Готовый перевод Тейлор Поттер и философский виал / Taylor Potter and the Philosophical Vial: Глава 9. Квиддич

Chapter 9. Quidditch
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The first Quidditch match, Herofindor versus Eidolorin, was scheduled for mid-November. Taylor's appointment as Tactician was kept relatively secret; Carlos hoped to surprise his enemies. Taylor herself was less optimistic: she had seen Lisa's abilities and skills, and suspected Eidolorin had its share of Thinkers.

The day was crisp and cold, and Taylor felt a little chilled by the time she reached the field. Three antigravity discs carrying boxes filled with insects followed her. Taylor couldn't place her insects on the field in advance; they would have frozen or hibernated, but Lisa had given a wise suggestion, and now Eidolorin's team was in for a surprise. Nothing deadly, but still, three meter-long boxes are a lot of insects. During the match, the field was covered with a force field to prevent spectators from being harmed, and the temperature under the energy dome was set at around eighteen degrees. Roughly, because there was also a "weather factor," a random parameter independent of teams and capes.

"So, I'm Ethan Lee, the all-time great Quidditch commentator. Today, Herofindor faces Eidolorin, and we all know how that ended the last six years. But today, Herofindor has a new Tactician, and it's Taylor Potter!"

The stands, where the spectators were comfortably seated, erupted in applause and shouts. The additional distraction, the noise from the stands, was transmitted into the training ground, and now Taylor perceived it as the sound of a beehive or an anthill stirred up by a stick. Her attention was focused on Eidolorin's team, as it was too early to consider the landscape. Unlike Taylor, who wore a standard black suit, all the other participants in the battle wore individual gear, varying in color and capabilities.

Tinker armor, powerful muscles, beautiful suits. Taylor looked like a small, poor orphan, accepted into the team out of pity. The Eidolorin Protector, Brad Bletchley, stood out especially, bare-chested despite the weather, flexing his muscles.

"Everyone knows the rules," Jamie Hooch said to both teams. "Captains, shake hands."

Carlos Wood shook Justin Flint's hand, and they walked over to the terminals.

"The most crucial moment!" Ethan continued to broadcast.

Taylor knew he was Madam Hooch's favorite, a friend of the Weasley twins, and a constant commentator since their early days at Wormwarts. Unfortunately, Ethan had no desire to participate in the battle; in fact, he was more interested in talking about Quidditch than participating.

"Captains and Tacticians determine their bases and defense systems! The Eidolorin team, given its powers composition, is more inclined toward ranged attacks, but their Protector, Brad Bletchley, is unlikely to yield the flag to anyone in close combat!"

Taylor's cheek twitched. Yes, Brad, who could transform himself into blades, spikes, and a moving metal statue, was a problem. A big, spikey problem, but not an insurmountable one, so to speak.

"One minute," Jamie said, activating the terminals.

The time limit for "setting up the base" was imposed to avoid protracting matches. The ideal configuration could be calculated in advance, taking into account the strengths of both teams, but try implementing it in that minute! It's possible to bring in Thinkers to make everything in time, but Thinkers usually end up being a dead weight in the fight. Taylor had some thoughts on this, too, but it was too early to add Lisa to the team; first, she needed to solidify her reputation and win the School Cup.

"So, a minute flies by, and Madam Hooch starts up the weather generator, so, light crosswind, washed out ground, but no precipitation, just cloudy!"

Taylor caught her breath. She was afraid of heavy rain and wind; then the insects' flight would be greatly hampered, and she wouldn't be able to sense the entire battlefield. The stands were shouting something, but Taylor couldn't hear the words.

"Teams, retreat to your bases!" Madam Hooch commanded.

Taylor's eyes lingered for a moment on the Eidolorin Tactician, Victor Higgs. The longer the teams fought, the more Victor would be able to absorb her powers, her skills. Not fatally, but in a fight, every factor, every power, even the seemingly useless, was important. Quirrell's lessons meshed perfectly with Quidditch training, complementing each other, providing theory that now needed to be translated into practice.

Jamie Hooch pressed a few more buttons and quickly disappeared from the field.

