Chapter 14
Disclaimer: I'm a male, Yank, so there is no way I could be the owner of Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling.
"Talk"
'Thought'
"Phoenix telepathy"
~ quotes from the book ~
~~ letters or notes ~~
A/N: Starting in this chapter, there will be increasing Dumbledore bashing.
A/N2: I would like to thank Nanchih for being the only review to answer the chapter trivia of chapter 14; How many times did Wendelin the Weird let herself be burnt at the stake using various disguises? The answer was 47.
Harry and his friends were on their way home from their year at Hogwarts. They discussed what they were planning to do for the summer. Ron wouldn't stop talking about the Quidditch World Cup being hosted in England this summer. Luna invited Harry over and he accepted, he knew they wouldn't have much time before the Lovegood yearly magizoology expedition. Hermione would be going to France again soon and Neville talked about plans for his greenhouse, Neville had gotten several cuttings from Professor Sprout from last year's magical plants.
Harry, Luna, and Neville still hadn't told Hermione and Ron about Harry living at Potter Manor, rather than the Dursleys.' They still didn't trust them with that information, and so couldn't talk openly about it. Luna knew she and Neville had an open invitation to Potter Manor. Harry revealed that he would spend time with Sirius, though didn't reveal he would be living with him.
Ron continued talking about Quidditch, and his friends let him talk, starting to tune him out. After an hour, Ron noticed his friends were all reading books, so got out a magazine to read and ignored them. Several hours later, they arrived at Platform 9 ¾. As they approached the station, Harry realized he hadn't been visited by Malfoy and his guards. "Dobby." Harry called. As Dobby popped into the compartment, Harry asked, "Dobby, is there a reason Malfoy didn't pay us a visit?"
Dobby looked away before answering, "Dobby may have added extra chocolate to younger Malfoy and friends' muffins this morning. Poo chocolate. They all be stuck in lavatory all morning and miss train. Professor Bat took them home." Harry and Neville looked shocked and uncomfortable. Hermione and Luna looked at each other and wrinkle their noses. Ron had no such issues, he laughed uproariously, repeating "poo chocolate" before laughing again.
"Dobby, we will talk about your latest prank when we get home. I don't mind you defending me, but not without cause." Harry said. Dobby twisted his ears before bowing and popping away. Harry shook his head and said, "Dobby's great, but he can be very vindictive at times. I just hope he won't go too far one day."
As Harry's friends left the train to join their families, Harry couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy. That feeling was blown away though when he saw Sirius waiting for him. Harry smiled and ran towards his godfather, his friends seeing this smiled at him and his antics. They are glad he now has somebody to return to during the summer aside from his relatives. After hugging and laughing for a few moments, Sirius and Harry made their way over to the apparition point for the station. To keep up appearances, Sirius took Harry back to the Manor via side-along apparition.
FG
It took a week, but the friends readjusted to 24-hour days, and got back to their routine from the previous summer. There were changes of course; Harry didn't need to hop between the Manor and Diagon Alley several times a day, Sirius was free, Hermione and Ron weren't abroad with their families. Luna and her father were leaving early this summer for their expedition, searching for jackalopes in the Western US, and returning in time for Harry's and Neville's birthday. As soon as Harry and Sirius had gotten to the Manor, Sirius surprised Harry with the tickets, enough for them both and all his friends. Sirius even did the responsible thing, the world just shuddered, and invited all Harry's friends by visiting their parents. They all agreed and promised not to give away the surprise before the kids were asked.
Sirius had also managed to convince Mr. Weasley to accept the Gallons to buy tickets for him and the rest of his family, aside from Molly who didn't really like quidditch. On Sunday, the 27th of June, Harry went to the Rookery to visit Luna. Minutes after Harry left, Remus Lupin was popped in by a Potter elf, and shortly seated in the visiting room across from a frowning Sirius. Sirius was just about to start berating and interrogating his old friend when Tomsy popped in with the portraits of James and Lily Potter. They did not look Happy. "Well, let's get this started, shall we? Remus…," asked Sirius.
Fg
At the Rookery, Harry and Luna were walking the grounds around her house. They had set it up so that Harry would be out of the Manor while Remus was questioned, she didn't need her gift to know things would get uncomfortable during the questioning of Remus Lupin. Her father was printing the next batch of The Quibbler, so they went for a walk. They picked some of the ripe dirigible plums from her garden and cuddled by the stream. Harry wasn't oblivious to the fact Luna's father could see them from the window of his printing room, and he spotted him glancing out said window occasionally. Luna's pet rabbit and Snorkack snacking on the grass nearby.
"Thank you for having me over, Luna. Knowing Sirius, their conversations going to quite loud." Harry said, giving Luna a peck on the cheek.
"It's no problem, Harry. I'm enjoying this, and your right, especially as your parents' portraits wanted a piece of the action. It's a good thing nobody lives anywhere near Potter Manor." Luna said, getting cut off by the sound of one of the Weasley boys names being screamed. "Unlike here, where we have Mrs. Weasley and Ottery St. Catchpole less than a mile away. Did you know, there's a rumor of a banshee being talked about in town?" Luna asked, a little smirk on her lips. They both started laughing at that.
After they inconspicuously saw Mr. Lovegood leave the window, they snogged for a few minutes, before Luna said her dad should be done with the printing soon. They then headed back up the hill, the rabbit in its hat form on Newt as the Snorkack followed behind. Harry then spent the next hour getting to know Luna's father, Xenophilius. When Harry decided it was time for him to head home, he left more than a little confused, but better understood Luna's peculiarities.
