章 434: 0433 Quidditch World Cup Final
As the Malfoy family disappeared through the doorframe of the top box, an inexplicable sense of unease welled up in Harry's heart. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, and a chill ran down his spine. Unable to shake this ominous feeling, he immediately shared his discovery with Sirius.
"Sirius," Harry whispered urgently, tugging at Sirius's sleeve, "The Malfoys left without watching the entire match. Don't you think that's odd?"
Sirius, still immersed in the increasingly intense game unfolding before them, took several long seconds to calm himself and process what Harry was saying. His eyes, previously burning with excitement, now darted towards the luxurious seats reserved for the Malfoy family. True to Harry's word, they were empty. Sirius's brow furrowed deeply, as lines of concern appeared across his forehead.
"What urgent matter could possibly make them leave before the World Cup match ends?" Sirius thought aloud, his voice low and hoarse. "It's not like Lucius to miss an opportunity to schmooze with the bigwigs here."
"I don't know!" Harry exclaimed, his voice rising with a mixture of frustration and worry. The hostile glance Lucius Malfoy had given Sirius upon entering and leaving the box weighed on his mind like a heavy stone, causing him great concern. "Sirius, I can't shake the feeling that the Malfoys are plotting something... possibly against you!"
"I can't rule out that possibility, Harry--" Sirius began, his voice trailing off as he considered the implications.
Harry felt a wave of relief wash over him as he saw Sirius, a veteran of the wizarding war, seriously considering his words and agreeing with his opinion. However, Sirius's grey eyes flicked towards Fudge and the Bulgarian Minister of Magic who looked thoroughly confused by the fast-paced game, and the other bigwigs of the Wizarding world scattered throughout the box. After a moment of contemplation, Sirius spoke again.
"I'll be careful, Harry," he said, his voice low and reassuring, "but I don't think Malfoy has the guts to cause trouble at the World Cup. Unless, of course, he wants to face the wrath of the entire Ministry of Magic, not to mention the international magical community gathered here."
Harry followed Sirius's gaze, taking in the gathered dignitaries and acknowledging the logic in his godfather's judgment. But, Harry couldn't fully shake his unease.
"We'll discuss this after the match, Harry," Sirius added, his tone softening as he saw the worry still etched on Harry's face. "For now, you should focus on watching the game! It's not every day you get to see a Quidditch World Cup final, after all."
Sirius reminded Harry with a warm smile, reaching out to ruffle the boy's messy black hair affectionately.
Harry nodded, trying to push his concerns to the back of his mind. He turned his attention back to the match, where the action had intensified to a fever pitch.
Hermione and Ron, seated on either side of Harry, hadn't noticed their hushed conversation. They were utterly engrossed in the match as they followed the blur of players zooming across the pitch. Ron, his freckled face flushed with excitement, even burst into laughter at some unseen play.
"What happened?" Harry eagerly leaned back over the railing, his earlier worries momentarily forgotten in the face of his curiosity. "What did I miss?" he asked anxiously, his green eyes darting back and forth across the pitch, trying to catch up on the action.
Neither Ron nor Hermione answered Harry's question, both too engrossed in the unfolding spectacle to tear their attention away. Realizing he'd have to see for himself, Harry fumbled for his Omnioculars, pressing them to his glasses as he scanned the pitch.
For some inexplicable reason, the leprechauns brought by the Irish team had risen into the air like a swarm of glittering, emerald bumblebees. They swirled and danced in intricate patterns before suddenly merging to form giant shining letters spelling out "HA! HA! HA!"
Across the field, the veela, not to be outdone, jumped to their feet in a synchronous motion with grace. Without warning, they began to dance again, their movements so alluring and hypnotic that Harry felt himself being drawn in despite his best efforts.
Harry was about to clap his hands over his ears, a defense mechanism he'd learned from previous encounters with the veela's enchanting dance, when Hermione tugged insistently at his arm. He turned to face her, noting the amused glint in her eyes and the way she was trying to suppress a giggle. She impatiently pulled his fingers from his ears.
"Look at the referee!" she said through barely contained laughter, pointing towards the center of the pitch.
