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The Quidditch pitch sat on one side of the Hogwarts grounds. It was not especially far away. On foot, it only took about thirty minutes to reach.
By the time Dudley and Hermione arrived, quite a few students were already seated in the stands.
There was still an hour before the match officially began.
Even though Wizard Cards had become widely popular, Quidditch was still a traditional sport among wizards. There was nothing preventing someone from liking Quidditch and playing Wizard Cards as well.
Dudley looked up at the sky. Thick dark clouds had nearly covered the sun completely, and gusts of cold wind swept through.
Strictly speaking, this weather was awful and not suitable for a Quidditch match.
But unsuitable did not mean impossible. Unless there were special circumstances such as a severe storm, Quidditch matches generally would not be canceled.
Even though the weather in Britain could change at any moment, going from clear skies in the morning to torrential rain and back to sunshine in the blink of an eye, it still would not normally stay gloomy all day with no sunlight at all like this.
"Ever since those damned things came to Hogwarts, there has not been a single clear day! Those damned monsters. I am about to forget what sunshine looks like!"
One of Hogwarts's players cursed loudly on the pitch. As for which monsters he meant, everyone understood without him saying it.
Half an hour before the match began, the light rain became a torrential downpour. A fierce wind howled past, and thunder rumbled through the dark clouds overhead.
Dudley took out his wand and waved it. The falling rain parted two centimeters above Dudley and Hermione's heads, sliding down on either side.
The students sitting near them could only look envious as they struggled to hold up umbrellas and keep the fierce wind from blowing them away.
"The match is about to begin."
Dudley saw Harry. At the moment, Harry was sitting stiffly beside the new Quidditch commentator.
Yes. A new commentator.
The original commentator, Lee Jordan, had been replaced because his commentary was neither fair nor objective.
The new commentator was a Hufflepuff student. Even when facing his own House's team, he would not show bias. He took no sides and stuck to the facts.
Harry had barely come into contact with Quidditch over these three years. He did not understand Quidditch rules at all. The only way he had interacted with broomsticks was through Flying class.
Although he was a special guest, he could only comment on the players' rougher collisions.
Hm. They were all things Dudley usually taught them about fighting.
"That elbow was a pity. It should have landed two centimeters above his abdomen. That would have been enough to make him lose mobility."
"He should not scratch. No matter how sharp fingernails are, that is only a superficial wound. He should... like this, then this, and then this."
"Hit that Bludger hard. Make it knock the other side off their broom."
"Aim for the head. Make him lose consciousness."
The students in the Quidditch stands: "..."
'Typical Mr. Potter. Ruthless.'
If they followed Harry's method, he could probably eliminate the other team's entire lineup alone within ten minutes.
Physically eliminate them.
The rain grew heavier and heavier. The students in the air were already soaked through. When the strong wind blew, their bodies began stiffening, and their vision grew blurred through the heavy rain.
Never mind the Golden Snitch. It was difficult even to see their teammates clearly.
The students below grew even more anxious. Their vision was worse than the players' above, and they did not even know what stage the match had reached.
"Caught it! Someone caught the Snitch!"
A cheer came from above.
"Who caught it? Gryffindor or Hufflepuff?"
The students asked anxiously.
However, before the players above could answer them, a terrifying cold current suddenly swept in, spreading across the entire Quidditch pitch at extreme speed. The wind and rain seemed to stop in that instant.
At that precise moment, a bolt of lightning cut across the sky, illuminating the air above.
In that flash of lightning, the students finally saw what was happening above them.
Dementors.
A swarm of Dementors floated in the sky.
A single black mass.
Just like the feast before.
No, there were even more than that time. There were a full hundred here.
They surrounded the poor Quidditch players tightly.
Whether Gryffindor or Hufflepuff, in front of this swarm of Dementors, they all trembled like quails.
They had been drawn over by the cheers from the Quidditch match.
Dementors fed on happiness, and the Quidditch pitch was full of happiness.
They had not felt this kind of happiness in a long time, so they had come looking for food.
"Get away from them!"
Wood stood in front of his team members, roaring and waving his fist.
He was already soaked through, and because of the Dementors, his teammates were freezing and trembling.
Although Wood's own lips had also turned purple from the cold, he did not retreat even a step. He was a responsible captain.
Unfortunately, Wood's attempt to drive them away had no effect at all. Dementors would not listen to him.
Because they were not allowed to enter Hogwarts, they had not found even the slightest bit of happiness to feed on during this time. They were nearly mad with hunger. Now that so much happiness had gathered here, how could they possibly endure it?
Do not expect creatures like Dementors to care about the Ministry's rules.
Right now, they only wanted to eat their fill.
Beneath their cloaks, in the black holes that might have been mouths or eyes, there was only greed.
The monsters gradually approached the Quidditch players. The players could only press close together. Dementors surrounded them on every side, leaving them no path of retreat. In only a little while, those rotting monsters would be able to touch them.
As the Dementors approached, Wood and the others' minds began to go numb, and bad memories surged up.
The students in the stands screamed in terror. The scene before them was far too frightening.
"Get away from them!"
Just as those disgusting Dementors were about to advance...
Silver light rose with an angry roar.
It illuminated the entire sky and also forced back the ring of Dementors closest to Wood and the others.
The Patronus Charm.
Although it was an incomplete Patronus Charm, the sheer volume of it was enough to overwhelm the Dementors.
The silver light turned into a whip and swept out fiercely, sending the Dementor swarm flying backward.
"Dementors, you have crossed the line!"
Dudley held his wand high, silver light shining from its tip. He slowly raised his head and glared at the Dementor swarm.
Every student present looked at him in awe.
It was as if they were watching a hero save the world.
"Who gave you permission? Fudge? Or the Ministry of Magic?"
"I remember that when you were stationed at Hogwarts, you promised not to do anything except search for Sirius Black."
"Then what are you doing now? Not only have you seriously disrupted order at Hogwarts, you have attacked underage wizards."
The silver light at the tip of his wand flared brilliantly, turning the entire sky silver-white.
The dark clouds were torn apart, and a circle opened around the Quidditch pitch, revealing the bright sky.
"I find you guilty."
Dudley's ringing, powerful voice echoed across the entire Quidditch pitch.
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