Chapter 109: Thestral Carriages
Butler Carson stood by, playing along and praising Mr. Weasley for his extensive knowledge.
"Ah, so these are your girlfriends, right, Su Yu?" Mr. Weasley gathered his courage, attempting to greet the young ladies, having heard that some noblewomen never spoke to strangers.
Fortunately, none of the girls had any airs of a spoiled young lady, and they politely invited everyone to take their seats. During the meal, the Weasley Twins kept boasting about their invention, Ton-Tongue Toffee.
"George and I invented it. We spent the whole summer on it, but it's a pity we've been looking for someone to test it on and couldn't find anyone. Our older brothers are all too shrewd and never fall for it. Only Ron—he almost ate it last time. What a pity..." Fred said, beaming with excitement.
"That was when Mom was cleaning Fred and George's room and actually found a pile of order forms!" Ginny, sitting next to Su Yu, whispered. "Several long pages of price lists, all for little things they invented. Funny things, you know, fake wands, magic sweets, a whole bunch of stuff. But it's actually amazing. I never knew they were tinkering with inventions, and they wouldn't dare use that kind of stuff on me..."
"I've always heard explosions coming from their room for a long time, but I never thought they were actually building things. I thought they just liked the feeling of being blown up, or maybe they just liked the sound..."
"But most of their stuff... sigh, how should I put it? Actually, all of it. All of it is a bit dangerous, you know what I mean, Su Yu? They were planning to take it to Hogwarts because there are so many students there. They wanted to sell it there, dreaming of getting rich. When Mom heard about this, she was furious. Not only did she burn all their stuff, but she also sternly warned them not to mess with that kind of thing again. Mom has been furious all summer because their O.W.L. results didn't reach the scores she expected."
"There was one argument that blew the roof off," Ginnycontinued. "Because Mom's idea was for them to be like Dad and work at the Ministry of Magic after graduation. Percy completely agrees, but George and Fred said they only want to open a magic joke shop after they graduate..."
"Where's Crookshanks?" Harry asked Hermione while eating.
"There, having fun in the garden outside." She tilted her chin toward the yard. "It likes chasing the ponies and deer, and recently it's become obsessed with that peacock. It had never seen these things before. Just a couple of days ago, it got into a fight with that bear cub and accidentally got bitten. When Daphne was treating it, it even cried. But after it healed, it went back for revenge and got beaten even worse. Then it finally learned its lesson and is much better behaved now, only bullying those weaker than it. I've hit it quite a few times, but it just won't listen. Sigh."
Mr. Weasley was drinking red wine at the banquet and accidentally let slip that after the World Cup, the Ministry of Magic was going to organize another large event, but realizing he'd let it slip, he didn't say anything more.
Fred, George, and Harry were having a heated discussion about the World Cup.
"It's definitely Ireland!" Sirius chimed in while drinking red wine. "They took down Peru in the semifinals!"
"But the Bulgaria National Quidditch Team has Viktor Krum! He alone is enough!" Fred said.
"But on the Ireland side, there are seven players like Krum! But the Bulgaria National Quidditch Team only has one," Sirius said dismissively. "Though, I really hoped Englandwould sweep the board, but they were just too embarrassing. It's truly shameful..."
"What happened?" Harry asked eagerly. In his previous summers, he had always been trapped at home, completely isolated from the magic world. He didn't know much about the Muggle world, nor did he know much about the magic world, which was incredibly frustrating to think about.
"Lost to Transylvania, what else? Ten to three hundred ninety." George explained to Harry. "The performance was terrible. Also, Wales lost to Uganda, and Scotland was beaten soundly by Luxembourg."
Harry felt full. He sat there, watching the peacocks being chased closely by Crookshanks. They were darting quickly through the rose bushes, squawking frantically. Looking back at his godfather beside him, at this moment, Harry felt truly satisfied from the bottom of his heart.
In the afternoon, after everyone had rested for a while, they saw Butler Carson walk in and bow slightly to Su Yu.
"Young Master, the carriages are ready and waiting outside for departure."
Su Yu nodded and signaled everyone to set off. On the open ground outside the Great Hall, two Thestral carriages were already parked. Harry and his friends, along with the Weasley family, took one, which could just fit six people. Su Yu and his large group took the slightly larger one.
The two black carriages stood silently, their cabins carved with archaic vine patterns, understated yet luxurious.
In the space that appeared empty to others, only those who had seen death could see clearly—several slender Thestrals were lowering their heads, their ink-black fur shimmering with a cold luster. Their massive, bat-like wings were slightly unfurled, the bony structure clearly defined.
"Do we still need to keep a low profile when we go? Does this look like a Muggle to you, Harry?" Ron kept turning around, asking Harry, looking a bit nervous.
"Too much like one," Harry said with a smile. "It's very good. But, where are Bill, Charlie, and Percy?"
"They can Apparate, remember?" Mr. Weasley explained. "Molly said she would urge them to get on their way at noon, so let's not worry."
Harry knew about Apparition. The people around Su Yuoften used it, turning into a black mist and appearing instantly in another place. It was very convenient, but he never knew that any students from Hogwarts other than the Slytherin group could do it. He figured this magic must be very difficult.
"Why can't we also just Apparate there?" Fred said with dissatisfaction. "That would be so cool!"
"Because you're not of age yet, and even if you were, you'd have to pass a test to use it." Sirius yawned; he had had a bit too much to drink at noon and was feeling a bit sleepy.
"Learning how to Apparate isn't enough? You still have to pass a test?" Harry asked.
"Oh, yes," Mr. Weasley said, adjusting his clothes. "A while ago, the Department of Magical Transportation fined two Wizards just because they used Apparition without passing the test and getting a certificate. This is an extremely dangerous thing. If you use it improperly, it can cause a lot of trouble. That's what happened to those two, and then they split themselves in half."
"Oh... uh... in half?" Harry and Ron covered their mouths, thinking about it was horrifying, wasn't it?
"Yes, when they were transporting, they accidentally left their lower halves behind. So, when people found them, their bodies were like they were nailed there, unable to go anywhere on either side. They had to wait for the Accidental magic Reversal Squad to go and wait for them to be stitched... ahem... repaired. Honestly, do you know what this means? It means everyone who went to handle it had to prepare a mountain of paperwork afterwards and clean up their mess! Because quite a few Muggles saw the body parts those two idiots left behind!"
Harry suddenly thought, if he went out early in the morning and saw two arms and a leg on the road, with a body and part of an eyeball not far away... ugh... just thinking about it was terrifying. What kind of psychological trauma that would cause.
"What about those two guys? I mean, in the end, what happened to them?" Ron asked in horror.
"Oh, them? Nothing much," Mr. Weasley said nonchalantly. "But they were fined a huge sum of money. I think they'll learn their lesson. You all must learn your lesson too! Never treat Apparition as a game. Many adult Wizards don't want to bother with it; they'd rather use a broom or take a taxi. Although it's slower, it's the safest."
"So that means Bill, Charlie, and Percy can all Apparate, right?"
"Pfft, them? Charlie took the test twice before passing." Fred added jokingly. "Do you know? During his first test, he appeared instantly five miles south of the destination and landed right on top of an old lady who was buying a swimsuit. That gave the old lady such a surprise, like she'd seen her Prince Charming, because the swimsuit vendor had just said that buying his clothes would surely make her wishes come true! And then that vendor's stall became a hit. Hahahaha..."
