Chapter 185: Epic Tier, Captain, and Troll News!

The next moment, Ciel focused his mind. The broomstick immediately drifted down like a falling leaf. Then when it fell to a certain extent, he gently shifted his body. A beautiful arc trajectory swept through the air. This movement was something he had seen Cedric Diggory show off during training. Cedric had apparently imitated a famous Quidditch star's signature move... the magical world called it the Falling Leaf Spiral. Outside professional matches, in school Quidditch, absolutely very few could perform this move. When Cedric did it that time, there was also an element of luck. He still remembered that after Cedric successfully performed the Falling Leaf Spiral, he jumped directly off his broomstick and did five or six backflips to vent his excitement. But now, he tried the Falling Leaf Spiral. It felt like there was no difficulty at all. As natural as breathing. As long as he was willing, he could perform such movements thousands of times without error. Light flashed in his eyes. "I seem to have underestimated the impact of Diamond-tier flight ability enhancement on me. My physical constitution is already unparalleled in the magical world. Plus I have Legendary-tier anti-vertigo ability, so I don't feel dizzy at all. Diamond-tier flight ability, combined with my already decent flying talent and unparalleled constitution and anti-dizziness ability. The result is that my actual flight performance is probably close to Epic tier in the system's evaluation! Even on professional Quidditch fields filled with superstars, probably only a few star players could achieve this!" He took a deep breath. This tier of flight ability would definitely give him an overwhelming advantage in aerial combat. Even those magical creatures that lived in the air wouldn't outmatch him in the sky. Much less ordinary wizards. The sky, after the ocean, could also be considered his home field! "When the Firebolt comes out, I should get one." Light exploded in his eyes. Then in the sky, he'd be able to handle wizards much stronger than himself. Even if he couldn't win, escaping wouldn't be a problem. Thinking of this harvest, he couldn't help but smile. "This time was truly a huge gain." Then he put away the mature Elber Tree. This rare ancient plant had considerable value. Especially after being cultivated by him at such high altitude, its value far exceeded anything before. Whether for Herbology or Potionology, it was excellent research material. One or even several top-tier papers would probably be no problem. He still remembered Professor Sprout mentioning the Herbology Association's youth award. Winning that award would give him hope of obtaining another ancient active plant seed! After carefully storing the Elber Tree, he headed toward Hogwarts. Cedric had said in his letter there was something important regarding tomorrow's finals. As Quidditch team captain, Cedric couldn't joke about such things. He also cared greatly about the Quidditch Cup. After all, this wasn't just Hufflepuff's collective honour. It was also something Aunt Sprout had been thinking about constantly. Hufflepuff hadn't won the Quidditch Cup in decades. No matter from what angle, he had to win these finals. Now that everything was resolved, he needed to hurry over and see. When he arrived at the pitch, the scene before his eyes surprised him. Captain and Seeker Cedric Diggory was lying on a stretcher with bandages, looking injured. The nearby Quidditch team members all showed bewildered expressions. He walked over, frowning. "Cedric? What's the situation?" Cedric's face was full of regret. "It's my fault for being too careless. Getting injured at such a crucial moment." He enquired, "Did you go to the hospital wing? What did Madam Pomfrey say? Our house also has many magical herbs... maybe we can get you recovered before tomorrow's finals." Cedric smiled bitterly and shook his head. "I went to see her." His face showed pain. "If I were injured somewhere else, even with broken arms or legs, I could still fly a broomstick one-handed or one-legged. But my spine is broken... I can't move at all. Madam Pomfrey treated me, and the Head of House also brought me healing herbs for bone injuries. But I need at least seven days to get out of bed... there's no way I can make tomorrow's finals." At this point, the surrounding teammates' expressions were extremely heavy. He was indeed Hufflepuff's trump card and tactical core. But Cedric, as captain, was undoubtedly