Harry followed her gaze, his jaw dropping at the sight that met him. Hassan Mostafa, the referee who had been flying above the pitch had suddenly landed right in front of the dancing veela. His behavior was beyond odd - it was downright comical. The usually stern-faced man was now flexing his muscles like a bodybuilder, puffing out his chest and excitedly stroking his mustache.
"Now, we can't have that!" Ludo Bagman's magically amplified voice boomed through the stadium, though he sounded more amused than concerned. He chuckled heartily, clearly finding the scene quite entertaining. "Somebody slap the referee!"
A mediwizard, shaking his head in exasperation, rushed onto the field. With a resounding smack that echoed through the stadium, he brought the referee back to his senses. Mostafa looked around in confusion, his face reddening as he realized what had happened.
From this point on, the match gradually descended into a state of barely controlled chaos, becoming fiercer and more intense than anyone had ever witnessed in years. The crowd's excitement reached a fever pitch, with spectators on the edge of their seats, gasping and cheering at every turn.
The Beaters on both sides showed absolutely no mercy. Volkov and Vulchanov from Bulgaria were particularly brutal in their tactics. They didn't seem to care whether their clubs hit the Bludger or an opposing player, swinging wildly with all their might.
In a particularly vicious play, Dimitrov, one of Bulgaria's Chasers, flew straight at Moran as she attempted to score. His eyes were narrowed, focused solely on the Irish Chaser as he barreled towards her at breakneck speed. At the last possible second, Moran rolled to avoid the collision, nearly losing her grip on her broom. The crowd collectively gasped as she swayed precariously for a heart-stopping moment before managing to balance herself.
"Foul!" The enraged shouts of the crowd shook the Quidditch stadium. Without a moment's hesitation, the referee's whistle shrieked through the air, and Ireland was awarded two penalty shots, which they easily converted.
As if sensing the rising tensions, the leprechauns seized the spotlight for the third time that night. This time, they formed a giant, glittering green hand in the air. With a cheeky flourish, the hand made a very rude gesture towards the veela on the other side of the field. The crowd erupted into a mixture of gasps and wild laughter.
Seeing this blatant provocation, the veela completely lost control. Their beauty melted away revealing their true, terrifying form. Instead of dancing, they launched themselves across the pitch with incredible speed. As they flew, they hurled what looked like handfuls of fire at the leprechauns.
Harry peered through his Omnioculars for a closer look. What he saw made his breath catch in his throat. The veela were no longer the epitome of beauty that had entranced the crowd earlier. On the contrary, their faces had elongated into sharp, cruel-beaked bird heads, their delicate features twisted into masks of rage. Long, scaly wings burst from their shoulders as they soared across the pitch.
"Good heavens!" Harry cried out in panic, a memory suddenly surfacing in his mind. "I've seen them before! Professor Watson showed me veela!"
"Oh?" Mr. Weasley, who had been lecturing the children about not judging by appearances, heard Harry's exclamation and leaned in with interest. "Can you tell us more about that, Harry?"
Harry turned his head to find Hermione also staring at him intently, seemingly waiting for an explanation.
"I'll tell you later, Hermione--" Harry shrank his neck nervously, knowing that anything involving Professor Watson required careful consideration before being shared.
"KRUMM!" Ron's excited shout allowed Hermione to temporarily back down, refocusing her attention on the match.
Krum wasn't flying as erratically fast as he had been at the start of the match. Instead, he was now weaving unsteadily close to the ground. Ron, who had placed a substantial bet on the outcome of the match, was stomping his feet anxiously - whether or not he would win his wager now depended entirely on Krum pulling off a miracle.
But there was something wrong with Krum, something that most of the spectators hadn't noticed yet. During an earlier encounter with a particularly vicious Bludger, Krum had been injured.
"They should pause the match, Krum's injured!" Ron shouted at Bagman, his face red with indignation. He didn't care whether the commentator could hear him or not over the roar of the crowd. In any case, Bagman gave no indication to the referee, continuing his enthusiastic commentary as if nothing was wrong.
