Slytherin captain Flint held his broom horizontally, sneering at the Gryffindor Second Team as if they were a bunch of naive children.
Flint gruffly mocked, "I thought Gryffindor would produce some good players this year, but it turns out they're just a bunch of leftovers, daring to embarrass themselves in the cup competition!"
Draco replied, "You were able to dominate for seven years only because I was too lazy to bother with you before."
Instead of targeting Draco, Pucey glanced at Hermione beside him and scoffed, "If someone like this can play, Gryffindor really has no one else to rely on!"
Hermione straightened her broom, her eyes flashing with malice as she glared at the man. "With such filthy language, Slytherin have lost their manners along with their ball skills."
Pucey did not respond again, but simply laughed dismissively.
At this moment, Higgs sneered at Draco, "Abandoning Slytherin to become a lion's lackey, today I'll teach you the consequences of betrayal!"
George his voice and retorted, "Whether you're a follower or not doesn't matter. The real skill is turning your seven-time champions up against you."
Bletchley, broom in hand, arrogantly declared, "The seven-time champions are here! If you can touch the Quaffle today, you win!"
Fred laughed and retorted, "Don't talk big. If you lose, you'll have nowhere to cry."
Bole swung his bat menacingly. " The Bludger has no eyes, you guys better watch out or you'll get smashed and forced to run away!"
Olivia coldly replied, "Use whatever means you want; Gryffindor has never been afraid."
Derrick picked up on Bole's taunt. "A bunch of ragtag troops, dare to stand against us?"
Ron gripped his broom tightly and replied confidently, "We're here today to end your seven-peat!"
Higgs pressed on one last time. " Malfoy, you dare to compete with me for the Golden Snitch? You've got guts, haven't you?"
Sam said softly but firmly, "He dares, and so do we. We will never lose."
Draco surveyed the Slytherin members, his voice not loud but resounding throughout the hall. "Remember this day. From the moment we take to the skies, the era of Slytherin ends."
The verbal battle intensified, with spittle practically exploding in mid-air, the air thick with the smell of gunpowder.
Madam Hooch immediately straightened her face and interrupted sharply:
"Listen up, everyone! I demand that you compete fairly and honestly!"
She spoke these words specifically towards Slytherin, her gaze fixed intently on Flint's face.
Everyone knows that Slytherin's dirty tricks, underhanded tactics, malicious collisions, and targeted injuries Bludger are already infamous at Hogwarts.
Seeing that everyone had calmed down a bit, Madam Hooch said in a deep voice:
"Smash the broom!"
Fifteen flying brooms shook simultaneously, rose from the ground, and soared straight into the sky.
The wind howled, the sunlight was blinding, and the entire audience instantly stood up.
In the commentary booth, Lee Jordan grabbed the microphone, his voice trembling with excitement:
"Here it comes, everyone! The much-anticipated House Cup opening match! Seven-time champions Slytherin versus the underdog Gryffindor Second Team!"
"On one side is a cunning and ruthless overlord who has ruled for seven years; on the other is a newly formed army, rising from the ashes like newborn calves! Today, will the dynasty continue, or will a new king ascend the throne?"
Professor McGonagall glared at him, and Lee Jordan immediately quieted down. "Ahem... The game begins!"
As soon as they took off, Slytherin bared their fangs.
Captain Flint, strong and powerful, charged forward relentlessly, leading two Chaser in an unstoppable assault.
They didn't care about teamwork at all, relying solely on physical collisions, malicious blocking, and concealed elbow strikes to completely disrupt Gryffindor's defense.
"Despicable!" Hermione gritted her teeth, narrowly avoiding Flint's broom handle.
The next second, Pucey seized the opportunity to get the ball and charged straight at the goal.
Ron was already nervous as a goalkeeper, and this dirty shot made him even more flustered, allowing the first goal to go into the net easily.
Slytherin - 10 points!
The green and silver stands erupted in cheers.
Flint turned back with a sneer, his eyes full of disdain.
George and Fred immediately went all out, swinging their bats wildly and smashing the Bludger back hard.
But Slytherin's two Beater, Bole and Derrick, were clearly veterans, specifically targeting newcomers like Hermione and Ron, their Bludger seemingly having eyes that chased after them.
Hermione nearly got swept off her feet several times, her face turning pale, but she gritted her teeth and refused to back down.
"They're targeting us!" Sam exclaimed.
Olivia immediately stepped in front of you. "I'll cover you!"
The situation became extremely passive at one point.
Slytherin played dirtier and dirtier, resorting to all sorts of dirty tricks, Gryffindor Second Team was pinned down and couldn't even get past their own half.
Lee Jordan shouted anxiously:
"That's too much! Slytherin is hitting people, not playing ball! Can Gryffindor hold on?!"
The score was extended to 40-0.
If they concede a few more, the game will be over.
Hermione suddenly yanked the broom up, going full speed ahead, and darted out like a red shadow.
Without dodging or flinching, she charged straight at Flint, and the instant his broom grazed her shoulder, she snatched the Quaffle!
"Beautiful! Gryffindor! Hermione Granger!" Lee Jordan roared, his voice cracking.
Hermione executed a sharp mid-air spin, shaking off the two players, and hurtled straight towards the goal.
Slytherin goalkeeper Bletchley scoffed, confident in his ability to hold the line.
Hermione flicked her wrist, feinted to lose her balance, and then threw a reverse shot!
Goal!
Gryffindor - 10 points!
The red and gold colors in the stands erupted instantly!
Hermione! Hermione!
This shot completely woke up Gryffindor.
George and Fred exchanged a glance, both hardening their resolve.
The twins are no longer just for laughs; they've shown real, deadly teamwork.
The Bludger Accio, and the two, one on the left and one on the right, moved with precision, ruthlessness, and perfect teamwork, forcefully slamming Slytherin's aerial attack back.
"It's time for us to fight back!"
"Let them know who's the boss on the field!"
Ron was also jolted awake.
He no longer panicked; his eyes hardened as he stared intently at the goal.
When another ball came, he lunged forward and forcefully blocked the Quaffle with his broom!
" Ron! We held the line!"
The situation on the field was gradually brought back into balance.
Slytherin became increasingly agitated and resorted to more and more underhanded tactics.
Flint, enraged that Hermione had stolen the ball twice, deliberately rammed Hermione shoulder hard with the broom handle.
"Foul!" Madam Hooch blew her whistle.
Gryffindor gets a free throw.
Hermione took a deep breath and launched a steady shot.
Go in again!
20:40
The gap has narrowed.
The competition intensified.
The two sides battled fiercely in the air, their Quaffle back and forth, the score remaining close at Slytherin 70: Gryffindor 50.
Gryffindor Team Two held on with sheer willpower. Hermione's hair was soaked with sweat from the effort, George and Fred's arms ached, and Ron had long since forgotten his fear.
Just then, a flash appeared high in the sky above the stadium— the Golden Snitch had appeared!
Lee Jordan's voice instantly cracked:
"The Golden Snitch Golden Snitch! The Seeker! Malfoy! Higgs! The final battle has begun!"