Chapter 517: The Match Continues 4
Chapter 517: The Match Continues 4
The plump official in front of little Barty frantically patted his body, exclaiming, "My telescope... Where's my telescope?"
A group of Veela had already glided into the arena. Their skin glowed with a pearly sheen, flawless and radiant; their silver-white hair swayed in the air as if made of soft gossamer.
With light steps and graceful arm movements, their beautiful dance was like a flowing illusion, like ethereal spirits that left the audience entranced.
The spectators in the box were completely mesmerized. Some stood frozen in place, others laughed foolishly, some even unbuttoned their robes, and a few stretched out their arms as if to embrace the Veela.
Even the official who had lost his telescope stopped searching. He leaned over the railing, drool glistening at the corners of his mouth.
Except for Dobby, who was frightened, only little Barty paid no attention to the Veela. He held up his telescope and began searching, then suddenly paused.
In a distant box, Harry Potter was grinning foolishly, his expression vacant as he watched the Veela's performance. One leg was propped on the railing as if he wanted to jump out, but a grown wizard beside him pulled him back.
Barty adjusted his telescope, clearly seeing the box number and location. He then sneered disdainfully and gently placed the telescope next to Dobby.
The house-elf, small and thin, occupied only a small part of the chair and didn't notice the telescope at her side.
The music stopped, and angry roars filled the air as people didn't want the Veela to leave.
But soon, the Irish National Team's mascot appeared, a giant shamrock hovering overhead, showering countless gold coins. People scrambled to catch the coins, quickly forgetting the Veela's allure.
The officials in the box, of course, wouldn't disgrace themselves by joining the chaos. They wiped their mouths, straightened their robes, and exchanged awkward yet polite smiles.
But when the plump official turned around, he saw his telescope at the house-elf's feet and immediately became furious. He yanked Dobby from her seat.
"Thief! It was you who stole my telescope!"
—Missing so many exciting moments because of her!
Dobby, caught off guard, screamed in panic, "Dobby didn't! Dobby is a good elf! Dobby never steals!"
Before she could finish, her face turned deathly pale. She felt Barty slip out of her control, and worse, he had also taken her wand.
"Still claim you didn't steal it? Look at the telescope next to you!" The fat official threw Dobby back onto the chair, snatched back his telescope, and said, "Get out of this box, and I'll ask Crouch why he keeps a thieving elf!"
The door behind them opened, and Dobby knew Barty was taking this chance to escape. She screamed, "No—no—Master will kill me—"
She tried to reach out to grab Barty again, but then someone kicked her out!
"That's what you deserve, you thief!" the fat official said angrily, slamming the door shut.
"Don't be so irritable, Curry. That's Crouch's house-elf."
Only then did another official in the box speak up, "Maybe you just misplaced it earlier."
Dobby lay on the ground outside the door, her eyes wide with fear, unable to move. She had been hit by a Petrification Spell when she was kicked out.
Her ears pressed against the ground, listening as the familiar footsteps grew distant. Large tears rolled down her bulbous eyes.
Grindelwald touched the rough bark with his long, slender fingers, muttering an ancient and peculiar language. After a while, he lowered his hand.
Like Dumbledore, he didn't use any special instruments or produce any dazzling light. Everything was calm and ordinary, as if he hadn't used any spells at all, yet he seemed to have thoroughly investigated the situation.
In front of Grindelwald, Veed didn't use his special vision, so he saw nothing, just like Drean and the others beside him.
"A very interesting spell", Grindelwald said with a smile that wavered between admiration and mockery. "You were right not to act on your own. Our big friends have already been awakened. The only reason they haven't moved is that they are currently in a 'light sleep.'"
"So... if they are attacked, even without an order, they will immediately wake up?" Veed asked.
"Exactly."
Grindelwald looked up at the towering oak tree, his gaze deep and his silver hair fluttering in the wind. No one knew what he was thinking.
The others waited in silence. After a moment, the old man turned and said, "Everyone, withdraw from the forest. Set up a protective barrier at the perimeter, and then we'll deal with these trees."
Drean nodded, pressed the communication bean, and relayed the order. The members of the Magi Puritan Party, who had been scattered throughout the forest to locate the giant trees, Apparated to the forest's edge in the blink of an eye.
Veed also Apparated to the perimeter. Not far away, a series of tents stretched out, but they were hard to see in the darkness. Only the lights from the stadium stood out clearly.
"When did you learn to Apparate?" Antoine came up to him, casually putting an arm around Veed's shoulders and giving him a shake. "I was worried about you last time! Afraid you might get caught in the crossfire of those two."
Veed asked, "Do you have enough people to set up the protective barrier?"
"Of course, we can't encircle the entire forest, but we just need to block the direction of the camp, right?" Antoine said nonchalantly. "That dark wizard isn't likely to target the wilderness and swamps."
Wizards continued to Apparate, standing a few meters apart. They all took out their wands, looking silent and serious.
—Like a fragile yet resilient wall defending against an external enemy.
Veed instinctively made this comparison but felt a bit odd about it.
Perhaps it was because it was hard to associate the "Magi Puritan Party" with the identity of "protectors"?
Even though their current methods had changed a lot.
"I'm worried that a protective barrier won't hold up against trees of that size for long", Veed frowned. "Unless we can... in a few seconds—"
He didn't finish his sentence when he heard a voice from the front: "Braun, come to me."
It was Grindelwald.
Veed paused, then remembered that "Braun" was his alias in the Magi Puritan Party.
Feeling the gazes of those around him, Veed slowly walked toward Grindelwald.
Antoine waved to another young wizard and said, "Come on, remember the techniques I taught you? Capture our heroic efforts to save the magical world in a cool way!"
(End of Chapter)
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