Magical Studies at Hogwarts...

Chapter 141 The Prelude to Chaos

"You won't believe it, Hermione's living with that guy!"

Ron, whose face was still swollen, showed Harry the poster he had won as he spoke.

"Who? Ike?" Harry wasn't paying much attention to what Ron was saying; his focus was more on the World Cup spectator guide in his hand.

"Of course it's him!" Ron's anger was written all over his face, mixed with some inexplicable emotions, much like a child throwing a tantrum after someone has stolen his playmate.

"This isn't anything surprising," Ginny, who had somehow ended up sitting on the living room sofa, suddenly said. "They started showing signs of this last year, and I heard that Ike even stayed at Hermione's house this summer."

"About a month!"

"My God, a month! Can you imagine what those two did?!" Ron exclaimed.

"Yeah, yeah!" Ginny rarely chimed in, agreeing with Ron. "And they even live together now, they even go for walks together!"

"Yes, I saw them. They were standing very close together," Luna, wearing a strange pair of glasses, suddenly interjected.

"I think we need to talk to Hermione. That girl isn't a good person," Ron suggested.

"Ron Weasley, I advise you not to do anything foolish," Ginny retorted immediately. "What they do is none of your business!"

"But..." Ron was about to say something when Harry pulled him back. "Alright, didn't we agree to go for a walk? Let's go."

Still a little annoyed, Ron put those things behind him once he entered the camp's small market. He enthusiastically introduced Harry to the history of each team and their star players, recommending what to buy and what was just a scam to Galleon.

Everyone bought something, even though they had already bought quite a lot in the previous days. Harry, who was shopping for the first time, spent the most, and even bought him a few items that Ron had been eyeing but hadn't bought because of the price. This made Ron very excited, and his face turned quite red.

The group was chatting and laughing when suddenly Ron nudged Harry.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked.

Ron didn't speak, but simply gestured in one direction. Harry looked and saw Ike and Hermione.

"He seems to have grown taller again." Harry looked at Ike, who was clearly much taller than him, and his tone was inexplicably tinged with jealousy.

Just then, Hermione saw Ginny and Luna waving at her and responded just as excitedly, pulling Ike along as they walked over.

"Harry, when did you get here?" Hermione asked.

"I just arrived, Ron is showing me around," Harry replied, then looked at Ike and said, "Long time no see, Ike."

"It has been a long time, Harry." Ike gave a comforting smile, but said nothing more, simply standing quietly beside Hermione, watching her whisper with Ginny Luna.

The girls were having a lively chat, while the boys seemed a little awkward.

Harry didn't know what to say. Ike's dislike of Quidditch was well-known throughout the grade. His "talent" in flying and his spellcasting skills were two extremes, so this was definitely a topic that couldn't be discussed.

Should we talk about something else? Their relationship was really just a nodding acquaintance; they didn't know each other very well.

At least that's how Harry felt about Ike.

Ron was even less of a threat; his every word was written all over his face, and Ike saw right through him. Moreover, Ron had harbored a deep-seated prejudice against Ike for a long time, so the two of them naturally had nothing to say to each other.

"Maybe we can go buy some drinks?" After an awkward silence, Harry finally broke the ice.

"Sure," Ike replied with a smile. "We passed a drink stall on our way here. It was packed with people, so the drinks must be pretty good."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go take a look!" Harry clapped his hands, drawing the girls' attention. "Ladies, we're going to buy some drinks. What would you like?"

"It's sweet!"

"It's cold!"

"Chocolate milk!"

"Okay," Harry replied, then said to Ike, "Let's go."

After a while, the three returned, each carrying two drinks. Harry gave his to Ginny, Ron gave his to Luna, and Hermione naturally accepted the chocolate milk Ike offered, but only took a sip and then held it in her hand.

"Why aren't you drinking anymore?" Ike asked quietly.

"It has no soul," Hermione sighed softly.

"Then let's wait until we get back."

"That's all we can do."

The six of them strolled around for quite a while before finally parting ways.

Harry arrived shortly after we returned to the tent.

"Mrs. Weasley invites you to join us for dinner," Harry said.

"Okay, just a moment, Harry." Ike said as he went back to his room, and soon came out with a gift box.

The Weasley family's tent perfectly reflects their character: simple, rustic, and full of life. But if you have a keen eye, you can see the extraordinary details hidden within.

The old rug underfoot is from the 16th-century Safavid dynasty of Persia, the furniture is in the style of Elizabethan I, and the tableware is a bit closer, but it is also from the Victorian era.

After all, they are a family that has been passed down from ancient times, and their heritage is by no means inferior. The Weasleys are just down-to-earth.

"It's a pleasure to visit you. This is a gift I brought for you, a little gadget I made in my spare time." With that, Ike opened the gift box. "It's a wine jug that produces wine just by pouring water into it. Of course, the taste isn't very good, but I hope you'll like it."

"Oh, my child, why did you bring a gift?" Mrs. Weasley smiled and accepted it, welcoming the three of them in before placing the wine jug on the shelf behind the dining table.

The atmosphere at dinner was wonderful; in fact, wherever there are twins, there's bound to be laughter. This relaxed and warm atmosphere made Ike feel a bit nostalgic, and he finally showed a genuine smile.

For the next few days, the hospitable Weasleys provided Ike and Hermione with all three meals, and the two of them spent most of their time in the Weasley family's tent, except when they were resting.

And so, the day of the finals finally arrived.

At the Weasleys' insistence, Ike sold the two tickets he had bought and joined the Weasleys in the penthouse box, which was located at the highest point of the stadium, directly facing the golden goalposts.

As they sat down in the front row, Harry and the others were captivated by the grand spectacle below. Ike, however, was drawn to two seats in the corner of the back row.

One room was occupied by a house-elf, while the other was empty, but Ike sensed a familiar magical fluctuation.

Clearly, Batistuta Jr. is here too.

(End of this chapter)