Chapter 456: Fireworks that Light the Way
Chapter 456: Fireworks that Light the Way
By now, Kyle was quite adept at traveling via Portkey, and he landed steadily on his feet at the end of the journey.
Harry and Ron, on the other hand, bumped into each other as they landed, almost burying their heads in the nearby bushes.
"Five-oh-seven, from Stoat Head Hill," a voice said.
Before them stood two weary and grim-faced wizards, presumably the registrars.
"Good morning, Batholomew," Mr. Weasley said, picking up the old boot and handing it over. The man tossed it into a large box beside him, already filled with used Portkeys—old boots, newspapers, empty cans, and broken lightbulbs...
"Morning, Arthur," Batholomew said wearily, dark circles prominent under his eyes. "Lucky you're not on duty... But you'd best move aside; there's a large group coming in from the Forest at a quarter past five."
"The Weasley camp...ah, here it is. It's the first field, the one with Roberts as the manager..."
"Sorry," Kyle suddenly interjected. "May I ask if Connor Prince has arrived yet?"
Batholomew glanced at the thick roll of parchment in his hand. "She arrived ten minutes before you. First field, just like you."
"Thanks."
Mr. Weasley could tell that he didn't seem keen on prolonging the conversation, so he signaled for the group to leave.
"I reckon those two have been here all night, and they've got at least ten more hours to go. It's not an easy job," he said.
"Are they the only ones doing this?" Harry asked.
"I think so," Mr. Weasley said. "The Ministry's short-staffed..."
They trekked across the deserted wasteland for about twenty minutes until a door appeared before them, leading to a small stone hut beyond which hundreds of oddly shaped tents could be seen.
As they approached the hut, a man stood at the entrance, deep in conversation with another wizard, his face etched with confusion.
The wizard was wearing long rubber boots and a South American poncho, asking if he wanted Galleons or Sickles.
Mr. Roberts repeatedly explained that he wanted pounds.
It was clear that this was a genuine Muggle, probably the only one in the entire campsite.
Finally, the wizard impatiently shoved a handful of Galleons into his hands and told him to change them at Gringotts.
Mr. Roberts stood there, dumbfounded, clutching the gold coins.
Just then, a wizard wearing baggy pants apparated next to him.
"Obliviate!"
Instantly, Mr. Roberts's eyes glazed over, and he wore a dazed expression.
The gold coins were taken from him and replaced with pounds.
"Here's a map of the campsite," Mr. Roberts said calmly, handing over a map to the wizard.
"The Obliviate curse..." Harry frowned. "Why don't they just get a wizard to manage the campsite?"
"I don't know," Mr. Weasley said, lowering his voice. "But I suppose it's their way of showing that they get along with Muggles... You know, there are quite a few foreign wizards here."
Mr. Weasley pulled a face, clearly disapproving of this gesture... But what could he do? It was the Minister's request, and he had to abide by it.
As the wizard walked away, it was now the Weasley family's turn.
Fred, at the back of the group, signaled to Kyle and quickly stepped out of line.
"Dad, we're going to explore the campsite. See you later!" Fred said, and he and George ran off toward the tents.
Kyle, Cedric, and Autumn immediately followed suit.
"Don't wander too far, and don't cause any trouble!" Mr. Weasley called after them. "Or else we're telling your mother when we get back!"
The youngsters waved to acknowledge they'd heard.
"No problem," Kyle nodded.
Cedric waved his wand at a nearby stone, transfiguring it into a small cart with a basket.
Kyle took out several boxes enchanted with the Undetectable Extension Charm, opened the lids, and neatly arranged them in the cart.
He then took a firework and tossed it into the sky.
"Bang!"
The firework exploded, forming a huge three-leaf clover pattern in the air.
The commotion quickly attracted the attention of many onlookers.
"Oh, that's amazing!" A young man who was clearly an Ireland fan ran over and pointed at the fireworks, asking, "How much for one of those?"
"Two Sickles each, or a Galleon for ten," came the reply.
"I'll take ten, then." The man pulled out a gold coin. "Oh, and I like that hat too—the one that can dance. Give me one of those, and I want the Irish team colors... Oh, and a flag... Do you have any posters that do the players' signature moves? I'd like one of Ivanova..."
In the end, the man happily walked away with a bunch of merchandise, leaving five Galleons behind.
Having such a generous customer as their first sale put Fred and George in high spirits, and they couldn't stop grinning.
"These look great..." Another middle-aged wizard approached them.
"But I'm supporting Bulgaria. Do you have anything for that team?"
Fred launched another firework, which exploded into a majestic red lion.
"I'll take ten of those, and some hats and badges too, all Bulgaria-themed. A Galleon, right...?"
"No problem..."
Many onlookers drawn by curiosity, coupled with the reasonably priced items, meant that most people were willing to spend a little money on these interesting trinkets.
After all, these were the kinds of things one would want to buy at such an event, and the experience of watching the game without them would surely be diminished.
Moreover, wizards who could afford tickets were generally not too concerned about such small sums, including the younger witches and wizards who had saved up their pocket money all summer and were now eager to spend it on a couple of items that caught their eye.
"Hello, I'd like a badge," said another voice.
It was familiar, and Kyle looked up instinctively.
"Connor!"
Autumn, standing nearby, exclaimed, "How did you know we were here?"
"Because I saw that," Connor replied, pointing at the patterns in the sky. "I guessed it must be you."
"No wonder you kept setting off those fireworks!" Fred looked at Kyle, suspicion creeping into his voice. "You were trying to signal Connor from the start, weren't you?"
"So that's why..." George said, finally understanding. "I couldn't figure out why you kept setting them off when we already had so many customers."
"It worked, didn't it?" Kyle shrugged.
"Indeed it did," Fred agreed. "This campsite is huge; it would've been hard to find someone otherwise."
"Master Kyle..." A shrill voice interrupted them.
Everyone then noticed an ugly, elderly house-elf standing next to Connor.
"Klicko? What are you doing here?" Kyle asked, surprised.
"Professor Snape sent Klicko to protect Miss Connor... He thinks it's unsafe here."
Kyle had the distinct impression that Klicko had more to say, but the house-elf remained silent.
...
(End of Chapter)
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