Chapter 458: Interrupting the Bet

As more people filled the grounds, the tents began to show more unified support for their teams. Once the first Bulgarian flag appeared on a tent, it set off a chain reaction—soon, other tents were adorned with flags and symbols supporting either Ireland or Bulgaria, giving the venue a divided but festive atmosphere. Occasionally, a lone Bulgarian fan would wander into the Irish camp and, after a few tense glances, hurriedly pack up and move to the opposite side. The Ministry members overseeing the event discreetly ignored these migrations.

The Weasley family, however, stayed neutral. With so many family members cheering for different teams, they couldn't settle on one side, so they watched from the sidelines, enjoying the spectacle.

"I've never seen so many foreign wizards before," Harry said, coming back to the tent with a bucket of water as they waited for lunch. This was his second trip, and he was enjoying every minute of it. Each trip gave him a chance to spot new wizards with unfamiliar customs and styles. Near their tent, three African wizards, their faces painted with vibrant patterns, were cooking by the fire without using wands. Instead, they simply moved their fingers to make the food flip and sizzle.

"They're incredible," Harry whispered to Ron. "Professor Flitwick once mentioned that wandless magic is a really advanced skill—not even seventh-year students can typically manage it. And they only look about fifteen or sixteen, not much older than us."

"No, Harry," Bill said, overhearing. "Those are students from Uagadou, the Wizarding School in Africa. They don't rely on wands and often use older, traditional magic."

"Uagadou…?" Harry repeated, intrigued.

"Yes," Bill replied. "It's located in the Mountains of the Moon and is as old as Hogwarts. Over there, wands are considered optional rather than essential."

Harry nodded, trying not to look too surprised. Watching so many wizards from around the world, he suddenly felt a bit foolish for never realizing that Hogwarts wasn't the only wizarding school.

Soon, Kreacher announced that lunch was ready. With so many people, it would've been too cramped to eat inside the tent, so Mr. Weasley had set up a large table outside. They all gathered around, eating and talking eagerly about the upcoming matches.

Ron was in his element, trying to convince everyone to root for Bulgaria by singing the praises of Viktor Krum, but his efforts met little success. Cedric, the other Seeker there, stubbornly supported Ireland.

The only other Seekers, Harry and Charlie, were both set on Bulgaria's side. Even Cedric seemed deaf to Ron's arguments, despite being a fellow Seeker.

Just as Ron was passionately repeating how young Krum was and how brilliant his moves were, Mr. Weasley suddenly stood up, waving enthusiastically at a man approaching with a broad grin.

"Haha!" he called. "The most important man here—Ludo!"

Ludo Bagman was hard to miss in his old Wimbourne Wasps uniform, though it was noticeably tight, stretching snugly over his considerable belly. It looked like he'd pulled it on last minute without bothering to have it resized.

"Aha, Arthur! What's that delicious smell? I could smell it from all the way over there!" Ludo Bagman called out cheerfully, skipping over as if he were on springs, clearly in high spirits.

"Just a simple lunch," Mr. Weasley replied, "but you're welcome to join us if you don't mind."

"I'd love to, but unfortunately, I promised Volkov I'd have lunch with him," Bagman said with a grin. "The young Bulgarian Beater probably wants to pick up a few tricks from me—cunning lad, that one!" Mr. Weasley laughed along.

At this, Percy hurried forward, eagerly offering his hand, hoping to make a good impression on the esteemed Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports.

"Oh, and let me introduce everyone," Mr. Weasley said, smiling. "This is my son Percy, just started working at the Ministry. And here's Bill and Charlie—they work abroad and are home for the game… and that's Kyle, Cedric…"

Bagman barely acknowledged the introductions, though he glanced briefly at Kyle's name. When Mr. Weasley introduced Harry, Bagman's gaze shifted instantly to the lightning-shaped scar on his forehead.

"Let me give you a proper introduction," Mr. Weasley said, noticing Hermione's puzzled expression. "This is Ludo Bagman, former star Beater for the Wimbourne Wasps and once part of the England team. And he's the reason we got such wonderful tickets!"

Bagman waved it off with a friendly smile, as if it were nothing. "So, Arthur," he said, getting down to business, "fancy placing a bet on the match? I've even convinced Roddy Pontner to bet that Bulgaria will score the first goal, and little Agatha Timms has put up half shares in her eel farm on a week-long match!"

"Oh… all right," Mr. Weasley agreed, smiling a bit awkwardly. "I'll put down a Galleon on Ireland, if that's all right?"

Bagman looked slightly disappointed but quickly perked up. "A Galleon? Very well! Anyone else want in?"

"We… ouch!" Fred yelped, bending over as he tried to speak.

Kyle had discreetly nudged him with his shoe. "Sorry, Mr. Bagman," he said calmly. "Fred was just going to say that we've spent all our pocket money on souvenirs—five Knuts is all we've got left. Is that all right?"

"Oh, I couldn't take your last Knuts!" Bagman said with a polite smile, declining with a chuckle.

Turning back to Mr. Weasley, Bagman added, "Could you help me out, Arthur? I've been trying to find Barty Crouch. We've got a Bulgarian official causing a bit of a stir, but I can't understand a word he's saying. Barty's our language expert—he speaks about 150 languages."

"Mr. Crouch?" Percy perked up at the mention of the name, practically glowing with enthusiasm.

"Mr. Crouch speaks over two hundred languages," Percy began, gushing. "Mermish, Trollish, and even Turkey—"

"Oh!" Kyle interrupted, feigning admiration. If it had been just Mermish and Trollish, he could manage that, but Turkey… that was a first. Who would even want to talk to a turkey?

"Yes, yes, you're quite right," Bagman said lazily. "Barty's impressive in that way… oh, speaking of him—Barty! Over here!"

A wizard appeared beside them with a soft pop, looking every bit as polished as Percy had described.

Percy's excitement was barely contained; he was practically trembling.

"Ludo, I've been looking for you," Crouch said briskly, his gaze settling on Bagman. "The Bulgarians are insisting we add twelve more seats to the Top Box. You'd better go sort it out with them before the match begins."