Chapter 688: 688: The Wick Curve, the Snow of 1998

Professional leagues used Firebolts across the board.

That was the difference between professionals and amateurs.

Young wizards also found it difficult to control the Firebolt’s speed.

Of course, Harry Potter was the exception. That monster hardly counted.

What normal person could pick up a Firebolt and master it immediately?

Most people needed repeated training before they could gradually learn to control one.

But in a professional club, that was only a basic skill.

The instant the Golden Snitch appeared, Malfoy spotted it first.

He accelerated toward it.

The Chudley Cannons’ Seeker was a step slower, but his superior control allowed him to catch up.

The two repeatedly overtook one another in midair.

“Time I showed you what a professional looks like,” the Seeker said viciously.

Malfoy ignored the threat and continued chasing the Golden Snitch at full speed.

The Snitch was fast, and the two of them also exchanged a few subtle bumps and tricks along the way.

“It’s the Golden Snitch! The Golden Snitch has appeared!”

The commentators had an excellent view of the pitch. After Mrs. McMahon pointed it out, Ernie immediately noticed the Snitch.

“Draco Malfoy spotted it first! I knew one day I’d get the chance to commentate on him again. Many people may not know much about him,” Ernie said excitedly as he watched the familiar figure show off his skills. “He was captain of Slytherin’s Quidditch team at Hogwarts and maintained Slytherin’s record of thirteen consecutive victories.”

“In his final match, I shed tears for him. He may be an arse, but no one can question his love for Quidditch!”

“Mrs. McMahon, who do you think is more likely to catch the Golden Snitch?”

Mrs. McMahon analysed the situation.

“Their flying skills are about equal. For a newcomer to perform at this level is extremely rare, but at the moment, his opponent has the positional advantage.”

The moment she finished speaking, the Golden Snitch suddenly climbed and flew toward the stands.

Malfoy followed without hesitation.

He swept over the Chudley Cannons supporters.

Ron, standing below, saw the focused and serious expression on his face.

The two Seekers shot through the air like arrows, accompanied by the howl of the wind.

John stood up, his eyes fixed on the action below.

After circling the stadium once, both of them also had to guard against underhanded tricks from the other.

Today’s Golden Snitch was exceptionally mischievous.

It changed direction again and flew toward one of the Chudley Cannons’ Chasers.

“Move!”

The Chaser was startled and hurriedly dodged aside.

The Golden Snitch darted through the middle of the pitch, and the two Seekers weaved around the other players.

At last, they broke through the crowd.

Then the Golden Snitch suddenly shot upward.

If they did not slow down, they would crash straight into the spectators.

The Chudley Cannons’ Seeker caught sight of Malfoy out of the corner of his eye.

Not only was he refusing to slow down, he was accelerating.

“Are you insane? You’re going to crash!”

Malfoy ignored him.

The Chudley Cannons’ Seeker gritted his teeth and reduced his speed.

A gust of wind swept past him.

Just as Malfoy was about to smash into the stands, he roared,

“I trained with John too!”

He arched his back and forcefully hauled on the broom with both hands.

As screams erupted from the stands, the broom traced an astonishing curve through the air.

Its tail brushed across the bald head of a middle-aged man before shooting upward into the sky.

Malfoy had not slowed down at all.

His speed continued to climb.

“The Wick Curve! It’s the Wick Curve! The Second King, John Wick, once used that move on the Quidditch pitch!”

“And in that match, he caught the Golden Snitch!”

Ernie roared excitedly.

Seeing such an outrageous manoeuvre again after leaving Hogwarts was nothing short of a miracle.

Mrs. McMahon shot to her feet.

“Madness. Absolute madness!”

The Firebolt bent at such an extreme angle that, for a moment, it looked as though it might snap.

Malfoy pulled two lengths ahead of his opponent, stretched out his hand, and firmly seized the Golden Snitch.

He hovered at the edge of the pitch, raising the golden ball high above his head.

Its brilliant glow was just as striking as his hair.

“Tell me, who’s the weak one now?!”

His arrogant face matched his equally arrogant words.

The title of Pitch Tyrant truly suited Draco Malfoy.

Puddlemere United’s supporters stared in disbelief before leaping to their feet and erupting into thunderous cheers.

Malfoy became carried away.

Instead of descending, he flew to the middle of the pitch and stood up on his broom.

He spread both arms and closed his eyes.

Little by little, he took in the cheers of the entire stadium.

John saw the familiar scene and shook his head helplessly.

Still, he raised the camera in his hand and, from the best possible angle, pressed the shutter.

The image captured Malfoy standing on his broom and accepting the praise of the entire stadium.

