bacchusnovels Chapter 328 It was love that won her the game.
Chapter 328 It was love that won her the game.
Chapter 328 It was love that won her the game.
In the following days, Cho Chang would secretly come to Professor Phillips' office every night, and under the guise of Quidditch training, the two spent time together in the midst of a storm, filled with tacit understanding and companionship.
Every night was filled with similar scenes: a stormy stadium, deep shouts, warm words of comfort, and unintentional physical contact.
The torrential rain and biting wind should have been unsettling, but for Cho Chang, Professor Phillips's presence made all the difference. His presence was like a sturdy haven; no matter how fierce the storm, as long as Sean was there, she felt incredibly safe.
As time went on, Akiharu gradually realized that his expectations for this training far exceeded his need to improve his flying skills.
She no longer came simply for the competition, but for the unique time that belonged only to the two of them.
She noticed that whenever she made a mistake, Sean would always...
That subtle emotion seeped into her heart with the night's rain.
Qiu Zhang gradually realized that she felt unsatisfied after each training session.
When she returned to her dormitory, every moment of training kept replaying in her mind—Professor Sean's gentle smile, his occasional unintentional jokes, and the warmth of his hand on her wrist.
Even without the so-called "suspension bridge effect," their relationship quickly heated up thanks to Sean's good looks and charm.
Cho Chang sometimes blames herself, wondering if she shouldn't have developed such feelings for the professor so quickly, but every time she thinks of Sean, her hesitation is completely dispelled.
Every night after the night ended, back in his dorm room, Qiu Zhang would think about his relationship with Sean.
Qiu Zhang never imagined she would develop such feelings for a professor. At first, she told herself it was just a sense of dependence that came from flight training, but as time went on, she realized that her anticipation for these nights had long surpassed the training itself.
She no longer simply looked forward to progress in her flight, but longed to see Sean again, to those moments alone, and to his eyes that made her heart race.
Qiu Zhang even began to fantasize—perhaps, these nights of companionship meant more.
Perhaps Sean sensed something too? Did a similar emotion lurk behind his gentle smile?
However, no matter how unwilling she was to admit it, deep down she understood that everything comes to an end.
Even though she secretly hoped the Quidditch match could be delayed to give them more time alone, everything happened as scheduled.
The day of the competition is finally almost here.
All the training had been geared towards this crucial moment.
Qiu Zhang knew she had to be fully focused and not let these emotions affect her performance.
"If you win, I'll grant you any request." This was said after the final training session the day before the match.
Sean said this to Cho Chang.
This statement gave Qiu Zhang yet another compelling reason to achieve victory.
The next day was Sunday, and the Quidditch match between Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw took place as scheduled under a gloomy sky.
The sky above the stadium was overcast, and a few gusts of cool wind occasionally swept by, giving one a sense of early winter chill.
The students in the stands were enthusiastic, waving the two teams' colored flags and trying to dispel the gloomy atmosphere in the sky with their cheers.
The four little ones sat in the Gryffindor stands, eager to see how the match would go.
This match is especially important for Harry, as it will determine the future of Gryffindor's games.
If Hufflepuff wins, Gryffindor's hopes of winning the championship will be completely dashed.
"Who do you think will win?" Ron asked expectantly.
"It's hard to say," Harry said, squinting at the pitch. "Both teams are quite strong. However, Cedric Diggory has been playing exceptionally well, so Hufflepuff might have an advantage."
As the starting whistle blew, the noise in the stadium instantly reached its peak, along with Lee Jordan's energetic commentary from the stands.
As Gryffindor's narrator, Lee has always been known for his unique sense of humor and undisguised bias.
"Welcome everyone to today's Quidditch match!" Lee's voice, amplified by magic, resounded throughout the stadium. "Today's match is Hufflepuff versus Ravenclaw, that's right! Despite the terrible weather—the torrential rain and strong winds almost blew us off the stands—this is still a match to look forward to! Don't blink, everyone! If you miss a single moment, it could be the decisive one!"
On the field, the wind howled and the rain lashed at the faces of the spectators and players like needles.
Dark clouds covered most of the sky, and lightning flashed across the sky from time to time, while deafening thunder seemed to cheer on the game.
The spectators in the stands donned thick cloaks, and their umbrellas swayed precariously in the strong wind, some even being blown away.
The competition was made even more difficult and intense by the weather.
"Can you see clearly? I really wish my goggles were waterproof!" Li's voice was a little muffled, but he continued his commentary with great enthusiasm, "Today's weather is a huge challenge for the athletes! It would be truly remarkable if they could perform well in such a storm!"
He paused for a moment, then continued, "Cedric Diggory of Hufflepuff, the Seeker and captain, a handsome fifth-year, wow, Ravenclaw needs to be careful! He's a fantastic Seeker, lightning fast—of course, Harry is fast too, but the focus today is—well, Cedric."
Laughter erupted from the stands, and Hufflepuff supporters cheered enthusiastically for Cedric.
"On the other hand, Ravenclaw has Cho Chang, the fourth-year Seeker prodigy. Her agility and dexterity are amazing, and by the way, she's quite the star player in school. Did you see that? That move she made around the Walker just now was so cool! I really wish she could join Gryffindor—but that's impossible."
Ron couldn't help but chuckle: "He really loves praising his own people."