Just as Ron was about to leave his seat and approach Bagman directly, a sudden hush fell over the stadium. Krum had abruptly accelerated on the pitch, his eyes fixed on a point in the distance. At the same time, Lynch dove sharply from a position level with the goal hoops.
Harry's heart leapt into his throat as he realized what was happening. This time, Lynch wasn't imitating Krum's Wronski Feint - they, including himself, had all seen the Golden Snitch.
Many spectators had realized what was happening. Another wave of anticipation swept through the stadium as everyone watched the two Seekers draw level at some point, chasing forward together, and then--
The world fell silent as if someone had hit the pause button. No one knew how to react to the scoreboard on the giant screen opposite the goal hoops: Ireland 170, Bulgaria 160.
"We won..." Ron was the first to speak in the box, breaking the stunned silence. He looked dazedly at Bagman, his voice barely above a whisper, as if he couldn't quite believe what had just happened. "Can you believe it, Harry? We won... a whole...Five Hundred Galleons each--"
"But why?" Hermione looked utterly confused, her brow furrowed in concentration as she stared at the hook-nosed player hovering and panting in midair on the pitch. "He caught the Snitch when Bulgaria was 160 points behind. Isn't that stupid? He should have interfered with Lynch, made him lose track of the Snitch--"
"Because Krum knew," Harry's excited shout was drowned out by the thunderous roar from outside the box. "They could never catch up to the Irish team!"
At this moment, many things were happening simultaneously. Fudge looking slightly flustered, was attempting to console the Bulgarian Minister of Magic, who appeared to be on the verge of tears. Ron and the twins were stumbling towards Ludo Bagman, who was shouting the match results with all his might. Sirius, Mr. Weasley, Bill, and Charlie were all standing on their chairs cheering for the unexpected result.
Hermione stared at the genius Seeker who was circling the pitch to acknowledge the crowd, beginning to understand why so many people were crazy about him. On the Quidditch pitch, Viktor Krum could indeed be considered a valiant warrior.
Outside the box, things were much more chaotic. The aftermath of the match had sparked a powder keg of emotions, and now the stadium was erupting into barely controlled mayhem. Needless to say, the Irish leprechauns and Bulgarian veela were at each other's throats again.
The veela, now fully transformed into their true, terrifying form, were even more ferocious than before. Their bird-like faces were twisted with rage, their scaly wings beating furiously as they launched themselves at their opponents. They not only attacked the leprechauns but also showered flames on the Irish supporters celebrating in the lower tiers, causing panicked screams to rise from the crowd.
The leprechauns, for their part, were using their magic to create illusions and distractions, confusing and infuriating the veela further. Golden coins rained down on the crowd, only to vanish moments later, adding to the chaos as spectators scrambled to grab the illusory wealth.
Fan conflicts were expected by the Ministry of Magic, but the scale of this altercation seemed to have caught them off guard. Many Ministry officials rushed to the conflict points, their wands out as they tried to separate the angry supporters.
"People will talk about this match for years to come, Harry!" Sirius exclaimed; his voice hoarse from cheering. He was still applauding wildly for the players on the field, but somehow, his expression suddenly dimmed. He stared at Harry's back as he talked to Ron and a glimmer of light flashed in his grey eyes.
Ron and the twins each received a money bag from Bagman. Ron numbly held out the bag to Harry, his lips quivering slightly. It was hard to tell whether he was crying or laughing at this moment.
Mr. Weasley stared at the money bags in his three children's hands. He knew they contained nearly two thousand Galleons, a considerable sum.
"Children, if you'd like, I can help you open a vault at Gringotts. It's not safe to keep such a large amount of money with you, especially in this crowd." He paused, a flicker of worry crossing his face before he added, "And if your mother finds out..."
"No!" Ron suddenly snapped back to his senses, clutching the money bag so tightly his knuckles turned white. His eyes were wide with a mixture of excitement and fear - fear of losing this unexpected windfall, perhaps. "Half of this money is Harry's. I'd rather keep it in Harry's vault!"
"We have other plans, Dad!" Fred and George chimed in simultaneously, matching mischievous grins spreading across their faces. Mr. Weasley could only smile bitterly at this.
