Chapter 526: Chapter 526: Barty Crouch Jr. in Action (Edited)
"What is that? Is it a Patronus?"
"Yes, but why does the Guardian have that appearance? Is it a three-headed dog?"
"It turns out the rumors were true. The British wizarding world has produced a powerful wizard with a Patronus in the form of a three-headed dog!"
The stadium was abuzz with murmurs as the two Patronuses appeared in the upper box.
"Look, the dogs are transforming!" a young girl noticed the change in the Patronuses and shouted loudly. More and more people realized the transformation of the Patronuses: they drew closer to each other, and a large amount of silvery vapor emerged from their bodies. The vapors intertwined, and the two Patronuses merged into a silver whirlwind over the field, illuminating the dark stadium as if it were daytime.
The vortex emitted a glow that warmed those on the field, as if they had taken a sip of butterbeer by a crackling fireplace.
Gradually, the light faded, and in front of everyone appeared a three-headed dog the size of a calf, with a layer of silver fire burning on its body.
Everyone who saw the three-headed Patronus was impressed by its appearance: beautiful, powerful, majestic... It was as if all the virtues of the world had gathered in it.
Once formed, the three-headed dog turned its three heads in search of something and, not seeing any trace of Dementors, looked at Tom and Hermione with confusion, its six eyes filled with bewilderment.
"Go ahead," Tom gestured with his hand for it to run around the field. The three-headed dog obediently wagged its tail with joy and ran around the stadium.
The crowd erupted in applause, and many witches and wizards approached the front of the box, reaching out their hands to try to pet the beautiful Patronus. Of course, Tom didn't allow them to and kept the three-headed dog at a safe distance, letting their hands meet only a flash of bright light.
The flames that emanated from the three-headed dog's body fell into people's hands and melded into their bodies, bringing a warm and sweet sensation.
The stadium, with a capacity of a hundred thousand people, was huge, and the Patronus summoned by Tom and Hermione became less solid after running around the field. It became semi-transparent, almost like a ghost.
"Thank you, you've done a great job," Tom gently stroked the center head of the dog, and the three-headed dog gave a cheerful bark before disappearing completely.
The stadium lights came back on, and the crowd burst into applause.
"Thank you very much," Bones was very satisfied, thinking that this start was truly grand. Even though the British Quidditch team wasn't in the final, this spectacle was enough to restore prestige. The Bulgarian Minister of Magic, Mr. Oblansk, voluntarily approached and shook hands with Tom and Hermione, showing his respect.
He was just an ordinary Minister of Magic, while the young people in front of him were the only holders of a three-headed Patronus in wizarding history.
The two ministers and their companions returned to their boxes, where Ludo Bagman was waiting to announce the start of the match.
Calm returned to the box, but everyone couldn't help but cast curious glances at Tom and Hermione, seated beside each other.
The same happened with Fleur. She was amazed by the three-headed dog that Tom and Hermione had conjured together. After a brief moment of confusion, she began to carefully examine the boy named Tom Yodel.
Honestly speaking, Tom's appearance met the requirements; he looked very handsome. Additionally, with the confidence radiating from within, it was easy to win favor from others. If it weren't for the word "Muggle-born," Fleur's first impression of him would have been completely different.
And now? Fleur decided to forgive his lack of tact. After all, it was understandable that a boy would want to explain his behavior in front of his girlfriend.
While Fleur mentally "forgave" Tom's rudeness, Madame Maxime, sitting beside her, crossed her hands over her belly. Fleur knew that when her headmistress made that gesture, it meant she had something to say.
"That boy is a student at Hogwarts," Madame Maxime said quietly.
Fleur suddenly felt her heart tighten. Madame Maxime's words made her realize something.
"Yes, that tournament... If he could participate, he would be a formidable rival," Madame Maxime nodded slightly.
Fleur felt as if a giant stone had fallen onto her chest. Could that kind of Patronus really be summoned by a Hogwarts student? How much of a chance did she have to win against such a wizard?
As Madame Maxime's favorite student, Fleur had already known since the end of the previous semester that the Triwizard Tournament would resume. Although the selected champions were still uncertain, Madame Maxime already had her own candidates in mind and had made some preparations, such as revealing the news of the Tournament to Fleur and a few other students who might be selected.
But it was Madame Maxime's following words that reassured her.
"Thank goodness we discussed the possibility of raising the age limit for champion candidates. That boy can't be seventeen years old... I will contact Albus Dumbledore and Karkaroff as soon as possible to confirm this. Will you turn seventeen this year in September?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"That's good. Sometimes, being too young is not a positive thing, is it?"
"..."
Madame Maxime stopped speaking and, along with Fleur, focused on watching the match.
Not only the spectators but also the participants who would soon be competing were captivated by the Patronus.
"Hey, Viktor, did you see the Patronus that appeared a moment ago? It's so...". A Bulgarian Seeker interrupted Viktor Krum, who was next to him, elbowing him.
Krum, with his dark and slender appearance, thick eyebrows, and prominent aquiline nose, didn't look like an eighteen-year-old student. Upon hearing his teammate's words, he felt an inexplicable irritation.
"Ivanova, if I were you, I'd focus on the next match." Krum abruptly interrupted his words. Krum was struggling to control his inner dissatisfaction and avoid saying anything more inappropriate. He was pessimistic about the upcoming match. Krum was aware that the Bulgarian team had reached this position mainly thanks to his brilliant performances time and time again, and that his teammates were actually no match for the Irish team.
