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Chapter 557: Quidditch World Cup Final (Second Update)
Chapter 557: Quidditch World Cup Final (Second Update)
Jerry had just treated them to some magical food, which didn't cost much—just a dozen bronze Knuts per person at most. However, these souvenirs were different. Most were fine, but the Panoramic Telescope cost ten Galleons each.
Although Jerry wasn't short of money, this was a matter of pride for them.
It wasn't just Ron; the others also declined Jerry's offer.
"It's no problem, consider it a loan. You can pay me back after you win the bet."
Jerry understood their situation and had already prepared a convincing argument. He wasn't giving them the money; he was lending it.
Upon hearing this, everyone thought it made sense. After the match, they would have the money to pay him back.
Only Ron and Ginny were still hesitant. Even if they won the bet, they wouldn't have much. Ron had bet one silver Sickle, and Ginny had bet two.
Even if they won twenty times their bet, they would only have twenty and forty silver Sickles, respectively, which wasn't enough for a Panoramic Telescope.
"Don't worry, go ahead and pick something. If you don't have enough, Dad will make up the difference!"
Arthur, seeing their hesitation, patted Ron and Ginny's shoulders gently.
He had just withdrawn all the savings he had set aside for the four children's school supplies from Gringotts, a total of 265 Galleons.
After the match, he would receive 5,300 Galleons.
So, the small amount Ron and Ginny were borrowing was easily manageable.
As night fell, thousands of red and green lanterns hanging around the campsite suddenly lit up, illuminating the main road leading to the Quidditch pitch.
Soon after, a deep, resonant gong sound came from the distant Quidditch pitch.
"We can enter now, let's go!"
Arthur, upon hearing the gong, became instantly excited.
Everyone quickly put on the badges and sashes they had just bought and followed Arthur along the main road toward the massive Quidditch pitch.
"I'll go ahead."
At the ticket checkpoint at the stadium entrance, Jerry saw Coach Myer waiting for him and waved to the others.
At that moment, Arthur and the others encouraged Jerry with the utmost sincerity:
"Jerry, you must do your best!"
How could they not be sincere? Jerry's performance would determine whether they would become rich overnight or go bankrupt.
Thus, at the stadium entrance, Jerry parted ways with everyone and followed Coach Myer to the players' lounge, where he put on the red Quidditch uniform of the England Team in preparation for the final match in half an hour.
Picking up his Flying Broom, which he hadn't held for a long time, and standing with his teammates, who were both familiar and unfamiliar, Jerry listened to Coach Myer's pre-match instructions. His eyes scanned the crowd and quickly spotted Hermione and the others sitting in one of the rows at the very top.
A hundred thousand witches had gathered in the stadium, a sea of heads and a cacophony of cheers.
Finding Hermione and the others in such a crowd was only possible thanks to Jerry's exceptional vision.
The match hadn't officially started yet, so the giant scoreboard in the center of the pitch was displaying various flashing advertisements:
Cornflower: The perfect Flying Broom for the whole family—safe, reliable, with a built-in anti-theft alarm… Mrs. Skower's All-Purpose Magical Mess Remover: Effortlessly removes stains! … Elegance Witchwear—London, Paris, Hogsmeade…
"Ladies and gentlemen... welcome to the 422nd Quidditch World Cup!"
At that moment, a massive voice echoed throughout the Quidditch pitch. It was Minister of Magic Fudge, using the Sonorus Charm to deliver the pre-game speech.
As Fudge's voice faded, the entire enormous Quidditch pitch erupted in a chorus of cheers and applause.
Then, thousands of flags waved, and the national anthems of dozens of countries began to play.
Jerry turned his attention away and began preparing for the opening performance.
On the giant blackboard, the last advertisement ("Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans—Every bite is an adventure!") was erased, revealing the score:
England: 0, Ireland: 0
"Now, let's welcome the Ireland Team!"
With a "whoosh", the Ireland Team, clad in green robes, rode their Flying Brooms out from the opposite end, followed by hundreds of Irish Nisse, small creatures with green leaves and mustaches.
They flew around the entire pitch and then gathered in the center, forming a massive green shamrock symbol.
The Nisse then began waving their hands, showering the pitch with handfuls of gold coins. It looked as if it was raining gold, causing many young wizards to cheer and scramble for the coins.
As for the older witches, they did not join in the scramble.
It wasn't that they didn't love money; they knew these coins were the Nisse's magical ability and not real Galleons, and they would disappear shortly.
"Now, ladies and gentlemen, please give a warm welcome to the England Quidditch National Team! Look—leading them is our undefeated and strongest Seeker, Mr. Jerry Carmen!"
After the Ireland Team's performance, Fudge's voice introducing the England Team was noticeably louder and more detailed.
As Jerry led the England Quidditch Team out, a rainbow arch promptly appeared above the pitch, followed by hundreds of colorful Magic Flames rising into the sky.
Magic Beams projected from the pitch's fencing and magnified Jerry's figure, who was performing various high-difficulty flying maneuvers on his Flying Broom, projecting it into the air so that all ten thousand spectators could see clearly.
"Jerry, Jerry, Jerry..."
Seeing this, countless fans immediately stood up from their seats, shouting excitedly.
"Fudge sure knows how to use the home-field advantage."
Jerry paused in mid-air, looking at his enormous projection and inwardly sighing that Fudge was indeed a cunning old boy.
In all competitions, skill is the most important factor, but small tricks can also make a difference.
The entire Quidditch pitch was built by the British Ministry of Magic, and the event was hosted in Britain, so they could naturally use some small tricks to give their team an edge.
Like now, even though the game hadn't started, the England Team was already clearly outshining the Ireland Team in terms of morale.
If the two teams were evenly matched, such a situation would naturally increase the England Team's chances of winning.
Unfortunately, apart from Jerry, the England Team's players were at least one level below the Ireland Team's players. Without Jerry, the outcome would undoubtedly still be a sure defeat.
(End of Chapter)
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