When Harry arrived back at Potter Manor, he found Sirius, Remus, and his father's portrait all laughing about old times while his mother's portrait watched in good natured exasperation. "So, given the state of things, I hope his answer was better than 'Dumbledore told me to.' Otherwise, I'm going to be very irritated." Harry said, leaning against the doorframe with a raised eyebrow. The three men sobered at that, while his mother barely contained smirking at the men.
Lily's portrait gave James' portrait a knowing look, which caused him to sigh. "I'm in for a long round of 'I told you so' from Charlus and Dorea about this, but Dumbledore has manipulated Remus quite completely. After going through everything you wanted answered we found that added into the wards on Number 4 Privet Drive was a wizard notice-me-not. Sirius, despite knowing where the house was struggled to see it, even with the wards weakening with you not living there. Dumbledore told Remus he wouldn't be able to find you even if he told him where you were so refused to even tell Remus that. He also snuck in a clause to Remus's Hogwarts contract that demanded he remain professional, his extra classes on the Patronus charm was a far as he could push it." James said.
"I wish he had such a clause for Snape. There is constant favoritisms in his class and his main targets are the Gryffindor students, especially me and Neville. We did well enough that he couldn't take points from us, but he berated us at every opportunity in class and out." Harry said, scowling. He wasn't the only one, everyone in the room was scowling.
"Speaking of Snivellus, he also added loyalty potions, keyed to Dumbledore, to Remus's wolfsbane potion. Given the potion is designed to reduce the wolfs instincts during the full moon, the behavior altering potion blended well with it. We checked for it and Remus took a flushing potion an hour ago. Stere clear of the closest bathroom for a bit. When Remus came out half an hour ago, both he and Moony were livid. We've spent the last half hour calming them down." Sirius said, giving his old friend a sympathetic look. Then he looked over at his godson when he noticed the heat.
Harry was livid, they could all see and in the case of Sirius and Remus feel it. Harry's eyes were pinched and glowing, the air around him was shimmering with a haze from the heat Harry was subconsciously holding back. It took him several minutes to calm himself, in which Tomsy had popped in to try to calm his master and, finding he couldn't, provided refreshments for Sirius and Remus while using cooling charms on the rest of the room. After sensing Harry's rage subside, Tomsy popped in with a large cup of water, mixed with a light calming potion. "Anything else I should be aware of, involving this?" Harry asked, frustration in his voice.
James spoke up. "There is, but I'm not able to speak directly about it till your Lord Potter. Sorry, son. Potter family magic." Harry thought about that and sighed, before nodding. He knew there were some things, even as the recognized head of house, that he couldn't access or learn about. He had found a hidden compartment in the desk that Tomsy had explained as much about.
"Maybe you should go for a fly or a swim to help you relax, dear and we can talk after dinner." Lily suggested. Harry huffed and started making his way to the back, where he followed the sky-blue path to the Quidditch pitch. Once he left, the occupants left in the room all frowned. None of them liked seeing Harry like that, it's one of the reasons they held this meeting while they knew he'd be distracted at Luna's.
Sirius rubbed his face before saying, "Well, that could have gone worse, his control has improved a lot. With the fireplace in the room, we could have all been extra crispy. Remus, you might want to ask Harry about living here for a bit, we don't want Dumbledore to find all this out and come running, trying to get Harry back to the Dursleys'." Remus reluctantly nodded.
FG
Luna and her father departed on the 30 of June with plans to be back for Harry's birthday on the 31st of July. That left Neville coming over for several hours a day, occasionally accompanied by Madam Longbottom. They would train and study while Madam Longbottom would visit the Portrait Gallery, sometimes coming to watch the boys train under Herkie or study in the library. On the 3rd and 4th of June, Harry and Neville visited Hermione, her parents packing for their three-week vacation to France. They would be returning on the 26th so Hermione could attend a joint party for Harry and Neville at Longbottom Hall.
With Luna and Hermione gone for the month, Harry and Neville spent most of their time at the Manor. They did however accept several invitations to visit The Burrow from the Weasleys. During those times, Mrs. Weasley tried to ask Harry where he had been that summer. He deflected her questions by telling her about the places Sirius had taken him to visit while Harry was taking a break from his study and training. Sirius was determined to give Harry as many fun summer memories as he could, while supporting Harry get as strong as he could in mind and body. Ron was of course invited to their party, though Mrs. Weasley tried to force them to have it at The Burrow until Madam Longbottom told her off for it while picking the boys up.
By the end of the month, both Hermione and Luna returned in time for Harry's and Neville's birthday. They all gathered at Longbottom Hall on the 30th of July to celebrate the boy's birthday. Neville took them all on a guided tour of Longbottom Hall, which was a first for Hermione and Ron. Ron was impressed by the size of the Hall and Hermione loved the library and didn't want to leave, much to everyone's amusement.
After an hour, which was how long it took for Neville to guide them through the Longbottom collection, they made their way to the dining hall for lunch. That afternoon, after Hermione begged to go back to the library after lunch, they made their way back to the family room where they found a mountain of gifts in two separate piles. Harry and Neville took turns opening gifts, some creative and some not so much. Neville got lots of magical plant samples and books on Herbology, while Harry got broom care products and books on defense.
