The Bard of Hogwarts

Chapter 283 The 422nd Quidditch Match (Revised)

Time passed by, second by second.

As the afternoon passed, a sense of excitement quietly spread throughout the camp.

As dusk fell, even the silent sunset seemed to tremble with anticipation.

Overwhelmed by this intense emotion, Ino slowly opened his eyes, and before him floated a small flame, just like a burning match.

Sensing the changes within the flames, he then vanished from the spot.

……

Backstage area.

Unlike the shady gambling operation in the original story, Ludo Bagman, the Director of the Magical Sports Department, was now like a cat on a hot tin roof.

With the audience about to enter, the main character who was supposed to be the opening act has yet to appear.

He knew very well that if this matter was messed up, he didn't know if the other party would be in any danger, but his position as director would probably be over.

He has disgraced the entire English Ministry of Magic. Even if he manages to keep his position by sheer luck, things will definitely not be easy for him in the future.

At that moment, a soft sound came from the air.

Ludo turned around and, upon seeing what was happening, his eyes immediately welled up with tears.

"Thank God! You haven't forgotten! I was terrified when you didn't show up..."

"Sorry, I overslept!" Ino explained softly.

"It's nothing! Nothing!" Ludo said, still shaken. Heaven knows how the other person could have fallen asleep.

"You have one hour to prepare. The venue staff will play the music simultaneously in all twelve areas based on your signal. Remember! The Red Fireworks Spell, they only recognize this."

Ludo repeated what they had agreed upon earlier.

In response, Ino nodded silently, then walked to the workroom next to her. Since it was a concert, she should at least change her clothes.

at the same time.

Ludo's expression suddenly relaxed. It seemed that everything was going smoothly so far, and he now needed to prepare for his work.

……

One hour later.

The stage, which can hold a full 100,000 people, was packed to capacity.

The private room in the very center of the top floor.

Ludo stood up and looked at Fudge. With the latter nodding and smiling, he slowly began to speak:

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the 422nd Quidditch World Cup!"

As Ludo finished speaking, thunderous applause erupted in the stadium.

"Alright! But before the match, we have a little surprise for you all, we hope you like it!"

Strictly speaking, Ludo is not a good host.

His opening remarks left Ino with a huge challenge, much like the 30 seconds before watching a show ending in failure – something no one would like.

Although no one has complained yet, the atmosphere in the 100,000-seat stadium is visibly somewhat delicate.

Fudge frowned subconsciously, his sharp gaze sweeping over Ludo. He was now somewhat regretting letting this idiot start the show.

Seeing his minister's expression, Ludo belatedly realized the problem.

Logically, after he finishes speaking, it should be the mascot's turn to perform, so it doesn't matter whether it's a bit awkward or not, since the mascot's job is to warm up the audience.

But now... after looking around, Ludo lowered his head guiltily.

Just when the situation was about to spiral out of control.

"Moo~"

A deep and melodious sound rang out, and the loud noise reverberated throughout the entire stadium.

Accompanying this was the sound of the ocean waves.

"Look at the sky..."

"Merlin's beard..."

As the first person discovered it, more and more people looked up at the sky.

Suddenly, a thirty-foot-long whale, its body shimmering with iridescent light, appeared in the pitch-black night sky.

The night was like an ocean, with silver whales swimming freely, accompanied by their sighs and the faint sound of the waves.

In such a scene, everyone can feel a sense of depth and vastness, as if they were in an endless ocean.

Wizards are emotional and easily empathetic.

In just a few seconds, accompanied by the melodious sound of waves, the entire Quidditch pitch seemed to experience the ebb and flow of the tide, and the restlessness in the stadium gradually disappeared.

Everything fell silent.

……

At this moment, under everyone's gaze.

The whale in the sky slowly swam down until it was sixty feet above the ground.

Upon reaching this location, the sounds of the waves and whales quietly disappeared.

Although the sound disappeared, people's eyes were fixed on the whale, or rather, on the young man standing on the whale's back.

Against a backdrop of a starry night sky, with a soaring silver whale beneath their feet, the scene was dazzling and awe-inspiring. Even in this magical world, the sight left everyone present in awe.

Seeing the change in the atmosphere on the field, Ino slowly breathed a sigh of relief.

He was so badly let down by Ludo that he had to change his entrance after Ludo finished his opening remarks.

The silver guardian deity, combined with the freely flying Boggart, was a clever combination that barely managed to keep the situation under control.

Despite his thoughts, he didn't miss the hard-won opportunity and, while everyone was watching, slowly waved his wand.

