Hogwarts: Nagini captured at the start

Chapter 40 Training in Progress

Thump! Thump!

Katie clutched her neck, trying to calm her racing heart. Her face flushed, she wanted to thank the boy, but he had already ridden off on his flying broomstick to chase after that damned black ball.

In the air!

Luo Bin suddenly accelerated, caught up with the ball, and hit it on the top.

Before the black ball could recover from the first blow, it was hit by the second, and it spun dizzily downwards.

Robin swooped down to catch up, and when the ball was 2 meters off the ground, he swung his arm from bottom to top and hit it at the bottom.

Then the people on the field saw a boy, controlling a broom in one hand and gripping a bat in the other. He flew very fast, faster than the black ball. Every time he flew in front of the black ball, he would strike it, forcing the black ball to change direction and rush forward.

Ten minutes later, with a loud bang, the ball smashed into the grass, leaving a large crater.

Countless mud splattered outwards, splashing onto Fred and George's faces and jerseys.

"Robin, did you do this on purpose?" Fred asked, wiping the mud off his face.

"Oh my god, is that even a question? He's definitely just jealous that we're both handsome, haha!"

After George finished speaking, he grabbed some mud from the pit and threw it at Fred.

They laughed loudly when they hit the target, and continued to grab mud when they missed. Fred was not to be outdone, and the two of them stopped suddenly while they were hitting the target.

After exchanging a glance, they grabbed two large handfuls of mud and threw them behind them!

Robin swung his broom, sending it flying behind Wood. Then, someone's roar echoed throughout the entire stadium, making the leaves on the trees tremble.

"Fred, George, you two are punished by doing 500 sets of aerial spins. You're not allowed back to the castle until you finish!"

Wood wiped the mud off his mouth and nose, enduring the stench of mud as he angrily rebuked them.

Fred and George rode their flying brooms, circled Wood three or four times, and then soared into the sky laughing and joking. Clearly, they were already used to similar punishments.

Wood sighed, picked up the black ball from the pit, and said, "The Weasley brothers are too difficult to manage, but I have to admit, their coordination in the air is excellent. They can convey a lot of information with just a glance. Robin, your performance just now was absolutely brilliant. I've never seen anyone chase after a wandering ball and make it unable to dodge, but..."

Robin followed Wood's gaze upwards. The Weasley brothers were playing a game of "If you bump into me, I'll do a 720-degree flip in mid-air." "Wood, I understand, but I have a question. Is the training intensity for substitute players the same as that for regular players?"

"Yes, they're the same!"

"Um, okay!"

Alas, the bubble of hope for laziness has been mercilessly burst.

Wood wiped the mud off the ball, put it in a wooden crate, and tied it with a restraint strap.

This time, the black ball stopped its buzzing and provocative vibrations; it remained lifeless in the box, like a Muggle toy without magic.

Robin rode his flying broomstick, surveyed the entire stadium, and after spotting a small purple dot on the distant aisle of the stands, he floated back to the ground.

It seems that the black ball's frantic running around wasn't due to Dobby's early arrival, but rather Quirinas Quirrell's interference. So, was his target Harry Potter, or something else?

"Robin, come here quickly, Wood is about to talk about the third type of ball."

Harry's shout interrupted Robin's thoughts. He put the broom down and squatted down in front of the wooden box.

Wood took out a small, golden ball, about the size of a walnut, with a pair of silver wings, from the wooden box.

"This ball is called the Golden Snitch. When it flies, it's as fast as lightning. Sometimes, it stops and hovers in places that are not easily observed."

"The Seeker's only goal is the Golden Snitch. Catching it will earn his team 150 points, which is enough to decide the outcome of the game."

"Oh, right, there's one more thing to remember: when a Quidditch match ends, it's not by the score between the two teams, nor by how long the match lasts, but by when the Golden Snitch is caught."

"What if neither team can catch it?" Harry asked.

"Unless there are special circumstances, the competition will continue until the Golden Snitch is caught. The longest competition I can recall is three months, with regular players and substitutes rotating in and out, otherwise..."

"What else?" Harry asked, puzzled and curious.

"Um, this...that."

"Otherwise, you might die suddenly!" Robin replied for Wood.

Fighting day and night in the air, the probability of sudden death is bound to increase.

"ah!!"

"It's not that serious. Okay, let's not talk about this anymore. Come on, let's start the formal training."

Wood took out a bag of golf balls and had Robin, Harry, and him fly into the air. He threw a ball in each hand, Robin was responsible for hitting the ball, and Harry was responsible for catching it.

The golf balls were enchanted; whenever they were hit, or caught and then released, they would fly back into the bag, allowing Wood to keep throwing them.

Robin hit every shot perfectly, not missing a single golf ball, and Harry did the same. Wood was overjoyed and repeatedly declared that this year's competition would crush the Slytherin team.

An hour later, the training ended. Wood, like a doting mother, repeatedly reminded the two of the precautions for relaxing their muscles before letting them leave.

As soon as the two reached the edge of the court, they saw Ron arguing with Hermione. One had his lips pouting, and the other had her nose red with anger.

Clearly, they were both very angry.

"Ron, what's wrong?"

Harry frowned, his eyes seeming to say: How dare you provoke a scourge?

"Robin, Harry, you two be the judge. All I said was, 'If you want to watch, go watch from the stands.' And she started lecturing me like she stepped on a cannonball. The midnight adventure happened so long ago, and she's still bringing it up. Humph, her heart is smaller than a sesame seed."

"Ha! Aren't I telling the truth? You've broken school rules and show no remorse. Sooner or later, Malfoy will have a big handle on you. And let me reiterate, I was so engrossed in reciting the incantation that I wasn't even looking where I was going. Do you think I'm interested in watching greenhorns play basketball?"

Hermione rolled her eyes at Ron and stormed off.

"She's lying, I saw it, Robin, she was staring at you, or more precisely, staring at your flying broom!"

"Ron said."

"She has such a temper! Every time I see her, she's angry!" Harry recalled.

"Maybe she's just eyeing the latest broom. Anyway, let's not talk about her anymore. I'm really missing my big, soft bed right now!" Robin changed the subject.

"Me too!" Harry said, rubbing his sore shoulders.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go back to the castle!" Robin said.

Under the cover of night, three boys walked toward the castle, their feet treading on the meticulously manicured lawn.

(End of this chapter)