At the end of the day, Harry told the guests there was one more gift, one he'd like to share with them all. "At the start of the summer, Sirius got several tickets to the Quidditch World Cup, and all of you are invited." They all looked surprised, before looking towards the parents that were there with hopeful eyes. All the parents smiled happily, nodding. The Weasleys' looked a little uncomfortable before Harry added, "Sirius talked to your parents and convinced them to take the tickets." Everyone cheered at that and Sirius found himself at the bottom of a dog pile of hugs, after a moment of shock he just started hugging back with that barking laugh of his.
Once everyone calmed down and order could be restored, it was time for those visiting to return home. After the last guest left, Augusta turned to Harry and Neville before asking, "Did you two enjoy yourselves? This Hall hasn't seen such liveliness since Frank was young." She finished with a far-off look. Hesitating for a moment, Harry, and Neville both rushed to give her a hug. After a moment of surprise, Augusta hugged them both with all her strength.
Once Augusta got her emotions under control, Harry and Neville helped her up and Harry let them know he'd had a great birthday. Harry thanked them and invited them over for a more private party at Potter Manor with the elves and his parent's portraits. They both smiled and thanked Harry for the invitation. Harry called for a Potter elf to collect his presents before Flaming out, following the elf. Neville and Augusta both blinked before looking from where Harry was to each other before both started laughing. As they finished laughing, Jules popped in to let them know that dinner was served.
FG
The next day, Augusta and Neville joined Harry and Luna at Potter Manor where they enjoyed a more than healthy number of sweets while Sirius, Remus, and James making jokes with Lily smiling and laughing, especially when Harry gave as good as he got to the Marauders. Harry only thought that Dobby was hyper when he'd first met and freed him, that was before he saw Dobby and the rest of the Potter elves on a sugar-high. While it was amusing, he made a silent vow not to repeat the event with regularity. Before leaving for the night, Luna gave him another gift, a long and loving snog. She left shortly before it would be improper for her to stay any longer, leaving a dazed and grinning Harry while she grinned as she walked away towards the entrance hall.
Sirius found Harry still standing there with a dazed look on his face, several minutes later. When Harry told him what happened, blushing furiously after explaining, Sirius started laughing in that barking laughter of his. Harry tried to pout at his godfather but the infectious nature of the laughter soon had him laughing along. That was how Dobby found them when he popped in to advise Harry to head to bed. Luna's kiss played a heavy part in Harry's dreams that night.
The Saturday after Harry's birthday, Harry, Hermione, Luna, and Neville met up in The Leaky Cauldron with the Grangers and Sirius for their yearly Hogwarts shopping. The letters had come in on the 30th and found them all together while at the Longbottoms, so it was easy to organize for a weekend visit to the Alley with the Grangers and Augusta chaperoning. The Weasleys had to beg off as they needed to wait for the last paycheck before the school year to afford all their kid's materials. Harry remembered seeing the contents of their vault when they visited Gringotts during the summer before his second year, nearly emptying it to afford so many copies of Lockhart's books.
They started with their new school robes, they had all grown a bit and Hermione's mother took her and Luna to the ladies' section for undergarments, which left a blushing Harry and Neville and a snickering Sirius. After a quarter of an hour, the girls rejoined the boys to pay for their purchases, which Sirius quickly slipped in to pay for them all, much to Mrs. Grangers chagrin. She relented when Sirius whispered that it would be cheaper for him.
The friends then made their way to the Apothecary to resupply their potion ingredients, buying extra for their self-study. The next stop was Scribbulus Writing Implements to restock their parchment, scrolls and ink, which they had needed Dobby to restock for them during the year. When Hermione tried to urge them towards Flourish and Blotts, the rest gave her an understanding smile but dragged her towards the Magical Menagerie for pet supplies. Once they were done there, they relented and Hermione rushed towards Flourish and Blotts, the rest of the group chuckling or giggling in Luna's and Mrs. Granger's case.
When they caught up with Hermione she had already grabbed a half dozen books. Luna needed her own copy of the required books for Arithmancy and Ancient Runes, and the rest needed The Standard Book of Spells: Grade Four and Intermediate Transfiguration. Harry put a little magic in his eyes and could see that the crate of Invisible Books of Invisibility was still behind the counter, where the shop assistant had left them last year, the conjured ribbon long since vanished. Harry wondered if he should tell the assistant and that the spell to end the charm on the crate was in the book.
They all got their yearly books, along with a few books that caught their interest, Luna had stopped him from getting the book he'd wanted since he saw it, Curses and Counter Curses by Vindictus Viridian; she gave him a knowing smirk but a solid no. With everyone getting what they needed and most of what they wanted, the store assistant gave Hermione a funny look when she asked how much for a copy of every book they had but no answer, they headed to the cashier. As they were leaving, Harry subtly drew his wand, aimed it at the crate and cast Invisiblis Revealio. The crate shimmered, revealing its location, it would end within a minute since he underpowered the spell, Harry would give the assistant another chance to sell them, maybe next year he might even point them out if they were still there. Luna smirked, but didn't say anything, there was a reason those books were rarely found but she would let Harry have his fun.
They ended their shopping trip with a stop by Fortescue's Ice-cream Parlor, much to their and Fortescue's delight. Four adults, four teens, one of whom was Harry Potter. Every time Harry visited his shop, he ran out whichever flavor Harry chose. By the time they were done, there was already a line out the door. Pomona swirl was the flavor of the day, a mix of every fruit possible to turn into ice-cream. Dobby would stop by before closing to see if there was any left, he was promised Fortescue would hold a gallon of it for pick-up the next night.