"Now, the movements on the field are getting faster and faster!" Li continued his commentary, his tone becoming more tense. "Digory is in front, and Cho Chang is right behind him. The ball whizzes between them—wow! Did you see that? She was almost hit! But she skillfully avoided it! That was a close call!"
"The Quaffle is being passed very quickly—the Hufflepuff chasers are performing quite well. Well... nothing special, not as good as Gryffindor's teamwork, but they're alright!"
On the field, the wind grew stronger and stronger, and the rain lashed against the faces of every player.
Cho Chang and Cedric Diggory are struggling to maintain their balance as they soar through the air.
"Choo Chang reacted incredibly fast! She was almost blown off course by the wind, but she steadied herself! That's no easy feat—" Lee's voice was interrupted by thunder, but he quickly recovered, "And look at Cedric, his physique is an advantage in this situation, he's much more stable! He's currently focused on the thief, his eyes practically glued to it!"
The ball, moving freely in the wind, becomes even more difficult to control, raging across the field like a wild beast.
Once, the ball almost collided head-on with Qiu Zhang. Rain hit her face, blurring her vision, and she barely managed to dodge.
The broom wobbled in the air and almost lost its balance.
"Ah! That was dangerous! Cho Chang was almost hit by the ball! Her broom shook violently, but she steadied herself! That's an amazing reaction!" Lee Jordan exclaimed.
"And Cedric seems completely unaffected by this terrible weather—" Lee raised his voice, "He's accelerating! The Golden Snitch is right there, he's got his eyes on him!"
At the same time, the rain suddenly intensified, with water pouring down like a waterfall, greatly affecting the athletes' vision.
In the stands, many people held umbrellas, but the wind and rain were too strong, and the umbrellas were not enough to keep them dry. They had to rely on heavy cloaks for protection.
"My God, this rain! Ladies and gentlemen, can you even see clearly? Every move the athletes make right now looks like they're battling a raging storm!" Li exclaimed, accompanied by distant thunder. "This kind of weather is a true test of skill and reaction speed!"
Just then, lightning flashed across the sky, and Lee suddenly exclaimed excitedly, "Look! Cedric spotted the thief! He charged at it! But Cho Chang is also giving chase! They saw the thief almost simultaneously!"
A cheer erupted from the audience, but Li ignored it and continued to focus on commentating on the match.
The match was incredibly close. Cedric and Cho Chang chased each other through the air, neither giving an inch.
Whenever one side gets close to the Golden Snitch, the other side always reacts quickly, forcing the other to give up the chase. The atmosphere on the field becomes increasingly tense, and the game becomes more and more exciting to watch.
Suddenly, Cho Chang's gaze swept across the audience, and instantly she saw that familiar figure—Professor Phillips was standing in the stands, staring at her with a firm gaze.
"Is Professor Phillips cheering me on?"
Qiu Zhang was startled; at that moment, she felt a powerful force surging within her.
"I cannot let Professor Phillips down."
She gritted her teeth, immediately bent down and accelerated, gripping the broom tightly with both hands, her whole body like a blue arrow, rushing straight towards the thief.
She was incredibly fast and was about to catch the thief, but Cedric reacted even faster. He suddenly accelerated and sped past Cho Chang from the side, instantly closing the distance to the thief.
A gasp rippled through the audience, and everyone held their breath.
"Look! What did Cho Chang see? Isn't it the Golden Snitch? Oh no! Cedric spotted it too! The two are in a high-speed chase—who's faster? Oh my, this is so exciting!"
The air was thick with tension. Lee Jordan's voice was high-pitched and excited: "Both of them charged forward! The thief is right ahead, getting closer and closer! Audience, hold on tight to your seats! This will be the moment that decides the outcome!"
As Cedric drew closer to the thief, Lee Jordan's voice was filled with tension: "He's going to catch the thief!"
Cho Chang was giving it her all! Ah, how exciting! They were almost neck and neck—Cho Chang reached out—she caught it! Cho Chang caught the thief! Ravenclaw won!!
Exhausted, Cho Chang collapsed on the Quidditch pitch, clutching the golden Snitch tightly in his hand.
Rainwater streamed down her cheeks and soaked robe.
The stadium fell silent for a few seconds, then erupted in thunderous cheers from the stands! The Ravenclaw students jumped up from their seats, waving their arms excitedly and screaming in celebration of the victory.
"Ravenclaw has won!" Lee Jordan's voice, brimming with uncontrollable excitement, echoed throughout the stadium, slightly hoarse from the high pitch. "Cho Chang caught the Snitch! She's won for Ravenclaw!"
Ravenclaw teammates rushed over and helped Cho Chang up from the ground, surrounding her. Everyone cheered and laughed, their clothes soaked through by the downpour, but the joy of victory made everything else insignificant.
"You did it!" The captain excitedly hugged her. "That's fantastic, Cho Chang! You won this game for us!"
Cho Chang's gaze pierced through the rain and landed on the audience seats, where she saw Sean standing in the crowd.
She understood that her victory was inextricably linked to Professor Phillips—it was the love in her heart that won her the match.
Her thoughts drifted back to the night before the game, the promise Sean had made to her echoing in her ears once more:
"If you win, I'll grant you any request."
Qiu Zhang's heart suddenly skipped a beat. She knew she had an opportunity, a chance to fulfill a secret wish in her heart.
And she had already made her decision.