Chapter 292 The Grand Advertising Billboard

Behind the colorful slogan "Gryffindor Victory!" was the logo and motto of Hogwarts' magical newspaper and store, exuding a deep and dreamy color scheme.

This luminous advertisement was positioned at the very top, approximately one-third the size of the Gryffindor stands, capturing the awed gazes of all young wizards before the players entered.

The billboard was conceptualized by Evan. Its realization was entirely executed by Sirius. No one knew the extent of effort he had put into it. The final design of the billboard far exceeded Evan's wildest imagination.

In fact, maintaining the aforementioned pattern not only required significant magical support but also special materials for its construction.

All of this was exceedingly costly. Such a large billboard undoubtedly demanded a substantial amount of Galleons.

Although the investment was not cheap, the achieved effect was evident to all.

All Slytherin students looked pale and resentfully gazed at the Gryffindor stands.

They too made some preparations. Behind Slytherin's goalposts, two hundred individuals clad in green stood; Slytherin's silver serpent sparkled on their banners.

However, compared to the surrounding scarlet sea, these preparations seemed feeble and insignificant.

In the front row was Professor Snape, dressed in green like those around him, with a rather grim smile.

Evan and Hermione made their way to the stands, and she showed great interest in the overhead billboard.

"How did you and Sirius pull this off?" she asked curiously. "Before today, I didn't even realize this was in the works."

"Sirius handled all the work. I merely contributed the concept," explained Evan. "I drew inspiration from the professional matches of Muggle teams. I felt I could introduce some elements appropriately. Several companies collaborating with Hogwarts' magical newspaper were willing to sponsor it. Originally, we intended to invest in a one-time use advertising board to encircle the entire edge of the stands, but Professor McGonagall disagreed, deeming it too commercial, so for now, we only created this billboard."

"This surpasses my imagination. How much magic did you infuse into it?" Hermione inquired with interest. "But Professor McGonagall is right. It's not really suitable for these things to be introduced in a school Quidditch competition."

"To make these patterns move, in the past two months, Sirius used over three hundred magical spells. He was very willing to do these things to support Harry," Evan said as he handed Hermione the rosettes that had just been distributed at the door. "All Gryffindor fans must wear this. Everyone believes that the rosettes can bring good luck."

"Do rosettes really bring good luck?" Hermione halted and smiled. "This is the first time I've heard of it. I always thought people handed them out on Valentine's Day."

Perhaps Evan was too close; Hermione suddenly realized something and stopped abruptly.

"Can I help you put on this rosette?" Evan gathered his courage and asked.

"Of course!" Hermione's face reddened.

With Hermione's approval, Evan awkwardly assisted her in putting on the rosette.

Seeing Evan's expression, Hermione smiled happily. Beneath the scarlet rosette, she appeared utterly amazed and thrilled.

Evan felt his cheeks flush, his heart pounding strongly.

He heard a burst of laughter behind him. Turning around, he saw Ginny and several other girls who had been following them, smiling, chatting, and looking at them intently.

By the time Evan and Hermione managed to navigate through the crowd and reach Ron and Colin to help them secure their spots, the team had already begun to enter.

As soon as they sat down, they heard commentator Lee Jordan shout, "And here come the Gryffindors! Look at their lineup, Potter, Bell, Johnson, Spinnet, the Weasley Brothers, and Wood. Widely recognized as the best Quidditch team Hogwarts has seen in several years..."

Lee's comments were drowned out by a wave of boos from the Slytherin end.

"And here comes the Slytherin team, led by Captain Flint. He has made some changes in the lineup and seems to be prioritizing size over skill..."

Upon hearing his remarks, the Slytherin boos grew louder.

Nevertheless, Evan thought Lee was right. He frowned as he observed the Slytherin players on the field. Malfoy was easily the smallest person on the team; the rest were all tall and big. They were all the size of Crabbe and Goyle.

After both captains shook hands, fourteen brooms rose in the air, and the sound of Professor Hooch's whistle was lost in the roar of the crowd.

Evan watched Harry take the lead, with Malfoy not giving chase. Instead, he mounted his broom and flew in the opposite direction, speeding in search of the Golden Snitch.

The odds for both players in the two halves were 50%, which was very unfavorable for Harry with his Firebolt and the Gryffindor team, who were lagging in the overall score.

Harry didn't hesitate to turn his broom towards the other half of the field and follow Malfoy, making it difficult for him with his speed advantage.

"And it's Gryffindor in possession, Alicia Spinnet from Gryffindor with the Quaffle, heading straight for Slytherin's goal posts, looking good, Alicia! Oh, no... Quaffle intercepted by Warrington, Warrington from Slytherin tearing down the field... SMACK! Great work with the Bludger there from George Weasley, Warrington drops the Quaffle, it's caught by... Johnson, Gryffindor regains possession, come on, Angelina, that's a Bludger! GOAL BY HER! TEN-ZERO TO GRYFFINDOR!"

Lee Jordan's commentary was fervent. He shouted into the silence of the crowd, "Well done, Angelina, what a good girl!"

Then, before anyone could react, Alicia grabbed the ball again. Skillfully dodging the keeper, she placed the ball into Slytherin's goal post. Twenty-zero to Gryffindor.

Wood's tactics paid off, and Gryffindor took the lead over Slytherin on the scoreboard thanks to the superiority gained through rigorous training.

Everyone's performance was incredible. The Quaffle was always on Gryffindor's side, and Wood saved nearly every ball.

The pace of the game was very fast. In less than ten minutes, Gryffindor was 50 points ahead. With that, everyone relied on Harry's performance. If he managed to catch the Golden Snitch before Malfoy, then this year's Quidditch Cup would be Gryffindor's.