FG
The rest of the summer before the Quidditch Cup seemed to fly by for the teens. Harry still had his physical training with Herkie, mental training with Fawkes, and studying in the Potter Library while they weren't visiting with Hermione. During their private times, Harry and Luna snogged eagerly whenever they felt like it, whenever they were at the Manor, and more reservedly when at the Rookery for her father's piece of mind. Luna set the pace of their relationship and Harry respected that, neither of them tried to push the other further than they were comfortable with. By the last week of August, all the teens were eager for the Quidditch Cup.
Mr. and Mrs. Weasley wanted them all to gather at the Burrow on the 24th, before port keying to the site on the morning of the 25th. Sirius, who was as excited as the kids, didn't want to wait and instead took his group, Harry, and Remus, to camp there on the 23rd. What Sirius didn't tell anyone, is that leaving on the 23rd was to help distract Harry from the vision he'd seen early that morning. Shortly after his evening training with Fawkes, Harry was pulled into a vision of Voldemort plotting and an old muggle being killed, seeing the event through the eyes of Voldemort's snake familiar. Sirius hoped seeing all the magicals traveling to see the game put up their tents would take Harry's mind off what he'd seen.
The sight of dozens of magicals trying to put up tents, then giving up and using magic anyway, had Sirius, Remus, and Harry falling to the ground laughing themselves silly. Remus had experience setting up tents, and managed to keep Harry and Sirius focused enough on him to help set up their tents. Sirius had gotten a large plot for his group since there were so many, even a magical tent would struggle. There were legends among those who camped in the wizarding world of tents that could fit a hundred and still have room, but nobody in England had one. Sirius would have to make do with two large tents.
By the time the tents were set up, most of those that arrived at the same time as them had finished as well. It was like someone had spilled out a kaleidoscope onto the campgrounds, tents of all colors and shapes. The one that currently took first place for magical breach was a tent covered in rotating shamrocks. As night fell, the ministry officials had another headache to deal with as almost everyone started using magical fires to cook their food, meaning there was a rainbow fire at almost every tent. Sirius and Harry were laughing while boiling a kettle of water over a normal fire, before bringing it inside for some coco with the pizza Remus had apparated away for.
The next day, the Longbottoms port keyed in with the Grangers, who wore charmed bracelets to prevent them from being befuddled by the muggle notice-me-not charms all over the campsite. The wizarding adults of the group worried the bracelets weren't working correctly though because the Grangers kept stopping to stare at all the magical tents, Mr. and Mrs. Granger had to constantly assure them the bracelets worked and that they were merely amazed and dumbfounded by all the tents. Luna and her father showed up just before noon on the 24th, Mr. Lovegood needing to print and send out the latest copy of The Quibbler before they could leave. Luna gave Harry a tight hug when she saw him along with a discreet kiss on the cheek, causing Harry to smile widely at her.
After getting everyone else settled in the Black tents, the teens all went exploring the campsite while the wizarding adults told the Granger parents about previous games they'd seen. It turned out that Augusta was an avid fan of the Wimbourne Wasps, who always had vicious beaters. Sirius liked the Appleby Arrows, known for their speed. Remus was a fan of Puddlemere United for their strong teamwork. The Granger parents then spent the next several hours learning more about Quidditch than they ever wanted to know, and little of it was about the actual sport.
While the Grangers were had an enlightening chat about Quidditch, Hermione and Luna were snickering shortly after leaving to explore, Hermione because she suspected what her parents were experiencing and Luna because she'd Seen it. Harry and Neville were also snickering, they couldn't believe how outlandish some of the tents were up close. And the tents matched their occupants, colorful and unique.
They saw several of their friends from school, all of whom gave them an excited wave and tried to introduce them to their parents. The overexcited captain of the Gryffindor Lions, Oliver Woods, was staying in a tent decked out in Puddlemere United colors, which he happy exclaimed he'd been scouted for a reserve Keeper position. They had allowed him and the starter Keeper for the team to come and watch how the game was played at the top tier. Woods excitedly introduced Harry to the older Keeper and exclaimed about Harry's skill as Seeker for the Lions. Harry was able to escape after an enthusiastic hand shake from the professional.
One adult they weren't surprised to see was Professor McGonagall. She was there with Madam Hooch, the school flying instructor and Quidditch referee. Their tent was one of the more noticeable ones by appearing normal. Minerva had managed to restrain her coworker's eagerness by taking charge of setting it up herself, having more experience in the non-magical world. Some of the muggleborn students she visited had been camping when she showed up after all.
After wishing them a good day, and admonishing them to please stay out of trouble, causing a wince from Luna, the teens continued their way through the campsite. As the others turned to leave, Luna met Minerva's eyes and you could hear the silent words past between them, 'You just had to say that, didn't you.' After getting a wince from Minerva, Luna rejoined the others. Minerva had the sudden thought that maybe she should send an owl to Madam Bones, admitting how she'd probably just jinxed the rest of her time there. As she made her way into the tent, Minerva had no idea how good that idea would be.
