Disposable broomsticks

"You lost?"

Manus's eyes widened slightly.

"Gryffindor and Slytherin reached a historic reconciliation?"

If that's the case, then they have made an outstanding contribution to the peace of Hogwarts, and indeed, the entire Hogwarts community.

Although it cannot be traced back to the very beginning of the school's founding, the feud between Gryffindor and Slytherin has indeed lasted for more than a hundred or two centuries.

"No, it's just that Slytherin house is simply... bad."

Bellows, his eyelids twitching, recounted the events of the match that had just taken place.

In short, Gryffindor Quidditch Team took the first point, Gryffindor Quidditch Team scored consecutive points, Gryffindor Quidditch Team was on fire, Gryffindor Quidditch Team had become unstoppable, Gryffindor Quidditch Team defeated the Golden Snitch, and Gryffindor Quidditch Team gave their acceptance speeches...

Without any surprises or twists, Slytherin Quidditch Team was utterly crushed.

"Although I sensed this year's Slytherin Quidditch Team was unusually weak when they played against us last time, I didn't expect them to actually be this weak... I'm really not convinced."

Bellows's face showed an inescapable sense of resentment.

If we really lose, it won't be that bad. We'll just lose, and the pain will pass after a while.

But now, even though we've won, the victory wasn't decisive enough, so we still lost in the end. That's what's truly painful and leaves one feeling powerless.

They can't possibly rush onto the field during a Gryffindor Quidditch Team vs. Slytherin Quidditch Team match, can they?

"There's nothing to be resentful about. Slytherin Quidditch Team isn't only weak when Gryffindor Quidditch Team. They're just as weak, yet they manage to score more points with Broomstick that are inferior to yours. So your loss is not unjustified."

Bellows hesitated for a moment, then stopped himself. Their loss was largely due to winning too quickly when they beat Slytherin Quidditch Team...

However, saying that made it seem like they deserved to lose even more, as they didn't approach the game with the attitude of someone who had never won before.

But they also had something to say: the other teams at the time did seem quite weak; Gryffindor Quidditch Team even lost to Hufflepuff Quidditch Team!

Even though they lost to Gryffindor Quidditch Team in that match, it was pure luck on the other side. Neither side scored a single goal at the start, and the Golden Snitch was found by Potter. What could they do?

This defeat had a high degree of luck involved, so much so that Ravenclaw Team didn't have much of a sense of caution towards Gryffindor Quidditch Team.

As it turns out... Hogwarts doesn't have such a complicated schedule. It's true that if the wins and losses are inconsistent, the winner is determined by the number of wins, but if the number of wins is the same, then points are considered.

"Speaking of which... I've always felt there's something wrong with Gryffindor Quidditch Team's Broomstick."

"Isn't that unnecessary?"

Quirinus, who was standing to the side, couldn't stand it anymore.

"Losing once is just losing once, you can win it back next time, it's not a big deal. This kind of behavior is pointless..."

"No, you just got back, so you probably didn't look closely—do you remember what kind of Broomstick Potter and Black used on the Gryffindor Quidditch Team?"

How could I possibly see that clearly?

The Broomstick logo isn't a license plate, it's huge! It's just a line of letters on the broomstick handle, and when it flies past you from dozens of feet away, it's barely a shadow.

How could that ghost see clearly?

"It's not like I necessarily need you to see the brand. Broomstick can look very different, okay? Look at the appearance... okay."

Looking into Quirinus's clear eyes, Bellows remembered that this guy wasn't actually that fond of Quidditch; he watched the games more for the fun of it.

I know some team names and some tactics, but I don't have much detailed knowledge about all the different types of Broomstick, so I'm not surprised by the unfamiliar design of the Broomstick.

But Bellows can assure you that it's not any of the Broomstick currently on the market!

"It's not impossible. I did a deal with Potter back then, exchanging some Broomstick -making techniques with him... but those weren't blueprints, and whatever Potter could come up with was up to his own ability."

Manus was only slightly surprised, after all, so much time had passed. If he had paid any attention to whether the Gryffindor Quidditch Team's Broomstick had changed back then, he had almost forgotten about it now.

"Eh? Switching technology..."

Jasper thought this was aiding the enemy, but after thinking about Manus's teaching style... well, being able to learn it was definitely the other side's skill.

Manus won't give you the answers to copy; at most, he'll compile a more informative and targeted tutorial.

It's a subject that requires practical experience. Manus has already taught the technique of stacking multiple Charms and keeping them constant on an item, but no one has successfully replicated it to claim the reward yet.

"But according to what you're saying, what about Gryffindor Quidditch Team's loss to Hufflepuff Quidditch Team? Was it a tactic of them deliberately throwing the game to make us underestimate them?"

"It's not impossible—how despicable, but we actually fell for it! We can't let other teams' performances influence us anymore."

"Alas, it's a pity I don't have a future; I'll be leaving the team next year."

"Even if we leave the team, at least we can still go watch the games. We're graduating next year."

"That's enough, let's get back to studying, the exam is just around the corner."

In contrast to the somber atmosphere in the Ravenclaw Common Room, the Gryffindor Common Room was a scene of pure joy.

"Hahaha--We finally turned the tables!"

Potter held aloft his two slightly cracked Broomstick, which were tossed up and caught by everyone time and time again.

Lily raised her hand to press her slightly twitching eyelids from a distance, afraid to open her eyes, hoping that what she was seeing was an illusion.

Professor McGonagall probably didn't know that during the game just now, with every turn and every acceleration by Potter and Black, her coaching credentials were flashing—well, maybe not that serious.

But if the two of them were to slam into the grass from a height of more than ten feet while moving at high speed, that scene would definitely send McGonagall's blood pressure soaring.

The Broomstick that Potter and Black used this school year were indeed made by Potter; strictly speaking, they were disposable Broomstick, and six were used in the three games that year.

During his Ravenclaw Team, Potter caught the Golden Snitch Broomstick no time due to luck, and felt he was in good form. Unfortunately, both of his Broomstick broke down due to improper maintenance while waiting for the match.

The second time they used it, tragedy struck. They were absolutely certain of victory against the Hufflepuff Quidditch Team, but the two of them flew too fast...