"Uh... of course, didn't Charlie pass on the second try? That proves he worked hard." Amidst the happy laughter, Mr. Weasley was the first to board the carriage.
"Percy only just passed two weeks ago too," George said, laughing heartily as he also boarded the carriage. "But since then, that big idiot Apparates downstairs every morning, turning his back to us, just to show off that he's learned a new spell..."
Chapter 110 Arrival (Thanks to Guangdong Specialty Sexy Twin Tails for the support, thanks)
"Mr. Weasley, with so many Wizards going to the Quidditch World Cup, how do they disguise themselves?" Harry asked, still questioning about the Quidditch World Cup in the car.
"Good question. Actually, the Ministry of Magic has been exhausted these days," Mr. Weasley sighed. "The main problem is that nearly 100,000 people are coming to watch the World Cup. Over 100,000 people! Is there any existing venue that can accommodate them? Of course not. Not in all of Britain. We searched everywhere and finally had to choose a Muggle place. Only they have such large open spaces. Otherwise, we'd have to stuff all 100,000 Wizards into Diagon Alley or Platform 9 and 3/4, but neither of those places can host a match. We couldn't just throw them into Hogwarts; it can't accommodate over 100,000 Wizards either..."
"So, we found a desolate, misty swamp on Muggle land. Of course, we took all possible measures to guard against Muggles. The entire British Ministry of Magic has been busy for months for this. First, we had to stagger arrival times because our manpower is limited; we certainly couldn't transport 100,000 Wizards in one day. So, those who bought cheap tickets have to arrive two weeks early. Some use Muggle transport, but the number is limited. Wizards are coming from all over the world; we can't have them all taking Muggle buses, trains, cruise ships, and planes, right? That would cause widespread panic, especially since many Wizards aren't exactly the safest bunch."
"Of course, some Wizards will use Apparition to reach the area near the stadium, but the Ministry of Magic requires them to follow regulations and only appear in designated safe places. This keeps them well away from all Muggles. As for the rest who don't want to or can't use Apparition, that's the simplest part. Do you know about Portkeys? Their function is to transport Wizards from one place to another within a specified time. Even for a large group of Wizards, a Portkey can transport them all at once, and we have placed two hundred Portkeys all over Britain."
"Portkeys? What are those? Sirius?" Harry asked curiously, but Sirius next to him was already asleep.
"How should I put it? They're strange, all sorts of things," Mr. Weasley said. "Of course, their appearance looks like very ordinary objects so that Muggles won't pick them up, throw them away, or keep them at home as decorations, and they certainly won't sell them as scrap for money. They'll just think they're trash and won't even look at them..."
Carson the butler was still waving outside, hoping Hermione and Daphne would have a good time, and reminding Young Master Su Yu to eat on time. In the next moment, the Thestral stepped out with its long legs, its broad, leathery wings suddenly flapping to the sides, stirring up a cool breeze and swirling the scattered leaves on the ground. Its hooves left the ground, and it silently dragged the heavy carriage into the air.
The carriage hovered steadily in mid-air, slowly rising with the Thestral's pace, skimming over the manor. Its figure merged into the dim sky, gliding steadily and lonely toward the distant horizon.
Inside the carriage, Su Yu lay back on Daphne's soft lap, eating grapes that Ginny had peeled for him. He praised Ginny, saying she was the best, as at least she knew to peel the grapes before feeding him. Farley, annoyed, grabbed a handful of unpeeled grapes and stuffed them into his mouth. Su Yu, who hadn't been smug for long, ended up with Farley lying on his lap. The sycophant Su Yuhad to peel the skin for her, feed her, and massage her shoulders, making the girls laugh.
Hermione had an endless supply of books to read. She had packed all the ones she needed into the storage ring Su Yuhad given her, and she was holding one now, flipping through it constantly.
A desolate, misty swamp.
Su Yu's carriage landed slowly. Below them, two exhausted Wizards were directing their landing, but both had gloomy faces, looking just like disgruntled employees.
Both were disguised as Muggles, but it was full of loopholes. The first one wore a tweed suit on his upper body, but on his feet, he wore thigh-high rubber boots. Most absurdly, he was holding a large gold pocket watch. What poor person dresses like that and still has a gold watch in their pocket?
The other one was even more peculiar. He wore a kilt like a Scottish Highlands man, and draped over his upper body was an Indian shawl—a real mix-and-match. It left Su Yustunned. What, were half-sleeves and jeans too chafing or blocking the view? Couldn't they dress like normal people? Though, could he promote "West Coast style"? Imagine a Wizard wearing a dozen pairs of pants, several hoodies on top, a hat, and holding a wand, trash-talking before the fight, and then meeting face-to-face.
"Ain't nobody can do this like me!"
What kind of Snape behavior is that! Oh, my God! Their wands instantly turned into guns, shouting, "Ron! This one works better! You know that!"
Just as Su Yu was letting his imagination run wild.
"Good afternoon, Basil." Mr. Weasley had already gotten off the carriage and started greeting them. The Wizard in the skirt had a large trunk next to him. Ron and Harrylooked at the Portkeys inside—they were just trash like old newspapers, empty soda cans, and broken soccer balls. Anyone who didn't know would think it was a garbage dump.
"Hello, Arthur." Basil was almost exhausted. "Aren't you on duty? Sigh, I have to say, some people have such good luck. Poor us, we've been guarding here all day, every moment. But you'd better get out of the way quickly. At five o'clock, an important guest is coming. Minister Fudgegave the order personally. But wait, let me find where your campsite is first. Weasley... Weasley..."
He was searching the parchment list. "Follow this path for about a quarter of a mile, and you'll see a field ahead. The first one is where your campsite is. The campsite manager is Mr. Roberts. Remember, he's a Muggle, don't give it away."
"But, why did you come by Thestral carriage today? Did your family strike it rich?"
"Er, is there a possibility that we are the distinguished guests you two are waiting for?" Mr. Weasley said awkwardly.
"What? Arthur, that's impossible. The Minister for Magictold us to wait here in advance, saying he would come personally in a moment. He's coming to welcome you? This might be the biggest joke I've heard all year. I could laugh for a whole year. Please don't make such jokes... Really? Please, tell me you're joking... Tell me..."
As he spoke, a group of people could be seen rushing over from not far away. Leading them was the Minister for Magic, Fudge, followed by Bartemius Crouch Sr.—Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, and Ludo Bagman—Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports.
The group rushed over, panting, especially Minister Fudge, who no longer showed any signs of the serious injuries he had sustained two months ago. He was bowing and scraping to the carriage behind Mr. Weasley.
Under the surprised gazes of everyone, Minister Fudgepersonally led Su Yu and his group to the luxurious palace-style tent belonging exclusively to the Fawley family, before leaving reluctantly.
The Malfoy family's tent was right next door. It didn't look as luxurious as Su Yu's from the outside, but the showy Lucius Malfoy had a Griffin tied at the entrance, proving how wealthy he was.
"My God! A Level 4 Magical Creature! A Griffin?" Ronopened his mouth in disbelief. Does the Malfoy family have things like this?
The tent had three floors. Su Yu lived on the third floor with the girls, while Harry and the Weasley family borrowed the second floor for the next few days.
Bill, Charlie, and Percy would probably arrive later, so after the Weasley family went to their room to tidy up, they took Harry and Sirius to the most obvious small stone cottage nearby—the one belonging to the Muggle who rented out the tents—to wait for them.
