Chapter 98

"Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen. We apologise for the break being longer than anticipated. Irene really did a number on the Slytherin captain, didn't she Alaric?"

"Yes, even I surprised at the amount of blood Slytherin's captain lost. Madam Pomfrey had to ask one of her apprentices to fetch a blood replenishing potion of him. And during that time, it started to snow. Did you expect that?"

"No not at all, but I'm worried about the players. Thank to their visibility being reduced, the number of fouls will surely increase. This match will turn into a dog fight. Lets head to Madam Hooch and hear what she has to say about the weather conditions. Madam Hooch?"

"As you can see, it has started to snow and this could be dangerous. I've sked both heads of house and got an okay from the headmaster. We can play through the snow but if gets any worse, we'll have to abandon the game."

"Thank you, Madam Hooch. You've heard it from her. The show must go on. The Slytherin captain is back on the field with vengeance burning in his eyes, and Irene of Gryffindor is set to serve a 90-second suspension. The match will get underway very soon. But before that, the food trays will be going around. Help yourself, as it is free, thanks to our other sponsor, AromaSip. More on them later. Now back into the action."

"Slytherin restarts the game from a set piece, and what's this? Locke is going for it by himself. He passed one, past two, past three, around the keeper, and… GOAL! With ice in his vein and vengeance burning in his eyes, the Slytherin captain gives them a forty-point lead. Look at the crowd! They're jumping in jubilation. Slytherin are running away with this game. Even professor Snape has a smile on his face."

"Gryffindor restarts the game once more, but this time they pass back. It looks like they are patiently waiting for the most opportune time to strike back. Madam Hooch places her whistle on her lips and blows. The snitch has been released. I repeat, the Golden Snitch has been released. The game is now free for all. Either side of the scale can tip in anybody's favour."

"Gryffindor went for the diagonal through ball, but it was intercepted. Will Slytherin go on the front foot and extend their lead? No, they won't, as the Gryffindor captain flies into the line of sight to the passer. That must be an obstruction, but Madam Hooch plays the advantage. Slytherin passed back to the keeper. They go for the controlled build up and they manage to get past the Gryffindor press. This scene looks familiar, and… GOAL! Locke scores again. That his sixth of the day."

"Gryffindor is really struggling. Slytherin managed to crave through their defence, and with them being a man down, Slytherin is taking full advantage. At this point, I'm starting to feel a little sorry for the Gryffindor crowd. Gryffindor restart the game for the seventh time today. They pass back, and start to build up momentum. From one player in red to another, they are holding onto the ball with dear life. Mario plays the pass, Jackson catches. How has he done that? Jackson fumbles the easiest catches and Slytherin are on their tail. Slytherin press and get the ball.

Locke drives forward again; he gets past the defenders, and now it's one-on-one. Monty gets past his marker and is now joining Locke in support. Locke lays the ball off to the incoming attacker, and… GOAL! Monty, on his debut, scored in an open goal. It was selfless of Locke to pass the ball, and now they have a sixty-point lead. Gryffindor is in shambles. The only good news they have is that Irene will be joining them after the restart."

"To be honest, Alaric, I can't see Gryffindor coming back from this without the help of the Golden Snitch. It's a subpar performance from Gryffindor, and the Slytherin fans are getting every knut of the price they paid. Slytherin have put on a fantastic display, and if they keep scoring like they are, the Golden Snitch will not make a difference. Gryffindor restarts the play, and Irene joins the field.

They are playing it safe, not wanting to concede anymore. Lovely passing from the reds, and they are slowly making their way up the pitch. Calm-controlled play with Gryffindor edging towards the goal, and Daniel attempts a long-range effort. Comfortably caught by the keeper. Slytherin slowly make their way up the pitch. The Slytherin captain is on the ball again and tries another long range effort. The keeper should catch this, but it looks like Monty tries to intercept the throw. He catches, and smashes it towards the goal, and… GOAL! At this point, its not surprising, and somebody call the medic."

"When Monty threw the ball, he threw it at the keepers face. It smashed to keepers face, hit the woodwork, and went it. Slytherin are 70 points ahead, and Mr. Wood is left with a mark on his face. Madam Pomfrey enters the field and gives the Gryffindor keeper the medical attention required. Madam Hooch, on the other hand, is cautioning Monty of Slytherin."

"Madam Pomfrey is conducting a concussion test on the Gryffindor keeper. I remind you that if he fails, Gryffindor will have to substitute Mr. Wood for their reserve goalkeeper. The Slytherin team is in a team huddle and is re-energising thanks to today's sponsor, AromaSip. Produced by the company that makes Bertie Bott's every flavour bean, this innovation known as "AromaSip" has taken the magical community by storm. This hydration system utilises aroma-based taste to infuse water with delightful flavours. Wizards and witches can attach a unique "Essence Orb" to their enchanted chalices, activate the charm, and as they sip, their senses are immersed in a symphony of scents that transcend into taste through the mystical art of olfactory enchantment. With AromaSip, every sip becomes a magical journey through a tapestry of flavours, offering a whimsical experience for the palate and delighting the senses."

"Now, Mason, back onto the game. Let's have a quick recap of key moments in the game. Gryffindor opened the scoring with a very effective diagonal through ball moments after kickoff. The Slytherin captain then went off and scored six goals, with one being a long-range stunner and another where he dribbled past the Gryffindor team. The Slytherin chaser then scored another two goals. Irene of Gryffindor had been suspended for 90 seconds due to a tackle on the Slytherin captain, and the Gryffindor keeper is currently receiving medical attention for a ball hitting him square in the face. Slytherin leads 80-10 against Gryffindor. Now that you're caught up, let's get right back into the action.

