Bet Against the Favorite, Get a Seaside Villa

"William, are you sure you're going all in... Transylvania Team?"

Inside the Goblin's tent, Ludo was tugging at William's sleeve, practically begging on his knees.

"Don't be impulsive, please don't be impulsive! Impulsiveness is Merlin! I'm begging you! That's Galleon, not Knut! And definitely not that shit-smelling Chocolate Frog!"

His voice was so loud that it attracted the attention of countless wizards.

What?! They even have a rare beast that can be used to suppress the Transylvani team?

What a foolish thought! Do they have a grudge against Galleon, and they're rushing to give him money to be exploited like a tender leek?

Soon, many wizards recognized Ludo and William.

Ludo was truly eye-catching, wearing a long Quidditch robe with yellow and black stripes, and a huge wasp splattered across his chest.

William's attire was normal, but his handsome face was undeniably famous.

Fudge kept up with the times, taking advantage of the Venice craze before it died down, and went on a rampage of eating Italy blood noodles, portraying William and Hermione as heroes.

Reports about it are everywhere; I'm sick of them. It's hard not to recognize it now.

Merlin's brother-in-law, the famous Stark, actually bet on Transylvani?

It seems his genius was limited to the realm of magic and did not extend to gambling.

"William, are you under Imperius Curse? Who did it... the Transylvania Team wizards, or the Goblin?"

Under the Goblin's angry gaze, Ludo finally pulled William to the other side.

"What's wrong? Can't we bet on this team?" William asked.

"Of course we can't bet! Don't you even know who our opponent is?" Ludo said in a low voice.

"Let me give you some inside information: why is the first match England vs. Transylvania Team?"

They're giving England a warm-up match against a weak team; these are points they absolutely must get!

"Let me tell you, William! This team is so weak... They're all part-time players."

"The coach is a temporary Divination professor at Uagadou School of Magic, the goalkeeper is a bus ticket seller, the Seeker is the old doorman at the Ministry of Magic..." Ludo rambled on.

Transylvania is not a country, but a region in Eastern Europe.

In the Muggle world, it belongs to Romania, but in the magical world, it enjoys a high degree of autonomy.

Therefore, they have their own Quidditch team.

"But once they're in the Quidditch World Cup, they're no longer amateurs," William retorted.

"That was an accident!" Ludo said, looking disappointed in Ludo.

"The Quaffle is round, anything is possible." William, putting on an act, insisted, "I'll bet on it, let's take a gamble."

"I don't object to you taking a gamble, but could you please not bet 20,000 Galleon right off the bat?" Ludo growled. "Shall we bet one Galleon first... to test the waters?"

"Bet against the trend, and you'll win a villa by the sea," William said calmly. "The more you bet, the more you win!"

"..."

"20,000 Galleon, all in on Transylvania Team."

The crowd of onlookers who had been eavesdropping immediately erupted in uproar.

Is this Stark some kind of genius? Or is he just a primary school student?

Or they're just complete beginners who get swayed by a few words and bet on high odds, hoping to get rich overnight?

The wizards around him whispered amongst themselves, pointing and whispering about William.

Most importantly, they're incredibly wealthy! Even Ministry of Magic employees only make seventy or eighty Galleon a month.

Twenty thousand Galleon... It would take over twenty years to save that amount without eating or drinking.

The biggest spendthrift in the Wizarding World!

The Goblin laughed heartily, her green face resembling a bursting chrysanthemum.

The only man in front of him who could threaten his looks wasn't as formidable as the rumors suggested.

"Mr. Stark, our odds are 1.11, 3.75, 11.00."

"Three possible outcomes: win, draw, or loss... Are you really betting everything on Transylvania Team?"

Draws have occurred in the group stage. According to the tournament format, each match will last no more than 4 hours.

If the Golden Snitch is not caught within 4 hours, the winner will be determined by the final score.

"Of course I'll bet on it, my lucky number is 11," William said with a smile.

Based on these odds, he bet 20,000 Galleon and won 220,000. After deducting his initial investment, he made a net profit of 200,000 Galleon.

It was a huge gamble!

You could also bet on the point difference between the two teams; the odds would be even higher that way.

But in the first game, William was just setting up a trap with 20,000 Galleon; the real exploitation was in the final game.

An upset is understandable, but to predict a difference of several hundred points is simply astonishing.

After that, nobody wants to play with you anymore.

When everyone realized William was serious, their gazes towards him instantly changed.

On his forehead, it seemed as if the words "Stupid, Rich, Come Quickly..." were written.

"Mr. Stark, I'm from Little Master Betting Company... We have the best reputation..."

"Mr. Stark... we can adjust the odds to 1 to 100, we absolutely won't back out."

A group of wizards who saw William as easy prey rushed over.

