Chapter 291 The Eve Of The Final
Much like Evan, Harry spent a restless night.
The Quidditch finals of tomorrow were weighing heavily on him, especially because he was crucial to Gryffindor's victory, and Harry tossed and turned in bed with many dreams.
At first, he dreamt that he had overslept, and that Wood was shouting, "Where were you? You missed the start of the match, and we had to use Neville in your place!"
Then he dreamt that Malfoy and the rest of the Slytherin team arrived for the match riding dragons.
He was flying at top speed, trying to dodge a blast of flames from Malfoy's steed, when he realized he had forgotten his Firebolt.
He discovered his Firebolt was in Malfoy's hands, and as his opponent mocked him, Harry jolted awake, falling through the air.
It took a few seconds for Harry to remember the match had yet to take place, and he was still safe in his bed.
Furthermore, they definitely wouldn't allow the Slytherin team to play mounted on dragons.
He rolled over and fell back asleep. With Ron's loud snores in his ears, Harry snuggled under his quilt, his thoughts gradually fading away.
The next day, Evan was a bit groggy and was finally roused by Colin.
"We must hurry. Harry and the other players have already gone to have breakfast at the Great Hall," Colin told Evan as he handed him his robe. "I asked Vicky to help us secure two seats next to Harry. I want to wish Harry good luck before the match starts."
Evan didn't react immediately until he realized what Colin was saying.
He threw on his clothes haphazardly, and followed Colin hastily to the Great Hall, which was bustling with noise and applause.
People gathered around Harry and the rest of the Gryffindor team. Professor McGonagall and Sirius were there, and there were even many from the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff Houses wishing the players luck.
Colin hurriedly led Evan to where Cho Chang was whispering to Harry, who was obviously blushing and nodding.
"Good morning, Evan!" Cho immediately noticed Evan approaching, a soft smile gracing her face, looking very at ease.
Before she could speak to Evan, Luna, humming a strange, light melody, walked straight over.
Seeing "Loony Luna," everyone unconsciously took half a step back.
As usual, no one was eager to get close to her. But Luna seemed oblivious. She offered her good wishes to Harry like everyone else, then turned to Evan to tell him about the Wrackspurt she had found that morning.
"These creatures like to be invisible, but if you're willing to help, I think we can catch them. My father has a very useful spell." Luna spoke in a trance, with anticipation in her misty eyes. "We can write an article about the process of finding and catching Wrackspurts and feature it in the latest issue of the newspaper."
"That's a great idea, Luna!" Evan said apologetically. "But I have other plans for today. I can't join you in catching those Wrackspurts!"
As planned the previous night, Evan was set to attempt to use Buckbeak the Hippogriff to fly to Aragog's Nest after the Quidditch final.
He hoped Harry would win the match and that no one would notice what he was about to do.
Evan gently patted Harry's shoulder, and Harry smiled hesitantly.
Evan turned and spotted Hermione waving at him from the corner. He hurried over to her.
"Except for Snape and Slytherin, almost everyone is supporting Gryffindor," Hermione said, staring at Harry and the crowd still approaching to greet him. "I understand their sentiments, but they are pressuring Harry by doing so. You know, in today's match, he has to keep an eye on the Seeker and only when Gryffindor is over fifty points ahead can he catch it."
"Calm yourself, Hermione, you're starting to sound like Wood now," Evan hastily filled his plate.
"Really?" Hermione said, astonished. Just as Evan was about to say something, his attention quickly shifted towards Harry.
The welcome ceremony didn't last long, and Wood promptly instructed everyone to make room for their teammates so they could have breakfast.
Throughout the breakfast, he cheered on his team to eat, yet he himself didn't touch anything.
He then hurried them out to the field before anyone else had finished, so they could get a feel for the conditions.
As Harry and the team members left the Great Hall, everyone applauded once more.
At the long Slytherin table, the people sitting there booed loudly as Harry passed by. Malfoy, however, remained silent. He sat nervously in his seat, paler than usual.
The upcoming Quidditch final was a test for all participants.
Just like in the match between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw over a month ago, as the players headed to the changing rooms, other wizards rushed to the stands hoping to secure a good spot.
These finals were meant to be unlike any Quidditch matches before. Apart from Slytherin students, everyone showed clear support for Gryffindor.
Following Evan's suggestion, Sirius prepared numerous scarlet ribbons and scarlet flags with the Gryffindor lion, and other young wizards spontaneously made banners with slogans like "Go GRYFFINDOR!" and "LIONS FOR THE CUP!"
Now, if someone looked from above, they would see a scarlet sea.
Three quarters of the crowd sported scarlet ribbons and cheered for Gryffindor.
Most striking was a large banner behind the Gryffindor audience, featuring a vibrant and changing animation of a Gryffindor lion running on the green grass, players, Bludgers, and the Quaffle spinning and flying around. Suddenly, a small silvery white snake appeared and tried to stop it, but the lion leaped with irresistible force, caught the Golden Snitch in mid-air, and stomped on the silver snake firmly.
The silvery white snake didn't twist, and in the next second, the entire pattern transformed into a display of magnificent fireworks.
"VICTORY FOR GRYFFINDOR!" Large signs emerged from the scene, capturing everyone's attention.