A Certain Magical Hogwarts

Chapter 545 The Middleman Makes the Difference

The Quidditch match hall was noisy until late into the night before gradually quieting down.

It wasn't that everyone was tired; rather, the England national team players had been captured by the Ministry of Magic and taken to Azkaban.

Fudge said he would arrest the troublemaking wizards, but it was impossible for him to actually do so.

There are 100,000 wizards here, while Britain only has so many Aurors... Who are you going to arrest? Azkaban could be overflowing with them!

Finally, with no other option, Auror had to arrest the England national team players... In reality, it was a temporary protection measure to prevent further extreme actions by the fans.

It's fine to beat someone up to vent your anger, but you can't actually kill them.

However, it's not safe for them to be with the Aurors either. There are several people who want to kill these good-for-nothings.

After all, 10:390... I could do that too!

England fans were also attacked. They felt wronged, saying they had agreed to stop fighting amongst themselves and unite against external threats.

Didn't you promise to be exempt from blacklisting during the World Cup?

It was a promise...

Screw you!

If you can't tolerate criticism of food, are you going to try to win people over with love?

Scottish fans, in particular, were the most excited. After all, they finished as runners-up in the last World Cup.

At the time, I was criticized for "dropping the broom" and "swimming back"... but everything is subject to comparison.

Compared to a terrible team like England, Scotland is truly bringing glory to the nation.

Sure enough, England was just having fun; the real championship belongs to Scotland.

The funniest thing was the wizards from Argentina; they burned photos just like everyone else.

However, they didn't distinguish between England and Ireland, and they burned a photo of Ireland's national team Seeker Aidan Lynch.

This is not surprising, as Argentinians have never been able to distinguish between other countries.

Last time, the Argentine Magical Council subtly mocked the South Korean Quidditch national team's elimination, and their official newspaper featured a photo of the North Korean Muggle government—the eternal Chairman Jong Il.

Then, the Argentine Quidditch team was fouled in a friendly match.

Argentina's bizarre actions have put the already tense relationship between fans on the verge of exploding.

Not only are Scottish fans clamoring for a referendum on independence, but Irish wizards are also clamoring to form their own second Ministry of Magic to rival the British Ministry of Magic!

The opening match turned the Quidditch World Cup camp into complete chaos.

The England national team is really full of villains; they should be exiled to Azkaban to cut sugarcane... that's hardly enough to justify their being treated like dirt.

The next morning, William and Hermione stepped out of the tent.

The entire camp was a mess, as if it had been robbed. Wizards lay scattered on the ground, empty wine bottles in their hands.

Many of the surrounding tents had been splashed with paint and had slogans written on them:

"You are a disgrace to the team's 520-year history!"

"Shameless people, get out of here!"

"You are no longer welcome in this land!"

Clearly, the England national team has broken the hearts of many fans by being unilaterally stripped of their citizenship.

Especially those fans who thought they could easily win the game, they bet a lot of money.

I was queuing at the Quidditch pitch this morning, waiting to jump off the sports platform.

William and Hermione paid no attention, huddled under a small umbrella, avoiding the gazes of the wizards around them, and headed toward the goblin tent.

The creditor... went to collect the debt!

Two hundred and twenty thousand Galleons!

"So, Professor Barbling has made contact with that person," Hermione whispered.

"No, the professor didn't agree immediately; he's deliberately keeping Tom hanging on."

Gazing at the misty sky in the distance, the young girl smiled knowingly, slightly narrowing her beautiful eyes, and said with a smile in her eyes:

I understand... it's about playing hard to get... You're an expert in this area, with rich theoretical knowledge and unparalleled practical experience.

William looked bewildered, with a hint of innocence in his eyes, as if he couldn't understand what the girl was saying.

Hermione's lips curled up slightly, and she reached out to take William's arm.

Overall, Professor Baburin is indeed very capable.

She had her eye on William's face from the very beginning.

Yes, what face could attract Tom's attention more than William's?

This was a face he couldn't refuse.

Professor Babling then fully utilized her identity as a professor of ancient runes, mentioning some kind of ancient power in class.

Mentioning this kind of thing in another profession would seem out of place, but the identity of an ancient magic script professor... is just right.

Sure enough, Tom's attention was immediately drawn to her, and he also took the initiative to approach Babling last night.

William suddenly recalled Professor Barbling's words: "Some people have worked with Death."

This statement really bothered him.

Both William and Nicole dreamed of Death and received guidance from him.

There is a strange connection between the two, but it is not a cooperative relationship. In this magical world, is there anyone who has ever cooperated with Death?

While passing by Malfoy's tent, William discovered the bird-finding poster for GG.

However, Malfoy is definitely gone; those fat peacocks have long since been eaten by who knows who.

