The crowd surged into motion the moment the gong rang out, and everyone hurried toward the woods along the lantern-lit path.
Tens of thousands of people made the same choice. Amid the surging sea of heads, Su Er instinctively took Hermione's hand, worried that the crowd would separate them.
Hermione understood why Su Er had taken her hand. She stole a glance at him with sparkling eyes, smiled with her lips pressed together, and turned her hand to lace her fingers through his.
Many spectators were far more impatient than they were and had entered the woods ahead of them. Naturally, the woods were bustling, filled with laughter, shouting, and snatches of song from every direction.
That feverish excitement was infectious, reminding Su Er of the 2008 Olympic Games in his previous life. He had been fortunate enough to attend in person, and the fervor of the atmosphere then had been no less than it was now.
They walked through the woods for twenty minutes before emerging on the other side, where a vast, magnificent stadium appeared before them.
"It can hold a hundred thousand spectators!" Mr. Weasley said proudly when he saw the astonishment on their faces.
"A building this big must be hard to hide from Muggles, surely?" Hermione asked in surprise, her mouth slightly open.
"Of course, under normal circumstances, it would be very difficult to hide from Muggles." Mr. Weasley nodded. "The Ministry of Magic has spoken with the Muggle Prime Minister, for one thing. For another, five hundred Ministry workers have cast Muggle-Repelling Charms on every inch of land here."
"Throughout this past year, whenever Muggles approached this place, they would suddenly remember something desperately urgent and hurry away. God bless them..."
As he explained, Mr. Weasley led them toward the nearest entrance, which was