Chapter 340: Crouch's Odd Behavior
Chapter 340: Crouch's Odd Behavior
A hundred thousand Quidditch fans had gathered, and even the slightest noise from each person turned the entire campsite into a boiling cauldron. As the afternoon wore on, the restless atmosphere only intensified, and even the summer air seemed to quiver.
Felix stayed in the tent, helping Lupin and the others inventory the items needed for the lantern display. According to the plan, they would host a grand magical lantern exhibition the night after the Quidditch final, and it would continue until the end of the match. Additionally, Future World Company had spent a thousand Galleons to buy a text advertisement before the Quidditch World Cup began.
The sun finally set, and the twilight gradually faded. Crema and the young shop assistant Aric Mcgee slipped out to play. Outside, it was bustling, with small vendors apparating in every few minutes, pushing carts loaded with various souvenirs through the crowds.
The Ministry of Magic had given up its last resistance and allowed the chaos to continue. The sounds of apparition, enthusiastic hawking, and the cheerful and noisy chatter filled the campsite.
Lupin also went out, leaving Felix in the tent, where he played with a layer of air wall on his left hand. In his right hand, he held a wand and whispered, "Stupefy."
A red light shot from the wand tip, striking his left hand. After a couple of seconds, Felix's left hand trembled. He dispelled the magic and looked at his palm, which had a small red dot.
"The effect is still limited", Felix mused. The spell he had just used wasn't very powerful. After another hour or two, Crema and Aric returned, laden with bags and packages, which they placed on a nearby table. Felix put away the magic and examined the various souvenirs.
There were glowing green rose-shaped badges, currently shouting, "Go Irish Team!" at the top of their electronic lungs. Crema pressed the top of the rose, and it finally quieted down.
There was also a device that looked like a pair of binoculars, covered with all sorts of strange knobs and dials. "That's an Omniocular", Crema explained. "I think it's amazing. You can replay scenes in slow motion and get quick analyses of the game."
Felix tried it out. "It's really interesting", he said, continuously adjusting the buttons. The world slowed down before his eyes, and Crema slowly pulled out a flying Firebolt model, demonstrating it in front of him.
Additionally, there were collectible figurines of famous players. Aric Mcgee had bought the entire set of Irish team figurines, which walked around on the table, looking very proud. One of them accidentally fell off the table.
"Oh, my Lynch—"
Aric said, hurriedly wiping the dust off the figurine's nose. "Ward off the jinx, go away..."
Crema and Felix looked at him. He explained, "It's something my dad does to ward off bad luck. You can't let a good situation be ruined."
"Does it really work?" Crema asked skeptically.
"Of course", he said enthusiastically. "Britain hasn't won the cup in thirty years, but this year we have a great chance. We have the most cohesive team—Connelly, Ryan, Troy, Mullett, Moran, Quigley, and of course, Lynch!"<|im_end|>
"He's the Seeker?" Crema pointed at the 'Lynch' figurine in Aric's hand with her chin.
"Right, the Seeker is the soul of the team..." When it came to Quidditch, Aric was particularly talkative. When he heard that Crema didn't even know the basic fouls, he stared at her as if she were an alien.
"Let me tell you, there are many ways to foul in Quidditch, like the most common ones—pulling, pushing, elbowing, using your broom to block the opponent, and more complex ones..."
Felix quietly moved to the side, finding an interesting game. He created a thick air wall in the air and threw some small objects, like cups and forks, at it. They would stick to the wall and move forward in slow motion, with the speed depending on how hard you threw them.
Crema also discovered this game and tried to knock Professor's cup out with her own.
After repeated failures, she turned her gaze to Aric Mcgee's player figurine.
"Absolutely not—" Aric said firmly, but he pulled out a bunch of small figurines from his pocket. "Here, you can throw these Bulgarian team figurines."
Soon, the air was filled with various cups, forks, badges, and small figurines, along with a sealed bag of snacks.
"Aric wins, five points."
...
The sky grew completely dark, and Felix called everyone to eat. "Let's have something to eat. We can't watch the match on empty stomachs, and we don't know how long it will last."
"Where's Lupin?"
"Probably ran into a friend and got talking. I'll remember to bring him some food", Felix said.
"I hope the match lasts for ten days and ten nights", Crema Vera said sincerely at the table. This way, they would have more time to showcase the magic lanterns.
Felix laughed.
"Haven't made a decision yet, Vera? You're already part of the team."
Crema blushed and said, "I haven't decided yet. I like the Curse-Breaker job, but it's great here too... Am I being greedy, Professor?"
Felix shrugged, swallowed the chicken in his mouth, and poured himself another glass of iced lemonade. He smiled and said, "It's a happy dilemma. I can't help much with this, but don't rush your decision and don't put pressure on yourself."
He raised his glass in a toast. "You're always welcome here, Vera."
At that moment, Lupin entered the tent with a worried look. Felix poured him a glass of lemonade. Lupin thanked him and relaxed his brows. "I just came from Harry's place; there was almost a confrontation."
"What happened?" Felix asked, directing the dishes to float in front of Lupin. "Try this, fried halloumi cheese. Aric bought it from a vendor. It goes well with chicken and has a unique flavor."