He and Ludo finally managed to squeeze out of the crowd.

"William, how about this? You give me the money, and I'll run it for you."

Ludo instantly turned into a seasoned gambler.

"I guarantee my profits will triple by the end of the Quidditch World Cup, and I'll take a cut... What do you think?"

William completely ignored him.

Ludo, a person who consistently fails his exams, wants to teach William, who has access to the answer key, how to pass.

Isn't this a joke?

"Mr. Bagman, how is Bertha?"

"Still the same as before, which is why I asked you to come today." Ludo rubbed his hands together.

"Mr. Stark, I heard from the hospital that you paid five thousand Galleon for Bertha's hospitalization?"

"Yes, what's wrong?"

"Bertha was injured during the leave I gave her, which can be considered a work-related injury. The Ministry of Magic will reimburse her; she should be able to get that much money."

Ludo pondered for a moment and said, "I also heard that you were helping to brew Potions."

"Yes." William nodded.

"How about this? I'll buy the Potions at 30% above the market price..."

"You'll return all the money you're owed. As for the 30% exceeding the market price, we'll split it 30/70."

"..." Ludo, the Department of Magical Games and Sports, really spares no effort in fleecing the Ministry of Magic.

William did not immediately refuse. "Mr. Bagman, I need to think about it."

Nonsense... William can easily earn millions a year through betting on football, accumulating wealth that would take generations for others.

Shall we go get some freebies now?

Isn't this tantamount to handing Ludo a handle on himself?

William was trying to shake off Ludo when he suddenly saw a familiar figure from behind.

The witch was wrapped in a black robe and her head was covered with a veil; judging from her attire, she looked like an Arab.

Professor McGonagall!

William and she are very familiar with each other; there's no way he'd mistake her for that figure from behind.

"Professor McGonagall," William called out.

Hearing others shout, the witch walked even faster.

"Professor McGonagall, why are you walking so fast? I'm William."

Professor McGonagall had no choice but to stop and turn around speechlessly.

"Oh, William, what are you doing here? What a coincidence."

At this moment, Professor McGonagall seemed a little flustered, losing her usual stern demeanor at school.

She was too flustered. Being caught gambling on football by her students would severely damage her image.

Upon seeing Professor McGonagall, Ludo, who owed her money, Apparition and ran away. It wasn't even a second later.

"William, what are you doing here?" Professor McGonagall asked sternly. "You're underage, you're not allowed to gamble on football!"

William didn't answer, but lowered his voice and asked, "Which team are you planning to bet on?"

What's going on? Why does William look at her like she's there to gamble on the game?

McGonagall pressed her lips tightly together. Had her identity as a seasoned gambling tycoon, which she had kept hidden for so many years, been leaked?

Professor Dumbledore or... Hagrid, who couldn't keep a secret?

Or perhaps it's that Snape guy? He's always wanted to take her place as vice-principal.

Ha! The treacherous Slytherin!

In an instant, Professor McGonagall, her brow furrowed, began to suspect all the teachers.

"Professor, have you decided who to bet on?" William asked again.

"The England team," Professor McGonagall said, trying to cover it up.

"William, I never bet on football, but... it's all about sentiment."

"I'm telling you, England is doomed to lose..."

"..."

"Really," William said softly, "The England National Team partied until dawn last night, they're so overconfident, they're bound to lose tonight."

That's certainly not the reason. The real reason is: Believe in Nicolas, and you will have eternal life!

"But..." Professor McGonagall hesitated.

"Believe me, Professor! Betting on the England National Team, you might be lining up to jump off a building tomorrow."

"..."

"William, I don't usually bet on football. I'm just betting on it today for fun," Professor McGonagall said seriously. "But it doesn't matter who you bet on, since you said so..."

She leaned closer and whispered, "I'll go get the key to my vault right away and bet all my Galleon on the Transylvania Team."

"..." As expected of Gryffindor, they have guts!

Just as the two were about to leave, William spotted another furtive figure.

Professor Trelawney!

"Oh, Minerva, what a coincidence!" Professor Trelawney said, swaying as she walked, a bottle of sherry in her hand.

"Hey, isn't that William? You guys are here to bet on football too?"

"Professor, which team are you planning to bet on?"

"Of course it's the England National Team... I can already see the result with my Inner Eye..." She hiccuped.

"I asked Dumbledore for a year's salary in advance... a small profit, not much, but a sure thing."

"..."

It seems Professor Trelawney's Prophecy aren't always accurate.

(Please vote for this post, everyone!)

Thanks to Mr. Liu, the book-turner, for the tip.

Thank you to the patron "lenxee" for the 60,000 coins, the first patron of this book.

There are currently fourteen chapters owed, including ten for the Alliance Leader.