The suburbs were eerily quiet after nightfall, as though everything had fallen silent. Even the houses lining both sides of the street had switched off their lights.
Yet faint figures could be seen moving along the roadside.
A closer look revealed that they were several Spanish police officers. Any unsuspecting Muggle passing by might have thought something had happened here.
However, the wooden sticks in the hands of these "police officers" had already exposed their identities.
Employees of the Spanish Ministry of Magic were carrying out patrol duties. Although a Muggle-Repelling Charm had been cast around the area, there was still no avoiding the possibility of accidents.
The moment Albert Apparated onto an open patch of ground near the stadium, he saw someone approaching him. It was a male employee of the Spanish Ministry of Magic, coming to register his identity.
He directly stated that he was a competitor and showed his contestant's pass. The wizard then said in a perfunctory tone, "Competitors, please proceed to Entrance Nine. From there, go to the waiting room. There will be staff at the entrance specifically handling registration."
Albert followed the direction the wizard pointed and soon spotted a sign written in many languages, telling competitors where the passage to Entrance Nine was.
The moment he reached the entrance, a wave of noise washed over him.
A table stood at the entrance, with a lottery-like box on it. Beside the box were four slots marked 1, 2, 3, and 4, dividing the waiting room into four areas.
The wizard took a card marked with the number 1 from the box, tossed it back inside, and gestured for Albert to draw one himself.
Albert casually pulled out a card. It was marked "3." The card was placed in Area Three, and Albert was directed