Mr Wood is still play between the stick and Gryffindor employ the same slow build up tactic. They try to slowly force their way through. As expected, Slytherin intercept and charge forward. Its in the hands of Locke. He aims and… GOAL! There's now a 80 point deficit. I don't see hoe Gryffindor come back from this and the players in red look visibly frustrated. Slytherin aren't bothering to celebrate anymore. They just want the game to resume and extend their lead."

"This has been one of the poorest showings of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. By the way Slytherin is playing, they will become six-time champions. The game resumes, and this time they're on the front foot. They pass the ball forward, but the Gryffindor captain gets in the way. It looks like he's found the snitch. The Slytherin seeker is hot on his trail. I think Mr. Flint has found the golden snitch as well. He uses the advantage of his broom to get ahead of the Gryffindor seeker, but Madam Hooch blows her whistle. Slytherin has scored again. They now have a 90-point advantage."

"All eyes are now on Mr. Weasley and Mr. Flint. They both managed to see the golden snitch, but the question is: Who will get it first?"

"My money is on Mr. Weasley. The Gryffindor captain has more experience and has a more suitable physique for being a seeker. He is agile and can mimic the movement of the golden snitch. Mr. Flint, on the other hand, is more suited for a beater. His physicality would potentially make him one of Hogwarts greatest. However, with the speed of his broom, the gap can be bridged. The game has already started and stopped. Slytherin capitalise on a Gryffindor mistake once again and score. Slytherin are now 100 points in the lead, however there seems to be an altercation between the players.

Madam Hooch calls the captains over and presumptuously tells them to calm their teammates down. Both teams huddle. Slytherin is in their place, while Gryffindor remains in the huddle. Locke seems to be speaking to Madam Hooch for the sinbin of the Gryffindor captain for time-wasting. Madam Hooch signals to Mr. Weasley and counts down from 5. 4. 3. 2. Gryffindor break the huddle and goes back to their positions.

Gryffindor restarted play with a tempo we had not seen from them for the whole game. Their passing is faster, and they are using more force. It looks like they don't want Slytherin to intercept them, as if they do, they may get injured. Irene is on the ball; she passes to Mark, who now passes to Daniel. Daniel to Jackson to Mark to… Oh my! Medic! Medic! Someone check on him."

"Mark tries to play the ball through, but somehow the ball swerves and hits Montague dead centre. He lost his balance and toppled. He fell off his broom and went hurling towards the floor. Thanks to the timely intervention of Professor Snape, Montague did not hit the floor. Let's switch over to Madam Hooch and hear what she's saying."

—

"That was reckless and inappropriate. You could have taken someone's life. And you have to say for yourself, 'It was an accident. I didn't mean to hit me.' I saw you. I know of your house rivalry. Emotion may have clouded your judgement, but this is unacceptable. Mark, I'm sorry, but you have to retire for the rest of this match. The heads of house later will determine your punishment. For now, get off this pitch right now. Captains, follow me.

Locke, Charlie. I expect you to rein your team mates in. We're playing in the bloody snow. There is a seriously high risk of you injuring yourself and those around you. I don't want this to happen again. Do you understands?"

"Yes, Madam Hooch."

"Charlie?"

"I understand."

"Good. I'll check on Montague, and you two speak to your teams. Locke, you'll probably need to use up one of your substitutions now."

—

"Mark is set to retire for the rest of the match and will be punished later. Slytherin will have to use one of their three substitutions. Professor Snape is helping Madam Pomfrey with healing montague. Professor McGonagall is currently speaking to the rest of the team. Mason, there! Look! Charlie has laid hands on Locke, and Locke is not fighting back. You know what this means?"

"Yes. The Gryffindor captain will also have to retire for the rest of the match. Professor McGonagall is ready at the scene, and Madam Hooch is on her way back. Let's switch over to hear what they're saying."

—

"Mr Weasley. That is no reason to stroke another pupil. An incident like that happened since your great-aunt and will never happen again. As for you, Mr. Madoo, I expect better from you. Mr. Weasley, I will see you in the changing room and take the boy with you. I will be speaking to Albus about this."

"Is everything okay, Minerva?"

"Yes, Rolanda, everything is just peachy. I will like to use our stoppage allowance now. Will that be okay?"

"Yes, you have fifteen minutes."

—

"What happened there seemed personal. The Gryffindor team are making their way to the changing room and it looks like they're taking a few first-years with them. We know Gryffindor do not have a reserve seeker. Are they thinking of using a first year as their seeker. Is that even allowed?"

"I've just checked. There's nothing in the rule books to stop this. The rules dictate that first-year students are not allowed brooms, but there's nothing about them not being allowed to play quidditch. That is probably why Professor McGonagall has left to see the headmaster. This could be the first time we see a first-year on the pitch."

"Ladies and gentlemen, this has been a game to forget for the Gryffindor quidditch team. Two players were forced to retire, and Slytherin has a 100-point lead. The pendulum of anticipation swings as Gryffindor exhausts their stoppage allowance and hopes for a better start after the break. It looks like they're going to play a first year as a seeker. But I know the question running through your heads. Who is this new seeker? Will they take the game by storm and rise from the ashes of Gryffindor's poor performance? Or will they suffocate in the gasps of the five-time reigning champion, Slytherin? Will they become Gryffindor's future stars, or will they wish that this day never happened? The answer will unveil itself in due course. We'll have our Crows look into who these first-years are. This has been Mason Tipson, accompanied by Alaric Spinster, and we will see you after the break."