After leaving their teachers, they then decided to find some souvenirs, given they could see a few stands put up nearby. They could also smell baked treats advertised. Sirius and Augusta gave the boys some pocket money for this, and they raced the girls there. With a muttered, "boys," from Hermione the four made their way to the stands. They were only small stands, being rather far from the stadium but near the water well. The souvenir stand had flags and memorabilia from both teams that made the finals and their home countries flag. The treat stands sold flag cookies and the distinct treats from the home countries. The Irish stand sold Soda Bread and Tayto Crisps, while the Bulgarian stand sold Rice Pudding and Sweet Banitsa. They also advertised other great treats that weren't as easy to sell at the stalls or walk around with. The stall owners were elated when Luna described the other dishes, she said she had tried them on the journeys her father took her on.
With toys and sweets in hand, they decided to head back to the Black tents, with Luna talking about when she had visited Bulgaria and Ireland with her father and mother. Harry decided he was going to have Maple and Dobby try their hand at the dishes Luna talked about, they would have plenty of time to learn them and practice by the Yule holiday. By the time the teens made it back to the Black tents they found the Granger parents almost glassy-eyed, with Sirius prattling on about when he played for the Gryffindor Lions with James. The look the parents sent the teens was filled with appreciation.
While the Mr. and Mrs. Granger changed interest to the magical souvenirs, Harry started listening to Sirius talk about playing with his father. He'd known, thanks to Hermione in their first year, that his father had played Chaser while he was at Hogwarts, but it was another thing to hear about it from someone who played with him. While Harry was entranced by Sirius's trip down memory lane, Luna went into the girls tent and called for Maple. She asked her to make some of the Irish dishes that Harry was interested in trying. While she waited for Maple to get back, she watched Harry from the tent flap, a smile on his face.
That afternoon, they all tried the Irish food Maple had made and brought to Luna. The Grangers didn't know where all the food came from, but a knowing look from Luna made Hermione drop it. They all enjoyed the rest of the afternoon before they got to enjoy the scene like the previous night, the ministry running around and trying to get the witches and wizards to use regular fires. They finished the night with a cup of hot chocolate, each cup a different flavor.
The next morning the Weasleys showed up, Ron looking very tired and dizzy from taking an early morning port key. When asked what was wrong, Ron told them about his mother waking him up at four in the morning and only giving him toast and porridge for breakfast; Charlie, Bill, and Percy got to sleep in because they could apparate. They then had to hike for miles, out of town and up a hill, meeting the Diggorys' along the way. Ron then complained about Mr. Diggory constantly boasting about his son.
While Ron was complaining to Harry and his friends, Mr. Weasley was struggling to get his borrowed tent up. After five minutes, Mr. Weasley finally accepted Sirius's help in putting the tent together. They had it assembled within another five minutes. When the tent was finally assembled, Mr. Weasley went about making a pot of tea and set up to make sausages on a campfire he'd quickly made.
By the time the tea and sausages were done, his eldest three sons came walking out of the trees after three quick pops. The three quickly approached Sirius and Harry, smiling and waving. The young men soon shook Harry's hand as they approached, excited to meet Harry Potter. Percy acted like it was the first time he'd met Harry, despite sharing a tower with him for three years.
After tea and sausages, with lots of banter from the Weasleys, two ministry officials stopped by for a chat with Mr. Weasley. Bartimaeus Crouch from the Department of Magical Cooperations and Ludo Bagman from the Department of Games and Sports. Mr. Crouch was a serious man with a very trimmed mustache made famous by a German leader, though Harry doubted Mr. Crouch knew that, with a tight business suit. Ludo Bagman on the other hand was dressed in an old Wasps suit, which did nothing to hide his lack of physique and was clearly magical.
Percy tried to chat up his boss, Mr. Crouch, but was quickly brushed off with a dismissive remark about receiving his update at work and calling Percy Weatherby, causing the twins to grin maliciously. Mr. Bagman accepted a seat and cup of tea while Mr. Crouch declined both, grouching about how busy he was and thanking Mr. Weasley for trying to obey the Statute every other magical was breaking with their flamboyant tents and magical cooking fires out in plane view. He sighed as he watched the camp owner walking around in a stupor from all the spells they had needed to keep him under to not notice the magic all around him, young children several tents down were outside on their toy brooms for heaven's sake.
After Mr. Crouch had left, Mr. Bagman tried to book everyone there for some bets. Luna caught Harry and Sirius's eye and shook her head no, and they both subtlety nodded. Mr. Bagman only got bets from Mr. Weasley and the twins. Mr. Weasley bet 5 galleons on Ireland while the twins bet 10, and got another 5 on for their bet by getting him interested in their fake wands. When Mr. Bagman gave the wand a wave, it turned into a rubber chicken that instantly let out the sound of a rooster crowing. All the teens shared a knowing smile at that while Mr. Bagman laughed and complemented their charms work.
After Mr. Bagman wrote up the betting slips and put the gold in a bag on his hips, he walked off with a smile. The twins smirked and nodded to Luna, who smiled and raised an eyebrow. What only Sirius and Luna knowing, the twins had approached Sirius to act as go between for a bet with the goblins. After hearing what the bet was, he laughed and then doubled it with his own money and paid the fee for the goblin service. Ireland wins with Bulgaria catching the Snitch, the odds were nice a fat; with the twins betting twenty-seven Galleons, fifteen Sickles, and three Knuts, and Sirius doubling that, the payout on those odds would be huge. With three compounding factors, the goblins offered 50/1 odds, netting the twins and Sirius each 1350 Galleons, 750 Sickles, and 150 Knuts. They needed Sirius to make the bet for them because the goblins run the odds and charge 10 percent of the possible profit for their fee and the one placing the bet must sign a statement with a blood quill that they didn't get the bet from a Seer, both would have prevented Fred and George from making the bet, since the fee would be six times what they had before betting their entire savings.