Seeing this, Su Yu immediately expressed that he wanted to go too. He felt Mr. Roberts, that Muggle, was the biggest source of fun.
With no other choice, the girls had to follow Su Yu. After walking for about ten minutes, a door gradually appeared before them, followed by a small stone cottage. Harrylooked at the dense, strangely shaped tents behind the cottage, which covered a large area on the gentle slope, stretching toward a dark forest on the horizon.
A man was standing at the door, looking out at the tents. Harry could tell at a glance that he was the only real Muggle in this whole area. As soon as that man heard their footsteps, he turned his head to look at them.
Chapter 111: Over 600,000! (Thanks to Fen Yue Wang Jie from Ludao for the Power of Love donation!)
"Oh! My dear young master Sean Foley! Good afternoon! Are... are you here for a visit?" Before Su Yu even got close, Roberts, having spotted him from afar, trotted over to his side, bowing and greeting him.
"Oh? Roberts, looking at you, you've been doing quite well lately. How much money have you made during this time?" Su Yu asked Roberts unhurriedly.
"Thanks to your care, young master. As for how much money has been made, I'm not entirely sure of the specifics. Following your instructions, I only collect those large gold coins the size of hubcaps, categorized by headcount and site size. Yesterday, I heard from the people you sent that there are already over 600,000 of them." Roberts stood to the side, rubbing his hands cautiously. "But if I may speak frankly, young master, aren't these foreigners trying to swindle you? Who goes out carrying such large gold coins? Young master, you must be careful they aren't using counterfeit coins!"
"What!!! Over 600,000 Galleons??" The Weasley Twinsstood to the side, stars in their eyes! How much money was that, Merlin's beard!
"What is there to be so surprised about?" Cassandralooked at the two good-for-nothing twins with disdain, unaware that Harry, Sirius, and the entire Weasley family nearby were staring at Su Yu with wide, shocked eyes.
"Don't feel pressured, Roberts. My people will look after those things. You don't need to worry about the rest; just do your job well." Su Yu comforted Roberts, then turned and took the group off to the side to rest.
"Su Yu, what... what is going on?" Hermione was the first to ask the question. Her clever little brain couldn't process it; how did simple Muggle toll collection turn into Su Yucollecting the money?
"Alright, I'll explain from the beginning. When I found out the Ministry of Magic was going to use this place for the Quidditch World Cup final, I spent 100,000 pounds—oh, that is, 20,000 Galleons—and bought the entire land of this village."
"What? You mean this land belongs to you now? Such a large area?" Harry asked from the side, surprised.
"That's right. Steward Carson went to negotiate it. Even that was more than enough; otherwise, they wouldn't have agreed so readily. Then, I used the matter of the Goblintraitors to threaten the Goblins at Gringotts, making them work for me for free. Every day, they send many Goblins, who drink Polyjuice Potion to turn into Muggle workers, to collect the Galleons here. These are then handed over to them by Muggles like Roberts. Of course, Roberts doesn't know what a Galleon is; he just thinks it's some kind of foreign currency. The Wizards who have traveled from afar also feel it's a good deal; they don't have to struggle to pull out a handful of Muggle currency, nor do they have to painfully pretend to be Muggles to get through. The most relieved one is the Ministry of Magic; they don't have to constantly use Obliviate to maintain the Muggles' state."
"But you couldn't have made over 600,000 Galleons in just two weeks, right?" The Weasley Twins were desperate to know the answer.
"It's simple. I had Roberts tell them the site fee is two gold coins per week. So, with over 100,000 spectators, that's almost 400,000 Galleons in two weeks. Then there are the high-end site fees, ranging from 1,000 to 10,000 Galleons per day per plot. Nobles, you know, they don't care about this bit of money; they only care about face. See that cluster of tents of ours? Ours are all 10,000 Galleons a day. I've also provided supporting services, including but not limited to, Veela massage services, high-end food services, magical creature rental services, merchandise sales services, security services, medical services, and so on..."
"My goodness! Then how much money must you have made during this time?" Mr. Weasley felt like he couldn't count it even with both hands.
"I don't know. Isolde has been overseeing all these matters." Su Yu shrugged. "You know, I'm not interested in money."
"As of now, the rough estimate for these two weeks is that we have already earned over 1.8 million Galleons, boss." Isolde reported to Su Yu from the side, pretending to be casual.
"Over 1.8..." George counted on his fingers.
"Million..." Fred had already fainted.
"Galleons..." Ron was also on the verge of shock.
"Su Yu! Do you mean our family is about to become millionaires?" Hermione opened her eyes wide, her face full of disbelief.
"Who are you insulting? How could a billionaire like me go bankrupt and become a millionaire?" Su Yu lightly knocked Hermione on the head.
"Billionaire?..." Hermione also fainted and was hurriedly supported by Daphne, who gave Su Yu a reproachful look. "You just keep showing off. I'll deal with you when we get back!"
Su Yu immediately surrendered, picked up Hermione, and kept pinching her philtrum, hoping the little lady would wake up soon.
At this moment, a Wizard wearing knickerbockers flew down. He looked extremely exhausted, his chin unshaven and blue-black, with dark purple shadows under his eyes.
"Hi, Arthur! Do you know? That Ludo Bagman only knows how to cause trouble! He wanders around everywhere, loudly discussing how to score most efficiently with Bludgers and Quaffles, completely ignoring the Muggles around him. Of course, the Fawley family's methods have helped us a lot, but this damn Minister! It has caused us to have to be ready at any moment these past few days to cast Obliviate on passing Muggles. Merlin's beard! I wish this whole thing would end sooner, really! Wait, something happened over there again. See you later, Arthur." Before he could finish speaking, Ludo had caused another mess, and furious, he immediately Apparated away.
"I originally thought that Mr. Bagman, as the Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports," Ginny said, her face full of disbelief, "should at least know not to discuss Bludgers around Muggles, shouldn't he?"
"Er... I suppose... yes," Mr. Weasley smiled awkwardly. "Ludo has always been a bit... er... careless when it comes to safety issues. But he truly loves Quidditch. You couldn't even find anyone who loves it more than him to lead the Department of Games and Sports. He used to represent the England team in Quidditch matches, and he was the best Beater the Wimbourne Wasps ever had. Surprising, right?"
Before long, Bill, Charlie, and Percy also arrived. Everyone returned to Su Yu's tent, drinking tea and chatting while waiting for the start of the Quidditch World Cup final.
Su Yu took the girls for a walk outside. He liked joining in the fun, especially when there were so many people; there was bound to be plenty of excitement.
Hermione looked around. She had never seen such a young Wizard before. In the distance, a little boy of about two years old was squatting outside a large square tent, holding a wand, happily poking a slug on the grass. The slug slowly swelled to the size of a sausage. At this moment, the boy's mother ran over hurriedly from not far away.
"How many times do I have to tell you! Kevin? You are not allowed to... touch... your... dad's... wand... again! Ouch!"
Because Kevin's mother was walking too fast, she stepped on that fat slug. Then, with a 'pop' sound, the slug exploded. Even after Su Yu and the others had walked quite far away, they could still hear the shouting and slapping sounds of Kevin's mother amidst the noisy atmosphere, mixed with the little boy's crying— "Wa! Don't hit me, Mommy! Wa! You were the one who stepped on the bug and made it pop! You were the one who stepped on the bug and made it pop!"