The terminals disappeared, a force field dome appeared, and the landscape began to change. The team bases were separated by three hundred meters, and now a patch of rural landscape emerged in that space. A few houses with barns, a cornfield, a grove, even a grazing flock of sheep, and a muddy, clay road leading from base to base.

"Crystal, Dean, attack," Taylor commanded, grabbing the straps of her jetpack.

Crystal Weasley took off, followed by Dean Johnson, in tinker armor with built-in antigrav.

"Eric - the far right house, Browbeat - the woods, Dennis is at the base, ready for takeoff. Carlos, we're working on option three."

With these words, Taylor took off, a trail of insects from three crates trailing behind her like a cloak. Eidolorin's team was already rushing to attack. Six phantom Justin Flints, accompanied by L33t Montague, on a flying disc he had built himself. Crystal began firing indiscriminately at the phantoms and the ground beneath them, trying to locate the real Justin and knock him unconscious. The phantoms aimed their spears, and the disc carrying L33t began to spin, ejecting inflating, glowing spheres into the air.

Victor hovered behind them, giving commands into the microphone.

"Carlos, discharge!" Taylor ordered.

Half the points were spent on this ridiculous-looking electromagnetic cannon with its stubby, wide barrel. A lightning-like discharge struck, disabling communications devices, jetpacks, and other Tinker devices. Destroying the enemy's communications, bringing the battle to the ground, and limiting visibility immediately gained an advantage, since Taylor could "see" the entire field, regardless of whether she was in the air or on the ground.

The ruse was only partially successful; L33t's disk didn't even think about falling, let alone Justin's phantoms. But Victor began to fall, and Taylor commanded Dennis, speaking through insects.

"Target: Victor, freeze."

And at the same time, Browbeat:

"Attack Eidolorin's base," followed by another command, this time to Eric. "Defend Dennis."

An arrow of insects appeared in front of Crystal, and an identical one pointed to the spot where the real Justin was hiding. The phantoms were already flying very close, but Crystal easily and gracefully dodged them, blurring in mid-air as she closed in, attacking Captain Eidolorin with a stream of laser beams.

"Enrage L33t," Taylor ordered Dean, and he started shooting.

Small balls, charges of emotion, flew toward the Tinker. The Elite disk continued to release glowing balls and maneuvered wildly, dodging attacks. One of Taylor's swarms swirled below, waiting for the right moment to attack. If the plan succeeded, the captain and Tactician of Eidolorin would be incapacitated, giving Herofindor the upper hand in the air.

Clean and fast snitch.

"Why did Taylor take off?" Amy exclaimed.

They could see on huge screens and with their own eyes how the electromagnetic pulse disabled the jetpacks. They could replay the battle scenes on their visors, complete with explanations and diagrams, but that didn't change the fact that Herofindor's team had begun the battle with a highly unexpected move.

"To deceive Eidolorin," Lisa replied in a tense voice. "She knew Crystal and Dean would remain in the air, and she was counting on clearing the skies. Now, if her plan succeeds, Eidolorin's Tactician will be taken out of the battle."

"And we see Uber Pucey coming to Victor's aid!" Ethan continued to babble loudly, loud enough for the entire field to hear. "He's firing at Eric Weasley with both hands, trying to overload his force fields, preventing his Tactician from attacking, covering him! Meanwhile, Dorothy Derek and Jeff Bole have skirted all the obstacles along the edge of the field and attacked Carlos Wood! Herofindor's counterattack on Eidolorin's base isn't very successful! Browbeat Bell retreats under the explosions and uses her limited telekinesis to prevent herself from being injured! Herofindor's initial attack was unexpected, but now Eidolorin has pulled herself together and is showing off her skill and composure — it's no wonder they've won the Cup six years in a row!"

Carlos was having a hard time, so Taylor sent one of her swarms to help him. She hid in one of the barns, trying to avoid detection from Justin's phantoms.

"I see you! I see you!" the swarm buzzed, swirling around Dorothy.

