Chapter 256: The Changed Turmoil
Chapter 256: The Changed Turmoil
Liam pulled Hermione out of the box and walked toward the main staircase, which was covered in a deep purple carpet. Just then, he saw the Weasley family and Harry coming down the stairs.
Upon seeing Liam and Hermione, Harry immediately approached them, grasping Liam's hand and repeatedly thanking them for giving up their excellent viewing spots for the match to him and his godfather. Harry only stopped when the Weasley Twins came over.
"Hey, Liam. Check out what we just won—two hundred Galleons." The Weasley Twins opened a pouch that was brimming with gold coins.
"Looks like we can hire someone now. When we go back to school, we won't have to cut down on our production", George whispered, leaning in.
"Hmm, these don't seem like real Galleons", Liam said after taking a few coins from the pouch and examining them. On one hand, he had just analyzed some goblin gold, and the comparison made it clear what they had. On the other hand—
"Have you noticed how new these gold coins look? From what I know, Wizarding World currency is more resistant to wear, but it doesn't mean it won't wear at all. Every coin in this pile looks like it was just minted, with no dirt or scratches."
"No way, right?" Fred said, sounding doubtful. "Ludo is a Ministry of Magic official; he wouldn't use fake Galleons to cheat us, would he?"
"In theory, you're right, but I can't trust a compulsive gambler's integrity. Whether you believe me or not is up to you. I'm just telling you what I suspect."
After a few seconds of discussion, the Weasley Twins went to find their father. They gestured with their hands for a moment, and then Mr. Weasley asked Sirius Black to take the children to the campsite while he and the twins went to confront Ludo.
Sure enough, even though Mr. Weasley didn't support his children's gambling, he still stood up for them when they were cheated.
Pushing through the excited wizards, Liam followed Sirius Black back to the camp. The wizards' tents were enchanted with a Space-Folding Charm, like the one Liam would be staying in tonight, which had the interior of an old three-bedroom house.
Since Mr. Weasley and the Weasley Twins hadn't returned, everyone decided to drink some cocoa milk before bed, as suggested by Sirius Black. Immediately, they started arguing about the match.
About ten minutes later, Mr. Weasley returned, looking furious, with the Weasley Twins in tow, carrying a much smaller pouch. He took a sip of cocoa milk by the fire and said angrily, "I've known Ludo for over a decade, but I never thought he would use such underhanded tactics to cheat my children."
"What!" Ron exclaimed. "The bag of gold coins was really fake?"
"That's right, all goblin gold", Mr. Weasley confirmed. "The outcome of this match was unusual, and Ludo lost a lot. So he resorted to some unsavory methods. When I found him, he had already pawned his bracelet. After a lot of arguing, I managed to get back only half of the money. So, kids, stay away from gambling, understand?"
"Understood, Dad." "Got it." "No problem, Mr. Weasley", everyone around the fire said in unison. Soon, everyone began discussing the exciting match.
Occasionally, rough, boisterous singing echoed through the night sky, and the small goblins kept darting and soaring overhead. Liam learned from the Weasley Twins that the Vip box had been filled with important figures today, including old Barty Crouch.
It seemed the world was indeed changing, and Liam felt a chill. This meant his advantage in knowing the plot would become less significant. However, his own strength was no longer weak, and he had the confidence to face the future changes. With this in mind, Liam relaxed and joined the others by the fire, chatting about the match.
Even though everyone had been sitting for over twenty minutes, the surrounding area was still as noisy as ever. Liam, noticing the chaotic campsite, moved closer to Percy and asked with a worried tone, "Everyone seems a bit too excited. Do you think there might be Quidditch Hooligans tonight?"
"Quidditch—thugs, what are those?" Percy was curious about this unfamiliar term, as he had never heard it before.
"Are you talking about something like Football Hooligans?" Hermione, sitting nearby, was the first to react. She then explained to the group of wizards, who looked puzzled, "In the Muggle World, there's a sport as popular as Quidditch called football. Football Hooligans are people who cause trouble, disrupt the Quidditch pitch, and public order, and endanger social stability during or after matches. Liam's concern is quite reasonable, especially since Football Hooligans in Britain are the most notorious in the Muggle World."
"And I think if wizards start causing trouble, it could be much worse than Muggles. The worst incident involving Football Hooligans in the Muggle World resulted in nearly 40 deaths and over 300 injuries. It led to Britain's team being banned from international tournaments for five years, and they were only allowed to participate again the year before I started school. You can imagine what kind of chaos wizards could cause", Liam added.
"Your concern is valid", Mr. Weasley said after listening to Liam and Hermione. "From what I know, the Ministry of Magic focuses most of its efforts on the pre-match and match periods. Right now, most people are on leave. If a riot were to happen, the Ministry of Magic might not have enough manpower to handle the situation."
"How can that be? There are so many people here", Percy looked at his father in disbelief. In his eyes, the Ministry of Magic should be a very meticulous department and shouldn't be understaffed at such a critical time.
"Firstly, strictly speaking, the match is over. Secondly, everyone has been working hard for a long time, so the department won't have many people on duty. After all, everyone is quite tired", Mr. Weasley said with a resigned expression.
"No, I need to inform Mrs. Bones", Percy said seriously as he stood up. Mr. Weasley was about to say something but then changed his mind, perhaps seeing his own confident self when he first joined the Ministry of Magic in his son.
"From what I know, these riots usually target specific places. Here, it would be the tents of Ministry of Magic staff or the Muggle campsite managers", Liam quickly reminded him.
"Got it", Percy acknowledged, then squeezed through a group of green-clad Irish Team supporters and disappeared.
"Young people these days!" "Indeed!" Sirius Black and Mr. Weasley sighed in unison and clinked their glasses. After chatting for a while, Mr. Weasley sent everyone to bed, but Percy still hadn't returned. The noise around them, however, grew louder.
"I'm feeling a bit uneasy now", Mr. Weasley said seriously to the children. "So, everyone should go to bed early. When you sleep, don't change into pajamas; just take off your coat and leave it by the bed. Make sure your wands are within easy reach."
Liam and Ron were in the same tent. After washing up, they placed their wands on the bedside table as Mr. Weasley had instructed, said goodnight to each other, and went to bed fully clothed.
Despite the noise outside, Liam's excitement had worn off, and drowsiness soon overcame him. He fell asleep within a few minutes.
(End of Chapter)
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