After a short lecture on gambling, Mr. Weasley thanked his sons for keeping their bet small. The twins could barely keep the smirks off their faces, while Sirius and Luna quietly snorted at that, given the truth. The adults released the kids to wander the campground again, Harry leading the way, while they went to the venders for souvenirs. When the teens got back, Sirius was covered in Ireland memorabilia and handed them each an omniocular before explaining what they did. They were a magical mix of binoculars that could record and describe what the wearer saw, providing play-by-play account on the matches they watched and even allowed the viewer to watch in slow-motion high-speed matches. Everyone thanked Sirius for his generous gift. Sirius grinned and let out his barking laugh.
After the teens told the adults about what they had seen, it was time for them to head to the stadium. Venders lined the path to the stadium, while the venders around the campsite sold miner cheap trinkets and small sweets these stalls sold the high quality, big ticket, items. Enchanted players flying on miniature brooms, shamrocks with the name of the Irish team, shapeshifting Veela dolls shifting between cheerleaders and the avian forms, leprechaun dolls with golden cauldrons, omnioculars, food stalls vending all kinds of Irish and Bulgarian dishes. As they made their way to the entrance, they were met by a ministry official checking the tickets and directing people to their seating.
"Lord Black, Arthor, welcome. Tickets please. Prime seats, sirs, Top Box. Up these stairs behind me and up as far as you can go. You'll be with the Ministers and Ludo Bagman. I'd have to sell my house for one seat that good." The ministry official exclaimed. The Weasley's looked embarrassed at his last comment but Sirius was beaming, it wasn't even a quarter of what he'd been given as compensation for being locked up.
As they made their way up the stairs, they saw a lot of their friends from school and the people they'd met while here. Unfortunately, they also met up with the Malfoys near the top, who stood near the minister as he talked to someone. Harry and Draco traded a few barbes, his father looking on with amusement while his mother watched with a frown. When Draco started getting too boastful, Mr. Malfoy cut him off before trading a dismissive barbe with Mr. Weasley which Sirius flipped on him. Before Mr. Malfoy could say more, Mrs. Malfoy grabbed his arm and gave him a meaningful head nudge towards the Minister, who was starting to notice the disturbance. Not wanting to hear Minister Fudge throw platitudes towards Sirius and Harry, he threw his nose in the air and moved away further into the box like he needed to talk to someone else and didn't have time for them. Mrs. Malfoy gave Sirius a silent apology before guiding her son after Mr. Malfoy.
After another few minutes of climbing stairs, they made it to the top box, the only other occupant was a trembling house elf that was sitting next to what appeared to be an empty seat. Harry however noticed the faint magic of a disillusionment charm, his magic sight reduced so that he wouldn't get a migraine from all the magic in the camp. Luna also noticed the invisible person next to the elf, though she glared at them. Harry and Luna didn't trust the hidden stranger, so subtly arranged that none of their party or the Weasleys would be sitting in front of them. As the box slowly filled up, the seats before the hidden seat and the seat occupied by the clearly scared elf remained empty until the Minister and the Malfoys, his personal guests, arrived. While the Minister took a seat in the back row, next to the Bulgarian Minster of Magic and the Irish Minster of Magic, the Malfoys sat in the front row; Draco Malfoy sitting right in front of the hidden occupant.
The last occupant to arrive in the box was Ludo Bagman, still dressed in his old seeker outfit, and a smile that couldn't get bigger without looking forced on his face. After checking with his Minister that everyone was ready he pointed his wand to his throat and said, "Sonorous!" The voice amplifier spell raising his voice over the cacophony eager Quidditch fans packing the stadium. "Ladies and gentlemen… welcome! Welcome to the finals of the four hundred and twenty-second Quidditch World Cup!"
After Mr. Bagman proclaimed the opening of the finals, spectators screamed and clapped. Thousands of flags waved, adding their discordant national anthems to the racket. The huge blackboard opposite the top box was wiped clear of its latest message (Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Bean – A Risk With Every Mouthful!) to display BULGARIA: 0, IRELAND: 0 in large gold letters. He then took great joy in calling forth the Bulgarian team mascots: Veela. All the men in the stands sudden got even more excited while the ladies that sat near them almost all glared. Harry didn't know what Veela were before a dozen beautiful woman wearing red cheerleader outfits walked onto the field and a euphoria inducing music worked its way into Harry's head. Harry was confused, so he looked over at Luna, who looked back at him with concern, worry, and a little hurt in her eyes. Seeing that look in Luna's eyes drove the music for Harry's mind before he took her closest hand and kissed the back of it. Luna immediately smiled and the negative feelings in her eyes were chased away by love and happiness.
After regaining control of himself and comforting Luna, Harry looked around the box at the others. Ron was ripping up his shamrock, Neville had a look of intense focus, the twins had their shirts off and were flexing, while Malfoy had his wand out and was fire writing an arrow above himself. All the male adults just looked lustfully at the Veela cheerleaders, much to the ire of Mrs. Malfoy. After giving Luna's hand another kiss, Harry turned back to the performance. He could see why everyone was smitten, even without the hypnotic effect they were quite beautiful woman. Eventually the Veela performance was over and they took their seats on a bench near their sides entrance. It was amusing seeing everyone in the box come back to themselves, doubly so for the scolding glare Mrs. Malfoy was giving her husband and son, who had yet to put his wand away.
