Chapter 407: Four Protecting One

Harry turned to Cedric, who had clearly heard Wood's remark.

"Wood's got a point…" Cedric said with a grin. "But come on, then!"

For a moment, Harry thought Wood must have lost his mind in anger. Most Seekers were small and quick, but Cedric was tall and solidly built—if he really wanted to charge, he could likely knock someone right off their broom.

Harry swiftly twirled his Firebolt upwards, gaining altitude. The match had reached a fever pitch.

"Hufflepuff leading 90 to 10… Potter looks like he's in a bit of trouble… Oh, the Firebolt's climbing, and we're seeing it turn on a dime… Diggory's Nimbus 1700 just can't compete with the Firebolt's precision and balance over extended periods…"

"Jordan! Did the Firebolt pay you for an endorsement? Focus on the match!" Professor McGonagall cut in.

"Yes, Professor…"

No one in the stands seemed to notice what was brewing on the field. While the Gryffindors tried to regroup, Kyle shot another Quaffle past Wood, scoring again. George frowned, muttered something to Fred, and the two turned their Bludgers toward Cedric, hoping to knock him off balance. Fred simultaneously aimed a hit at Hufflepuff's Chasers.

But Hufflepuff's Beaters merely looked up, showing no intention of breaking formation. Even as both Bludgers flew away, they stayed laser-focused on protecting Kyle.

Cedric deftly spun to dodge one Bludger, but another Hufflepuff Chaser wasn't as lucky; he took a Bludger to the arm, grimacing but managing to stay airborne.

"It's no use targeting Kyle!" Fred shouted. "He's protected like a fortress—we're wasting our shots!"

"Then hit someone else!" George replied. "If he's out of reach, we can still make up the points!"

The twins then aimed for Grace, only for her to dodge the Bludger effortlessly. The Hufflepuff players had been training relentlessly to avoid Bludgers, and it showed. Gryffindor was beginning to understand Hufflepuff's strategy: four players were working together to pave the way for Kyle, leaving only Cedric and their Keeper to pursue individual goals.

Frustrated, the three Gryffindor Chasers decided to rush in together to block Kyle. But as soon as they tried, Hufflepuff's other players closed ranks, intercepting them.

Not enough Chasers? No problem—the Beaters jumped in to help with the blockade. Their intent was clear: Gryffindor could come at them however they liked, but Hufflepuff would defend Kyle at all costs.

"This is ridiculous! Who thought up such a cheap tactic?" Angelina's face was flushed with frustration. But she couldn't risk getting tangled up in Hufflepuff's defenses. Without that barrier, Kyle would have even more freedom to score.

Sure enough, as Gryffindor struggled to break through the blockade, Kyle slipped along the side of the field, executing another feint that left Wood baffled as the Quaffle sailed through the goalpost.

"100 to 10!" Jordan shouted, his focus straying from the Firebolt for the first time. "Hufflepuff has cleared the way for Kyle, and no one can stop him from scoring—no one! The Nimbus 2000 is flying at its best, snatching the Quaffle effortlessly, weaving through the air… he's like a dragon in a sheep pen, a scoring machine! The gap in points keeps growing… can the Firebolt turn this around? Time's running out for Potter."

Hearing Jordan's commentary, Harry's anxiety grew. But no matter what he tried, Cedric stuck to him like glue. Every trick Harry knew failed—Cedric seemed to have locked onto him as if he were the Golden Snitch itself, always tailing him perfectly.

With no other options, Harry could only keep accelerating, trying to fly faster than Cedric could follow while searching frantically for that telltale glimmer of gold. It was hard to divide his focus between scanning for the Snitch and staying ahead, but at least Cedric wasn't blocking his line of sight as much.

Suddenly, a gasp rose from the stands.

"Another goal?" Harry thought, looking up instinctively. But he quickly realized he was wrong—Katie Bell still had the Quaffle in her hands. Then he noticed Cedric, who had been right behind him, suddenly dive sharply toward the ground.

"He's spotted the Snitch!?"

Harry didn't hesitate. He spun his Firebolt around and plunged downward in pursuit. But just before reaching the ground, Cedric abruptly pulled up, leaving Harry hurtling toward the earth with barely a second to stop. He managed to halt less than a foot from the ground, his face flushed with frustration.

He'd been tricked by Cedric's feint—ironically, the same tactic he'd used himself just minutes earlier.

"What a shame…" Cedric muttered. He had dived as far as he could without risking a crash. But the maneuver bought him a few valuable seconds.

And, in fact, Cedric had caught a glimpse of the Snitch, just not where Harry thought. The Snitch had been flickering in the air above Harry's head. Cedric's dive had been a calculated distraction.

Realizing his mistake, Harry rocketed back up, determined to recover. But as he climbed, he barely noticed two Bludgers whizzing toward Cedric from both sides.

Fred and George had thought Harry, with the Firebolt's advantage, would have little trouble shaking Cedric off. But seeing the stalemate, they realized it was time to intervene. Their Bludgers forced Cedric to pull back, scrambling to dodge instead of shadowing Harry.

Gryffindor's strategy shifted as well—Wood's hopes of racking up points gave way to a priority on helping Harry find the Snitch. With Cedric forced to focus on staying out of the Bludgers' path, Harry was finally able to pour all his energy into seeking out the Golden Snitch.

And there it was—glimmering near the Slytherin bleachers—the Golden Snitch. Harry accelerated, and this time, nothing would stop him. He was going to win; the Snitch was just within reach… and then—

"Oh!" George exclaimed, pointing downward.

Harry's concentration broke for a split second as he glanced down. Three hooded Dementors stood near the edge of the stands, staring up at him.

It was strange that Dementors had shown up in the stands, but Harry didn't have time to think it over. Quickly, he reached into his robes, drew his wand, and shouted, "Expecto Patronum!"

A bright, silvery shape shot from his wand, charging at the Dementors below. But Harry didn't pause to watch—it was all instinct now. His focus snapped back to the Snitch, which was almost within reach. With his wand still in hand, he stretched out, grasping the struggling Snitch just as Madam Hooch's whistle blew.

At that very moment, Hufflepuff's Quaffle skimmed past Wood's fingertips and slipped through the goalposts.

The scoreboards on either side flashed simultaneously: 160:160

The crowd erupted in a thunderous roar that reverberated through the stadium, almost shaking it to its foundations. The stands were alive with clapping, shouting, and cheers, as spectators celebrated with such intensity their hands turned red.

"Unbelievable… Hufflepuff did it! I can't believe it—they matched the Firebolt!" Lee Jordan shouted excitedly.

Even Professor McGonagall, standing behind him, was clapping, momentarily forgetting to correct his words.

While Harry had ultimately caught the Snitch, which technically gave Gryffindor the win, in everyone's hearts, Hufflepuff was the true victor. Cedric had managed to keep up with Harry on his old Nimbus 1700, and Kyle, with the unwavering support of his team, had scored an astounding 150 points. To the spectators, it felt like one of the best Quidditch matches in recent memory.

Kyle, still catching his breath, spun in the air to see six blurry yellow figures flying towards him. Every one of his teammates bore signs of the intense game. Grace's arm hung limp, and the other Chaser looked similarly battered. Mikel's face had a fresh Bludger mark, and he'd even lost a few teeth.

But despite their injuries, they all wore broad grins. They reached Kyle, laughing and cheering, and wrapped him in a hug so forceful they nearly pushed him off his broom.