The match began!
Fifteen broomsticks shot forward at once, and the Slytherin Quidditch Team was clearly far faster than Ravenclaw.
But speed was only one factor. Agility was the true test of a Quidditch player's ability.
Cyrus cheated right from the start by casting a Super-Sense Charm on himself. That meant he could use magic to locate the Golden Snitch without even looking, ensuring that he would not miss it in a blind spot when it appeared.
Calling it cheating was not entirely fair, though. The rules of a Quidditch match only specified that wands could not be used; they said nothing about magic. Wizards who could cast spells without a wand were simply rare, especially spells as difficult as the Super-Sense Charm.
With a bird's-eye view of everything, Quidditch became much easier.
He flew straight to the very top of the pitch, almost as though he intended to leave the match altogether.
Relying on their superior broomsticks, the other Slytherin players quickly launched a powerful offensive. To win, Ravenclaw had to do their best to prevent Slytherin from scoring, then catch the Golden Snitch before the gap widened to 150 points.
Cho Chang faced a daunting task, because Adrian Pucey had already sent the Quaffle through one of their hoops, scoring ten points.
Marcus attacked next. This time, Grant, the Keeper, did not falter and knocked the Quaffle away, but Randolph failed to intercept Slytherin's third Chaser, Graham, allowing the Slytherin Quidditch Team to score another ten points.
The match was tense. The difference in broomsticks made it difficult for Ravenclaw's Chasers to get possession, and Marcus and his two teammates kept stealing the ball halfway down the pitch.
Cho Chang darted anxiously through the air.
She could not find any trace of the Golden Snitch, because it had