Please read my description in the summary box to understand this. The ages of all the kids are at the bottom, the story actually starts next chapter
There are celebrities – and then there are celebrities. We've seen many a famous face from the wizarding world grace the stands here in the Patagonian Desert – Ministers and Presidents, Celestina Warbeck, controversial American wizarding band The Bent-Winged Snitches – all have caused flurries of excitement, with crowd members scrambling for autographs and even casting Bridging Charms to reach the VIP boxes over the heads of the crowd.
But when word swept the campsite and stadium that a certain gang of infamous wizards (no longer the fresh-faced teenagers they were in their heyday, but nevertheless recognisable) had arrived for the final, excitement was beyond anything yet seen. As the crowd stampeded, tents were flattened and small children mown down. Fans from all corners of the globe stormed towards the area where members of Dumbledore's Army were rumoured to have been sighted, desperate above all else for a glimpse of the man they still call the Chosen One.
The Potter family, the HUGE Weasley/Longbottom family and the rest of Dumbledore's Army have been given accommodation in the VIP section of the campsite, which is protected by heavy charms and patrolled by Security Warlocks. Their presence has ensured large crowds along the cordoned area, all hoping for a glimpse of their heroes. At 3pm today they got their wish when, to the accompaniment of loud screams, Potter took his young sons James and Albus to visit the players' compound, where he introduced them to Bulgarian Seeker Viktor Krum.
About to turn 34, there are a couple of threads of silver in the famous Auror's black hair, but he continues to wear the distinctive round glasses that some might say are better suited to a style-deficient twelve-year-old. The famous lightning scar has company: Potter is sporting a nasty cut over his right cheekbone. Requests for information as to its provenance merely produced the usual response from the Ministry of Magic: 'We do not comment on the top secret work of the Auror department, as we have told you no less than 514 times, Ms. Skeeter.' So what are they hiding? Is the Chosen One embroiled in fresh mysteries that will one day explode upon us all, plunging us into a new age of terror and mayhem?
Or does his injury have a more humble origin, one that Potter is desperate to hide? Has his wife perhaps cursed him? Are cracks beginning to show in a union that the Potters are determined to promote as happy? Hermione Granger-Potter, of course, was always the femme fatale of the group. Press reports of the time revealed that as a teenager she toyed with the young Potter's affections before being seduced away by the muscular Viktor Krum, finally settling for Potter after all. After a meteoric rise to Deputy Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, she is now tipped to go even higher within the Ministry, and is also mother to sons, James and Albus, and daughter, Lily. Does Hermione Granger prove that a witch really can have it all? (No – look at her hair.) As their devoted fans and followers will remember, Potter and Krum competed against each other in the controversial Triwizard Tournament, but apparently there are no hard feelings, as they embraced upon meeting (what really happened in that maze? Speculation is unlikely to be quelled by the warmth of their greeting). After half an hour's chat, Potter and his sons returned to the campsite where they socialised with the rest of Dumbledore's Army until the small hours.
In the next tent are two of Potter's closest associates, the ones who know everything about him and yet have always refused to talk to the press. Are they afraid of him, or is it their own secrets they are afraid will leak out, tarnishing the myth of He Who Could Not Be Named's defeat? Ronald Weasley was Potter's right-hand man and his wife Luna Lovegood, a close friend of Potter's who was always the one with the wise answers. Now married, Ronald Weasley and Luna Lovegood were with Potter almost every step of the way. Like the rest of Dumbledore's Army, they fought in the Battle of Hogwarts and no doubt deserve the plaudits and awards for bravery heaped upon them by a grateful wizarding world.
In the immediate aftermath of the battle Weasley, whose famous ginger hair appears to be thinning slightly, entered into employment with the Ministry of Magic alongside Potter, but left only two years later to co-manage the highly successful wizarding joke emporium Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. Was he, as he stated at the time, 'delighted to assist my brother George with a business I've always loved'? Or had he had his fill of standing in Potter's shadow? Was the work of the Auror Department too much for a man who has admitted that the destruction of He Who Could Not Be Named's Horcruxes 'took its toll' on him? He shows no obvious signs of mental illness from a distance, but the public is not allowed close enough to make a proper assessment. Is this suspicious?