At the water-drawing spot, William noticed that the well was yellowish, indicating that a group of wizards had used it as a toilet the previous night.

Luckily, there was water in the tent, so they didn't use it from there. I wonder who will be the unlucky one to use the water.

As William approached the fairy tent, he unexpectedly saw two familiar figures at the entrance.

—Ludo and Fudge!

Late last night, Ludo tried to contact William.

However, knowing that the camp would be in turmoil, a lot of magic was cast outside the tents, so he couldn't get in at all.

After much deliberation, Ludo had no choice but to arrive at the betting place early in the morning to wait for people.

My goal, of course, was to place bets with him and, incidentally, discuss the 30/70 split... no, the 20/80 split.

Unexpectedly, Minister Fouchi had the same idea and came to the fairy tent early in the morning to wait for them.

"William, I have something important to discuss with you. We need to talk about GG's problem," Fudge said in a low voice.

"Let's go inside and talk," William nodded.

The four walked toward the fairy tent, and Minister Fookie asked for a quiet room.

Hermione didn't go with them; she took the vault key and went to the goblins to collect the 220,000 Galleons.

Sitting down in the chair, William asked in confusion:

"Wasn't the GG fee already agreed upon?"

Like many Muggle competitions, the Quidditch World Cup is sponsored by GG.

After all, this is a grand competition open to wizards from all over the world.

However, it certainly won't be like the Muggle Super Bowl, where the GG fee is as expensive.

In William's previous life, the average cost of dropping a 30-second GG during a Super Bowl game had reached a terrifying $560 million, averaging a staggering $186667 per second.

In 1994, the 30-second GG had already exceeded one million dollars.

But what are their viewership ratings? And what kind of trash is your Quidditch World Cup?

There was no live television broadcast, only radio broadcast. The global wizarding community is only so big, so the price of GG (game currency) is naturally much cheaper.

Even at the lowest rates, a single match can easily earn anywhere from several hundred to over a thousand Galleons. For example, the 58 "GG" (Golden Goals) in the World Cup finals earned nearly ten thousand Galleons.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it a den of iniquity.

"William, you've already bet on three GG slots for the finals, aren't you thinking of betting on some more?" Fudge suggested.

William earned 200,000 Galleons in one night, so he can spend even more.

The Quidditch World Cup has dozens of matches, and if it's not a top favorite, there aren't many spectators, and ticket sales are poor.

There aren't many GG slots available, and Fudge is getting anxious.

These are all golden Galonnais!

"Of course I can buy more, seven or eight more wouldn't be a problem, I could even book the whole place. But..."

William thought for a moment, then laughed and said, "I'm not buying the GG seat, I'm buying other things."

"What are you buying?" Fudge asked, puzzled.

"The final round features a mascot performance, and I hope to have 30 seconds of screen time afterward."

"What?!" Fudge was stunned and blurted out, "No way!"

This is the first time the Quidditch World Cup has ever been played this way.

"I'm offering a very high price," William said with a smile.

"How much?" Fudge asked immediately.

William picked up a cup of coffee and took a small sip.

"Ludo, go check the odds for me tonight," Fudge said knowingly.

"minister……"

"Hurry up and go."

Ludo reluctantly stood up; it was normal for them not to let him hear such trade secrets.

After Ludo left, William said softly, "I'll offer 50,000 Galleons."

"Fifty thousand Galleons..." Fudge's heart skipped a second.

Wow, what a tycoon! He's got so much money to spare!

However, they only earned 200,000 Galleons last night, so what's 50,000?

Fudge's gaze toward William instantly became intense.

"William, we get along well... but this position is very important, there's never been one before... I'll be under a lot of pressure..."

"Sixty-five thousand, that's the most I can ask for," William said.

The 30-second KO in the 1994 Super Bowl earned him just over a million dollars. At the exchange rate between Galleons and the dollar, 100,000 Galleons would be worth $730,000.

But the Super Bowl is televised, while Quidditch is not. Furthermore, there are far fewer wizards than Muggles.

Therefore, a mid-range price of 60,000 to 70,000 Galleons is reasonable.

Fudge pondered for a long time, then suddenly said:

"William, we have a good relationship, and this is a type of GG we've never had before, so it's hard to give an estimate."

But since it's my first time testing the waters, I can only charge 30,000 Galleons.

William was taken aback. He had expected Fudge to ask for an exorbitant price, but he didn't expect him to lower the price on his own initiative.

William only thought for two seconds before instantly understanding.

How much GG fee they collect now is all from the Ministry of Magic, what does it have to do with the Minister of Magic!

Anyway, this is a new form of GG, and Fudge even deliberately lowered the price, only charging 10,000 Galleons... But as a middleman, he always has to make a profit.

In Fudge's opinion, what did those Ministry of Magic officials know? Galleons... should be kept by the right people!

……

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(End of this chapter)