Aric Mcgee, sitting next to Crema, smiled awkwardly. Lupin patted his shoulder gently and said, "Thanks." He sat down and explained, "Sirius Black was with the Weasleys when they ran into Barty Crouch, as you know..."
Felix understood. It seemed Sirius Black had some hostility towards Barty Crouch, but Lupin's words surprised him.
"Barty Crouch was the one who provoked him", Lupin's brows furrowed again as he continued, "Crouch is in charge of the camp's security. He mentioned the Death Eaters and brought up old grudges, saying many Death Eaters are still at large—"
"But Sirius Black has been proven innocent."
"Yes, but he kept looking at Sirius Black. You know Sirius's temper, and they already had a history. If Harry hadn't held him back..."
Lupin shook his head and didn't continue, but Felix could easily imagine the scene.
They probably even drew their wands.
A deep, resonant gong sounded from somewhere in the forest, and immediately, thousands of colorful lanterns bloomed in the trees, lighting the path to the stadium.
"Time to go!"
The four stood up and left the tent, following the excited crowd into the forest. They emerged on the other side to see a huge, oval-shaped open-air stadium, brightly lit and glowing, casting a golden hue on half the wall.
"Supposedly it can hold a hundred thousand people", Aric murmured.
They held tickets for the top box and made their way up, the stairs leading to the top covered in a deep purple carpet. When there were no more stairs, they found themselves at the highest point of the stadium.
Below, the sight was magnificent. A hundred thousand wizards took their seats, and Crema tugged at Aric's sleeve. On the side of the pitch, a large blackboard displayed various ads in a loop—
'Centaurea: The family-friendly broomstick—safe, reliable, with a built-in anti-theft buzz...'
'Future World, watch the match, see the lanterns, say goodbye to oil lamps and dazzling torches. The future is here—'
Felix nodded, acknowledging he had seen them. Soon, people started entering their small box, including the Weasleys, the Malfoys, Sirius Black, Harry, and Hermione, followed by Cornelius Fudge and the Bulgarian Ministry of Magic minister.
Lucius Malfoy gave the Weasleys and Sirius Black a cold glance, nodding slightly, before engaging in an animated conversation with Fudge. When Felix looked at him, Lucius instinctively avoided his gaze.
'Haven't made up your mind yet, Lucius,' Felix thought to himself.
After everyone was seated, the small compartment was filled with the incomprehensible chatter of Fudge and the Bulgarian Minister of Magic, who struggled to communicate due to the language barrier. Fudge missed Barty Crouch terribly, despite their disagreements. Crouch's talent was undeniable; he knew over a hundred languages, including many spoken by magical creatures.
Shortly after, Barty Crouch and Ludo Bagman arrived together. Crouch's expression was terrifyingly stern, his face like a mask of ice, and his body stiff. However, Fudge, tortured by the Bulgarian Minister's poor accent, didn't notice this at all.
"Thank heavens, Barty, you're finally here. I need your help with the translation—"
"It was I who dragged Barty along", Ludo Bagman said cheerfully. "I told him you deserved the highest position for your efforts—"
"Sorry", Crouch said, his face twisted with disgust, his lips trembling as if he was restraining himself from slapping Fudge. "I don't have time for such trivial matters—"
"Trivial?" Fudge took a deep breath, staring at him in disbelief. What was going on? Just as he was about to speak, Crouch's lips moved silently, trying to speak. Although no sound came out, Fudge, being so close, could clearly read the words: "Idiot."
"Barty Crouch!" Fudge's voice was a mix of anger and fear as he shouted, spittle flying, "You've finally dropped the act and decided to usurp my position!"
The compartment fell silent. No one had expected this to happen, not even the Bulgarian Minister, who gaped and said in perfect English, "What's going on?"
As the host, Ludo Bagman froze, sweat beading on his round face. He instinctively took a few steps back, exclaiming, "Ouch!" Hermione cried out, as he had stepped on her foot.
"S-Sorry, little girl", Ludo Bagman stammered.
Sirius Black sneered, "See? Neither of them are good people. Crouch was looking at me the same way this afternoon. I think he's finally lost it."
Felix, sitting in the second row, pinched his chin. Was he about to witness a showdown, a confrontation between the head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation and the current Minister of Magic?
What a shame, there were no reporters—
Mr. Weasley stood up, trying to ease the tension. He hesitated and said, "Mr. Crouch—"
Barty Crouch seemed to regain his composure. He opened his mouth but said nothing, hurriedly muttered an apology, and left. All that remained was Fudge, breathing heavily, his eyes red.
As Crouch left, Harry suddenly felt a sharp pain in his forehead, as if a branding iron had been pressed against his skin.
He clutched his forehead, trying not to make a sound. Only Sirius and Ron, sitting beside him, noticed his discomfort. Sirius whispered, "What's wrong, Harry? Your scar is hurting again?"
But at that moment, the Quidditch World Cup final officially began, and the massive cheers drowned out his concern.
Ludo Bagman cast a Sonorus spell on himself, and his voice boomed across the stadium like thunder.
"Ladies and gentlemen... welcome! Welcome to the 422nd Quidditch World Cup final!"
(End of Chapter)
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