Chapter 164: The Damned Sorting Hat
Ten minutes had flown by in a flash. As the final whistle blew, Kyle raised his arm high and, with his last ounce of energy, flung the Quaffle through the air.
But it was too far. Harris intercepted it, breaking his own "zero" streak in the process.
On the sidelines, the scoreboard froze at 210 points—meaning Kyle had scored a total of 21 goals in those ten minutes. Scoring two goals a minute, even while racing across the pitch to retrieve the Quaffle each time, was nothing short of incredible.
The three Quaffles they'd used hadn't been enough to keep up with his speed; by the end, Professor McGonagall, observing from the edge of the field, had conjured two more with her Transfiguration Charm just to keep the match running smoothly to the end.
"By Merlin's beard, I never want to be Keeper again!"
Back on the ground, Harris let out a deep sigh of relief. Those ten minutes had been a whirlwind of joy and frustration for him.
The joy? Hufflepuff had found a gifted Chaser. If all went well, this second-year named Kyle would be the key to winning the Quidditch Cup. Harris himself was one of the best Chasers at Hogwarts, responsible for most of Hufflepuff's points each game. But the issue was, his fellow Chasers fell short, and they struggled to work well as a team. Harris often ended up scoring alone, which placed a heavy demand on his stamina. This was why Hufflepuff wasn't known for lasting in prolonged matches.
The other concern was that if he were heavily guarded or injured, Hufflepuff's chances would plummet. Fortunately, Cedric—a talented Seeker—had joined last year. With Cedric on the hunt for the Golden Snitch, it was hard for other teams to draw games out for too long. And now, with Kyle's arrival, Hufflepuff's main vulnerability had been instantly strengthened.
Harris could almost see the Quidditch Cup within reach, and that filled him with exhilaration.
The frustration? Well, that was simple.
Anyone would feel humiliated after being turned into a laughingstock for ten straight minutes.