The Keep

35. Reminiscence

Jordan was right. Ravenclaw team was gaining more and more confidence in their play after their first goal. The team's strategic synchrony and tenacity was a match to seven Sirus 8.9 brooms. The crowd was starting to favor more towards Ravenclaw as they kept on gaining scores against Slytherin.

Twenty-Thirty. Ravenclaw made another goal. Stag scored while Singh was very tactfully intercepting a Bludger aimed at the Chaser. 

Twenty-Forty for Slytherin. And quickly followed by Twenty-Fifty. Malfoy scored twice in five minutes time. 

Thirty-Fifty. Stag scored again, very smoothly now with yet another striking strategy of the three Chasers. 

Thirty-Sixty. Slytherin's Burke scored. 

Forty-Sixty. Lambert, the fastest of the Ravenclaw's Chasers, was practically dancing his way through Bludgers, Beaters, and Chasers, and scored beautifully. 

Fifty-Sixty. Johansson scored after Stag passed the Quaffle just before the Hoops, deceiving Blaire, the Slytherin's Keeper.

By then, everyone in the audience was so transfixed with the Chasers, Beaters, and Keepers, that the rushing brooms of the two Seekers between the players invited a uniformed "Oooh!" from the spectator towers. 

Sweeney and Singh flew in to protect Stark, Ravenclaw's Seeker, as the two Seekers were diving and turning tail by tail for the Snitch. 

But, there lied the bitter truth Ciaran told Hazel before. Hardwares did make a difference, after all.

"Flaming Firedrake's Fangs," Hazel muttered quietly as she fell down to her seat. 

"Slytherin caught the Snitch! Fifty - Two Hundred Ten for Slytherin! Slytherin has won the game!!!" Jordan announced to the roaring celebration and booing from the spectators.

"It was a good game, though," Ciaran clapped his hands and shouted out, "Well done, lads and ladies. Well done!"

Hazel looked to Ravenclaw team's faces as they landed on the muddy pitch, they were patting each other's back in smiles. Johansson was smiling so wide without an ounce of heaviness on her face. In fact, everyone in them team was laughing with such lightness in their hearts. As if they enjoyed the game, even though they were losing.

Such magnificence of youth, Hazel thought.

All the team's previous worries and anxieties were gone. Even losing didn't even seem to matter. They were happy as long as they can give the best of themselves, so that they can enjoy themselves along with their mates. Such an honest and simple way to find happiness.

A kind of simplicity she has known before, Hazel thought as she turned her sight to the burly man beside her. "Did you say something to the team, before the game?" she asked.

"Of course I did," Ciaran said. "I've got to be discreet, mind you. McGonagall can warn me off favoritism all she wants, but it's a good thing I'm no longer a student." Ciaran didn't have to whisper to Hazel's ear, but he did anyway. The headmistress must have scared him still.

"Yeah, what did you say?" Hazel asked.

"I told them that most probably, they're going to lose. So, it will be a lot better, if they just accept it, so that they can get rid of the fear of their inevitable defeat," Ciaran said.

"I told them to feel the bitter defeat the worst way they could imagine it, and to put it in the bin. So that they can have fun and enjoy themselves at the game, instead. They're already lost, anyway. They have nothing else to lose," Ciaran showed off his charming smile as he grinned proudly to himself.