Chapter 4: World Cup
Author's Note:
If you read this story before, reread it I literally rewrote the entire thing. I wanted to continue it, but I've been looking over the story and did not like how I handled most of it at all. It was rushed, so I've gone back and literally rewrote the entire chapters, changing the plot a lot to make it more coherent and less rushed. Shoutout to Wolfe9, who I don't know if he's a bot or something but has been sending this story a power stone every day for like the last 3 years. Literally made me feel like doing this. Did this all in one sitting because of him.
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The group walked a ways until reached the top of the hill and Harry couldn't help but be disappointed by the first portkey he'd ever seen.
"And old boot?"
Erica laughed lightly. "Britain certainly has its own style, no?"
Two more people walked up the hill. One was a tall young man a couple of years older than Harry with brown hair and well-groomed hair. The other was a lanky older man who was most likely the boy's father.
"Gang, this is Cedric Diggory and his father Amos. We're taking the same Portkey as them to the World Cup," Mr. Weasley introduced.
"Nice to meet you all," Cedric said in greeting and everyone muttered their own in return.
"Alright everyone take hold of the boot and don't let go," Mr. Weasley said and we all followed suit.
"Let go before we hit the ground, and make sure not to resist the magic" Erica whispered to him. Harry had forgotten about his natural magic resistance and consciously felt it out to make sure it wouldn't stop the portkey from affecting him.
As the portkey activated, they disappeared into a void. It felt like everything around them was spinning, but Harry made sure to keep an eye on Erica and when she let go he did the same. The two of them, alongside the two oldest of the Weasleys, Arthur, and the Diggorys floated down lightly as they arrived at their destination while the rest of the group slammed roughly into the ground.
Once the rest of the group got up and grumbled at them, the group made their way into the campground. Mr. Weasley handed off their tickets to the man who was waiting before they were allowed to enter, while Erica did the same with hers. Harry could feel the magic barrier they were passing through, and as they walked they could now see thousands of tents sprawled out in front of them.
'So this is the Quidditch World Cup. Quite the spectacle.'
"Erica, how far away from our tent is yours?" Mr. Weasley asked.
"I made sure to get the one right next to yours," Erica explained and Mr. Weasley nodded his head, although a brief look of surprise appeared on his face. It took Harry a moment to figure out why that was surprising, but he realized that he hadn't known Erica long enough for her to have booked the tickets in time to be right next to them. Mr. Weasley was clearly starting to get an idea of how well-connected she was.
Mr. Weasley led us to our tent, weaving through the campground until we finally arrived at our destination.
"I'm going to set my stuff inside, meet up in fifteen?" Erica asked.
"Sure, sounds good," Harry accepted and Erica smiled, giving him a hug before she went inside her own tent. As the group entered their own tent, Harry having a brief moment of surprise at how large it was on the inside, Ron and Hermione pulled him aside.
"Alright mate, spill. What's going on with your two?" Ron asked.
"What do you mean?" Harry asked, trying to avoid the subject.
"What Ron means to ask, is are you two dating?" Hermione clarified.
"No, we're just friends."
"Friends don't act like she does. Look at Hermione, she just hits us or tries to crack our spines with her hugs," Ron said, earning himself a slap on the arm from the girl in question.
"While Ron put it terribly, she's clearly interested in you."
Harry shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know, we've been getting on pretty well, but I'm just letting things progress as they go."
"That girl doesn't seem like the type to wait around, I'm pretty sure she'll make a move before you do," Hermione commented, and Harry made a point of not blushing as he remembered their game of chicken to see which of the two would break first.
"Mate, snag her before some other bloke comes along."
Harry wasn't really sure how he felt about Erica at the moment. He liked her, and he was certainly attracted to her, but they hadn't known each other all that long. Despite that, they'd gotten pretty close in that short frame of time. In the end, he decided he'd figure it out eventually.
The three of them made their way back out of the tent and met up with Erica to tour the grounds. Her arm once again found itself hooked with his, and their conversation still fresh on his mind Harry decided to just embrace it.
Ron was quick to bring up the game that would be happening tonight. "I mean, Krum's amazing. He's only a little older than us and he's the best seeker in the league."
"Got a little crush on the man Ron," Harry ribbed good-naturedly.
Sheepishly, Ron rubbed the back of his head. "He's just really good is all."