(Yesterday I was collecting some fanfiction stories and backgrounds. Hehe, they're all angst, all of them! Why would you put so much angst in a children's book like Harry Potter? Fanfiction and games have even more angst... So I was thinking, I can't be the only one suffering, right? Hahahaha, you guys just wait!)
Chapter 112: The Wager
Further along the path, they saw two little Witches about Kevin's age. They were riding a toy broomstick that could only rise as high as a girl's toes, barely skimming over the dew-covered grass.
A Wizard official had already spotted them. He hurried past Su Yu, Hermione, and the others, muttering irritably: "In broad daylight, of all times! Can't their parents control them? Ugh!"
From time to time, adult Wizards could be seen emerging from their tents to start making dinner.
Some Wizards would glance around furtively before cautiously lighting fires with their wands, while others tried to light fires with matches with great skepticism, as if it were impossible. At that moment, a man in a black coat would pop out from the side, open his coat, and pull out a lighter. "Brother, need a light? Muggle-made, guaranteed not to expose you, just press and it works. Convenient and fast. Special price today, only three Galleons! Two for just five Galleons!"
"Why are two only five Galleons! Give me two, I insist on paying six!"
Three African Witches were talking seriously. They were all wearing long white robes and roasting something that looked like a hare over a roaring purple fire.
Just then, a security guard who looked like an administrator appeared. "Oh! You damn people! How dare you eat a protected animal? 100 Galleons fine, pay up! You ask who I am? Look clearly, I am the captain of the Investigation Team! Captain Jia! No money?" He then slapped them hard twice. "If you don't have money, use your daughter to pay the debt! Ptooey, I misspoke, I don't want your daughter, you lowly things. Search them! These three must be spies!"
A group of middle-aged United States Wizards sat chatting happily under a shiny banner that read "Salem Witches' Institute".
Hermione heard them conversing in a strange language. Although she couldn't understand it, the tone of every voice was very excited.
On the side of the Ireland National Quidditch Teamsupporters, all the tents here looked like they were covered in clover. Through the open entrances of the tents, one could see smiling faces.
On the side of the Bulgaria National Quidditch Teamsupporters, the red, green, and white flags of Bulgariafluttered in the wind.
The tents were not decorated with plants; instead, each one was plastered with the same poster, featuring an arrogant face with deep black eyebrows. The picture kept moving, and the face in the painting constantly blinked and frowned.
"Is this Krum?" Daphne muttered to herself.
"What did you say?" Hermione asked.
"Krum," Cassandra explained. "This is Viktor Krum, the Seeker for Bulgaria."
"He looks really rude," Hermione said, watching the countless Krums around them blinking and frowning at them.
Not far ahead, two men were arguing intensely. Su Yuhurried forward and saw that one of them was quite old, wearing a long, patterned nightgown. The other was a Wizard staff member, who was holding a pair of pinstriped trousers and looking almost ready to cry with anger and grievance.
"Please, put it on, Archie. You're a good man, right? You can't walk around like this. That Muggle at the gate has already suspected you..."
"I bought this dress at a Muggle shop," the old Wizard said stubbornly. "Muggles wear these too! I won't!"
"Only Muggle women wear it, but Archie, you are a man! Muggle men don't wear dresses... Muggle men should wear this." The Wizard staff member tried to persuade him while waving the pinstriped trousers.
"I won't wear it," old Archie said very angrily. "I like the cool breeze! I like it even more when it blows over my bottom. You're just jealous of my dress!"
Hearing this, Hermione and the other girls really wanted to giggle. They held onto Su Yu and laughed for a long time before standing up straight.
Slowly, various snack stalls began to descend from the sky, all printed with the logo of the Fawley family. The crowd became even livelier. Su Yu and the others returned to their accommodation to prepare for dinner.
Just as they arrived at the door, they saw Mr. Weasleysquatting on the ground in front of the entrance, with matches scattered all over the floor. Su Yu walked up curiously and asked what they were doing.
"Dad is having a great time playing with matches!" Fredwas obviously very excited.
"We suggested he use a lighter, but he didn't want to. Also, that damn lighter salesman! How dare he charge three Galleons for one lighter!" George was clicking the lighter switch repeatedly on the side.
Obviously, no matter how hard Mr. Weasley tried, he couldn't get the match to light.
"Oops!" he said, as he finally struck a match, and threw it to the ground in surprise.
"Watch me, Mr. Weasley," Hermione said gently. She took the box and began to teach him how to do it correctly.
They simply started a fire outside, chatted, and waited for dinner to begin.
Before long, a man walked over, laughing. "Haha!" Mr. Weasley quickly stood up to explain to his sons, "He is the hottest figure today! Ludo!"
Ludo Bagman was wearing a Quidditch match robe with bright horizontal yellow and black stripes, and a huge wasp pattern on his chest.
He possessed the physique of a strong man, but because of his big belly, the robe looked a bit tight. It seemed that he definitely hadn't worn it since he stopped playing Quidditch for England.
"Ah, here!" Bagman shouted very happily. He walked as if there was a spring under his feet, very excited.
After Bagman greeted Su Yu gracefully, he turned to face Mr. Weasley.
"Arthur, old boy," he came to the campfire, panting after only a few steps. "What a wonderful day, eh? What a wonderful night! You couldn't find better weather than this, a cloudless night is coming... The whole organization has had no obstacles at all, I have nothing to do!"
Behind him, a team of haggard Wizard officials were rushing past, running towards the distant, twenty-foot-high magical bonfire that was glowing.
"Aren't you going to predict a result for the match, Arthur?" Bagman laughed awkwardly, eagerly changing the subject. His body made a clinking sound, as if there was a pile of gold in his yellow and black robe pockets. "I've already made a bet with Roddy Pontner that Bulgaria will score first. I gave him very high odds, considering Ireland's Chaser number three is the best I've seen in so many years. And little Agatha Timms, she bet half the shares of her eel farm on the match lasting a week!"
"Oh, well, we'll see!" Mr. Weasley also said excitedly. "I'll bet one Galleon that Ireland wins, deal?"
"One Galleon?" Ludo Bagman looked a little disappointed, but quickly recovered. "Very good, very good... Who else wants to participate in an exciting bet?"
"They are too young to gamble," Mr. Weasley said. "Mollywon't like it—"
"We are going to put up thirty-seven Galleons, fifteen Sickles, and three Knuts," Fred said. He and George were quickly counting their money. "We'll bet on Ireland to win, but Viktor Krum will catch the Golden Snitch. Oh, right, we also have a fake wand, we'll bet that too, is that okay?"
"Don't show Mr. Bagman that kind of trash—" Percy said in a low voice. But Mr. Bagman didn't think the fake wand was trash at all. On the contrary, when he saw the wand from Fred, his childish face glowed with excitement. And when the fake wand made a squeaking sound and turned into a rubber chicken, Bagman quacked with joy.
Chapter 113: The Wager
"Splendid! In all my years, I have never seen such a fun thing! I am willing to pay five Galleons to buy it!"
Percy was both surprised and displeased, standing there stunned for a moment.
"Boys," Mr. Weasley said, lowering his voice, "I really don't want you to gamble... because that is all your savings... and your mother..."
