The Bard of Hogwarts

Chapter 281 An Interesting Camp

With three brooms in hand, Ino leisurely sipped her herbal juice next to the bar.

Meanwhile, the Leaky Cauldron, located far away in Diagon Alley, is truly bustling with activity.

As the face of Diagon Alley, the Leaky Cauldron offers a diverse view of people of all skin colors, races, and clothing...

It was as if wizards from all over the world had flocked in.

And this is only a small part.

That's how it is; some people are willing to travel to England in advance, while others choose to use a door key to teleport at the last minute.

But no matter what choice is made, it cannot change one established fact—the wizards' love for Quidditch.

……

As time went by, the weather became increasingly hot after entering August, and there were even occasional strong convective rainstorms.

The brief downpour, lasting less than fifteen minutes, did not cool the weather; instead, it created an extremely muggy and humid atmosphere.

Of course, all of this refers to London, or densely populated areas like Diagon Alley.

In the village of Saint Cachipol, under the high moonlight, a cool evening breeze wanders across the untouched wilderness, and the knee-high green grass sways in the breeze like undulating waves.

In this tranquil and pleasant wilderness, a crooked house stands out in particular.

Warm lights shone from those irregularly shaped windows, seemingly echoing the twinkling stars in the sky.

The Weasleys' Burrow.

"Unbelievable! The Bulgarian team actually made it to the final."

Arthur sighed again, though he himself couldn't remember how many times he had brought up the topic.

"Honey, instead of chatting, why don't you go help out at the department and keep an eye on things? Percy hasn't been home for three days straight!"

Hearing her husband bring up Quidditch again, Mrs. Weasley glanced worriedly at the clock in the Burrow, its hands still firmly pointing to work.

"It's alright, I trust Percy with Barty! Besides, they'll be the first to be affected during the World Cup."

Arthur paid no attention to his wife's concerns; he could understand why a young man was so focused on his career.

"Perhaps you are right, but he... sigh!" Mrs. Weasley didn't say anything more, her sigh seemed to contain everything.

She wants her children to stay on the right path and become excellent, but she doesn't want them to be too competitive.

Even though it was already night, she didn't even know if Percy had eaten dinner on time.

……

Diagon Alley.

Inside a shop that was closed for display.

Percy held a crystal-clear wine glass, and around him were many well-dressed young wizards.

It's clear that a small dinner party is being held here right now.

"Now that everything is arranged, I'll be leaving. You all enjoy yourselves!"

Draco put down his glass and slowly stood up from the crowd.

"Hey, don't be such a spoilsport! My young master Malfoy!" Marcus said with a teasing smile.

A small joke elicited a hint of teasing from those around him.

"It's not that I'm being a spoilsport, it's just that I should go home!" Draco's eyes darted around, and under the light, his platinum blonde hair reflected a unique brilliance.

"I've completed my tasks: securing the shop, the venue, and the initial investment. Now it's up to you guys!"

His calm speaking pace and composed expression immediately reminded many people of the elder Malfoy.

However, the old Malfoy here is not Lucius, but Lucius's father, a helmsman admired by many.

At the same time, a slightly hoarse female voice rang out from the crowd:

"In that case, I can go back now. You'll see the changes in Knockdown Alley in a few days."

The speaker was Mina Burke, a former Slytherin prefect who had graduated two years prior.

When it comes to smuggling, people might think of Abbott, and when it comes to wands, they might think of Ollivander, but when it comes to Knockturn Alley, they can't avoid mentioning Burke.

"You guys are really..." Marcus was speechless. They left as soon as they finished their business. These two were just weirdos.

Percy was equally speechless. It wasn't that he felt there was anything wrong with the two leaving, but rather that he felt some things were indeed unfair.

Although both are part of the Twenty-Eight Houses of God, the Weasleys truly have nothing.

But it doesn't matter. The Weasleys will change. Percy believed this more than ever before, especially after George and Fred took charge of the post-production improvements to the film.

If we compare the movie theater to a sailing ocean liner, then George and Fred are undoubtedly the most prominent people on board.

He, on the other hand, is the representative of his two younger brothers and the Weasley family, responsible for socializing and networking, since some things require him to fight for them.

Thinking of this, Percy picked up his glass again, a formulaic smile appearing on his face.

……

Time is always fair.

Because it will not slow down its pace due to any external factors.

Within a week, thanks to the tireless efforts of the Ministry of Magic, the entire venue, capable of accommodating 100,000 people, was completed.

Although there are still a few days until the competition, many wizards have already chosen to set up camp near the venue in advance.

Everyone from Fudge to the Ministry of Magic interns wholeheartedly agreed with this situation.

Now they can finally get together, saving them from living in constant fear that some wizard might go crazy and cause a huge uproar in the Muggle world.

Therefore, outside the Quidditch arena, the Ministry of Magic deployed a massive Muggle-repelling charm, with an unusually large magical coverage area, to ensure that no Muggles would be seen for dozens of miles.

On the vast, boundless plains.

Tens of thousands of tents are pitched there, and as far as the eye can see, there are only endless colorful stripes and noisy crowds.

Although most of the tents here are unchanging, just like hyacinths blooming in a rose garden, many tents also showcase individuality.

Unauthorized additions of chimneys, windmills, sleds, and even small fountains on the top of tents... the variety of unconventional decorations is countless.

Ino found himself in the bustling camp, a scene reminiscent of a medieval market, which gave him a sense of familiarity.

The vendors pushing their carts back and forth were like the candy carts on the Hogwarts Express, only there were more of them, and the selection was much wider.

Pies, chocolates, souvenirs, binoculars, Irish shamrock badges, mini Quidditch figurines...

In short, each cart is a magical blind box, because you have no idea where the vendor comes from or what kind of goods are inside.

In just a few minutes, Ino had already seen several unusual vendors, such as a burly white man pushing a cart full of vodka, and a black girl with a cart full of various bone ornaments...

The vast campsite was filled with vivid and interesting scenes.

What surprised him most was that quite a few people were using video cameras to film, which was unexpected.

(End of this chapter)