Ludo Bagman settled himself among the group, and it was clear Arthur was enjoying his company.
Ever his exuberant self, Bagman immediately began calling for bet on the upcoming match. Out of courtesy, Arthur placed a symbolic bet of one Galleon on Ireland winning. Fred and George, however, bet a hefty sum—thirty seven Galleons—on Ireland winning but Viktor Krum from Bulgaria catching the Snitch.
Harry noticed Percy suddenly stiffen as if something has happened. With his chest puffed and eyes gleaming, he waddled forward to greet someone. He bowed deeply and poured all his enthusiasm in his greeting.
The newcomer was a sharply dressed, stern faced man with an air of strict professionalism.
Arthur stood up to greet him. "Mr. Crouch."
Before Arthur could say more, Percy almost cut him off clearly terrified his father might steal the spotlight. He could not lose the chance to boast about his connection with someone as important as Crouch. Could he?
"Mr. Barty Crouch is the Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation," Percy announced proudly. "I am currently working under his direct supervision."
Arthur chuckled softly and proceeded to introduce his children, along with Harry and Hermione.
When Barty Crouch's eyes landed on Harry, a flicker of something, irritation, perhaps passed across his face. It went unnoticed by all except Harry. He could very well guess the reasons for Crouch's discomfort.
Crouch lingered for a few minutes while Percy fawned over him like an overeager puppy, singing praises and showering him with sycophantic admiration. Before leaving, Crouch addressed Percy, without looking at him, by the nickname of "Weatherby."
The moment he departed, the Weasleys burst into laughter.
Percy, red-faced and indignant, became easy prey for the twins' relentless teasing for the rest of the morning.
After breakfast, the group made their way through the woods, finally arriving at an enormous open field. Towering before them was a massive stadium, so large it left them speechless.
"Seats a hundred thousand," Arthur said, grinning. "The Ministry has been constructing it for over a year."
"Truly a marvel," he added with an awed face.
Everyone including Hermione was charmed and awed by the magnificent stadium and they could not help but spent few moments admiring the view.
After which, they followed the designated route and were guided into the VIP box after showing their tickets. Arthur stopped to shake hands with numerous Ministry officials, introducing Harry to each of them. Percy, meanwhile, pranced around like a circus monkey, desperate for attention.
Soon after, Cornelius Fudge, the Minister for Magic, entered, accompanied by another man, the Bulgarian Minister of Magic.
Percy practically leapt forward too eager to miss this opportunity. "Good morning, Minister! I'm Percy Weasley, recently appointed to the Department of International Magical Cooperation—"
Fudge gave a distracted nod and brushed past him, heading straight for Harry.
"Hello, Harry," he greeted warmly. "How are you?"
Ron and Percy both looked like they had swallowed a lemon.
"I am doing well, Minister," Harry replied politely.
"This is Harry Potter," Fudge said to the Bulgarian Minister. "You know… the Boy Who Lived."
Fudge leaned toward Harry and muttered just loud enough for the Bulgarian to hear, "He does not understand a word I'm saying. I need Crouch to do the translation."
Then, catching sight of an elf seated at the front, Fudge added, "Looks like his elf is keeping a seat for him."
Harry followed his gaze to the shivering creature—Winky—and then noticed the "empty" seat beside her. A faint smile touched his lips.
Before he could reflect further, another stir in the room drew his attention. Lucius Malfoy entered with his wife and Draco. The trademark Malfoy sneer was plastered across both father and son's faces.
Fudge introduced the Bulgarian Minister to Lucius, and in his typical oblivious way, continued to introduce Arthur while still standing beside Lucius.
The atmosphere thickened instantly. Harry recalled the incident from second year when Arthur and Lucius had nearly come to blows in Flourish and Blotts.
A cold smirk tugged at Lucius's mouth with mockery on his face. "Oh, Arthur. What did you have to sell to get tickets to the VIP box? I am not sure if your house would fetch this much."
The tension skyrocketed, but Harry ignored it, slipping into his seat in the first row, just a short distance from Winky.
Fudge, sensing the growing hostility, quickly stepped in and diverted the situation.
Soon, Ludo Bagman's magically amplified voice rang out across the stadium, announcing the mascots.
A hush fell, followed by raucous cheering as a group of stunningly beautiful women fluttered into the stadium—Bulgaria's mascots: Veela.
The effect was immediate. Most of the men in the audience, young and old, began to drool and lose control of their senses. Ron and Draco were the worst offenders, leaning over the edge of the box, shouting and hollering like lunatics.
Hermione, seated beside Harry, looked around in confusion.
"They are Veela," Harry explained. "Classified as creatures, technically—like elves."
Hermione's face twisted in distaste.
"They are actually half human," Harry continued. "They look like this normally, but when they get emotional, they take on birdlike features—beaks, wings, that sort of thing."
"They are also strongly aligned with fire magic," he added. "But their greatest weapon is their allure. Any male with a weak mind…"—he gestured to Ron and Draco—"would not stand a chance."
Hermione nodded slowly, finally understanding.
As the mascots left the field, the game officially began.
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