"Don't spoil everyone's fun, Arthur!" Ludo Bagmanprotested from the side, excitedly rattling the money in his pocket. "They are grown up now; they know what they are doing! You think Ireland will win, but Krum will catch the Golden Snitch, right? Let me tell you, that is absolutely impossible! Boys, you have no chance of winning. How about this? To encourage you, I will make an exception and raise the odds for you, how about that? I'll count that funny wand as five Galleons, is that alright? I am truly being too generous. So, shall we..."
Mr. Weasley watched disappointedly as Ludo Bagmantook out a notebook and quill, quickly writing down the names of Fred and George.
"Okay! Then good luck to us!" George took the small piece of parchment Bagman handed him, tucked it into the front of his robes, and kept it safe.
"Mr. Ludo Bagman, may I place a bet too?" Su Yu said from the side, nonchalantly.
"Oh? Does young Master Sean Foley want to join as well? Of course you can. May I ask, which side are you planning to join?" Ludo Bagman became even more excited. This was a big client; if things went well, he could make a fortune.
"I'm with the Weasley Twins. How about this, Isolde, go and invite a Goblin from Gringotts to act as a notary. As for the stake, let's make it 100,000 Galleons. It's just for fun anyway. Mr. Department Head, you'd better think carefully. This is 100,000 Galleons; at odds of one to ten, that would be one million in the end."
Ludo Bagman hesitated for a moment, but then felt that with such an unlikely bet, how could he possibly lose? Besides, he owed the Goblins a mountain of debt and was short on money everywhere, desperately needing to make some cash from the betting pool to fill the hole. He went from hesitation to greed, and then to gritting his teeth—Su Yu saw it all. With Bagman's gambler personality—short on cash, greedy, and filled with wishful thinking—Su Yuwas certain he would risk taking it. This was 100,000 Galleons, after all.
"Accepted! How could I not accept? You're right, young Master Sean Foley, this wager is accepted by me, Ludo Bagman! Let's sign right now!"
Ludo Bagman quickly wrote down all the details on the parchment and handed it to Su Yu, who didn't even look at it and passed it directly to Isolde.
The Weasley Twins looked at Su Yu with envy, fantasizing about when they might have a day like that. Meanwhile, Mr. Weasley looked at Su Yu with concern, constantly trying to persuade Su Yu to stay calm and not spend money so lavishly, suggesting he should consult with his family, as 100,000 Galleons was not a small sum...
"Then I'll get in on the action too!" Just as Mr. Weasley was still earnestly trying to persuade Su Yu, another blond boy walked out of a nearby tent—it was young Master Malfoy. He stepped forward, greeted Su Yu respectfully, and then glanced mockingly at the Weasley family. "Chief Su Yu bet 100,000 Galleons, right? Then my Malfoy family will also bet 10,000 Galleons! It's just two months of pocket money, piece of cake! Whatever the Chief bets, I bet the same!"
Ludo Bagman was beaming; now he had 110,000 Galleons coming his way. If he were earning this as a salary, it would take forever. He quickly wrote it down for Malfoy, only then remembering that he hadn't stated his real business for coming here. He turned to look at Mr. Weasley.
"Oh, that's right, I have one more thing. I came out looking for Bartemius Crouch Sr. There is someone on the Bulgariaside with the same job as me, and he actually dared to deliberately make things difficult for us... But I couldn't understand a single word he said. I still don't know if they were cursing at us, so I need Bartemius Crouch Sr.'s help, because he is the only one here who speaks Bulgarian, and he knows about 150 languages."
"Mr. Crouch?" Percy was as excited as if he had been electrocuted upon hearing the name of the elder Barty. "That's not all! He can speak 200 languages! Merman, lizard, and even Troll..."
"Is speaking Troll language a very difficult thing?" Fred said dismissively, then stretched out his hands and began grunting and snorting, mimicking it.
"See? It's just that simple!" George said, playing along from the side.
Percy glared viciously at Fred and George.
Bagman looked around; Su Yu hadn't prepared a stool for him, so he found a patch of grass and sat down.
"It's been such a long time, is there any news about Bertha Jorkins, Ludo?" Mr. Weasley asked in a low voice.
"Nothing at all, not even a little bit," though Bagman didn't look worried. "Set your heart at ease; she will definitely show up. It's just tough on old Bertha... She must be senile; she's not even as good as my goldfish. At least my goldfish has a seven-second memory! Plus, she can't tell north from south; she probably, maybe, supposedly just got lost... Yes! That's it, just lost! Don't worry, even if she is lost, she'll be able to find her way home, right?"
"Don't you think we should send some people out to look for her now?" Mr. Weasley tentatively suggested.
"You sound just like Bartemius Crouch Sr.," Bagman said, widening his eyes and wearing an indifferent expression. "But we are really short-staffed right now. You don't know the actual situation, Arthur; I have my difficulties too... Sigh... However... Hey! Speak of the devil, Barty! Over here! Come over quickly!"
(The following is an annotation section. I assume many people might not understand this character, Bertha Jorkins, who appears suddenly. She didn't even appear in the movies, but she is the fuse for the goblet of fire. It can be said that without her, there would be no goblet of fire. In the original work: Bertha Jorkins, an ordinary Wizard in the Department of Magical Games and Sports at the Ministry of Magic, a subordinate of Bagman, two years ahead of Sirius and his peers, born around 1958. Personality: Super gossipy, highly curious, loose-lipped, not very smart, poor memory; she was transferred everywhere in the Ministry, and no one wanted her. Her first stroke of bad luck was discovering that Barty Crouch Jr. was not dead! She went to Bartemius Crouch Sr.'s house to deliver documents and ran into the House-elf Winky talking to an invisibility cloak. She then realized that under the cloak was Barty Crouch Jr.—Lord Voldemort's loyal servant, whom everyone thought had died in Azkaban. She questioned Bartemius Crouch Sr.directly. Fearing the secret would leak, Bartemius Crouch Sr. cast a powerful Memory Charm on her, erasing this memory but damaging her mind, making her even more forgetful and muddled thereafter. Her second stroke of bad luck was in the summer of 1994, when she went on vacation to Albania (where Lord Voldemort was hiding in the forest at the time). She met Peter Pettigrew at an inn, was tricked by him into the forest, and was captured before Lord Voldemort. Lord Voldemort used torture to forcibly break the Memory Charm cast by Bartemius Crouch Sr., forcing two fatal pieces of intelligence from her: 1. The Triwizard Tournament was to be held at Hogwarts. 2. Barty Crouch Jr. was still alive and being hidden at home by his father. These two pieces of intelligence directly allowed Lord Voldemort to set his plan in motion: have Barty Crouch Jr. impersonate Mad-Eye Moody to enter Hogwarts, get Harry into the tournament, and finally use Harry's blood to resurrect. The important part: after using her, Lord Voldemort killed her with Avada Kedavra and used her death to turn the giant snake Nagini into a Horcrux (Lord Voldemort's seventh Horcrux). This is the life of Bertha Jorkins, the life of a tragic little person.)
Chapter 114: Entering the Arena
Bartemius Crouch Sr. was a stern, upright, elderly man. He wore an impeccable suit with a tie, his short hair was unnaturally straight, and his narrow, toothbrush-shaped mustache looked as if it had been trimmed with a ruler. His shoes were polished to a high shine.
Bartemius Crouch Sr. greeted Su Yu first.
"Come and sit here! Barty." Ludo patted the grass beside him excitedly and offered a spot.
"No, thank you, Ludo," Crouch said, his voice laced with irritation. "I've been looking everywhere for you; I'm going mad. And you're just chatting here? The Bulgarian side is insisting that we add twelve seats for them in the Top Box!"