Carlos tried to avoid being surrounded by the fog Jeff had transformed into. A toxic, deafening, dissolving fog, thick and impenetrable. Dorothy, whose powers worked as long as no one was looking, usually used Jeff to hide and transform herself into something hyper-mobile and invincible. But this time, things went a little wrong. The invincible connection between Eidolorin's two capes was severed, and Taylor's swarm was forcing Dorothy into a precisely designated square. Jeff abandoned the pursuit of Carlos, attempting to cover Dorothy while simultaneously infiltrating the base to find the flag.

He couldn't find it, but he covered Dorothy, and she immediately moved to help Victor.

"And we see that Herofindor's plan has failed!" Ethan almost shouted. "Eric Weasley is retreating, and the Eidolon Tactician is coming to his senses! Browbeat has also been driven back, and Bletchley is giving him no cover, hot on his trail! Justin Flint has cornered Crystal, surrounded by his phantoms, and Dean Johnson's blows are blocked by the L33t device! It was a very good plan, but it seems Herofindor's Tactician lacked experience!"

"Oh!" Amy clenched her fists in frustration.

“Wait,” Lisa grinned.

Chris, sitting next to him, said nothing, watching the L33t's flight and his fight with Dean in tenfold magnification. Yes, Dean had managed to enrage L33t, but that only resulted in Johnson now being flung through the air, and only the strength and durability of his armor saved him from plummeting down on Carlos's head. The L33t's disk spun and spun, attacking Dean, while avoiding the laser turrets of the Herofindor base.

"Now!" A buzzing sound came from Browbit's ear, and he grabbed Wolf with his telekinesis.

The blades froze a centimeter from Browbit's body, just for a second, but it was enough. Crystal grabbed Dennis and threw him at Wolf. One touch, and the Eidolorin Flag Protector was frozen in place, for an indefinite period of time, anywhere from thirty seconds to ten minutes. In any case, Taylor's third swarm was already flying out, carrying the flag in its wake. The spiders continuously spun new threads, strengthening the web around the flag, and the bees buzzed furiously.

The next second, Justin's phantoms attacked Crystal, pinning her to the ground, and Uber, arriving just in time, began firing at Dennis and Browbeat with both hands. L33t turned and rushed toward the flag being carried away, activating something. The glowing orbs burst at once, and Taylor bit her lip, feeling the death of her insects. The glowing powder, most reminiscent of fairy dust from cartoons, killed all insects it came into contact with.

Taylor gave the order for the swarm to descend.

"Unbelievable!" Ethan shouted into the microphone. "The stands are going wild and screaming! Some are even bombarding the force field, unable to contain their emotions! They're chanting 'Potter' so loudly that they're drowning out even me, the permanent commentator! The students' eyes are glued to the screens. Potter may have captured the flag, but the entire Eidolorin team is still standing and hasn't given up!"

"It won't last long," Taylor whispered from her hiding place.

Crystal's attacks allowed Taylor to pinpoint Justin's location. Now all she had to do was stop him from taking the flag, deliver it to Carlos, and simultaneously disable both the Eidolorin's Tactician and Captain. The swarm carrying the flag began to fly away, retreating to Eidolorin's base, and the enemy team followed suit. No, Victor wasn't issuing any commands; it was simply their experience and teamwork that made the difference.

"And we all see Eidolorin rallying! They need to hold out a little longer, keep the flag from leaving the base, and the advantage will be theirs again, because Dean Johnson has finally out of action! His armor is smoking and falling apart. Nothing dangerous, medical robots, Doctor Pomfrey's octopuses, are already rushing to the scene! With Brad still defrosted, the teams are evenly matched, six on six, but it seems Potter's second ploy hasn't borne fruit either! Victor can be seen commanding Uber, something, and Dorothy and Jeff are nearby. Attacking Eidolorin's tactics under these circumstances is sheer madness... but that's exactly what Herofindor's team is doing! Oh, it seems this is a desperate attack, either trying to turn the tide or give Taylor a chance to take the flag! Elite is already rushing to the rescue, and Justin's phantoms are seen diving from the sky, spears leveled!"

Ethan couldn't keep up with the chatter; most of the two teams had gathered in a small area, on the edge of Eidolorin's base, next to Wolf, frozen in mid-jump. Crystal, hovering in the air, thirty meters behind the roof of the nearest house, took off, fired, and then disappeared. Attempts to reach her were thwarted by Eric, deftly deploying his force fields. The Weasley twins worked in perfect tandem, drawing attention to themselves.

