Chapter 463: This Ticket Was Worth Every Knut
After introducing the players, Ludo Bagman turned to announce the match referee: the President of the International Association of Quidditch—a short, wiry wizard. Amidst loud cheers, he strode onto the pitch, a large wooden case clutched under his arm. As he took his position, the crowd fell silent, holding their breath.
The referee mounted his Broomstick, nudged the case open with his foot, and with the blow of his whistle, the match began.
"They're off!" Bagman's voice boomed. "Mullet with the Quaffle! Passing to Troy! Back to Mullet! Then to Moran!"
In the Top Box, Harry forgot his earlier embarrassment, pressing his Omnioculars tightly against his glasses to keep up with the players' lightning speed. Kyle, too, was riveted to the game. The professional players moved incredibly fast, with the Chasers passing the Quaffle between each other as if it were about to explode.
The three Irish Chasers charged down the pitch in a synchronized formation, the Quaffle flashing between them in quick succession, leaving even Bagman at a loss. Eventually, he gave up trying to announce each name individually, shouting, "Ireland is in their Hawkshead Attacking Formation—it's their specialty! Bulgaria doesn't know who to mark...oh! The Porskoff Ploy—Moran has drawn off Bulgarian Beater Ivanova—passes to Troy—"
"GOAL FOR TROY!" Bagman's shout echoed across the stadium, which shook with the roar of cheers and applause.
"10:0, Ireland takes the lead!"
"That was amazing! This is nothing like the school matches," Hermione said, waving her Irish flag excitedly. "But...are the Bludgers moving faster than usual?"
She frowned, her mind racing. In school games, she could easily follow the Bludgers, but now, they were only two blurs zipping across the pitch.