That photograph would later be selected as one of the ten most shocking images of the year.

“So they’ve already become this dazzling…”

Ron stared blankly at Malfoy, who had become the center of everyone’s attention.

Without him even noticing, the people who had graduated alongside him had each begun to shine in their own way.

And he was still ordinary.

Ron clenched his fists, his expression complicated.

Images of his friends surfaced in his mind.

Suddenly, he no longer wanted to open a shop.

…

Next week, Puddlemere United would face the Caerphilly Catapults in the semifinals.

If they won, they would play in the Premier Wizard League final the following month to determine the champion.

Malfoy had already missed this year’s national team selection.

His next opportunity would not come until the next World Cup.

After stepping through the portal, John handed the photograph to Tommy.

“Give this to Rita. I think she’ll like it.”

Tommy hesitated.

“I promised Oz I’d be back before six.”

“Is that so?”

John put the photograph away and said calmly, “Then you don’t have to go.”

Before Tommy could become happy, John continued,

“You seemed to take an extra hat earlier.”

“My Lord, I’ll go!”

Tommy immediately spoke with righteous conviction.

“Serving my Lord knows no schedule.”

What a joke.

He did not have a single Knut on him.

There was no way he could afford that high-end luxury hat.

Taking the photograph, Tommy immediately hurried away.

Not long after he left, John passed by Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes.

Through the window, he saw the two brothers laughing and joking around inside.

Angelina seemed to be complaining about something. The twins had probably pulled another prank.

Fred glanced toward the window and noticed John outside.

John gave a slight nod.

Fred placed his right hand over his chest and bowed with a mischievous grin.

His lips silently formed the words,

“My King.”

John chose not to go inside. Instead, he passed Gringotts and headed toward Knockturn Alley.

Halfway there, John raised his head and looked up at the sky.

“It’s snowing.”

A snowflake drifted down from thousands of metres above and landed gently in his palm.

Then more and more snow began to fall.

Christmas would be next month.

And this year was almost over.

“So much time has already passed.”

John looked momentarily dazed.

The snowflake in his palm did not melt.

He stepped into the Inverted Garden.

Without Barty Crouch Jr. there to maintain it, some parts of the garden had become overgrown and untidy.

John thought, Should I clear away those troublesome weeds?

He stared at them for a while, then smiled and left.

Knockturn Alley was now extremely lively.

It was hard to imagine that only a few years ago, this had been a dark district that even adult wizards were reluctant to enter.

Some of the distinctive shops with their eerie atmosphere had been preserved, but most of the area had become as ordinary as Diagon Alley.

Silver Cross Hospital was predominantly white, giving it a solemn appearance.

A wizard walked out carrying a fairly thick medical examination report.

This was part of the required medical examination procedure for taking a job in Knockturn Alley.

Some of Knockturn Alley’s policies were highly attractive to wizards seeking employment.

For example, certain shops arranged medical examinations every six months or every quarter.

It was an excellent benefit.

John spotted two familiar faces.

Lupin was helping Tonks out of the hospital.

Now employed by the Werewolf Affairs Office, Lupin had long since escaped his previous financial difficulties.

There were no longer patches on his clothes.

He was together with Nymphadora Tonks.

Because Auror work had become increasingly dangerous, Tonks had been temporarily transferred away from active Auror duty during her pregnancy and reassigned to an office position.

John did not stay for long.

He walked past Silver Cross Hospital.

Lupin noticed him, but unfortunately, John had already gone by.

“What’s wrong?” Tonks asked her husband.

Their wedding had not been as grand as the Weasleys’, but that did nothing to diminish their love.

“I saw John,” Lupin said, shaking his head. “I suppose he must be very busy.”

“He’s managing the future of the wizarding world,” Tonks said with a smile. “It’s admirable.”

She had once been a staunch supporter of Dumbledore.

Back then, her decision to join the Order of the Phoenix had largely come from the admiration for Dumbledore that she had built up during her school years.

But after entering society, especially after witnessing how the world had changed under the Second King’s rule, her heart had gradually begun to lean toward the Second King instead.

Especially after becoming a mother.

She felt fortunate that it was the Second King who held power, rather than Dumbledore.

Stroking her belly, Tonks radiated a maternal warmth as she said, “I’d rather follow him and help create a perfect world for our child.”

Lupin smiled at her words.

Holding Tonks’s hand, the two walked toward their newly purchased home.

Tonks’s due date was approaching, making Lupin almost reluctant to go to work.

Their house was in Knockturn Alley, which made it convenient for them to reach the hospital.

This highly sought-after place to live… it was really hard to believe that it was once one of the most despised places in the wizarding world.

The changes brought by the Second King were now influencing the entire world.