"I don't know how you guys enjoy the sport this much," Hermione said.
"I agree, it's entertaining, but I much prefer other forms of entertainment," Erica agreed.
"Blasephmy, you take that back," Harry said in a mock outraged tone.
Ron quickly joined in as he said "Harry these heathens will never understand the greatest sport in the world. Next time they'll see when the Chudley Cannons make it to the World Cup."
"Pft, alright you lost me there. I know they are your favorite team Ron, but they've got no chance," Harry laughed.
The rest of the afternoon was spent exploring the grounds and seeing the different groups that had gathered for the game. Erica was quite knowledgeable about most foreign magic groups, having spent her time as a Great Knight doing a lot of traveling, so she was deep in conversation with Hermione about them. Ron and he just continued to speculate about the game, some passersby chiming in as they walked in support of one team or the other.
Eventually, our group made it back to the tent and set a couple of chairs outside to watch the sunset before the game. Erica had enchanted the chair larger and sat next to him, leaning her head on his shoulder as they watched the sunset, with Hermione and Ron looking at him rather pointedly as Harry put his arm around her.
Mr. Weasley finally told them it was time to head to the stadium, and confirmed with Erica that she was, in fact, in the same box as them as well. They walked up several flights of stairs at the stadium until they ended up in the top box.
"I helped Ludo Bagman out, so he got me these seats," Mr. Weasley explained.
Entering the box, the group found Minister Fudge already there attempting to speak to a man with dark hair and dressed for colder weather.
"Are you enjoying yourself so far?" Fudge asked the man, speaking slowly.
The man just looked at Fudge confused, before he noticed our group making their way into the box and he spotted Erica.
"Erica, is that you? I haven't seen you since you came up to my hip," the man said to her in Italian.
"It's nice to see you again Oblansk," Erica replied in kind before she turned to us and introduced the man. "This is the Bulgarian Minister of Magic. He and my uncle have known each other for a while, so I met him growing up."
"Just how well connected is your uncle," Mr. Weasley said, earning himself a mysterious smile from Erica in response.
"Erica is that-" Oblansk began to ask, having taken notice of me.
"Yes, and he would prefer if you did not announce his status," Erica quickly interrupted the man, even if he was speaking in another language.
"Of course, whatever he wishes," Oblansk said before switching to English and saying "Harry Potter, wonderful to meet you."
He took Harry's hand, shaking it tightly before pulling back. "Well, I'll let you guys enjoy the game. Erica, you really should come to visit again, even if you're busy with your Great Knight duties."
"I will do my best," Erica said, a small smile on her face.
Our group made their way to their seats, and Hermione was quick to ask Erica a question. "Erica, just how influential is your uncle? He knows the Bulgarian Minister, and you can't have known Harry for all that long and you managed to get a tent right next to us and a seat in the top box. I'd seen your name mentioned, but I didn't look into your family."
'Hermione, quick on the uptake as always.'
"My uncle is the leader of the Copper-Black Cross," Erica revealed to the group. Hermione was the only one who understood what she meant, and Harry was reminded once again of how insular the British magical community was. "Think of him like our version of Dumbledore."
That was as apt a comparison as any. Paolo Blandelli was much younger than Dumbledore was, only being around forty, but the power he gave off was far beyond any wizard Harry had seen since he'd become a Campione. He had yet to see Dumbledore again since he became able to sense magic, but he wasn't so sure the man was stronger than Paolo.
Someone else came through the entrance of the box and the group turned to find Lucius Malfoy, alongside his son Draco and wife Narcissa.
"Lucius, come come, meet the Minister of Bulgaria," Fudge said excitedly to the man. Draco's attention was squarely focused on our group, his eyes locking onto Erica for a moment before he opened his mouth to speak. Before he could, Lucius cuffed him on the side of the head and led him away from us. He made a point of nodding politely at Erica before he made his way over to the two ministers.
"That was because of you wasn't it?" Harry asked Erica.
"My father is well known, I'm assuming that is Draco Malfoy you've told me about."
"Mate, marry her. She managed to stop Malfoy from speaking without doing anything," Ron said.
"Oh, should I propose right here," Harry said, turning to look Erica in the eye. She managed to stay composed for a moment, but a light blush dusted her face before she looked away.
"That can wait, unfortunately. It seems the game is starting," Erica said.
The group focused their attention on the field while Lucius pulled his son and wife aside for a quick talk.