Bagman suddenly realized, his round eyes wide with confusion. "So that's what it was about! I heard his awkward accent and thought he was coming to borrow tweezers from me."
At this moment, Percy, a bit overly excited, hurriedly bowed and bent over, looking somewhat stiff and awkward. He spoke respectfully, "Mr. Crouch! Would you like a cup of tea to rest?"
Crouch paused slightly, eyed Percy for a moment, and replied casually, "Oh, all right, thank you, Weatherby."
Fred and George were holding back so hard they nearly spat out their tea. They suppressed their laughter while Percy's ears turned bright red instantly. He had to pretend to fiddle with the tea set to hide his embarrassment.
Crouch's tone was forceful and decisive. "I have already negotiated with Fudge and the Bulgarian Minister for Magic. You must arrange for staff immediately to use magicto expand the Top Box and add twelve seats. It must be completely sorted before the match begins."
Bagman agreed repeatedly, promising, "Yes, yes, no problem, Barty. I'll go arrange it right away. I guarantee there won't be a single mistake."
Immediately after, Crouch turned to look at Arthur and spoke seriously about business. "By the way, Arthur, there is one thing I must mention to you. Ali Bashir refuses to give up; he insists on negotiating with you regarding the regulations on the flying carpet embargo."
Upon hearing this, Arthur sighed heavily, his face full of helplessness.
"I already sent an owl last week to explain it clearly to him. Flying carpets have long been classified as banned enchanted Muggle items and are not allowed to be imported. But he just won't listen and insists on having us relax the rules."
Crouch frowned, his tone carrying a hint of dissatisfaction. "These foreign Wizards always refuse to behave and follow the rules. All right, I still have a pile of official business to handle. I suppose we should go and meet those Bulgarians."
As soon as he finished speaking, his figure flickered, and he disappeared from the spot cleanly and efficiently, leaving behind only one sentence: "Thank you for the tea, Weatherby."
Bagman watched the direction he left in and lowered his voice to remark to Arthur, "That man is just too rigid and stubborn, but he is certainly efficient and doesn't drag things out."
Percy's eyes were full of admiration as he spoke in a tone of high praise, "Mr. Crouch is definitely the most capable official in the Ministry of Magic. He is rigorous and adheres to the rules; it's truly admirable."
Fred leaned into George's ear and whispered, "I reckon he probably even uses a ruler to comb that mustache of his perfectly straight."
Upon hearing this, George couldn't hold it in anymore and started snickering secretly.
"See you in a bit then!" Bagman said. "Forgot to mention, I'm also the commentator for the match!" He waved goodbye to everyone. "Don't forget about the big event after the World Cup, Arthur!"
After saying this, Bagman also Disapparated and left.
"Will there be some kind of event at Hogwarts, Dad?" Fredasked from the side, already excited.
"Don't worry, you should know soon enough. Someone will tell you, so don't be impatient," Mr. Weasley said with a smile.
"This is classified information; you shouldn't pry into secrets! You'll be told when it's time," Percy said, feigning seriousness. "Why ask so much?"
"Oh, so you're the only one with a mouth, eh, Weatherby? 'Classified'..." George said dismissively.
"Oh, Mr. Classified? Calling him Weatherby now?" Fredjoined in to help George.
After everyone had eaten a hearty dinner, it was completely dark. The magical world began to go truly wild; everywhere, vendors descended from the sky, selling all kinds of souvenirs and strange, quirky items.
Everywhere there were stalls stamped with the Fawley family brand, and the item they sold the most was the badge of the Bulgaria National Quidditch Team, which could be worn on the chest. Almost every fan of the Bulgaria National Quidditch Team had one. The badge had two buttons; pressing the top one would play the voice of Viktor Krum: "I am Viktor Krum!"
Then, pressing the bottom one would play another line: "For the glory of the Bulgaria National Quidditch Team!"
For a moment, the crowd was filled with "I am Viktor Krum" and "For the glory of the Bulgaria National Quidditch Team!"
Su Yu was laughing so hard on the side. The girls looked at Su Yu helplessly, estimating that at this moment, Viktor Krum was probably too ashamed to leave his dressing room. Su Yu had hired reporters to record this without Viktor Krum's knowledge; otherwise, Krum would never have allowed such shameful clips to be released.
Cassandra went to a nearby vendor to buy a few Omnioculars, while Hermione went to buy a few match guides. Ginny and Farley were picking out various souvenirs, and Isolde and Daphne went to prepare a midnight snack. The two of them were worried that Su Yumight get hungry later, as he hadn't eaten much during dinner—it had all been eaten by those Weasley children...
Su Yu also ran into Theodore and Olivia, who were on a date. They were wearing masks, but Su Yu recognized them at a glance. Blaise was actually here too; he was hitting on a few girls from Russia, inviting them to his place tonight to see that cat which could do backflips.
Then, Blaise turned his head and saw Callis walking shoulder-to-shoulder with a boy. He immediately abandoned the three Russian girls and spoke to Callis in a sarcastic tone.
"Oh, isn't it the busy bee? You said you had a cold these past few days and couldn't come out. Is this what you call having a cold?"
"Heh, that's still better than someone lying to three young girls about his cat being able to do backflips! Didn't you also say in the group chat that you accidentally got polio and were bedridden, and that you could only eat liquid food for every meal these days?"
The two stood head-to-head, sparks of lightning colliding between them.
"Tell me the truth right now! How many have you asked out tonight!" Callis whispered.
"Hmph! Unlucky for me, I've only managed to ask out five! What about you? Your Highness, look me in the eye and tell me! How many guys did you ask out to come with you tonight!" Blaise didn't show any weakness and glared back!
"Uh... I didn't! What do you take me for? Am I that kind of person? Damn it!" Callis's eyes darted away.
"Oh? Let me guess, 10?"
"Nonsense! It's clearly only seven! Don't slander me! Uh... just pretend I didn't say anything, okay Blaise... I beg you..." Callis let it slip, turned to leave, but was pulled back by Blaise.
"You're sticking with me tonight, and you're not allowed to go anywhere else!"
"Why! Why are you so controlling! I don't want to!" Callisprotested in a low voice, but was still dragged away by Blaise.
(Don't scold me. Aren't Lu Ziqiao and Meijia like this too? They haven't confirmed their relationship, and Europe is a bit more open than here. Some people shouldn't project themselves into this. Rats have their ways, cats have their ways; there are gentle couples, shy ones, and ones that bicker with each other. With Blaise's personality, he doesn't believe in love. I'm telling the truth. I will write about this later; I will slowly reveal the inner scars and sorrows of each of them.)
On the other side, Malfoy, with Pansy and Astoria, was also busy buying souvenirs. His two bodyguards, Goyleand Crabbe, were struggling to hold everything, but they refused to let go of the ice cream in their mouths. Until they ran into Su Yu; in order to greet him, their ice cream fell to the ground. They squatted to the side, crying and wiping away tears with aggrieved faces. Farley couldn't bear to watch and, disgusted by their embarrassing behavior, lent a storage ring to Astoria to pack all the purchased items. Su Yu bought them another box of ice cream, and Goyleand Crabbe finally beamed with joy, hugging their ice cream boxes and continuing to follow behind Malfoy and the others. You ask why the young master didn't speak? He was surrounded by the two girls and was just busy grinning and paying; he hadn't even noticed Su Yu and the others, who had been nearby for a long time.