"Let's go, Harry--" Sirius patted the shoulder of Harry, who still hadn't calmed down. His voice softened considerably, "It won't be quick or easy for a hundred thousand people to leave. Let's get going before everyone else reacts."
Sirius's suggestion was wise. Harry nodded, ready to call his friends to leave. Despite the late hour, he knew they probably wouldn't be able to sleep tonight, but just then--
BOOM--
A sudden, violent explosion came from below the pitch, the sound was so loud it momentarily drowned out even the chaotic noise of the celebrating crowd. Harry's words died in his throat as he instinctively ducked, his seeker reflexes kicking in.
But it wasn't just one explosion. A series of blasts followed in quick succession; Harry could even feel the floor beneath his feet trembling.
"What's going on? Haven't these people calmed down yet?" Charlie said with a frown as he jumped down from his chair.
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章 435: 0434 Chaos
The commotion below seemed to have ignited like a pile of dry kindling meeting fire, rapidly spreading as more and more fans joined the unrest. Furthermore, the veelas brought by Bulgaria were fanning the flames, and the Ministry employees trying to maintain order had charged into the surging crowd without causing so much as a ripple.
Were the supporters of Bulgaria enraged by their team's loss? Harry could understand this reason, but he was utterly baffled as to how that explosive sound had just occurred.
The people in the luxury box now dared not venture outside, for who knew if the enraged spectators might trample them into mincemeat? One by one, they rose from their chairs, making their way to the railing that overlooked the pitch, stretching their necks to catch a glimpse of the unfolding mayhem below.
"There are people in black robes!" Harry suddenly cried out, his voice tinged with a mixture of fear and urgency as he scanned the scene through his Omnioculars. "They're firing spells into the crowd!"
"Let me see!"
Without a moment's hesitation, Sirius snatched the Omnioculars from Harry's, the frames digging deeply into the sockets of his eyes as he peered intently at the chaos unfolding below. After a moment, he lowered the Omnioculars, nodding solemnly at Mr. Weasley.
"Harry's right, there are some people in dark cloaks all over the stadium, and they're causing the mayhem!"
The Bulgarian Minister of Magic immediately turned his gaze to Fudge, hoping for an explanation.
"Oh, oh—"
Fudge wiped the beads of sweat from his brow. He appeared flustered, but still managed a smile in an effort to reassure the people in the box.
"What a thrilling match, isn't it? Captivating the hearts of all!"
All eyes were on Fudge, whose pale face and quivering jowls showed his agitation.
"In my opinion, it's likely some extremist fan group, unwilling to accept the loss," Fudge continued, his words fumbling and unconvincing. He paused, seemingly lost in thought for a moment, before adding, "Oh, let me think, should we send someone down to inquire about the situation? Who will volunteer? Ah, splendid, Arthur, I nearly forgot you were here as well. What do you think?"
"Dad!" Ginny called out with concern, clinging to Mr. Weasley's robes, unwilling to let him leave.
"I must go, Ginny!" Mr. Weasley said sternly. "If there are indeed people causing trouble, then I must go stop them. It is my responsibility!"
"I'll go with you, Dad!" Percy suddenly spoke up. He was pleased that the Minister was looking at him with a grateful gaze, and so he puffed out his chest proudly. "I bet Mr. Crouch is already down there directing the crowd evacuation. I must be the first to act, so I don't leave him to face the unrest alone!"
Mr. Weasley eyed his young, fearless-looking son, hesitating for a moment, before ultimately nodding.
"Alright, Percy, you can come with me, but don't be reckless. And—"
Mr. Weasley's gaze was then fixed on Sirius.
Sirius had been planning to go down and assess the situation himself, but since Fudge had given the order to Arthur, someone did need to stay and look after these underage children, so he could only nod reluctantly.
"Don't worry, I'll take care of them."
With that, Mr. Weasley and Percy rushed out of the box like the wind, while the remaining ones waited anxiously. Fudge managed a strained smile, trying to reassure everyone, but no one was listening to him at this point.
