bacchusnovels Chapter 439 We are the champions
Chapter 439 We are the champions
Chapter 439 We are the champions
Hermione's mind was in turmoil, her hands involuntarily gripping the armrests of the chair, her gaze never leaving Professor Phillips.
Although he was looking at the field, seemingly completely focused on the game, the melody he was humming was like a hidden signal, connecting all of Hermione's questions and guesses into a stunning answer.
"It's him..." Hermione murmured to herself, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it would burst out of her chest. "He's my future..."
"Hermione?" Harry noticed her unusual expression and asked in a low voice, "What's wrong? You look so strange."
"It's nothing," Hermione replied quickly, her voice trembling slightly, but she immediately adjusted her expression, forcing herself to look at the ground so that Harry and Ron wouldn't suspect anything.
However, the deep singing voice still echoed in her ears.
"It'sbeenalongdaywithoutyou, myfr iend.."
Hermione took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.
The competition is still ongoing, and now is not the right time to ask these questions.
Now, all the evidence points to the fact that it is no longer a coincidence, and she needs to find an opportunity to speak with Professor Phillips in person.
Just as she was trying to calm herself down, a huge cheer erupted from the venue.
As the Golden Snitch suddenly veered upwards, Krum and Lynch engaged in a fierce chase through the air.
They flew rapidly one after the other, their brooms drawing dazzling trajectories in the air, seemingly about to collide at any moment.
"Lynch's caught up! He's closing in on Krum!" Bagman's voice echoed through the stadium, filled with tension and excitement. "This is absolutely a clash of titans between Seekers!"
Krum was not bothered by Lynch's relentless pursuit. He remained calm, his eyes fixed on the snitch, while his body was tilted so low on the broom that he was almost flat against the ground as he flew.
Lynch was trying to distract Krum, his broom was only half a meter away from Krum, and the two of them were almost side by side as they flew through the air.
Suddenly, Krum's broom made a terrifying move—he suddenly rolled downwards, pulling the broom down at high speed!
This incredible maneuver allowed him to instantly break free from Lin Qi's clutches, and the thief flashed right in front of him.
The audience erupted in gasps of surprise.
"That's Krum's classic move—the Wronski Feint!" Harry exclaimed, his eyes wide and slightly tense. "How many opponents has he fooled with that move!"
But Lynch seemed to have anticipated Krum's intentions, and he also swooped down, the two of them plummeting towards the ground at an astonishing speed.
It flew faster and faster, getting closer and closer to the ground!
"They're going to crash!" Ron shouted, holding his breath. "There's no way we can stop them!"
However, less than five meters from the ground, Krum suddenly pulled up his broom and turned at almost a right angle, narrowly avoiding the impact.
Lin Qi's control over speed was slightly lacking. Although he tried to pull up the broom, the angle was too sharp, and the tail of the broom hit the ground, causing him to tumble out.
"Oh—Lynch fell!" Bagman's voice was filled with regret. "Krum managed to avoid it, but Lynch's mistake cost him the best opportunity to chase!"
A gasp erupted from the crowd in the center of the field. Irish fans were deeply distressed by the accident, while Bulgarian fans cheered and waved flags in celebration of Krum's superb skill.
"Is Lynch alright?" Harry asked anxiously, looking at Lynch rolling around on the ground, who looked like he had taken a pretty hard fall.
"He'll be alright," Arthur said in a low voice. "The protective charm will slow the impact, but Krum now has the upper hand."
The healer on the field rushed towards Lynch and cast a healing spell. Meanwhile, Krum continued his pursuit of the Snitch in the air, closing the distance to less than half a meter!
"Krum is about to catch it!" Bagman's voice grew even more excited. "The Golden Snitch is right in his grasp—"
Suddenly, cheers erupted from the audience.
"Wait! Ireland is counter-attacking!" Bagman shouted, his attention drawn to the other side of the field.
While the Seekers were chasing the thief, the Irish Chaser team was engaged in a fierce battle of offense and defense.
Through quick passing and superb teamwork, they advanced the Quake into the Bulgarian goal.
Connolly received the final pass, quickly adjusted his direction, avoided the Bulgarian goalkeeper's interception, and threw the Quaffle into the goal with lightning speed!