Suddenly, a loud noise came from the distance of the forest, and all the trees began to sparkle with lights, illuminating the path to the arena.
"It's time," Cassandra walked over unhurriedly and hooked her arm around Su Yu's. "Shall we go in too?"
Su Yu's group met up with Harry and the others. Mr. Weasley led the way, and Harry and the others were still holding the things they had just bought. The group moved forward along the illuminated path.
Chapter 115 Mascot (Part 1) (Thanks to Lu Dao's Fen Yue Wang Jie for the "Powering with Love")
Over a hundred thousand people crowded towards the match venue. The surroundings were filled with shouting and laughter. Feverish emotions are contagious, and Harrywas particularly happy right now. He was carried on Sirius's shoulders, looking around while laughing and joking with Ron, grinning from ear to ear.
Su Yu held the hands of the girls, his Kurama Cloakinvisibly unfurled, separating their space from the outsiders. While teasing Ginny and Hermione, he took advantage of Cassandra's distraction to quickly plant a kiss on her. The group walked like this, bickering and playing, for over twenty minutes before emerging from the other side of the woods. Before them stood a magnificent stadium with golden walls. Harry said it was probably big enough to hold ten Hogwarts Great Halls, but Ron felt that fifty would be more than enough.
Mr. Weasley was explaining on the side, "500 workers spent a whole year busy here! Only then was this miracle completed. Every inch of land here has had a Muggle-Repelling Charm cast on it!"
Then he led everyone towards the ticket entrance, where a large group of noisy Wizards had already gathered.
"Top tier!" The plump Witch at the entrance looked at the ticket Su Yu showed, "Top box! The biggest one, just keep going all the way to the top. Arthur, it's perfect, why don't you take them up there."
The stairs leading to the top were covered with thick crimson carpet. Innumerable streams of people slowly divided towards the stands on both sides. Mr. Weasley led the group to the top box. Winky, the House-elf of the old Bartemius Crouch Sr. family, had been waiting there for a long time. She led Su Yu and the girls to a box on one side, while Harry and the Weasleys remained in the hall, sitting with several high-ranking officials from the Ministry of Magic.
Inside the box were various pastries, fruits, and food that Su Yu loved, which Daphne and Isolde had prepared in advance. As soon as Su Yu entered, he was so tired that he leaned on Daphne and lay down. Ginny and Hermionewere lying on the balcony railing, looking at the giant blackboard outside where advertisements were constantly being written. They were chatting excitedly, discussing things like:
"Want safety? Choose Cornflower, the flying broomstick suitable for the whole family! Unique three-point seatbelt design! Every detail is crafted with ingenuity!"
"Mom no longer has to worry about me dirtying my clothes! Mrs. Scour brand Universal Miracle Stain Remover, you deserve it."
"A hundred-year-old brand, Fengya brand Wizard robes! One coat lasts three generations!"
Hermione and Ginny ran back excitedly, picking up the velvet-covered game brochure with tassels on the table, and read it word for word.
"There will be a performance by the team mascots before the match!"
"Wow, that must be great, right?" Ginny's little face was a bit flushed right now.
Farley was flipping through a fashion magazine. To be honest, her view on Quidditch was the same as Su Yu's; she wasn't that curious. To her, it wasn't as satisfying or blood-pumping as a real fight.
Cassandra kept introducing the various situations of the two teams to the two girls. Isolde was massaging Su Yu's legs, and Daphne was feeding Su Yu pastries. Among them, she was listening to Butler Carson's teachings, afraid that Su Yu would go hungry.
Harry was chatting with the House-elf named Winky outside, while Ron was fiddling with his Omnioculars, watching an old man in the distance picking his nose, muttering, "I can make him pick it again... pick it again... pick it again..."
In the next half hour, quite a few people started arriving in the hall outside. Mr. Weasley kept shaking hands with others. Percy also stood up hurriedly time and time again. By the time Minister Fudge arrived, he bowed so low that he knocked his glasses off, shattering them. He could only awkwardly fix them with his wand and then sat blankly in his original seat. However, when he saw Minister Fudgechatting enthusiastically with Harry, he revealed a jealous look again.
However, no one dared to knock on that box inside, as if some great terror existed there. Especially the Minister for Magic of Bulgaria; he had heard that the person inside had a bad temper and hated hearing languages he couldn't understand. His catchphrase was, "What gibberish are you spouting? Did you leave your vocal cords at home?"
If Su Yu knew about this, he would definitely smash Grindelwald's old teeth! He was that kind of person, but every time before he could even make a move, Grindelwaldwould beat him to it, and yet he ended up being the scapegoat?
Oh, you can't afford to provoke Grindelwald, so you blame it on him, Su Yu??
However, it wasn't until one family arrived that they knocked on that door—the Malfoy family, because they also brought Pansy and Astoria with them.
Su Yu hurriedly stood up to warmly entertain the Malfoyfamily, giving Lucius Malfoy plenty of face, calling him uncle and aunt repeatedly.
By the time Lucius was helped out by Narcissa, he was still feeling a bit floaty. The symbol of the new force, the third-generation Dark Lord, was actually so polite to him. This was much more cultured than that little brat Lord Voldemort!
Under the envious gazes of the crowd, Lucius walked out with a stride. Minister Fudge greeted him enthusiastically. Even his old rival Mr. Weasley, Lucius forgot to mock. He smiled and shook hands with Mr. Weasley. Amidst Mr. Weasley's look of utter disbelief, he left stylishly and sat in his seat.
"Oh, right, I forgot to say, Arthur! What on earth did you sell to get the top box seats? Your house certainly isn't worth that much money, right?" Lucius, having sat down, seemed to remember something, stood up again and said to Mr. Weasley, before sitting back down.
Mr. Weasley breathed a sigh of relief. He had almost thought Lucius was under some kind of Imperio just now. Now he was relieved; he was still himself, truly annoying.
Ludo took out his wand, pointed it at his throat, and said: "Sonorus!"
Then what he said spread throughout the entire stadium. Everyone looked towards him. His voice echoed over the crowd's heads, reaching every corner of the stands.
"Ladies and gentlemen... welcome! Welcome to the 422nd Quidditch World Cup!"
The audience screamed, waving thousands of flags, mixed with the national anthems of various countries. The scene was... chaotic yet harmonious...
Hermione's little team now had two more people: Pansy, Astoria, and Ginny. The four of them were cheering loudly in the stands.
On the blackboard opposite them, the last line of advertisement (Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans — you have to try them, did you win today?) was erased. Now it displayed: Bulgaria: 0, Ireland: 0.
"The time has come, no delay. Now, what we see is the mascot of the Bulgaria National Quidditch Team. Let us cheer!"
A shocking cheer erupted from the right side of the stands. At this moment, it was already a neat ocean of bright red.
Next was the scene that the readers loved the most. A full hundred Veela slid onto the field. They were impossibly beautiful, their skin as bright and clear as moonlight. Their silver-gold long hair moved without wind, gently flying and flowing behind them.
Their eyes were bright like water, their smiles gentle yet carrying an indescribable allure. Every movement was as light as a dance, as if they were born with a magic that made people lose their minds.
As long as their gazes swept over, the air seemed to become soft and shimmering, making people unable to look away the moment they saw them, leaving only a kind of indescribable trance and amazement in their hearts.
