The Bard of Hogwarts

Chapter 285 Ino's Promise

The match is still ongoing.

Less than half an hour into the game, Ireland had already scored 70 points, while Bulgaria remained scoreless with zero points.

To those unfamiliar with Quidditch, this situation appears to be nothing short of a one-sided massacre.

However, many experienced fans saw through the strategy: Bulgaria used a five-to-one defense from the start.

To put it simply, there are five players on the field: three chasers and two batters, in addition to the goalkeeper. Their responsibility is to assist Krum.

Try to steal the Quaffle if you can, otherwise give up. Focus on Krum and catch the Golden Snitch before the score difference reaches 150 points to end the game in a blitzkrieg.

This strategy might be successful, but only if the opponent is strong. Against Ireland, a top team that is even stronger, the five-protect-one strategy becomes somewhat inadequate.

Clearly, the Irish team opted to play along after the start of the game. Since their Seekers couldn't beat Krum, they decided to use points to even things out.

It's also a blitzkrieg tactic; the goal is to widen the score gap to over 150 points before the Golden Thief is caught.

Both sides had their own agendas, but this benefited the 100,000 spectators present.

When two lightning bolts collide, the sparks they create are far more than just a tiny speck, not to mention the pre-match catalyst.

……

The intense competition and tense atmosphere enveloped the entire stadium.

But there was one place that remained completely unaffected.

"Professor! What are your plans after the start of the semester?" In the private room, Ino asked casually.

Although the story has been completely altered, the Goblet of Fire is unlikely to change, which makes him curious about Dumbledore's future plans.

"After the start of the school year?" Dumbledore raised an eyebrow in surprise, but quickly seemed to remember something and smiled:

"The future is not set in stone; it depends on the choices made by the diviner."

"However, I'd be happy to share my plans with you. The Goblet of Fire is a grand event, and it also represents the honor of the three magic schools in Europe..."

Dumbledore spoke softly, and Ino listened quietly throughout.

Meanwhile, Newt, the other main character in the room, was already hunched over his desk, writing furiously, seemingly recording something.

This master of magical creatures was completely absorbed in his own world, paying no attention to anyone else.

Outside, it was bustling with activity, but inside the private room, it was quiet and comfortable.

a long time.

After Dumbledore stopped speaking, Ino did not immediately express his own thoughts.

It was clear that the headmaster had no intention of giving up on Harry, or rather, he didn't want to give up on anyone. He still wanted to fight for Harry's chance, a chance to fight Voldemort one-on-one.

Faced with such boundless love, Ino neither could nor would she stop it.

This is similar to the trolley problem, one of the world's ten greatest philosophical paradoxes proposed by the famous English philosopher Philip Pafod in 1971.

A speeding tram was on its original track, where five people were ahead. Changing tracks would save them. However, after changing tracks, there was another person on the other track, but only one.

Should we save one, or five?

This problem has been troubling many people.

At this moment, Dumbledore provided the answer: knowing full well that Tom would cause bloodshed after his resurrection, he still chose to save Harry.

Like the trolley problem, Dumbledore, as the driver, did not change course to sacrifice the innocent person, but he also did not abandon the five people in front of him.

In this situation, Dumbledore chose to jump off the tram and use his strength to stop the speeding tram.

This may seem impossible to Muggles, but the very purpose of magic seems to be to make the impossible possible.

After figuring all this out, Ino was deeply moved.

"Professor! I may not be able to promise anything else, but as long as I am at Hogwarts, I will do my utmost to ensure the safety of the castle."

"I already knew that!" Dumbledore blinked, seemingly unsurprised by the promise.

Upon hearing this, Ino smiled nonchalantly.

It was obvious that Dumbledore was still hiding something from him, but it didn't matter; everyone has their own secrets.

……

On the other hand, as time went on...

The competition outside is becoming increasingly fierce, and the confrontations are becoming more brutal.

The Bulgarian team seems to have an innate tenacity; once the score reached 120-0, they realized that their previous strategy had failed.

Even so, they showed no signs of discouragement and immediately changed their strategy, joining the battle to capture the Quaffle.

Their efforts paid off; after a fierce battle, the score finally reached 130:10.

Although they seem to have broken through 0 points, many people believe that Ireland has already secured the victory.

"The Bulgarian lads are brave and tenacious!" Fudge exclaimed with delight.

Due to some historical issues, Ireland has always been a territory of the English Ministry of Magic.

Unlike Fudge's happiness, the Bulgarian Minister of Magic looked grim; he couldn't understand why he was being so indecisive.

If Bulgaria can turn the tide when their opponent is leading by 70 points, they still have a fighting chance.

Now that they're already 130 points behind, it's better to go all out, abandon pointless interference and defense, and let the whole team help Krum win the Golden Snitch.

The current shift, seemingly a form of resistance, is more accurately described as a desperate attempt to prolong the game and play a little longer.

This time, Ludo's voice resounded throughout the stadium once again.

"Look! Lynch has spotted the Golden Snitch! Ireland must have known about it a long time ago."

Even without Ludo's commentary, the Bulgarian players present all knew that they had been tricked.

……

Perhaps many things are predetermined from the very beginning.

Unlike the original story, although the match was exciting, Bulgaria still failed to secure a victory.

Two hours into the match.

Krumlinski faked out Irish Seeker Lynch and caught the Golden Snitch amidst cheers.

The whistle blew, and the score was now 170-160.

Ireland won the 422nd Quidditch World Cup by a narrow margin of 10 points.

The ten-point gap has caused dissatisfaction among many fans who support the Bulgarian team.

Although it's obvious to anyone with eyes to see that this is the best outcome, given the huge gap in points between the two sides, continuing the fight would only widen the gap further.

Rather than widening the score gap, it would be better to lose gracefully like this.

But smart people are always in the minority.

The number of dissatisfied fans seems to be growing, and a similar sense of restlessness is gradually spreading.

The situation seemed to be getting out of control.

The Bulgarian Minister of Magic turned his head in surprise, not understanding what Fudge was up to.

If no measures are taken now, a riot would be a disaster.

However, he was met with Fudge's smile, a confident smile.

As the Bulgarian Minister of Magic wondered what was happening, the door to the private room was pushed open from the outside.

(End of this chapter)