"Score! Ireland scores!" Bagman's voice was filled with excitement. "Ireland has ten more points!"
Just then, Lynch took to the air again. Although his face still showed the disheveled look of his fall, he stubbornly chased after Krum, determined to make up for his mistake.
On the field, the Irish chasers continued to control the tempo and launch relentless attacks, while the Bulgarian batters aimed more of their runners at their attackers, trying to disrupt Ireland's coordination.
"The intensity of this match has surpassed any previous one!" Bagman's voice grew increasingly excited. "Both teams are giving it their all and absolutely don't want this victory to slip through their fingers!"
Amidst the enthusiastic atmosphere, Hermione's attention still occasionally drifted back to Professor Phillips.
He remained focused on the field, a thoughtful expression on his face.
In Hermione's mind, the melody and memories intertwined, as if a mystery was about to be solved, yet she didn't know where to begin.
She took a deep breath and murmured, "After the competition—I must ask you this clearly."
"What did you say?" Ron asked, not having heard Hermione's whisper.
"It's nothing." Hermione shook her head, continuing to pretend to focus on the game, but her inner turmoil was still churning.
Meanwhile, the chase in the center of the field became even more intense.
Krum closely followed the thief's trajectory, his movements swift and precise, wasting almost no effort.
Lin Qi followed closely behind. Although his previous mistake had put him behind, he still stubbornly tried to regain the initiative.
Suddenly, the thief swerved sharply to the right again, flying at an extremely tricky angle towards the top of the stands!
Krum suddenly turned, almost flattening his body on the broom, and caught up at an astonishing speed. Lynch lagged slightly behind, but he still gritted his teeth and kept up.
"The thief is heading towards the stands!" Bagman shouted, a hint of surprise in his voice. "The Seekers are chasing us right above our heads—"
The entire audience stood up in unison, looking up at the chase in the sky.
The thief, gleaming with golden light, weaved between the two Seekers, and the distance between them grew ever closer.
"Look at Krum's hand!" Ron yelled. "He's going to grab it!"
Krum's fingers almost touched the Snitch, but at that moment, the Snitch suddenly plummeted again, heading straight for the other end of the field!
Without hesitation, Krum grabbed his broom and chased after them, while Lynch tried to overtake again to close the distance.
Meanwhile, Ireland's Chaser Connolly once again broke through with the ball, dodging the combined interception of the Bulgarian goalkeeper and batter, and threw the Quaffle straight into the goal!
"Another ten points!" Bagman's voice was almost drowned out by the cheers of the Irish fans. "Ireland is now leading 150-10! Bulgaria needs a miracle!"
"A miracle might be happening!" Ginny suddenly exclaimed, pointing to the field, "Look, Krum—!"
Krum no longer simply chased the thief; he suddenly made an extremely dangerous move high in the sky—hanging upside down, almost headfirst from his broom, with both hands outstretched, aiming at the thief's direction!
"This is insane!" Ron yelled. "Can he really catch it?"
"Krum is the best Seeker!" Harry's eyes were fixed on the field, and he almost forgot to breathe.
The stands fell silent; everyone held their breath, watching Krum's every move. His fingers drew ever closer, almost touching the Snitch.
At the very last moment—
He caught him!
Krum raised the golden snitch high, and the snitch struggled between his fingers but could not break free.
The audience, who had been holding their breath, finally erupted at this moment, and a huge wave of cheers and screams swept through the entire stadium.
The Golden Snitch's glint still shone brightly in Krum's hands, and his movements were frozen in mid-air, like a perfect painting.
"Krum has caught the thief!" Bagman's voice was so high it almost changed tone. "This means Bulgaria has gained 150..."
Points! The game is over!
The Irish fans fell silent for a moment, while the Bulgarian supporters cheered wildly, waving their red flags and screaming deafeningly.
But then, Bagman added, "Let's see the final score—Bulgaria beat Ireland 160-150! Bulgaria is the champion of the 422nd Quidditch World Cup!"
The announcement sparked an unprecedented roar of cheers throughout the stadium, including from many Irish fans who, despite the loss, were still thrilled by the exciting match.