However, Su Yu didn't even glance at them. First, he was the ancestor of illusions; mere Veela were laughable. Second, he looked at the girls around him who were already watching him. He didn't want to die here.
Chapter 116: Mascots (Part 2)
Among the boys present, it seemed only young master Malfoy had fallen under the spell; he was chuckling foolishly, slowly walking toward the edge of the stands, ready to jump right off.
His leg was already raised, and half his body was leaning out when Pansy slapped him back to his senses.
He covered his face and crouched in a corner, nearly crying, while Astoria, under the guise of comforting him, pinched him so hard he let out a pig-like shriek.
Goyle and Crabbe didn't have so many fantasies; self-restraint was everything to them.
The two were naturally immune to this kind of charm illusion because, in their eyes, these hundred Veela weren't as tempting as the food the girls in front of them had prepared for Su Yu.
The two brothers were eating with great gusto, while Daphne covered her head, thinking that with these two around, she would have to prepare another midnight snack for Su Yu when they got back.
Harry and the others outside were in an even more pathetic state; if not for Sirius holding them back, Ron and Harry would have jumped down too.
Then, once they came to their senses, Ron tore off his Ireland National Quidditch Team badge on the spot, shouting loudly that he wanted to join the Bulgaria National Quidditch Team!
To hell with the Ireland National Quidditch Team! He didn't want the Veela to misunderstand!
Harry, in fact, was not far behind; he had wanted to do the same, just hadn't said it out loud.
"Now," Ludo Bagman cheered loudly, "let us give a warm welcome to the Ireland National Quidditch Team's mascot! Let's hear a big cheer!"
The cheering at the Quidditch World Cup stadium had not yet subsided when the Ireland National Quidditch Team's mascot—swarms of Leprechauns—rose into the air in unison, instantly occupying the space above the arena.
They were small, about half the height of a human, dressed in bright, eye-catching emerald green robes with dazzling gold trim on the hems and cuffs, wearing small, pointed green hats on their heads, and holding slender golden wands in their hands, hovering neatly in the air, agile and uniform.
Immediately after, countless Leprechauns began to change formations in perfect synchronization.
They gathered closely and arranged themselves precisely, and in just a moment, they outlined a gigantic, shimmering clover pattern in the night sky.
The emerald green light flowed slowly in the night, its edges shimmering with a soft golden glow, illuminating the entire arena in a fresh green-and-gold hue.
From afar, it looked like a magical plant floating in mid-air, exquisitely beyond imagination.
Before the audience could recover from their amazement, the Leprechauns waved their golden wands gently, and a sky full of glittering golden coins fell like a sudden downpour, refracting delicate and enchanting light under the stadium floodlights, scattering down onto the spectator stands.
These coins looked exactly like real Galleons, with a heavy, realistic feel.
As they landed on the seats and the ground, they made crisp clinking sounds, instantly igniting the passion of the audience.
Everyone reached out to grab them, the stadium was completely engulfed in roaring cheers, and these coins, conjured by the Leprechauns' magic, became the most moving surprise of the performance.
Hermione and the other girls had forgotten themselves in the ocean of coins, giggling as they grabbed handfuls of them, rushing to Su Yu's side to pile them on the table, then running back to continue picking them up endlessly.
At this moment, because the clinking of the coins was too loud, Kurama, who had been sleeping inside Su Yu's body, could no longer resist.
She instantly appeared on the table in front of them and jumped straight into the ocean of coins, shouting loudly, "These are all mine! They are all mine! If I die today, I'm going to die right here!"
Su Yu shook his head helplessly and gave Kurama a flick on the forehead, which finally snapped the money-obsessed Kurama out of it.
Kurama looked around in confusion, "What did I just do?"
Then she saw the mountain of coins again, "These are all mine! They are all mine! If I die today, I'm going to die right here!"
Daphne, Cassandra, and the others were bent over laughing.
The helpless Su Yu had no choice but to grab Kurama by the scruff of her neck, place her in his arms, block her view, and flick her forehead again.
"Ugh... why did you hit me!" Kurama bit Su Yu's finger, but she couldn't bring herself to use any force, though she still bared her teeth to threaten him.
"You money-grubber, I was just asking how you're doing? How did you wake up so soon?"
"Oh, you mean about sleeping? I'm fine now, and besides, I've changed! Haven't you noticed?"
Saying this, Kurama hopped around and spun in a circle.
"What's different?" Su Yu looked for a long time but didn't see anything different, then he spread Kurama's legs, "Did you turn into a male?"
A furious and embarrassed Kurama bit Su Yu; she was truly dying of shame!
"Wait! Kurama has ten tails now!" Daphne, who had spent the longest time with Kurama, was the first to spot the blind spot.
"It's true, Kurama actually has ten tails now!" The girls all crowded around to observe Kurama's tails, no longer picking up coins.
"Huh? How did you become a Ten-Tails?" only Su Yu, who knew the truth, asked in surprise.
"Hmph, am I not amazing? I'm super powerful now!"
Su Yu kept thinking to himself, ordinary Uchiha plus ordinary Mangekyou plus ordinary Rinnegan plus Ten-Tails.
?????
Have I become Obito???
Does that mean I can at least open Six Paths Mode?
Pseudo Six Paths is still Six Paths, right?
Because the ability he awakened this year was very ordinary, it didn't actually add much to his own strength.
Because what Su Yu awakened this year was a comprehensive guide to using all Ninjutsu, which means he can now perform any Ninjutsu, from hand-crafted Rasengans to Shadow Clones, as long as he has the ability.
Of course, he still couldn't perform those few Kekkei Genkai because he didn't have the corresponding Chakraattributes.
But now with Kurama in Ten-Tails mode, if he opens Pseudo Six Paths mode, can he use all the Kekkei Genkai too?
He must try it another day.
The girls played with Kurama for a while longer.
Cassandra explained to everyone that the gold coins conjured by the Leprechauns would disappear in a few hours, and Kurama was the most dejected.
She lay in the ocean of coins, crying her eyes out, praying, "My dears, please don't go, okay?"
It wasn't until she heard that Su Yu had just earned over a million Galleons that she leaped up, jumped into Su Yu's arms, and acted coquettishly, asking Su Yu to drown her in gold coins...
It was hopeless.
Su Yu's head ached from the fuss, and in the end, he had to agree that once it was over, he would let Isolde take her to collect the coins.
Only then did she excitedly jump into Hermione's arms, lying on the spectator stand to watch the Quidditch World Cup with the girls.
However, by this time, Ludo Bagman had not only finished introducing the team members but had also finished introducing the referees.
The girls were watching the exciting Quidditch match nervously through their Omnioculars.
Only ten minutes into the match, the Ireland National Quidditch Team had already shown an overwhelming offensive advantage.
The three Chasers, Troy, Moran, and Connolly, were working in perfect coordination.
They maneuvered their broomsticks rapidly through the air, skillfully using the Porskoff Feint to constantly tear apart the Bulgaria National Quidditch Team's defense.
Moran was the first to grab the Quaffle, making a clean turn and dive, dodging the interception of the Bulgarian Chaser Dimitrov, and charged straight toward the opponent's goal.
With a flick of her wrist, she accurately threw the Quaffle in, scoring the first 10 points.
The green camp in the stands instantly boiled over.
The Leprechauns circled in the air, once again scattering a sky full of magical gold coins, the cheers almost lifting the roof off the stadium.