the team's soul. The tactical formations centred around him as beater had all been coordinated and commanded by Cedric. It could be said that with Cedric, Hufflepuff's formation changes were so smooth they were almost flawless. He could fire Bludgers like heavy artillery, bringing the entire pitch's rhythm under control. If Cedric were absent, it would be a huge weakening for Hufflepuff. And now there was an even more troublesome problem before them. This was also the biggest reason for Cedric's bitter self-blame. "If I can't participate, we won't have a Seeker. Harry has improved rapidly this term... he flies excellently. Having learnt from last time, this time he'll try to catch the Golden Snitch as quickly as possible right from the start." He understood Cedric's concern. In Hufflepuff's tactics, Cedric as Seeker also took on the responsibility of searching for the Golden Snitch and commanding formations to block the opposing Seeker. In their first match against Gryffindor, when Harry wanted to catch the Golden Snitch as quickly as possible to end the battle, it was Cedric who commanded the team to block Harry's trajectory, allowing Hufflepuff to win easily. But without an experienced Seeker like Cedric, if they switched to another newcomer, they might not even spot the Golden Snitch's trail. The rapidly improving Harry would catch the Snitch at the first opportunity. Hufflepuff's tactics wouldn't have time to deploy before they could quickly lose. His mind also recalled the description of Gryffindor versus Hufflepuff in the first year from the original story. That match didn't even have much description. Harry caught the Golden Snitch right after the opening whistle blew. Hufflepuff was completely just background. But moments later, he cut off all these distracting thoughts in his mind. This time, with him here, there wouldn't be any possibility of accidents. He looked at Cedric. "If we're missing a Seeker, then let me do it." Cedric and the other Hufflepuff teammates were stunned. He as Seeker? Then what about the Beater position? Hufflepuff had trained most of the year centred around him as their tactical core. Wasn't this self-defeating? Cedric said urgently, "Ciel, don't be hasty. You've been doing Beater training. Seeker work is different from Beater. This requires very exquisite flying technique..." The next moment, he cleanly mounted his Nimbus 2000. Drawing a cobra-like arc, he shot skyward. Cedric was stunned. "That's... the Cobra Roll?" Then he saw him dancing like a butterfly in the wind, flipping and drawing exquisitely perfect arcs. "Butterfly Dance?" The next second, he used the technique that Cedric had practised hard for so long yet could only occasionally succeed at. "Falling Leaf Spiral?!" Cedric felt like he was dreaming. Was this what you could see in school Quidditch? So many high-difficulty manoeuvres... you might not master even one after years of practice. Yet he pulled them off so effortlessly. What tier was this? "Even professional players are only about this good!" Cedric's breathing became rapid. He never would have imagined he was hiding this skill. This flying technique could beat him, a Seeker, hands down! But Cedric's heart held no jealousy at being so easily surpassed. Only intense joy. If his spine weren't broken, he'd jump off the stretcher right now and give him a big hug. If he didn't mind, even his first kiss would be fine. "Damn it! Ciel Sprout! You've kept me in the dark! If you'd said earlier you flew this well, we wouldn't have needed those Beater tactics at all. Just have the referee blow the whistle, you catch the Golden Snitch, and we could dominate all houses for seven years, ruling the Quidditch Cup!" Cedric got excited. The other Hufflepuff teammates' eyes also showed shock and wild joy. Looking at him now, they saw him like a saviour on the pitch! Then, after a long while, Cedric finally managed to calm down somewhat. Looking at him expectantly. "Ciel. Good brother. When my back heals, could you teach me that Falling Leaf Spiral? Ahem... As captain, I'll set you up. I'm not bragging... I can get contact info for upperclassmen from all four houses. If you need it, I'll slip them love potions and tie them up for you." He looked at Cedric speechlessly. "Usually so proper. Now with a broken back, still so flashy?" Cedric chuckled. Then he struggled to reach out and remove his captain's armband. Under his surprised gaze, Cedric handed him the captain's armband. He shook his head. "Cedric. There's no