Chapter 158

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Tuts tuts! Here's the new chapter!

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-November 14-

A week has passed since the day I helped Dobby free himself from the Malfoys, and in that time I have not been idle or relaxed.

I researched more about filtering the magic that Thestrals do, the same way I started one of my projects that I was putting off until later, and this is one of my most fun but difficult projects, which is replicating the Voldemort's unsupported flight.

I won't go into too much detail about these two projects of mine just yet, because today I have something more important to worry about.

Today is the second game of this school year's Quidditch season, which will be Hufflepuff versus Ravenclaw, and I couldn't relax as I knew the Hufflepuff team is very strong.

All the Quidditch teams at Hogwarts are strong, but none compares to Hufflepuff, which despite being underestimated by others, still shows that it's a house with great students and players.

But I think that's to be expected from a house where hard work and loyalty are their main characteristics, even though I find some Puffs too innocent and easily manipulated.

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-Almost match time-

"As you know, Hufflepuff has a great strong team, and their teamwork is even better, so we're not going to be able to beat them just by playing aggressively or defensively, we're going to have to play strategically" Hillton said, walking back and forth like an army sergeant talking to his recruits.

"Strategically speaking..." Isabell started to say with a playful smile, "We won't be able to make a good and strong game if we only use strategies. At some point, Hufflepuff will break the strategy that we are going to be using, and it will be difficult for us to regroup to come up with another strategy"

"But then it would all depend on our strategies and Clark, as the longer the match takes the easier it will be for Hufflepuff to beat us, so he'd have to find the snitch fast" Spencer argued.

"Yes, but I also have to compete with the new Hufflepuff Seeker, and I don't know what his playstyle is," Hillton said.

"Ced is a good Seeker, and he's probably one of the best in the school, so your concern shouldn't be with his playstyle as he can probably adapt to any style" I said, since I'm the only one on the team who's ever had some sort of interaction with Cedric.

"In that case then our match just got harder" Hillton sighed.

"Well... How about we play the match using a more improvised and unpredictable style of play?" Roger suggested.

"This style of play has the same problems as the strategic match" Dylan was quick to refute, "And what's more, an unpredictable style of play is harder to make than a strategic one"

"Hmm, guys, aren't you complicating the match too much? Why don't we use a more strategic and unpredictable style of play?" I asked.

"We never practiced the two tactics together," Isabell said.

"But we've played friendly matches using both tactics at different times, and it was almost the same as practice," I said with a shrug.

"He's right, we've never officially trained a tactic like that, but we can't say we've never used that tactic in our friendly matches," Roger said.

"Hmm, true," Hillton muttered. He then looked at the team, "Is anyone against this tactic?" he asked, but no one said anything.

"Well, since it's decided, let's go down to the Changing Rooms," he said, and then the whole team followed him.

On the way to the Changing Rooms we met the Hufflepuff team who were heading to their own Changing Rooms. We greeted them as many of those on both teams knew each other from attending classes together, and I knew them from talking to them when I sat at the Hufflepuff table from time to time.

"Hey Ced" I said, catching the Hufflepuff Seeker's attention.

"Hey Ethan" he said.

"So you managed to become the titular Seeker" I said to Cedric, "Congratulations"

"Yeah, I wasn't expecting to become the titular Seeker this year, but Billy said he was going to be very busy with his NEWTs and that he'd rather stay in reserve" Cedric said, "But I guess my becoming the titular Seeker is no big deal compared to you, who became Ravenclaw's Chaser in your first year here at Hogwarts."

"What can I do? I'm someone very talented" I said, tossing my hair in the wind, "But in addition to my congratulations, I would also like to apologize to you"

"Apologize to me?" Cedric asked confused.

"Yeah, since you're going to lose in your first match as a titular player," I replied, a competitive smile on my face.

"Hahaha, this I want to see" Cedric said defiantly, also with a competitive smile.

"Hey, if the two handsome ones are done talking, we want to start heading to the Changing Rooms to start the match" Maxime, the Hufflepuff Beater said.

"Well, like that pretty lady said, I guess we should go to our changing rooms" I said, "See you at pitch Ced" I waved at him.

"See you soon Ethan" Cedric yelled at me.

Arriving in the Changing Rooms, I saw my team straightening their gear.

"So Ethan, I saw that you were happily talking to the enemy, what do you have to say about that?" Roger said, putting his arm over my shoulder.

"That you're jealous that we're both handsome and you're not," I said.

"Uuh!"

"This one even hurt me"

"Ethan doesn't even have mercy on his friends"

"Urgh, you broke my heart" Roger said with his hand on his chest, "But I'll let this one go just because we have a match to win"

"Yeah, just because of that" I huffed in disdain, going to change.

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"Are you ready for the second match of the 92-93 school year?!" Lee yelled into his microphone, and he received several affirmative cheers from the stands.

"That's the answer I wanted!" he said excitedly, "But enough rambling and let's get down to business! Coming in with a different lineup than last year is the Hufflepuff Team with...

Herbert Fleet as Keeper!

Maxime O'Flaherty and the Captain Anthony Rickett as Beaters!

Malcolm Preece, Heidi Macavoy and Tamsin Applebee as Chasers!

And Ceeeeedric Diggory coming off the reserve to become Hufflepuff's new titular Seeker!"

After Lee finished speaking, the entire Hufflepuff team entered the pitch to the applause and cheers of the Hufflepuff house, taking up a formation in front of their hoops.

"And now, I present to you last school year's Inter-House Quidditch Cup winning team, the Ravenclaw team!" Lee yelled into his microphone, boosting the morale of Ravenclaw crowd.

"And keeping the same team as last year, here they are!

Dylan Bailey as Keeper!

Patrick James and Christi Collins as Beaters!

The amazing trio of Chasers, Isabell Summer, Roger Davis and Ethan Night!

And finally, here's the captain of this amazing team! Claaark Hillton as the Seeker!"

With that lively intro, my team and I flew out of the Changing Rooms, looping around the pitch before stopping in front of our hoops, with the cheers and applause of the Ravenclaw crowd ringing in the background.

"And look at that, Ethan Night is riding a Nimbus 2001! How does this kid always manage to have the latest brooms on the market? Is he the most handsome and cool Malfoy's lost brother?"

"Jordan!"

"Sorry Professor McGonagall... Cough! Back to the subject... to start the match, as referee and judge, we have our flight instructor! Madam Hooch!"

"Hey, you remember strategy 1, right?" Hillton asked looking at us.

"It's hard to forget when you insist on reminding us of it every 5 seconds!" Christi said looking at Hillton with her left eye twitching.

"Well, so that means you remember" Hillton nodded proudly, totally ignoring our stares and heading to the middle of the pitch to meet the Hufflepuff captain.

"I want a fair play, no cheating," Madam Hooch said to both captains, and it was fun to see that she wasn't as serious and attentive as she was in Slytherin matches.

"Then let's get started," she said, getting ready to blow her whistle.

I then lowered my body onto my broom using aerodynamics for more speed, and I held on tight, keeping my senses and my eyes focused on the Hufflepuff team and the quaffle.

"Go!" Madam Hooch said, blowing the whistle and giving the signal for the balls to be released from the trunk.

End.

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(End AN: Birthdays, personal affairs, new season of Stranger Things... Sigh, this has been a busy week.

And since I mentioned the new season of Stranger Things, I would like to know if you have already watched it.

Of the first 3 seasons, my favorite was the third, and this fourth season is almost entering the race for the best season of the series.

I won't know if this is the best season of Stranger Things until July 1st, which is when the last two episodes of the series will be released.)