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Chapter 459: Bartemius Crouch
Chapter 459: Bartemius Crouch
From his attire to his appearance, Crouch was far more presentable than the unkempt Ludo Bagman.
His neatly trimmed beard, polished shoes, and immaculate suit made him look like a genuine bank manager.
Even Mr. Roberts, the manager, would have been fooled, let alone Uncle Vernon, who was known for his meticulousness.
However, Bagman didn't seem to care.
He drank tea with Mr. Weasley, sitting leisurely on the grass, with no intention of approaching the Bulgarians.
Crouch frowned, looking somewhat impatient.
"Mr. Crouch," Percy hurried over, leaning forward and bowing, which made him look hunchbacked, "Would you like a cup of tea?"
"Oh," said Crouch, looking at the relaxed Bagman and then glancing at Percy, "Well... thank you, Mr. Weasley."
Fred and George laughed so hard that they almost sprayed tea into their cups.
"Crouch, who can speak 200 languages, actually forgot Percy's surname," Fred whispered to Kyle.
"Percy kept talking about how Crouch appreciated him during the break..." George added.
"It doesn't seem to be the case now..."
"He probably doesn't even know who Percy is!"
As they watched the two of them looking smug, Percy's ears turned pink, and he pretended to fiddle with the teapot.
This time, Crouch came over not only to look for Bagman but also to discuss the issue of the Flying Carpet Ban with Mr. Weasley.
There wasn't much to talk about. Since the last century, carpets have been defined as Muggle handmade items and have been listed in the Register of Forbidden Magical Items.
In other words, it is prohibited to cast magic on carpets, let alone allowing them to fly with people on board. Once discovered, the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office will come knocking.
Kyle had reason to suspect that this regulation was absolutely related to the Flying Broomstick Company, aiming to prevent flying carpets from entering England.
After all, from a practical perspective, a flying carpet that can seat ten people is sometimes much more convenient than broomsticks... especially for family outings.
Crouch had many other things to do, so after a brief chat, he left his half-drunk cup of tea and departed with Bagman.
Kyle and the others then pushed their cart towards the other side of the camp.
They needed to sell off the remaining items during this time before the match.
After they were far enough from the tent, Fred finally couldn't hold back and asked, "Kyle, why did you stop me earlier? You heard him too; Bagman offered high odds, and we could make a fortune."
"I just don't think he's reliable," Kyle said, "If you don't want to lose all your pocket money, it's best to stay away from him."
"No, we think we can guess the outcome of the match this time," Fred said, "Trust our judgment... Ireland will definitely win, but the Golden Snitch will be caught by Krum."
"Sometimes, even if you guess correctly, you might not get the money," Kyle shook his head.
"Do you mean... he might welsh on the bet?" George frowned.
"But Bagman is, after all, a former Head Boy and Prefect," Fred said after a moment of thought, "He shouldn't do something like this, right?"
"It's been almost a decade since his most glorious days," Kyle said, "And with such high odds, what do you expect him to pay you with Galleons on his Minister's salary?
If it was just the two of you betting, it would be enough, but don't forget, there are nearly 100,000 wizards here."
Fred and George fell silent.
They realized that they might have been a little too excited.
Upon careful thought, the name Ludo Bagman hadn't been mentioned for a long time before this Quidditch World Cup.
"Hmm... You're right!" Fred exhaled, "Well, compared to Ludo Bagman's games, we might as well focus our energy on these."
He patted the box containing the fireworks.
"At least they can bring in real Galleons."
"A wise choice," Cedric said with a smile.
He also felt that Ludo Bagman was a bit unreliable. Bagman was too active, and whenever he spoke, he would jingle the pouch filled with coins, as if intentionally reminding others that he had a lot of money.
Moreover, during a casual chat a few days ago, his father had mentioned that Bagman had once been accused of passing information to the Death Eaters.
Although it was later proven that this wasn't his intention, the incident had occurred, and he could only make some 'contributions' to the Ministry of Magic to make up for it and be released as soon as possible.
So, he definitely couldn't afford to give out too many Galleons now.
After quickly calming down, Fred and George didn't think about this matter anymore and continued pushing the cart towards the crowded area.
The correct version is available at 69 Book Bar! 6=9+Book_Bar.
At this moment, most of the spectators with tickets had arrived, and there were significantly more people in the camp than in the morning.
With more people, there were naturally more customers.
Listening to the sound of Galleons jingling into the money box, Fred and George's lingering regrets quickly vanished.
Moreover, they encountered Professor McGonagall in a spot near the center of the camp.
As a loyal Quidditch enthusiast, she had attended almost all Quidditch matches held during Hogwarts break time.
She certainly wouldn't miss this World Cup.
Moreover, Kyle had never seen Professor McGonagall like this before.
Her round bun was finally let down, and her hair was held in place by a four-leaf clover hairpin. Her usual robe was replaced with Ireland's team uniform, and her face was thickly painted with oil paint...
Although she wiped off the paint in an instant, Kyle still saw it... It was the pattern of Ireland's flag.
"Your outfit today is so cool... Professor McGonagall!" Kyle exclaimed, giving a thumbs-up.
"I accept your compliment, Kyle," Professor McGonagall said with a smile, "What are you doing?"
"We made some little things to add to the atmosphere of the match," said Kyle, pushing the cart forward to indicate that Professor McGonagall could choose whatever she liked, and they were offering it for free.
"Oh, these are really well-made," Professor McGonagall picked up a hairpin, which was shaped like a broomstick with a four-leaf clover.
Professor McGonagall liked it more and more as she looked at it, and she directly replaced her original one with it.
"Minerva, you're here... Oh, Kyle, Cho... You're here too."
Two more professors approached from a distance, Professor Flitwick and Professor Aurora Sinistra, who taught Astronomy.
"Come and take a look, Filius," Professor McGonagall said happily, "You just mentioned that you wanted to buy a hat, didn't you? I've found one for you."
"Really?" Professor Flitwick quickened his pace and leaned over the cart, selecting the items he fancied.
(End of Chapter)
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