Krum's moves, Bulgaria's perseverance, and Ireland's teamwork all contributed to making this match an epic classic.
"Krum caught the thief!" Ron exclaimed incredulously. "But they won? Krum actually turned the tables on Bulgaria!"
"That's Quidditch," Arthur said calmly. "Catching the Snitch isn't just about the technique of chasing; it's about understanding the entire game. He's not just a skilled flyer; he's a true warrior."
"They really turned it around!" Harry's gaze remained fixed on the field as he saw the Irish team, though somewhat disappointed, applauding and congratulating the Bulgarian team on their victory.
In the center of the field, the Bulgarian players descended from the air one after another, surrounded Krum, and tossed him high into the air.
Their cheers even drowned out the noise from the stands.
Meanwhile, the Irish team members huddled together, patting each other on the shoulder in comfort—they had given their all, but the final miracle had fallen into the hands of the opposing team.
The celebrations on the field continued as the Bulgarian team's mascots, the Vevas, reappeared in the center of the field. Their elegant and alluring dance captivated the attention of countless spectators.
The Irish jackals also joined the celebrations, adding a joyful atmosphere to the end of the match with their lively movements and golden fireworks, despite their team's defeat.
"Now, the Bulgarian team, accompanied by their mascot, will circle the field once, and the Quidditch World Cup trophy will be delivered to the penthouse box!" Bagman announced in his booming voice.
Suddenly, everyone was blinded by a dazzling light. The top-floor VIP box was magically illuminated, allowing all the spectators in the stands to see what was happening inside.
Harry squinted at the entrance and saw two panting wizards carrying a large golden cup into the box and handing it to Cornelius Fudge.
Fudge still looked unhappy because he had spent the whole day gesturing in vain, trying to make the Bulgarian understand him.
"Let's give a warm round of applause to welcome the Irish team, who have fought with honor despite their defeat!" Bagman shouted.
The seven defeated Irish players went upstairs and into the private box.
The audience below applauded and cheered, expressing their admiration.
Harry felt the atmosphere in the box ease slightly as the Irish team took to the stage.
Although they lost the game, the enthusiastic applause from the audience showed that, regardless of the result, the Irish team's performance still earned respect.
"They really gave it their all," Hermione said softly, her gaze following the Irish players. "Losing the game doesn't mean defeat; the support from the crowd says it all."
"Yeah, what a pity," Ron muttered, still somewhat resentful about losing the bet. "They were leading by so many points—"
"But Bulgaria won beautifully," Harry nodded, his gaze still fixed on Krum in the center of the field. "Especially Krum's performance; the moment he caught the Snitch was truly impeccable."
At this moment, the Bulgarian team members were also lining up at the entrance of the VIP box, ready to go on stage.
They still wore the excitement of the game, and the pride of the victor shone in everyone's eyes.
Krum walked at the front of the group, the Golden Snitch still clutched tightly in his hand.
Bagman's voice rang out again: "Ladies and gentlemen, let us now give a warm round of applause to the champions of this Quidditch World Cup—the Bulgarian national team!"
The crowd erupted in thunderous cheers as the Bulgarian team members filed in and stepped onto the podium in their VIP box.
The golden cup was placed in the very center of the table, radiating a dazzling light.
"Krum! Krum!" Bulgarian fans chanted their hero's name wildly, seemingly wanting to pour all the passion of the stadium into the young Seeker.
Although Krum maintained a cold expression, there was a hint of satisfaction in his eyes.
He slowly walked towards the trophy, and then, amidst applause and cheers, raised the trophy high with both hands.
Golden fireworks burst forth from all directions, their dazzling light instantly illuminating the entire stadium.
"You all need to stand up quickly, we should leave." Arthur stood up and called to everyone, "With so many people leaving together, we need to hurry back, or we might get stuck in traffic."
Ron, Harry, and Ginny followed Arthur out of the box, discussing every moment of the match.
Hermione walked at the back, her pace slightly slower than the others, her gaze still unconsciously drifting towards Professor Phillips.
it's time.
Hermione finally mustered her courage, stopped, took a deep breath, and turned to walk in the direction where Sean was.