Chapter 408: The Fake Dementor
In the midst of the chaos, all the players finally returned to the ground.
Gryffindor had technically won, but none of them wore smiles as they watched the Hufflepuffs, who were celebrating as if it were Christmas. The score gap hadn't widened as they'd hoped—they were still 190 points behind Hufflepuff overall. In the standings, nothing had changed.
Meanwhile, the Hufflepuff team, despite their nominal loss, was jubilant.
"You really did it!" Cho exclaimed, bouncing with excitement. "I could see your plan all along... giving up on the Snitch was a gamble I didn't even want to think about, but I'm so glad it worked!"
"Of course it worked," Cedric said, grinning. "Don't forget we had the best Chaser and the boldest Beaters around... not even a Firebolt could match up to that."
"The key was you holding back Harry," Kyle added with a laugh. "Otherwise, we'd never have had the time to score so many points."
"Yeah, Captain!" Mikel chimed in, clapping Cedric on the shoulder. "Keeping up with a Firebolt on a Nimbus 1700 for half an hour—seriously, I wouldn't be surprised if you got a pro team offer tomorrow. Just like that one Seeker... what was his name again?"
"That's Viktor Krum," Cho said, her eyes shining. "He's from Durmstrang, one of the best Seekers in generations. Last year, he was already being courted by top Quidditch teams. Some say he'll even represent Bulgaria in the next Quidditch World Cup."
Cedric was about to downplay the comparison—he knew that, when it came to Seeker talent, he didn't come close to Krum. By the age of fifteen, Krum was already famous in the Quidditch world, while Cedric, the same age, hadn't even received an offer as a reserve player.