"What's going on? What's all that noise?" Feeling the ground tremble, Harry looked toward the distant campsite. The wizards who had been gathered there laughing foolishly and fooling around seemed to have been startled too.
Some had already begun rushing about like headless chickens. Even more, however, seemed too drunk to know what was happening, still chuckling stupidly even after falling to the ground.
The Gryffindors were clearly all very interested in what had happened. If Hermione had not held them back, Harry and the others might have gone over to join the commotion and take a look.
Hermione was, after all, the sensible one. Together with a somewhat frightened Ginny, she dragged the others deeper into the woods, intending to get away from the noisy campsite. Mr. Weasley and the others would certainly be able to find them anyway.
On the way, they encountered several wizards from the United Kingdom gathered around some Veela, talking nonstop.
Harry listened for a moment. They were all boasting. He even knew one of them: Stan Shunpike, a conductor on the Knight Bus. Right now, however, he was bragging to the Veela that he would become the youngest Minister for Magic in history.
The Veela smiled charmingly, which made the wizards' boasts grow even more outrageous.
"You have to admit, those Veela really are beautiful." Ron gazed at them from a distance and said wistfully, "Honestly, I feel like going over and doing a bit of boasting myself. It's quite a strong urge."
"Oh, give it a rest." Ginny gave her brother a disdainful look. "You'd already started walking over. If I hadn't held you back, you'd definitely have gone."
"Hey, Ginny, you're not being cute at all."
By the time they reached a clearing in the middle of the woods, they