The gloomy box was thick with tension, everyone maintaining a suppressed silence. But the commotion below showed no signs of subsiding - in fact, it was only growing more intense.
The air was filled with the booming of explosions, as if someone had set off a barrage of fireworks right in the middle of the Quidditch pitch. Cries of alarm and anguished wails came from all directions!
Ron, clutching his money bag, stared blankly at the box entrance where his father and Percy had just charged out, still seemingly unable to grasp the events unfolding.
"Harry!" Hermione grabbed Harry's sleeve and called out, her eyes filled with unease when Harry turned to face her.
"It's the Malfoys!" Harry said through gritted teeth, looking to Sirius, who was still surveying the situation.
"It must be Lucius Malfoy, he's the one causing this chaos, he and his entire family must have escaped in advance to avoid affecting themselves!"
"It's no use dwelling on that now, Harry!" Sirius said sternly. "We can investigate who's responsible after this unrest is dealt with. But if the chaos spreads up here, you all must not try to be heroes - you must all stick closely behind me. This is not Hogwarts, understand?"
"What's going on, Harry?" Hermione asked urgently, her voice laced with deep concern. "Why do you think it's the Malfoy family behind this?"
Harry then quickly recounted how he had noticed the Malfoy family suspiciously leaving the stadium early. Hearing this, Ron suddenly sprang up from his seat as if he had been magically revived.
"It has to be them!" Ron cried. "That whole family is rotten to the core! I'm going to tell Dad about your suspicion, Harry. Oh wait, the Minister is right here, Harry, maybe we should—"
"We have no concrete proof, Ron!" Hermione sharply interrupted, her slender frame visibly shuddering.
The commotion below was no longer just frightening explosions and screams - the Ministry seemed to have already engaged in a fierce battle with the troublemakers, and the eerie flashes of spellfire were painfully bright.
Hermione's body shivered, the sounds from below torturing her nerves and making her heart ache. She too suspected the Malfoy family, but still stopped Ron's suggestion.
"Unless you can find some tangible evidence, Ron, I don't see the Minister believing the guess of an underage student. Especially with all the influential wizards from around the world gathered here, I can't even imagine how they would perceive us—"
Mr. Weasley had been gone for a while, but no news had come back. The fear of the unknown was the most agonizing. Fudge, under immense inner turmoil, tried to comfort the people gathered around him, though the handkerchief he used to wipe his brow was already soaked through.
"Ludo, why don't you go down as well, and have Rufus send some Aurors to guard us?"
The rapidly escalating chaos from below was filling the trembling Fudge with a sense of dread, and he looked pleadingly at the cowering, nervous Ludo Bagman.
Most of the assembled agreed emphatically with Fudge's suggestion, using his authority as Minister to pressure Ludo to hurry and summon the Head of the Auror Office and his skilled subordinates to come defend them.
Before Ludo could even respond, a figure suddenly came rushing up the corridor towards the box, appearing in everyone's line of sight.
It was Remus!
He was drenched in sweat, his pupils contracted to extreme, his pale face from his half-year stay at St. Mungo's was now even more ghastly. He gripped his wand tightly, his brand-new robes half-burned. It seemed that he had just fought a fierce battle with someone!
"Lu-Lupin, is that you—"
Remus hadn't even caught his ragged breath yet when the panic-stricken Fudge cried out in alarm.
"What's going on, how did you even get here, I mean, you're not allowed to—"
Remus had no time or patience to deal with Fudge's stammering, incoherent questions. In the brief moment he regained his composure, he let out a thunderous, urgent shout towards Sirius, who was protectively shielding Harry and the others:
"Sirius, get Harry out of here immediately! It's the Death Eaters!"
Time seemed to freeze for a seemingly endless ten seconds in that oppressive box - not a single person, from Minister Fudge and his esteemed guests, to Sirius and the young people huddled behind him, to even the trembling Winky, dared to make even the slightest sound.
The fear was building, brewing, and then it erupted!
The shrieks of terror that burst forth in that instant were like a dam suddenly bursting open, the flood rushing out with unstoppable, violent force.
