A figure suddenly appeared directly above the Octagonal Arena.
The spotlight followed him, outlining the rakish silhouette of his well-tailored black robes.
Sirius Black spread his arms as though welcoming a spectacular rock concert.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to tonight's second celebration!"
His magically amplified voice echoed over the entire Quidditch Pitch.
"I'm your referee, Sirius Black, and also-"
He suddenly paused, gave a playful wink, and jabbed a finger toward the excited students in the stands.
"Your favorite supplier of magical gadgets!"
The students erupted in a torrent of laughter and cheers, instantly setting the tense night air alight.
In the stands, Douglas watched his antics and exchanged a helpless but warm glance with Lupin beside him.
"Next, let's hear you scream for our champions!"
"From Slytherin, Cassius Warrington!"
"From Ravenclaw, Tom Cruise!"
"From Hufflepuff, Maerqian Xiu!"
"And our brave and charming lady Auror, Mindy!"
Light swirled in the center of the arena, and four figures were delivered precisely to their respective positions.
The fuse of battle was lit the instant they landed.
Auror Mindy had clearly grasped exactly why Garrick had lost.
The moment she found her footing, a scarlet Stunning Spell tore through the air, heading straight for the student nearest her.
As she cast the spell, her figure twisted into a blur and vanished.
A second later, she appeared at the other end of the arena, just in time to evade three jinxes coming from different directions.
Her tactics were cold and efficient.
Break their shields first, then worry about gaining the advantage.
Hovering high above, Sirius saw everything clearly, and the corner of his mouth curled upward.
"Oho! Less than a minute in, and all three young champions have already had their shields broken once!"
"I must admit, there are a few Aurors who know