precedent for first-year students wearing captain armbands. I don't want to stand out like that." Cedric pursed his lips. "What does standing out have to do with the captain's armband? When the match starts and you fly, all the attention will be yours anyway. Take it. Win this match beautifully for our house." He paused, seeing the surrounding Hufflepuff teammates' agreeing expressions. Eyes falling on him. After a moment, he took a deep breath. Reaching out, under Cedric's smile, he grasped the captain's armband. "Alright. For tomorrow's finals, I'll temporarily replace Cedric as Hufflepuff's interim captain and Seeker." Meanwhile, at another Quidditch training ground, Gryffindor players were also sweating for tomorrow's finals. Especially Harry. He was gritting his teeth, with sandbags tied to his body and even wearing armour. Flying rapidly surrounded by Bludgers. All for one purpose... to break through the Bludgers he would fire tomorrow. Before the score gap became irreparable, he had to catch the Golden Snitch as fast as possible. Based on previous experience against Hufflepuff, this was the only way to win. All victory or defeat could be said to rest on Harry's shoulders. This put enormous pressure on him but also filled him with motivation. Especially since there hadn't been much activity around the fourth-floor corridor lately. It seemed Snape had finally given up his plan to steal the Philosopher's Stone. This let Harry breathe easier and focus on training. His mind occasionally flashed to the crushing defeat against Hufflepuff. Secretly gritting his teeth. This time, Harry wanted to win it back. Gryffindor captain Wood was very satisfied watching Harry's condition. After this period of training, Harry had even become more robust. There was still hope for winning tomorrow. Just then, Professor McGonagall hurried to the pitch and told Wood something. Wood's eyes widened, almost jumping up. "What?!" Harry and the others stopped, looking at the ecstatic Wood, not knowing what news he'd received. The next moment, they also doubted their ears. "Cedric Diggory is injured and will miss tomorrow's finals. Ciel is taking over his captain position and will also serve as Seeker?!" Harry stood there completely stunned. All his training during this time had been aimed at Beater Ciel. But tomorrow, he would be in the Seeker position? This made Harry first feel regret. Then excitement. Seeker? Going head-to-head with him?! What strength did Hufflepuff have left? Moreover, in this position, the rapidly improving Harry had absolute confidence in beating the temporary substitute Ciel. Wood and the others exchanged glances with Harry. Only one thought remained in their minds, and they heard their hearts pounding. "Tomorrow. We're definitely going to win!" Harry clenched his fists even tighter. Tomorrow, he was confident he could catch the Golden Snitch within three minutes and end the match! At this time, Cedric lay on the stretcher with a sly expression. "The position change application has been submitted. Professor McGonagall is a serious, fair professor, but she's also a passionate Quidditch enthusiast. She's not that rigid. I think now this news should have the Gryffindor lions ecstatic, thinking they've already won tomorrow." Cedric chuckled, laughing so hard his back hurt, making his face twitch with pain. "I'm so looking forward to their expressions tomorrow." He was speechless. He was getting to know Cedric's scheming side. Indeed, someone who appeared so gentle and refined on the surface was black inside when cut open. At this moment, he remembered to ask. "Speaking of which, Cedric. How exactly did you break your back?" This made Cedric's expression change, showing lingering fear. "During training earlier, I was already dizzy from exhaustion but still wanted to catch the Golden Snitch before resting. When I came to my senses, I found I was already over the Forbidden Forest. What was worse, there was actually a large group of trolls in the woods below me. Merlin's beard, I've never seen so many trolls gathered together... there had to be at least ten! One troll threw a stone at me, trying to knock me down. I dodged it, but my broomstick's tail got hit, and I lost control. Though I managed to fly back, when landing, the broomstick completely flipped." While Cedric was describing how scary those trolls were, he suddenly saw his movements freeze. Intense light also flashed in his eyes. "You're saying... At least ten or more trolls in a settlement?!"