Agonized cries to the Heavens, the thunderous sounds of chairs toppling and crashing, the pained, anguished wails of wizards frantically tumbling down the stairs - everyone was frantically, desperately pushing and shoving towards the box's exit. Even Fudge's status as Minister held no sway now, as he was ruthlessly shoved aside by the panicked, stampeding crowd, inadvertently knocking over Winky and her chair!
Remus tried to push back into the box, but was quickly swallowed up and engulfed by the desperate, fleeing mob racing to escape, and soon he could no longer see or hear anyone.
"Everyone, get your wands out and follow me! If anyone tries to curse you, use your best spells to bring them down, no matter who they are!"
Sirius, radiating an intense, fierce resolve, had drawn his wand at some point, roaring commandingly to lead the terrified children to safety. But just then—
BOOM!
The sturdy wall beside the box entrance suddenly exploded in a deafening blast, sending many wizards flying back, crashing violently against the ceiling and other walls of the box. As the thick, choking dust slowly settled, three imposing figures in ominous, dark cloaks, emanating a palpable aura of malice, now stood before the horrified eyes of Sirius and Harry!
The fear of death hung over the wizards in the compartment like a thin, suffocating veil, making most of them shiver with barely contained terror.
The three wizards in dark cloaks stood calmly amidst the rubble they had blasted through the wall. They stared at the trembling "bigwigs" inside the compartment, who were as silent as mice. Despite the vast disparity in numbers between the two sides, the dark wizards exuded no tension, as if they were just facing a herd of pigs to be slaughtered.
"Hmph—" It was impossible to distinguish the faces of the three dark wizards who had appeared before them, but the one on the right was noticeably smaller in build. She glanced at the struggling Cornelius Fudge, who had been blown away by the recent explosion, and sneered contemptuously. "The Ministry, hmph, it's getting more and more pathetic!"
"Who are you?" Sirius asked, his voice low and steady as he positioned himself between the dark wizards and the children behind him. Bill and Charlie stood guard on the flanks, their wands raised and at the ready, but the beads of sweat on their foreheads showed the immense pressure they were under.
Sirius had now calmed himself; his grey eyes were gleaming with the intensity of an alpha wolf guarding its territory.
Remus had been lost in the panicked crowd somewhere, and the pampered "gentlemen" in the compartment, who were usually hailed as "powerful," were now so terrified that they had forgotten where they had placed their wands. Apart from Sirius, no one else seemed capable of protecting Harry and the children.
It was necessary to try and identify the three dark-robed figures. Sirius probed cautiously, "Let me guess, Malfoy, Dolohov, and the Carrow siblings, old friends, isn't that right? Why don't you throw off your cloaks and let me see your faces?"
"Impossible!" Fudge finally found some of the courage of a Minister of Magic. He and the Bulgarian Minister of Magic were standing amongst the ruins, their wands raised and pointed at the three dark wizards. Hearing Sirius's guess, Fudge flushed as if he had been deeply insulted. "The three people you mentioned are all in Azkaban, Sirius. They could never have escaped!"
"I'm not as confident as you, Minister," Sirius snapped back bitterly.
The battle erupted suddenly, without any warning, and Harry, protected by Sirius, realized that a real life-and-death duel was very different from the ones they had seen in Lockhart's dueling club – it was more underhanded and more perilous.
Among the three dark wizards, the smallest one, who looked like a woman, suddenly pointed her wand at the ceiling, and with a violent flash, the steel beams and roof panels supporting the structure collapsed, raining down a torrent of construction debris. Fudge and the Bulgarian Minister were buried without even having a chance to cast a spell.
"Get down!" Sirius roared. His arms swung repeatedly, and two crimson spells shot towards the three dark wizards like sharp-screaming arrows, but they had no effect.
The dark wizard in the middle thrust his ebony wand at the floor, and a dark, curtain-like water screen rapidly rose from the ground. Sirius's spells sank into the water screen and were extinguished without a trace.
This scene made Sirius's heart sink. "Bill, Charlie, find a chance to get them out of here!" he called out, his voice laced with urgency.
Before Harry could object, Sirius, like a lone wolf, charged out towards the dark wizards.
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