"Browbeat, head-on!" Taylor commanded. "We need to distract them from Victor!"

The glowing pollen was still settling, but much less so. Taylor had managed to save most of the swarms by driving them to the ground, and now Potter was throwing the team into a new, final attack.

"Dennis, go after Bell, use him as cover, keep an eye on Dorothy!"

"To help, Taylor sent several hundred wasps, buzzing and circling above Dorothy's head, declaring that they were watching her. Jeff shifted into the fog again, driving away the insects, but Taylor resolutely placed her minions on Dorothy, preventing Jeff from attacking with the fog. Dorothy flapped her arms and rolled on the ground, destroying the insects on herself. Jeff finally shifted the fog, killing the insects in midair, but maintaining a meter's distance from Dorothy."

Taylor smiled; those two were out of action.

"And we see Victor going hand-to-hand... no, he's got a baton out... with Browbit!" Ethan's voice boomed. "Uber's shooting masterfully with two hands! Dennis's taking shots at his armor, trying to close in! Justin's phantoms are attacking from the trees... and Dennis's down! The phantoms are turning their spears towards Browbit, who's having a hard time! It looks like Herofindor has lost this battle! Crystal's barrage isn't saving her anymore, L33t attacking the Weasley twins!"

"And the final chord," Taylor whispered.

Justin screamed and fell, paralyzed, as the spiders that had been lying in wait approached and bit him.

"The first one," Taylor said.

Flint's phantoms had vanished from the battlefield. Dorothy and Jeff were still battling Taylor's wasps, L33t had successfully attacked the twins, and Victor had redoubled his assault on Browbit.

"Help L33t!" Eidolorin's Tactician shouted to Uber.

The humming lump fell on L33t's head, blocking his view, and a select squad of large insects tapped the touchpad, directing the flying disk in the direction Taylor wanted. Browbeat used the same trick as with Wolf, grabbing Victor for a second, and L33t's disk sent Tactician flying straight toward Wolf's statue. The humming lump flew apart, snatching up the threads previously attached to the disk and wrapping them around Victor, tying him to the frozen Wolf. Browbeat himself, already racing forward, scattering clods of dirt, incapacitated L33t with a single blow to the head.

"Got you!" Eric shouted, casting a force field around Uber.

Taylor's swarm emerged from the shelter with the flag, and Crystal immediately snatched up the Eidolorin flag and carried it to the base. She flew in just before Brad thawed and incapacitated Victor, who was tied to him, with his spikes and blades. Taylor exhaled and sat down on the ground, feeling her legs giving way.

The stands roared and went wild.

"The flag's been captured, the Eidolorin's Captain and Tactician are out of action!" Ethan yelled, practically swallowing the microphone. "It's the Snitch! Herofindor's Tactician takes the Snitch, and it's incredible! Eidolorin hasn't been defeated so quickly in the last two years! And Potter never showed up on the battlefield after her backpack malfunctioned and she fell to the ground! Incredible! She didn't give Eidolorin a chance!"

"Enough," Snape's voice came from behind Ethan, "everyone already understands!"

"Don't disturb the commentator," McGonagall intervened immediately.

Ethan detected a note of deep satisfaction in her voice. The Dean of Herofindor had been very dissatisfied with Eidolorin's constant victories, and now the situation had finally changed! So Ethan continued.

"We see the wounded being carried away by medical robots, and we see Team Herofindor throw Taylor into the air! Hey! Don't drop Potter! We still need the House Cup!"

"Not bad," Jack Quirrell approved, stroking his beard, "very good. Taste success, young Potter, taste fame and recognition."

This was already something he could work with, which meant his efforts in class had not been in vain!

"Taylor! Taylor!" Amy hung on Potter's neck.

"Hey!" Lisa shouted cheerfully, hanging on to both her friends at once.

They fell and rolled on the ground, laughing. Taylor was overwhelmed by the feeling that this was the happiest moment of her life, and now she truly believed in herself.
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