Chapter 453 Ludo Bagman
Sirius did not explain that part, and Evan naturally would not speak of it.
He shared Sirius' opinion that the camp was secondary, and the most important thing was to have everyone together.
He was still contemplating the reasoning he had just made and couldn't wait to break the Book of Abraham.
Everyone was in good spirits. They laughed and walked through the deserted moor. They could barely see anything through the dense fog.
After about twenty minutes, a small stone hut next to a gate came into view.
Beyond the stone hut, there were thousands of tents of peculiar shapes.
They climbed the gentle slope of a large field towards a dark forest on the horizon.
A man was standing at the gate, looking at the tents.
By his expression, he could be the only true Muggle in this vast area.
It was Mr. Roberts, the site manager.
As soon as he heard their footsteps, he turned his head to look at them.
Mr. Weasley approached to speak with him about renting a tent, and Harry was also eager.
Since Mr. Weasley could not differentiate Muggle money, he struggled to peel off the bills from a large roll of money.
He also referred to the pound as a colorful piece of income, arousing suspicion from the Muggle opposite.
"It's strange. You're not the only one unable to decipher the amount of money," he said softly, looking carefully at Mr. Weasley and Harry standing behind him. "Just ten minutes ago, two people were about to pay me a pile of large gold coins."
Mr. Weasley remained silent and looked at him uneasily.
"There has never been so many people!" he wondered, his eyes turning back to the foggy field. "It's never been so crowded. Hundreds of reservations and people keep coming..."
By his tone, it sounded like the beginning of a horror movie.
Perhaps for him, this incident was truly terrifying.
He was familiar with the place, and with no apparent reason, strange foreigners kept arriving, and his memory kept being reset.
"That's very odd, isn't it?!" he continued. "Look, for a few days now, people have been coming from everywhere. Loads of foreigners. And not just foreigners, but also many odd people. I just saw a guy strolling around in a kilt and a poncho, clearly abnormal."
Mr. Weasley appeared more uneasy and was already reaching for his wand.
"I have a feeling that everyone seems to know each other, like at a party!" He lowered his voice and said, "In here..."
Just then, a wizard in baggy trousers suddenly appeared out of nowhere and landed at the door of the stone hut.
"Obliviate!" he said firmly, pointing his wand at the Muggle.
Instantly, his eyes unfocused, his brow relaxed.
His face showed a dreamy carefree look. "A map of the camp for you," he said placidly to Mr. Weasley, "And your change."
"Thank you very much," said Mr. Weasley.
The wizard in baggy trousers escorted them to the camp gate.
He looked exhausted. His chin was blue from stubble, and deep purple shadows hung under his eyes.
"Terrible, Arthur!" he kept murmuring. "I've had a lot of trouble with him. He needs a Memory Charm ten times a day to keep him happy. Plus, many sworn wizards and problems are waiting for me."
"Is it all up to you alone?!" said Mr. Weasley in astonishment, "Where are the others?"
"Forget it. Ludo Bagman isn't helping. This was originally a matter for his Department, but he's just trotting around and loudly talking about Bludgers and Quaffles, not caring about anti-Muggle security." He sighed deeply. "God, I'll be happy when this is over. It's a real hassle. See you later, Arthur!"
As he finished, he vanished!
"I thought Mr. Bagman was the Head of Magical Games and Sports," Ginny said amazed. "He should know better than to talk about Bludgers near Muggles, right?"
"Yes, dear," Mr. Weasley said with a smile. "Ludo has always been a bit careless in matters of security, but you won't find anyone more passionate than him to head the Sports Department. He played Quidditch for England himself, did you know? And he was the best Beater the Wimbourne Wasps ever had."
In the world of magic, Ludo Bagman was a very famous and popular figure.
However, upon hearing Mr. Weasley's words, Sirius furrowed his brow.
"This man at heart, Evan!" He approached and whispered, "Bagman's past is not as glorious as rumors suggest. He has been accused of providing confidential information to Death Eaters. However, it cannot be denied that he is a complete fool, and I highly doubt he knew what he was doing at that time, but it's not a bad thing to be a bit extravagant."
Evan nodded, as Sirius was right; Ludo Bagman was a total nincompoop.
Listening to Mr. Weasley talk about Bagman, everyone struggled to walk through the misty campground.
They strolled among long rows of tents and looked around. Most of the shops seemed almost ordinary.
Their owners had clearly tried to make them as similar as possible to Muggles.
However, some had slipped up by adding chimneys, or bell pulls, or weather vanes.
Here and there was a shop that was obviously magical.
For instance, halfway across the field, there was a particularly eye-catching tent.
It was a lavish confection of striped silk like a miniature palace, with several live peacocks tethered at the entrance.
A little further on, they passed by a tent with three storeys and several towers.
A bit ahead, a tent had an attached front garden, complete with birdbath, sundial, and fountain.
"It's always the same. Some people can't resist showing off," said Sirius. "When you go deeper into the vicinity of the pure-blood wizard families' camp, you'll see what true luxury is."
From his expression, it was evident that he was greatly displeased with that, as if recalling something unpleasant.
Looking at Harry and Ron, it seemed like they wanted to go have a look around.
They were quite curious about the shops Sirius was talking about.
But at the thought of encountering Malfoy there, seeing him flaunting his elegant tent and laughing at them, they immediately lost interest.