Rising from Defeat

The bitter taste of their loss to Hufflepuff in October still lingered in the minds of Ravenclaw's Quidditch team. It had been a close match, but Cedric Diggory's skill as Seeker had secured the win for his house. For Ezekiel, losing was a rare experience, and though he had played well, the defeat stung.

However, he was not one to dwell on failure. Instead, he used it as motivation.

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Roger Davies, now captain of the Ravenclaw team, pushed them harder than ever in training. The practices were grueling, especially with winter setting in, but Ezekiel welcomed the challenge. He refined his Chaser techniques, focused on faster passes, and worked closely with his fellow Chasers to ensure their coordination was flawless.

"Ez, you're moving too predictably," Roger called out during one of their late evening practices. "Try varying your feints more!"

Ezekiel adjusted immediately, throwing in more deceptive movements to trick the opposing Beaters and Keepers. By the time practice ended, they were exhausted but satisfied.

The next match was against Gryffindor, and they had no intention of losing again.

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The match against Gryffindor was held on a cold December morning, the pitch covered in a thin layer of frost. The Gryffindor team, led by their captain Oliver Wood, was known for their aggressive, all-out attacking style.

From the moment the Quaffle was released, the game was intense. Wood's defense was nearly impenetrable, blocking shot after shot. But Ezekiel had studied him. He noticed a slight delay whenever Wood dived to his left.

Using that knowledge, Ezekiel tricked him by feinting right before launching a powerful shot to the left hoop—scoring the first goal of the match.

Gryffindor retaliated hard, but Ravenclaw's teamwork held firm. The score remained close until their Seeker, Cho Chang, spotted the Snitch. She and the Gryffindor Seeker dived at the same time, but in a daring maneuver, she forced him off course and caught the Snitch just before hitting the ground.

Ravenclaw won 210-180.

The victory was exactly what they needed. They had proven that they could bounce back from defeat.

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The last match was against Slytherin, and it was one of the most physical games of the season. The Slytherin team, led by their new captain, played aggressively, often pushing the rules to their limit.

Bludgers were aimed directly at Ezekiel more than once, forcing him to rely on his agility. But he was no stranger to pressure. Instead of backing down, he used the chaos to his advantage, weaving through Slytherin's defense and scoring multiple times.

By the time Cho caught the Snitch, the score was 240-110 in Ravenclaw's favor.

With that, they ended the first half of the season in strong contention for the Quidditch Cup.

As Ezekiel walked off the pitch, sweaty and exhausted, he knew one thing—he would not let Ravenclaw fall short again.

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