studiobondurri 186: Excitement and Betting
186: Excitement and Betting
186: Excitement and Betting
John's tent was bustling with activity.
It was spacious enough to accommodate fifty people with ease.
Malfoy, ever the braggart, boasted about attending with his parents as guests of Ludovic Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports.
"Bagman sent tickets to the Malfoy family—naturally, we deserve it," Malfoy proclaimed.
John nearly rolled his eyes. He knew Bagman had sent tickets to many families, hoping to coax them into spending more money on betting pools.
Bagman was a shrewd businessman who believed in generous giveaways when it meant bigger profits later.
Fleur was subtly curious about Durmstrang and Ilvermorny, trying to glean information from the two representatives about the Triwizard Tournament.
Heinrich cast her a calm, sidelong glance. Thanks to the Triwizard Tournament, he didn't have to return to Durmstrang this year.
Kim Ledisley expressed regret that Ilvermorny wasn't involved in the tournament. Although Ilvermorny was a world-class magical school, it wasn't European and thus wasn't included in the competition.
Fleur was visibly proud of this, pointing out that Beauxbatons had a far longer history than Ilvermorny.
Cedric, the most friendly one, was chatting easily with everyone. He and Kin had just met but were already getting along splendidly.
Even Fleur, with her usual air of superiority, found herself drawn to Cedric's warm personality, and the two were soon engrossed in conversation.
Meanwhile, Daphne was glaring daggers at Fleur, wary of this seemingly Veela-like woman with her enchanting demeanor.
Astoria, ever nurturing, was helping Gabrielle, Fleur's younger sister, decide between the colorful selection of magical snacks spread before them. Both looked utterly delighted yet overwhelmed by the choices.
The atmosphere was lively.
...
Percy glanced at his watch, realizing he needed to leave to handle the reception of officials.
As he opened the tent flap, a towering figure came into view.
It was Hagrid.
A group of wizard children swarmed around him, shouting things like "giant troll!" which left Hagrid flustered and barely able to move.
He mumbled nervously, worried he might accidentally step on one of the tiny troublemakers.
"Professor Hagrid!" Percy called out as he approached, shooing away the pesky children.
Percy being polite, addressed Hagrid with respect. Hagrid was, after all, the professor of Care of Magical Creatures.
Relieved to be rescued, Hagrid beamed at Percy. He had received a ticket to the Quidditch World Cup, courtesy of John.
Originally, he hadn't planned to attend, but after learning about it, Dumbledore insisted he take some time off.
In the neighboring tent, Harry heard Hagrid's voice and immediately popped out, closely followed by Ron, who had managed to escape Mrs. Weasley's endless fussing.
Not far from them, in a slightly smaller tent, Hermione emerged as well.
"Hagrid!"
They were thrilled to see Hagrid, who laughed heartily and asked, "Do any of you know where John's tent is? I think I've gotten a bit lost."
"Sorry, Hagrid, we don't know," Harry said, unaware that John's tent was right next door.
Percy, however, pointed toward the tent that resembled a circus and said, "Over there, that one, Professor Hagrid."
Following his direction, Harry realized it was the same tent he and Ron had been joking about earlier, wondering if it belonged to a traveling circus.
Hermione's face lit up with excitement. "John's in there!"
The group shuffled closer, cautiously lifting the tent flap to peek inside.
Fleur also decided it was time to leave, taking Gabrielle along with her. Gabrielle waved enthusiastically at Hagrid, reluctant to part with him.
Draco, recalling that his parents were waiting for him, quickly made his exit as well.
One by one, the occupants of the tent trickled out, leaving only Heinrich, Kim, and Hagrid behind.
Hagrid offered to cook up a meal.
But John, knowing Hagrid's creative cooking history, immediately worried about the state of his teeth.
Sensing this, Kim quickly volunteered to help with the cooking and dragged Heinrich along under the pretense of needing his assistance to light the fire.
Heinrich was so exasperated that he once again felt the urge to pull out his wand.
...
Daphne, on the other hand, was reluctant to leave.
Unfortunately for her, her younger sister Astoria used every ounce of strength to drag her away.
Having such a sister was truly exhausting for Astoria.
At lunchtime, the eldest Weasley son, Bill, and the second eldest, Charlie, arrived at their family's tent.
Hagrid, upon hearing Charlie's name, immediately dashed over to discuss news about Norbert, the dragon he had raised in Harry's first year.
Sending Norbert away had been heartbreaking for Hagrid, who still missed the dragon terribly.
John, meanwhile, casually grabbed a bite to eat. Kim noticed his indifference and assumed the food wasn't to his liking.
John simply smiled and didn't offer an explanation.
Then, he overheard the unmistakable voice of Ludo Bagman outside.
Bagman was enthusiastically trying to persuade the Weasley twins to place bets, much to Mr. Weasley's evident discomfort.
"I seem to recall there's a proper place for betting," John remarked as he stepped out of the tent, a sly smile playing on his lips.
"Surely, Mr. Bagman isn't running any unauthorized betting rings on the side?"
Ludo Bagman, who didn't recognize John, seemed momentarily flustered. "Ha-ha, of course not!" he replied awkwardly.
The Weasley twins, far from being fools, immediately became wary upon hearing this exchange.
John noticed the twins were holding a significant amount of money, and his interest was piqued.
It seemed that the Weasley twins had made a good profit selling magical items last year.
After some thought, John continued, "If you want to place bets, there's an official channel near the stadium."
"Give us our money back!"
"And the fake wands too!"
The Weasley twins immediately lunged to reclaim their belongings, but Ludo Bagman turned and bolted, shouting over his shoulder, "You've already placed your bets!"
Despite his current pudgy appearance, Ludo Bagman had once been the best Beater in the game, with lightning-fast reflexes and speed.
The Weasley twins couldn't catch up, watching helplessly as the striped yellow-and-black figure disappeared from sight.
Percy returned shortly afterward, accompanied by Bartemius Crouch. They were there to find Ludo Bagman, but the man had vanished without a trace.
Finally, as evening fell, the much-anticipated Quidditch World Cup began.
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