studiobondurri 187: World Cup and Turmoil
187: World Cup and Turmoil
187: world cup and turmoil
the quidditch world cup stadium.
even before entering, laughter, shouts, and fragments of singing could be heard from inside.
"as expected of the wizarding world's premier event."
john bought a pair of omnioculars from a vendor. these multifunctional binoculars could replay scenes, display slow-motion, and even analyze the tactical formations of the teams.
curious, john fiddled with the device. his ticket was a first-class one, granting him access to the top-tier box seats.
this section was reserved for either ministry officials or wealthy elites.
hagrid was nearby, his face glowing with excitement.
the purple and gold-plated chairs were too small for him, and he initially intended to stand, but john enlarged a chair to accommodate him.
below, the crowd swarmed like ants, bustling as they streamed into the stadium. daphne rushed over and sat beside john.
mrs. greengrass glanced at the scene but said nothing, while mr. greengrass seemed a bit displeased.
hagrid suddenly became visibly nervous, nearly breaking his omnioculars in the process.
john followed his gaze and spotted madam maxime, accompanied by students in beauxbatons uniforms.
among them, he recognized fleur and her sister gabrielle with their silver hair shining prominently. they weren't in the box seats but instead were seated below amidst a sea of blue silk uniforms.
hagrid stared intently at madam maxime.
what the..?
john looked at hagrid, then back at madam maxime.
hagrid muttered, "she's so beautiful."
"pfft—ehm..cough."
john almost laughed, that statement from hagrid was quit sudden, he managed to cover that up after coughing.
may merling bless you hagrid!
seeing hagrid looking like a tree blooming in spring for the first time john silently prayed for his love life's success.
the malfoy family arrived shortly after.
father and son shared an almost identical expression, like two peas in a pod. beside lucius was his wife, narcissa, a strikingly beautiful woman.
aside from them, an unusual house-elf drew considerable attention. it bore a strong resemblance to dobby, with a tea towel wrapped around its body, seemingly used for cleaning teacups.
another elf kept its face buried in its hands.
john glanced at it, his expression shifting slightly.
he noticed something concealed beside the house-elf.
it seemed to be an invisibility cloak. john's gaze lingered for a moment before the person under the cloak seemed to sense his attention and looked back at him.
john casually turned away, pretending he hadn't noticed anything.
on the right side of the top-tier box, nearly at eye level, was a massive blackboard.
golden letters flashed across its surface, as if an invisible hand were writing flamboyantly on the board.
it was the quidditch world cup advertisement board, large enough for everyone to read its contents clearly.
~~"cornflower brooms: the perfect flying broom for the whole family. safe, reliable, and equipped with a built-in anti-theft buzz charm." ~~
~~"madam scour's universal magical stain remover: effortlessly eliminates stains!"~~
~~"wizard elegance robes..." ~~
~~"johnny silverhand speciality shop: providing wizards with the finest and most comprehensive magical tools and services." ~~
~~"silverhand publishing: we don't produce knowledge; we're just carriers of it. may every outstanding article illuminate the wizarding world." ~~
~~"silverhand angel investment: want my galleons? if you do, take them all! bring your brilliant ideas, and silver hand will guide your way!" ~~
~~"silverhand cellar: magic 1993, delivering exquisite flavors to every household." ~~
~~"silverhand..." ~~
john watched as the silverhand brand repeatedly appeared on the advertisement board. doing a quick mental tally, he realized just how expansive his business empire had become.
hagrid smacked his lips and remarked in his deep voice, "silverhand cellar—now that's a pub favorite. i had a bottle last time, much better than beer."
it sure is hagrid, it sure is~ john smiled.
...
john shook his head and declined. instead, he winked, and his pupils shifted into vertical slits, giving him a clear view of the action.
this match was truly on another level—far more thrilling than the quidditch games at hogwarts.
krum's fake-out move that completely threw off ireland's seeker was particularly brilliant.
as john had predicted, while ireland's seeker couldn't match krum's skill, the irish team's chasers were exceptional.
they continually scored throughout the match, keeping the game exhilarating.
with each goal scored, the irish supporters erupted into cheers.
the match grew increasingly intense.
though it seemed like a close game, in truth, bulgaria had already lost their chances of victory.
sure enough, the score reached 130–10, with ireland in the lead.
frustrated, bulgaria's keeper committed a foul, giving ireland a penalty shot.
meanwhile, the mascots of both teams began mocking each other, nearly escalating into a full-blown fight.
ireland scored again, and krum, understanding the situation, realized that bulgaria could not win.
spotting the golden snitch, krum accelerated toward it.
he aimed to end the match with dignity, hoping to claim the snitch for bulgaria.
ireland's seeker noticed krum's move and gave chase.
what followed was an incredible display of broomstick flying skill, but krum's expertise was undeniable. ireland's seeker stumbled once again.
krum's hand closed around the golden snitch, ending the game. the final score was 170–160, with ireland taking the victory.
during the chase, krum had also sustained an injury, but he refused to let the medics tend to his wound. instead, he stood with his teammates, visibly dejected.
with no minister of magic currently appointed, the responsibility of presenting the awards fell to bartemius crouch.
bartemius crouch did his best to appear amiable; after all, this was an excellent opportunity to win votes.
john noticed the weasley twins clinging to ludo bagman, refusing to let him leave. they had bet correctly, and if they had placed their wager with silverhand, their winnings could have multiplied tenfold.
as the match ended, john left the stadium.
people along the road were still discussing the game with excitement, and the weasley family was particularly loud in their debates. with several members of the family involved in gryffindor quidditch, the enthusiasm was contagious.
john's tent was next to theirs, and it wasn't until near midnight that the noise from inside finally quieted.
"john, you're working too hard," hagrid mumbled, lying on his somewhat stiff pillow inside the tent.
"heh~"
john, however, wasn't feeling the least bit tired.
he was calculating how much he had earned from the quidditch world cup.
meanwhile, heinrich was adamantly keeping a three-meter distance from kim, clearly fed up with him.
kim simply shrugged nonchalantly and grinned, reminding heinrich that they would still be sharing the same tent, which made heinrich's face darken even more.
by the time it was nearing midnight, john had finished his calculations—his net earnings exceeded six figures.
just as he was about to sleep, he heard a commotion outside.
"huh?"
stepping out of the tent to investigate, john noticed firelight flickering in the distance.
wizards were fleeing toward the woods, and behind them, a group of masked wizards moved as a tight cluster, each pointing their wands skyward.
john's gaze landed on a family of three suspended in the air like marionettes, their bodies twisting unnaturally.
his expression turned solemn.
"it was such a wholesome day but some fuckers always manage to cause trouble."
running his right hand across his face, a silver mask materialized, covering it.
with a snap of his fingers, his clothes shifted in color, and a vibrant green cloak draped over his frame.
his shoes sprouted wings, and in an instant, john shot upward like a rocket.
reaching an altitude of 100 feet, he drew his purple wand and aimed it at the troublemaking wizards below.
_________
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