior Slytherin clarified. "I could clearly see that the hit was on the arm. It was purely an accident, Mrs. Hooch. I believe our Beater was simply rushing towards the Bludger and accidentally brushed against this player's arm. He definitely didn't do it on purpose."

"There were no Bludgers in that direction!" the injured Chaser shouted, wincing as Professor Flitwick examined his arm.

Mrs. Hooch added sternly, "This is an obvious intentional foul!"

"Alright, maybe I misunderstood the situation, Madam," the senior Slytherin conceded, casting a warning glance at Flint to stop him from arguing. "Even so, it's still different from hitting someone's head, right? We'll accept the penalty—just as touching the Snitch by someone other than the Seeker is a foul according to the rules."

Mrs. Hooch, having recently spent hours reviewing Quidditch rules and foul records after the "unexpected result invalidation" in a previous match, had been well-prepared. Anthony had often seen her in the archives, leafing through the thick rule books, sometimes sighing or laughing at some of the more outrageous fouls. These outbursts had drawn the disapproving gaze of Madam Pince.

Now, Mrs. Hooch quickly cited an infamous case from her memory: a Beater in a major Quidditch match had once knocked a passing hedgehog into the opposing Seeker, causing chaos on the field. The Beater's Seeker used the confusion to catch the Golden Snitch. Furious fans, in retaliation, hurled pincushions filled with pins, sharp brooches, and even more hedgehogs onto the pitch. The aftermath led to a rule: no more than five hedgehogs were allowed within a kilometer of a Quidditch pitch during a match.

"But, Madam, I recall that a Beater for the Wimbourne Wasps once knocked a wasp's nest at the Arrows' Seeker, forcing them to quit the game," the Slytherin student argued confidently. "No one questioned the result of that match, and that's where the Wasps got their name, after all."

Mrs. Hooch frowned, clearly recognizing the incident. "But I'm sure there are specific rules about hedgehogs," she said, confused but certain of her knowledge.

"You're right," the Slytherin replied, "but I think the situation with the hedgehog may apply more to... well, wasn't that rule made for a major game?"

Anthony, who had been listening carefully, asked curiously, "What major game was it?"

"The World Cup finals," Mrs. Hooch affirmed. "Flanders versus Transylvania. Their violation records alone take up a whole folder."

"When was that?" Anthony asked.

"Uh, the first World Cup... the late 15th century?" Mrs. Hooch tapped her head in thought. "And by the way, the Wasps were around even before the hedgehogs! The Wasps were founded in 1312!"

Both the establishment of the Wasps and the notorious first World Cup final provided ample material for future generations to create the official Quidditch rules.

The 1849 Amendment to the Quidditch Rules specifically stated that a Beater's bat could only be used to hit Bludgers. Any attempt to use other objects to interfere with the opposing team—particularly the Seeker—would be classified as a serious foul.

Under the strictest penalty, the opposing team would be awarded the Golden Snitch, ending the game with an additional 150 points. In one rare case, a referee allowed interference to stand, only to later discover that he had placed a hefty bet of three thousand Galleons on the winning team.

After much deliberation, Mrs. Hooch ruled that Slytherin would receive a penalty shot, while Ravenclaw's Chaser was disqualified for being "an object interfering with the Seeker."

"Roger!" the Ravenclaw captain shouted, clapping the frustrated Chaser on the back. "Get ready to sub in!"

Roger Davies, who had been sitting in the stands casually discussing Quidditch rule amendments with his classmates, jumped to his feet when he heard his name. He spun around in surprise. "Me? Captain?"

"I'll call whoever's Ravenclaw's substitute Chaser," the captain said firmly.

"That's me." Roger looked uncertain but hurried off toward the changing rooms.

His classmates called after him, "Remember to wear underwear!"

The Slytherin snake on the flag slithered ominously, eyeing the scene from its now-clean section of the banner.

The disqualified Ravenclaw Chaser, now sporting a freshly-healed arm thanks to Professor Flitwick, approached with a stern face. Like the infamous nose-attacking hedgehog from years ago, he was being cleared from the pitch.

"You can't substitute players in the middle of a game!" Flint roared, glaring at Mrs. Hooch like an enraged bull.

"Athletes cannot be replaced due to injury mid-game!" Ravenclaw's Chaser shot back, refusing to back down. "But guess what? This isn't an injury." He flexed his arm with exaggerated ease, casting a daring look at the Slytherin Beater who had hit him.

His captain quickly shooed him off the field amid the mocking sneers of the Slytherin team, before turning to plead his case with Madam Hooch. By the time Roger Davis rushed over in full Quidditch uniform, Ravenclaw had already won the argument.

…

"How's it going, Henry?" Hagrid called out from afar, his booming voice rising over the noise of the stands. Around him, the first-year Gryffindors clung to the railings, eyes wide with anticipation.

Ron shouted, "Look at the looks on Slytherin's faces! They're definitely not happy, right, Professor Anthony?"

Squeezing back toward Hagrid, Anthony called out, "The game's on! Slytherin's been given a penalty shot, and Ravenclaw swapped in Roger Davis for their Chaser!"

"Ravenclaw could have just caught the Snitch!" Seamus grumbled, pounding his seat in frustration, which caused Hermione, sitting nearby with her nose in a book, to glance up in surprise.

She sighed and gave Harry and Ron a disapproving look before turning her back to them and flipping another page of Hogwarts: A History, which was perched on her lap. Ever since the moment Ravenclaw's Chaser accidentally encountered the Golden Snitch, Hermione had snapped her book open. 

"Boys," Hermione muttered under her breath, recalling the infamous quarrel between Salazar Slytherin and the other three founders when he refused to accept Muggle-born students. She shook her head, already predicting how this Quidditch match would devolve.

...

"What, so I can substitute someone?" Harry asked in surprise, glancing over at Anthony. "I thought we either live and play, or die gloriously." He grinned, mimicking his captain's usual intense demeanor.

Anthony chuckled. "I've heard that substitutions can't be made due to injury, but apparently they can be made for other reasons." He shook his head, still puzzled by the seemingly inconsistent rule.

"It does kind of make sense, though," Harry mused. "Wood once told me there was a match that lasted for months, and they had to rotate players in and out just so they could rest."

Anthony nodded. "Mrs. Hooch mentioned something similar. She talked about a match with a Snitch that kept flying around a swamp endlessly."