It was a bedazzled sounding Mr. Bagman that called for the Irish mascots, Leprechauns. As soon as Mr. Bagman called for them, they shot out of the Irish entrance as a comet of golds, greens, and reds. Flying around the stadium, dropping gold coins as they passed, those using omnioculars could see the little green suited men grinning and laughing. After several laps around the stadium, the Leprechauns formed a giant red, green, and gold rainbow in the center before forming a giant Leprechaun. After their performance, they separated landed on the field near their team's entrance. They laughed as they saw the humans picking up the coins, Leprechaun gold disappears after a few hours.
Back in the Top Box, Harry watched as Mr. Bagman grabbed as many of the coins as he could along with Ron and Draco. Seeing his girlfriend very badly hiding her amusement, Harry quickly remembered what he'd read on Leprechauns and realized why she was so amused before grinning at her before looking back towards the Bulgarian entrance. "Marvelous, simply marvelous display from the mascots of both teams; lets give them a round of applause!" The stadium exploded with applauds and whistles, and more than a few cat calls for the Veela.
After a minute, Mr. Bagman got their attention back to him. "Yes, yes, they are amazing, but it's time to introduce the stars of this monumental event. The Quidditch World Cup!" The crowd exploded with cheers once more. "Now, join me in giving a warm welcome for the Bulgarian Team: Dimirrow! Zograf! Levski! Vulchanov! Volkov! And their seeker, the one, the one only, Viktor Krum!" All the Bulgarian fans were calling out to their favorite players, a large majority of them calling out for Krum so close together it was clear among the cacophony of cheers. The Bulgarian team flew a lap around the stadium while their national anthem, Mila Rodino, all riding Firebolt brooms. Those using their omnioculars could see their names and team number inlaid with gold in the handle. Once they finished their lap, they took their positions on their side of the stadium.
Once the Bulgarians were in place, Mr. Bagman began again. "Yes, welcome Bulgaria's champions. Now its time to join me in welcoming, the Irish Team: Connolly! Ryan! Troy! Mullet! Moran! Quigley! And their seeker, from the rocky roads of Dublin, Aiden Lynch!" The Irish fans let their cheers be heard. And rather than a single player, they called out, "Go Ireland!" Half the crowd lifted large shamrocks too, turning half the stand green when viewed from the other side of the stadium. As the Irish team started their welcoming lap the Irish nation anthem, Amhran Na Bhfiann, rang out. They too flew on Firebolts, taking pride and strength from their anthem and the cheers of their fans. When they flew into place, the song tampered off and they stared down their opponents.
"Yes, welcome Irelands champions. Now, lets all welcome our referee, all the way from Egypt, acclaimed Chairwizard of the International Association of Quidditch, Hassan Mostafa!" Called Mr. Bagman, causing spotlights to be aimed on the referee. He was small and skinny, completely bald but with a mustache to rival Vernon's, wearing robes of pure gold to match the stadium with a silver whistle poking out of his mustache. He was walking to the center of the stadium, a Firebolt broom in one hand and the other his wand which was pointed at the floating black and gold case behind him. As he got to the center, he addressed the players twice, once in each nation's language. Getting nods from everyone on both teams, Mustafa waved his wand at the case, causing it to burst open releasing three of the four balls inside before he mounted his broom and grabbed the final ball, a ruby red Quaffle. Blowing his whistle, he threw the Quaffle into the air, and the game began!
The match was more intense than any Harry had seen at or participated in at Hogwarts. The Quaffle changed hands so fast Mr. Bagman barely had time to say the name of the player that held it. Harry was tempted to slow down the match through his omnioculars like Ron, but didn't want to miss anything. Harry's enhanced eyesight and magical sight allowed him to just keep up with the plays and keep track of the Snitch; he never did this during his matches, because it would be cheating and he liked the challenge. Harry was proven right when Mr. Bagman called out a goal, but Ron was confused because he was ten seconds behind. Hermione chided him before turning back to the game.
The match was a brutal as it was amazing however. Bludgers being hit and blocked by Beaters sounding like thunder. Fowls to the chasers nearly sending them off their brooms to the ground below. And then there was the plays the Seekers attempted on each other, Krum seemed to have favored and perfected the Wronski Feint, managing to catch Lynch in it multiple times. After one successful feint, the Irish Seeker was unconscious for several minutes before he could be woken and continue to search, leading to a well-aimed Bludger to the face of Krum. He stayed on, but his nose was clearly broken. Even the mascots got in on the action; the Veela trying to distract Mustafa before the Leprechauns drove them off him and got into a scrap with the Veela, causing them to transform into their avian forms and through fireballs in retaliation.
In the end, after 20 minutes of play the Irish were ahead with 170 to Bulgaria's 10. It was arguable why Krum went for the Snitch when he next saw it, but the presiding theory is he wanted to end the game on his terms when the Snitch still mattered. Sight obscured by blood and likely a concussion from the Bludger that got him, Krum caught the Snitch; ending the match with Bulgaria: 160 to Ireland: 170. The Ireland supporters were cheering while the Bulgarian supporters were either clapping or shouting derisions at the Bulgarian Seekers.
