Seventieth Spell: Penalty

Once the Quaffle ball was launched by Gōgu-dono, the Quidditch players immediately made a mad dash for it.

"Looks like the Rookie Team Captain and Chaser Daizō has the Quaffle and he's making a beeline for the Veteran Team hoops!" Rusa said as she spectated on the match. "He's throwing the Quaffle and—oh no! The Veteran Team's Keeper and Captain Peri just blocked it. Now she's throwing the Quaffle to Chaser Akaji, who's got it now!

But wait! Rookie Chaser Sumi is trying to intercept and Akaji passes her like it's nothing! And what's Cheng doing? He's now trying to block Akaji from reaching the Rookie Team hoops but—oof! He got brushed aside by Akaji! That leaves Akaji wide open to make a shot! Will the Rookie Team's Keeper Juna be able to block him?"

The crowd watched in anticipation as Akaji threw the Quaffle toward the Rookie Team hoops. And despite Juna's attempted interception, the Quaffle went into the hoop which made a ding sound. As the older students cheered, Gōgu-dono got on his broom and flew down to where the Quaffle had fallen in the waves of the cove before it could be carried out to sea.

"Excellent throw by Akaji Juro!" Rusa complemented. "That's ten points for the Veteran Team and zero for the Rookies!"

"Come on, guys!" Daizō shouted to his teammates. "We can't let this keep happening to us!"

"Yeah, show some pride!" Hikari chimed in.

"She's really getting into this," Haru noticed. "Even though she's not doing anything."

"That's how it is for Seekers," Rui said. "All they have to worry about is the Snitch and nothing else. So all they can do is cheer their team."

As the match continued, the Veterans were clearly better than the Rookies as they were able to maneuver around the air quickly and efficiently. Yet Daizō didn't give up on his team as he kept encouraging them and tried intercepting the Quaffle whenever possible. The Bludgers, on the other hand, kept flying over the players' heads with no injuries so far. But then after the Veterans scored a third time, the Rookie Team Beater Mutsumi Bōtei decided to use his bat to send a Bludger toward the Malaysian Veteran Chaser Siti Putera. She was hit in the side and went spiraling out of the sky.

Gōgu-dono noticed this and blew a brass whistle. "Fowl! Penalty to the Rookie Team!"

The players stopped abruptly.

"What did we do wrong?" Hikari said, looking insulted.

"Bōtei deliberately sent a Bludger toward Putera, which is not allowed!" Gōgu-dono stated. "Therefore, the Veteran Team will get a free throw!"

"I was just sending the Bludger away from myself," Mutsumi argued. "Putera just happened to be in the way!"

Frowning, Gōgu turned his attention to Rusa. "What did you see, Jeong?"

Rusa paused and said, "I saw Mutsumi eying Siti's movements before he sent the Bludger towards her."

"So my verdict still stands," Gōgu declared.

While Popuri-dono used a spell to bring Siti over to his medical station on the cove's shore, Gōgu took the Quaffle from Sumi's hands and gave it to Akaji. Being closest to the Rookie Team hoops, he was able to throw the Quaffle into one of them.

"All right, so that's ten more points to the Veteran Team plus another ten since it was a penalty shot," Rusa stated. "That tallies the Veteran Team's score up to 50 points, leaving the Rookies with the 20 they've scored so far in the game."

"Get a grip, you guys!" shouted Nayu as she stood up from her seat. "You're better than this!"

"You're not helping, Rakkashi!" Sumi called back.

"Enough squabbling!" Gōgu snapped, causing both girls to shut up. "Now continue the game!"

Daizō then flew to Mutsumi to have a private conversation with him midair while Gōgu went to retrieve the Quaffle.

"Do you think Daizō told Mutsumi to send the Bludger toward Siti?" Haru speculated.

"He wouldn't do anything that dirty," Rui said. "Mutsumi probably thought he could get away with it, since Gōgu-dono seemed more concerned about the Veterans pulling something against the Rookies."

"Oh they're pulling something," said Gaane, who was sitting in the row above Haru and her younger sister Rui.

"They're creaming your class team!" added Gaane's twin sister Fuyou.

While Gaane and Fuyou laughed together, Rui glared up at them. "And since when did you two care about Quidditch? Neither of you attended a game before."

Gaane was about to say something when the Quaffle got thrown and the game resumed, causing a brief cheer from the crowds.

"I still don't care about Quidditch, and neither does Fuyou," Gaane corrected once the cheering died down. "We just thought it would be amusing."

"Yeah, since this whole match is nothing but a farce anyway," Fuyou said.

Rui groaned. "You guys are unbelievable."

"Not as unbelievable as your boyfriend," Gaane retorted.

"Boyfriend?" Rui blushed, unsure of who Gaane was talking about. Though after glancing at Haru, she immediately realized Gaane's implication. "I don't know what you mean."

"Don't play dumb with us, Rui," Fuyou said. "We know you like Haru more than a friend. Otherwise, why would you be hanging out with him?"

"I can hang out with whoever I want," Rui argued.

"Have you told Mom about Haru?" questioned Gaane.

"N-No," replied Rui.

Fuyou smirked mischievously. "Maybe we should tell her."

"You wouldn't dare!" Rui snapped.

While Rui was arguing with her sisters, Haru had completely zoned out. He suddenly felt lightheaded and heard Warumo's voice ringing in his head.

"Pick up your wand, Hebi!"

Immediately, Haru reached for the omamori charm in his robe pocket. But his hand felt clammy and he dropped it beneath the seats. As he was about to reach down, he ended up taking out his wand instead.

"Now, point your wand at the Prime Minister and cast the Body Explosion Curse," Warumo's voice instructed. "The annunciation is Razhà. Say it!"

Remembering when Daizō's father Ryosei Maki used the same curse to explode the Kamikiri on his first day of Defense Against the Dark Arts, Haru hesitated to speak even as the hand with his wand was moving on its own, pointing it in the direction of Prime Minister Fue. His chest began hurting badly, which added to Haru's headache.

"Don't try to resist," insisted Warumo's voice. "Or I'll force you to kill your female friend."

To be continued…