Suddenly, two wisps of silver mist, one large and one small, appeared in the sky. In an instant, the two wisps of mist transformed into figures riding brooms.

Although the faces are not clearly visible, the body types clearly indicate that it is an adult and a child.

"My child, I am very old now, and there is not much I can teach you! But in this short journey of life, I have raced against the wind and walked alongside the clouds countless times. What I pursued was not just the Golden Thief, but the inextinguishable fire of struggle in my heart."

"But isn't the whole point of the competition to chase the Golden Snitch?"

The voices alternated between aged and youthful, and Ino used the opening of a play, which was entirely to guide everyone's emotions.

"Yes, the game is about chasing the Golden Snitch! But Quidditch isn't..."

"What is Quidditch?"

"It embodies the wizards' indomitable and uncompromising spirit. Whenever wizards encounter misfortune and setbacks, they remember Quidditch and the struggles they once had on the pitch..."

The few lines of dialogue reignited everyone's passion for Quidditch. Why were they so excited about it?

It wasn't the high bonuses or the so-called fame, but rather the spirit of refusing to compromise that was ingrained in their bones.

With this spirit, the ancient wizards defeated dragons, drove away giants, quelled goblin rebellions, and even forced Dementors to cower in Azkaban...

Just like Sir Cadogan of Gryffindor, who charged toward the wyvern even without a wand or a melted sword.

Although it may seem foolish, it essentially reflects the resilience and fighting spirit inherent in wizards.

Wizards spare no effort in striving for their ideals.

……

As the conversation ended, the phantom of the silver mist in the sky disappeared.

Instead, a different scene unfolded, a clear picture.

The scene depicts countless wizards' struggles against dangers in a distant era, including dragons, giants, Dementors, and poison sac leopards...

But no matter what kind of enemy they faced, the wizards gripped their wands tightly and chose to fight and resist.

Soon, these images suddenly disappeared again.

"Flames are raging!"

As a cluster of red fireworks, symbolizing hope, appeared, rhythmic music filled the entire stadium.

Amidst the rhythmic music, a sound that filled the entire venue rang out.

"The cup of life.zhis is the one..."

"Here we go! allez allez allez! go go go..."

The songs of the future Muggles were played in England four years ahead of schedule.

Regardless of what people were thinking or discussing before, at this moment, many people only had Quidditch on their minds.

The catchy rhythm and simple, easy-to-understand lyrics evoked a sense of passion and a desire for victory in everyone, allowing them to feel the fighting spirit inherent in the wizards.

……

The first verse of lyrics has ended.

But soon, as the second verse began, everyone subconsciously started singing along to the beat.

"Go go go! allez allez allez!"

The simple speech and cheerful rhythm allow even wizards who don't understand English to sing a few lines.

Even more remarkably, many shamans from Waggadu in Africa used transmutation to conjure one-handed drums and began playing the most primitive melodies, songs sung by their ancestors around the flames to celebrate the harvest and peace.

Music and emotions.

Singing and emotions.

At this moment, an invisible torrent gradually gathered together.

Sensing something, Ino slowly raised her head, and a faint flame appeared hundreds of feet in the air.

Within that cluster of flames, he clearly sensed the emotions contained within, a familiar feeling arising spontaneously...

That flame, once seen on the Caucasus Mountains, belonged to Prometheus and embodied praise for courage, struggle, wisdom, and self-sacrifice.

Similarly, within this cluster of flames lies the redemption found in fairy tales.

But now, joy has been rekindled within these flames!

As the emotions of 100,000 wizards converged, the flames in the sky suddenly expanded, and the phantom of a phoenix with a wingspan of over two hundred feet appeared.

Faced with such a massive figure, none of the wizards below felt fear; instead, they felt a sense of familiarity and warmth.

"Chirp~"

With a melodious and sweet cry, Ino's figure gradually rose into the sky.

Now that the objective has been achieved, it's time to leave.

The principle of "too much of a good thing" applies here.

Tonight's main focus will always be Quidditch, and that will never change.

……

In the sky.

Although the silver whale and the red phoenix were drifting further and further apart.

But with the Bulgarian national team's strong entry into the game, the enthusiasm was reignited.

The Bulgarian team members flew around the field in a triangular formation on broomsticks.

Meanwhile, countless formations of bright red flags suddenly appeared on the magnificent stadium, echoing the main stadium.

Following closely behind was the Irish national team, whose green shamrock formation also appeared.

Thousands of flags waved simultaneously, alternating between red and green, turning the entire stadium into a sea of ​​jubilation.

(End of this chapter)