Mascots (1) (Thanks to Ludaо's Burning Moon King Realm for the Power of Love gift)
More than 100,000 people were crowding towards the arena, surrounded by shouts and laughter. The fervor was contagious, and Harry was especially happy. He was being carried on Sirius's shoulder, looking around and laughing loudly with Ron, his mouth agape.
Su Yu held the hands of the girls, his Kurama Cloak unfurling invisibly to separate them from the outsiders. He teased Ginny and Hermione, and while Ka-jie wasn't looking, he quickly slipped a kiss to her. The group walked and joked around like this for more than twenty minutes before emerging from the other side of the woods. In front of them was a magnificent stadium with golden walls. Harry said it was so big it could probably fit ten Hogwarts halls, but Ron felt it could easily fit fifty.
Mr. Weasley explained, "500 workers toiled here for a whole year to accomplish this miracle. Every inch of this land was imbued with Muggle-Repelling Charm!"
Then he led everyone toward the ticket gate, where a large, noisy group of wizards had already gathered.
"First class!" The fat witch at the entrance looked at Su Yu as he showed his ticket. "The top-floor suite! The biggest one, just keep going up to the very top. Arthur, perfect, you can take them up."
The staircase leading to the top floor was covered with a thick crimson carpet. Countless people slowly parted to the stands on both sides. Mr. Weasley led everyone to the top-floor stands, where the Old Barty family's House-elf, Winky, was already waiting. He led Su Yu and the other girls to a box on one side, while Harry and Weasley stayed in the lobby, sitting with several high-ranking officials from the Ministry of Magic.
Inside the private room, Daphne and Isolde had prepared various pastries, fruits, and foods that Su Yu liked. Su Yu, exhausted, helped Daphne lie down as soon as he entered. Ginny and Hermione, leaning on the stands, excitedly chattered about the advertisements constantly being written on the huge blackboard outside, discussing things like:
Want safety? Choose Cornflower, the flying broomstick perfect for the whole family! Its unique three-point safety harness design reflects meticulous craftsmanship in every detail!
Mom no longer has to worry about me getting my clothes dirty! Mrs. Cole's All-Purpose Stain Remover is a must-have.
A century-old brand, the Elegant Wizard Robes! Passed down through three generations!
Hermione and Ginny excitedly ran back, picked up the competition instructions with the tasseled velvet cover from the table, and read them word by word.
"There's a performance by the team mascot before the game!"
"Wow, that must be amazing, right?" Ginny's face was a little red.
Fa-jie was flipping through a popular magazine. To be honest, her opinion on Quidditch was the same as Su Yu's; she wasn't particularly curious about it. To her, a real fight would be more exciting and thrilling.
Ka-jie kept introducing the two women to various aspects of the two teams, Isolde massaged Su Yu's legs, Daphne fed Su Yu pastries. Among them, she was the only one listening to the butler Carson's teachings, afraid that Su Yu would go hungry.
Harry chatted with the House-elf named Winky outside, while Ron fiddled with his Omnioculars, watching an old man picking his nose in the distance, muttering, "I can make him pick it again... again... again..."
Over the next half hour, a steady stream of people began to arrive in the hall outside. Mr. Weasley kept shaking hands with others, and Percy repeatedly stood up in a hurry. When Minister Fudge arrived, Percy had bowed so low that he knocked off his glasses, shattering them. He could only awkwardly fix them with his wand and then sat there blankly. However, when he saw Minister Fudge warmly greeting Harry, he revealed a jealous look in his eyes.
However, no one dared to knock on the door of the inner room, as if some terrifying being lurked there. This was especially true of the Bulgaria Minister for Magic, who had heard that the person inside had a rather bad temper and hated speaking languages he couldn't understand, with his catchphrase being, "What Grawp about? Did you forget your vocal cords at home?"
If Su Yu knew about this, he'd definitely smash Grindelwald's teeth! That's the kind of person he is, but every time he hasn't even made a move, Grindelwald beats him to it, and then he's the one who ends up taking the blame?
Oh, so you can't afford to mess with Grindelwald, so you're blaming Su Yu for this?
However, it wasn't until a family arrived that they knocked on the door—the Malfoy, who had Pansy and Astoria with them.
Su Yu quickly got up and warmly welcomed the Malfoy family, giving Lucius Malfoy plenty of face and calling him "Uncle" and "Auntie" repeatedly.
Even as Lucius was being helped out by Narcissa, he was still feeling quite smug. The Dark Lord, the symbol of the new power and the third generation, was actually treating him so politely—much more cultured than that brat Voldemort!
Amidst envious glances, Lucius strode out. Minister Fudge greeted him warmly, and even his old rival, Mr. Weasley, was forgotten in Lucius's mockery. Lucius smiled, shook hands with Mr. Weasley, and, amidst Mr. Weasley's incredulous expression, Lucius gracefully left and took his seat.
"Oh, right, I forgot to mention, Arthur! What did you sell to get that penthouse seat? Your house certainly isn't worth that much, is it?" Lucius, who had just sat down, seemed to remember something, stood up again to speak to Mr. Weasley, and then sat back down.
Mr. Weasley breathed a sigh of relief. He had almost thought Lucius had been hit by some kind of Imperius Curse again. Now he was relieved; he was still the same old Lucius, which was really annoying.
Ludo took out his wand, pointed to his throat, and said, "Sonorus!"
Then his words echoed throughout the entire stadium, and everyone looked at him. His voice reverberated above the crowd and reached every corner of the stands.
"Ladies and gentlemen... welcome! Welcome to the 422nd Quidditch World Cup!"
The audience screamed, waved thousands of flags, and chanted national anthems from various countries—the scene was... both chaotic and harmonious...
Hermione's little team has now grown by two more people: Pansy, Astoria, Ginny. The four of them are cheering loudly in the stands.
On the blackboard opposite them, the last line of the advertisement (Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans - so tempting you'll want to try them, did you win today?) has been erased, and it now displays: Bulgaria: 0, Ireland: 0.
"Time is of the essence. What we see now is the Bulgaria Team's mascot. Let's cheer!"
An astonishing cheer erupted from the right side of the stands, which was now a neat sea of bright red.
Next comes the scene that everyone will love most: a hundred Veela glides onto the arena. They are incredibly beautiful, with skin as bright and clear as moonlight, and long, silver-gold hair that moves without wind, flowing gently behind them.
Her eyes were bright as water, her smile gentle yet with an indescribable allure, and every movement was as light as a dance, as if she were born with a mesmerizing magic.
Whenever their gaze sweeps over, the air seems to soften and shimmer, captivating all who look away, leaving only an indescribable sense of awe and wonder.
However, Su Yu didn't even glance at them. First, he was the ancestor of Genjutsu, and these mere Veela were laughable. Second, he looked at the women around him who were already watching him, and he didn't want to die here.