How can he have the mind to pay attention to the Patronus? The showdown is about to begin! Krum really wanted to grab Ivanova by the collar and ask him some pointed questions. It seemed absurd to Krum.
But he did nothing.
Krum, at just eighteen years old, was already an extremely mature athlete. He understood that, although Quidditch had a strong sense of heroic individualism, at the end of the day, it was a team sport and he shouldn't say words that would harm team harmony.
It might be fine to lash out at his teammates at that moment, but there was no chance of winning the rest of the match.
He tried to adjust his emotions and spoke to Ivanova in the calmest tone possible: "But three-headed dog Patronuses are rare."
"Yes, yes!" Ivanova didn't take it very well and continued to chatter in Krum's ear.
Krum: ...
Returning to the ministers in the box, they also paid no attention to the opening ceremony. Oblansk sincerely said to Bones, "I genuinely envy you. You not only have Dumbledore but also such talented young wizards. Although we have Krum, he's still in school."
Minister Bones merely smiled without responding. To her, that was entirely normal. The power of the British wizarding world was something entirely different from the Muggle British government, which had fallen from its superpower position long ago. The British wizarding world remained the core of the wizarding world.
Comparing a Seeker to Tom was something she scoffed at. Can a Seeker run faster than other wizards when facing a Dementor? Let's wait until they turn Krum into a Chocolate Frog card to discuss that!
Ludo Bagman entered the box at just the right moment and asked excitedly, "Minister, can we begin?"
"Of course," Minister Bones replied gracefully.
Ludo Bagman made an exaggerated bow to her and then cast a voice-amplifying spell on himself so that the entire stadium could hear him.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the 422nd Quidditch World Cup has begun!"
Under Bagman's direction, the opening ceremony proceeded smoothly.
"...Allow me to introduce you to the mascot of the Bulgarian national team."
Tom looked down, and his face changed dramatically.
"Mr. Granger, close your eyes immediately and cover your ears," Tom spoke these words while activating Occlumency.
As Tom struggled to clear his mind, a hundred Veelas glided onto the field and began performing the most beautiful dance in the world.
Amidst the Veela dance, all the men in the stadium became entranced, except for a few exceptions like Mr. Granger, who covered his ears and closed his eyes in time, and Tom, who used Occlumency.
Tom watched as Harry lifted his legs and propped them up on the partition wall of the stands, while Ron assumed a posture as if he were about to dive into the water. Hermione noticed the hormonal excitement in the stadium and cast a nervous glance at Tom, surprised that he seemed so calm.
In her mind, she silently gave Tom a rating and decided to reward him after the match.
Tom wasn't the only one who remained composed. The Veela's charm was potent, but it was challenging to cause chaos in tens of thousands of wizards simultaneously. The enchantment magic weakened significantly during transmission, and most adult wizards with advanced magical skills could control their emotions and refrain from doing anything embarrassing. Those who lost control were mainly young wizards who had just come of age and underage wizards.
After the Veelas departed, Hermione made a loud noise with her mouth and removed her father's hand from her ear.
Then, Ireland's mascots also appeared.
The Irish leprechauns threw handfuls of gold coins into the air, sending the stadium into madness once again. People were applauding and rushing to collect the coins that fell beneath the seats.
The giant shamrock formed by the leprechauns vanished, and the match officially began with the referees' orders.
...
"Ireland wins," Bagman shouted in confusion, "Krum caught the Golden Snitch, but Ireland wins... My God!"
The stadium filled with noise, as if several dozen jet planes were taking off and landing there.
Both teams had just had a brief but intense showdown, and both Seekers were bleeding: Lynch had crashed into the ground, while Krum was hit in the face by a Bludger from the Irish team.
In the end, Krum caught the Golden Snitch.
Tom admitted that this was the most exciting Quidditch match he had ever witnessed, and even Hermione was shouting during the match.
After the match, Hermione leaned forward and observed Krum being carried off the field by the medics. "He's really brave, isn't he? He looks like a real mess..."
"His team lost, but he is the winner." Tom also had to admit that Krum had played a very good game.
Although defeated, that phrase described Krum perfectly. He had restored some honor to Bulgaria with a score of 160 to 170, it was an honorable defeat and seemed fine.
If the Golden Snitch had been caught by the Irish, it would have been 10:320...
After the match, the Quidditch World Cup was brought to an honor box, both teams' players entered the box together and shook hands with the two Ministers of Magic. Then, under the watchful eyes of both countries' Ministers of Magic, the seven Irish team players lifted the Cup.
Thus, the match came to an end, and the grand event of the wizarding world also seemed to have concluded. Spectators began discussing the match as they left the stadium.
"We will meet again," at the moment of leaving, Madame Maxime suddenly turned and said to Tom in English with a slight French accent.
"It will be a pleasure," Tom replied in French.
Madame Maxime raised her eyebrows and left with her students. After a long wait, Tom returned to the camp and went back to the Weasley family's tent.
On the way, they encountered the Weasley family again. Mr. Weasley was pleading with Fred and George not to tell his mother about their bet.
The post-match camp was wrapped in a festive atmosphere, with laughter and crowds indulging in frenzy. The Irish leprechauns were flying through the night sky, waving lanterns and stoking people's fervor.
The revelers had no idea what would happen in a few hours.
A person with their face hidden by a hood stood in the forest, gazing intently in the darkness toward the tent at the edge of the woods: Harry Potter was there...
In a very well-decorated tent, a group of wizards exchanged drinks, all of them intoxicated. If someone had entered, they would have been amazed: this tent was full of respectable people from the wizarding world!
However, the conversations of this group of respectable people were anything but respectable...
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