"Father, why did you embarrass me in front of scarhead?" Draco said petulantly.
"Draco, I'm going to say this once and I expect you to obey. When it was just Potter, it wasn't a problem, but now that he's associating with Erica Blandelli you are not to cause conflict," Lucius said sharply.
"What's the big deal? We've got Fudge in our back pocket," Draco protested.
Lucius shot him a scathing look as he explained. "Fudge is nothing compared to that girl's father. You upset his daughter and he can destroy us financially, politically, and physically. That man is a monster, and even the Dark Lord avoided expanding into his territory."
Draco had a shocked look on his face, and even Narcissa looked contemplative with that news. The three of them made their way back into the box, rejoining the ministers as Lucius began to engage them.
Erica glanced back, an amused smile on her face as she looked at them. Her uncle's status certainly had its benefits, and if Harry didn't want to expose his status, then she would ensure that anyone who made an enemy out of him was put in their place.
----
The horns sounded for the game to begin, and the first team flew out with their mascot. Ireland's mascot was a giant leprechaun who threw gold into the air, which began to fall into the crowd.
Harry picked up a piece, looking at it closely, and could sense the magic within it.
"It's leprechaun gold, it will disappear after a little while," Hermione explained.
After the Irish team, the Bulgarian team flew out with Victor Krum in the lead. Below them, a group of women all with silvery-blonde hair and beautiful appearances walked. They danced, swaying in a hypnotic manner as Harry felt an aura wash over him before it shattered on his skin due to his magic resistance.
Looking around, Harry saw the men in the box begin to act in various different ways. Ron, in particular, was borderline climbing out of the window to jump onto the field before Hermione yanked him back.
"Veela, they have an allure that causes men to act irrationally," Erica commented this time, not remotely surprised that the magic had no effect on him. Despite that, she still made a show of kissing him on the cheek and saying "Not everyone can resist it properly."
Hermione just looked irritated at the displays going on around her, as did Ginny as well. They both noticed that Harry was unaffected, but chalked it up to him having a stronger will rather than anything to do with being a Campione.
The veela continued for a little longer before the leprechaun threw some gold at them. They responded by shifting into a bird-like form, growing feathers as they hissed before throwing fireballs from their hands.
It took a little while, but the mascots were calmed down and the game began. Watching professional quidditch was an entirely different experience for Harry than playing at school. Everything was much faster and he found himself completely absorbed in the game.
The game passed by, gripping Ron, Harry, and Ginny as they watched, although Erica and Hermione didn't seem nearly as interested. The two ended up making quiet conversation while the game went on, and Hermione seemed happy to have a friend who was more academically inclined than Harry and Ron.
It was during the game that Harry felt someone try to grab his wand from his pocket, and he quickly reached down, grabbing the offending arm. He found a female house-elf behind him, who squeaked and quickly teleported away.
"What was that about?" Harry asked in confusion.
"I'm not sure, but it is certainly rather odd," Erica commented.
They ignored it for now, having no method of identifying the house elf or tracking it down at the moment. As he continued to watch the game, Krum suddenly dived towards the ground, the Irish seeker trailing after him, before he sharply turned upwards, the Irish seeker not having a chance to react before he crashed straight into the ground.
"Oh, and Krum pulls off a Wronski Feint," the announced called out.
Right after that, Krum flew solidly in a direction and caught the snitch, but the Bulgarian team was down so many points that the game still ended up in a loss for them.
"Ha, we guessed it," the twins cheered. Apparently, they had put a bet that Krum would catch the snitch, but Ireland would win.
Everyone in the box began to get up and make their way down the stairs to exit the stadium. "Now, it's time for the afterparty," Bill said while clasping a hand on Harry's shoulder.
As they made their way back to the camp, Erica made a suggestion. "If we are going to be partying, perhaps we should do it in my tent, away from the adults."
Hermione looked affronted at the idea, but Ron was quick to be on board "That sounds bloody brilliant."
Harry, Ron, Hermione, Erica, and Ginny made their way into her tent, while the rest of the group made their way into the Weasley tent. Mr. Weasley had easily accepted that they'd rather hang out with everyone their age, although Bill, Charlie, and the twins shared a knowing glance with them as they walked away. Bill also slipped Ron a bag when his dad wasn't looking.
The group quickly set up around a table in the tent, the entire thing being incredibly well furnished, which was par for the course with Erica at this point.