Then there are those members of Dumbledore's Army who receive slightly less publicity than Potter, Weasley and Granger (are they resentful? Almost certainly). Neville Longbottom, now a popular Herbology teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and his wife Ginny Weasley-Longbottom who is one of my correspondents of this match. The jury is out on whether she really had the talent or experience to be sent to the Quidditch World Cup (jury's back in – no!).
Last of the ringleaders of Dumbledore's Army is, of course, Luna Lovegood (now married to Ronald Weasley, talked about earlier in article). Still delightfully eccentric, Luna has been sweeping around the VIP section in robes composed of the flags of all sixteen qualifying countries. She is now mother to two kids, daughter Rose and son Hugo.
Sundry other members of the Army are here, but it is on these six that most interest is focused. Wherever there is a red head one may make an educated guess that it belongs to a Weasley, but it is difficult to tell whether it is George (wealthy co-manager of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes), Charlie (dragon wrangler, still unmarried – why?) or Percy (Head of the Department of Magical Transportation – it's his fault if the Floo Network's too busy!). The only one who is easy to recognise is Bill who, poor man, is grievously scarred from an encounter with a werewolf and yet somehow (enchantment? Love potion? Blackmail? Kidnap?) married the undeniably beautiful (though doubtless empty-headed) Fleur Delacour.
Word is that we shall see these and other members of Dumbledore's Army in the VIP boxes at the final, adding to the glitz and razzmatazz of a gala occasion. Let us hope that the behaviour of two of their younger hangers-on does not embarrass them, heaping shame on those who have previously brought honour to the name of wizard.
One always hesitates to invade the privacy of young people, but the fact is that anyone closely connected with Harry Potter reaps the benefits and must pay the penalty of public interest. No doubt Potter will be distressed to know that his sixteen-year-old godson Teddy Lupin – a lanky half-werewolf with bright blue hair – has been behaving in a way unbefitting of wizarding royalty since arriving on the VIP campsite. It might be asking too much that the always-busy Potter keep a tighter rein on this wild boy, who was entrusted to his care by his dying parents, but one shudders to think what will become of Master Lupin without urgent intervention. Meanwhile, Mr and Mrs Bill Weasley might like to know that their beautiful, blonde daughter Victoire seems to be attracted to any dark corner where Master Lupin happens to be lurking. The good news is both of them seem to have invented a method of breathing through their ears. I can think of no other reason how they have survived such prolonged periods of what, in my young day, was called 'snogging.'
But let us not be severe. Harry Potter and his cohorts never claimed to be perfect! And for those who want to know exactly how imperfect they are, my new biography: Dumbledore's Army: The Dark Side of the Demob will be available from Flourish and Blotts on July 31st.
The stadium was full and the noise was deafening as both team's mascots put on a pre-match show. The Bulgarians, of course, brought their celebrated dancing troupe of Veelas, which constituted a major reason for the team's popularity, at least with men. Brazil's Curupiras already caused a great deal of mischief so far this tournament but were similarly popular, mostly with children. Security wizards stood by all around the perimeter in case of trouble.
The VIP boxes became full during the pre-match show. Chairman of the ICWQC, Mentor Metaxas, chatted to the President of the Argentinian Council of Magic, Valentina Vázquez, but all eyes are on Box Two, where Dumbledore's Army sat under close guard, to prevent mobbing by an overexcited crowd. The Potter family – Harry, Hermione, James, Albus and Lily – were given prime places in the front row. All wore the red of Bulgaria except middle child Albus, who is sporting Brazilian green, as he was a great fan of Brazilian Chaser Gonçalo Flores. Almost all of the Weasley family, on the other hand, are supporting Brazil. Surprisingly, Harry Potter cheered on his wife's ex-boyfriend along with best friend Ronald Weasley. Both of his children – Rose and Hugo – are decked out in green, but Luna Lovegood-Weasley is sporting her 16 flag dress we mentioned earlier.