Mr. Bagman, despite sounding a little horse from shouting his commentary for the last 20 minutes, called out in elation the end results of the game. "And that folks is the end of the 422nd Quidditch World Cup. Viktor Krum catches the Snitch, but Ireland wins, I don't think any of us saw that coming." The twins eyed him accusatively while Sirius was grinning ear to ear. "Will each team take one more lap around the stadium before joining us here in the Top Box." The crowd cheered as the Bulgarian team did their lap, Krum holding up the still struggling Snitch with his nose bloodied. They made their way to the Top Box where they shook hands with the three Ministers of Magic, their own congratulating them on an amazing game; though everyone in the Top Box could see it was slightly forced.
Then the Irish took their Victory lap around the field, Lynch being supported by Moran and Connolly as he flew, still dazed from two Wronski Feints, before they made their way to the box. Their Minister was thrilled with them, going so far as to hug each of them, before they were presented with the trophy. Troy and Quigley, the top scorer and the Beater who got Krum, held the trophy aloft.
While the Irish supporters were cheering, and all eyes in the Top Box were on the winners of the Cup, nobody yet noticed that Draco's wand was missing…
FG
That night, before the Weasleys broke left them, Mr. Bagman came by to give the twins and Arthor their winnings. Arthor had made a simple bet with 5 Galleons that Ireland would win, netting him 25 Galleons which Mr. Bagman paid out with a wry smile. Then he went to pay out the twins for their 15 Galleon bid with good odds, he was kicking himself for telling them that. When he pulled out the 300 Galleons, Harry caught how they glowed to his sight unlike the other Galleons.
Harry got their attention. "Sirius, is it just me or is there something different about those coins?" Harry asked, he knew he couldn't just reveal himself. Sirius caught on quickly, knowing not everyone here knew Harry's secret, so took a closer look at the gold while noticing Mr. Bagman was looking defensive. "Well, there's a quick spell we could use, one of the only good spells I learned from my parents. The 'True Gold' charm, was popular back when everyone still used the gold standard in the muggle world." Sirius quickly explained before casting the spell, "Revelio Veritas Aurum." The next moment the Galleons Arthor was still holding shined, while the gold the twins held glowed green.
Mr. Weasley had his wand in hand and pointing it at Mr. Bagman in moments, while Mr. Bagman just looked shocked and confused. "Harry, what made you think he might have tried to cheat my sons?" Arthor asked, his eyes narrowing at Mr. Bagman, who now had six wands pointing at him while Percy had gone to get help.
"I saw him pick up as much Leprechaun gold as he could grab while they were doing their performance. Given that he went around making bets on the outcome of the match and looked completely surprised by the outcome, I would assume a lot of people bet on Ireland meaning he lost a lot, so he gambled again on people not being able to tell the difference until it disappears and he's able to pay those he can't cheat safely, like fellow Ministry officials and the goblins." Harry said, at which point Mr. Bagman blanched. Harry caught this and deadpanned. "Mr. Bagman, you didn't bet the goblins and give them Leprechaun gold, did you? You're not that stupid, right?" Harry asked. Mr. Bagman looked away and blustered about not being talked down to by a child.
All the adults in the tent looked at Mr. Bagman with incredulity. After a minute of waiting, Percy came back with a group of Aurors, led by Dawlish. John Dawlish saw the six wands pointed at Mr. Bagman and winced. Mr. Weasley, as the boys' father, spoke up. "Aurors, we caught Mr. Bagman here trying to cheat my sons of one of the many bets he brokered before the match. Tried to pay them off with Leprechaun gold, revealed by Mr. Potters sharp eye and Lord Blacks use of the 'True Gold' charm. Tried to cheat my sons out of 300 Galleons, and would have too if it wasn't for them. You might also want to wake Dirk Cresswell; seems he did the same with the Goblins."
While the Aurors listened, several of them glaring at Mr. Bagman, Auror Dawlish looked unnerved. He didn't want to deal with this and didn't want to deal with the Goblins. Dirk Cresswell was one of the rare muggleborns that managed to head a department, largely because no pureblood wanted that job, but he had a temperament to work with the beasts and for them. Auror Dawlish winced as one of the Aurors behind him cursed as he used the 'True Gold' charm, only to find out the gold he'd won earlier that night, against Mr. Bagman no less, was fake. Auror Dawlish decided to cuff Mr. Bagman and move things to the ministry before this trouble between two department heads became a brawl.
With Mr. Bagman being led out of the tent, the adults decided to pack things up, the mood ruined. Everyone helped pack up and within half an hour they were gone; the Longbottoms inviting the Grangers to spend the night at the Longbottom Hall, as they had the most empty rooms without revealing Harry's secret. They left in the quite of the night, not knowing how close they had been to a night of terror.
fg
Draco Malfoy had held his parents back in the Top Box, not being able to find his wand, but knowing he had it out after the Veela performance. They were the last to leave the box, his father berating him for his carelessness and his mother trying to defuse the situation by saying they'd get Draco a new wand tomorrow. When they had gotten back to their tent, Crabbe Sr., and Goyle Sr., were waiting for Mr. Malfoy.
Mr. Malfoy ordered his wife and son to return home, stating he'd be home before morning. Once they were gone, Lucius Malfoy and his old friends donned the cloaks they had been forced to put aside for over a decade. These joyous fools think their safe and demean the name of wizard by watching half-bloods perform for them. It was time to remind them how safe they really are, time for the Death Eaters to cause some strife; in the name of their master of course.
I want to thank you all for your patience, I truly apologize for the long wait for an update. This story will NOT be dropped, even if it takes a while to finish. Year four is nearing, and that means the Tri-Wiz. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and look forward to the next.
Sadly, no chapter trivia this time, we'll see about next chapter.