"Check it out," Ron said, opening the bag Bill had slipped him and pulling out a bottle of fire whiskey.
"That is definitely not a good idea," Hermione said.
"It'll be fine Hermione, fire whiskey is not for everyone though. I have some wine in here if you'd like that more," Erica said, moving to a cabinet and pulling out a bottle of wine that probably cost more than everything Harry owned.
Hermione, quick to fold under the suggestion of her newest friend, agreed to have a glass. Harry noticed that the girl seemed to really want Erica to like her, and was more accepting to rule-bending if the older girl suggested it.
"It'll be within reason, of course. I don't need anyone throwing up in here," Erica clarified and that served to pacify Hermione completely.
Ron quickly poured shots into glasses Erica had brought for himself, Harry, and Ginny while Erica filled a wine glass for herself and Hermione.
From there, the group enjoyed the night playing cards and having what was for most of them their first experience drinking. Erica had had alcohol before, in small amounts, but the rest of them had never tried any.
Harry found that he didn't particularly enjoy the burning sensation he got from taking a shot of fire whiskey, and ended up having a glass of wine like Erica and Hermione.
Eventually, Ron and Ginny ended up passing out after taking a couple of too many shots, and Hermione woke the two of them up to bring them back to their tent for the night, which left just Harry and Erica.
"I like your friends, especially Hermione. They're fun," Erica commented, having left to change into a more comfortable robe and shorts.
"I'm glad you guys are getting along. I was worried there for a while," Harry commented, leaning back on the sofa as Erica moved towards him, sitting down and nuzzling into his side while still sipping lightly on her wine. "When are you going to introduce me to your friends?"
"I've only really ever had one, and she's currently indisposed," Erica said in a normal tone.
"What do you mean?"
"She is currently serving under the oldest Campione, Sasha Dejanstahl Voban. He is certainly the least kind of the god slayers, and I haven't seen her in quite some time."
Harry frowned, looking down at her. "So let's get her out of there."
Erica sighed as she set her glass down and looked up at him. "He's the oldest of you and thus has the most authority. Even the Copper-Black Cross hasn't managed to figure out what all of them are. Challenging him this early would be too dangerous for you."
"It doesn't matter. You've helped me a lot Erica, and you're my friend. You said you chose to associate yourself with me because of my 'saving people thing', well let me help you save your friend."
Erica bit her lip and said "Very well, but at least wait a little while. Voban is not an easy person to deal with, and I'd rather you were more experienced first. Liliana is a strong girl, she'll be okay for a little while longer."
Harry nodded, accepting her reasoning as he moved to lean back again when Erica swung her leg over him, straddling him as she looked him in the eye. "So I'm just a friend am I?"
He'd done his best not to give ground, but this position had certainly given her the advantage he began to blush before pushing through it and saying "Do you want to be?"
In lieu of answering, Erica leaned forward and kissed him on the lips, pulling back after a brief moment and giggling to herself. "Does that answer your question?"
She moved him to the side of the couch so that he was leaned up against the arm and laid her legs out across it, leaning into his chest. Harry absentmindedly began to stroke her hair before he heard her breathing even out, Erica having fallen asleep.
"Goodnight, Erica," Harry muttered, kissing her forehead before he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep as well.
----
When Lucius left the stadium, he was quick to gather up his compatriots for the planned attack tonight.
"Attack is off," he said immediately when the group met up.
"What do you mean the attack is off," another Death Eater asked.
"Paolo Blandelli's daughter is here. We can not afford to have his attention drawn to us, and if we attack while his daughter is here then we're all finished. That's not even accounting for the fact she's one of the youngest Great Knights and certainly powerful in her own right."
That name certainly sent a ripple through the crowd, but one man questioned Lucius. "You're not truly scared of a little girl Lucius."
Before the man could even react, Lucius whipped his wand towards him and petrified him in place. "I will not allow you to undo all the work I have done. I've kept you out of Azkaban, you will listen."
Hesitantly, the group nodded and began to disperse, heading back to their tents. Of everyone, Lucius was the most aware of the threat that man posed. If by some miracle, Paolo managed to get Lord Doni to help him, then they'd be crushed before they could even think. He'd been second to only Bellatrix in the Dark Lord's confidence, and he knew that even he had been wary. He would not get that man involved no matter what.
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