The crowd roared as the gates open and the mascot troupes assembled! First, the Bulgarian Veela, dressed in diaphanous gowns and dancing to the haunting strains of harp music. Several men's jaws dropped in the journalists' enclosure and, judging by the number of dropped notebooks, many also appeared to have lost sensation in their fingers. Up in VIP Box Two, Ronald Weasley appeared to have become catatonic, and best friend Hermione Granger administered a sharp elbow to the ribs. Are we sure they're actually friends?(see page 4 for gossip on that)
And next came the Curupiras with their bright red hair and back-to-front feet. Tumbling, performing acrobatics, stealing hats from fans and generally creating mayhem, the stadium greatly enjoyed their antics.
Master Teddy Lupin and Ms Victoire Weasley appeared to be far more interested in what they are saying to each other than the show. In what some may see as a somewhat belated show of parental authority, Mr Bill Weasley swapped places with his very sulky-looking daughter and directed her attention to the pitch. Meanwhile, Harry Potter was scratching his ear.
The opening ceremony concluded with an interesting Veela/Curupira pyramid formation. If several back to front feet found themselves in the Veela's eyes, the latter have resisted the temptation to transform into the terrifying Harpy-like form that gave many children – myself included – nightmares after their 1994 display.
Final Match
After the end of the show came the two teams - Brazil in green, Bulgaria in red! Fourteen players rose in the air to begin the final match. Despite nothing occurring yet, Neville Longbottom was already on his feet cheering one minute into the game.
Brazil gained hold of the Quaffle at the beginning of the game. By five minutes, the Brazilian Chasers still had not scored, due to the slick defence of the Bulgarian Beaters Draganov and Vulchanov. Flores, Diaz and Alonso were relentless, ducking and weaving as they tried to find a way past the Bulgarian duo.
Meanwhile, 18 minutes past the start of the game, Luna Lovegood-Weasley appeared to be passing out some kind of snack to her friends in the VIP box.
32 minutes in, Bulgarian Chaser Levski made an excellent intercept of the Quaffle. Bulgaria streaked towards the goal and Levksi threw the Quaffle to Vassileva. However, a Bludger hit Vassileva hard in the throat and she dropped the Quaffle, which was caught by Flores. Even the Brazilians groaned in sympathy for Vassileva's injury, but Brazil was back in possession of the Quaffle.
In the VIP box, Neville Longbottom was laughing hard at something that Harry Potter leaned across and whispered to him.
Five minutes after Flores caught the Quaffle and 37 minutes in the match, she made a spectacular goal and scored ten points for Brazil. Albus Potter almost toppled out of the VIP box cheering his Quidditch hero, but was saved by his 'uncle' Ronald, who seized the back of his robes as brother James laughed heartily. Their father Harry appeared completely unconcerned, merely handing his second son one of Luna Lovegood-Weasley's treats.
At 42 minutes past the start, Bulgarians Draganov and Vulchanov successfully disrupted the Brazilian Chasers, preventing the trio from scoring a second goal, but Bulgaria relied far too much on their defence and their last touch of the Quaffle resulted in a drop and fumble by Grozda. By this time, there was no sign of the Snitch.
54 minutes into the game, it was noted that Harry Potter cheered every well-hit Bulgarian Bludger, whereas his best friend Ronald Weasley appeared to be gnashing his teeth in chagrin. Meanwhile, Hermione Granger-Potter was seen yawning.
One minute until the full hour passed, Bogomil Levski broke through the Brazilian defence and equalised the score, making it a tie, 10-10.
Ten minutes past the hour, Head of the Department of Magical Transportation Percy Weasley was spotted frowning as he followed the match, noted to be greying and balding, having aged considerably since the Battle of Hogwarts.
23 minutes past the hour, a sudden burst of quick-fire Quaffle passes resulted in a brace of goals for Brazil, whose Chasers teared up and down the pitch. Gonçalo Flores scored twice more and Fernando Diaz once, taking the score to 40-10. By this point, spectators noted Bulgaria was making too many careless mistakes and needed to take the offensive, whereas Brazil was looking far the stronger team at this point.
31 minutes past the hour, Charlie 'The Unmarried Weasley', a burly chap carrying several burns due to his work with dragons, similarly to sister-in-law Hermione 'Bored Yawn' Granger-Potter, was also seen paying little attention to the match, preferring what seemed to be a most interesting talk with Rolf Scamander, a friend of Luna Lovegood-Weasley. This might well be because Rolf was trying to prevent his good friend from putting on one of her famous Special Event Hats.
With the score standing at 50-20 (following goals one minute apart from Alonso and Vassileva), at the forty-third minute past the hour, a flash of gold near the Brazilian hoops lead Silva and Krum into a breakneck chase – Beaters and Chasers scattered. Krum was ahead but narrowly missed a capture. As the Snitch soared upwards and disappeared again, both Seekers appeared to be dazzled by the brilliant Argentinian sun.
Two minutes until the second hour, George Weasley, one-eared co-owner of joke shop Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes was seen putting on a show of family togetherness up in the box with wife Angelina Johnson and children Fred and Roxanne. Meanwhile, Teddy Lupin and Victoire Weasley took advantage of their elders' inattention to find their way back into adjacent seats.
Three minutes past the second hour, Diaz lengthened Brazil's lead, which was now 60-20. Moments later, Beater Santos hit Viktor Krum hard over the head with his bat. The referee examined Omniocular footage to determine whether a foul was committed and the game was paused. The crowd groaned at Viktor Krum's injury as Harry kissed Hermione on the cheek.
Eighteen minutes later, at twenty-one minutes past the second hour, German referee Herman Junker concluded that Rafael Santos did not mean to hit Viktor Krum around the back of the skull with his Beater's bat. Krum signaled that he is fit to continue and play resumed.
At 36 minutes past the second hour, it was reported that Hermione Granger-Potter did not notice her ex-boyfriend's injury immediately, due to the ill-judged public display of affection instigated by her husband, but she swiftly put on a display of concern. The same cannot be said for Neville Longbottom, who appeared to be spiritedly describing the precise manner in which Krum sustained his nosebleed for the benefit of his godson, Albus Potter. An oddly callous display from the popular Herbology teacher.
Fourty minutes past the second hour, or 160 minutes into the game, Krum and Silva were in a breakneck dash for the Snitch, which Silva sighted first – he was four feet ahead of Krum as both rose almost vertically. Everyone was on their feet, including the denizens of the VIP boxes – Harry Potter was shouting – Ronald Weasley was swearing... Krum was gaining on Silva but was it enough…? Teddy Lupin accidentally punched his girlfriend on the nose as he gesticulated. Meanwhile, Krum and Silva became neck and neck – Teddy Lupin and Victoire Weasley snuggled up together again.
165 minutes into the game, Krum caught the Snitch, bringing victory to Bulgaria. The crowds went crazy – after two and three-quarter hours in the blazing Argentinian sun, Bulgaria won the Quidditch World Cup and Krum achieved his life's ambition on the third attempt – it looked like he might fall off his broom – tears streamed down his face – a hugely popular win here in the Patagonian Desert – but hearty commiserations to Brazil - they led almost all the way, and in the end, it was Krum the Seeker who defeated them. A stunning display of sportsmanship here, as Silva and Krum embraced.
Dumbledore's Army seemed to approve of the victory, Harry Potter in particular seemed emotional – with a determined grin on his face, Ronald Weasley concealed his inevitable annoyance that his best friend's ex-love is being feted by the Quidditch world – young Albus applauded, doubtless at the prompting of his father.
Rita Skeeter was taken unaccountably ill with what some are calling a jinx to the solar plexus by Ginny Weasley-Longbottom. Meanwhile, celebrations continued in the Patagonian Desert for Bulgaria' win against Brazil, 170-60.
This is basically about the time before the Quidditch world cup, with the gossip and all. Characters and ages listed below:
Harry and Hermione Granger-Potter
James Sirius Potter (10)
Albus Severus Potter (8)
Lillian "Lily" Luna Potter(6)
Teddy Lupin, adopted (16)
Ron and Luna Lovegood-Weasley
Rose Weasley (8)
Hugo Weasley (6)
Neville and Ginny Weasley-Longbottom
Alice Longbottom (7)
Augusta Longbottom (4)
George and Angelina Johnsen-Weasley
Roxanne Weasley (12)
Fred Weasley II (10)
Percy and Audrey Weasley
Molly Weasley (13)
Lucy Weasley (11)
Bill and Fleur Delacoeur- Weasley
Victoire Weasley (14)
Dominique Weasley (12)
Louis Weasley (7)
So, what do you guys think? Now the next chapter will be about the kids and Dumbledore's Army.